In the Shadows of Vena (complete)

[Faith Organa]

Location: Aldera, Royal Palace

The room was basking in the soft light of the early morning, Faith was draped over Draco protectively. In the night the dreams had come again that he was lost and she couldn't find him. Reaching out in her sleep she found contentment in the warmth of his skin, and the rise and fall of his chest as he slept.

Slowly she woke up laying there wondering why was she having such terrible dreams, it had to be her fears rising up and taking hold. She turned to look at his face so peaceful not a single line of worry caressed his strong features. Neither of them were looking forward to her visiting Vena even with him going as Knight Errant they already both knew that the Duke had something planned, and that Gabriella was part of it. They had not figured out her part yet.

Nor had they figured how far the Duke would go. Faith hoped that once he learned she was pregnant that all of this talk of titles and alliances would slip away and be forgotten. She hoped.

Fretting was now her problem, while he slept. She knew she had to be prepared to do something, say something, to make the Duke understand. She sighed, she couldn't lose her Dragon, her Draco.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco slept the night comfortably, tucked in Faith's protective and loving embrace, he held her against him so that their breathing was rhythmic and in unison. At peace was the only description he could have given what he was had anyone asked him. For all his struggles, for all his suffering and strife, Draco had finally found peace wrapped in the arms of the woman he loved, blankets cast messily on top of them, clothes thrown in the floor, fallen where they had been removed. The night had been peaceful for the warrior, and for the first time in a long time, he was at peace. From the steely exterior she melted away, to the burning core deep within his spirit.

He stirred, comfortable, still clutching her greedily, possessively. Faith was this Dragon's, and for him, there would never be another. She was his other half, the owner of his heart, forever and always she would command his heart strings. His eyes fluttered open lazily, peering through the dim morning light, looking at her tanned skin laying beside him, intertwined with his body draped over him, her cheek resting on his chest, rising and falling slightly as he drew each breath.

He prodded her gently, "Morning cyar'ika." He could already sense the tiny presences in her belly, the pair of them. Both would be strong in the Force, a combination of his potent genes and her natural empathy and affinity with the Force. Vena loomed before them, and the Duke would find a very protective, very possessive dragon between the Duke and his desires. No, the Duke would have to kill him, and even he couldn't kill himself.

Draco's hand slipped off Faith's hip to his chest, just below his ribs. A nasty scab was wrapped in bandages, and his connection to the Force was strenuous at best. His bond to Faith was slowly healing, better than his injuries were. Being injured and making this trip wasn't something that pleased Draco, but they say the injured beast is the most dangerous, and Draco was the most dangerous he had been in years.

"Are you ready to get up, or would you like to just lie in bed for the day." He prodded her again, gently pushing up against her, kissing her forehead endearingly.

[member="Faith Balor-Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Draco Vereen"]​

​

She smiled, "I like the view right now so let's just stay here for a bit. Ana will take care of the preparations for getting us to Vena, we should talk about Vena though" they both had an idea of things to come, but she wanted to be sure they were on the same page.

"You know as well as I do that the Duke is going to ask me to marry him, and when I tell him no, and explain about us there is the possibility he will lose it" She pushed up to get a good look at Draco to watch his emotions, "We may have to make a hasty retreat, or he may just be fool enough to try something. What I don't know is what part Gabriella plays in this, so you need to be careful she could try anything, seduction being the most handy." She arched a brow at him, she knew he wouldn't sleep with the red head he had tried everything to shut her down during dinner.

She wanted him to say it again though, just because it made her warm inside when he did. That spark in his eye when he got indignant about things, or better when he needed approval or felt he needed to convince her.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled up at her, holding her firmly against him lingering in the warmth and comfort of the night spent together. "Good, I like the view as well cyar'ika. Waking up to your peaceful face looking me over, laying on top of me." He groaned a little at the mention of talking about Vena. Up until this point he had shoved the conversation away, it wasn't something he wanted to admit or talk about. He could lose her on Vena, Arianna might demand a faux wedding just to secure the alliance in the hopes it would work out.

"I will be ready if he overreacts. I will make sure to have something in case he tries anything. Don't worry," He smiled at her, leaning up to gently kiss her forehead reassuringly. He worried the Duke would attempt something rash and force him into action. Draco needed to be sure he was prepared for the worst, and that meant making sure he had some allies on the planet. A fire teams worth, nothing crazy.

