Ascension: Part Two

[Tormax Ategann]

A knock sounded from the door. "I've returned, Sir. You never specified what drink you wanted so I got you a water as well." Tormax decided not to open the door, simply because he wasn't sure if he was wanted on the other side. This is the commanders private quarters, after all.

[member="Knight Mullarus"] - [member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

For the first time since Darth Azurea became a Sith, converted directly to the darkside by Darth Pyrrhus, she actually felt like Setzi Lunelle again, the kind-hearted, farm girl from Aduba-III. When Mullarus became flustered, she could tell how much he cared for her. And she cared for him as well - adored him actually - but expressing these types of emotions no longer came easily to her. Both of them had been trained to cultivate anger, rage, fury and vengefulness. Pleasure, not in the form of this type of sentient companionship was frowned up. Needless to say, the Sith Lord felt in this small room of Mullarus's that was she breaking the Sith code - not to mention her own personal dedication to loyalty - left and right.

But yet, she found that she could not stop. At Mullarus's encouraging words, Azurea stepped close to him, closing the gap between them. She was nervous now, but in a different way. When he put his hand on her shoulder, she canted her head towards it. How good it would feel if he stroked her warm cheek. But he didn't. He was still hesitant about something, especially when she revealed her real name. Did Krux have someone romantic in his life? she wondered. There had always been an ascetic quality about him, but perhaps... he had a lover, or a girlfriend. An unexpected surge of jealousy shot through her like an electric current. He would be able to feel it in her darkside presence, not necessary the envy itself, but the sudden change in her Force temperament. Even in his embarrassed condition, perhaps he would enjoy it - it was an incredibly dark stream of energy.

But she didn't let that feeling linger. When he withdrew his hand away, she worried that she was crossing a boundary too quickly by her close proximity. He paced and explained why he needed to kill his grandfather. The powerful Sith Lord slaughtered his parents. It was understandable that he would want revenge and even a trial. As he swung around in his frantic pacing, Setzi caught him with her hands. With a firm grip and no visible fear, she pulled him close to her and looking up into his deep, blue eyes, she said, "Then justice you will have."

Setzi raised up, her hands on his shoulders now, resting comfortably, and she touched her soft lips to his, hoping he wouldn't push her away.

[member="Knight Mullarus"] [member="Tormax Ategann"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Now that he had been looking closer, he noticed how scuffed his boots were. It had been a while since they were cleaned and shined. Suddenly, he felt Setzi's hands grab onto him again, both this time. He assumed she was just doing what he had done moments ago and just tried to be comforting to him, but that all changed when she leaned up and kissed his lips.

Krux wouldn't admit out loud - not today at least - that this was the first time in over a decade that he'd felt the warm lips of another woman's on his. His first was actually just a dare from one of his childhood friends that had no true meaning. Girls had certainly found themselves with feelings of romance for the dark haired boy before, even recently, but Krux had never been one to notice. This time, though, his face ran hot again, but he didn't try to stop it. Questions ran across Krux's mind, like, 'Wasn't she sharing something with Pyrrhus? Like...a child?'

Still, he discovered he couldn't push her away. The same passion he felt for her prior to becoming a Knight, how much he looked up to her and admired her kindness and elegance, returned all of a sudden as she pressed her lips to his. Instead of crawling out, he found himself slowly draping his arms around her and closing his eyes, embracing her as if he never wanted this moment to end.

"Sir. You never specified what you wanted to drink, so I got you water as well"

Until, of course, he had to pull away. Cheeks still flushed bright red, he stared into Setzi's eyes for a second before glancing at the door. He couldn't help but chuckle. He slowly, painfully, removed his hands from her and placed a few feet between them before nodding to the door, "P-Private! Yes, uh, bring them in please."

[member="Darth Azurea"] / [member="Tormax Ategann"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Knight Mullarus didn't stop or protest. He wrapped his long arms around her and kissed her back, quite passionately. Azurea's face also began to flush but with desire and anticipation. And despite her fairly experienced lips, she had not been with any other man, certainly not a human before. She had been with only one other companion before, so this was also a new encounter for her as well - to kiss with one of her own species. It was new and it was thrilling... and certainly forbidden. Because it was forbidden to her, did that make it better? She had her own strict moral code which she was breaking with each passing second.

