The Undiscovered Country

[Judah Lesan]

Xander stood on the balcony of his family's vacation estate on Malif Cove, the home of the Sith Assassins. It was rare Xander actually resided on the planet which housed the faction of those Sith dedicated to the art of killing. He had his reasons. The summer was the best time of year to take advantage of the Oceanside home, and finish the work required to connect the tunnels leading to the underground base the assassins called thier headquarters.

The home had been retaken for that purpose, and Xander served as gatekeeper to those who would seek the assassins. He was not here to play gatekeeper today. Today he was meeting someone, a female someone.

Imagination could never had accounted for the fate which had befallen the king. The force stasis the dark side had placed him in stole everything from him. His kingdom was lost to him, the people he called friends, and the woman he had called lover. Since waking Xander had kept women at an arms length, choosing to settle for casual encounters rather than pursue another queen. His life was tiresome, and Xander wanted it back.

The decision had been made to reclaim it, but he needed help. His own master, Darth Neferis, had wisely instructed him to use many in his designs. No one individual would ever know what Xander was truly up to, not even his apprentice, or the slave which helped him overcome his nightmares. [member="Sitara Qin"] was just another name, another face, Xander used to get what he wanted. What he couldn't count on was where the journey would lead. Despite his incredible gift, or curse as he saw it, of farseeing, Xander could never predict true outcomes. Only his canvas and paints could do that. Why had Xander reached out to her, because her face had been the subject of his last divination.

 

[Sitara Qin]

‘I could get used to this.’ Was the thought that lingered in her mind that morning. The windows in her tiny bedroom were open, allowing sharp rays of light to illuminate the dancing pieces of gold specs to fall beside her bed. She opened her eyes and sat up, allowing her legs to dangle on the edge of her bed for a few moments. She yawned as she extended her arms, stretching them before she was fully awake.

Now wasn’t there something she had to do? Right, a meeting. Meeting with [member="Xander Blackmoore"]. She pulled on her grey mesh sweater with a black tanktop underneath. She then stepped into a pair of jeans before knotting the laces of her black combat boots. She equipped her weapons and tied her hair up.They were all living around the same area together, and though the small apartment she was inhabiting was nothing compared to her colossal bedroom back home, it was still something she could call her own. Something she was proud of and was something to return to. On the top of her desk lay the small crystal given to her by a sweet gank she met at a bar. It’s color darkened whenever she touched it, a small reminder of just who she was.

Though she did have a room with the Sith Assassins, she preferred living somewhere she couldn’t be interrupted. However, she didn’t mind staying there some times. Maybe making hot cocoa with her acquaintances. She licked her lip and walked over to the Xander’s vacation home…ergo the hideout. She stared at the massive mansion out of awe and sighed. Mr. Blackmoore must’ve made a great deal of money to afford a place like this.

“Hello?” She called as she slipped in, the unconventional way. She needed to find Xander. She walked around for a few moments before spotting that familiar head of black hair. She walked over to him, poking his side. “What’s the matter, sweetheart? You seem tense.”

 

[Judah Lesan]

Xander did not flinch when poked. Too much has been experienced in his life to jump at the slightest tickle. Instead he simply turned to face her, his blue eyes piercing into her soul, and lips curled to a playful grin.

"Your sweetheart now, hmmm? I could enjoy having you around, so young and vibrant," he looked her over, let his eyes wander, "...pretty."

She was very pretty, very young, though most were young compared to Xander. The monarch had been born over 800 years ago. So much had changed for him. Even the clothing he now wore was not available then. The ivory shirt worn under a brown vest, a red ascot tied around his neck. His striped pants covered his legs, and set over the boots he wore. Of course his style was much different than most, but it was the fashion of his people.

"I am a bit tense, something has been bothering me," he stated as he walked from the balcony back into the room it was connected to.

