Time Fades All

[Lucianus Adair]

Promises, he’d once heard, were made to be broken. There was someone that had perhaps taken that saying to heart - each time, he felt inclined to believe the idea more, and the thought of showing up on her effective doorstep out of the blue festered, but never further than it had from her last messages. He sat at the console on the way to turn in his latest retrieval, feet kicked up while his modest crew played at a game of sabacc, turning his comm device over in his hands until he couldn’t resist anymore, and brought up a message to his sister.

Green eyes played over the content of their messages, going back over so little for how many years it had been. He bit a sigh, and tapped the reply field to compose a message, but she beat him to it.

Wotcher, Eor.

Twin thing, or coincidence? He stared at the message a couple moments, then began to tap a reply, then erase it. Again… and again. He bit his tongue, frowned, and tapped out what he could without chiding.

Des… I want to see you.

Soon.

And he continued to stare, as if to will a reply into being. Expecting… what?

Making port in Stygian Caldera. 1 week.

Dahn lowered his feet to the deck, slow-like, and straightened his posture.

In one week, or for one week?

Could she be clearer?

For. We arrive in 2 days.

He glanced at the console, with their ETA, and ran some fuzzy calcs in his thoughts. Doable, assuming Sable didn’t hold him over for whatever reason.

Got it. I'll take care of this delivery and head your way.

Looking forward to it.

Been too long.

Sending coordinates to the Cove. Use upper level docks. Access code Blackhand.

Ma wena salai, Eor.

Ma wena salai, Des. I miss you too.

He turned in the seat, and looked at his crew. Pondering. It was time for a little rest and relaxation. Dahn rose, and went to them to speak his plan. The timing really couldn’t be better.

-----------

Two days later…

The Cove
Stygian Caldera

This was a new one. He’d seen Point Nadir more than once, amongst countless other ports, but the Cove wasn’t on his list. Seemed he was the only one on the Thorne who hadn’t heard of it. Why hadn’t he? His mouth pressed into a line, and Dahn took the yacht into the upper level docks, and transmitted the code, gaining entry.

“Alright ye twunts. One week, as I said. Be on time.”

It needn’t be said what would happen, were they late. There were already examples. Once the Thorne was docked, and his crew set loose, he took moments in the new silence for himself, willing the tension to leave his bones. What would he see? How much had she changed?

“Her and I both,” he mused.

Dahn pushed himself out of the chair, and left the ship within moments.

[member="Blackthorne"] | [member="Xian Valart"]

 

[Blackthorne]

The Cove.

This was her new home away from home, if one could call it that. Home was a word she didn't think she knew the meaning of anymore, considering she'd forsaken her own several years ago. A Pirate Shadowport was nothing like true home but, so far as she was concerned, it was the closest thing she had to it. If nothing else, make the best of what you got - right? So she had and she'd made the best of it so damn well that it was now her stomping grounds.

People here knew the Harrowbane and the name of Captain Blackthorne. People knew to fear it, respect it, or leave it the feth alone. People knew to come to the 'Bane when they needed work because the 'Bane paid out and it paid out well. They knew that if they wanted a job done right to find Captain 'Thorne as one of the ruling Pirate Lords of the Brethren, the strongest alliance of Pirate Captains this side of the galaxy.

Lately the other Pirate Lords had been absent. Their names were fading, and quickly at that, for that was the way of things in wild space. If you weren't current you weren't relevant and, by jove, if you weren't relevant then what the hell were you? Starweird bait, that's what. Blackthorne had a particular disliking for Starweirds, but she'd managed to make it through an attack with minimal losses and the story made headlines somewhere in the port. Just like Pirates, it was impossible to keep things to themselves. Especially when they got to drinking.

But this return was lackluster, if anything. The 'Bane had made a few trips for pillaging but no big hauls to speak of. At least, so far as the crew was concerned. For the Captain, however, she had a walking haul to feel smug and accomplished about, not that he was really aware of such things. [member="Xian Valart"] had no idea just what the Captain had in store for him but rest assured it would make the next big headlines if she had her way. For now, though, a quiet return to the Cove was welcome.

For now she had other things to tend to than the parties and the chaos.

A brother abandoned needing some remedial consolation from his sister.

Xian was with her. Not necessarily to meet her brother but because killing two birds with one stone was largely easier. She didn't care to give a tour of the Cove twice for both of them. Blackthorne waiting in the wing of the upper docks, green eyes scanning the comings and goings, looking for the face that bore the same gaze. And then, out of nowhere, he appeared. Taller, broader, scruffier than she remembered, and likely bearing marks of his adventures, but still the same twin as before. She left her perch atop a stack of supply crates and made her way through the crowd, finding her brother and pulling him immediately into a tight embrace.

