We Shall Rebuild

[Cameron Centurion]

EVE Headquarters
Byblos System

Though it was, perhaps, not the most necessary thing in the world, Cameron had notified his wife of his impending travel to the Byblos System. In all the time that had passed since [member="Amorella Shamalain"]'s ascension to the upper spheres of the company's management, the Sith Lord had never so much as stepped foot on Byblos. In fact, he'd stayed rather definitively removed from any of its interactions. Though he had certainly attended a number of semi-public events with Amorella, they had never truly been the focal point of any guest list. As a couple, the names Cameron Centurion and Amorella Shamalain were very rarely connected. In fact most would only recall the impending arranged marriage of some time ago, prior to Amorella's abdication from the line of succession on Kuat. Even then, it was the name Darth Ashmedai associated with the union. Long had it been since Cameron was any Sith of easy recognition throughout the galaxy for outlandishly criminal or brutal acts.

The limelight was never something that the Sith much cared for. He merely was who he was because it remained an effective way to get results.

Dressed in a tailored blue suit, it was obvious that Cameron carried no weapons. This would have been a foolish pursuit anyways as he had to pass through a number of security measures the same as any other guests to the facility on Byblos. Silver-green eyes took in their surroundings with an almost insatiable thirst. There was, of course, the occasional glance from those nearby. These people stared for their own independent reasons; curiosity, attraction, an-otherwise-nostalgic-reaction to a story or an image from the past. Cameron Centurion did not intentionally exude either threat or disdain for those around him, but the intensity of his neutral, expressionless mask often conveyed precisely that.

Silence enveloped Cameron as he arrived in a well-appointed waiting area. His appointment had not been made specifically as a representative of the Sith Triumvirate, that would not likely have gone over well. Instead, he was here as a private investor, a philanthropist concerned only with the re-establishment of a society on Ruusan. The need for physical masks and suits of armor had always been unnecessary in Cameron's eyes. The greater public had a tendency to believe what they read or was reported. Further more, Cameron Centurion most certainly did maintain a number of investments, and he was technically employed by Arceneau Trade Company. That corporate magnet was enough to spread any level of stories about rather benign interests. Thanks to [member="Danger Arceneau"], it was easy enough to maintain the facade of a former religious leader now working to assist the people of the galaxy through whatever means was actually necessary.

 

[Ereza]

"Miz Dar-....Shamalain. Miz Shamalain-"

The shift of legal names was still in transition within the Eve Foundation, much to the consternation of Amore's Secretary. The Kamino maleling's voice was gentle as ever, but the direct enunciation of her newly fashioned surname was as much a hint to self-embitterment as anything.

"Yes Iloan?"

"Your 2 'o clock is here. He's early. I told him you were just taking lunch."

"You may send him in."

"...of course Miz Shamalain."

Apparently Arceneau's accent was contagious. Amore smiled to herself.

The CEO's office could be found at the end of a long hall lined by doors and open-expanse conference rooms. Cameron would have had to pass by several meetings in progress with various Emissaries of various systems and worlds. The Eve Foundation was a busy place, no surprise considering the war-torn state of the galaxy.

As he arrived to the office - a large, open room with a view of the surrounding Byblos cityscape on three sides and naught but clean walls and surfaces, Amore turned from the conference table at the far end where she stood before a holoprojection of some off-shot galactic system in dire need of medical aid. As would be no surprise to him, the CEO was also dressed in blue and she noted with a half smirk that perhaps there was more to the color choice this morning than it simply being her favorite.

"Good afternoon Mr. Centurion," she greeted him amiably, crossing arms over a datapad in her grasp and canting her head just a degree to one side, a hint of self-amusement evident on her face, "welcome to the Eve Foundation Headquarters."

[member="Ashmedai"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

"Mister Centurion."

Silver-green eyes glanced up at the sound of the Kamino's voice...whether or not the Sith Lord had known the man was there already was unclear. "Yes."

"Miz Shamalain will see you now."