The large room was a study containing a large dark stained desk. Several shelves lined the walls, but the piece which was most prominent was the easel and canvas which sat atop it. The canvas was not blank, but depicted a scene, a recent painting. Dark stone walls shadowed the room they were in, the structure Xander knew. It was a temple, a Sith temple, ancient yet familiar to the King. His guest, [member="Sitara Qin"], was the main subject of his art. What was odd was the fact he saw another hand. A hand which contained his signet ring, the one on his right hand.

"This is what I painted last night. I see things, the future. I paint what I see. This is the ancient temple on Munto Codru. That is my signet ring, that is you. I am curious what it is we are doing on Munto Codru. What is there to find?"

 

[Sitara Qin]

She chucked at the mention of her sticking around. She clicked her tongue. “We’ll see.” She said, as she followed him inside from the balcony. He dressed a little strange, a little ancient. To each his own though, she supposed and shrugged as she stepped into the other room.

It was quite spacious and well decorated. She assumed Xander was simply interested in that time period. People of old money seemed to have a weird habit of collecting these items anyways. She looked around, although her eyes were immediately drawn to a painting and the centrepiece was a woman who looked exactly like her. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped towards it. It was a perfect depiction of her, and though she was flattered she was just as creeped out. “…Wow?” She said.

“Yup. That is definitely me.” She said, as she leaned closer to it. “Munto Codru. Sounds like fun.” She said, looking at him. The ability to paint the future. That was probably something that came in handy, especially in his line of work. Though for someone who could see the future, he looked like he was pretty obsessed with the past. It was definitely ironic.

She smiled up at him. “So, I assume we’re just going to pack up and head to Munto Codru? You’re not even gonna get me dinner first… Or rather breakfast?”

|[member="Xander Blackmoore"]|

 

[Judah Lesan]

Xander never got over the reaction which took a person upon seeing themselves painted on canvas. He remembered the first time he had shown Kazrah his art. She nearly killed him for the picture which was depicted. That was too long ago, and the red huntress was no longer among the living. Sitara could perhaps appreciate the fact the scene had not been the same, or perhaps she would have preferred it. Xander simply nodded when she turned back.

"It is you, naturally, thus why I invited you here. Though I suppose if you haven't had breakfast yet..."

He smirked as those conscripted to serve the monarch walked into the study and set a tray of fruits on the large desk. Another servant wheeled in a cart of juices, milk, tea, and caf. Xander motioned to the assortment as he moved toward the drink cart and poured himself a glass of hot caf. He drank it black without any cream or sugar. Breakfast was often a meal he did not eat, and today would be no different. The fruits would be eaten by the servants later.

"We are headed to Munto Codru certainly. If you require more weapons we can stop by the armory. I am ready to leave the moment you give me notice."

It wasn't that Xander was so obsessed with the past, as he was of the past. Certainky Sitara did not know his story. Xander would tell it if she was interested, and he had a feeling this journey would mean she'd leane more of him than he wanted. It had been too long since another had appeared in a painting of his. The future Xander desired to prevent held its key in the past, and Xander truly hoped this journey did not set them both on that path together. It was Xander's burden to carry, but the painting seemed to indicate otherwise.

[member="Sitara Qin"]

 

[Sitara Qin]

“Caffa without cream or sugar. That’s pretttttty hard core.” She said, as she made herself a poured herself a hot mug of caffa. She stirred in two teaspoons of sugar and a poured in some milk until the color looked right. She hopped onto the table, seating herself beside the vast assortment of fruits. She crossed her legs, took a sip of her caffa and simply observed Xander. She’s been here long enough to understand that they never failed to give a dramatic performance; everything they did just felt so dark, even when it only involved a cup of steaming brewed beans.

She set the mug down on the table and looked at her options. Picking up a succulent ripe pear, she played with it in her hands as Xander spoke about equipment. She shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. I have everything I need. And besides—” She winked. “—I can count on a big strong man like you to protect me if anything goes wrong.” That was unlikely. If there were things to be said about the Sith is that you couldn’t really trust them to do anything. She knew she’d have to look out for herself though it certainly was more than fun playing the damsel in distress. She finally took a bite out of her pear.

