Ask Pursuit for Redemption

[Veles]

The ground rumbled under their feet and the elevator shaft only a few meters away collapsed, leaving a massive, gaping hole down into the darkness below where it once was. Veles’ eyes flicked its way, regarding it for just a moment before he turned his attention back to Malou.

”Good,” he replied softly. Normally, he’d be able to open it by himself, but the help of another Sith meant that he got to keep some of his energy. The wildfire withdrawals were not doing him any favors, and he wasn’t intending on redosing in front of Malou.

”Yes. I don’t see any point in waiting.” He looked back over his shoulder. ”My ship is just this way.”

The shuttle’s long wings poked over the top of the rock formation he’d left it behind, its ebony durasteel not shining in the light. He liked that about the ship—it was subtle, even though he might as well have written “IMPERIAL” in big red letters all over the hull. Veles tapped the keypad and the door hissed open. He stepped inside, and it closed after Malou.

There was silence in the shuttle. He’d done his best to clean up after the chaos two days ago, but it would be a long process until he got it back to looking like it did before. There were still bloodstains on the blanket and pillow on the couch that he’d slept on, and half the things in the shuttle were still scattered haphazardly on the floor. He’d removed all the glass shards and anything else that could be outright dangerous, but his ship was far from looking well.

”I’m uh—I’m sorry for the mess.” He strode down the hallway and toward his bedroom, which was the biggest chamber and also the cleanest. It would be best if they opened the holocron there, because he would hate for it to get covered in grease from Altair’s fried nuna leg.

He stepped into the bedroom and set the holocron on the floor in the center of the room as he waited for the Miralukan, his eyes looking outside the circular window at the night sky. It was beautiful here, every single one of Jwilo’s 55 moons visible and glowing, surrounded by dotted stars. Veles grabbed the bottle of Corellian whiskey off the table, the one he'd burned through in two days, and poured some into the glass next to it. The Dathomirian gulped it down to take the edge off, since it would be some time until he could redose next. He took his cloak off and threw it on the bed. Veles turned to gaze at the door just as she passed through. As it hissed shut behind Malou, he sat, cross-legged on the floor.

”Are you ready?” the Dathomirian asked. He truthfully had no idea what to expect, as every holocron was different, just like its maker.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Malou followed him to his ship as the elevator shaft collapsed behind the two of them, leaving a resounding echo to hang in the air as rocks fell and the cave below imploded in on itself. If they had even been a minute later, they would be crushed under a ton of rubble. The thought of it made her shudder, so she quickened her pace to keep up with him.

They reached his ship, vaguely triangular in shape, and once he unlocked it, she followed him inside. It was messier than she though it would be, with things in disarray and objects strewn across the room haphazardly. He apologized for the mess, and she gave him a shrug in return. She didn't live here and how he chose to live didn't affect her. Malou was pretty sure, by the tone of his apology, that this was not the natural state of his ship.

The door to his chambers hissed shut behind her, and her Sight laid eyes on the holocron safe down in the middle of the room. Was she ready? Malou nodded; it was now or never. The Champion had never had the opportunity to open a holocron, so she could be lying if the idea didn't excite her at all.

Malou sat across from Veles, putting the holocron between the two of them. She knelt down rather than sit crosslegged, sitting on the back of her calves and placing her hands in her lap. Through the Force, she reached out, testing the waters and tasting the aura of the Dark Side that emanated from the red pyramid. It would respond to the two of them, raising from the ground and slowly rotating in place as it undid it's security mechanisms through their use of the Force. It would become increasingly clear to the both of them how ancient the artifact was, but opening it was oddly straightforward. Once it was opened, it lowered itself back down to the ground, no longer a perfect pyramid.

"What now?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. It was pulsing in the Force, humming with the promise of knowledge.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

The holocron opened up like a blossoming flower, gently set back down on the floor by the Force. For a moment, Veles simply stared at it, at the triangular maroon petals, the dim crimson light glowing from its center. He glanced up to Malou. Indeed, what now? He was about to open his mouth when his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he was thrust into his mind, same as she would be.