"She is a serious downgrade from the woman on top of me, love. She lacks the fire, steely resolve, and tender, loving touch you have that brought me here. She may not know it, but I do. She won't be seducing me. Though I am not without my own charms." He grinned, "I want to know their plans and her role in them. She is probably the weakest link, with the least to gain in this situation. If I can get her alone, I can make her talk. Without sleeping with her." He finished the sentence with a promise, that he would stay faithful and stay true to her. He thought he could convince her to switch sides in all this. She obviously hadn't thought about the consequences of the Duke getting what he wanted.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"See you always know just what to say, or at least what I want to hear" She inched up laying across his chest looking into the those beautiful storm cloud grey eyes she sighed with contentment just as she felt a flutter.

She laughed, "They're moving I can feel those little flutters." She reached up, "baby dragons about 7 more months and they'll be here." She laid her head on his chest her hand stroking his arm. "I know you love you me, I know you won't stray, I like hearing you say it though."

"We will be ready for the Duke and whatever he has planned, he'll just have to learn to live with disappointment. And as for this you being alone with Gabriella, be careful she's unpredictable." She moved to sit up, "I have to think of how to handle this diplomatically I just don't know how to do it yet. My anger just gets in the way of it." She laughed again, "I'll just be truthful. What will you do hmm are you planning on taking some of the guards?

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco laid back on the bed content with how things were at the moment, loathsome to rise and begin the stressful few days on Vena. Draco would have traded a lot to keep from having to go, but he certainly wouldn't let Faith go alone. That was out of the question, more than anything else, letting her walk into danger was completely out of the question. "Oh, I try. I like seeing you happy, so I just try to say things that will make you that way."

Draco rolled around to face her on his side. "Seven months. Its so far away, yet so close. We still have a lot to do to be ready for them when they are born. Plus we have little Blu, wherever the little scoundrel has scampered off to." He looked around, not feeling any extra weight on the blankets. They normally didn't let the little wolf-cat sleep in the room with them, and for good reason, but occasionally it worked its way into the room and laid on the bed with them. His attention turned back to Faith, "Well, I like saying it. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside." He kissed her cheek, then her neck just below her jaw, then the base of her neck, then her chest, leaving a trail of kisses and passion down her, pulling her close to him trying to roll on top of her gently, careful with his weight.

Draco looked down at her, hovering for a second. "I am bringing some of my clansmen. Just in case. You should bring a small group of guards. Nothing too much, just a handful." He dipped his head, pressing his lips against her collarbone. "I will be careful with Gabriella. Don't worry about her. Worry about me right now though." He smiled at her, his grey eyes piercing through her, the amber gold eyes still sleepy stirring his blood and his soul, he still hovered over her, still kissing on her collarbone.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Rivers of heat wove their way through her veins pooling in the very core of her being. She felt his desire pressing against her stomach.

She returned his kisses as hunger grew. She lifted her leg till her knee rested against his hip, lifting her hands one slowly glided down his arm as she stared up into those familiar storm cloud gray eyes. The smoke before the fire. She smiled, "breath fire cyar'ika" she wrapped her body around his.

The soft sounds of contentment and pleasure filled the palace.

Later.

Breathless. Skin covered in a sheen of sweat. Her hand resting on his chest. "I love you. I love what you do to me. Promise you will never stop."

She looked over, "how will I survive you not being in our bed. How will I get the tender kisses that I need for each day. " She needed his love his presence it was what kept her balanced.

"Hmmm?"

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled back at Faith, breathing heavily, his hand clutching the one she had resting on his chest. "How would I survive without hearing the sound of your breath against my ear when I sleep. I will never stop, because I need you too. I love you and I can't stop. Its what you do to me cyar'ika." He rolled over to kiss her nose, sighing deeply. Vena was next and as much as he wanted to lay here with Faith and skip that visit, that would only tarnish her reputation.

He grinned devishly back at her, "Besides, no matter what the Duke says, I'm sleeping in your bed with you. It might be his house, but no one keeps me from your arms at night." He nuzzled against her for a moment, breathing softly. It was time, they needed to put this last matter to rest, and then Draco could fulfill his own plan to have Faith's hand in marriage and they could begin planning their own wedding. Draco kissed her once more and then sat up in the bed, the slick shine of sweat glistening in the morning light off his chest.

