Because the Galaxy is Cruel

Just a quick note. Yes, I'm aware that in the EU Vader has some sort of retreat on Vujn, but I have dispensed with that and created a new sanctuary for him. This is AU, so a lot is different already, but Vaderkin is still Vaderkin...

Part 3

The pilot guided her craft in towards the coast, swooping like a bird of prey as she arced low over the shoreline. Maintaining the ship’s trajectory along the water at low altitude, she navigated her way around several rock formations that protruded from the water’s depths; pointed cone like structures that took the full force of the wind and waves as evidenced by their severely pitted surfaces. Gazing idly through the frontal view port, the pilot watched the ocean waves roll on unwittingly towards the white shore of the beach, before being dashed to pieces under the gleaming rays of the twin moons suspended high in the night sky. Over and over, in a relentless and repetitive pattern, the resulting remnant streams pulled into the backward surge and collected up into the body of seawater, only to be deposited as breaking waves once more upon the fine crystalline sand. The beach itself was a wide band that divided the water from the mostly rocky elevated terrain that covered much of the continent on this side of the planet. Scanning along this dividing strand, the interplanetary visitor observed that every hundred metres or so, huge crumbled boulders lay strewn in disordered heaps and trails, as though some giant creature had thrown them haphazardly about. Overhead, the dramatically sharp-edged cliffs stood majestic and silent, as though oblivious to what lay below. The freshly exposed rock face was evidence however, of elemental forces at work; wind, water and gravity combining to change the rock scape continually, unendingly clawing at this limestone fortification. One day, these persistent forces would win, and all would be reduced to sand.

Lady Ventress’ eyes travelled appreciatively over this topography as she swept up and over the rocky plateau now, leaving the wild ocean behind her. Something quite different caught her attention before long; something not hewn by Nature. She directed her ship towards the architectural splendour on the horizon; her true destination this visit. As she drew nearer, she marvelled at the structure perched on a particular section of craggy terrain, like a sentinel it stood, impressive in its size as well as construction. As she flew closer still, the edifice began to reveal more detail. It was a fortress of some kind, made up of many levels, tapering from the base of its structure in a concentric arrangement to a narrow towered peak. Each level was distinguished by its own walled balcony that encircled each storey of enclosed living and storage quarters that ran through the middle of the complex, much like an artery. Asajj thought it looked like a towering citadel, prominently positioned as it was, looking out to sea, with its pointed summit and black rock walls. It was both defensive and offensive.

At last, after many weeks, she was finally here, looking upon Metsuda with her own eyes; Lord Vader’s castle stronghold. Far out beyond the Outer Rim, away from day to day Imperial concerns, Vader had made this fortress his sanctuary and second home. Naturally it befitted his rank and importance to the Empire, to have such a bastion, but first and for most it was a home; a gift from the Emperor himself. Asajj herself had no such longings for the trappings of palaces, or the gilded lifestyles of the powerful and prominent. At any rate, the Empire had stripped most of it away. On her many travels throughout the galaxy she saw that the pursuit of beauty and art was an indulgent and therefore unnecessary concern to the galaxy’s ordinary citizens. This was a new pared-back era where there was neither time nor energy for beautiful things. And yet, Vader liked to have these trinkets and extravagances around him, as though making up for lost time. As a boy, he had been a slave with nothing, and then after, as a Jedi, he had lived in monastic moderation in the Temple, as possession was ultimately forbidden by the Code. She smiled to think of him in this new opulent way; a true Lord, among his finery, his creature comforts and his servants. And then there was the man himself, strong and beautiful…

She sighed. There was no time for such idle basking, she thought to herself; she had a ship to land. It was just at that moment that quite out of nowhere she was caught off guard by a familiar feeling. The distinct Force signature of one Lord Vader filtered its way into her awareness again, after so many weeks apart. She warmed to the familiar presence, and it felt as though his very fingers were somehow reaching out, to tentatively stroke at the edges of her mind, such a palpable sensation it was. She could not resist stroking back in turn as her mind welcomed him back like an old friend. Finally, they were Force-aware of one another again, and yet it did not nearly suffice, for she yearned to see him with her own eyes once more, in the flesh.

“The Force has truly tested me…” She spoke softly under her breath, as she spotted the hangar bay at ground level and made her descent. Guiding the ship through the entrance of the docking station, she deftly negotiated to an empty bay and landed the craft. Once she was cleared by the officer on duty, who recognised her immediately and processed her arrival quickly, another came along to escort her to the castle. She found all this formality in such a far-flung part of the galaxy rather amusing; it seemed Vader was one for strict protocol. The responsibilities of leadership had made him this way, and even before that, a regimented existence was everything no doubt, what with fighting in the clone wars years ago, military efficiency and procedure was hard to let go of once acquired, once assimilated.

She followed behind the escorting officer along a stone-cut corridor that had a semi-circled transparent roof made up of metal-framed glass panels overhead. Through it, she could see the main turret of the castle, and her mind wandered again to its Keeper. She hadn’t even stepped inside the castle proper or laid eyes on him as yet, and already, in her mind’s eye, Vader seemed more like a dark Prince in this sovereignly setting, then an Imperial Leader. She imagined him sequestered in his black tower, a shadowy mysterious character plucked from some ancient fairy tale like the stories told by typically old bent women to their wide-eyed impressionable youngling audiences. She mentally shook off her quaint, indulgent musings, looking to the sides of her now as she walked through the torch lit passageway behind her escort. With the moonlight streaming in from above, and the flickering flames of the torches combined, wraithlike, mutating shadows cast themselves over the back of the officer in front of her and along the stone walls to either side of them, giving the tunnelled walkway a labyrinthine quality. She smiled inwardly; she was beginning to like the feel of this place.

