Edge of Reality

[Kamon's OOC]

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpuhy8iBvVo

Three weeks.

It had been three weeks since Maelasi had last seen him. When he'd left her in his quarters on the Eidolon with food, he'd left her to be by herself. Not that he didn't want to spend time with her and have her tell him how foolish and stupid he was for doing what he thought was right just because she thought it would fail. He would grow weary of it, and he wanted her to calm down as only time could allow. So he'd left her be, only sending her a uniform to wear, as her other clothes had been taken and destroyed, ruined as they were by his lightsaber and the grime of where she'd been found.

In return, the Eidolon was essentially hers. The crew would address her either as Ma'am, or Lady Eramar, as one would address a superior who didn't hold a military rank. She might dislike it, or she might like it. That depended on her mentality. Additionally, she would find the crew more than forthcoming about their time with him. The Eidolon had been in his possession since he was a teenager, and the crew had been together for more than ten years. They respected him, and in turn he valued them in keeping him alive on more covert missions, or business ventures. They'd followed through for him so far.

Leos, for his part, stood on the bridge of The Lambent Shadow. Both it and the Eidolon were floating in deep, black space. Before them were three large hulks, only newly under construction. The framework wasn't even fully completed as yet, but one could see construction craft and droids working away upon it if one looked. What they were would be a mystery to her, and he'd instructed the crew of her vessel not to tell her, as he wished to do that himself.

"Lieutenant?" he called over his shoulder to the crimson clad man by the door.

"Sir?"

"Have the Captain bring her over."

"Yes, sir."

The man didn't move from where he stood, but the order would be relayed. A shuttle was ready to bring Maelasi over to the larger ship. Captain Tarz would escort her personally. When she arrived she would find a ship nearly devoid of life. The crew of the large vessel was so minimal she might not see anyone other than the Captain of the Guard who brought her over until she reached the bridge. There she would find Leos, the Captain of the ship within the Throne, the Lieutenant, and no one else. It was time they talked again.

[member="Maelasi Eramar"]

 

[Lief]

Three Long Weeks.

For the first few days Maelasi did not leave the confines of his chamber. She was confused by the lack of his presence, that she had been abandoned so soon after he had swiped her from Nadir. Did he not need to sleep? Was this bed not his own?

She hadn't really drank much, or eaten more than a few measly morsels from the plate. That was, until one of the crew members came to bring her some clothes. A uniform of all things. The woman had closed the door behind herself, and stepped to Mae's side. Risking her own neck to convince Maelasi that withering away was not the way to go.

After that something in her had stirred. When the woman left she changed into the provided clothes and refilled the jug of water. While she did not quite feel up to heading toward the mess hall to find food, not yet ready to stand among the others, she did find some non-perishables to eat.

The next few days were spent in study. She plundered the shelves and drawers within Leos' chambers, seeking out tomes and datacrons... Anything she could get her hands on. While she was a solider at heart, she was no dumb brute. She enjoyed academia perhaps even more than the thrill of the fight, and she had always been good at it too.

She did not care to look into his cause, his manifesto. It was random information that she sought, something to build her mind back up. To make her feel as though her days were not completely wasted.

When she realized that he was not going to return, she set about tidying the room. Everything was put in its rightful place, the bed straightened up until not a single crease remained, and once again the jug refilled.

Then, and only then, did she turn her attention to the other side of the door.

Nobody tried to stop her. She was free to roam almost everywhere the ship had to offer, and nowhere did she find her captor. She knew it was hollow, an empty freedom, but the absence of her so-called Master allowed her to settle in. She mingled with the crew members, when it was appropriate to do so, began taking her meals within the mess hall.

She even stood in to watch some of the training regimes a few of them were undertaking. Itching to join in, longing for the fight. How long had it been since she'd tested herself?

No weapons still, though.

After that time seemed to go by remarkably fast. Until one day she was sent for by a man she had not seen before. In silence she was walked toward the hangar, where a shuttle lay in wait, and together with the quiet man it jetted her off from one ship to another that lay within the same fleet.

She didn't ask questions. She didn't speak at all. Her lessons had kicked back in, after all, and she knew that if he needed to tell her anything he would.

She was met with another stranger on the other end, who escorted her through a significantly more empty ship than the one she had been confined to for weeks.

