Heart of Steel (Anesia)

[Anesia Jy'Vun]

The rain came down in buckets, as if a many a hand were vigilant in filling, then pouring or as if the various waterfalls of Naboo hung in the sky now and the city was being prepared to turn into lakes and tributaries. She stood through it all, through the tumultuous wet canopy of destruction. Her dark hair was matted to her face, clothes clung to her becoming a second skin. None of it could be seen, the walls of water ever constant. The only thing that was able to come through was the pulse of very alive, very green eyes and a voice that managed to reach past the sound of the raging storm. "I will not bend, Norongachi," she replied, "Unless you make me..." the veil of hard rain hid her pained face. Yours. Unless you claim it.

"I am here. I have always been here, Sal. If I am what you want, then come and get me." Prove it.

It was not a matter of simply answering a call; one she would have done normally without hesitation. No. No, it was about taking what you wanted and stepping past the comforts that you created for yourself- leaving the lie behind. As the typhoon laid siege, a different war waged with in. Anesia could not make herself move. Not when so many times she did more than her share in this violent relationship. Not when she gave [member="Salem Norongachi"] her heart for it only to be crushed and set afire. It was his turn and she wept while she waited. Streams not of the storm, but of pain and unknowing ran in constant flow down her already burning cheeks. Was it too much to ask? Would they fall alone... or together?

 

[Salem Norongachi]

And there it was. A simple choice, a straight forward decision; Pride or the fall. Intentional or not he'd kept her close enough to want him but far enough away that she lingered, never knowing, never understanding that some things are hard wired into a person. Whether by subconscious or design, he kept her on that hook. Close enough to touch but far enough away that she couldn't hurt him.

He was thrown back 700 years, to that office on Etti IV, to the woman he thought he loved. The blaster pistol in her hands, the poison coursing through his veins. Betrayal, his first lesson in the darker side of life. He'd killed her for that, cut her and Matrim Nox down in the same stroke of his blade. His first taste of revenge turned to ash in his mouth as he watched her die.

Somewhere in the process of recollection he had gotten out of the car. Maybe the hand of some higher power had finally seen fit to intervene and take Salem Norongachi out of his own way or maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as rotten inside as he thought. Regardless, he was there, the rain turning his dark hair into wet clumps that stuck to his forehead. His hands were on her forearms, a grip so tight that there was a chance that alabaster skin might turn black and blue tomorrow.

"I can't be what you want," He began, the sound of the rain around them drowning out everything else. "I'll never be that man." It was then, in the moment when the walls of his citadel fell that he rested his forehead against hers, feeling the warmth of her skin, the radiant heat that stopped him from joining his brothers in another life. "Stay with me..." A quiet request, barely a whisper and he wasn't sure if he were asking that same higher power that made him take the leap for a miracle or directing it toward [member="Anesia Jy'Vun"].

 

[Anesia Jy'Vun]

Though the rain was falling in sheets from the heavens, and it should have taken her breath, robbed the very air in which she breathed- even though. It felt like years and as if she could feel each drop individually fall from grace, feel the blood in her heart pumping furiously, felt the very world turn while she waited for the sound of the door slamming and for the squeal of tires upon wet pavement. Anesia lingered, bracing for the hells to reach from the very ground with sulfur stained talons and smoke for their maw to take her to the belly of the inferno. Snuffing her out of existence, enveloping her in flames that she so often gave herself over to. They weren't his, but they would be as close as she would ever get and she welcomed it. Demanded it.

For the first time in over eight hundred years, Anesia Jy'Vun felt powerless. And for the first time, the Sith did not care. She knew the feeling of having it alone, all the power and control at her fingertips and it ceased to fill a hole carved so deep, so black that she had constantly searched for something to close the gap- to make her whole- a piece to the puzzle. At the end of the day, it was not enough. It never was. [member="Salem Norongachi"] had managed to not only fill the void with the molten magma that was him and his power, but found and sealed every crack past it.