“Ah, but while we’re eating, tell me more about your vision.” She said, as she alternated between the hot cup of caffa and her pear. “Anything dangerous we might encounter?” She said, gulping down her mouth full of fruit and coffee.

|[member="Xander Blackmoore"] |

 

[Judah Lesan]

"You mock me all you want, but if you want the heart inside that tantalizing chest of yours to keep beating, I would suggest you keep it to a minimum."

Xander took another drink of the hot liquid as he let his half hearted threat sink in. Clearly he was going to put up with whatever form of teasing she was going to throw at him. He needed her to solve the mystery of the scene he had painted. When asked to elaborate, Xander shrugged. It wasn't that he had made up the scene, but rather his visions were limited to what was on canvas. He dare not press into a journey farseeing while in the presence of a Sith still relatively unknown to him.

"I paint what I see. That scene is all I know specifically in regards to the visions. As far as what we face, the last time I stood in that room was 806 years ago. What changes have happened since I cannot speak too. What I do know is the Codru-Ji still litter that planet, and there young are six legged wolves the size of a grown man. Their adults are warriors of considerable size. We will have to battle through them as they would have taken over the abandoned temple by now."

Darth Vizios smirked as he approached the beautiful brunette. The palms of his hands pressed flat against the tabke she now sat on, each just on oneside or the other of her shapely hips. Blue oceans looked to her as his lips turned upward in a playful grin.

"You don't mind getting a little.... rough... do you?"

[member="Sitara Qin"]

 

[Sitara Qin]

“Harsh.” She rolled his eyes at his threat. Yup, definitely touchy. Was it just cause she teased him about his cup of caf? It seemed like he was the type to overreact. Maybe she will tease him some more. She wondered what it took for him to actually lay a finger on her. If he wanted her to cooperate however, and if he wanted her help with…whatever this was, he was going to have to play it nice. Judging by his expression, he knew that.

“Eight. Hundred. Six. Years. Ago? Really?” She raised an eyebrow and took another sip of her drink. Maybe she needed to be more awake than she thought. This guy was that old? He still passed as a man for his twenties at the very least. Maybe he took a very big gulp from the fountain of youth. “Codru-Ji. Six legged wolf. Sounds like a fun time.” Crunch. Chew. Swallow. “Well, I’m sure they aren’t all that bad. Maybe they’ll be glad to welcome you home.” She teased.

He walked over to her and she raised an eyebrow. Just what was he playing. She tilted her head to the side as he leaned into her. First he was threatening to rip her heart out, now he was playing along with her. She smirked, leaning up to him, just close enough for their lips to touch. She could feel his breath on hers, and she stared into his blue eyes.

“Darling, we can get as rough as you want.”

| [member="Xander Blackmoore"] |

 

[Judah Lesan]

Xander just smirked as she came so close her lips barely touched his. Her hot breath beat against his his lips, enticing him to close the distance in that moment and press his lips to hers. Xander had always been a passionate man, the coma had made him no different. If anything, it made his passions more potent. This kiss had a fire to it. Teeth bit into the bottom lip, not to break the skin but to grip it. Xander pulled at Sitara's lower lip as he broke the kiss, his eyes never closing or breaking from her gaze.

His tongue wiped across his lips, tasting the pear she had just eaten. He enjoyed her taste. A satisfied look washed over his features as he stood to his full height. She had questions about his age. The look of surprise on her face had given it away. Xander supposed he'd have to explain his past a bit now, and if he wanted her to go along with him, he'd have to do so quickly. His ship was prepped to depart, and he was going to leave. He grabbed an apple and polished it as he spoke.

"I am as old my statement makes me seem, and I am not. At eighteen I joined the Sith, and quickly rose to the rank of Sith Knight. I was given the name Darth Vizios because of my visions, and the fact I was the monarch of the Induparan Crown Worlds. I had an insatiable hunger for archaeology because of a terrible scene I used to paint relentlessly over and over. It haunted me, a future which was full of bloodshed and death on the scale of which would make even the cruelest of Sith sick. I had to stop it. Instead the dark side stopped me. Investigating a tomb, I was placed into a force stasis where I was preserved, kept young, and alive. The past 800 years to me never happened. I still very much feel and look only twenty-one."

