Private Moment of Truth

[Kaila Irons]

The governor's mansion had been eerily still since the Siege of Echnos. The buildings around it had recovered much more quickly even if the families inside had not, but the mansion had been all but neglected. Renovations were slow, walls were missing, the cluttered and broken rooms inside visible for the entire city to see after Empress Srina Talon brought much of the building down on top of Judah Lesan during their battle.

The vaguely jedi-shaped hole inside the original office still traveled from the upper floors into the depths.

As the new governor, Darth Anathemous had been moved to a smaller office elsewhere in the building, made smaller still by the clutter of books and documents stacked on nearly every surface. She was sat at a desk that had been dragged in from elsewhere, dragging her fingers across the Hardlight display projected in front of her as she cycled through countless reports day in and day out.

RE: Request for additional renovations, Governor's mansion.

She Ignored the request from one of the city officials, determined focus all her efforts on the people, even if it meant working out of ruins surrounded by new buildings.

Subject: Request for additional repairs, sector 3 hospital.

Approved.

Update: Suspected alliance saboteur.

Investigation opened.

Update: Missing person(s), Case #556.

• Adult male, deceased.
• Adult female, deceased.
• Child, deceased.

Cause of Death(s): Murder Suicide(s), Suspected relation to Phobis Device.

She stared at the case report for awhile longer, golden eyes unblinking until they were simply too dry not to be shut tight.

How many had to die because of this war, she thought. Kaila understood the need to repel The Alliance, but at what cost? How many people had The Empress sacrificed to that end? How many deaths were on Kaila's hands by proxy?

How many?!

She slammed her fist down onto the desk, flexing sore fingers as her eyes opened with a fiery glow.

Alert: New arrival, landing in progress.

Oh yes, Saryn. Her eyes softened.

Darth Xyrah was supposed to visit her new post today. Her oldest friend, with whom she had spoken much too infrequently since she was recovered from Dathomir. She would be glad to see him, although she wished for more joyous scenery now.

She grabbed her gloves from the desk, dabbing away her tear before tossing them aside, forgetting to actually put them on or cover the newly scraped flesh on her hand. Oh dear. She had waited to prepare until the very last minute, for there was so much to do and never enough time no matter how long she spent directing the recovery of this domed city. Atmospheric management, reversing alliance sabotage, carefully guiding the populace away from rebellion nor resentment towards the empire.

She hadn't even done her makeup. She knew Saryn and the other wives of Carnifex so enjoyed when she wore makeup.

Kaila withdrew a stick of black lipstick and rushed to a nearby mirror.

For him, it was the least she could do.

 

[Darth Xyrah]

Saryn's personal starship arrived just outside the wrecked Governor's mansion, it's gleaming golden hull catching the light of the sun as it began touching down in the courtyard. Saryn soon descended the boarding ramp as it lowered, garbed in a short, silken black dress and heels and carrying a basket filled with a delightful little lunch he'd prepared for himself and Kaila. As he made his way inside, he was followed closely by a pair of his Magnaguards, whom often acted as his personal security when he left the safety of Malsheem or his private super-yacht, which presently loomed above in orbit, quite visible from the surface given it's massive size.

He eventually found his way to Kaila's makeshift office, gently knocking on the door to give her a moment to prepare herself. "Kaila, darling! It's me, Saryn. I brought us some lunch!", he said delightfully when entering the room, beaming her a smile so warm and heartening that it could brighten anyone's mood.

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

"Kaila, darling! It's me, Saryn. I brought us some lunch!",

Ah, she knew that soft voice long before his name was ever spoken. She knew it by the warmth it carried, touching her cold and jaded soul, seeping into tired bones. Kaila quickly finished touching her lipstick, smooshing her lips together to spread the mixture evenly, head tilting as she gave the mirror one last look and noticed the door crack open.

"Saryn!" She turned to regard him, the smile about his soft lips bringing one to her own.

"It's been far too long"

Kaila would circle around the desk, setting her lipstick aside so as to free her hands and then Saryn's of the basket he'd brought.

"Oh that's very kind of you as always," She held her hands out to take the basket "Here, let me take that for you"

"So then, what brings you all the way to Echnos? News from Malsheem or just visiting?"



Darth Xyrah

 

[Darth Xyrah]

"I came to see you, of course. I sensed you could use some comfort and company.", he said, leaning over to give her a warm, affectionate hug. "In truth, I also came to.....well, discuss some things which are personally important with you. I'd been waiting to find a good time. But first, lunch! I brought your favorite dessert too.", he said with a smile. Inside the basket were some sandwiches and a nice bottle of wine with some glasses, but most importantly, one of Saryn's ever so delectable and freshly baked chocolate cakes. Saryn used to make them for her all the time when she was just starting out as his husband Carnifex's apprentice on Malsheem.