He left her once they reached the bridge, and it was there that she finally set her eyes upon her captor once again. He was stood staring out the viewing port at a series of ships in construction. At least they looked to be ships.

Maelasi took a few steps into the room, noting that there were only a few other individuals within the bridge, before halting. Still silent. She had nothing to say to him, not right now at least.

Her posture was back to its perfect state, back straight and gaze set ahead. Part of her wondered why he had waited so long to send for her, another part knew the answer already.

[member="Ignus"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"I heard it took you a while to come out of the room. The others seem to like you, though."

He didn't immediately turn to look at her. With the limited amount of noise on the bridge he'd heard her approaching, but he'd also felt her. She had a strong presence in the Force, after all. It had been a long time since he'd laid eyes upon her, but to be honest, that was alright. She needed the time. Perhaps not to simply fall in line. That wasn't truly his intention. No, he wanted her to digest everything, and think rather than let her words lash out with little guidance. Before she'd refused to accept him because she thought him a monster and she a slave. He could understand the feeling, given what had been done to her, but he didn't view her as a slave. He hoped she wouldn't have to be such.

A quick turning of his eyes to the side found her. The uniform looked good on her. Hers was crimson. The crews of the ships wore gray. When Leos wore his uniform it was white, reminiscent of old Imperial Admirals uniforms, though really he just liked that it looked pristine when it was kept clean. Red looked good on her, however. It suited her better than he'd expected it to.

"You can say what's on your mind, Maelasi, when you're ready to do so, but for now I will speak."

Now he turned fully to look at her. She stood with perfect posture, evidence of her upbringing plainly displayed. Someone had distinctly raised her to be the perfect little soldier. He respected that capability in her, but at the same time he wished she would act more relaxed. His Guard being all straight laced was enough for him. She could be more at ease. He wouldn't say as much to her face, though. She wouldn't want to hear it even if he did.

"I'm sure you've deduced why I let you be. It wasn't because I was casting you away, I assure you. Hardly so. I knew you needed space. The Eidolon is yours, by the way. The crew will serve you well as they have me. They're very skilled, but do with it as you please."

He let that soak in a minute before turning back to the viewport and pointing out.

"What you see before you is something never before created. I expect, given your disdain for me, that you think it a weapon. I wouldn't blame you. A Sith building something gargantuan in the middle of nowhere? Very reminiscent of Sidious, to say the least. But, it's not a weapon. I suppose it has the potential to be used as one, but it's not its designed purpose. No, what you see are three vessels I call The Constructors. Not that imaginative, I know, but it works. Together the three can take the raw materials of asteroids, melt them down, and spit them out in a continuous burst of plasma to a central point.

"Again, sounds like a weapon, I know. But no, at the central point the three streams meet, mix, and cool because space is cold. The Constructors, together, can build a planet. And when it's done, they can terraform it with rapidity, leaving a lush, new world as a result. No planet destruction; just creation. With these I will make a new world, one of safe harbor, protected by my forces. It will be called Fulcrum. The pivot point of the galaxy."

It sounded lofty, and it truly was. So far as he knew, it had never been done before. There was a first for everything. It would require the sacrifice of lives, but the sick and dying, he found, gladly volunteered to use their lives for something better. He would make sure each was remembered in time.

For now he left it at that, letting it sink in, standing there staring at the hulks being built. She would speak when she was ready. Probably call him a fool. Such was life. He'd take it in stride.

[member="Maelasi Eramar"]

 

[Lief]

A week an a half, actually.

Half of the time she had been under his watch had been spent within those same four walls. He'd been watching her then, or at least others had to report back to him. The girl who had brought her the uniform? Perhaps... It would make sense, given that she had fussed over Mae. Perhaps afraid that she might get in trouble if she withered into nothingness.

Though she did not wish to give him the attention he demanded, Maelasi did a very good job at locking her eyes with his when he turned to face her. For a moment she felt somewhat awkward, stood there in a garb he had sent for her. She may aswell have been naked again though, he stared straight through her.

Do not look away. Do not look away.

He couldn't know how she was feeling in that instance. Could not be made aware of how her insides quivered and her legs felt as stable as jelly. She settled both hands to her back, clasped in a more dignified stance. Though truth be told she was only doing so to hide their tremors. To stop the fidgeting that wanted to arise.