Abruptly, the voice at the door startled them both out of their embrace. Setzi stepped back and ran her hand through her hair, a little embarrassed. She was the one who made the first move and now felt quite vulnerable and a little confused. Darth Azurea began straightening her cloak and robes, trying to make it look like she hadnt just been making out with the stormtrooper's commander. But she noticed a little lipstick of hers had stained Mullarus's cheek. She hadn't wanted to pull away as well, but the interruption would give them both time to process what had just happened, especially Setzi who was acting on pure instinct.

[member="Knight Mullarus"] [member="Tormax Ategann"]

 

[Tormax Ategann]

"P-Private! Yes, uh, bring them in please."

The door opened. Tormax walked in with the drinks, and immediately realized something was different. Whilst the stormtrooper didn't have the ability to notice changes in the Force, he could notice the change of air in the room, and in the people in it. The Commander was... blushing? And while his female companion did a fairly good job of straightening her appearance, she also seemed a bit flushed. Had Tormax not noticed the lipstick, he would not have said anything. But he did. It was quite visible, at least it was when Tormax was focusing on both of their faces to try and read their emotions. All of these things confirmed the thoughts he had been thinking on his way to get the beverages. And he had interrupted it.

Setting down the drinks on a table next to him, Tormax spoke up. "Sir, I don't know the context of what I've walked in on, but it clearly isn't my business. If you need anything, I'll be down the hall, getting myself a drink if that's alright. I'll be there if you need me... Also, before you leave to go anywhere, you got something here," he gestured to where the lipstick was. He then turned to the Darth, mimicked his slight bow from earlier and again said, "Lady." He then turned and started to walk out the door.

[member="Darth Azurea"] - [member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Krux's face did still feel a bit hot when his young stormtroopers entourage returned with two glasses of water. The man had a sense of humor. How was he supposed to feel now that a simple private in his battleground knew of what might have happened between himself and Setzi?

Just before Private Ategann exited, he tried something new. Something that probably wouldn't work, and he had only practiced very rarely. Waving a hand, he said, "Private Ategann, you don't remember why you're here or what you just saw, but it's time to return to the barracks and sleep it off..." A Jedi trick, but it could come in handy if Krux ever mastered it. It likely wouldn't work, but maybe he'd just take the hint and not return for the evening.

Krux took up the two water glasses and handed one to Setzi, still a bit flushed, "Heh...sorry about that...almost forgot..." He said softly, taking a sip and self-consciously wiping at the lipstick the trooper pointed out.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Tormax Ategann]

Whilst walking out of the door, Tormax shook his head a bit. That was... weird. He heard what the commander had said, and while the mind trick had not worked, he decided to make it easy for the Commander, and so he went towards the barracks. He could have just asked. I'm a stormtrooper, I don't care what my Commander does in his spare time. Even as he thought this, though, Tormax knew Commander Mullarus was just trying to protect himself.

"Oh well," he said, not realizing he was talking aloud, if quietly. "Again, not my business." No one was around to hear him anyway. So, he continued to the barracks

[member="Knight Mullarus"] - [member="Darth Azurea"] - [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] - [member="Fortuna"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

The stormtrooper entered and delivered the water. Darth Azurea tried not to think of the scene as comical, but she put a hand over her mouth to stifle a wide grin. The situation the three of them found themselves in was quite un-Sith-like in a way. But even being Sith, it was impossible to always control your emotions or your passion. They were both humans with a wide range of reactions, and most unpredictable were those involving the opposite sex.

"Thank you, Solider," the Sith Lord said as he excused himself.

But before the trooper fully left the room, Mullarus stopped him and essentially erased his memory. Azurea was relieved he'd executed the mind trick after all. Since she was technically still Darth Pyrrhus's companion, the kiss shared between the two Sith, if discovered, and rumors were to spread, would be extremely dangerous for the both of them. The brunette Lord most of all, and although she knew the Togruta would not physically harm her unless they happened to be sparring, her property, home and entire life was on Glee Anselm. She could not afford to be exiled from that - not until after the birth and delivery of her infant to Shili.