He cleared away some of the paperwork littering Kalia's desk with the force, gently levitating it in neatened stacks to a nearby spot so none of it got lost, before gesturing for them both to take a seat. "....You look famished, Kaila. It's just as well I came with food.", he said with concern. He could clearly tell she was struggling.

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

Kaila wrapped her arms tightly around his smaller frame, perhaps lingering a little longer than a simple friend should, or someone who should be in high spirits and celebrating a promotion. But alas she would, eventually, pull away and take the basket with her.

"In truth, I also came to.....well, discuss some things which are personally important with you. I'd been waiting to find a good time. But first, lunch! I brought your favorite dessert too.",

"Ah? you know I'm always happy to lend an ear. Force knows I must have spent years talking your ear off. It's only right that I listen too" She chuckled nervously.

Before discussing further however, Saryn began to clear space for the two of them. He was considerate however, stacking papers neatly with an unseen hand, Kaila's eyes following them to their new home which was somewhere easily visible, having been placed such that she would not lose them amidst the rising tide of paperwork. It was always surprising to see him use the force, Kaila remembering a time when she swore he was not force sensitive at all. Or perhaps he merely used his powers so rarely back then that she never noticed, not till recently.

He was talented too, with fine tuned telekinesis similar to her own. With only one seat, she would sit on the newly cleared desk, scooting to one side so that he could join her.

"....You look famished, Kaila. It's just as well I came with food."

"Hm? Oh, I suppose I am hungry. What time is it?"

She brought up the holographic display just long enough to glance at the time.

"Oh... I must have forgotten to eat again. Fortunate timing indeed"


Darth Xyrah

 

[Darth Xyrah]

Saryn gently sat himself down beside Kaila, before gently pulling her in for a tender hug. "I can tell when you're stressed out, my dear Kaila. I've been around you long enough. You're working yourself too hard here. I could automate all of this decision-making with a single cadre of Tactical Droids and take you somewhere nice and relaxing, for a change.", he said with a smile.

"And yes, eat something. You need your strength.", he said, picking up a sandwich to jokingly feed it to her with a smile. "But yes, I didn't just come to feed you, Kaila. I've been wanting to tell you something for a.....very long time. I didn't have a chance to when you disappeared all that time on Dathomir until I rescued you, and I'm not going to waste the opportunity I have now.", he said.

"I.....care about you a great deal, Kaila. You know that. But....not just as a friend. I've had....feelings for you. For a very long time. I never said anything before because I, well.....was surprisingly nervous about if you felt the same way about me. If you don't feel the same way, that's fine. I just, well, wanted to say how I felt now I have the chance to do so again.", he said with a shy smile, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

"I can tell when you're stressed out, my dear Kaila. I've been around you long enough. You're working yourself too hard here. I could automate all of this decision-making with a single cadre of Tactical Droids and take you somewhere nice and relaxing, for a change."

"You've always been able to hear what I couldn't bring myself to say" She spoke softly as she was pulled into another embrace, her cheerful façade fading. Saryn had been by her side through the worst times in her life, certainly most at least. He had seen her grow from a naïve Acolyte to a sorceress under the agonizing tutelage of Darth Carnifex. And every time the man had brutalized her, Saryn had been there to nurse her back to health, even infused her bones with metal so that she could survive longer than anyone expected her to.

Of course she couldn't hide these things from him, not when he knew her better than even she did in some ways. And if there was one thing he would know about her, it was that she was quite dutiful, even at great personal cost.

There was no time for a vacation, Not when The Empress herself had given this task to her. It was simply too soon.

Still, she afforded him a little smile when offered the sandwich, leaning forward as if she might simply eat it out of his hand, only to take into her own. She could only hold onto it for now, preferring not to interrupt him with the sound of chewing when whatever he was about to say seemed so important.

And when he spoke, she was so very glad she didn't.

"I.....care about you a great deal, Kaila. You know that. But....not just as a friend. I've had....feelings for you. For a very long time. I never said anything before because I, well.....was surprisingly nervous about if you felt the same way about me. If you don't feel the same way, that's fine. I just, well, wanted to say how I felt now I have the chance to do so again."

"Saryn, I-" Her golden eyes stared so widely into his, her breath hitching at the words gracing her ears. Words she had wished to hear for so long, and wanted to say in kind.

"I-" She leaned in a little closer.

"I love you"

Her lips were soft against his, despite the way she pressed her self so deeply against his smaller frame, his hair like rays of sunshine between her finger tips as she ran them up the back of his scalp, the other around his waist, pulling him close. In that brief moment she was not Darth Anathemous, Governor of Echnos and Dark Lord of the Sith. She was simply Kaila, that young woman whom Saryn had met in the hospital on Krownest. The young woman who lovingly shared dresses with him, and who'd shared many a soft but passionate night with before his marriage to her master.

