Wake Up

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael followed after her wordlessly. He wasn't upset, far from it. More amused than anything, though he realized that the situation was actually quite serious. Yet he couldn't help but smile, kiss a pretty girl, then smile.

A phrase to live by.

With a grin he started to pick up his pace, walking besides Kira and listening to her speak in that rushed tone she used only when she was flustered. Even that he found amusing. His eyes drifted down to her every little while, watching her to ensure that she didn't fall or flounder. It may have all been jokes and flustering, but she was still recovering, and she had used the force only moments ago to heal him.

He wouldn't allow her to fall.

Not again.

As they walked Soliael began to whistle a tune, a happy little song that rung out into the empty valley.

 

[Kira Talith]

He was staring at her. With amusement none the less! She could practically feel his eyes upon her, likely that smug look on his swarthy face. Her mind would race a mile a minute, couldn’t help but dwell on it all. Was it something I did?

No…

It nagged at her. Nagged at her something fierce. He was an enigma that she couldn’t quite put her finger on and it put her in a dither.

She’d give a short huff, the dull ache going up her legs from the culmination of bruises and sore muscles prompting her to dwell on other things. No, it was because she was woozy. That’s it. That as all there was to it. She did feel awfully tired. Plus she just spent just about all her energy on helping him with his back.

Her back would straighten. Ah hah! She’d find a reason. Good.

It was with a renewed purpose that Kira would continue to move forward. Granted, they were on an ice shelf and things were a bit slippery.

She’d briefly weave before she caught her balance by herself, a faint ‘Whoa!’ coming from her. That’s right! She didn’t need him to get her own balance!

The expression she’d flash at him would relay that small bit of victory, chin up in defiance and glowing with the kind of personal whoop that would radiate from the tiny blonde’s body.

Huff huff. More steps. Huff huff.

Her eyes would go skimming at the distant mountains. It was perhaps a mile or two to get to the foot of those. Yeah this was going to take a while…

Might as well keep both of their minds busy. She went the blunt route.

“Why were you on Metalorn?”

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He watched as she very nearly fell onto the ground, but managed to catch herself in time. He grinned again. Say what you would, but for him, Kira was a constant source of amusement over these past few days. She had provided him not only with conversation, but with klutzy falls and stolen kisses. Well, the last one had only happened tonight, and was more him than her, but still, the amusement was there.

“What you wouldn't give for a Tauntaun.” Soliael said as she righted herself and began walking at pace again, huffing as she moved on.

They moved quickly, the ice beneath them changing to a more blue hue as they passed over newly frozen ground. The mountains were still some distance away, but they would likely make it there within an hour. He hoped they would find shelter, a cave would be ideal, hidden beneath the mountains and capable of holding some sort of warmth.

For just a moment he bit the inside of his mouth, worry flashing on his face while Kira looked away.

“I told you earlier that I was raised by my mother and great grandmother. That they kept me away from my father, told me that he was dead and denied me his name.” He paused for a moment casting her glance towards her. Would she realize if he said too much? Would she know? He had to take the chance. “What I didn't tell you was who my father was.”

Soliael took the plunge. “My father was Darth Moridin. First Sith Emperor in this age, one of the founders of the Sith Empire. When I escaped from The Pit I went to my mother, and after nearly two hundred years of hiding it from me, she told me his name. Unfortunately, by then Moridin had been killed, ironically by my sister in law.” The way he glossed over that fact was somewhat humorous. “In an effort to find out more about him, I stayed in the Sith Empire. This of course forced me to feign loyalty to them, and thus I ended up on Metalorn in their support.”

A long winded explanation, but again, a truthful one.

 

[Kira Talith]

“You volunteering for the job?!” would come her sassy quip, wincing a bit as her hip protested again. It wasn’t what she’d give for a taun taun. It was what she’d give for the hot springs near Ossus Temple!

That’s when he dropped the thermal det on her. Proverbially of course!

The blonde crown of her head, dusted with ice crystals would swivel towards him. A cloud of hot air would billow from her mouth in exertion, the freezing temperature already doing a number on her lips and cheeks. The walk alone combined with the time spent exposed was starting to numb her extremities, and it was starting to show. Instead of pink lips were starting to lose their hue and her cheeks would increasingly start to appear wind burned.