"Eor..." the woman muffled into the side of his head, drinking in his scent and presence. Home. This was home.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"] had been vague about who they were meeting here.

An associate, she mentioned, but something about the tension in her shoulders spoke of a different tale. After all, he had massaged that same tension and rigidness out of her muscles many time, melting against his touch and purring in satisfaction. It was not so easily hidden from his practiced eye these days, but he stayed quiet. It was not his business and it continued not being his business when she suddenly rose, picking out a particular figure moving through the crowd and sweeping him up in an embrace.

Too warm to be an associate.

A lover? No, too tender and close in proximity... this was a Thorne he rarely saw, after all.

But he kept his distance, leaning against the crates and watching - not them, they were less interesting to him than the sight of the Cove itself. Oh, Xian had heard of it in the past, but never saw his way fit to visit it himself properly.

Partially because he had been a slaver and slavers and pirates... difficult mixture. Not unworkable, but it brought complication with it that wasn't necessary, if the only thing on his mind was money.

No part of him was envious about the level of affection she showed or annoyed that she didn't mention it previously- their relationship wasn't that kind, but it made Xian wonder just what kind of person one needed to be to inspire this kind of welcome from Thorne. While mulling that over he kept close watch to their surroundings, making sure that nobody threatened any one of them, while cuddles were exchanged.

Not that the 'Cap needed his protection, no.

But Xian did it anyway.

[member="Greyhide"]​

 

[Lucianus Adair]

First he could feel her, as always when near, a presence so alike to his own that it thrummed along his senses, fast before his eyes cased the dock to find she whom he had not laid eyes on in what could feel like an age; he did a double-take on the woman atop the supply crates just before she dropped from that perch and entered the crowd. It was her, oh it was her, and she had changed so, and beautifully well. He moved in her direction like a magnet, an attraction that was difficult to liken to anything else he experienced, and hard to explain in anything but the simplest of terms. Her face came before him, then her arms went around him tightly, as did his around her.

"Des..." he murmured into her hair, at the same time breathing in its scent, then lifted her up in his arms with nary an effort, and spun about with abandon and deep laughter, the crowd giving a wide berth. Just as soon, it was over, and he set her down to give her a closer once-over, hands grasping her shoulders. "You... wow."

He buried a kiss into the top of her head. This was home.

"I missed you," and lifted his head again, giving notice to the eyes he'd felt on him with a level stare of his own, "so, tell me, what's with Pinky over there?"

[member="Blackthorne"] | [member="Xian Valart"]

 

[Blackthorne]

The spin was a bit much--sister stiffening in his grasp until her feet found purchase again--but if there was one person in this entire galaxy she would tolerate such things from it was him. Dahl took the few moments between embraces to brush hair from her face and straighten her jacket, flashing Eor a propped brow and a scandalous smirk in response to his surprise.

"Well," the woman delicately plucked a length of her own hair from her mouth and tossed it over her shoulder, "I've been busy."

The loot and plunder of several dozen systems; a respectable reputation and price on her head; a cutting-edge ship worth more than whatever value she'd held on Onderon; the title of Pirate Lord in one of the largest pirate shadowports in the galaxy; a growing network of connections in many of the right places. Yes, she'd done very well for herself.

Green gaze surveyed her brother with interest, a hand lifting to pick its way up along the front of his outfit from leather strap to jacket lapel to the scruff on his chin. There her fingers hooked on his jaw, turning his head slowly one way and then the other for inspection; driven by some unseen desire to ensure that her younger twin was in good health. She smiled, pleased and reassured by what she found. He was stronger now, broader of shoulder and stouter of muscle. Taller too, though not by much. Dahl enjoyed being able to nuzzle at his chin and give the man a short nip of affection before his question of her companion surfaced.

The Captain turned a sharp smirk back over her shoulder at the indicated twilek, "His name is Krayt. He's the latest addition to my crew and my new Apprentice. This is his first time at the Cove, too, he'll be taking the tour with you..." mischief danced into her expression while she watched [member="Xian Valart"] from where she stood, leaning to plant a warm kiss on Eordahn's cheek just at the corner of his lips. Physical affection was no stranger to them, but often it begged the curiosity of onlookers as to where the line was drawn.

"I missed you, too," murmured as she turned and snaked a hand around her brother's elbow to lead him over, "Krayt this is my associate, Greyhide. He's taking the tour with you. Chum-up," and she released the man into the wilds of the Cove. Or, at the very least, into the wilds of Xian's company.

[member="Greyhide"]