The Cross Fox(Arcanix)

[Vulpesen]

During the wait, more and more of Vulpesen's mind was filled with doubts, fears, the horrors that he had lost her. No... not her. Anyone but her, don't take her. Don't make her go, let her come back, please! His body shivered as he lost his hope and one of his darts fell into the chamber, a killing variety. [member="Darth Arcanix"] wouldn't even know she had died.

He was just about to fire when her eyes flicked open and her words parted to speak. A different voice. Different eyes. But those words. Her tone. only Alex spoke like that. Tears left his face as he disengaged the dart and joined Daeda in his tackle on the woman. "Damn it, Alex!" His mouth turned into a large smiled as he held her to him, his tail wagging fiercly behind him. She was here. She was home. She was safe. And finally, he knew that he hadn't lost her.

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Vulpesen"] [member="Alexandra Feanor"]

"You're welcome," Taeli said, sighing a bit in relief and exhaustion. She had sensed the killing intent pouring off of Vulpesen, and she really didn't want to have to deal with that. "I didn't think I would have enough power to fuel the spell, but I had good motivation. Vulps here has been rather . . . harsh on me, even though I've been explaining it was an arranged plan. I'm sorry, so sorry, with everything that happened Alex. I had no choice but to do it, or I wouldn't be able to . . ."

Her voice trailed off for a moment.

"Protect my sister," she finished in a whisper.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Next came the cannonball that was Vulpesen, tackling into Alex who blinked and her eyes went wide as he started to hug her. "V-vulps, tight, still getting used to this body... and why do i feal a third..." She looked behind her and stared at the tail for a few seconds as she turned her head to slowly look at them. "Why... do i have a tail..." She stared at them and then heard Arcanix's words that caused her to turn her head and look at Vulps solely before slapping him upside the back of the head. "Daeda, do tell me everything that has happened, and if i need to Zap Vulpesen..."

[member="Darth Arcanix"]
[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen twitched at the hit, but refused to let go. He might have loosened his grip to keep from crushing her, but he still remained hugging her. He didn't give a damn whether or not she was mad with him about the sith, or whether or not she'd fry him until he smoked. For now, she was in his arms and he couldn't ask for anything more. He wanted to thank Arcanix for all she had done, to try and make up for his behavior, but such thoughts were incredibly small compared to the simply thoughts of Alex who was in his arms. "I missed you..."

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Emilia Marean"] [member="Vulpesen"]

"Okay Vulpesen, loosen the grip or I'm going to have perform the ritual again because you suffocated her," Taeli sighed. He didn't seem to want to move, so using the Force, she loosened his arms a bit and rotated him around so she could actually talk to Alex face-to-face.

"I'm so sorry for everything Alex," Taeli said, a few tears forming in her eyes. "I tried to think of any other solution, any other one where this was avoided, but I didn't have time for anything else. I have a confession to make, something I was keeping secret. I have two younger sisters, one of them is my apprentice in the Sith and the real reason I couldn't do anything else, and the other is . . . a Jedi Master. Corvus actually, but I found out about them . . . after . . . well . . . it's not important, but I promised Corvus I would look after Melori. I'm so sorry."

Tears were flowing faster down her cheeks, some of them from relief that her friend was alive, except for getting the life choked out of her by her fiance, and some were from guilt.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Vulpesen"] [member="Darth Arcanix"]

Alexandra smiled and even as Taeli would have attempted to loosen the Vulpesen's arms, her own hands came up and slowly pulled his arms off her before she smiled at him and kissed him. "Come on, you didn't think i would give up and leave that easily, have some faith in me. After all im sure that the fluffball would have found a way to locate me and you would have found a way on your own to get me back.." As she let her words trail off she looked over at Taeli. Words were moving through the air and turning into a pained sentence after sentence.

With a quick motion she completely separated herself from Vulpesen's arms, stumbled as she was getting up and soon she stumbled off balance over to Taeli before leaning forward and wrapping arms around the woman for a few moments and smiling as she pat the woman's back. There was something else, somethign she would have to thank that Jedi Master of a sister for, but she would let Taeli find it on her own. "Come now, its all an act... which comes to my next point once we are off this planet... By the way, can i get some actual clothing..." She sighed as she looked down and then at the tail. "And Vulps, how do i use this thing."

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen's eyes widened as he noticed Alexandra was without clothing, and if it weren't for the fact that people avoided those rifts, he likely would have had to blind or mind wipe anyone who wandered close. He shirked off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, drawing the mid-chain a bit tighter than usual to actually cover her.

Once his fiance was adequately covered he motioned to her tail. "You learn just as if it were another arm. It'll take some getting used to. I was lucky enough to have been raised by someone who had a tail so it came natural to me." He turned again to face [member="Darth Arcanix"], to whom he gave a small bow. "Arcanix, I'm sorry for the way I acted and not trusting you. Please, if theres anything I can do to make up for it, just say the word."

[member="Emilia Marean"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Vulpesen"] [member="Emilia Marean"]

"To you its Taeli," she said, wiping away her tears and letting go of Alex. "You don't have to call me Darth Arcanix unless we're on opposite sides of a fight. I know you were looking for anyone, anything to blame, but I was trying to help and protect people. Water under the bridge though, so I forgive you for the unnecessary hostility and trying to kill me . . . twice. Alex I have a few dresses on my ship that would fit your new body."