A nod of his head and Cameron came to his feet. Silently, he followed behind the Kamino at about five or six paces. Curiosity got the better of him as he traversed the halls of the Eve Foundation. The activity at this hour of the day was not surprising for any corporation really, but it was especially understandable for a relief organization as large as the Eve Foundation.

Even as he approached their destination, Cameron could feel the very fabric of his soul reaching out for its other half almost in desperation. Clearing his throat slightly, the Sith Lord maintained the control that he, unfortunately, was forced to be quite adept at given their respective professional engagements.

When he entered the room, however, his silver-green gaze immediate shot in the direction of Amorella. He didn't make much of an initial effort to take in his surroundings as he allowed his gaze to slowly sweep the blue-suited form at the far end of the room. A mischievous glint immediately drifted into his gaze, but he forced himself to offer more of a polite, respectable smile until they were truly alone. "Ms. Shamalain..." Taking a step forward, Cameron's smile broadened ever-so-slightly. "Wow. I've had the pleasure of meeting your mother before - at a birthday party of yours I do believe."

A strategic pause, mayhaps.

"It is irrevocably safe to say that you have far surpassed her in beauty." Raising both his hands in mock innocence, the Sith Lord allowed himself a brief laugh as his warm smile continued to settle upon his features. "Too much for an initial meeting perhaps? Please forgive my blunt intensity." The Sith Lord lowered his hands, the business executive was almost always a role he enjoyed playing. "I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet with me."

The second those doors were sealed...

[member="Amorella Shamalain"]

 

[Ereza]

That easy gaze and confident stance changed not under the facade and affections of this business man come to call. A testament to the treatment she received often on a daily basis from others, Amorella remained ever unflappable. It had become a signature of her mother long ago and it seemed, as Cameron had noted years after taking her as his wife, it had become a defining trait of the much younger Shamalain as well.

Moross had taught her well in that aspect. And, she mentally noted as she watched the man cavort through her office with his clever show, so had he.

"I am told I could be her clone by those who knew her in her youth," she replied gently in turn, smile pressing faintly into her eyes, blue glancing to the datapad in her hands momentarily before returning to him brow aloft, "and knowing what they say of her from those years, I am most flattered to hear it."

Iloan remained at the office entrance, wide alien eyes sweeping fluidly from the man to Amore, "Shall I send for your lunch, Miz Shamalain?"

"Yes, thank you Iloan. That will be all for now."

A simple nod. No bow, no murmurs of worship. She preferred it this way. Iloan turned and swept slowly from the room, the doors hissed shut behind him.

"I assume you've come about Ruusan," Amore said, turning from Cameron to assess the holoprojector table's controlls and bring up the aforementioned system, "now that it's boarders are secure once more."

[member="Ashmedai"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Admittedly, Cameron had not known Silencia in her youth, certainly not the age that Amorella presently occupied. If he had, however, he may well have seen the truth behind the words for himself.

The Sith Lord had been, at best, only slightly aware of the Kamino's lingering presence near the doorway. Rather than focus on his physical presence in the room, Cameron had simply been waiting for the tell-tale sign of doors closing behind him. The moment that Amorella dismissed Iloan, Cameron began to inhale deeply, fully intending to need as much oxygen in his body as possible.

The soft hiss of the door closing was like a gentle verbal reflection of the knotting of the Sith Lord's insides to their final degree...the point where release was necessary to continue living. The moment the sound had abated, it would be as if the leash of control he'd placed upon himself was suddenly released.

Amorella's words were heard, but they received no verbal response. No sooner had the alluring woman's mouth stopped moving than Cameron set the enticing features to a much better purpose as he seized his wife into his arms and lifted her off the ground. Bringing her head level with his own, Cameron delivered a kiss to Amorella's lips that spoke only of the unbridled love and affection he had for her, exacerbated by more than a month of separation now.

