Retribution's Wake

[Gambler]

"Are you ****ing kidding me?" Gabriel whispered. His eyes snapped shut. His breathing slowed. The cement floor pressed against his cheek. The dampness reminded him. It reminded him who he was.

He rolled onto his side, slowly as to not jolt Andraste around. Silence was both a sword and a shield. The weak knew of it. The aspiring mastered it. He leveled his breathing, feeling Andraste's words sink in.

"You want to know why I joined the Sith," he said. It wasn't a question. "Power is an ideal. The weak aspire for it. The strong bathe in it. Once given a taste people will always want more. Once shown what they can become they will begin to strive." A shroud fell over his face.

"A lost love?" he asked. "You can say that. Love is a sacrifice on the stairway to power. I didn't make that decision." His eyes were lightning, his voice thunder.

"Do you have any dreams, desert flower?"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste said nothing and did not struggle as he rolled onto his side. She faced the opposite end of the cell, where they had been sitting. She listened to his words, closing her eyes. He had a choice in joining the Sith. She had been thrust into it at a very young age. She kept the thoughts to herself, opening her eyes as he presented her with an odd question. She pondered on it for a moment, gazing at the shapes she could make out on the wall. She spotted a spider there, scurrying across the surface before disappearing into a crack.

"No."

Her voice was quiet, as she thought on his views of love.

"My path was made for me. To dream is to deviate from that path. To dream is to..."

It was wrong. It was simply wrong. It was an idea, one that had been hammered into her head. Her lord had ensured that she could never be her own person. She was breaking rules simply by being herself. Andraste smiled bitterly at the wall.

"For me..the sacrifice has to be myself.."

 

[Gambler]

Bitter laughter rolled from Gabriel. He let silence slowly engulf him. The floor pressed against him, a constant reminder of his situation. The darkness followed suit. The two dampened the air, allowing oppressiveness to reign supreme.

"Power demands sacrifice," he said. It is only a single facet. "Acquiesce to its demands and you are lost in its dream." A collective dream weakens the individual.

Anger burns best when cold.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste was very aware of his presence, his back pressed against hers. She could feel his body move with every breath and felt the warmth of his skin which permeated through their damp clothing. She knew she would be shivering from the cold if not for him.

"I've realized I have to give up who I am.." she paused, "But you...you.."

She lowered her voice.

"You have lost yourself already. You are incapable of feeling anything, aren't you? You have shed your humanity a long time ago."

She shifted uncomfortably, sliding her elbow out from underneath him.

"At least you had the chance to sample love before spitting in its face."

 

[Gambler]

"Spat in its face?" His voice was dangerous. His eyes flashed. He felt the thunder in the distance. It rumbled through him, feeding off his anger.

"Love is a sacrifice," he said. "One that she chose." The oppressiveness in the air underwent a metamorphosis. Electricity cackled in its place.

"I've given up nothing," his whispered. "It was sacrificed for me."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste laughed at his words.

"Exactly. You've given up nothing. You had someone endure the pain for you because you can't endure it yourself. You had to give nothing. You simply took."

She felt the darkness emanating from him. Like the warmth of his skin, it flowed into her, coursing through her veins. It was exhilarating and she reveled in it.

"You are empty and shallow. But.."

She laughed quietly.

"...I suppose that's why you will be a good Sith.

 

[Gambler]

"Empty?" Gabriel asked. "Hollow? Do you really think I've given up nothing? Power is a stairway. Corpses are the steps." His voice grew quieter.

"I climb over the bodies, soiling my hands in their blood." The chains rattled as he shifted position. He felt Andraste's hair on his skin, her thighs pressed up against his, her weight pushing on his back.

"A lost love," he repeated. "You could say that. She killed herself so I could progress. Do you know what it feels to lose everything on a whim?"

 

[Sreeya]

"Power is a ladder to the top. Once you reach the apex, you are too arrogant to look down. You take a step and plummet to the ground once again. It's a neverending loop."

At his question, she simply smiled.

"I know what that is like. It's because I lose everything on a whim that I do not dream. It's why I do not look at tomorrow or the future. I take each day as it comes. Each day with its own wins and losses."

She sighed, silent for a long moment.

"Are we enemies?"

 

[Gambler]

"The weak overtake the strong," Gabriel said. "That is the harmony in the chaos. To reach the top they undermine those currently there." He fell silent at her question.

"I don't know," he answered. "Do you want to be?"

 

[Sreeya]

She also remained silent. For a long moment, the only sound resonating was the distant splatter of rain drops against the roof of the building. The thunder rumbled gently, like the low murmur of a beast that was content. A smile spread across her face, and she soon found herself laughing. It wasn't a mocking laugh, but a true one.