He was back at the party, surrounded by people. The music boomed the same as it had that night, the same sticky texture to the floor hugging his soles as he tried to move forward, confused. Wasn’t he just on his ship opening the holocron? Veles darted his head around frantically, trying to spot any familiar faces, but found that none of the people around him had faces.

”You come before me at your weakest, and expect to prove the strength of your will.” A woman had appeared behind him, the crowd parted around her, the faceless figures not reacting in any way to her presence. This was certainly the Sith Lord who’d made the holocron.

It was strange, the effect her words had on him. The brief phrase, the emotions it invoked, opening him up like a key. They all came tumbling around, and he couldn’t help but be overcome with irritation. He inhaled sharply through his nose.

”My weakest is still far more powerful than your strongest,” he retorted. His eyes narrowed on the Sith Lord. She regarded him with a blank look, and then her lips turned to the faintest traces of an amused smile. She disappeared, and so did the room around him.

---

Malou found herself in Castle Wessex, in the courtyard, Veles in front of her smoking a cigarette, the smoke rising like fog from his mouth when he exhaled. ”We could definitely get you into any club,” he declared, clearly in the middle of talking. He froze.

”For him?” her voice asked from behind the Miralukan. ”And what do you gain from it?”

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Malou's body slumped over, and she was thrust into her mind. A familiar scene formed—her and Veles standing out in the courtyard of Castle Wessex. The memory began to play, only to freeze when a woman appeared behind her. "For him?" she asked. "What do you gain from it?"

"From helping him?" No response came from the Sith Lord standing behind her. Malou felt compelled to give the woman an answer, but she wasn't sure. "Knowledge," came the answer, tumbling off her lips into the frigid air. "From knowledge I gain power." It was perhaps the simplest answer, but it was true enough. She wanted to learn more about the Consiluil de Sapte, and they could teach her so much.

"And what do you want from power, Dovak?" The mention of her mother's maiden name sent a shiver down her spine. There was only one reason Myslec might be referring to her by that name, and Malou wasn't sure whether or not it was a good thing. "To be untouchable," she whispered as she ran her cybernetic thumb across the palm of her cybernetic hand. "Whether you let me or not, I will—"

The world disappeared around her, cutting her off mid-sentence. An echo remained in the air, the whisper of the woman's voice, though it slowly faded away. "...seems to run in your family..."

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

He was in his ship, alone, working on the antidote. He poured a liquid out of a beaker and into the mixing bowl, but it turned to a writhing mass of small black snakes. Veles stepped back, and a few leapt toward him, going through him as they made contact.

”All this risk, all this effort—and why? For people who cast you aside the moment you made a mistake?” He saw Altair charging in, Malou looking away from him, the Empress’ hand brushing up against the hilt of her lightsaber. ”Would they do the same for you?”

”I—” He hesitated. Only two people in the Galaxy would do the same for him. ”Yes.”

Veles was in Xendor’s palace now, but there was no one else there. It looked like a ghost town. His gaze darted around at the burning halls, rubble falling from the ceiling as it all collapsed. From within its dust, she strolled out, an indecipherable look on her face as though she knew something he didn’t.

”Don’t lie to yourself.”

---

Malou was back on Taris as well, in the banquet hall, dancing with Cairo. He looked cheerful, perhaps a bit inebriated, but just as carefree as back then, when no one had realized that things were going wrong.

A drop of purple liquid fell on her shoulder, then another and another. Wildfire trickled out from Cairo’s mouth and nose and eyes, coating his face and hiding his features. A pained groan rose from within his chest, and he collapsed, convulsing to the ground. Myslec stood over him, a disappointed look on her face.

”Do you think he can fix this?” She appeared behind Malou. ”I can teach you how to—and you won’t need him.”

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Malou tried to catch Cairo as he collapsed, but he fell right through her arms. Though she was aware this was all in her head, she couldn't stop the panic that rose in her chest as his face began to bleed purple. The Espirion woman looked down at her from the frozen crowd, disappointment on her face as Malou knelt down to reach her friend.