[member="Amorella Shamalain"]

 

[Ereza]

With a heart leaping into her throat, Amore smiled and melted into the man's affections. A stray hand whisked once, twice - towards the atmospheric room controls to charge the mirror reflection on the bay windows surrounding the three sides of her office. A safety measurement implemented in the construction of the building: the occupants of the office could see out with perfect clarity, the world beyond saw only its reflection.

She wasn't sure if his enthusiasm was contagious or a side effect of the connection between them, but by the time they broke apart her fangs had drawn blood. Brow knitting at the taste on her tongue, fingers curling at his neck, Amore crooned into another kiss with her life essence singing in joy at the reunion. She never felt so whole as the times they were together - darkness and light coalescing in perfect unison.

"I missed you," the words were hushed, knowing the man reciprocated the sentiment. The times when his thoughts lingered to her during their days apart were the days she felt the most alone.

"How long are you staying?"

[member="Ashmedai"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Cameron's mind drifted from the typical perceptive awareness of the present. For several moments, he was alone in the great expanse with Amorella. It was by no means an unfamiliar sensation; just a rare one.

As their lips parted, the Sith Lord barely noticed the dull sting of a fresh cut to his inner mouth. Silver-green eyes found the bright blue of Amorella's own ocular orbs. The softness of her facial features were only given fleeting moments to linger in the Sith Lord's field of vision as a slight copper taste on the inside of Cameron's mouth eventually broke through the fog of their reunion.

Silent yearning communicated by their respective souls was almost immediately sated with yet another passionate fury of deep, nearly primal kisses. Short of the destruction of clothing and a very earnest attempt at challenging the sound-proof capabilities of the room, Cameron reluctantly forced his actions to slowly dwindle to a halt. Casually, he leaned his forehead against Amorella's, still fiercely holding her body in his arms, hands not quite in sync with the brain's command to cease and desist.

"Painfully so," Cameron expanded on Esmae's declaration. Allowing a thin smile to settle over his features, he replied to her inquiry with ease. "Here? For the duration of relief efforts. The Triumvirate has seen fit to assign me as the liaison for the duration." A simple reality as the majority of the Triumvirs had, unknown to most, disappeared into the netherworld. There was a process for their replacement, of course, but the Sith Lord was content to allow said process to play out without his direct involvement.

[member="Amorella Shamalain"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

((Double Post))

 

[Ereza]

"Well, wasn't that kind of them."

Of course not a single matter of what the Sith Triumvirate did had anything to do with them. It was a statement of irony. Lips pulling in a faint smirk, Amore played with the lapels of his blue jacket, internally remarking to herself how good he looked in blue.

"I'll try not to be too efficient with my work, hm? Iloan-" a resounding ping of the buildings AI and intercomm sounded.

"Yez, Miz Shamalain?"

"No more calls for today. I'm taking lunch with Mr. Centurion."

"Shall I cancel your order?"

"Yes. You may leave when you've finished with the Roatan project missives."

"Thank you, Miz Shamalain. Will that be all?"

"That's all."

That same faint smirk turned into a warm smile. Amore leaned forward to press her forehead against his, "Hungry?"

[member="Ashmedai"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

A sincere smile tugged at the corner of Cameron's lips. Yes. Kind of them indeed.

Still holding Esmae in his arms, the Sith Lord refused to allow their bodies to separate more than a handful of inches. "I certainly hope there aren't any...delays on the ground." Cameron had no intention of orchestrating such, but he was certainly not above the action if it netted him more time with the woman he loved. Though he managed to stomach the time apart, it was when they finally reunited that said time apart seemed to be the most unbearable.

As Amorella finished conversing with her assistant, Cameron forced thoughts of their eventual separation from his mind. One or both of them could have made the sacrifice to be constantly together, but that simply was not in their nature. They both preferred to be of use to the galaxy at large, and Cameron knew that Amorella was as happy to make things work as he. Besides, even when apart, they were never really separated, carrying pieces of each other wherever they went.

Once Amorella finished her business and redirected her attention, Cameron could not help but allow his smile to broaden just a tad at her question. First of all...yes. He was always interested in eating food. At this precise moment, however... "Constantly..." Abruptly, the Sith Lord hefted his mate onto the conference table which they stood by before his hands slowly roamed the curves of her body. Still, Cameron managed to stop himself shortly thereafter.