"I suppose I don't hate you quite yet....Night Sky."

Andraste curled up into a ball, or as much as she could. She felt the cold floor against her cheek, the damp smell of their clothing all around them.

"I still envy you.."

Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.

"..to have loved.."

 

[Gambler]

"It isn't worth the pain," Gabriel said. He loosened his body, allowing Andraste to curl up further. Stray droplets of rain plinked into their cell. He followed the sound, listening to the hypnotic rhythm.

"I don't quite hate you either, desert... rose?" he said. His intonation quirked the ending into a question. Helpless laughter echoed in his eyes.

"I wonder what it would be like to see..." he trailed off under a crack of thunder outside their cell.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste closed her eyes.

"I can endure pain.. I've endured enough. All for nothing. At least with love there is..something.."

She sighed, surprised at where their conversation had gone. They had begun with bickering and now they were both silent, lost within their own thoughts. She heard him trail off and looked to the side, once again wishing she could face him.

"See what?"

The storm grew even louder outside, the thunder making her wish she could be out in the rain. For some reason, she wanted nothing more than to run through the storm. She relaxed against him, her elbow resting against his. When she spoke, she couldn't help but grin.

"This Prophet...really takes his sweet time.."

 

[Gambler]

Gabriel breathed deeply in the silence. Andraste's breathing lulled him as he listened. He felt her relax against him, the tension easing from her body. He allowed himself the same luxury, finding comfort in the contours of her body.

"Nothing," he breathed. "Just a thought." A smile twitched at his lips.

"We are an inconvenience to him," he said. He paused, silence rolling in between his words.

"The rain's lullaby is unknown on Korriban."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste scowled. He was hiding something, and she knew she wouldn't be able to coax it out of him. She went back to being silent, closing her eyes and listening to the sounds of the rain.

"I wouldn't mind a bonfire right now.."

She muttered quietly under her breath. Though the floor was hard, she was surprisingly comfortable. The day's activities and all the running had begun to take a toll on her. She listened to the quiet sounds of his breathing and the rain. Within moments, she began to drift off to sleep, somewhere far away from the cell and the storm that exploded outside.

 

[Gambler]

"That would be..." Gabriel trailed off, feeling Andraste slip into sleep. "Lovely," he whispered. Her breathing matched the rain's lullaby. Her gentle pushing fell into a soothing rhythm. Slowly, Gabriel drifted off beside her.

"...your face," he muttered, the incoherence of his phrase offset by his falling eye lids.

——————»‹¤›«——————»‹¤›«——————
Some time later...
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Hollow footfalls drew Gabriel from his sleep. He stirred, wondering when he fallen so far as to allow himself to sleep. The origin of the footsteps was a man who wore the mantle of a god. His face was pudgy with excess. He stared down at them, bushy eyebrows obscuring plain brown eyes. His face contorted in a mixture of rage and disgust, a sneer twisting his lips thin.

The man walked with a full entourage. Several armored men flanked him, rifles swinging at their hips. Their swagger was enough for an army. Gabriel could taste smug satisfaction rolling off them in waves. If he had to guess, they had been given a prestigious opportunity. It was the nature of the weak to cling to the strong.

Gabriel sneered back at them, contempt masking his eyes. A twang went off in his stomach and tension snapped back into him. His breathing quickened before he could bring it under control. The edges of his composure rattled.

"Well, well, well," the prophet began. "Are we interrupting? Two lovers asleep in each other's arms..." The man smiled. Gabriel bristled at his tone. He nudged Andraste, tentatively adding pressure to their mental link.

"Who are you?" he asked. He's our prey, he sent to Andraste.

"Us? Names are unimportant. Suffice to say we are the prophet. We are the deliverance. We are the guide." His eyes glittered. "We should be asking who you are. Expected guests, or rebellious heretics?"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste groggily woke up as she was nudged. She heard voices, but she couldn't see anything because she was facing the wrong direction. Andraste cursed herself inwardly for having fallen asleep. She heard Gabriel's voice, aware of the mental connection he had opened up.

"Shouldn't we have thought up a way to break out of our chains by now?!"

As when they had been brought into cell for the first time, she felt anger welling up inside her. However, she said nothing, listening quietly. Andraste reached out to the Force, feeling a powerful aura emanating from the man she presumed to be the Prophet. She knew he was possibly aware of their mental connection, though he made no attempts at probing into it. Andraste had to scoff at the question.

"We believe you have something of ours. It's not polite to keep that which isn't yours."