They soon reached the end, exiting through a massive steel doo, before walking along a decked bridge that led to a flight of steps. Still following on behind the escorting officer, they mounted this set of stairs and Asajj was surprised to realise that the path led directly to the main entrance of the building, which was not at ground level at all, as she had originally expected. As they ascended step by step, she looked up to the top balcony, high above her, drawn to it inexplicably, feeling an irresistible pull skywards that she did not understand until…

She saw him, in all his corporeal splendour, looking down at her from his lofty position. She could just make out his features, weakly illuminated by lamplight behind him. She kept climbing the steps, though her eyes were riveted upon him all the while. He leaned over a little further as she continued to stare at him, and resting his arms on the stone of the balcony wall, he gazed down at her and nodded his head once by way of acknowledgement and greeting.

“It has been too long…” His voice was but a whisper in her head, but the pang she felt from hearing it again surprised her, and she replied in unabashed honesty.

“I have missed you.” She raised her arm towards him then in salutation, and he did the same in turn. They continued to gaze at one another; Vader from on high and Asajj from her vantage point below. No more words passed between them, and then the spell was broken as she dragged her eyes back down in front of her, taking the last few steps before finally being ushered in through the entrance and into the castle itself.

Once inside, the internal walls revealed a cornucopia of lavish furnishings, tapestries and rugs in resplendent colours and textures. The tiled floor was smooth and shiny, of a polished black stone. It had all the hallmarks of a proper palace, and yet, there were enough imperial types in amongst the general staff, milling about the place to remind her that this was still a base of operations. She took all of this in, looking about her as the officer continued to direct her through the castle, passing great columns with grooved markings etched into them and carved walls with murals and triptychs depicting battle scenes and other historic events. All these things she was curious to see in more detail, for she still had an appreciation for such things, but all of it and more they left in their wake as they came to an elevator door in one of the walls where the officer depressed a button and the door swung open. The officer directed her in and he followed after her, the door closing behind them with a swish. They stood in silence with the quiet hum of the elevator’s ascent being the only sound that accompanied them. Seconds later they came to a slow stop and the door swished open at the top level. The officer turned to her and spoke at last.

“My Lady, we are here. Lord Vader is expecting you. I will leave you now.”

“Thank you Officer.”

And with that she stepped out and didn’t look back as the door closed and the gentle hum of the elevator’s descent to the lower levels was heard behind her. She took in the vast chamber before her; it was similar in décor to the rest of the castle, at least the parts of it she had already seen. Here, there was the same black stone tiled flooring with the odd thick-furred rug scattered about, and walls of carved black stone with several thickly girthed columns here and there supporting a vaulted ceiling. A dividing wall led to a bed chamber, but other than that, the main room itself was sparsely furnished. Lamps were strategically placed at corners and along walls, with one main fixture that hung from the ceiling and another that loomed over the modest velveteen couches near the computer console that was situated against one of the walls. The lamps were dimly lit, casting a soft glow through the main chamber while picking up the silvery threads of the gauzy shades that hung from the arched windows and main door that led out to the balcony beyond. A gentle breeze stirred the diaphanous material like the teasing flutter of a bride’s veil as the gossamer partitions swayed ever so slightly and intermittently. Outside, the sky was a purple-black canvas, studded with the numerous twinkling constellations. The twin moons were on the wane, though substantial enough to illuminate the castle ramparts, and beyond that the gravel-like landscape stretched for miles, dotted with clumped and wind battered tussock.

Further still there was the wild ocean that she had flown across earlier; she could even hear the pounding of the waves from inside the room. She also realised she could hear voices, and that they were coming from outside. She took a step forward, craning her neck around an archway to investigate, without appearing too obvious. She cocked an eyebrow then, for standing there just outside, at a section of the balcony wall was Captain Strom, in deep conversation with Vader. This was Imperial business no doubt, judging by the look of it, no matter the lateness of the hour, such things couldn’t wait, and Vader would not have it at any rate. She decided to remain where she was, standing unmoved by the archway, settled upon watching them undisturbed.

They stood together with their backs to the balcony wall, lamplight outside flickering uneven shadows across their features. Their heads were bent down together over a data pad that Strom held between them; Strom’s thick brown hair flopping forward next to Vader’s dark blond strands. They were a picture of concentration, as they scanned data and exchanged sporadic words. They were so utterly absorbing to watch, and in all honesty, she found it fascinating to observe the way Vader interacted with his senior officers. It was so different from the regulation troopers, whom he treated with an indifferent professionalism that was neither warm nor cold. Senior staff though, had to pass muster with Vader on many levels; they were required to prove themselves rigorously in order to attain his respect. If they failed, Vader could be hostile and unforgiving, but if they succeeded, Vader was benevolent and conciliatory, and Asajj judged that Strom appeared to be in the latter camp. She remained fixed on them a little while longer. They continued to scan and talk, occasionally looking upon one another, as if to confirm some agreed upon decision or strategy being discussed before fixing their eyes back down to look at the next bit of information Strom scrolled through.

She decided to make her presence known and striding forward, parted the wispy shades with her hands before walking out onto the balcony towards the two men. Upon her entrance two pairs of eyes looked up and greeted her; Strom’s emerald green ones and Vader’s violet blue ones. Though it could be said that Strom was pleasing to the eye in his own right, it was Vader who commanded all of her attention for the present. Even under the subdued light of the torches that were set into nooks in the walls, Vader’s eyes burned with the intensity she remembered from Korriban and forgetting the presence of Captain Strom for a moment, she proceeded to discretely drink in the sight of Vader alone, but only for a moment. Having indulged herself for so short a time she quickly plastered a faint smile on her face and looked at them both with a professional detachment that was becoming for one who had such a reputation to consider as she did, as the Dark Lady Ventress.