Another series of puffs of condensation would flow from her mouth as she’d catch her breath, that bit of shocking news processing in her mind.

“Huh.” she’d finally say in a slow drawl. Her head would give a quick nod, panning back to their objective. Yet prior to that, it would be evident for him to see.

There was no judgement in her eyes.

“Well,” Kira would start to say, continuing her trek on point of this little expedition with the tenacity of bull rancor. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“Only if you treat me right.” Soliael said with a grin.

His eyes caught her begin to shake, the loss of color in her lips, her face becoming pale and her nose turning a bright shade of pink from the freezing cold. Quick hurried steps made on long legs closed the short distance between them, one swift move saw the thick fur cloak removed from his shoulders and placed onto her own.

He had the thermal suit on, she needed the cloak more than him.

“No.” Soliael said a hint of melancholy in his tone. “My mother never told me much about my father in the first place, I had assumed he was some great man. I knew he was powerful in the force, because I was. So I thought him to be someone to look up to, someone to follow, someone that people loved.”

A few people would argue that Moridin was in fact loved, Anaya, Kaine, countless billions he had manipulated. That was not the way Soliael meant it however. “In the end however, he was less of a man than I had ever thought possible. A miserable, selfish, murderous pile of secrets. A man that if he had been aware of my existence would have used me as a tool, then tossed me aside.”

There was no bitterness in his voice, but perhaps a tinge of regret.

They passed the first mile, the mountains now looming straight over them. They were getting close, just another twenty minutes and they would get there. Casting a glance towards Kira, Soliael hoped that she would make it.

 

[Kira Talith]

That familiar scent of evergreen and musk would drape around her, heat instantly surrounding her as the fur warmed by his body would be set upon her shoulders. Much like the last time, it would hang past her feet, the long thick length making it appear like a living writhing train once she’d begin to move anew.

“I’m fine!” came the muffled protest when he’d bring the edges together snugly in front of her. The expression he’d relay would express no quarrel, and she’d feel much like a youngling being snugly cocooned in her father’s cloak.

Granted, the concern certainly was appreciated as much as it was foreign to her. It was usually her doing the exact same thing to the kiddos back at the academy.

However, it was his subsequent expression of when he spoke of his father, the late Sith Emperor, that managed to quiet her protest. She could understand that desire, that need to discover ones roots -- to know where they came from . To see the similarities the differences…

“Well, he choose his path.” she’d tell him simply, honestly. “In the end… one reaps what they sow.” It wasn’t said in judgement, but in observation. If one led their life to be miserable, selfish, and a murderous pile of secrets, then it would beget the exact same thing.

She’d frown, drawing her the slash of dark blonde eyebrows together. “At least, you found out for yourself.” she’d take a few steps back, before turning to continue along. That train? Yeah, made her appear as if she were a tiny barbarian princess trekking through the frozen tundra.

“... and did something better, no?” she’d reference Moross Crusade.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael followed along close besides her now, concern playing in his body language. He was sure she could pick up on that, but he was too tired to hide it, too tired to care if she saw it.

Within his mind he began to play over what Kira said. Yes, Moridin had chosen his path. He had never been upset about who his father turned out to be, had never been angry or despaired. His mother would argue that he had been, hence why he cut his hair and moved away from the Sith Empire, but Soliael had never thought about it that way. Sure his expectations had been let down, but in the end, he had known Moridin was a Sith.

What could one expect from a Sith.

“I was never upset about finding out who he was. Not for myself. I had my family, people to help me. No. I was never upset or angry, not until I met my brother, and then, my sisters.” A patch of anger flashed across his face at his own mention of Sven, Anwen, and Nemene. The former two had been experiments, the latter a twisted little girl. “He twisted them, moved them around like pieces on a board game. He didn't love or care for any of them, simply used them for his own means.”

He had completely glossed over her question of doing something better, clearly he was not quite sure if such was actually the case. “Had it not been for My Mother, I would have ended like them. Manipulated and broken little fools.”