Xander pointed to the painting, he pointed out something Sitara had missed. The outfit she was wearing was the same she wore now. His gift for the future truly was unique in how he captured it on canvas. A hand rested on her knee as a bite of the Apple was taken, chewed, and swallowed. They needed to leave soon, and Xander was ready to depart.

"I don't know why I had this vision, or why now, but we must be off."

His face grew playful again.

"I promise to make it worth your while."

[member="Sitara Qin"]

 

[Sitara Qin]

The taste of hot caffa lingered on the tip of her tongue as he brushed his lips against her forcefully. Her eyes half-closed in response to the rough sensation of him sinking his teeth into her lower lip, pulling her towards him. She moaned softly. The kiss burned into her memory, though she never expected—especially from someone like [member="Xander Blackmoore"]. Wasn’t he supposed to have old fashioned values. He broke the kiss, and not too long after, his tongue grazed her lower lip. She grinned. He looked satisfied. This was definitely going to be fun.

He stood tall enough to tower over her. She was still perched in front of him, and she was sure he was going to kiss her again. She bit her lip as he reached for… the apple. She grinned. Of course he had called her here for a reason. And what he had given her… that definitely wasn’t what he was searching for. “Preserved for eight hundred years.” She smirked. “Well, you definitely still kiss like a twenty-one year old.”

He gestured to the painting, highlighting something she didn’t pay much attention to. It was the same mesh sweater. The same jeans. The same combat boots. She wondered just why she was ahead of him, and what she’d find there. A shiver ran up her spine. She grinned. Maybe he’d be painting other things involving me. She hopped off the table, leaving the core of the pear behind. “Alright.” She said, stretching, revealing a bit of pale flesh.

She took a few steps towards him. “Mmmm. I’ll take you up on that later. Let’s go.”

 

[Judah Lesan]

Anticipation was a great tool, a wonderful weapon. Xander wielded it well. To leave one yearning for more, it most certainly guaranteed more. There was a certain reward when it came to delayed gratification, something the men of his culture rarely experienced. They were so busy treating women as conquests they never learned the fine reward of stoking a woman's fire, and building the wanton desire within her. Xander had learned from his Danger. Another lost to time. The woman who would have been his queen, was for all intents and purposes. Xander had never known true love, but she had been close.

With the apple finished, he discarded the core and whiped his hands. They were off then, an arm offered to the woman as an escort to the hangar bay. He did have old fashioned manners in a sense, the manners of nobility, but he had the ravenous appetite of a wild animal. His ship matched that about him. It was sleek, noble, yet also vicious. The Sith Infiltrator, the same he had painted the scene he referred to earlier. If Sitara was truly curious all she had to do was venture to the cargo bay. Xander hoped she would not.

"Munto Codru is not a short trip, so please make yourself comfortable. The lounge is fully stocked, and guest quarters are to your left. Mine are to the right of you prefer."

Typical of Xander to give the tour as such.

"If there is anything more you wish to know now, ask."

If only Xander had been reading her mind, he would have grinned so wide it may have strained his face. Would he paint her in other forms. Xander had painted his red huntress in a vision tangled with him. It had nearly cost him his life she had been so angry. It time, it came to pass just as all Xander's visions did. This was why they haunted him at times. The scenes always came to be. Xander just did. Not always know when.

"Pilot, we are ready."

[member="Sitara Qin"]

 

[Sitara Qin]

Stepping onto foreign soil always thrilled her and was the main reason she had agreed to tag along. Now that they were on his ship—which, she thought, was beautiful—she felt a surge of excitement torrenting through her body. She was pumped, half-listening to his little guided tour. “Bah, long trips.” She muttered. “Well I'm here so you don't have to make the trip alone. I wouldn't want you to get lonely.”