Then he dropped a bombshell on her. Hers? He was giving her the ship? Command of its crew? But why? Why would he do such a thing?

This time she was unable to keep the confusion from her face. Her brows furrowed together, and she opened her mouth to speak though nothing actually came out. This did not make sense.

He turned his back to her thankfully, so she avoided appearing like a codfish on a hook. Hastily she clamped her jaw shut, and looked back toward the window he was stood before. Maelasi did not move from her position at the base of the bridge, lower than the platform he stood upon, yet the gargantuan constructs remained visible to her all the same.

Does he realize that with the ship he has given me my freedom? I could walk away from him with just a moment's notice, and there's little he could do save blast me into oblivion...

That was perhaps the most welcome revelation she'd had since coming here. There was very much a way out, if she chose to take it.

Would she, though?

Next came an explanation. A plan for the future. And while to begin with it did sound as though he was constructing a superweapon - as though the Galaxy had need for any more of those - the more he explained the clearer it became.

An odd man. Truly he was. Iron fist, silver tongue, heart that clearly beat with two agendas. Maelasi figured that even if she spent an eternity at his side, she would never truly come to understand the man within.

She mulled over his words for a time, when silence fell between them, before taking her very first step toward him. Then another. Her posture did not shift, her hands did not move from the small of her back, she walked with just enough purpose that he could hear her coming, yet with footsteps that remained light. Which spoke of grace.

Of course she stopped before she reached him, several feet behind, slightly to the left so that she could get a better look in at the project.

"If it works, this could change everything... Sir."

She did not look his way, she would not give him the full satisfaction of what she had just said by saying it to his face. Her expression became one of intense thought.

"What's stopping you from terraforming other worlds? Those less fortunate than most? Which lack moisture, green pastures, the capacity for life?"

She knew that such things required outside influences, of course. It wasn't as simple as waving a magic wand. The planet's distance from its star had a lot to do with it, but surely a process could be expedited?

Admittedly, Astronomy was not her forte.

[member="Ignus"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

Yes, she had her freedom. Though he wanted her by his side, protecting him was not simply done by her standing with him every moment of the day. There were other tasks that were important, as well. Even her free time was important. The more relaxed she was, the better capable of doing her duty she would be. He didn't want her to be a slave. He'd only hurt her out of the necessity of winning her over to him. Now that she was there, now that she had seen beyond her stereotypical viewpoints, she could begin to see that there was more to it all than simple dominance, that even she played a larger role than that.

As she'd moved up beside him, he turned a glance to her, and then stepped backward so that they stood at an equal distance, shoulder to shoulder though not touching. In this way, he could interact with her better than he otherwise could.

"It'll work."

He was positive that the design was sound. He was positive that the devices equipped on the rear half of the hulks would be able to suck in asteroids, chew them up, and send them to the front half to be processed into the molten state that would then be shot towards the center point using technology similar to a tractor beam that was designed to project rather than bring in. Based on his studies, based on the information that he'd found elsewhere, he was certain that these efforts would not be in vain. In the end, he was positive that they would have a viable planet that they could live upon, a place to be their own.

She did raise a good point though.

"The terraforming is honestly the hardest part, because it needs to be done rapidly. It requires the energy of the Force, focused through kyber crystals. That much raw Force energy can only be obtained from living beings. In this case, the lives of many will be taken to create this world. All of them are volunteers, however. The old, the dying. Offering them a chance to be a part of something has given many a reason to fight on. Each will be memorialized on the world they helped create. So, to do as you say with other worlds, using these devices, would have a similar cost. There might be enough willing for a few worlds, but not many."

Then of course there was the matter of choosing a viable world, and making sure there weren't already organisms living there; a true rock. One of those in a habitable zone would be difficult enough to locate, let alone find the people to make it viable.

"Still, it has its merits for the future. Of course we cannot let these ships fall into the wrong hands or they'll be as deadly as World Devastators."

[member="Maelasi Eramar"]

 

[Lief]

And there was the kicker.

Those few metaphysical steps she had walked toward Ignus' side were backtracked, though the physical ones remained to keep her rooted in place upon the bridge. Lives? Real, actual, sentient lives?