 

[Kira Talith]

It was getting harder to breathe. While his cloak would certainly provide a higher measure of warmth, the heavy weight would seemingly get heavier as they neared the mile marker. Or was it two? It was hard to tell. Or maybe that was just her mind being a bit woozy.

He was worried. She didn't have to be an empath to notice that. It was plain to see by how close he would walk beside her, his stride matching hers so as to not be too far. When she'd slow, so would he. When she'd give a slight stumble, his sure grip would be at her forearm in an instant. From the depths of the fluffy furred hood, she'd peer up at him, catching his expression.

Her hand would come over to gently squeeze his forearm, as if to say, 'It's okay.' It might not comfort a False God, but she certainly tried. That which he'd revealed came from a place where such thoughts were rarely, if ever said aloud.

Considering everything that had passed, she could respect that. There came the twitch of anger along his darkening jaw, at the cruelty and indifference his father had shown to his brothers and sisters, and perhaps, might have shown it to Sol himself.

What he'd said would echo in her mind.

I had assumed he was some great man.
I knew he was powerful in the force, because I was.
So I thought him to be someone to look up to, someone to follow, someone that people loved.

He twisted them, moved them around like pieces on a board game. He didn't love or care for any of them, simply used them for his own means.

"...Then love them yourself." strange, how simple that was to her. Without knowing the situation. Without realizing whatever his father had twisted Sol's brothers and sisters into. Without realizing that one had been responsible for her own torment and that of many many others as well. Could everyone be saved? Who knew. Oliver certainly had been through so much, and Kira, had she'd been successful in getting them both out, would have tried her absolute best to heal him of the emotional and mental scars.

"Y-you're searching for someone that people look up to." snow would catch upon the ends of her lashes, her voice slightly quivering. " Someone that people could follow? That is loved?"

"That will care for others? Not use them like pieces on a board game like your father?" puffs of hot air would pour from her lips as she spoke, tiny clouds of condensation.

"...you don't have to look far, Soliael." the corner of her mouth would quirk, and despite the cold, her expression would soften and warm as she met his gaze.

"That's you."

Right then, a strong gust of wind would rip across the ice shelf, slamming in to them both. Her hands would come up to brace herself against him, snow drifts starting to swirl in a white haze.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He stopped for a few seconds, his feet planting in place right as Kira said her last few words. Soliael was stunned at her words, they were not something he had ever considered, not something he had ever though about, not something he had ever even dreamed about. People love him? Moross did. They were his, they cared for him, they looked up to him. He had always known that, but was it him they were looking up to, or was it the God Keeper Neth?

Soliael didn't know.

Yet Kira did.

The Sith Lord looked down at her. Sith Lord? That was debatable.

Would a Sith do this? Would a Sith build Moross? Suddenly Soliael looked down at his palms, his hands were shaking, his eyes watered for a moment, though it may have been the cold and dryness of the air around them. His fingers curled into fists, clenching until his knuckles were pure white.

Soliael looked from his hands, then back to Kira. The strong gust of wind striking them all of a sudden. His face felt like a thousand needles were stabbing into him. Soliael locked eyes with Kira, then suddenly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him and turning her away from the wind.

 

[Kira Talith]

It didn't matter if it was Neth the Keeper to took her into his arms. Or Sparky. Or even Soliael. No, it was just the man. A man who would shelter her with his own body, that would keep her snug and protected as much as he could.

Not a God. Not a Sith. Not even a Jedi.

Just a man.

Kira would sweep her face against his chest, hiding it there for a moment as she felt him tremble. Not just from the cold, but of something that had stirred from deep within. She'd seen it in his eyes. That startled realization. It was as if she'd flipped a switch, shining a light on that which he'd been searching for all along, everything that he'd done, that path he'd taken to get him to this moment had molded him into just that.

What a man of such power and stature such as Moridin should have become.

No other words would be said, instead the growing chill of the night and the drop in temperature would remind them that they were on borrowed time. Her right hand would slip down once the wind had cleared, until they would interlock with his own.

An encouraging weary smile would shine up at him, a faint squeeze of his hand. Then, once again, they'd press on.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He felt the temptation to kiss her again, he felt it stir through him when he saw that smile, but he didn't.