“Captain Strom, isn’t it? We meet again.” She turned to face Strom fully, widening her smile just a smidgeon to appear a bit more cordial.

“Lady Ventress.” Strom replied as he gave her a quick nod and a courteous smile of his own. Vader stepped in close to Asajj and briefly placed a hand on her arm before letting go and looking at them both.

“Ah, so you two have met before? No need for introductions then.”

Asajj and Strom simply exchanged looks between them for a moment, nodded in the affirmative and then both looked back at Vader, who in turn simply smiled in the moonlight at the two of them. The awkwardness between them amused him for some reason; his two most capable, incapable of exchanging late night pleasantries in a charming, relaxed setting. Strom was no doubt still wired from his previous assignment and his mind most likely swimming with the next mission; Asajj, who had never been here before and with so much left unsaid from their most recent parting, was probably unsettled and perhaps expecting to be greeted by him alone. He had wished for this too from the very moment he detected her proximity and reached out for her through the Force, but imperial business couldn’t wait, and truth be told, he disliked fobbing off his best officer in Lars Strom. Asajj’s timing was excellent though, as their meeting had drawn close to its conclusion, and turning now to Strom, he had no need to say anything, as Strom knew this too and chimed in for him.

“Will that be all, my Lord?”

“For now, you may go Captain.”

“Sir.” The officer bowed slightly and put a hand over his breast in deference to his Leader, before putting away the data pad in a briefcase. Just as he was about to leave however, Vader put a hand on the man’s shoulder, just a brief touch, perhaps even a reassuring squeeze, which Asajj found most unusual, and then Vader let him go.

“Good luck Captain.” Strom gave Vader a final nodding glance before taking his leave and making for a side exit door. Vader’s eyes trailed after him until he was gone and then he turned back to Asajj.

“I don’t know what I’d do without him sometimes. He’s most efficient.” Vader said in a tone that matched the respect he felt with the words he had spoken.

“I thought you couldn’t do without me.” Asajj responded in a somewhat clipped manner.

Her tone was not lost on Vader as he came closer to her and passed a gloved hand down her cheek, his face almost trance-like; a mask of serenity. She welcomed the touch, though she did not lean her face into it. It was a fleeting momentary gesture and he let his hand fall away.

“My Dear Lady, you are something quite different altogether.”

They studied each other in silence, regarding one another as if they were taking inventory. She took in his casual garb; he wore a black open-necked shirt over black pants tucked into long leather boots. A belt hung around his waist, slung low over his hips. She noted the omnipresent leather gauntlet concealing his cyborg limb; did he never take it off she wondered. His face looked a little strained, as if from tiredness, there were shadows under his eyes too, or perhaps this was only a trick of the light. His hair mesmerised her still. It was a lustrous mane in the moonlight and she wanted very much to run her fingers through it once again.

He in turn gazed upon her with a burning regard. He noted, really for the first time, that she suffered no adornments. There were no bracelets for her wrists, no jewelled rings for her fingers. Her smooth hairless head looked like alabaster, save for the warrior-like striped markings at her temples and cheeks. He had found them repulsive the very first time he’d ever laid eyes on her but now he found them rather fetching; fearsome, yet still feminine. Her large brown eyes were soft, yet compelling as they regarded him quietly; her full purple lips fascinating, reminiscent of wild exotic fruit he’d tasted once, on a distant world he couldn’t bother to remember the name of. She stood poised, in control, contained within herself; dressed in simple yet elegant attire. A forest green tunic covered her from neck to toe, with boots of the softest synth-leather peaking out just slightly below the hem, and all of this concealed for the most part by her mahogany brown hooded cloak.

The moment lingered a little longer before Asajj finally looked away, walking over to the balcony wall to look out beyond the Fortress perimeter and take in the vista before her. She saw the familiar shapes of the pointed cone-like rock structures jutting out of the sea. They looked so small and faraway from here. Pointing a finger towards them she whispered.

“I was just there…I flew right past those things earlier.” She felt a movement next to her and looking across to her right she was met with the smouldering eyes of Lord Vader. A soft sigh escaped from his lips.

“You are here at last.” The timbre of his voice was soft yet rich, and so very different from moments before, in the company of Strom. It was deeper, quieter, yet more fervent in tone, and it made her feel a little excited.

“Yes.” Was her only reply as the delicate sound of wood wind music drifted up just then from quarters below, to interrupt whatever else she might have cared to add at that moment. She let it wash over her for a bit, curious as to its presence here and indeed the player responsible for it. Music was the last thing she was expecting this evening. The composition was somewhat eerie, the tune lonely and mournful. It most certainly wasn’t an uplifting melody and it began to cast its sombre veil over Asajj. It did however, to her reckoning, have a quality to it that invited contemplation and looking across at Vader, she realised the accuracy of that summation. He appeared lost in some thought of his own, turned away from her now so that she saw him only in profile. He looked out towards the sea with vacant eyes and a silent disposition.

“What is this music Vader?” She put a hand on his arm and he turned back to her, alerted more to her touch than her question.

“Ah, the servants, when their duties are done, they like to play such tunes for a while afterwards.” He answered.

“And you allow the servants this?” She inquired, letting go of her purchase on his arm and absentmindedly running her hand now along a section of smooth stone capping that ran atop the wall they had congregated at. Vader looked at her in a bemused fashion and responded in kind.

“Why not allow it? It’s a tradition they have here after all. They do their work well, so I let them indulge in their free time. What harm is there in that?” She raised an eyebrow in a curious fashion, but said nothing further. He went on.

“The instrument they play is made of a rare wood they tell me, and it’s passed down through generations of family.” He took on a more introspective visage again, his eyes glazed over somewhat, as though searching inwardly for something that could not be reached for in any practical or tangible way. He didn’t drift too far though, and he placed a gentle hand over hers before continuing.