"That's okay," she said, accepting the drink and also taking a sip. The room had become decidedly hot, and the water was refreshing. "I'm glad that your trooper won't be any wiser today." She adjusted the last of her wayward robes and said, "I've taken up so much of your time already tonight. I'm sure you want to meditate before our journey. Or even sleep. If you can... just point me in the direction of a bunk?"

Azurea glanced momentarily at Mullarus's own bed, which looked much more inviting than a cabin bunk. You are thinking with your body, right now, she chastised. And not your brain. Consider this carefully, Azurea. What happened is not good for either of us. But it was difficult to actually convince herself that she believed it.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Oh, how soothing the sound of her voice was. It always was, to him, even on the day he first met her on Lorrd. Only back then, he thought she was way out of his league, so the events of today were proving to be extremely surprising to the young, ambitious Knight.

"Well...Private Ategann I'd practically fresh off of the boat, I wouldn't think anyone would take him seriously with no witnesses. Though...I suppose even a vague rumor could be...dangerous." His heart sank considerably when she talked about leaving. It was strange what only a short few minutes could change. "Oh? Oh. Ah...you really haven't. I- I mean...a moment spent with you is no waste to me. I enjoy your company, Setzi."

Then, he followed her brief gaze and suddenly, the room began feeling hot again. Was this a hint? Krux had never been one to take advantage of women, even with the power he possessed as a Sith. "Oh...well...there are some...smaller quarters down the hall, but..." He slowly leaned on the he desk, his dark blue gaze meeting hers once more, "I-...You're welcome to stay as long as you like. I mean it when I say I enjoy your company. I can't think of anyone else I can talk to so...easily." The volume of his voice didn't falter much. In fact, he even took a couple more steps in her direction. He hoped he didn't come across as trying to take advantage of her, he only wanted to give her what she wanted.

Which was another reason he wanted to keep her around just a bit longer. He didn't know what she really wanted. The evil togruta who had apparently impregnated her, or...him.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Fortuna was bored.

After being pointed to her room by [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] she had entered the simple place and read. There was nothing else to do, so why not? But only after just two books, which she had read at an alarming speed, she was completely and utterly bored. Getting beaten up was better than just sitting there waiting. A frown had settled upon her lips as she thought back to the beating. She had lost control, and with it lost the one advantage she seemed to have, her mind. Would it be different now, knowing what she does? Well, only one way to find out.

Quickly and promptly she exited her room and walked down just three doors. As loud as she could, she knocked.

"Hey, can we fight again?" Even before he would answer she went right to the point, oblivious to the fact he might not even be in there. None the less, she stood just outside Abe's door, both arms crossed over her chest. She really, really wanted to fight.

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

"And I enjoy your company as well," Setzi admitted. In Mullarus’s quarters she felt that the both of them were safe from outsiders and of their prescribed roles to date – students of Pyrrhus, Master and Apprentice, Lord and Knight. The brunette, her hair slightly tangled from their sudden kiss, wasn’t about to treat him as though he were her subject. They were equals in this room and most likely outside of it. The Sith Lord was not into power games as some of her fellow Sith were. It is what made her unique and probably a target to eventually be overthrown or relegated to some frozen planet in Wild Space.

Even though there were additional sleeping quarters elsewhere, she did know they would not be as comfortable as the room she was in. While her pregnancy was still in its very early stages, Azurea still felt tired and weary at the end of the day, the burden on her body was unmistakable. The last week near bedtime, she would just fall onto the mattress, barely able to pull the covers up, asleep as soon as her face was on the soft pillow. Rationalizing her actions quite easily now, she figured that getting a good rest would be important to what they were about to embark upon. Although a part of her was not so sure that Mullarus and she would be actually sleeping much – that is if he joined her in the bed.