Appearances.

Exhaling more at the need to actually censor himself in this professional environment than anything else, the Sith Lord managed a smile in spite of himself. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."

If they didn't, his suit was definitely going to be wrinkled and the charade would be 100% up.

[member="Amorella Shamalain"]

 

[Ereza]

Evening
Byblos Capital - Center City
Amore's Condo

They'd hardly made it from the speeder and into the confines of her home on Byblos before the clothing began to fall to the floor. Amorella was not a creature controlled by primal desires, but as much as had been stated before - Cameron's proximity and his own needs were infectious. It was, perhaps, best that this home was not particularly well decorated. She'd had to think how many priceless vases had been broken over the years of entertaining themselves at their home on Borleias, among other homes elsewhere.

The disrobing carried on through the house. One wall to another, through the hall into the living room, bar counter to the floor. Hands kneading, nails digging, bodies pressing, Amore remembered every scar and marking upon his dark skin, following them like a map to discover what new stories flesh might hold from time apart. In a moment of carnal pleasure she lost herself to his desires and let it feed into her own.

It was never her intent to draw blood. Never. Though it happened, from time to time, and when it did things tended to get a bit messy. A bit aggressive. He never complained, but the sense of losing control always troubled her. After crimson took her gaze the rest of the evening evaded everything but physical senses. Somehow they made it to the bedroom.

~~~

Red swirled down the bathroom sink and receded from the blue of her eyes. A hand reached to run hot water in the shower. Cameron was on the bed - resting, sleeping, she couldn't rightly say. Amore couldn't remember what state she'd left him in when she finally pulled herself away. She rinsed away the blood from beneath her sharpened nails, scrubbing with a bristle brush until the pads of her fingers were pink. This was the inherent difference between herself and the man she married. He who could speak for the blood of millions of innocents shed without remorse, and she who could hardly stand to shed that of a man who was every definition of guilty.

Amore looked up and saw a different face staring back at her in the mirror. Rich browns and blacks where once there had been pale cream and red. Golden amber where there should have been deep sapphire. The bristle brush fell from her hand and clattered to the floor. In a blink the face was gone and her own blood-streaked one returned.

Frowning, she glanced shortly back into the room. Was he...? No, still right where she left him. Brow furrowed, she bent to pick up the brush before she closed the fresher door and stepped into the shower.

[member="Ashmedai"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Cameron had thought about it from time to time because he inevitably ended up replacing whatever items were damaged within their home on Borleias. Borleias...it seemed almost like a distant memory now that both of their respective duties required maintaining accommodations closer to where said duties were discharged.

However, when their physical encounters reached such wildly primal peaks as it had the previous night, Cameron's thoughts about pretty much anything faded with the retreat of the sun. By the time their two bodies had been completely spent, the Sith Lord found that sleep overwhelmed his mind so quickly that he'd scarcely noticed it happening. There were precious little times when Cameron could say that he had any dreams worthy of mention. More troubling, however, was when those dreams drifted in the direction of that which he would likely not have with Amorella. Dreams of the laughter of children and blissfully extended moments of tranquility with such a family. Even if the pair could bring children into the world, Cameron knew he would inevitably have to be absent more than present simply because of their life's circumstances.

As Amorella worried about cleansing herself the next morning, Cameron continued to sleep. With dreams from the night prior having faded, his breathing was slow and even. The remains of their activities from the day prior were caked on to areas of his body still. Blood had never much bothered Cameron, and after a brief adjustment period, he had grown more and more comfortable with Esmae's occasional...habits.

When the shower turned on, however, the Sith Lord's eyelids fluttered open. Silver-green orbs quickly searched the surroundings of the bedroom as the dark-skinned Corstris native slowly heaved himself up into a sitting position. Swinging his legs out over the side of the bed, Cameron allowed the sheets to fall away from his body as he came to his feet and padded towards the refresher. It was but a handful of moments before the Sith found himself stalking into the shower behind Amorella, the closeness to her body more comforting than the warm water running over exposed skin.