It wasn't right.

This time it would not have been a stolen kiss, it would not have been a quick peck just to see her react, it would've been something different. Before Kira could say anything else, the gust of wind passed and the two began to head out again. Over the trudging ice they went, moving across the tundra getting closer and closer to the mountains. Five minutes passed, ten, then fifteen. They were all carried out in silence, all carried out with Soliael still vaguely holding on to Kira.

They reached the mountains, a short way up he saw an alcove, a deep trench within the mountain side. He was willing to bet they would find the entrance to a gave system there, a place to hide at the very least.

Soliael eyed it for a moment, then dropped his gaze towards Kira. There was a hurt in his eyes, a pain that he could not explain. The Sith Lord looked down at her, Sith...that sounded so wrong. Soliael shifted his gaze up to the mountainous trench, and then back to Kira. “Nemene was my sister.”

He dropped to his knee's. Not sure what to do.

 

[Kira Talith]

“Nemene was my sister.”

Long seconds would pass with nothing but the icy howls of the wind. Snow would start to fall, caught up in the strong gusts of winds to pelt upon the back of the man that knelt before the petite Jedi Master in front of him. Anguish would cut along the angles of his face. Confusion would mar the wild look in his citrine eyes.

Therein lay an expression upon the False God's face that had never been there before. One that would relay that he was completely and utterly lost. Was it the sudden revelation of Kira's input or was it due to something else?

Either way, the space between them was pregnant with silence. Expectant. Full. The heavy cloak upon the Lorrdian would give no indication to her current state of mind, for much like the heavy robes they'd wear like a veil over their body, so did the heavy furs upon the diminutive form of one Kira Liadain.

When Kira was younger, she heard from her Master that everything happened for a reason. That life was a series of fragile moments strung together with corseca gem thread, and how she believed those threads led to a defining moment that forever changed a person’s life.

Everything had seemed to go still as memories Kira wished could be removed flashed in her mind. Images blurred and twisted. Hazy pictures of happiness melted into crudely drawn nightmares, brought to life through a soundtrack of silent screams and bright orange eyes. Eyes that shone with the same glow kneeling before her.

Funny how the Force worked like that, and she couldn’t help but wonder how many threads connected to this moment. How many glittering strands were woven around her now, while she stood in more than just the glow of the northern lights?

A second later, Kira's right hand would pull from his own. There was a faint tremble to it, but was it due to emotion or the cold, it was hard to say. Finally, it would come to rest along his cheek, where her thumb would lightly graze over the aristocratic high arch of his cheekbones. The contact was soft, gentle.

Things were starting to make sense. Emotions would choke her. From the depths of that furred hooded cloak, her pale face would stare down at him. Like an open book with those wide-eyes.

Her arms would start to wrap around him, bringing him close, drawing the edges of that cloak up and around him, until his head would rest by her abdomen and she'd draw him into her warmth. What she'd say next would be all she'd need to say.

"And you're not her."

Acceptance.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael simply rested his head against her stomach. His face grazed against the thermal she wore, his hands clamping into the snow below, fists struggling to crush white powder into something more substantial.

The False God didn't move, didn't speak, he simply allowed her warmth to flow through him. He sat there, upon his knees unmoving. The warmth coursed through him, slowly cutting through him like a light shining through the blackest of nights. Was it the force? No. It was something far more poetic than that. As she held him, pressed him against her, to the very spot where his sister had taken from her what she craved and coveted the most, Soliael knew.

He knew that she was telling the truth.

Soliael frozen hands slowly moved up from the snow, flesh devoid of blood, fingers on the verge of frostbite, Soliael reached up and placed his hands on Kira's hips. She felt hot, beneath the cloak and above the thermal shirt she wore Kira felt as she were a bright star among the wastes. Slowly, he raised himself up before him.

It was a battle, a fight to stand.

He was sluggish, and the very act of rising seemed to weigh upon his shoulder like a mountain. Slowly Soliael pushed himself back to his feet, staring into Kira's eyes. Frozen hands gently grasped on to her waist, lifting her as he leaned down.

Soliael kissed her.