“I suppose I can stay for a bit,” she said. And as he drew nearer, she withdrew but to sit on his bed. Still, the expression on her face was warm and inviting. Due to the warmth in the room, she removed her hooded cloak, which left her with a black tunic and tights on. Her yellow eyes lifted back up to gaze upon his deep, blue eyes. His eyes had not turned that jaundiced Sith color that hers had from the darkside of the Force. In Darth Azurea’s case it seemed to happen around the incident on Kursid where she used so much darkside healing on herself and the Kursid population that she was temporarily rendered blind.

In order to quell the butterflies in her stomach, she asked him: “What do you do on the ship to pass the time?”

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Krux nodded, a smile creeping onto his lips as she sat down, appearing to make herself comfortable. He didn't want her to feel like a prisoner aboard his flagship. Just as she started to remove a layer of her robes, so too did he, removing the outermost cloak with the fancy, royal-looking mantle over his shoulders and hung it on the rack by the door, where he also hung Setzi's for her. His long, black hair now appeared to pop and shine even more with the grey and red underclothes he wore that looked much like army fatigues. He kicked his boots off, as well, making a mental note to have to get them re-shined soon.

As he made himself more comfortable, her heart-stopping voice rang once again in her ears. Krux was never good at small-talk, so it was probably good that she had said something, or else he may have gone off on a tangent about more dramatic matters that still gnawed at the back of his mind, like her relationship to their master that she seemed to be ignoring. He turned his head to her as he approached the side of the bed and sat down beside her, "Well...I sorta supervise what's going on around the ship. I leave most of the more-important matters to Captain Jones, since he has far more military and navy experience than I do, but I still like to know what I have at my disposal, if I need to. I suppose with the amount of firepower and ground forces, I would have enough to take a small moon for myself if I really wanted to." he chuckled. Like Setzi, Krux wasn't one to go around demanding the galaxy respect his authority. After all, he let one of his newest stormtroopers mouth off like he had something to prove to the Colonel and didn't even crush his esophagus. He was content with the battlegroup and Vanguard-class heavy cruiser he was given, and didn't feel like he wanted anything more. He even had a big, comfy manor on Ragoon VI to retreat to when he really needed to get away from life for a while.

"Other than that, I have a couple of holobooks and holocrons loaded on the holodesk, I lecture Abelain, train him a bit. You know...evil things" he said jokingly. Of many Sith in the Order, Mullarus certainly didn't look at himself to be that evil. Sure, he wasn't the most benevolent man in the galaxy, but compared to most Sith, Krux kept his life more humble and modest. If given the chance to overthrow the Dark Lord himself and take his place as the Emperor with no consequences, he probably wouldn't do it. Especially now that such a beautiful girl who practically crawled straight out of Krux's dreams was starting to show a romantic interest in him, he couldn't think of much else he wanted other than to turn his Sith Apprentices into masters of the Dark Side.

He smiled as he looked into Setzi's yellow eyes. It must have been a result of Dark Side corruption, which would inevitably begin to consume him someday as well. He couldn't imagine how, though. Already, Krux noticed his skin had grown paler since the day he began training with the Sith on Coruscant, and he could have sworn his hair was a bit of a lighter shade of black, if black could get any lighter. Krux slowly reached a hand over to take hers. He didn't really know why, it just felt right. He opened his mouth to ask the burning question about what she was doing in regard to the apparent relationship she shared with Pyrrhus and why she suddenly was so romantic with him instead, but he closed it. This moment was too...perfect to ruin.

'Another time', Krux thought. He was desperate to know the truth, but it could wait. Perhaps, at least, until his business on Rakata Prime was finished and he had time completely alone with Setzi, without voices and ears only a few metal walls away. For now, Krux only wanted to think about the most gorgeous set of golden eyes staring into his. "What did I do to deserve this, Setzi?" he asked, still smiling and staring into her jewelled eyes.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

The door would shift open to reveal Abelain, staring downwards towards Fortuna. It seemed odd that she would want to fight so soon, it had not been very long at all since she had been knocked unconscious and had suffered from multiple broken bones. The Arue'tii could not imagine the type of pain that must have occurred when the bones had snapped, likely jutting into important crevices and niches within the body. Even with the healing of the teacher, it was a wonder to him that Fortuna could move at all.