As she turned to walk back to her ship to get Alex her temporary wardrobe, Taeli turned back around sent a very small shock of Force Lightning to Vulp's chest. Not even enough to singe anything, but he would be shocked for a bit.

"That's for trying to kill me when you thought the ritual failed," she scolded with a smile before heading up to her ship.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Darth Arcanix"] [member="Vulpesen"]

Alexandra's hands left the woman as she smiled and tightened the coat around her to make sure she was covered up before speaking again. "You did ensure that there were no one saw you coming in here right. Last thing i need is for someone to guess as to why you two came here with a clone that is now walking and breathing..." She stared at the two of them while she walked in such a way that made her look like she was uncomfortable and didn't want to be around these people. Even turning her head down when the spoke or looked at her, like she was in shame.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Emilia Marean"] [member="Vulpesen"]

"No one knows what we came here to do," Taeli said, nodding. "Informed the system security we were a team examining the area for spill over effects from the Rift from the University of Coruscant. If they check the credentials, they actually will lead back to an alias of mine that is registered at the University."

She had made certain to cover their tracks, and no one beyond the five royal guards from Veradune were here. Still, it might be best to keep Alex's identity and continued existence a secret . . . maybe hmm perhaps that could work. She would broach the subject once they were off-world though, right now Taeli led Alex onto her ship and gave her free reign over whatever struck her fancy in her wardrobe.

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen ducked his head slightly. "I prepared. had I tried you wouldn't have su-" A small yelp left his mouth as he felt the shock. It wasn't anything for him to be truly angry over, especially since he knew he deserved it, but it still wasn't pleasant, or expected. Giving his chest a small rub, he followed the women to Taeli's ship.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]
[member="Emilia Marean"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Alexandra smiled and moved beside Vulpesen as he got shocked and moved her hands to hold onto him as she walked with him. "I could have shocked you too, you deserve it." She smiled and leaned her head against him, waiting for things to end with a better future than before and perhaps this time wouldn't end without the pain as was with the last one. "By the way, you two... i need to talk about something i have been thinking about since i got sent to the Netherworld..."

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Emilia Marean"] [member="Vulpesen"]

"What's that Alex?" Taeli asked, tilting her head in curiosity. Part of her wanted to ask what it was like to be in the Netherworld without actually having a real body this time, but she refrained. There was a time and place for those questions . . . and right now wasn't it. Lowering her ship's ramp, she smiled and swept her arm to indicate they should go on up.

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen went up with them, smiling at Alex as she leaned into him. He'd want to spend as much time with Alex as possible and that even meant trusting his ship to his guards. "I'm all ears." His tail lifted up and wrapped around her as they boarded the ship. In truth, it was hard for him to feel any happier than right now. Sure he had almost lost her, but now he was just thankful that he hadn't.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]
[member="Emilia Marean"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Alexandra only held up a single finger as she signaled for them to wait and moved up the ramp into the ship's core. Her hands slowly turned out and she closed her eyes for a few long moments. She smiled as she looked around the ship and made a statement that showed just how good she felt. "Im gone, for a week, and your ship is in this state... you really need to keep this thing up to date..." She shook her head and sighed as she moved to the first panel, completely ignoring their inquiry until they were in space.

[member="Vulpesen"] [member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Emilia Marean"] [member="Vulpesen"]

"Do you know how much research I had to do for this?" Taeli exclaimed, noting that Alex was stalling what she wanted to say. "Adapting the essence transfer ritual to specifically call a soul in the Netherworld back, no small feat mind you, and guiding it into a body instead of having the soul on hand. Your ship would be littered with flimsi and books too."

Allowing the two betrothed to have some time to themselves, and for Alex to change, Taeli went to the cockpit and began getting the ship ready to depart for orbit.

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen let out a small laugh as he heard them speaking. Alexandra was definitely back. Once Taeli had gone off tot he cockpit, Vulpesen took a seat near Alexandra. "You have no idea how much I missed you. Hell, Ace bit me several times just so I could remember to run the planet on a basic level." He turned to smile up at her, laying his til in his lap.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]
[member="Emilia Marean"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Vulpesen"] [member="Darth Arcanix"]

"I would choose your words more carefully vulpesen..." She looked around and found what she wanted as she would shut off all surveillance systems on the ship as she started breaking through its automated codes and firewall, in a few minutes at most she would be able to talk without a single miniature record of anything she said being caught on anything but Arcanix and Vulpesen's ears. It felt like old times and she smiled as she closed the window the moment that she was done. "Now, to wait for Arcanix to get us into the world above this one."

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Emilia Marean"] [member="Vulpesen"]

With final preparations finished, Taeli took off, her ship breaking through atmosphere and the ship Vulpesen used following them. She signaled for them to jump to the next system and activated the cloaking field.

"Alright so where are we going?" Taeli asked. "Or you going to tell us what you're thinking about."

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen nodded to her and rested back. yes he was relieved, but he couldn't let joy cloud his mind any more than his earlier anger. No need to let his emotions make a fool of him twice. Leaning back in the chair, he closed his eyes and simply relaxed. The mission was done. Alexandra was safe. Finally, he could close his eyes without the nightmares.

[member="Emilia Marean"]