She simply smiled, gave him a small pevk on the cheek and nodded. She'd come into his room later, maybe sneak up on him. Or maybe she could play it coy and be hard to get. Either way, she had pestered him before and she was keen on doing it again. “Definitely.” She said, before disappearing to explore. She’d leave him to the company of his pilot. After all, he wasn’t the only person who left people wanting for more.

It was typical of him to also give her her own quarters. It was typical of her to half listen and end up taking the wrong left turn into another part of the ship. This was…the lounge? She assumed. It was fully stocked after all, though she wasn’t hungry. She took a step back and took the time to admire the ship. It…was just so much like him. His clothes, his personality. This ship was drenched in his essence although Sitara couldn’t quite figure out what his essence was. He was a little weird in her eyes, saying one thing then doing the other.

Perhaps, she wondered, maybe he lost something in another life. Sitara couldn’t find anything in the lounge that looked like it belonged to a particular ex-girlfriend. She wasn’t jealous nor was she interested in that kind of commitment, yet she wanted to learn things about this guy. Be it curiosity—which was her natural disposition—or the joyous spirit of archaeology. There was a story here and she was looking forward to making him talk, one way or another. If there had been another girl, she could probably make him forget. She shook her head, telling herself it wasn’t just to think such thoughts.

She stepped out of the room and ventured further into the ship. The door to the cargo bay was a few steps away.

| [member="Xander Blackmoore"] |

 

[Judah Lesan]

Could he forget, likely not. It wasn't that Sitara didn't have the ability to make him forget other lovers as much as it was his circumstances burned the past into his mind. He would be forever captured, shackled, by it until he was free of the one vision that had made his life a living hell.

The scene was there, Sitara was almost to it. Not one square centimeter had been spared from his feverish paint. Xander had been under the influence of Hssiss venom as he volunteered to allow it to be tested on him. He had injected the toxin himself. As his body spent three days fighting the poison, he painted the scene. Bodies littered the battlefield. A massacre had taken place, all the work of two lovers. They were gone now, but the price had been grave indeed. The scene depicted Xander feverishly searching the massive plot of death for someone, a lover? Xander still was vexed in who it was, but nevertheless he was searching tirelessly.

Just the thought Sitara was nearing the entrance made Xander want to hurl. The vision still haunted his sleep, keeping him from truly finding peace in the slumber the darkness was supposed to bring. Xander sent the pilot away. His job was to fly the ship afterall. Xander simply waited for the brunette to return. She would likely be curious, but there was only so much Xander knew of the scene, only so much to tell. He'd rather avoid the curiosity altogether by taking her on his bed in a fit of passion the likes of which the young woman had never experienced before. Her playful nature, they way she teased him, flirted with him, only made that desire grow more. The dangerous part of anticipation was it left him wanting as well.

Xander took to the wine. He drank it red, deep, earthy, fruity. A glass a day, sometimes more. A second goblet waited for the woman upon her return. Whether he retired to his quarters later or not was yet to be determined. He knew the curious questions were coming. Why? Because the young woman was more like Xander than either likely cared to admit, or knew at this point. Did she truly want to know his past? His story was not one so readily given. If she wanted to know it, she would have to invest the time to earn his trust. If she wanted in his world, Xander could make the room, but it would not come so easily.

"You saw it," he stated when she finally approached. "I would just as soon forget that wretched thing, if it were possible."

[member="Sitara Qin"]

 

[Sitara Qin]

The second she put her hand on that handle, the second she heard the click of latch bolt being activated as she pressed hard on that latch bolt signified the a moment of divulgence that she wasn’t prepared for. The images were vivid and horrifying, yet what scared her was not the grotesque display of massacre but the fact that this was not Xander’s imagination. All this had happened, at some point in Xander’s life. Was that why he was so apprehensive and strange?

She brought her hands to her lips in shock as she stepped closer into the gallery of slaughter. She swallowed hard. Somehow, the images lined up together to paint not a scene of war and bloodshed, but a scene of heartbreak. Though clear as day, it was obvious to her that the illustrations did not centre on the bodies lying dead on the ground. There was something here that wasn’t shown, something he could not see.