Such were the powers of the Sith, he supposed. Still, Fortuna wished to fight, and the explorer was not one to turn down such a challenge, especially from a being he had already beaten once. Slipping out of the room, one hand vaguely running itself along his torso, still sore from their recent combat. "Very well, Fortuna. I shall face you once more, though I question the wisdom of such proceedings."

Out of the room slipped the stormtrooper, his arms loaded with an uncomfortable amount of pallid and sickly looking steaks. Abelain stepped into the view of Fortuna, hiding the stormtrooper as he moved down the hallway with the bloodless evidence. There was no doubt that the female had seen, but the Arue'tii hoped that she was either neutral or not bright enough to make the connection.

[member="Fortuna"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Darth Azurea watched the Young Knight hang up his robe and hers on a hook in the room. He eventually sat down beside her on the bed. The Sith Lord knew she owed him an explanation of how she ended up here, but she could not find the words.

It was easier to just listen to him speaking and his description of duties on the Vanguard-class battleship. A part of her found it refreshing to hear about these common, almost mundane tasks. His deep voice and careful blue-eyed gaze quieted her mind for a few moments, and he could tell by her body language that she had finally relaxed. There was no more anxiety about being heard or seen. And no more worry of being accepted by him as a lover.

And this time, she wasn’t the one fumbling around with his hand – he reached out to take hers. Krux still had a very faint scar from where she cut him with the dagger during training, and with an index finger she traced the white line. She could tell from the expression on his handsome face that something was bothering him.

“You didn’t have to do anything,” she said. “And you don’t have to do anything. Just be here with me. Right now in this moment.”

Knight Mullarus was always someone with whom Setzi felt an unusual attachment. Perhaps it was just natural chemistry or a shared experience of having the same Master. Since she had never been romantically involved with a human, he almost seemed more alien to her than she realized he would, being this close to him. But this only added to her fascination.

The Sith Lord reached over and stroked his cheek, moving his hair to the side. Still holding his hand with the scar, her own scarred palm pressed against it, she leaned closer and planted another soft kiss on his lips.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Before this moment, Setzi had given off an aura that was a little bit uncomfortable. It was the combined anxiety of the two all alone in Krux's quarters, where few had set foot but him before tonight. But after going on about what he did on a normal day working aboard The Paladin, the anxious feeling given off by the Sith Lord seemed to dissapear. In fact, she stared at him with such adoration, it was like she refused to miss a single syllable spoken by him. It was still confusing to him why she suddenly had a change of heart about him and why she wasn't on Glee Anselm sharing this moment with the future father of her child instead.

He felt her cold touch over the small scar on his hand, a result of her teaching him the Protection Bubble ability, which was just one more practical lesson he learned from her instead of his real master. This single scar he possessed on his hand was insignifigant compared to the damage done to his body by the cruel hand of Lord Jekyll during the time where he was the one Krux called master. Now, with the sadistic old man, the first of Mullarus' three foes who call themselves Sith, looming over him and waiting for his challenge at the other side of the hyperspace lane they travelled on, Mullarus had a feeling this wouldn't be close to the last scar he would take on his warpath.

Then, as Setzi's soothing voice filled Krux's heart with relief once again and closed the gap between them, he either forgot about all of the confusion with this situation, or stopped caring. They were alone in this moment, and as far as Krux was concerned, she was the only person in the galaxy he cared about. He would bring his enemies who once wronged him to justice to make a peaceful life for himself, but mostly for her. All of it for her.

His free hand lifted up and rested on her cheek, stroking her silky brunette hair with his thumb as their lips touched. This time, without interruption, Krux wouldn't put an end to this moment so prematurely.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Azurea’s breath hitched in her throat as they continued kissing. Thoughts, cares and worries also began to fade away, and the brunette Sith Lord was firmly now in the moment, running her hand through his black hair and gripping it now more firmly as though to let him know it was okay to be a little bolder. With the other hand she began fumbling with the buttons on her tunic, and very soon, she was free of at least the top portion of it. Her pregnancy was hardly visible at all except for a fullness in her breasts and hips that likely wasn’t there before, not that he may have noticed in their previous times together, as she was always in robes or armor. She pushed aside a quick newsflash of worry inside her mind that he might be put off by the fact that she was with child, but so far he seemed to not care. It's not something I can change right now, thought Setzi. Put your mind at rest.