Her question caused Malou to bite the inside of her cheek, debating how she would respond. Doubt whispered in her ear, telling her with the utmost certainty that Veles would not be able to fix it. He would fail, and he would die. She would lose both him and Cairo to his own mistakes. Myslec stepped closer, though she came from behind the Miralukan now. Could she do it? Was it possible that Malou could do this all on her own? The Serennian was selfish and the woman's words spoke to that part of her.

But the Champion was not stupid. "I think he's going to try," Malou answered bitterly. "And I'm going to help him." She had no intention of letting him do this alone if he would let her. "Do you think your council would've fallen if you hadn't insisted on working alone?" Malou challenged, turning around as she stood up so that she faced the Lord. "How much more could you have accomplished if you trusted someone other than yourself?"

The Espirion's features faded to something indecipherable as the room faded to black again. Malou stood alone with her in a void of black, staring into her black eyes.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

The sound of metal rolling on stone cut through as the noise of the palace collapsing faded, Myslec’s piercing gaze set on Veles. And then, from around the corner rolled out a single vial of wildfire, coming to a stop between the two Sith and a few meters away from him.

Veles looked at it and then up to the Sith Lord, his face a scowl. She regarded him with an amused smile that hid something sinister behind it, and she did not even have to say anything for him to understand. ”No.”

A bubble bobbed around in the purple liquid as it was cradled back and forth by the rumbling and shaking of the ground. His gaze was set hard on it, a battle taking place within the Dathomirian as he stared at the wildfire. He’d come to have a strange relationship with the drug in the past few days; it made him feel like he was at the top of the world and yet it took away that which was most important to him. He wanted to throw out the last crate he had, and yet without it, he would die. That chocolate-like taste had grown to rustle memories and emotions held deep within him, and he could almost feel it on his tongue as he looked at the vial.

”No,” he declared again with finality. Veles wheeled around, away from the wildfire, his gaze shifting, only to fall on an entire crate right behind him. The Sith Lord’s face hung over his shoulder, her voice speaking directly into his ear. The longer he stood there, the weaker he felt, his knees slowly beginning to shake as they strained to hold his weight, his eyelids drooping and weak, his blood cold in his veins.

”Why not? Do you not need it? Does it not feel so, so good? What’s the harm in just a little bit?” She spoke with a smile in her voice, and the persuasion scratched at his mental walls weakly but incessantly. After all, why would there be a problem with just a little more? If it could keep him on his feet, could prevent him from passing out now, why not?

”I don’t—” His brows furrowed. ”I don’t want to.”

He suddenly found that there was something in his hand, and Veles didn’t even have to look to know. ”Come on,” she encouraged. ”Just a little bit. Then you can lay down, and pretend nothing is happening.”

Veles fell to his knees without meaning to; his body simply couldn’t hold him up anymore. The sounds of war raging in the palace grew ever more distant as the light faded. He looked around and he was alone. He would die here. There was no one to save him. Would anyone even save him if they were there?

Except there was. It lay in his hands, wrapped in a white-knuckled grip in his fist. It was the only thing that would alleviate his pain, the only thing that would keep him alive. He could take it and get back up, and then he’d find his way out of the palace and find that antidote. That was what he was doing, wasn’t it? Yes, that was why he was in the palace in the first place.

His breathing was pained and labored. Every time he inhaled, it was a struggle, a climb uphill that threatened to send him careening back down at any moment. His heart beat so slowly now, so weakly. His eyes could barely flit down to look at his hand. His fingers barely moved as they settled on the cap. He almost didn’t have the strength to pop it off. Almost.

And then it was coursing down his throat, the chocolate filling his senses, and he couldn't control himself any longer. He retched as he drank it but didn’t stop, taking big gulps, purple running down his chin and under his shirt, on his clothes—but he didn’t care. He kept drinking until was empty, and he checked that it was, and then threw it aside. Veles threw the vial aside and it was only then that the gravity of his actions sunk in. And then all he could see was black.