She might have laughed, though it would've been bitter to say the least, instead she clenched her jaw and stared right ahead. No longer something she could stand in awe of, this construct in the void of space. Not something she could stand behind.

While Mae could quite readily kill on the battlefield, facing men or women who likewise fought for their lives, to take those of innocent civilians was all together another thing. It was wrong.

"They are the people we fight to protect" she finally said, her tone remaining measured if a little cold. "Volunteers or not, it is not our place to throw their lives away. Even if it's to immortalize them in a world."

And there was the other kicker.

"If it can be used as a superweapon, then it is a superweapon. Regardless of how you choose to utilize it. Has the Galaxy not seen enough of these already? When will this cycle end?"

She turned from him then, from the viewing port, and stared across the bridge. She wanted to take the ship he had so stupidly given her and leave. She wanted no part in this.

"I won't stand idly by and watch you steal lives."

With that she made her first real move away from him, away from the superweapon outside the ship. All that work, the weeks of preparing herself to work for him, had come crashing down in one fell swoop. Like a house of cards blown on the wind.

[member="Ignus"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

There were very few times in his life where Leos could honestly say that he felt so angry that he desired to hurt someone. Once when his parents sent his brother away. Once when he'd caught pirates murdering a village on Mirial. Once when he'd heard what the Primeval had done to his world. Once when he'd found out one of the Silver Jedi commanders had committed genocide on Korriban. But now? Now he could add the time Maelasi had the audacity to try and dictate how the people she fought to protect lived their lives.

In an instant he whirled upon her, reaching out to wrap her in the Force to such a point that she could no longer move. He held her in place as he walked to her and moved to look her in the eyes. His anger was easy to see in the way his veins throbbed and the sneer his lips made.

"Who do you think you are? If it can be used as a superweapon it is one and the galaxy doesn't need more of those? The Force itself is a superweapon! I don't see you clamoring to rid the galaxy of it! It can be used to destroy world and murder countless numbers of people, but you wield it yourself. Hypocrit!"

He grabbed her with the Force and lifted her from the ground, tossing her across the room and pushing her face against the transparent viewport. Now she could not escape the thing she loathed for no reason. He wouldn't let her be so lucky. Literally he was going to force her to use her brain instead of speaking before she thought things through. Chiefly this was because he wasn't done talking to her.

"We have a strong enough connection to the Force, you and I, to destroy worlds. But we don't do it. Others have. People like Kaine Zambrano. By your logic, you are no different from the Butcher of Worlds. Do you murder people for fun, Maelasi? No, you don't. You have a conscience that tells you not to do so. So is something a super weapon just because it has the potential to be, or because of how it's used? Huh? Those ships aren't being built to destroy world's or ruin lives. Those are a dream, meant to build world's and give life.

"And who are you to take that reality away from the people who have volunteered for it? Who are you to tell these people, who are already dying, how they should die? It's alright for people to volunteer to kill others and possibly be killed themselves as soldiers, but it's not alright for people to volunteer their lives to creating something? Do you even listen to the crap that comes out of your mouth or do you just not think before you speak? They chose to take part in this and not a one of them will suffer for it. Forever they will be a part of this place they are helping to build, but instead you want them to go die in some hospital bed, in misery. Congratulations. The only monster here is you."

He released her then, letting her fall or catch herself or whatever she wished to do. He didn't care anymore. If she was going to act an idiot then maybe all she was fit for was as a true slave. He could make her that and he would unless she shaped up.

"You disgust me with your self-righteous attitude. Butcher people on the battlefield, but don't let others decide how to use their lives."

[member="Maelasi Eramar"]

 

[Lief]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r453Xtjn6bA​

​

There was no hope for her from the moment she stepped away. No time to react, to speak her way out of it - not that she would have done so - instead she felt each of her muscles tense within a stasis. Locked in place, rooted on the spot. He was behind her, rounding on her, until he stood right before her. His words were harsh, more vehement than she had ever seen him. Not that she had much else to go by.

Previously, back on Nadir, he had been calculated. Calm. Certain in his actions. All of that was gone, leaving just a glimmer of the beast which he held within. Which all secretly held.

He was yelling in her face, ending the start of his rant by calling her a hypocrite.

And then she was lifted, flung from the ground by unseen hands until her body struck the transparisteel viewing port. It was tougher than it looked, had to be in order to withstand the pressure of space, and Maelasi was almost certain she'd heard a rib crack upon impact.