Finally she clutched at him, beckoning him to lay beside her on the bed, where they would be comfortable to continue their tentative exploration. “I hope there won’t be any more intrusions," Setzi said, smiling and tracing the bicep of his free arm with her fingers. She also took a moment to reach out with the Force, just to get a sense of his emotional state. Hers was calm, but not light. Still, the darkside - all of the hunger and rage - was quelled for the time being. She only felt passion and desire, reckless and uninhibited.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Krux noticed the sudden change in Setzi's aura. The lightness she radiated upon her arrival to his flagship was consumed by darkness. As seen before she arrived when watching his two apprentices duel, Mullarus realized how tempting the dark side was to a young man like himself. Now, Setzi was driving him absolutely crazy. Instinct began to settle in, and he found he had simply forgotten about how their old master had impregnated her. Just as he thought moments ago, only [member="Darth Azurea"] and himself existed in this galaxy right now, and this time, nobody would barge into it until the next morning.

Setzi pulled Krux down onto the bed beside her. With the two passionate Sith getting frisky, so too did Krux's hair, which normally was kept clean and orderly. When she began to start disrobing, Krux followed suit. This was a new experience for him, full of unexplored sensations and emotions, so when Setzi would examine the young Knight's emotion, it would burn bright like a wildfire. His heart beat faster than it ever had before in his life - save for when the Masquerading Demon "taught his grandson to endure pain" with enough electricity pouring from his fingertips to fry the teenager's internal organs permanently. Hence why he needed cybernetic implants just to remain alive, and why electricity was, and always will be a sensitive weakness to him.

As Krux disrobed his upper body, his form became visible to Setzi. When he first met her, as a fresh apprentice to Pyrrhus, Krux was much scrawnier and physically weaker. Much of the swordplay he had done that day against the Pit Dweller was dexterous, not from physical strength. One thing the Knight could thank the togruta for was having him focus much more on strengthening his physical form to be prepared for the life of a Sith. Jekyll was more concerned with 'teaching' him to endure pain and resist the advances of the enemy, the inverse of what Pyrrhus would teach him.

Nonetheless, Setzi would find Krux to possess most of his strength in his chest and arms, the result of hours of practice with weapons and tools that had to be swung with great precision and power to be effective. This was capitalized when Mullarus trained with heavier, two-handed blades to get him ready for his second lightsaber, the exotic greatsword-like weapon he still used today.

When Setzi expressed her concern about another intrusion with a smile, Krux simply sat back up and waved a hand toward the window of his quarters, the blinds shutting and the light switch of the room flipping down, engulfing the passionate couple in complete darkness. As Krux leaned back down and began to make love to her, he whispered.

"Don't worry. I'll keep the door locked "

---/---Mullarus' story fades to black ---/---

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Stretching out languidly after Krux made love to her for hours, Setzi began to feel fatigued and sleepy. She draped an arm over his broad chest, honed from the last few months of weapons training. As she suspected, the Knight was a gentle, patient lover. Her mind was too tired to make comparisons. She just wanted to stay in the moment, but what she experienced with Krux was truly special in the realm of her experience. She felt like a human being again, not a monster like she normally did. And so did Mullarus for that matter - he resembled a handsome, young man, not a malevolent destroyer of life and property. And this startled her a little as she was taught not to feel this good - neither of them were. How horrible it is that we are dedicating our life to a sect that wants us to experience pain, rage, even degradation at all times? She blamed the child in her womb for all of these wayward emotions, but perhaps it was love too. Perhaps this was love causing her to doubt her role with the Sith.

But no matter how kind Krux was, Setzi was knew better than to say that aloud. While she had her own suspicions, she wasn't quite sure how loyal the dark-haired Knight was to the cause. No, better to keep this all to herself for now.