“I say let them play…” he looked down at their hands touching. He slowly slid his fingers up the inside of her sleeve ever so delicately, as far as the restrictive fabric would allow. He closed his hand briefly around her wrist, his eyes riveted to her smooth marble skin that was so warm to the touch before trailing his fingers back down to the top of her hand to trace lazy circles, all the while his eyes following the path dictated by his fingers.

“I find the music soothing…” He said quietly, lifting his eyes to hers, revealing the naked affection plainly evident within them. Asajj simply stared right back into those eyes, drawn to them like they were founts of knowledge that she could not do without. They continued to gaze like this at one another; a handsome pair atop the castle ramparts with the stars and moons as their background and the sweet music playing below. The lovely tableau was fleeting however as he let go of her hand entirely, and turned back to the wall, leaning over it a little to see down to levels below.

“Listen out for the second player.” He said as he straightened back up again. He resumed his earlier position, looking out towards the ocean once more.

Soon enough the second instrument did indeed begin to play, just as Vader said it would. It started as a supplement, breaking in so gently at first, almost as though seeking permission from the first, so tentatively was the second sound introduced. As the melody progressed however, the accompaniment moved from courting favour, to reaching equal status. Note by note it played alongside the first, gathering in intensity until at last, it matched the first instrument in both pitch and volume. Then, a new verse began and the two instruments were like one, as together, their combined sound was richer, and yet, somehow even more haunting and lonely than before.

“It is beautiful.” Asajj voiced in appreciation.

“They can play like that for hours, one begins and then the other joins in, and always, only two ever play together.” Vader spoke softly, not wanting to disturb the muted atmosphere the music had conjured.

“…It sounds so sad though…melancholic but lovely all the same.” Asajj intoned quietly.

“The Emperor calls it a dirge, this type of music.” Vader sighed involuntarily as he said this. His soft sigh did not escape Asajj’s keen ears, nor did the sight of his tensed shoulders and his pursed lips escape her keen eyes. The news of Sidious’ visits here came as a surprise to Asajj, but what was more surprising or perhaps disturbing, was Vader’s sudden unease at the mention of the Emperor. She recalled the face-off she witnessed between them back on Korriban. It had looked so much like a silent struggle had gone on between the Master and his Apprentice that day; she’d never seen anything like it before. She was only now beginning to wonder about this episode in the context of the strange vibe coming from Vader now. It made her aware suddenly, that perhaps, the Emperor’s relationship with Vader was far more complex than she had previously imagined. From what she had seen in their company Vader was always so deferential to the Emperor, had something changed? For some reason this speculation about him brought a thrill to her, possibly because she had always winced at Vader’s captive loyalty to Lord Sidious. Vader was a powerful man, a leader in his own right. She wanted Vader to rattle his chain more often, be less of the servant…

“The Emperor has been here?” She inquired in a neutral tone of voice.

“Yes, many times…He quite enjoys listening to them play when he is here…” Vader trailed off but Asajj could see that his face looked troubled. She raised an eyebrow and her lips parted in a questioning manner. She could almost see the mood of despondency that was descending upon him, let alone feel the waves of it through the Force. She reached out to him and took hold of his arm in concern.

“Something has happened between you two…” She began, but he cut her off with an unconvincing chuckle and a shake of his head, as he looked down at her.

“No, I’m not going to talk about the Emperor. It’s late, and you must be tired.” He took her hand off of his arm and pushed himself away from the wall in a casual manner. She opened her mouth in protest but he ignored her, or failed to see her reaction, as he’d already turned to walk back inside. He managed two strides, before she stopped him with a curled fist around his arm, forcing him to whirl back round to face her. They looked at one another for a long moment, her brown eyes gazing intensely into his blue ones, her lips parted as if about to speak, but not quite daring enough to actually do so. But speak she did at last and she came straight to the point.

“I have come, I am here, and I will not go.” She drew closer to him and lifted up her hand to idly skim her gloved fingers along the length of his gauntlet covered arm. Her proximity was having an effect on him at last, as he began to draw deeper breaths into his lungs. His body remembered her touch and she was offering it, here and now for the taking. For this alone she looked so very appealing to him, but there were other reasons as well. Gazing into her eyes, he saw the open want and he felt like losing himself in those intense pools of reflected colour and light. He wanted to give in to her; she’d never seemed lovelier, having come all this way for him and him alone; how irresistible that was to him as a man. There had been no mission to carry out this time, no enemies that needed to be slain, and no blood that needed to be spilled. Their story was the ordinary story of billions of other beings; beings coming together with bodies, and perhaps souls, that needed to meet.

“Let us resume what we started back on Korriban.” She whispered. She knew he wanted this, had felt it through the Force. As soon as she had arrived on the planet itself, aware of his presence again, she felt his loneliness and his longing; it mirrored her own. She’d vowed never to be involved, and yet involved she now was, but this was so different, this was Vader. She all but trembled with the strength of this need for him. He felt it too, as his need for her was equally strong. They both admitted that much to themselves.

“My bold Asajj…” He breathed, raising his flesh hand to caress her face. With his fingers, he made a sweep over her cheek and ran his thumb lightly below her eye. She in turn continued to run her hand along his forearm, while the other began to stroke his chest. Still standing up close to him, with her mouth centimetres from his own, her breath quickened slightly and he felt the warmth of it on his skin. She all but whispered her request.

“Let me have you…as you once let Obi-Wan have you.” His eyes grew a little wild at the words she chose. Only a few short weeks ago, he had lamented for her touch, yet mentally recoiled from it at the same time; her touch that could and did once hurt Obi-Wan so many years ago. And now, with the single mention of his name, Vader recalled that dreadful meeting onboard the Emperor’s ship and ruminated again upon the Emperor’s command, that Obi-Wan was to be a forbidden memory to him. He began to grow angry at the memory.