But of she couldn't always be that woman, and so after a time, she hesitantly pulled away.

The eyes that opened now were not the same as when they'd first met. The soft lavender having long since been overtaken by a fiery gold that burnt with the power of the dark side, a carefully constructed window into the soul of one so corrupted that perhaps this love was the only thing that kept it from becoming entirely bereft of light.

And the architect behind it's creation was ever on her mind.

"What... does this mean for us? What of," It pained her to even say the words "Of your husband?"


Darth Xyrah

 

[Darth Xyrah]

Saryn eagerly kissed her back, before caressing her cheek. "My husband will not mind in the slightest. He's not the only one who takes many wives and lovers, dear.", he said with a soft giggle. Epicanthix culture was something his husband embraced to the fullest, and Saryn himself had adopted it as his own also. They were a practical people, and the concept of limiting oneself to a single beloved partner seemed silly to them. As such, tradition dictated Saryn had as much right as his husband in that respect.

"Though still, my heart truly belongs only to a select few.....I would consider you such, my lovely Kaila.", he said, embracing her close. "....Let my droids handle governing Echnos for you. I want to get you away from...all this mess, and I've grown tired of Sith space for the moment. Why don't we take my fleet and go find ourselves somewhere else to rule? I need a replacement for Eliad after all.", he said with a soft giggle. "And before you worry about my dear Kaine being displeased with you departing, please, do not. His interests are firmly elsewhere, and he does not see you as a threat in the slightest. Which actually leads me to the second thing I wanted to ask you. If you'd like, I was curious if you'd like me to take over your training and become your "master" in terms of paperwork? Just as an official formality. I've always seen you as an equal, not a pawn. And, in all honesty, going off "training you" is more than an adequate excuse to go do our own thing for a while and get away from Sith politics.", Saryn said with a smile.

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

"Equals..." She echoed, chin resting on his shoulder as she was pulled into his smaller frame.

"All this time... You knew, didn't you."

A tear fell from her closed eye as they held one another, and she would not let go anytime soon. Kaila had needed this for a very long time. She had needed Saryn for a very long time. She was happy, perhaps happier than she had ever been, and certainly the happiest she could remember after waking up in the hospital. Perhaps his was not the first face she had seen, but his smile was the first she'd ever known. As was his kindness.

Even so, it was a somber moment. A rare instance of vulnerability that she had shared with no one else.

"I'm so sorry for lying to you all these years..." She held him tightly, crying silently.

"I've tried to stay loyal to him, for so long, I've tried. I didn't want to put in a position where you'd have to choose between us. I thought that maybe if I just accumulated enough power, enough resources, that perhaps I could just... run away... I thought that would be better than forcing you to choose."

But now he had given her a way out. One that would bring them a level of stability and safety that she never imagined they could share together, nor that the force would ever allow her to achieve without taking even more from her.

"I... will need time, to ensure your droids are informed of my plans for this city. I do not intend to rule as Kainites do, these people have suffered enough. But then I will go with you, wherever you wish me to go, I will follow. I will make time for you, always"

She kissed him on the cheek, still savoring this closeness between them.

Although, she remembered something he'd said, and a suddenly a realization struck her.

He's not the only one who takes many wives

"Saryn, are we...?"

Where they to be married?


Darth Xyrah

 

[Darth Xyrah]

"Nothing would make me happier, my love. Though, let's at least get settled somewhere nice before I make that proposal properly.", he teased, caressing her cheek. "....I've always loved the casino at Canto Bight. The wealth that runs through that place alone could fund several planets. Plenty to fund construction of a new grand estate for us to live lavishly in together. I intend to spoil my future wife properly.", he said, grinning. "....Does that sound like a plan, my love?", he said, gently sliding onto her lap for proper cuddling. "Somewhere for just you and me...."

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

"Mmm. You know I'd say yes regardless" She smiled warmly, nuzzling into the hand against her cheek.

To think that she would be married at all was almost hard to believe when she had spent every morning prepared for it to be her last day for years, right up until the battle of Echnos. Here she was, listening to Saryn remind her to be patient while he prepared a "proper" proposal. He could have proposed to her in that tomb on Dathomir for all she cared, she still would have said yes.

Still, the change in scenery might lend better to the romance.

"Then Canto Bight it is! You've always been a smart one, and I think I know some people that would be interested in helping us secure the criminal underworld there. My connections, your fiendish mind, we'll make for a formidable team I think"

As he slid his smaller self onto her lap, she couldn't help wrapping her arms around him again from behind. The food and wine, though definitely something she'd look forward to, could wait. She had half a mind to greedily keep him there in her arms for eternity if she could.

"Just you and me" Kaila echoed softly

"With that in mind, let us stay here just awhile longer? No politics, no ambitions. Just this little moment between us"



Darth Xyrah