 

[Kira Talith]

He was going through a rough patch. That had to be it. It was perfectly understandable. What with the rollercoaster ride they’d both gone through the past three days, being exposed to the elements to be frozen to the bone, and his whammy of a detonator about his sister, his father -- it is enough to warrant some rather odd behavior.

Either that or she was having a heck of a hallucination -- One that involved the man lifting her up against him with a gentleness that would be surprising for one his size as he’d slowly, deliberately, bring his mouth upon her own.

Whoaa...

Kira was so confused, so startled again that she couldn’t even hold the cloak over his shoulders, trembling against him as her cold hands would do this half gesturing wave shake at his side until finally they’d fall to rest over the brawn of his chest.

This was not the best place for one to be snogging, let me tell you. Nor was it the kind of kiss the Zeltron rom-com holo-flicks love to glorify.

Her head was all awkward, having been tilted back to stare at him in concern after he sluggishly rose, so her ice of a button nose would bump against his before he found his mark. Both of their lips were icy cold, numbed to the point where only a faint pressure of chapped lips would be felt as he kissed her. Granted, there was no denying that tiny spark of tingling energy at the touch, a fluttering in her belly that made her think a swarm of koros butterflies were flying in there.

Or maybe it was just that she was so tired, worn out emotionally, physically, and frozen into a Popsicle that she imagined it all.

That had to be it right?

He’d feel her lips move under his -- that is if he had any sensation left on them - along with the hitch of her breath, and the fluffy tickling of the thick furred hood that flanked her face. Maybe she said his name? Maybe she was kissing him back?! It was hard to tell with the howl of the wind and the cold. She’d feel dizzy, woozy, light and heavy at the same time. As if she’d been spinning round and round until utterly breathless, at the cusp of passing out.

Orrrrrrr hiking for miles in near sub-zero temperatures along the frozen tundra of Exocron after giving just about all her energy to heal Sol’s back.

Either way, she wasn’t too far off on the passing out. Stars did bloom behind her eyes, her body just about had it with everything. The stress. The cold. The shock of it all. While her tenacity could potentially help her trudge through the rest of the way to their own ‘ice cave of wonders’, there was only so much her very human, very mortal body could take.

And she just hit bottom.

A sharp gust of wind would sweep frigid air against the two, knocking her forward, smashing her mouth and nose harder against him.

And one tooth might have cut his lower lip.

Sigh…

A good thing really, because by then, Kira Liadain, short blonde Lorrdian Master of the Jedi Order who’d received her first kiss from a False God went slumping unconscious against him.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He felt her press against him in a rush of emotion and physical contact. Her lips moved, her body shook, She crashed against him slightly, cutting into his lip and then seconds later she went limp.

Were they in a less serious situation he would have joked. He would have made a comment about how he thought his kisses were not that good, but instead of humor, came panic. The Instant that he felt Kira go limp within his arms Soliael felt raw fear rush through his veins. As she fell, his hands loosened on her waist, reaching up and grappling around her entire body in order to catch her tiny form.

The slightest hint of fear showed within his eyes as he looked her over.

Blue lips, stone white face, pink those, unmoving. The False God looked to the ice shelves above. With no hesitation, no sense of danger or trepidation Soliael moved. Carrying Kira in his arms as he had done before Soliael began to run. The dull throbbing in his back began to lance again and again, but he didn't care. With a quick determined pace Soliael ran up the side of the mountain, sometimes leaping from overhang to overhang.

He moved in panic, running as fast as he could.

An hour passed by, frantic running and searching found Soliael what he had been searching for. A cave, carved from ice and snow driven into the rock of the mountains. Soliael didn't question its placement, didn't ask where it had come from, he simply rushed into it without a second guess.

The interior of the cave was small, a few paces wide at best, and not enough room for Soliael to stand. At the back of the cave lay a small crack in the wall, big enough to squeeze through if one really wanted. As soon as Soliael stepped inside he placed Kira carefully against one of the snow covered walls, pulling the fur cloak over her body. Then he turned to the entrance of the gave.