Something has happened between you two… Asajj, how did she know?

She was here with him now, the Emperor was light years away, but that did not settle him and he directed his anxiety at her instead. He looked down at her hands, suddenly seeing them only as torturer’s hands and the sight of them made him want to explode with rage. But he remained calm as he closed his eyes and reopened them again before pulling away fully from her touch. He couldn’t bear those hands upon him just then, and he would not succumb to them. He couldn’t bear the confused and questioning look on her face either. He walked away from her, turning his back on her completely as he distanced himself half a room away. He was a whirl of mixed emotions, troubled and angry, not focussed or strong as he should be. He groaned loudly and raised his head to the ceiling as if he could find some answers in the complex mosaics embedded in its vaulted space. He raked a hand through his hair in agitation while the other remained a closed fist by his side. He began to seeth now and his ire did not discriminate. Obi-Wan first and for most for dying on him, Asajj for wanting to take his place and with the baggage that already entailed, and the Emperor himself for his mind plays, his mentoring ways that were more about control rather than training.

“Vader…?” Her voice rang out from behind him, compelling him to turn around slowly and measuredly to face her. His permafrost stare took her aback somewhat as he walked back to her determinedly. He could see by the expression on her face that she was disturbed and puzzled at his turn. To her credit, she didn’t retreat a centimetre as his angry steps carried him forward towards her. He stopped very close to her, staring her down for a moment before taking her hands roughly in his own and shaking them quite violently. As he did so, he spoke to her in a deliberating, yet disquieting tone of voice that belied his tempestuous actions.

“I remember how you hurt him, how you tortured him with these very hands I hold in mine here. How? How do I forget that?” His stabbing words pierced the air, punctuated with a confirmatory shake of her hands, still held tightly within his grip.

Asajj did not reply at all to this, instead she pulled her hands free from his grasp and backed away slightly. She remained silent and still as she pondered on this unexpected turn of events. They were well and truly past their differences concerning Kenobi, or so she thought. He seemed too fixated on a technicality; they had made a truce years ago, something else was afoot here. Her mention of Kenobi should not have set him off as it did. Where was her passionate dark Lord that she had left back on Korriban; of warrior caste, proud, merciless in battle, and scourge of the Galaxy? She was beginning to suspect the Emperor had something to do with this. Vader’s mood had turned simply at the mention of him. What had he said to him? What had he done to Vader? In her own privacy and in her own time, she would speculate on the Emperor’s hand in Vader’s affairs, but for now she wanted to bring Vader back to her and her alone. She swallowed carefully, breaking in gently on the edgy silence between them.

“I cannot undo what has already been done. You know this already. But more importantly, I shouldn’t have to. What I had to do back then was legitimate.” Still maintaining a distance between them, she continued on.

“And…and you must understand this as well, I am still on the same side. It is you who has changed…you who crossed over. Remember that much my Lord Vader.” She bit her lip as she looked at him a little cautiously; she was no fool, she understood him all too well on that front, how he could have launched himself at her if he wanted to. He remained silent and unmoved, expressing nothing, though he was listening, because his eyes were intent on her as she continued to speak.

“Why are you turning on me now?” She asked him directly.

“You had to bring up Obi-Wan, and I’m not…I can’t…The Emperor…and you…” He was having difficulty with words at the moment. He looked pained, with his furrowed brow, his pursed lips, his head bent down as if in mourning.

“What about the Emperor...? What does he have to do with any of this?” She asked him, looking to him for some insight, though her words simply hung in the air, unanswered. His face was turned away from her and his head remained bent to the floor, committing to nothing. And then her face hardened a little, finding the silence too much to take all of a sudden and she sought more words to dispel the awkward hush. At that moment she didn’t care which way it would go; whether a breakthrough of understanding would be reached or a war of words would ensue. She just hated this wordless emptiness between them. She let fly.

“Whatever it is, he must enjoy the power he has over you.” Her voice had a bitter edge to it that she couldn’t control, nor could she control taking things further as she kept on at him.

“The Emperor has you so captive…and you let him…you let him twist” She was interrupted then, getting a reaction at last, as he turned on her again, but this time with much more menace, walking right up to her and taking her throat in his gloved hand. He had done that once before, but this time she was a little afraid of what he might just do with that grip.

“Don’t you say that, don’t you even speak to me about him that way. You know nothing of the Emperor and what he has done for me. I wouldn’t even be here without him.” He all but spat out the words, and yet for all that he still looked remarkably vulnerable. Witnessing this display of his he reminded her of a wolf creature bearing its teeth in defence as well as attack, because it did not understand which situation it truly faced, and this made her feel very sad all of a sudden. She was not afraid of him anymore or even angry or distressed by him. Instead, there was only pity and a sense of emptiness that came with that feeling. She spoke in a despondent yet detached voice considering Vader’s fingers were still held fast to her throat in a somewhat restrictive manner for normal speaking.

“You think everything revolves around you. One day, I will tell you the story of my life and all the misery it contained and perhaps we could compare notes, but today is not that day.”

With her own fingers she proceeded to systematically pry open the grip he still had on her neck one finger at a time before steering his hand completely away from her, coolly and calmly. She then turned round and began to walk back into the chamber proper towards the elevator door. He must have realised what she was doing, because in two strides he was beside her and he grabbed at her arm, but she pulled it away out of his reach and retreated away from him.

“You think you are the only one with pain…” She said, shaking her head. He opened his mouth as if to speak but she raised her hand in a gesture that could only be interpreted as a firm no.

“You…you…” Now she was at a loss for words.

She mentally cursed herself for this display of weakness as she felt herself welling up with unwanted emotions. She began to feel very much like the Admiral abandoning his ship, all hope lost after reading the final damage report, making for the escape pod to flee the wreck. She regarded Vader solemnly for a moment as she bent her head to the side slightly.