She made an appreciative noise and curled her body against his. His skin was warm, and eventually, she wrapped her arms and legs around him. Her eyes fluttered closed, but she wasn't asleep just yet. She kissed his shoulder again and said, "If there's anything you want to talk about... or ask me, I can stay awake for awhile."

Setzi had plenty of questions for Krux. She knew about his cybernetics, but not the details, or why he needed them. Nor his upbringing, although she knew was marred by abuse from the elder Sith Lord who raised him. But she imagined he had questions for her, especially as it related to her situation on Glee Anselm.

"Or we can just drift off peacefully in each others arms," she said in a sleepy voice, a smile spreading upon her soft, red lips, now chapped from kissing.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

It seemed every moment he spent with this woman made him feel like he was no longer in reality. He was in a dream, one where all of his wildest desires happened. A utopia, where everyone was content with life as it was, and nobody bothered to stir up conflict or start any violence. To Krux, that was the only world where he could imagine himself being romantically involved with Setzi Lunelle. An extremely farfetched dream. Yet here he was, in the aftermath of the most surprising thing to happen to him in the past year.

"If there's anything you want to talk about... or ask me, I can stay awake for awhile."

Was this a good time for that question, Krux wondered. His heart beat fast, not because of all of the unspeakable things he and Setzi had just done to each other, but because he became nervous about the question again. What if she was still loyal to the togruta and just wanted to use him for a night or two of pleasure until whatever obvious falling out the couple had was pieced back together? Setzi wouldn't do that...would she?

"Uhm..." he murmured, feeling her smooth skin curl up against him tenderly in the darkness of his quarters. "Actually...yeah...and I hate to bring it up, but it's...bothering me that I don't know. I shouldn'y bring this up now...I should be more patient than this, but I...Setzi...why did you do this? What is Darth Pyrrhus doing that made you come to me out of the blue for this? Aren't you still recently pregnant with his child? Don't you know what will happen to us if he finds out?" He didn't sit up, or even change position much. He was far too comfortable. He, however, did not raise his voice, he whispered just as softly as he did before their 'exploration' began.

After the question left his mouth, he braced himself as if he were about to be attacked. He kept his arms wrapped around her beneath the sheets and didn't dare let go of her, afraid she would drift away and leave him. He desperately wanted to believe she was in love with him, but for some reason, Krux doubted himself. What did he have that the powerful Sith Lord didn't?

His heart continued to nearly explode in his chest. After what had just occured between the two, if his question would ruin everything that had happened this evening...well, Krux felt he may get a brand new source of anger to release on the enemy that awaited him at the end of their hyperspace lane.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

She could hear his voice and feel it with her hands - a gentle vibration in his chest. He didn't move or turn over. He was content to lie there as was Setzi. Her head was still swimming with all that they had done, her body filled with a tired pleasure, traces of all of the sublime physical sensations she felt with Krux were still very much present. But she had been expecting this inquiry and did not flinch away from the answer. "No, please, I offered to discuss things with you." The trouble was, Setzi really didn't know why she advanced upon the Knight the way she did. It certainly wasn't premeditated. But being so close to him, without the prying eyes of others around, she felt compelled to kiss him. And she was undeniably happy right now. Happier than she had been for a long time.

"I've always felt a strong connection with you, Krux. And I think you feel it too. I can't say that I even know where this is going," she said. "You are right, my situation is complicated. If Pyrrhus finds out, he will likely want to kill both of us." She swallowed hard at this, anxiety surging through her. But the brunette Sith Lord continued, "You probably don't trust me, or think me disloyal, but I've never done this before. And I can't explain why."

That was the truth. She felt a strong attraction, affinity and friendship with Krux, and she acted on it. "The trouble is, I don't want to leave you now. But I don't know that you are prepared to have me in my current state." If she remained with Krux, arrangements would need to be made, most likely in secret, to reclaim any belongings that she cherished still on Glee Anselm. And then there was the matter of raising someone else's child - a Togruta-human hybrid that wouldn't even resemble the Knight in any way shape or form.

"Are you?" she asked, holding his pale torso a little tighter, also like him, fearful of what his answer might be.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]