Definitely felt that way.

The monstrous construct was all she could see. Pressed in place, unable to look away. She grit her teeth against the discomfort, refusing to give him the satisfaction of her pained cries, and did all the could. Listen.

He was correct in many regards. She was hypocritical, it was wrong of her to state when people could and could not choose to die. But that did not mean she was incorrect too. Just because he chose to use it on the willing did not mean others would have the same point of view. The Galaxy was full of monsters, each of which would use this machine to their own end. Fiends such as the Butcher King of Panatha, who didn't even blink before wiping out worlds.

She had clearly struck a chord, though. She had brought about the wrath of her captor. And while she knew it was stupid of her, in that instance her pride swelled and she could not bring herself to acknowledge what little truth lay within his words.

By the time he was finished she had been well and truly beat, well and truly belittled, and with little care for the results she was dropped back down to the harsh metal ground below. There she remained, in a heap. If her ribs had not been cracked before, they certainly were now.

She did not look to him, she did not say a word. It was not worth it. He was going to go ahead with his plans regardless. She could only hope that he had enough willing volunteers to complete his project. The alternative did not bear thinking about.

[member="Ignus"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

In the end she lay there not saying anything at all. She was a wreck and he was certain that he'd hurt her physically. Part of him felt bad about that, as he didn't enjoy hurting people who didn't need to be hurt, but a part of him also felt she deserved it for her foolish behavior. She'd been completely illogical and berated him about using people, but those people had volunteered for the task at hand, choosing to go out as they wanted to rather than confined to a hospital bed.

He stood watching her for the time being, and waved a hand to dismiss the Guard members from the bridge. He sent a mental command to the captain in the Throne to do the same and he got up to leave as well. It left the two of them alone, which was fine. In deep space as they were, they had no need to worry over the possibility of someone arriving to attack them. So no need to worry.

When they were alone he walked over to her, and reached down to pick her up, lifting her back to her feet. He held her against him whether she wanted him to do so or not, and allowed the Force to seep out of him and into her to check the extent of her wounds. When he was satisfied she wouldn't die he stopped. She would have to heal from these wounds without his assistance. These wounds she had earned with her quickness to be hypocritical and judgmental.

"A fool is the one who speaks before they think, and puts standards on another but not themselves."

His orange eyes looked at her as he held her close.

"I am not going to use these machines as a weapon, just as a tool for creation. When I'm done they will be put away where no one will find them, just as they should be."

[member="Maelasi Eramar"]

 

[Lief]

She heard the others rise and leave, until only the pair of them remained within the colossal bridge. She did not want to know what he had in mind for her now that they were alone, had no intentions to face him again right now. The only thing which moved was her hand, lifting to clutch at her tender ribs. She had felt worse, but never at the hands of her superior.

The shame and embarrassment which came alongside that was worse than the pain though. He had tossed her around like a ragdoll, with witnesses to tell the tale.

Humiliating. Simply humiliating.

Why he expected her to simply know his plans, to believe his words simply because he said them, she did not know. She hadn't spent even a full day consciously in his presence, and much of that time had been spent trying to fight for her life, her modesty, her freedom. His actions had spoken contrary to his words each and every time he utilized them.

She wasn't a mindreader. She couldn't sense the truth behind another's words. Not yet at least. It would have been foolish for her to simply take everything at face value. Whatever. She didn't need his approval. If he thought her stupid, naive, ignorant, then let him. He was the one keeping her here, not the other way around.

He did something odd though. Always with the shifts in persona. He helped her from the floor, supporting her against himself though she struggled at first to break free. She did not need his help. She could stand on her own two feet if she wished.

Her entire torso felt aflame, the pressure of standing under her own weight, even with the added support, was unbearable. Even she could not keep a stiff upper lip this time, her expression crumpling. Showing weakness, true weakness, for the first time. He had bested her before, but she hadn't let it show. Even when she passed out, that had been her body's doing.

Now it was her mind.

She was tired of this. Of fighting him at every turn. It was clear now that he would not permit her to have her own views, truly he sought for her to be as mindless as the rest.