“I thought you were strong.” She whispered.

“I am strong.” He replied, his eyes losing some of their fury as they took on a soft look to them that belied his own words. She pointed a finger to her temple in an exaggerated gesture and addressed him in her even tone.

“When you sort this out, let me know. I don’t have the time or the inclination for putting up with your temper or the mess that is your mind.” Having said her piece and with her heart pounding painfully in her chest, she made to go, turning on her heel in the direction of the elevator door, but Vader stopped her in her tracks with a single bellowing command.

“Stay!”

She turned around slowly and looked at him again, really looked at him. By the Force he was beautiful, so very beautiful; but he was complicated, too complicated. After the Emperor had brought them together, when the Republic had fallen, as she became more acquainted with him he seemed a sweet challenge to her. He was the powerful Force user; the likes of which the Galaxy had never known before. Then later, as they carried out missions together, as they fought alongside one another, the thought of joining with him grew irresistible in its appeal. But it was his Sithness that raised his stock with her, that was what she was ultimately drawn to, his propensity for the Dark Side. Images came into her mind’s eye unbidden then to test her resolve; the way he had held her on Korriban, the way he had kissed her and asked for more. This too had some bearing on her attractions as well. He had stirred her blood like no one else. She became aware that still the music outside played on. It had been playing all this time; this melody that was so solemn, yet so lovely. Was it to be their song? Should it be? It was too sad, too elegiac in quality. It seemed to portend of doom, and yet she willed it to go on because sad or not, doom-laden or not, it was still utterly beautiful. She questioned herself then. Was this all really worth anything to her?

And then he said it again, softly this time.

“Stay…”

She drew in a deep breath and straightened up, as truthful desire within her, achingly honest, demanded that it be made known. She would give it voice, though she had no idea how it would be received. One thing she was certain of however, she was prepared to walk away from him if she had to. She licked her lips slowly and deliberately, watching him watch her do this and the tension in her eased slightly. His eyes held a pinch of hope in them, the anger in retreat for the moment. She swallowed carefully before opening her mouth to speak at last.

“I want Vader, do you understand me? I don’t want Skywalker. He belonged to Kenobi.” She bent her head down as though about to pray, and with her eyes closed, she intoned again for emphasis.

“I want Vader...” The last three words were uttered in a whisper that still managed to echo in the muted light of the chamber.

She looked up at him, wary of eye, yet with hope in her heart. She had never exposed herself so openly before and he was watching her with eyes that shone keenly in the lamplight. There was still a feral look to him. With his skin flushed and his nostrils flared, he had a tempered wildness to him, barely tamed. Something was different though, he actually looked reassured as well, or was she projecting her own feelings here?

“I am Vader…and I will always be Vader.” He said resolutely, imbuing as much meaning into the words as he could muster. And, in the light, she seemed to relax a little to him, as though a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. He contemplated on what she had asked for, pondered it deeply. She, who after all this time, after everything that had happened, had come closest to understanding him. Looking at her now, he saw in her a woman with needs of her own, though he admired her fiercely self-protective streak as well, and respected her all the more for that. Those intelligent brown eyes continued to bore into his, but it was not judgement he saw in them any more, that had evaporated as quickly as had his own anger.

“Asajj…” He spoke her name with a tenderness and reverence that she had never heard in his voice before. She rewarded him with eyes that spoke to him of acceptance and growing warmth.

There was a time, not so long ago, when her mere glance would have impacted upon him like a blow to the face. Now he welcomed whatever glance she gave him, in truth, he had pined for it. His dreams of her had helped chase away the nightmare of Obi-Wan. Alone in the dark, too afraid to sleep perchance that the awful truth would again haunt him, her image alone consoled him; sometimes he even imagined he could feel her strong arms around him, as he yielded at last to sleep. The mind could be cruel, but it could also be consoling in what it conjured sometimes, and in essence, did it not serve to protect the being from anxiety and unrest? And Vader’s mind was full of unrest, so naturally did he embrace the darkness, the despair of circumstance…

But Asajj was something tangible; in fact she was right here. As soon as he saw her walk through the archway earlier he had felt a charge race through him. She looked like a hunter returning to share the spills of prey, with that confident saunter of hers. All he had wanted to do right then was to take her in his arms, gaze into her eyes, and see his own reflection in them before claiming her mouth with his own. Why else had he asked her to come here? It should have been that simple.

“Come to me then.” Her entreaty broke through his reverie. With nothing more than her mere words, she beckoned him. No outstretched arms, no womanly trappings, mind tricks or extravagant seductions, but it was an invitation all the same. He took a single step forward and as he did so she stretched her arms out towards him in a conciliatory move, and at the sight of that acknowledgement he rushed forward, and in an instant, they were in each others arms.

“Forgive me.” He breathed as he trailed his lips over her exposed throat, the same column of flesh he had moments before, threatened to strangle. He relished the feel of her arms around him. He felt warm at last and oddly protected in her embrace as she tucked his head in closer to her neck and stroked his back with her other hand. She sighed in his ear at the feel of his full lips along her skin, as he nuzzled at her neck.

“When our paths first crossed, I despised you…” She whispered in his ear, as she plunged her hands into his hair and claimed purchase of that silky mane. With his lips still tracing a line down the column of her throat, he softly replied in turn.

“And I hated you.” Her chuckle was somewhat muffled by the fact that her mouth was against his hair. She pulled his head up to hers so that she could look deep into his eyes, eyes that were already gloriously drunk with desire. They began to close in on each other and a single thought ran through her head.

A kiss will fix this, a kiss will fix everything.

