Ask Coruscant Truth and Consequences

[Corran Velt]

Orange and red evening rays shined through the blinds of the penthouse apartment. The green, blue, red, and purple hues of the jungle of plants gave the otherwise bland and modern dwelling a rainbow of life. Everything felt colorful and bright. The kitchen had been cleaned and the floor swept and vacuumed. A nanny droid moved about dusting the place, always within visual range of the baby. It was a truly a rare time when it was activated given how often Silvi's mother personally attended to her. Only the sofa and coffee table of the living room had been scooted off to the side to make space. A satchel, now empty, hung off one of the arms. All in preparation for the most important event of the day.

Daddy-daughter time.

Toys of every possible variety and type were scattered in a loose circle around Ilana's apartment's whole living room floor. Stuffed Loth Cats and Kath Hounds. Age-appropriate starship toys. Cute versions of plants and fruits. A moon with a smiling face with its twin sibling, a beaming star. Amidst them all lay Silvi on her tummy. Corran sat cross-legged in front of her, hunched over. "Okay, no go on the blue dog. Not a winner," he nodded in sagely agreement. The blond man picked up a stuffed rocket and held it in front of the baby. She giggled a little and did not reach for it. Corran tilted his head from one side to the other, "Okay, that's a maybe." He scratched his cropped, blond beard in thought. On a whim, he scooped up a blaster-like plushy and showed it to the white-haired infant. Silvi burst into giggles and grabbed it with her vice-like hand. Corran raised his eyebrows and shook his head a little, "Yeah, that's not a good sign."

Despite coming here for his favorite thing in the universe, a small prick at the back of his mind kept tapping away. This was Doctor Morata's penthouse and Silvi was often here. He knew the code and let himself in sometimes. She was... busy more often than not recently. Saving the galaxy and running her business. Never too busy Silvi, no, but maybe for him. Home security cameras had been installed before the baby was even born so Ilana could check in at her leisure, in the once-in-a-blue-moon times she wasn't available. She likely knew Corran was already here. A warmth in his chest hoped the young father would run into her. He hoped that every time he came here. Maybe today would be his lucky roll of the dice.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She had heard the door chimes from her office. She had been keeping an eye on Silvi, and the nanny droid there had been programmed to keep an especially keen eye on the small child. So she had stepped away for one moment, to type up one final approval. She knew Corran had arrived, and yet...

There was something to be addressed. Quite a few things, actually. Taking a deep breath in, she closed her eyes for a moment.

Her fingers trembled before she smoothed her hands over her slacks and padded in.

Father and daughter made her pause for a moment, drinking the sight in from her unbroken line of sight. She really did share a remarkable resemblance to him, and the blue eyes especially added to the elfin qualities of the child. As soon as she stepped in, the little girl turned her head in her direction.

The wide, delighted smile that filled her eyes automatically tugged a smile from Amariel in return. No matter what, she would love this little girl with all of her. There was nothing she wouldn't do for her daughter. Padding over quietly, she settled a hand lightly on Corran's shoulder, before blowing a raspberry into Silvi's cheek, making the little girl squeal with delighted laughter before patting chubby hands over her face, and she smiled again, pressing a kiss against the little girl's temple.

"Hello, little one. Hello, cowboy," she slid her eyes over to Corran, and though there was a smile on her lips her eyes were shadowed. They had much to talk about.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Upon entrance, Corran immediately turned his gaze from the star of his life to the woman who had made it all possible. His blue eyes widened as large as they did when they met for a secret mission on Nar Shaddaa all that time ago. Doctor Morata looked every bit the CEO of corporation striving to change the galaxy. Yet she was still ageless. Youthful and grace with every step. The weight upon her, from the outside, appeared lighter than a feather.