"I did think" she said, quietly so as not to cause her chest too much discomfort. Breathing hurt, talking moreso. "But I do not know you. You say one thing, and do another." Every other word was broken by a raspy intake of breath. "It would be more foolish to take what you say at face value, given the circumstances."

Even as she said it, she flinched. Perhaps staying quiet was the most sure course toward not dying by this man's hands.

[member="Ignus"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

He said nothing at first in response to her, mostly because he was thinking. Instead, he led her away from the glass to a spot where they could sit. There he lowered her to the ground, and sat down beside her. Here he pulled her against him in such a way that it would relieve some of the pressure from her injured ribs, allowing her to breathe a little more easily than she otherwise could. He hadn't wanted to show this side of him in front of others. He didn't want to devalue their belief in him.

"That makes sense, but perhaps you should question rather than simply assume."

Hindsight was always 20/20 and nobody ever really questioned before making assunptions. Even he was guilty of doing that.

"I apologize for harming you. Wasn't my intention to hurt your ribs as I did. I shouldn't have lashed out like that anyway. The anger was warranted, but I failed to exercise restraint."

Yes, he had apologized. Did that make him weak? No. The strongest could admit when they were wrong and take the lumps they deserved. Only the weak assumed they were always right, refusing to take their punishment and ultimately embarrassing themselves as a result. The weak cowered behind their words because they were incapable of dealing with reality. There were even many Sith like that. He abhorred fighting, but he still fought when it was warranted.

Seated as they were, it was almost kind of creepy on the bridge. Random beeps and the like, but otherwise silence and a view of deep space.

"Ask questions of me. I dislike when people make in standout assumptions. It just exacerbates the negatives of our galaxy."

[member="Maelasi Eramar"]

 

[Lief]

No strike met her for her words, though her body remained tense for a solid minute or so after she had said her final word. It was somewhat torturous to never know quite when he would attack, what would prompt him to do so. Yes, perhaps silence was the best course.

What he said made her frown, and while she could not detach herself from his side she looked away all the same. Either way she felt certain she would have ended up in the same sorry state. This seemed to be his life's work, his pride and joy, and here she was stomping all over it. Foolish girl.

She had been made to sit by this point, though she wanted to be anywhere other than his side. She could not deny that the support he provided was a welcome relief, but he wasn't to be told that. It would undermine anything else she said if she let him know.

And then it was said. An apology. What is it with this man? He beats with one breath, and comforts with another. You can't just do something and then try to take it back through apologies. Mae at least had integrity enough to stand by her actions, by her words. Well, if he would just let her stand she would.

As such she did nothing to acknowledge his apology. He was only saying it to make himself feel better at any rate. That was usually most people's reason for it. No doubt he sought to keep her on side. Was she? Would she ever be? That remained to be seen.

"I don't know what to ask" she said, her tone harboring no ill... Just fatigue. She shouldn't have to ask, things shouldn't have been made so abrupt. Forced from one thing to another, that was no way to build bridges. No way at all. All at once though, one thing did come to mind, and she blurted it out before she could stop herself.

"You could have picked up anyone, any old merc, who would've been eager to serve you. Why of all people did you choose to drag me here? And without explanation. You could've asked. Force knows I needed a change from the Shockboxing arena."

[member="Ignus"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

This was the point where he could have said something utterly sappy, but he didn't. He could have said something about how he'd wanted her out of all the women in the galaxy to fill the role, but he didn't. Truth be told he'd wanted Paa'lee to do it, but she had the same misgivings that Maelasi had, only her response wasn't to belittle him or his desires. She'd sent him away and he'd gone. This was an entirely different situation, though. Well, partly different. When he'd done his research on her he'd loved what he read, in part because the subservient attitude intrigued him, but also because he thought she could do a lot of good with him.

"That was probably a misjudgment on my part."

He hated to admit it, but it was the truth. What he'd been able to find on her wasn't a total dossier. There was rarely ever a full dossier floating around on someone. While he'd seen her actions, her motivations hadn't been made completely clear to him through what he'd discovered. So he'd made an assumption. It seemed reasonable at the time that no Sith would willingly become subservient to another. Thus he'd assumed he would have to dominate her in order to make her his. Of course he was wrong.