[member="Amorella Shamalain"]

 

[Ereza]

There came a healthy vibrancy to her being after sating inherent lusts. It was something of a confusing thing to experience for the young woman who was so loathe to let herself go to such savage tendencies. Amore couldn't be sure if perhaps the overwhelming sensation of renewal and energy was in direct correlation to the man she fed from, or simply the act of feeding itself. Difficult to say, given how rarely she partook, but it made her equal parts enlightened and uncomfortable in her own skin.

Naturally this developed into cooking the man, her husband and lover, a hearty breakfast after a long and ...pleasing shower.

"I never cook anymore..." she admitted as she served him a platter to fulfill the old Aesir's appetite and sat down to join him, though she did not partake in the meal. There was no need.

Fingers gently traipsed across the fabric covering his thigh and hip before receding back to her own self, a despondent sigh escaping through her nose. The desire to converse was there but she was having difficulty raising any topics in her mind that wasn't directly related to work. To his agenda within the Sith.

"I met someone," the words began in a wandering tone, "uh, that is to say, I met someone connected to my family's past. He showed up on Byblos several months ago during a dinner convention and broke into my office. He claimed to be the widowed husband of my late sister Cerusia and the only Apprentice of a Lady Silencia..."

[member="Ashmedai"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

"I never cook anymore..."

Cameron smirked slightly as Esmae set a plate down in front of him. For a brief moment, he tried to remember the last time he cooked for her. He quickly decided it had been too long. Then again, it was the unfortunate reality that they rarely had meals together anyways. The times they were even able to spend alone together typically had to be stolen or borrowed minutes and hours here and there. Still, Cameron attempted to push such negative thoughts from his mind as he shoveled a forkful of food into his mouth.

Once he'd finished chewing, he regarded Amorella not so much with an inquisitive gaze as a rather simple, neutral expression. Cameron hadn't known any of Silencia's apprentices. Well...he had personally known any of them at the time they were actively apprenticed to the woman. Silencia was one of those figures that always seemed to be just on the edge of Cameron's social circle. He heard of her exploits, certainly, but he'd never been a direct participant. Cerusia was a name that rang at distant familiarity even if only because Amorella was fairly open about her family, or at least what she knew of them. Had Desdemona mentioned her mother? Probably not. Their interactions hadn't typically revolved around a great deal of verbal discourse.

"Ah yes. The man that rather brazenly threatened your life. I recall sensing the threat more than anything..." The Sith Lord followed the comment by rather immediately shoveling more food into his mouth. He was not dismissive of the encounter. To the contrary, he'd simply forced himself to make his peace with it long ago, accepting that he could not just pop into Esmae's life the moment she was threatened. For one, she was perfectly capable of handling herself. For two she was an adult. For three...well it would most likely occur at work, and he wasn't trying to mess up the job she genuinely seemed to enjoy.

Well. Physically I could just pop in. Maybe next time. The aforementioned three points didn't override personal choice all the time, of course.

Setting down his fork, Cameron straightened in his seat. "Cerusia... The name seems familiar though I rather think I would know of her better by another name." Cameron, of course, had literally no idea that Cerusia Darke was Lady Reticea...never mind her actual birth-name. Cameron didn't know anything about Amorella's family, it would seem. Then again...he'd basically just data-dumped his entire life into Amorella's brain which was probably cheating...but in the most efficient of ways. "As is the case with nearly one hundred percent of your family older than yourself, it would seem." For the moment, he ignored the link regarding being the apprentice of Sila. Esmae's statement indicated that...perhaps she was as yet unaware of her mother's alias?

[member="Amorella Shamalain"]

 

[Ereza]

"I don't know," an admittance she wasn't proud of as indicated by the tone of her voice. Amore's gift of memory was both a boon and a curse to her existence, but the particular issue of not knowing in this case made it all the more difficult.

"Mother never spoke of her former life, let alone her former children. I never could be to sure if it was due in part to not wishing to relive it and that their memories brought her pain, or if she simply insisted on keeping secrets."