His eyes lit up, and for the final time the darkside came to him.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira would appear so small under the heavy fur coat, smaller still with those strong, blue warrior eyes hidden behind lids and lashes. Her body was nestled within the crook of Soliael's arms, and next to his brawn, she was tiny. She was breathing calmer now, taking slow, even breaths that would tickle the base of his neck.

Her body would be warm. Warmer still where his arms and hands had snaked under her her clothes to transfer his heat with direct skin contact. they'd snake round her slender form, broad hands splayed over her slender back.

One thigh and leg would have slipped in between his own, her own arms caught in between to steal the heat that'd furnace between them. It was to this that Kira would stir, the crown of messy blonde hair sliding to accidentally tickle against his jaw and mouth.

She'd give a small shiver, the heavy lids of her eyes slowly lifting as she'd be delivered unto darkness. A befuddled frown would draw over her face, struggling to focus. She knew she lay under the heavy weight of animal furs, the warmth of it and her pillow snuggled beside her. She could hear the muffled wail of arctic winds and see nothing but pitch black. Other than that, she had no idea where she was or how in the Force she had got there.

A deep breath and she'd smell the scent of ---

Kira blinked again into the darkness, a sense of deja'vu flowing through her. She wasn't cuddling a pillow. Not unless one considers a living breathing being one. Tiny things would come to her then. The weight of his arms. The tickle of his breath by her temple. The...

Images would come to mind along with the protest of stiff muscles, numb toes, and likely a body completely covered in bruises by now. She'd remember the who and the why, and then the what.

The question now was simple.

Where?

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Bright orange snapped open within the pitch black, appearing above Kira and looking down.

Twin suns searched through the darkness, searching for Kira's eyes. He would not have felt it save for their closeness. Kira was so intertwined with Soliael that any stirring on her part would automatically be felt by him. So when she moved, even in the slightest, so did he. His fingers curled across her back slightly, his legs shifted, and his head shifted down to look at her.

“Kira?” The word seemed to echo throughout the cave, resonating within the room. This close he could smell her, he could feel her, after the events of earlier it was comforting, and a slow heavy heart beat within his chest.

 

[Kira Talith]

"Yeah?" came her muffled answer, her head tilting back until she met his eyes. They had a faint sheen about them, and the slight sensation of the stirring of the Force would tell her that was the reason for their glow.

She picked up on tiny details. Like the way his voice would resonate. Short sound waves. They were someplace small. As she'd poke her head out more, the chill among the silence would tell her they had taken refugee from the elements. The only thing that made sense would be a cave of some sorts.

Only she didn't remember how they got there.

"What happened?" she'd ask, her fingers curling over the slow steady beating of his heart. "Where are we?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“I knocked you off your feet.” He came full circle, bringing back the joke he had wanted to tell earlier.

How long had he been holding that in? Three, four hours? It was difficult to tell exactly how much time had passed or exactly what time it was now. Soliael suspected that it would be dawn in a few hours, but really he had no way of knowing without clearing the blockage he had created earlier, and he wasn't about to go and do that.

“Were in a cave I found.” He didn't mention that he found the cave in an absolute panic regarding her life. “I sealed us inside and warmed you up.”

He let his hands press against her back, his arms sliding alongside her in order to accentuate the fact that he had been rubbing and holding her for however long they had lain there.

 

[Kira Talith]

"Well aren't you Prince charming," came her husky sleep tinge voice, the first thing that came out of her mind when he'd mention knocking her off her feet. "But I think I do enough of that myself." came her own roast of herself.

Granted, things were still kinda fuzzy to her. Though she had to admit, as he'd rub his hand up and down her back, maybe fuzzy was a good thing. Oh there were parts of her that were protesting the strain she'd put them under, but the up and downward slide of his palms did have that certain pleasurable warm feeling that tease of a proper back rub.

What she'd do for those hot springs.

"...guess we're even now, huh?" she'd joke in a slightly gruff voice. The freezing air had done a number on her throat and vocal cords, so she now had this lingering throaty quality to it.

"How are you doing?" she'd ask, the concern growing as she'd start to do her own investigation. Her hands would slide from their captivity between them, moving with a probing touch along his ribcage then snaking along to his back. She at least remembered that.