In every essence, the Omega had seduced the seductress and drew from her a heart she thought had long ago stopped beating. Awakened her in such ways she thought impossible, taught her there were things past lust, even though he knew it not himself. It was through this insufferable, hot-headed, steel-hearted warlord that she learned how to love; it had not been Remy, nor Vas as she once thought so naively. It had hurt her, fractured her darkening vessel. But she never knew broken until now, when her world was burning all around her and all she could do was watch the flames dance.

Anesia would damn herself before feeling the liquid fire retreat. Would end it just to keep it and in the midst of her self destruction, he was there. So close it hurt, with his hands branding her forearms, restricting her response. She didn't fight the hold, but shook and shivered when whatever gap was between the lines of their bodies ceased to exist. Melding... melting into Omega's soaked form with her own, afraid, so afraid. "You already are," Anesia whispered against his mouth with wet, salt slick lips. It took a few attempts blinking, then eventually her lids closed to the rain, forehead still to his. Had she of wanted only a man, she would not have been at his side.

The storm should have abated, but non. It waged and when the ocean had its fill, the overflow flooded the streets.

Water beaded on her dark lashes like tiny gems, ever slipping off to trickle down the slopes of high cheekbones while she savored the moment. Took it for all she could and suddenly she slipped his grasp only to send her hands up to swipe at the dark, soaked strands of hair, then down to cradle his face in her palms, thumbs stroking his cheeks. "Forever," she answered on a breath that still shook. Could he handle her for that long? Would he want her for however long that was? The walls came down, came down in waves mirroring the sea, crashing against all that was in it's wake. Their bond clashing, igniting in a fury of fervent untamed hellfire before intertwining once more from the very core and stretching into the infinite ether. It sang through her bones, her veins- licked her soul deep until she sighed. "Stay with me..." her soft, flawless cheek slid along his, then her lips. They glazed over his mouth, slippery and plush, ever seeking to devour them with a scorching passion only she could provide.

 

[EmKay]

"Well, that's done," Atretes said with a note of finality. The lab was completely fixed up, and he even had time to hang up a small backlit sign that had his company's logo on it. A little tinker project he'd made just to waste time before this meeting was arranged. The whole thing was looking pretty good. From the entrance was a short hallway with a few offshoot rooms that were privately owned by local companies, and he wasn't allowed to touch. He got the largest room, though, with the most dynamic room. This was only a temporary position for him at least -- the whole R-and-D lab was under constant use by one person or other -- but he wanted to make sure the best was what it could be for [member="Salem Norongachi"]'s and @Anesia Ju'Vun's coming. That said, once you entered the lab it looked like something out of a technological utopia. White paneled walls with plenty of sockets for things, and just as many monitors and readouts for tracking whatever project was currently going on. The floor was a durasteel grate just in case something spilled or broke, and the baseboard was protected by steel to prevent someone from kicking and jostling the wiring within the wall. It was sensitive, after all.

Terminals were positioned nearly strategically, with a scientist teaching an intern at every station in preparation to leave this place and go with Atretes to Hypori to set up shop for Sudoka Industries. That would be after, when the place was ready for them. Now, though, it was a good time to teach the newcomers while they waited. Everything was orderly and ready for their guests. Atretes sat and tapped on his terminal, plugged into his A21U still as he ran through some ideas and archived them for later access. There was some time to kill, apparently, so he decided to work on his own stuff while he waited.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

And that's when the spell broke. That moment between want, between need, between desire and the looming war that was to come. Yes, he wanted- No, needed her. Like the fire required fuel, he would long for her, he would seek her out in the dark places of the universe where no light remained....but in this moment, in this instance, something more was required of them- of him.

Their lips grazed, the soft touch of flesh, and he pulled away. His heart thundered in his chest, his cheeks flushing with colour but above all that a voice reminded him that he had somewhere else to be. Hands moved her back enough to look at her, into those chameleon eyes, into the inferno that wanted little more than to swallow him whole.