"Come on, we need to get ready if you are gonna make it to the welcoming dinner. It wouldn't look good if you were terribly late and looked all unkempt would it?" Not that it mattered much to him how she looked. In fact, he found her looks after their time together to be more intoxicating than before. She had that glow that only a soon to be mother ever had and it called to him, lured him into her seductive grasp, from which he sought no escape.

But for now, showers and transport longed for them. And he had to make sure his three men were ready to accompany them and stay out of sight and out of mind. Ner'gal would be best for that, Gorran, the wookiee Huntmaster of the Clan stuck out, but would draw attention away from Drax, the barabel tracker. Those three and him, that would be more than enough if they were needed at all. And her guards, he felt secure in their safety, in her safety.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"Yes yes you will sneak in each night and lavish upon me all your attention?" She smiled as she slid from their bed. Yes it was time she moved towards the refresher waving bye as she disappeared.

Her stomach no longer really flat bulged with the life of her children. It wouldn't be as long as Draco thought they would be here and then his heart would be divided love for her love for them.

Within the hour she was ready wearing something simple to travel in. Within another they were boarding the ship that Draco had given her. "Do you have everything ? " She looked over to him not happy to go yet happy to get it over with. "If you forget anything we will have to buy it"




[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco was wearing something simplistic as well, following her up the transport, her personal transport. Blu was taken care of, Ana and Rebehka would be fine with him for a few days, and the trio of allies he had called upon were taking their own transport, something a little more rugged and more combat capable. Draco was a little nervous. He had to deal with the Duke and Gabriella wounded, his Force connectino severely dampened and weakened. Something this important, he would have liked to have waited until he was fully healed. If that had been an option he would have taken it gleefully.

Faith didn't know how bad the injury was, he hadn't told her. Draco didn't want to worry her, and while physically it was healing nicely, he found his Force powers to be weak and feeble, his bonds in the Force still healing, much slower than the wound was. But she didn't need to be worried about that going into this very stressful situation. She was carrying his children, and so she didn't need to worry about her big strong dragon.

"Yeah, I have everything I need." Draco smiled at her, "I have you don't I?" He asked roguishly, carrying his pair of bags and case up the ramp with him. One was clothes, one was a survival pack, one was a case lined with sensor blockers for his armor, sword, and rifle. "I doubt you forgot anything, and if we have to buy it, we will be okay." They had plenty of money between the two of them, and he was already thinking about trust funds for the children growing steadily in Faith's belly, giving her just the tiniest bulge in her stomach, almost unnoticeable.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"Yes cyar'ika if we have each other we have it all, but just in case not everyone is as starry eyed as we are if we've forgotten anything, we'll stop along the way" Faith laughed and made her way through the ship letting the Pilot know that as soon as he got the all clear to go head and go.

Faith headed toward the VIP room this was where she could hold meetings, and be comfortable. She needed comfort all the frustration of this journey was making her feel stressed and she knew that Draco was thinking on things to do, and that some of them likely ended with the Duke's head on a plate. What was he thinking?

She sat in one of the chairs and stared at the holo of Vena, "What do they need that we can offer, that doesn't include me?" She contemplated this while Draco dropped the bags.

"whatever happens on Vena Draco we come back to Aldera afterwards. I have to oversee a few things, and make some appearances" Yes they needed to put eyes on her to assure themselves that the family had not disappeared and left them.

She heard Tia was currently on Alpha Mae preparing for refugees.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco put the bags away, and made sure her luggage was packed and in its place. She had a bit more than he did, but that made sense to him. Not only did she require more space for her dresses and outfits, she had more outfits she wore than he did. A lot of times when they lounged around the apart it was a step towards progress for him to put on more than just shorts, and he packed knowing that at least a healthy portion of their trip would be spent in his armor.

They were going into hostile territory, away from safety and family and friends. As much as he was Faith's Knight-Errant, he was also a Mandalorian and had a responsibility to his people which required he represent them. Which meant full armor for public and stat affairs. Draco smiled at Faith as he entered the VIP room. "Alright love, we are packed and good, should be leaving in a moment." His voice was a low rumble, laden with affection and caring. She was his everything, and he needed her to know, to truly believe that because he was here, she was safe. "I don't think you have anything to worry about love. We will get this trip over with, and then we will go to Aldera for your appearances, then we will retreat to our home and spend the week alone together. Yes?"