A sigh, dejected at that.

"I cannot blame her silence for either. I do not wish her pain and everyone's allowed their secrets." Like them. Their secret love affair away from the rest of the galaxy. Two polar opposites in constant revolution around one another, only ever meeting for short intervals of time before spinning far and away again. Like binary stars.

"What troubles me," the woman leaned an arm on the table, pressing her mouth into her hand, a pensive look as she studied the polished wood grain of the table, "is that he blamed me for destroying a family name that I have no history with other than simply knowing it, being connected to it. What legacy exactly am I supposed to be upholding?"

[member="Ashmedai"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Cameron had just finished another forkful of food when Esmae posed her inquiry. His attention remained on his wife, however, silently processing her statements, her troubled expression. The Sith Lord briefly wondered about when the last time he truly had seen his wife happy was. Probably some interaction with the younger members of her family. Sure, she did seem genuinely pleased whenever they were reunited after a long stretch of time apart, but it seemed as though there was always...something that nagged at her during his absences. Truth be told...even Cameron grew tired of the reality. His own ideals and desires for the galaxy seemed to diminish with each passing moment they were separated. His life had been filled with so many accomplishments and experiences. With one exception. The love he had for Amorella. Somehow...it had taken him the length of their time together for him to truly commit to her in the way he'd promised to do so.

Having her heart and thoughts just isn't enough...

The feeling was only exacerbated when they had conversations like this, her feeling lost in the sea of legacies and histories that she was still so foreign to. Funny how youth had seemed to become a crutch for so very many in the galaxy. He didn't envy her...it was, no doubt, hard to establish your own life when it seemed to orbit around the lengthy history of those that came before you. Cameron had never much suffered that reality...not knowing his true family until well after they were dead. Still, he knew he had children out there in a similar predicament. Two, specifically, that were of an age to feel much as Amorella. Matter of fact...one of them was likely very near to Amorella's age now.

Setting his fork down on the plate, the Sith Lord reached out to take Amorella's hand. "You aren't." A simple statement. "You are supposed to live your own life, the best you can. I may not know your mother as well as...well...many others in the galaxy, but I think I can relate to a sentiment she may or may not make clear. A life of...so many accomplishments and roles does wear on the senses. To this end, I understand why she wished you to remain on Kuat, why she was admittedly manipulative. You were simply the one she had hoped would relieve her, release her from a long life of direct responsibility over so many others." Raising his free hand defensively, Cameron managed a soft smile. "I'm not saying you should do this. I'm saying that you are right to do what you want, be your own person. Legacy is hardly a definitive reality...it can be changed, modified. What the Shamalain name holds for the future is simply up to you and your siblings. The implications of a man that, quite literally, is not your family should not weigh on your mind."

Cameron didn't necessarily mean to make it sound as if the husband of Amorella's dead sister was not family. Still, he recognized and accepted that even his own connection to the Shamalain family was a matter of circumstance at best. It was not one of blood, and blood was an ever-important concept for the Shamalains.

[member="Amorella Shamalain"]

 

[Ereza]

Youth. That ever-present road block for Amorella. In comparison to the age of her husband and that of her matriarch, the small few years of her existence had weighed on her significantly since the time she'd been made aware of those vast centuries of difference. To this day it still puzzled her, the decision of the man sitting next to her to take her as his wife. In fully realized reality, they could not be further apart from one another in compatibility.

How they made it work was beyond even her.

Yet she appreciated his advice, especially so given the general nature of the man to not care enough to give it to most. Amore smiled faintly behind her fingers as he took her other hand, gaze watching the minutiae of expressions filter across his face as he spoke.

"You make it sound so easy," her smile gently pushed up into her eyes, "I'm trying to...live my own life, be my own person, and then every time I feel I've gotten a foothold something comes along to remind me of what I haven't lived up to. It's incessant. Like a gnat at your ear. I shoo it away and minutes later it's back at the other side."

