S H A D O W
The hand came off her shoulder, and Allyson winced; she had no defenses against Sith magic. It was a concern for her when she would see assassination missions come across that pertained to the Lady of Secrets. The prejudice the Corellian had for the other woman had disappeared from the heart of the spy. They both had their reasons, ones that Allyson hadn't realized until very recently. Taeli had helped her recognize the cards that were stacked against her. It felt as if the Corellian had pulled the wool off of the younger woman's eyes, and she saw wolves in sheep's clothing. She had no chance against the sorceress.
When the killing blow, when the woman's life would flash before her eyes never came, Allyson opened one of her eyes and looked towards Taeli. The rhetorical question that came after what felt like the longest heartbeat known to the galaxy passed, Allyson, blinked, confused. Maybe she was being imprisoned for the rest of her life, which only brought sadness over her face. To know the distance, she would feel and the loneliness. Taeli explained herself, which only wrinkled Allyson's face into confusion. If she had been a Sith Agent captured by the SIS, she would have been either shot already or imprisoned for life. Mindwipe was also a course of action and never off the table with the Shadows.
A sense of worth swelled in Allyson's chest as she was praised by the Great Deceiver, to know that she was doing her job the way she should and that she was impressive. There was a new light in the Corellian's eyes, Taeli was singing the siren's song that spun Allyson's loyalty. Every word sinking in and pushing back the shadows of her mind, bringing what felt right. The delicate touch of the woman cupped Allyson's face, the contact far from anything romantic, was still comforting. She leaned slightly into the touch remembering how her mother would comfort her, especially when the girl had disappointed her father.
Her throat felt dry as she tried to organize her thoughts. It had been such a rubber band feeling thinking she was going to be killed on the spot to now being praised, "You promise?" It was such a simple question, but she needed to know.
Everything that Allyson had wanted was being offered, protection, praise, and her lover. Nothing was being kept from her, and she didn't have to fear anything. The constant praise she received was something she never received from the government she worked for or many people in her past. Those that had offered her the praise always had a price. She had to give something of herself up to them. The ones that never had strings attached to their recognition were there, but always so far out of reach.
Here, she could have everything she wanted. A smile spread across the Corellian's face, one that had nothing behind it but appreciation and happiness. Was this the feeling that she was supposed to be feeling? Some part of her felt guilty for being happy after everything that had happened. As much as she wanted to believe Taeli at face value, the Corellian did her best to not think of her mother and attempted to replace the woman with the feelings that she was getting at this moment with the older woman. Allyson pulled away slightly and nodded. "But there are always conditions with that sort of promise, Taeli. You and I both know there's more. No one gives things without conditions." Not even the love of a parental figure, she was reminded of the conditions always put on her. Conditions that she had to promise to when she first started this job if she was captured or compromised, there was no escape.
She was deniable, and it was something that burned deep into her core. "Why would you say that to me?"