The big mandalorian made himself comfortable on the floor, stretching out his legs. His back still ached and it helped to sprawl out when he could, when it acted up on him. It also provided him the excuse to rest his head against her thigh and wrap his hands gently around her calf, sitting comfortably below her. He sighed deeply, letting the air whisper out of his lungs. At the least they would be comfortable getting there. "Mmmm, I love you cyar'ika. And soon, everyone will know it, and no one will mind it."

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith reached over and stroked Draco's cheek, "I love you to and yes soon all around us will see it. How they react now that will be interesting" Yes it would but right now she did not have the time to think on it, or fret over it right now she had to fret over a rambunctious Duke who had made a claim to her and her titles. Additionally she knew she would have to keep Draco from shredding him from the start.

They had to let him play out his hand, there was something else to take care of right now as well.

"How well do you think I know you, and know the movements of your body? Do you think I would see something that you could easily hide from all others?" She moved her hand from his cheek to his shoulder, as she rested.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco's mood soothed as Fatih caressed his cheek, comforting him and letting him rest beside her. The sound of her voice brought stability to his mind and purged his thoughts of worry and stress. "You know me best of all cyar'ika. There is no one that understands me, has studied me, as intensely as you." He kissed her thigh softly, closing his eyes and letting his muscles relax, the tension in his back ease away.

He smiled, "I don't think I could keep a secret from you for long, no matter how hard I tried." It was true, even though he was currently trying to hide something from her. He doubted she had it pegged all the way, but she could probably tell something was off about him. Not only had he severed his connection from Darth Vulkan and banished that part of him, but, he had also been temporarily severed from the Force. The bonds were coming back, but not all of them were the same. The strongest bond that had returned was his bond to Faith, but even it wasn't fully healed.

"What is it cyar'ika? What is troubling you?" Draco kept resting his head on her thigh, trying his best to relax. He would behave on this trip, he would just be ready to defend his Faith if the need arose.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

"What's going on with you? I can tell something it's the way you hold yourself, like you're injured." She looked at him, "you also haven't said much about your trip. So. Draco Vereen were you injured, and are you hiding it from me?"

She couldn't yell at him she couldn't really admonish him for she knew she would likely hide the same thing to keep him from worry and worry he did a lot when it came to anything that affected them.

This made her fret, what if?

And then what?

She knew he would be paranoid until he wasn't anymore, or at least had a control on it but..now this..well...they would discuss.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled, rubbing his cheek against her thigh. "Yes, I'm injured. I got hurt pretty badly on my trip." He relaxed in her touch. "I'm on the mend, and I can move around. Just aches still." The memories of the sword pinned through his chest flashed back. "Its just going to be a lingering wound for a time." He could tell she was worried about him. Perhaps she wasn't sure he had returned in one piece mentally.

"I did what needed to be done. I'm free, and I'm whole. I no longer worry about my split personality, and I banished it into chaos, severing its connection to the Force. I will never be plagued by that part of myself again." He smiled, leaning his head back, resting it in her lap and looking up at her. "But it wasn't an easy thing, and it took a lot out of me. I almost died, more than once." His hands rubbed her leg reassuringly, giving her a warm smile, letting the softness of his touch and the affectionate look he gave her ease her mind..

"I'm home now, that's what matters. I've dealt with my demons. Its finally over and we can be happy and safe together." He was a little worried about this trip, but the Duke wouldn't do anything too foolish. He still wanted an alliance, there was still another Organa sister, albeit a much more rebellious one, and he had politics to worry about. He was prepared, even without the Force. Besides, the Duke didn't know he wasn't able to use the Force seriously yet.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"How is it I did not notice this lingering wound earlier?" She had him in his birthday suit so how is it she would miss a wound? Was there something magical about said wound? He almost died more than once.

"Vulkan is gone you say, and now we get to have our happily ever after?" She smiled she knew there really was no such thing that it was all a fairy tale told to children to help them sleep, or give them hope. "I am glad that Vulkan is gone that Chaos has him for the time." She knew though that not everything stayed in Chaos it could find ways out.

"I wasn't there to help you." This look of concern crossed her face so that meant that his traveling partner helped, "You haven't said much about who you traveled with Draco, was it she that saved your life? Was it she who nursed your wounds?" Faith kept the sarcasm from her voice, and did her best to hide all other emotions and only have her concern show through. Was she jealous? Yes and no.