But he was conscious. He was awake. He was floating, it seemed, as though he were in the vacuum of realspace. No matter where he craned his head, Veles couldn’t see anything. It was pitch dark, and there was nothing around him to hinder his movements. Confusion set in. Then, a white light erupted above him, small and distant, and he found his body moving toward it. The closer he got, the more he felt relief flow through him, a calm that washed over in waves. It was all okay now. Mylsec was right. What was the harm? Why should he not alleviate his own suffering if no one else would?

Veles grew closer to the light and found himself looking forward to reaching it more and more as he felt the pleasure growing. He was so calm now, so peaceful it was almost like he was sleeping. It was a high like no other, not even the wildfire. But why was he feeling it? What else had he taken today? What had he been doing today?

His heart sunk. He remembered now, the dungeon, the holocron, his ship, Malou. How had he gotten here? Was he dying?

Frantically, he waved his limbs around, struggling to get away from the light. Whereas before he had been impatient to arrive, now he felt absolutely desperate to get as much distance between him and it. His heart and mind raced as he struggled away, his senses into overdrive. He couldn’t let this happen. He wasn’t ready, not now.

And despite his efforts, he continued to only grow closer and closer.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Myslec stared at her, unblinking in the black void around them. The words Malou had shot back to her echoed all around them, repeating the question she'd asked of the Lord, but they changed. Slowly, almost unnoticeably, "How much more could you have accomplished if you trusted someone other than yourself?" became bastardized into "How much could you accomplish if you left him and took it all for yourself?" When the champion finally noticed the change, nothing else occupied her mind

What if I took it for myself? If Myslec taught her, she could make the antidote Veles so desperately needed. She would solve the problems he created, and for that, she would be lauded.

"You owe him nothing." Myslec whispered, her voice in Malou's ear despite the distance away she stood. "You are Sith. Take from him everything he gives and give nothing in return. You owe him nothing."

Do I owe him nothing? He'd come to her in her depression and helped her without her ever having to ask. All her life she'd had to seek out the things she wanted from people, until then. Did he come wanting something from me? They drank, ran off into the woods, and when they encountered horrors, he said he would help her defeat them. He gained nothing from that. Right?

"He caused his own problems, and now he acts like a victim. His ignorance is his innocence. Why does he want this knowledge, Dovak? And why do you?"

He wants to fix things. Save his apprentice. Save himself. Regain his title. And what did she want? She wanted him to get better, and she wanted Cairo to, too. There was more, though. Malou wanted to learn about Myslec. She wanted to see her studies and learn about everything that made her who she was. What could she learn from her? What could the holocron teach her about the Consiliul de Șapte that the galaxy had never known?

"I—" "I'll give you a choice." The Espirion woman interrupted Malou before she could voice her thoughts, and within the void around them, two pedestals appeared. On one sat the holocron, spinning slowly in place and humming a soft but vibrant hum. On the other sat a datapad, but by the looks of it, the thing was ancient. "Choose the holocron, and you'll get what you came here for. Choose the datapad, and you'll get that and everything I ever recorded about the council." Malou's jaw all but dropped, her eyes glued to the resting piece of technology. It was too good to be true.

"What's the catch?" asked the Serennian, eyes narrowing at the woman standing between the two options. She smiled, devilishly so, and answered, "If you chose the datapad, he dies."

Malou's breath caught in her throat. She wanted so desperately to take the datapad and scroll through its contents. What was inside? What could she learn? "You'll get everything you want and more, and it will all be yours and yours alone." If Myslec was telling the truth and she really had a fountain of information on the council, it was an absolute gold mine. But if I take it, he dies? The void gave way to a different image this time, and off in the distance she could see what looked like Veles, clawing his way away from a bright light. He looked desperate in his struggle, his whole body resisting the pull of the glow. Slowly but surely though, he was drawn in closer and closer.