She took a deep breath and locked the door behind her. That wasn’t a sanctuary, it was a graveyard: a place for him to bury his demons and keep them away from nosy brunettes. She bit her lip. He had allowed her to explore. He gave her no warnings. Did he want her to find them? Was that what they were looking for? Was it a monster that he’d sacrifice her to in search of something. She could feel the color drain from her skin.

Was Xander obsessed with the monsters of his past?

There was much she did not know and she wasn’t sure how she was going to get through this. He needed her right now, that was for sure. However, she definitely wasn’t going to fall into his traps. Something inside of her screamed that there was more to the story than what she saw, something that required her to see him as someone who was more than a monster. She took a deep breath. The Sith… They were branded as monsters by people who never really knew them. They were all heroes in their own story, though their methods were often unconventional. No matter what, they were still human beings somehow. They were spited—they were wronged; but they were still human. Though he was strange and fickle, Xander was still human.

She made her way back to find him. A glass of wine had greeted her return. She smiled sweetly at him, unsure of how much he knew. She took the glass and perched herself on top of a counter. “You saw it.” He simply said to her. She nodded. There was no point in denying it now.

“I’m sorry for intruding. I did not mean to.” She said. They were going to put it behind them. She wouldn’t tease him about this, that would be too cruel. She wasn’t asking for a death sentence. She swallowed. Her eyes shifted, they were open slightly wider than they had been. Her hands gripped the the goblet a little tighter. Was she scared? Sorta.

“But…just to put it behind us…” She took a deep breath. It was now or never. If he was planning on sacrificing her to whatever was there, she wouldn’t go down without a fight. She smiled sheepishly. “You aren’t planning on feeding me to whatever caused that, right?” She said, raising her gaze to meet his.

| [member="Xander Blackmoore"] |

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Sacrifice you, no, I will not be sacrificing you. What kind of monster would I have to be to do such a thing. I may be a cruel man, an assassin, Sith, but I am not a sadist. Besides the thing you saw, it has not happened yet, and I have taken certain measures to ensure it is will be a long time in coming. The only danger you are in with me, is the danger of my insatiable passions."

Xander took a drink of the wine. She was nervous, cautious. He could see the rise and fall of her chest, the evidence of the hard palpitations of her beating heart. Her eyes never left his, and for the first time she had been very serious with him. The gesture was appreciated. She knew the scene, his visions, we're not always something to make light of, and she identified this as one to take with bitter stoicism. Xander admired her for that.

For his part, Xander sat on a comfortable sofa. She was keeping her distance at the moment, and he could not blame her. The scene would scare anyone, and if she thought herself to be some victim of a ritualistic sacrifice, then her distance made sense. Fortunately she would not be. Rising, Xander stood once more and closed the distance. He offered his hand.

"You may find the sofa more comfortable. I do not bite.... hard."

His eyes softened as the stoic, unfeeling look vanished from them. Xander has learned many hard lessons in the few years he has been living, ones difficult to unlearn. One such lesson was that of the uncaring father. Xander offended reminded himself he should not let his experiences turn him into that man.

"Come sit with me and I will tell you a story..."

The monarch returned to the sofa. His empty wine glass floating to the counter with aid of the force. He unbuttoned the blue coat he was wearing and shrugged it off as It rested over the back of the sofa.

"Long before I was even born a man fell in love with a woman. They were both of noble birth and each carried a dark secret. They were Sith. United together nothing stood before them. Worlds fell to their influence, and their control spread through several systems. They knew death would take them, so they crafted two amulets, one of which I wear around my neck now. Their essence was transferred into them as a way to cheat death. They live, longing to be rejoined, connected together. This I learned the hard way. The scene you saw painted is the outcome of their reunion. I cannot allow it to happen, and will not."

Xander looked a bit curious. He had revealed so much? Why? He honestly did not know. It was time to know more of his companion for this journey, perhaps his companion for his little crusade.