"You are right, I should have just tried talking to you. I operated on what I had to go on and that wasn't the best course of action. I apologize for that as well. And the marking I gave you isn't really to control you. It can be used as such, but I mostly use them to make sure those who are in trusted positions are well. I don't want my people being attacked or harmed by others and I'll do what it takes to rescue them if they are. I know that's not an excuse. You don't have to forgive me for my actions. I completely understand if you don't."

A hand rested on her rib cage and he began slowly mending her wounds. His mind was changed now that he'd calmed down some. He was so unused to being in a position where his anger was actually drawn out that he hadn't known what to do with himself. It was an alien sensation, which was strange enough for a Sith to deal with. Normally anger was something of their modus operandi; used to further strengthen their connection to the Force. Leos rarely thought such was necessary, and that the truly strong didn't require anything to strengthen their connection to the Force, they were already strong in it.

But now at least she would feel some sense of relief from his efforts. He hadn't really meant to hurt her after all.

"I like what I saw when I looked into you. The strength you displayed in the arena and elsewhere. I thought you would be a good fit here, someone I could work with, who would help me and watch after me when I needed it, someone I could treat as a confidant. You have skills, and you have drive. You have the attitude to be a good second. That's why I chose you. Mercenaries can be bought and sold. The main stream Sith, though I work with them, are far from the type to understand what I'm doing. In fact they'd probably call me a heretic. You, on the other hand, I believed, did not have those negatives to deal with. I thought you would be more open to what I'm doing. You probably would be if I'd stop messing things up. My people skills are starting to fade, it seems."

[member="Maelasi Eramar"]

 

[Lief]

She had once again flinched, though there proved to be no grounds for doing so. He took what she said onboard, willing to justify his decisions and admit fault where it lay. Less prideful than she had been concerning the world-builder, that was for sure. Could she blame him for seeing her track record, and believing that a show of dominance was all that was needed? She had always been more subservient than her peers, eager to please, swift to follow instructions.

And Mae had been just as swift to wrongly judge him, had she not?

"It would be wrong of me not to forgive your misgivings" she finally said, after a brief moment of silence to mull it over. She was about to say something more, to apologize for how brash she had been, when he did the unexpected. He settled his hand to her broken ribs, and immediately a soothing sensation washed over her.

In the moment of relief she sighed, and settled her head against his shoulder. The rough outer edges of this trained merc' collapsed, and for a moment she merely cherished the care he was showing. He didn't have to, she knew as much, but for whatever reason he had.

His words were somewhat muffled when he once again chose to speak, a light humming in her ears a reaction to the healing she had received. It was as if she had lain within a large tub of warm water, floating with her ears beneath the surface. Almost entirely submerged.

"I understand what it is you're wanting to do" she mumbled, "My doubts were not truly aimed at you. They stemmed from knowing what others might do if they got hold of it."

"I'm sorry, Sir."

[member="Ignus"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

When he started healing her, she had an unexpected reaction. A sigh escaped her and her head found its way to his shoulder as he sat there holding her. In the cold of space, her warmth was a comfort and a blessing. He'd become used to it, but all the same, he liked her being so close, and she did seem content to be as she was.

It was as he healed her that the first signs started to appear. His right arm, the one opposite the one that was holding her, suddenly seized up on him. A sharp inhale and then shallow exhale, becoming repetitive. It hurt like hell. He turned his gaze to look at his hand, which had curled up on itself, fingers tight to the point where he couldn't uncurl them even in the slightest. On top of that, he noticed a blackness beginning to grow upon his arm, as if it were slowly dying. He didn't like that, but what could he do about it. He knew that with the way he was able to heal it was going to have some seriously negative effect on him, but he hadn't expected this.

He tried to hide it from her so she wouldn't see it. She might think it a weakness or she might get worried, but neither were particularly what he wanted.

"I can understand that concern. I have it as well. Once I've used them I intend to hide the ships and the crystals separately. Nobody will use it but me."

His words were drawn out because of the pain. It was going to be impossible for him to truly hide that something was wrong with him. Still, it was worth it that she didn't have to deal with her injuries. She was meant to protect him. She couldn't do that if she was down for the count.

"It's alright. Live and learn, as they say."

An attempted smile before he sighed.

"I've put so much into this and people have volunteered to make it something good. I won't allow it to be something bad."