"Time is running out, Dovak. Make your choice."

~~~~~​

Malou sat in the quiet of Veles' chambers, kneeling with the open holocron cupped in her hands. Her head tilted downward and her shoulders slumped forward to keep the edge off of the exhaustion her body felt. Deep breaths caused her chest to rise and fall, and her lips were just barely parted. She'd made her choice, and she really hoped it was the right one.

Veles laid on the ground before her, unconscious, but stable. When she'd been released from the Lord's hold, his breath had been panicked, but now it was regular. As much as she'd wanted that datapad and as much as she wanted to be selfish, the Miralukan had chosen otherwise. If she owed him anything, it was this.

She hoped it was worth it.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

Right as Malou came to, he was convulsing from a seizure. Deep within his mind, his life force was being shoved out of his body, and he was hanging on by a thread. Then Malou made her choice.

He had been floating toward the light, but he stopped, hanging in the darkness in a pitch black void. No wind whistled at Veles’ face or clothes, no sounds but that of blood rushing through his ears. There was no way to know how much emptiness was around him because his senses had essentially been taken away from him. He tried to reach out through the Force, but it was as though there was a wall blocking him.

Veles stopped, and simply hung there, staring into the darkness. Though it only lasted a few seconds, it felt like hours. His mind wandered and he could sense the prodding of Myslec at his mental walls, the memories she injected in an attempt to work him up. The Dathomirian simply sighed.

When everything went black, he was half expecting to not wake up, but found himself back in his room with Malou holding the holocron in front of him, and she was clearly awake. Veles bolted upright the moment his eyes snapped open, his lungs frantically breathing in big gulps of oxygen as though he’d been underwater. There was a strange glint in his eyes, one that he would be dealing with for a long time. With one foot out the door into the other realm, one’s mind does tend to wander, and those are some significant thoughts that stick around with you well after you’re resurrected.

He had no idea if he’d died or not, but checked his body and found he was perfectly healthy and unharmed. Veles’ eyes darted to glance at Malou. ”Is everything alright?” he asked, completely unaware of her sacrifice. The holocron would not tell him, perhaps because the Sith Lord liked the idea of Malou having to be burdened with actually telling him and appreciated the possible drama. No one quite understands the cryptic minds of ancient Sith Lords.

Veles looked at the holocron in her hands. ”I suppose you passed the test,” he noted. ”Because I know I definitely didn’t.” The last part came out much more quietly, his gaze not meeting hers. He was still processing it.

”Now I believe we can access the information freely.”

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

He woke up suddenly and violently, causing the Miralukan to flinch slightly as he moved. Malou could only assume he had been forced to go through a trial, and when he spoke, he confirmed that suspicion. "I'm glad you're okay," she muttered, her tired voice barely above a whisper. She didn't confirm whether or not she passed the test, because she didn't have to. The soft, dark hum of the holocron in her hands did it for her.

Before he could say or ask anything else, Malou activated the holocron. A blueish color emitted from the pyramid, and its data appeared holographically in the air above it. It was in a format that did not register through her Sight, so she set it on the ground and folded her hands in her lap while Veles went through the information. She could peruse it at a later date, she figured, when she had time to look at it with her own two eyes.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

Veles was surprised to hear what she said, but he didn’t reply. The holocron opened, and projected a sort of hologram that hung in the air, ancient Sith runes and symbols that glowed and seemingly floated around. Veles reached out a hand to touch one, and found that it spoke different things based on the rune touched and always in ancient Sith.

He was most interested by a lesson on the relationship of kyber crystals and the Force, and how they can be used to reconnect someone’s connection to the Force. The Jedi way was bonding with the crystal and gradually letting it heal, but the Sith sorcerers just snuffed the life out of the crystal and used it. It was the most important law of alchemy—you must always offer something in return.

It was insightful, and he could see how it would connect with the search for the antidote. That was what was missing. He simply had to tear the life out of a kyber crystal and channel it into the lilac plant that was used in the process. So simple and yet so unorthodox that he hadn’t even considered it. Holocrons truly were the perfect tool to fill in the gaps.