“You and I will atone for our past differences…” She whispered against his mouth just before their lips connected. With that preliminary touch, a switch was flicked, and they gave themselves over to their mutual attraction, kissing hungrily and relentlessly, as their hands sought each others’ faces for purchase. They kissed like this for a time, simply relishing the feel of warm lips and the touch of caressing hands. Briefly, they stopped to breathe, and in that moment, Vader took the opportunity to pull Asajj in to him and embrace her tightly, as though he was afraid she would still leave him if he let go of her. She had no such inclination to do this, and she wound her arms around him in turn. They both sighed in unison as they pressed their bodies close.

“I want you.” He voiced fervently. His words set her on fire.

“I’m here.” She replied, her voice deep with conviction as her arms held him as tightly as his own held her. Asajj lifted her head up to him and he saw that her eyes were dark, the pupils huge though she still retained that warrior-like steel of gaze as he looked down upon her.

“My bold one…” He murmured softly just before they surrendered once more to frenzied kissing. And all the while the music continued to filter its way into the chamber, to serenade the dark couple. How curious that the musicians themselves must have been completely unaware that their music served their Dark Lord and Master in this way.

“We are truly comrades then...comrades in arms?” She asked him with a tempered breathlessness, breaking contact with his lips to speak. He pulled back a little to study her face more clearly, adjusting his eyes to the soft light of the room as well as her wonderful proximity. His blood stirred within him, it was almost dizzying. He had forgotten how glorious feeling and giving into desire could be again. He focused upon her eyes as he stroked her cheek tenderly, though his hand was a little unsteady. Suddenly, the promise of her, the reality of her in his arms overwhelmed him. The lust made his voice sound more edgy and husky as he replied.

“In every sense, Asajj, in every sense…” He slowly sank to his knees before her and took hold of her waist in a possessive manner, clutching at her hips briefly before stealing his arms completely around her. She in turn took his head in both her hands and caressed his face and hair. He looked up at her ardently and unabashedly, his face a picture of smouldering desire and utter surrender. The sight of him at her feet made her feel powerful, but as a woman feels powerful when she knows she is truly desired. It also made her want him so much more than she’d ever imagined. She meant to have him before the night was over and judging by his look, it would be so. She disentangled her fingers from his mane and took his face in her hands as she gazed into his eyes. Her wild, beautiful Dark Lord was driving her crazy with want, his full sensuous lips parted in an unspoken pledge. She knew he had something further to say. She began to tremble with both awe and anticipation as she traced her fingers over his lips, her heart pounding as she felt his warm breath escape from that luscious mouth. He had the most soulful eyes just then, just before he spoke his promise to her.

“I commend myself to you.” Her fingers stopped at the sound of his words.

“As do I, to you, my Lord.” She responded quietly, in a tone that suggested something altogether sacred, as though some holy order had been performed just then. They looked at one another heatedly and wondrously for a moment as they acknowledged this pledge of allegiance. Nothing more needed to be said then as she bent her head down to meet his upturned face and their lips met in a passionate kiss that all but spoke to a pact completed. And for some time, the two of them were no longer troubled by breathing.

…Minutes later.

They sighed with passion as they clawed at one another’s bodies possessively. They somehow found themselves up against one of the pillars, or more accurately, Asajj had her back pressed to it as Vader leaned in to her, sandwiching her entirely as his onslaught on her mouth continued. He couldn’t get enough of those purple lips of hers; intermittently breaking away from them to simply look at them before he was again so taken in by their spell that he had no choice but to re-capture them again and yet again. The air was filled with the sounds of rustling clothes and soft moans until Vader seized Asajj quite suddenly, pulling her away from the pillar and up against him. With one arm firmly coiled around her waist and the other clamped to the side of her head he made her look at him and what he saw in her face made almost all of the blood inside of him direct itself to where it would be needed most and very soon. He gulped in surrender to her wanton look, and simply motioned his head towards the direction of the bed chamber.

“What say you?” His voice was quiet, though laden with lust.

Her answer was lost in a flurry of activity, as they resumed pawing at each other incessantly and kissing frenetically, though somewhere along the way she must have assented because they eventually burst through the door to the bed chamber. Once inside they calmed somewhat, as Asajj couldn’t help but direct her gaze to the room itself, temporarily. She approved of the large, tall four-posted bed in the centre of the chamber, with its ample cushions carelessly strewn atop the bedding and sheets and quilt of smoky burgundy. Vader slumbered well it seemed. It was a bed fit for a Dark Lord of the Sith with the large angled window situated at the head, letting in the starlight and the luminous rays of the twin moons. Looking out through this portal, Asajj saw that they had begun to dip below the horizon at last, their colour a deep yellow indicating their low position in the night sky.

He came up behind her then and stole his arms around her as he rested his chin on top of her head.

“My Captress.” He whispered. She turned in his arms and he loosened his hold to allow her to unclasp her robe. She shrugged it free from her shoulders and using the Force, she waved a hand and the brown cloak sailed across the room before being deposited on a chair by the far wall. She then turned back to him and he offered her his gauntleted arm.

“Would you? I know you want to.” He said knowingly, seeing the spark in her eyes.

“You have no idea.” She smiled up at him seductively. She licked her lips in anticipation as she ran her fingers over the strapping and synth-leather for a moment, simply savouring the feel of it. She then slowly unfastened the buckles one at a time before carefully sliding the gauntlet from his arm to reveal the mechanical substitute. She took a few seconds to just study it, really look at it up close and she marvelled at its construction. He accommodated her fascination by moving it for her; closing his hand into a fist, and then opening it up again to splay his fingers so she could see the way it all worked. As he did so, she noted the way the electromotive drivers moved to make these actions possible. The drivers were concealed partially beneath the black-plated cladding that helped protect the bronze wiring as well as add reinforcement and strength to the limb. The dura-steel connections mimicked the veins and blood vessel networks and musculature of a real forearm, though the whirring sound the mechanical arm made as it moved did surprise her. In the quietness of the room it seemed very loud, though she loved it all the same. She took his metal fingers in her hand and drew them to her lips and he gave a soft gasp in response. This provided a thrill to her as she looked up into his eyes and he nodded his affirmation; those fingers had some feeling attached to them as well. How glorious, she thought to herself. She began to skim her own fingers lightly over the metal to its junction with flesh, and oh, the thrill of that too. The difference in texture of metal to skin was abundantly clear as her fingers traversed that juncture; the silky suppleness of flesh versus the hard smoothness of metal.