He wanted her, he wanted to take her in the cold rain, in the street where everyone would bear witness. It was a growing want that it took every ounce of his will to suppress. They would have their time but not now, not when the very world they stood on was at risk.

"When we're done," He began. "We'll talk about this but right now, Atretes is waiting and we can't delay any longer."

 

[Anesia Jy'Vun]

Just a taste that left nothing but longing in her mouth, fire upon her skin and Anesia glanced to the sky, the rain having slowed to just a sprinkle. No matter how much she wanted to crawl inside and play, how the sight of him nearly had her bare before him and the rest of the city. It was no quiet want, desire, or need. The struggle was evident, so forthcoming that it shone in her viridian eyes when she brought them back to his. Every bit of her power had coiled like the serpent it was, every shred of will intertwined just to keep a lid on her emotions.

Anything worth a damn often had to be fought tooth and nail to keep. What was it worth if you didn't? [member="Salem Norongachi"] had won over the odds she had predicted, weathered her storm, had chose. He was not a man who dealt with absolutes and she was not a woman who dealt with those types of men. But here they were dealing... if not submitting. The man matched her desire then and she matched his control. It was not the time. Nor had she expected it to be. It was an answer the Sith wanted and she had received it. That was all she asked of him for now; it was all she had needed. Anesia took a step forward, once more in his space.

It was soft, lasted as long as a blink, when her lips feathered over his before she spoke, "We have a Galaxy to conquer after all." Her full lips twitched and she smiled, letting his hands drift from hers so she could head to the waiting car.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

Conquer. It wasn't ever a goal he'd considered. That wasn't his end game, nor was it anyone else who shared his philosophy on what the Galaxy needed. Mad men tried to conquer and what they found was that it was easier to take a planet than it was to defeat its people. Still, she could think whatever she wished, he needed her for her strength and guile as much as he did personally.

The car wound its way toward the Research Center, the traffic fairly light at this time of night and in ten minutes they were parked outside the unassuming, squat, grey building. The entrance was as mundane as its appearance, a glass door, that slid apart to grant them access to a small foyer. A security guard sat at his desk and Norongachi felt the watchful eye of cameras all around them. A twitch would be all it took to turn this place into a coffin.

"The Lord Commander, for [member="Atretes Rhoujen"]." He spoke to the man who stiffened and then pointed them toward a turbolift.

 

[Anesia Jy'Vun]

Leaving a trail of water in her wake, she moved through the parting doors on the quick click-click of her heels. The remnants of rain pooling where she stood, on the plain dark gray flooring that matched the drab decor of the outside while she waited for directions. They both looked a sopping mess, yet [member="Salem Norongachi"] seemed to still stir an atmosphere of unease. Such could be seen by the poor, albeit minimum waged security officer and his sudden, choppy movements. The shake in his voice making her flinch inwardly and she gave a bland look to Omega.

Once they were pointed to the turbolift, she nodded and stepped around her... partner coming just to the counter where the man sat. "Thank you," her soft brown eyes moved to find his badge, "Officer Loren." Anesia afforded the man a warm smile and funnily enough received one in kind. It always did well to play nice with authority, no matter how low it was. "The security code is seven-seven-one-five," the officer said and tipped his head in her direction. With a swish of dark wet hair, the woman with legs that seemed to go for miles turned on her heels and set off to trail after the Lord Commander. One resounding 'click' at a time.

"You'd be surprised what simple manners will do," thin fingers combed through her hair and the other hand reached out just before his, mashing the button to go up. The arrow blinked a bright red and a 'ding' followed shortly after. They stepped into the lift, Anesia first, then Omega. "No one is dying here tonight," she said offhandedly while trying to salvage some sort of decency, or arrange herself in such a way to look presentable with what little time they had before meeting with [member="Atretes Rhoujen"]. The shiny metal walls of the cabin lift did little to help in her war against time.

 

[EmKay]

OOC: I'm pretty sure we're redoing this thread, anyway. If not, then just NPC the scientists, and me, for this thread. I'm tying up loose ends the blunt way, you'll see in Skype.