He rummaged around through the holocron for a little bit, noting that Malou was just sitting there so she clearly could not access it like this. After Veles had scanned everything in it, he withdrew. She would have plenty of time to pore through it, because he had no intention of keeping it. He’d failed the trial and Malou had not, and he would have given it to her regardless. It was the least he could do to thank her.

”I know what I must do,” he declared quietly, breaking the silence. ”And I have everything I need.” He rose to his feet. There was no use in waiting around.

Veles headed for the chamber that he used for alchemy, and practically stormed through the door, shuffling and rummaging around in several drawers and cupboards. When the ingredients were at last gathered, he set them down on the floor and then went to grab something from inside his room. He went back in and came out with a lightsaber hilt that did not look very Sith.

If Malou chose to stick around and watch, she could. If not, Veles wouldn’t want to intrude on her time even more.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Malou continued to sit quietly on her calves and knees. Her mind wandered, replaying events and trying once again to process her emotions. From the moment Veles had shown her his memories, she continued to jump from one state of mind to another. Why did I choose him? Nothing came to mind. Would would I be reading now? The woman imagined herself reading through the datapad. What would I have learned? There could've been so much for her to gain, and yet, she'd chosen to leave it to rest in favor of him.

Veles, or by the name she'd first known him as, Cinere. He was her friend. Are we friends? She had chosen to save his life over the temptation of powerful knowledge. Begrudgingly, she wondered, Would he would do the same for me? There was no way to know unless she asked him, and that required her to explain what she'd supposedly done. No way. How do you even tell that to someone? Malou didn't know.

Only after he left the chambers did Malou move. She let her head fall into her hands, then tore them apart with an exasperated groan. Ugh, why do I have emotions! The woman reached forward to grab the holocron, grasping at the quiet hum. Veles burst back into the room just as she did, causing her to flinch and fall forward a bit. He left, and Malou paused. Should she wait to look through it?

Figuring maybe she wanted to see what he was up to, Malou rose to her feet and follow to find where he'd gone off to. She stood by one of the walls, still as a statue, and watched him. He moved with some kind of urgency, but not exactly the one she expected. It was something in the ballpark of inspiration, which made sense considering the holocron in her hand. The Miralukan watched him from the wall, beginning to forget about her frustrations as curiosity overtook her worry. She'd never watched an alchemist do alchemist-y things.

I wonder how long this will take? How long did he have? Why do I care? Were they even friends anymore? Had she fucked things up with her harsh words? No- no, he said I'm his closest friend, and that I- I... Veles told her she meant a lot to him.

And she thought maybe he meant a lot to her too, so when he'd told her he'd done something potentially irreversibly damaging to himself, maybe she'd overreacted.

Maybe.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

He set the lightsaber hilt down on the ebony table and the lilac flower aside, instead closing his eyes and shifting his focus to the hilt. Nothing happened for a moment, until green smoke gently floated from his hands and around it, enveloping the cylinder completely. Then, like a snake, the smoke constricted, seemingly solid, and then violently tore itself apart, and the lightsaber hilt opened up, every single bit and piece floating in the air. At its center, a blue crystal shone weakly, catching the light.

He opened his eyes and gazed at it for a moment. It looked beautiful and pure, untouched by any corruption. Veles tapped it with his index finger and the cerulean light within the crystal began to pour out into his finger, until it looked more like a stone. It was a far darker act than it looked, as he was taking the life of a crystal attuned to the Force itself, and the shockwaves were felt, waves of dread and panic that coursed through anyone in the vicinity.

The energy was poured into the lilac plant, and it physically changed as it went through it, until the flower was shining weakly, a green tinge to it, its petals sharper than before and its trunk thicker. Veles grabbed a mortar and pestle and turned the flower to a fine powder, rolling the pestle around without paying mind to Malou. He could sense her presence, and knew that she had been watching him since the beginning, but he was focused on something now. Besides, he doubted she wanted to interrupt his process.

Once a powder, he mixed it with the liquid inside a jar, the entire thing turning a dull green. He screwed the top back onto the jar and placed it on a shelf, then pulled a tiny curtain over it. Now finally done, Veles whirled around to face Malou. ”It needs three days to properly bond with the solution, but I think this is the one.”

He wasn’t sure where and how their relationship stood, so his tone was neutral. There was a silence between them for a moment. ”Thank you.”