The hand at her lips moved to her forehead where she leaned into it.

"It's like the Universe won't let me forget. Maybe I shouldn't have taken the Shamalain name. Maybe that was my mistake, thinking I could without living up to it. Can't take it back now - it's too late for that."

Another sigh, she glanced to his plate, "Your breakfast is getting cold."

[member="Ashmedai"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Cameron maintained a soft smile in Esmae's direction. He supposed that she was right. Though it wasn't exactly something that he could help. His life was not her own, and it had been rather easy for him to make adjustments, do as he pleased. For the vast majority of his life, the Sith Lord took action with rather little regard to its effect on others unless it suited his purposes. He'd had no family to reconcile with or support for a rather long time. What family he had created, he'd mostly ignored after a certain point...involved in the lives of children only to their sixteenth birthday. Their mothers? No involvement other than that which was required to maintain a connection to his offspring.

That was all different now. He desperately wanted to do something to help Esmae, but he was at a complete loss as for what he could possibly do.

"Your breakfast is getting cold."

The words snapped Cameron back to reality as his silver-green gaze dropped to the food. It was delicious, and he was hungry, but there was a greater longing in his body. Slowly, Cameron lifted his gaze back to Amorella's. The longing he felt wasn't necessarily for something physical...at least not so simple as sexual interaction. "Once things have stabilized... I intend to resign myself from active involvement in any halls of power. I don't think I realized how tired I was of such until...just now." It was true...the constant scheming and plotting had once been interesting to him. Now...he seemed to only spend his time wishing that he was closer to Amorella.

"I just want to be with you."

Cameron Centurion had said many things to seduce many women. Never in his life had he ever meant a phrase so much as the one he'd just uttered to Amorella.

"Wherever and whatever that means I need to be."

He might have meant the second one more, actually.

[member="Amorella Shamalain"]

 

[Ereza]

"Cameron..."

Could not help the frown tugging at her face. It was a mixture of unexpected and mildly overwhelming joy ... as well as a strange sense of disappointment. Difficult. It was difficult to know exactly the pot-luck of emotions presently welling up inside. Amore pawed at his nearest arm, "but you just started at the Triumvirate..."

It was a little bit of shame in being the source of his perhaps pseudo retirement?

It was a little bit of confusion as to where this suddenly came from.

It was also a little bit of understanding at the fatigue he must feel. Fatigue of the soul. She'd felt it, there at the end of her years leading Moross, a fraction of the time he'd spent leading various sects or governments across the centuries.

It was a little bit of relief, too.

"You know...we don't have to go back to Borleias." They could go wherever they wanted. The galaxy was their oyster, right? Whatever that meant.

[member="Ashmedai"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Cameron managed a warm smile, clearly not saddened by any potential future that included more time with Amorella. "The Triumvirate..." He paused for a moment, considering a wide variety of things. What had drawn him there? A desire for purpose, a chance to show others a different path, a better way towards the goals most nearly destroyed the entirety of the galaxy to achieve. However, he was steadily realizing that his only real purpose was to aid a transition, to show that in order to go forwards...you sometimes had to go backwards. Back to the root of your cause, your existence.

What he did not want, however, was to be forced into another leadership position. "...will either succeed or fail regardless of my assistance. Perhaps there was a time when I was so idealistic an arrogant as to believe that I was the only one which could make things happen. Those days are firmly in the past. Besides...the future belongs to those that were actually born of the present."

Cameron's expression softened even further as he thought of a life among the stars with Amorella. Yet...he knew she was not necessarily the same as him. She still had many years ahead of her. Her time had yet to come, but it would come. His silent vow was simply to be there for her whenever she needed. "Go? What about the Eve Foundation?" He was happy to go wherever she desired, but he'd thought she was happy running Eve. It didn't seem very practical for her to leave Byblos if that was a path she intended to continue.

[member="Amorella Shamalain"]