There was a moment of silence after she spoke, followed by hushed murmurs. Andraste scowled at the wall in front of her, angry that she couldn't see what was going on. She tilted her head back, resting it against Gabriel's.

"Do you remember that time we worked together to create lightning?"

Her comment was accompanied with a trail of thoughts that conveyed what she meant because Gabriel was too much of an idiot to put two and two together.

 

[Gambler]

"Oh? What would that be?" The prophet slipped a condescending smile. "We own nothing. Everything we have is a gift. We are servants of the divine. We are vessels for its teachings, nothing more." Several of the bodyguards nodded. Gabriel scoffed. The prophet hid behind his conviction, a silver-tongued snake coiled to strike.

"An artifact," Gabriel said. He shifted, giving Andraste the opportunity to look at the man. "A Sith artifact." Some of the prophet's entourage blinked in surprise. They recovered a moment later, their faces completely stoic.

Yes, he told Andraste. Too many of them right now.

"Ah, that." The prophet winced. He smoothed his face. "We no longer have it." His voice retained its silky quality. "It is... gone."

 

[Sreeya]

"What?!"

The word came out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She didn't hide the incredulous look on her face. She glared at the wall ahead. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"This just keeps getting better.."

She heard more voices and finally heard the Prophet's voice ring out from the group.

"Tell you what. You retrieve it for us, you get to keep your pretty little heads. Deal?"

Andraste remained silent. She hated being toyed with and he was doing exactly that. He knew they were Force sensitive and he also knew they were young Force users, not quite adept with using it. Within moments, she heard a few guards enter the cell and take off the binds. They had their cuffs on, but the link that held them back to back was broken. Andraste sat up and rolled her shoulders, her body stiff from being in the position for so long. She did not immediately look over at Gabriel.

 

[Gambler]

"Tell you what. You retrieve it for us, you get to keep your pretty little heads. Deal?" The prophet smiled his condescending little smile. His eyes sparkled as he looked from one to the other, a knowing glint.

"Deal," Gabriel said through gritted teeth. He had the misfortune to meet the prophet's eyes as he spoke. The smugness there infuriated him.

"Good," the prophet said. He snapped his fingers and his entourage moved out. The lock to their cell was opened, and their bindings were undone. Gabriel cracked his neck as he stood, stretching the stiffness from his body. For a moment he felt a pang of regret, but brushed it aside.

He looked at Andraste. She avoided looking back at him. He could see it in the tilt of her chin, the way her eyes locked onto the far wall. Her hair was a tasseled mess from their rolling around. Her clothes were darkened from the rain and dampness inside the cell.

"Now," the prophet began. "Perhaps you would like to know where you are going."

"Perhaps." His eyes didn't break contact with Andraste.

"Good." The prophet's smile held a note of triumph. "Our artifact was... stolen. Heretics infiltrated our ranks to get close enough and snatched it away while we weren't looking. Gideon Romanes. He's the man who has it. We want you to find him. Get our artifact back for us and we can... negotiate." His eyes belied the truth of that "negotiation."

"Fine," Gabriel said. "Let's go."

"Yes, please do."

That condescending little smile followed them out.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste was far away from their present situation. In her mind, she thought of various ways to subdue the guards and the Prophet. She knew he relied on the artifact for strength, but there were still too many armed guards for them to risk it. She finally looked up, instantly catching Gabriel's gaze. He had been openly looking at her without breaking contact. Unable to muster the courage to look back, she quickly looked over at the prophet. It was strange to look at Gabriel after so many hours of conversation without setting eyes on him.

She followed Gabriel out, her wrists sore from being cuffed still. As they stepped out, she blinked at the bright rays of the sun. It was as if the storm had never happened. Her clothes smelled damp and still clung to her skin, and it bothered her that her fate lay in the lands of a lunatic with fools following him like sheep. However, one key thing she noticed was that the group that left only consisted of six men, excluding the prophet. She thought back to how effectively they had taken down the other group of rebels. Although..they had weapons on them then.

"How the hell are we getting out of this?"

It was a quiet telepathic message to Gabriel. He looked just as uncomfortable as she did, his clothes also clinging to him and his hair slightly frizzy after drying from the rain. The group outwardly remained quiet, walking for what seemed like hours. She didn't know exactly what the Prophet's plan was, which put them at an even bigger disadvantage.

It happened in an instant. One of the guards in the group abruptly fell over. Smoke sizzled from a hole in his chest. The entire party began scrambling, the Prophet included. Andraste quickly glanced up and caught a man jumping out of sight. He had a black arm band on. Suddenly, everything made sense. Andraste knew they had landed in even more trouble, if that were possible..