She released her hold on his mechanical arm and those metal fingers danced across her cheek for a moment before Vader grabbed at her hand to pull her towards the bed itself. Once there at the foot of the bed, they both tugged and pulled at each others remaining clothes zealously and impatiently, until all was revealed to them both. In the soft light cast by the waning moons Vader thought her body a revelation. Her limbs were perfection realised, her ample breasts soft mounds that begged to be touched. But it was her skin that took him by surprise, so white. No creature could be so white and still have blood pumping through their, and yet, here was such a being, corporeal and alive. She was a marble statue come to life. But no marble ever felt so warm and soft to his touch. He ran his hands delicately over her breasts, marvelling at the contours and valley in between, how they fascinated him.

She inturn was enamoured of his golden skin, with muscles that rippled beneath as he moved. He was perfectly proportioned, statuesque and beautiful from his dark honey coloured hair to the toes at his feet; surely there had never been a more handsome Sith. He was so warm too as he touched her now for the first time like this, so intimately. A sweep of his hand across her shoulder gave her such a charge that it made her light headed. Then his hands on her breasts undid her and she pounced on him, making him fall backwards on the bed, and seizing her chance she pushed him further into the soft burgundy quilt and draped her body over his. They both gasped and moaned deeply as he revelled in the crush of her breasts against him, and she in turn felt his cock hard against her stomach.

He offered his throat to her and she clamped her willing mouth to the tender flesh he proffered. She nibbled and sucked along the column of it before working her way up along his jaw, to trace her lips along a trajectory that led to his ear and up a little further to that delectable scar of his. She could not resist running her tongue down this damaged, yet wondrous flesh. All the while she thrilled to the sound of his precious moans of pleasure and delight as he held her tightly against him, his eyes closed, his skin gorgeously flushed. She stopped to look at him. He sensed her perusal and opened his own eyes and they both exchanged deeply impassioned looks, as Vader caressed her cheek and Asajj smoothed the hair from his face in a momentary calming gesture. They both trembled with need and anticipation, but they both quelled the rising tide of their mutual hunger for a little while, to simply be together like this, savour this moment that they’d never had before, had never imagined before. Asajj traced her fingers over Vader’s lips and he gently kissed them in return.

“You are so lovely, my sweet Dark Lord…” She said quietly, teasing his mouth open slightly with her fingers, feeling her desire grow exponentially with each breath she took as she felt each puff of air that escaped his lips.

“And you are so beautiful, my alabaster Goddess…” And with that he pulled her head down to his and their lips met in a fierce kiss as their bodies began to move against one another, like the ebb and flow of the tide along the shore.

It was one for the philosophers to argue over, as to whether she had impaled herself upon him, or he had entered her, but it would suffice to say that the moment, as well as the act itself was mutually assured and desired. She was like ivory cream in his arms, and he was like dark honey in hers, both yielding to each others touches and needs as they rode each other to ecstasy. Was there screaming and gnashing of teeth at its culmination? One might note that gasps of pleasure and release were audible to puzzled residents some levels below, and that the bed itself was several times raised from the floor, as Force users are wont to release their feelings into their surroundings at moments of intensity.

The lovers settled in each others gentle embraces afterwards. There was contented bliss writ large upon her face for a little while, as she played absently with his hair, as his head rested upon the pillow of her breasts. He exhaled a shaky sigh though, and her expression changed when she felt the tell tale wetness of tears trailing down her neck and chest, but these tears were not her own. She tugged his head up to look him squarely in the face, with concern now dominating her features. She didn’t say anything, though she touched her fingers to his cheeks to blot his trail of tears until he took her hand and placed a soft kiss to her palm.

“You have been the first since…” He never finished his sentence, because as he trailed off she gave him no time to go back to it, pulling his head down with both hands and pressing her lips to his in a gesture of understanding and comfort, so unlike her earlier passionate and sensuous kisses. She released his lips only in so far as they were now barely touching hers, just enough distance between them so that she could still speak.

“You have not betrayed your love for him.” It was all she said, and would say, on the matter as he tucked his head into her neck and held her fiercely, while she placed her mouth against his hair and kissed it softly. They lay together like this for a while as finally, after many hours, the music outside suddenly stopped, and all was silent. The moons had disappeared from the sky at long last too, as both Vader and Ventress were cast in shadow now, and the stillness of the night weaved its way into both lovers’ awareness. Asajj stirred, which roused Vader to attention. She could see his earnest eyes in the dark, questioning. She would never get enough of those eyes, his lovely face, the way it looked to her, now in the context of their shared intimacy. How precious he was, and yet, she felt uneasiness all of a sudden, as though it was dangerous to think like this, to get carried away like this.

“Stay with me tonight. Don’t go.” He whispered. He looked sleep deprived with his eyes drooped somewhat, his mouth open slightly, like he was groggy, but he was still lovely all the same. She stroked his face tenderly with one hand, the other she placed softly against his chest.

“I will not leave you.” She promised as she took his face in her hands then and drew him close for a kiss. She didn’t want to say no to him, so she didn’t. He took her in his arms, and she settled against him, to sleep at last. And they did for a while and she stayed the entire night…

To be continued...