"Tell me about yourself, what is your story? You've heard mine."

[member="Sitara Qin"]

 

[Sitara Qin]

It scared her to think that the vision had not yet come true. She wasn’t sure what Xander was doing to prepare for it, or what he was doing to try to prevent it. If everything he painted occurred eventually, who’s to say she wasn’t one of the dead bodies on the battlefield. Was he searching for the monster who had caused this? It seemed inevitable to her, although she hoped she’d be far, far away when it happened. She pitied him. He’d be the one going through the devastation a second time.

He walked over to her and offered her his hand. She gripped onto his hand and hopped off the counter, allowing him to lead her to the sofa. He unbuttoned the frumpy blue coat he was wearing and rested it on the back of the sofa. Sitara herself pulled off her sweater and tied it around her waist. The air felt a little warmer, perhaps it was due to a quick adrenaline rush.

She plopped down onto the soft cushions, scooting over to the side and resting her arms on its end. She then laid down, extending her long legs over his lap. He seemed different now, as though he pitied her for seeing the horrific scene. In a way, he looked almost apologetic. The air around them darkened with melancholy as she empathized with him. Did he just tell her he tried to cheat death and his lover was roaming the world at this very moment looking for him? Would they find each other eventually?

Sitara sighed. She’d back off eventually, but for now…

“I’m sorry to hear that.” She told him, as she took her legs off of his lap and crawled towards him. She put her chin on his shoulder as she stroked his head gently, twirling her finger’s in his dark locks.

“I don’t have much of a story.” She murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. “I’ve never known my mother, my father won’t dare speak of her. It was just me and my dad, he wasn’t even home half the time. I got everything I wanted to, though. Then one day some guy came, saw potential in me, and I packed my bags and joined the academy.” She said, resting her head on his shoulder. “And well, now here I am.”

| [member="Xander Blackmoore"] |

 

[Judah Lesan]

Xander could understand how his story could seem like his, but it was not. The two lovers were 2,000 years before his time. The amulet he wore the only evidence of their existence. If only he had the power to be feared as that couple had been. Xander could do so much to change the Galaxy for the better. Ahhh the misguided view of the Sith, but it was better than sitting in a room and debating the meaning of life as the Jedi did.

Without warning there were legs in his lap and a head on his shoulder. This was... nice. It reminded him of days when he did not worry so much, despite the visions. Danger had done that for him, made him forget his nightmares. He missed that. Strong hands quietly unlaced the boots and removed them, before taking to her feet. Xander had been told by his now deceased lover that he gave good foot rubs. Sitara's story did leave room for pitty. They shared a common theme, missing parents. While Xander never had parents who died when be was young, his father had wanted him killed, and his mother did not dare oppose his father.

"Here is a good place to be at the moment," Xander smiled. "There are few times the cares and worries of life are truly gone. Moments like this can be one of them."

Tilting her head back, he kissed her lips for the second time that day. This was a bit more tender and endearing. Giving himself to the moment, letting it lead where it would, it was the only way to truly put the nightmares aside. Xander was a live in this moment and he would seize the moment he had now. His other hand rested on her thigh as he broke the kiss. Her lips were soft, and still tasted a bit of the wine. Another smile formed.

"I have learned it best to forget the past, not to worry about the future, and live in the moment. The painting will be on the threshold soon, yes, but we haven't even arrived to Munto Codru and won't for some time. We would be fools of we did not seize the moment we have now. There is no need to apologize for a past that is gone, or be anxious for a future, that despite what the visions say, is still cloudy at best."

It was an invitation yes. The first of any sort of invitation of its kind Xander had offered in a while.

[member="Sitara Qin"]

 

[Sitara Qin]

Again, their lips would meet. Sitara closed her eyes and allowed herself to be taken by this moment. It was a different kind of kiss from the same person and she wondered just how many facets of him she’d have to say today. It was a lot of emotional baggage he had to carry and in a way it terrified her. She was uncertain of what he was trying to find beneath the comfort of her wine stained lips and gentle arms. Was he searching for solace from his troubled past?—A resting ground for all the shattered visions he’d have to face? Sitara’s eyes fluttered open as he pulled away. His hand settled on her thigh.