[member="Maelasi Eramar"]

 

[Lief]

Though he did his best to hide the discomfort and strange response from her, though her head was still foggy, Maelasi noticed almost immediately.

Her head lifted from his shoulder, and she did her best to move away from him, out of his reach, away from the healing touch. She would not, could not, allow him to be harmed for her sake. Her eyes were wide, set upon the hand which he could not uncurl, which was becoming blackened. Her whole body trembled with confusion.

"Stop it. Stop that." A panic arose within her. What kind of protector was she, if she would allow him to hurt himself to strengthen her? "Please..." Her voice broke. This wasn't right, give her back her broken ribs. They would heal in time. This... This did not look quite so fixable.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

He shook his head and smiled as his fingers started to uncurl. The blackness did not disappear.

"Atonement for what I did to you. It is how I heal others. The darkside aura my blade put on you, I took that too."

She wasn't fully healed, but she was clearly healed enough to move about. A little bit of rest and she'd probably be alright. Rest wouldn't help him, though. He knew that every time he healed someone it was going to be like this. His arm wasn't the first place to feel it, but it was the first place to show such physical signs of his attempt to help someone. He needed her and he needed her now, so sacrificing himself to make up for what he'd done, and make sure she was there when he needed her, he would take the hit to his life span. He wanted her for more than protection, anyway. It wouldn't do to be hurting her and leaving her hurting.

"I'll be alright."

He motioned with his good hand to come over again.

"I'll do it whenever you're hurt, regardless of whether you want it or not. I'll not have you suffer, especially at my hands."

[member="Maelasi Eramar"]

 

[Lief]

"This isn't right" she said, still staring at him after he had said his piece. She did not care what he wanted to do in this instance, if he wanted to lay down his own life to help hers so that she in turn could help him. Where was the logic in that? "We can't both be weakened. And if you keep doing this, there'll be nothing left of you to protect!"

Had she just inadvertently admitted that she wished to serve and protect him? That she wasn't going to find a way out of this? Perhaps. The realization was writ on her expression and for once she did not try to hide it. She did not let herself turn from him. Instead she let it remain between them.

She resisted moving to his side for a few moments more, just to let her disdain toward his actions set in, before finally shuffling close. Not quite as close as she had been, but enough of an effort had been made to indicate obedience. "I don't want you hurting." By now her voice was little more than a whisper, laced with sincerity.

[member="Ignus"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

He sighed.

"I promise not to finish healing you then."

No, he wasn't going to promise not to ever heal her again. Even if he had promised he wouldn't have kept that promise. Whether she understood it or not, he needed her to be alive more than he needed to actually be alive. It was the dream, the vision. She could protect it even after he was gone. He meant little. In fact, he'd already considered himself a sacrifice to the cause, and had done so since the very beginning. This was a vision for the future, not for himself. He would love to see it all come to fruition in his lifetime, but it wouldn't. He'd known it wouldn't. It wasn't about him, though. Sometime she might see that.

"It's a dream, Mae. All of this. A dream for the future."

She didn't come close enough to put her head upon his shoulder, but she'd come close enough. He continued to rest there, and turned his head to look at her.

"I appreciate the concern, though. I don't really deserve it."

[member="Maelasi Eramar"]

 

[Lief]

After he promised not to heal her she shuffled closer still, until there was just an inch between them, and brought her knees to her chest. Okay, so even with her mostly healed that hurt like nobody's business, and she looked away from him toward the window to hide the wince of pain. She most definitely was not going to be showing him any sign of such from this point onward. Not knowing what it would do to him should he seek to heal her.

"Everybody deserves concern, provided they have humanity left in them." The last part was intentionally added to rule out the likes of Kaine Zambrano and his ilk. "I won't apologize to you for stopping you mid-track. I don't need saving, and I most definitely do not need healing."

A soft sigh left her, and she rested her chin atop her knees, staring straight ahead. She could feel his gaze on her, and resisted the urge to turn, instead focusing her attention on a stray hair which had fallen into her line of sight.

It had been a long time since she'd found herself in so quiet a space. With just the steady humming of machinery for company. It wasn't often she found herself alone, truly alone, with another, and she didn't quite know what to do. Or say. So she didn't. It didn't matter to her if they spent the rest of the evening in silence.

Because she had found a sort of peace in his presence. And it showed.

[member="Ignus"]