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

The alchemical process was intriguing, and that was an understatement. In ways others could not, Malou could watch the physical Force around them change. It was more than just the green mist of magick; not only did she feel the bite of dread and shudder of panic, but she could see it in the definition of the world around her. Thankfully, it was a fleeting change, and the Miralukan was not forced to dwell in the corrupted atmosphere for long.

The rest of the process seemed to be fairly simple to her, or as simple as crushing up a plant and mixing it into a liquid could be. Once it was put away, Veles finally turned around and faced her. He spoke, explaining the reason for the action and the time needed, then he fell silent. Malou thought to say something, but words fell short of her. What could she even say?

"Thank you."

The silence continued even after he spoke. His voice was neutral, his body language was unreadable, and the woman found herself chewing on her words. She wanted things to go back to how they had been, but hadn't she ruined that?

"I—" What did she say? What did he want to hear from her? Should she apologize? "I'm- I'm sorry. For what I said. Earlier" The words fell into the dead air, struggling to be spoken properly out of her mouth. Malou had never apologized to anyone in this capacity. Both Draugr and Senin had apologized to her, and she'd remained stubborn in her mind about being in the right. Now? She wasn't so sure. He was in the wrong for what he'd done, but she felt as she had also been in the wrong for her reaction. That wasn't how a friend should react. "I just... I didn't know how to process it all. It was a lot all at once, and I- I'm not very good at that sort of thing."

Malou had never been very emotionally adept. She tried to shove everything under the rug, and so far, that had worked. Anger only struck her when she was failing, or when things tried to pry their way into her personal space. This though, was too much for her to do that with too. "I don't want- I- I like being—" Sigh. Malou likely looked just as awkward standing there as she felt, letting the words tumble out of her mouth as she tried to explain herself and her feelings.

"I care about you too, and I'm sorry if- for- I'm sorry."

With tense shoulders, the Serennian turned as if she were going to leave. If he had nothing to say, she would, and quickly. Her heart was racing, her body dealing with the adrenaline that comes after someone so closed off decides to open up.

tag: @vamp

 

[Veles]

Even though the ritual was over and the Force had calmed, he could still sense the lightest traces of turmoil. Veles stared at her blindfold, eyes darting to scan her face for any reactions. He’d expected her to be more composed when she spoke, and seeing her stutter like that – Malou, who generally tended to be stoic or at least very in control of her emotions and demeanor – was a bit surprising.

”You don’t have to apologize,” he assured, features softening. It was pleasantly different to have someone treat him like a person for once. He’d been the brunt of many harsh reactions over the past week, and most people had lashed out against him the first chance they got.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have overwhelmed her with information. The thought was accompanied by a tiny sense of guilt building within his gut, but he shoved it aside. Perhaps it would have been better if he’d just said it, without beating around the bush and shifting the burden of informing away from him.

Her face betrayed the way she felt for once. Even if Malou was not adept at dealing with her emotions and simply suppressed everything, on the outside she appeared stoic and calm most of the time. To see her stumble over her words like a teenage girl meeting Emryc Thorne was definitely a first.

”I understand.” There was no interjecting, no interrupting the word vomit, so Veles remained silent. Then, she said one last thing to turn to leave and he stood there in shocked silence as she stormed out of the ship. There was no stopping her.

She cared about him, and that was something he’d never heard from anyone. Did anyone else care about him? Probably not, but he was elated with just one person regardless. With a sigh, Veles shut off the light and stepped out of the room, toward the cockpit. A protocol droid – painted matte black – sat on the captain’s chair, simply staring off into space. It was unnerving the way droids could just turn into statues at will. There was no co-pilot’s seat because it was occupied by the socket of the astromech.

”Plot a course for Taris.” He walked off, down the hall and into his room. There was a lot to think about, and he had three days to kill.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

He didn't stop her, so she left.

With soil under her feet, the Miralukan watched his ship lower it's wings and shoot off into space. Her own ship was not far, but she didn't have the intention of leaving quite yet. She wanted to look through the holocron first, to see what he'd seen and to find out what else was inside.

// end thread
tag: @vamp