She bit her lip. He was wrong about forgetting the past. She didn’t carry as much weight as he did, that was for sure, but she knew it was the past that heavily influenced the present. She lived in every moment that she was currently in, but she knew she was alive in every second that flittered past her. He went through something and although she wanted to wipe his struggles away, she could not.

Though it didn’t mean she’d forsake the moment they had now, or every moment that came after.

Her hands found their way to his face and she caressed the sides of his features softly. She found herself moving her body slowly towards him. She wasn’t consumed by her lust, no. She was driven by something else entirely. Perhaps it had something to do with instinct. She wanted to help him heal but she couldn’t find the right words to string together. Perhaps the warmth of her own body would do.

Her lips would brush against his. Her head would tilt her slightly and her mouth would slowly part, allowing his tongue entrance. She was here for him, she wanted him to know that without having to tell him. However, he needed to know that she couldn’t stay. She was a shooting star, not meant to be caged. She needed to fall on her own whims. Besides, he had no real feelings for her. She pulled herself on his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist.

She pulled away slowly, her eyes raising to meet his. “There isn't much we can do about the past. There's so much we can look forward to, and so much we're doing in the present..” Her face was only a few centimetres apart from his. “Yet every moment that we live for passes eventually.”

| [member="Xander Blackmoore"] |

 

[Judah Lesan]

Right or wrong, Xander's opinions were the shape of the experiences he had. It was never truly possible to forget the past. The past made a person who they were today, made Xander who he was. The man simply wanted to forget the pain the past reminded him of. His emotions were simply because the grieving process of loss still weighed him down a bit. This trip, specifically, there was something about it that told him it was the key he needed to finally exit that stage, and see it come to a close. The baggage the Sith Knight carried with him would be left on Munto Codru one way or another.

Their lips met, and Xander could feel his body heat rise. Sitara was clearly a natural, and her flirtations were not without the ability to please and deliver what the alluded to. Their tongues danced before she fianlly pulled away. Something in her eyes, her words, it conveyed she was there to walk him through this journey, but this journey only. As any Sith, her focus was on her own life, her goals, her desires. For now their paths crossed, and when they parted she would be gone until the paths crossed again. For the momemt Xander was fine with this. So much had led to this, this journey of rediscovering who he really was in this world.

"This moment will pass, I am aware," he said as his strong hands moved under the tank top she wore in order to relieve it from her torso. "So let us make it one we will not ever wish to forget."

He closed the space between them once more capturing her lips again before grazing them down her neck,'leaving a trail of kisses from the corner of her jaw to her color bone. His movements invited her to do as she desired, pent up passions finding their escape with her. This was the most vulnerable and open Xander had been with anyone in sometime, but she had to know the past to understand the importance of his vision. For now though, his mind was not set on the vision. Sitara had arrested his attention, full and undivided.

[member="Sitara Qin"]

 

[Sitara Qin]

He stripped her of her tank top and she didn’t resist. She could feel small goosebumps growing on her bare shoulders. Did it get chillier in here or was it just the tension between them? Perhaps someone should get them a blanket, it would make things easier after all. Just how much of an impression did she make on him during that camp?

Her dark eyes stayed locked into his cold ones. With a sharp movement, he closed the space between them once again, her lips colliding with his in a burst of passion. Yes, this was a passing moment, and she wasn’t sure how this would affect their future. He had no real feelings for her, she was certain of that. She was just a capsule for all his pent up feelings. With her arms locked around his neck, she kissed him deeper. She shut her eyelids.

She was merely a stepping stone to his unholy catharsis.

Though perhaps, in another life, it could be so much more.

She’d pull herself on top of him, and her legs wrapped around his waist. She’d break the kiss momentarily, just to help him get out of his shirt. Just what would his apprentice think of this.

| [member="Xander Blackmoore"] |