She smiled though reaching out to stroke his forehead as they talked, he could have been taken from her, in more than one way. But he came home. He was here. At least until the next war came up.

The life a mandalorian.

She knew it only too well.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled at her, "Its healed over nicely. Bacta patches and all. I still have some stitches inside that are holding some of me together to the rest of me is all." He was trying to be reassuring and calm her without worrying her too much. "Just a little more healing. It only bothers me a little. A dull ache, you know." The injury would heal, he could tell it was healing, getting stronger everyday. It just took time to get back to one hundred percent from a wound from the dark blade he had taken with him.

"Vulkan is gone. I killed him myself. I carved him out of the Force and conquered him." His tone was adamant, still calm with her, but assertive that the part of his life where she needed to worry about his other half was over, that they could finally sleep easy each night with no fear of what he might wake up as. "Even Emperor Palpatine wasn't strong enough to come back from chaos, and he hadn't been severed from the Force like Vulkan." Draco dragged his fingers up around her knee drawing little circles with his fingertips on her skin.

Faith asked about his companion, and his voice lightened a little. He was still trying to show his deep affection for the woman on whose lap he was resting as best he could. "She helped. She did her best to help when she could." He hadn't put much thought into what Faith might think of Briga, or how it might effect her knowing Draco had been in a fight alongside some unknown woman out in the middle of nowhere. His storm grey eyes caught Faith's looking into her, "She is a troubled young woman. I've known several women from my time as a slave that went through the same hardships as she did. She's capable, though I'm not sure how reliable or trustworthy. I'm certainly not going to ask her to babysit."

Was she jealous? He certainly would have been if the situation were reversed. "But, she seems to be an ally. For now, I wouldn't even go as far as friend." He hoped that would ease her jealousy a little. Draco had nothing to hide about the woman he traveled with, and she had been well behaved, hands to herself the whole journey.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

He had killed that which she feared waking up to, "Is he really gone, no longer haunting your thoughts?" She smiled and prayed that what he said was true. She helped. Oh Faith thought, so he was gone for how long off with another woman and she helped.

Faith had a feeling she did a bit more than helped. umhmm she thought to herself he's known lots of women, that's comforting to a pregnant woman. He didn't think her trustworthy that counted for something but he spent all the time alone with her. Faith wasn't sure she was too happy about that. But she smiled and said nothing, he hadn't really told her who he was going with, and she guessed he didn't have to, but he must not have told her for a reason. Was it because of this woman?

She didn't know and she would try not to let this haunt her thoughts. Ally, friend, how much of a difference was there really?

"I'm glad you had someone, glad that we can move forward" Even if everyone had their little secrets. She knew not ever aspect of their lives was revealed no one's ever is but she had hoped that if he was going off with a woman he would have said something about it so that she wouldn't be suspicious.

"I'm sorry you were hurt cyar'ika I'm relieved your home though" She closed her eyes for a moment, "I feel like we have been preparing all day for this trip. Most likely because I do not wish to go"

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled up at her, he could see the little wheels turning, the little wrinkles of displeasure around her eyes. She wasn't completely happy. Was she jealous? Of course she was. What else could she be given the information she had, even if she was believing every word he said.

He grew tired of beating around the bush, trying to come up with round about ways to lead her to the conclusion he was loyal. "Nothing happened between us. I didn't seek nor hope for anything from her, she didn't offer. I would never betray you like that." His bond with her was growing stronger, but not enough that she would be able to sense the truth in his words. "You know I wouldn't do anything like that to you, don't you?"

If not, well then perhaps they needed to work on that. He was a jealous Dragon, it made sense that she would be equally possessive and jealous. But, he never thought she would do anything. Obviously he needed to reinforce her belief in him. Slowly Draco twisted around and pressed his check against her thigh so that he was facing her, the whiskers of his short beard tickling her smooth skin, while he waited for a response.

Perhaps she was being hormonal. He couldn't say that of course, he wasn't a mad man. Perhaps her fears were well founded. No, they were well founded. He was a man who had spent a week gallivanting through the galaxy with an attractive young woman, leaving his pregnant beloved at home with little information about where he was going and how long he had been gone. But, he had just said it, open and honest.

[member="Faith Organa"]