Silvi's smile and bubbly aura rose with each step her mouther approached; reaching a crescendo as Ilana knelt next to her daughter. When the Arkanian's touch brushed his shoulder, Corran's neck prickled with goosebumps. Her ice a welcome sensation against his warmth. As much as her touch produced a gust of joy in his chest, seeing mother and daughter interact produced a whirlwind. No force in the galaxy would prevent the blond ranger was loving his daughter and seeing her blissful. He thought about her so much that he purchased a different toy at every spaceport stop from the other end of the galaxy to here. It started out as just one. Then one became two. Soon every toy became a new small expression of the boundless love of a father.

"Hi, honey," Corran replied with a mirrored, genuine smile. Distance had done little to quell the bonfire the Ranger felt towards the Doctor. What distance and time could not do, her shadowed stare did. His smile slowly drifted away in realization that something was wrong. His eyebrows rose slightly and he cleared his throat softly, "How are you?" While the question was simple, his features asked 'what's the matter?' A small pit began to form in Corran's gut. Something was off.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She had to be truthful, and honest. It was the only way forward. But why was the difficult way always the hardest?

Even now, she could sense the note of trepidation, the hesitancy that ran with the smile. Little Silvi managed a fistful of Amariel's hair, then pulled before she could answer; wincing, she gently wound fingers through the small grasp, amber eyes looking down into small ones of wide blue.

"No, little one. Ow. Hurts." She released the strands, and instead patted her mother on the cheek again. Amariel smiled, lightly stroking a finger over smooth cheeks, pressing a light kiss to small knuckles. "That's it. Gentle touches, thank you little one." Looking back at Corran, she nibbled on her lower lip a moment, contemplating her next words.

Even though Silvi was very young, she didn't want the young one to witness unpleasantness. Instead, she merely gave him a slight look. "I need to talk to you, later tonight if that's all right." It wasn't a question of whether or not it would happen; it had to happen, for both their sakes. The Jedi Sevrin was right.

She had to be honest before she could move forward.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

No answer was immediately forth-coming as the adorable tyke took hold of white-as-winter strands of hair. Corran instinctively learned forward, hands out to intervene, wincing in sympathy. The situation was quickly defused by Ilana's motherly tendencies. She had sometimes doubted her abilities to be a proper mom in the past. It looked as second-nature as breathing. That wasn't so much of a surprise - Ilana cared deeply and naturally for people that mattered. And none mattered more than Silvi. He exhaled relief with puffed cheeks and returned to his upright sitting position. "Sorry about that," Corran apologized with a bashful grin, "Someone learned she likes it when daddy says ow and learned to pull my hair." His eyes flashed at Silvi, but only with paternal affection towards someone too cute to ever feel meanly towards.

Unease in the Arkanian's features didn't take an experienced investigator to detect. His jaw shifted from one side to the other and he sucked in his bottom lip anxiously. "Yeah, yeah," Corran said quickly, "Of course. We can talk anytime." It was apparent in his face that the young man was in agreement to shield their child from whatever discussion was going to happen. Innocence and purity were things to be protected for as long as they could be. Dark, foreboding storm clouds began to congregate over Corran. Facing Chief Hudson for a debrief and grilling felt like an easier task than what would come tonight. Anxious, terrible possibilities threatened his usual beacon of positivity.

Only a single ray of sunlight cut through this gathering haze. Silvi gurgled and kicked her legs, trying to crawl, swaying from looking and him and then Ilana. She was clearly relishing both of her parents being in her sight. Such was the simple joys of toddlers. Corran felt the impulse to lift her into his arms and attempt to elicit a sharp cry of fun, but decided to lean forward and kiss the top of her head playfully. He brushed a finger against the rotund cheeks of the infant before it was quickly snatched in pudgy fingers.

"She likes hair pulling. Is there any other habits I need to look out for?" Sky-blue eyes glanced over at Doctor Morata. His voice was warm and casual with a boyish smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Wear and tear had begun mounting up on the Crimson Venture as the Ranger darted between missions, investigations, crisis, and the most important of all - seeing Silvi. Determination meant little against the constant march of time. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't be here every moment, waking or not, with his daughter. Ilana had become the icon of love towards the child and likely knew some things that he hadn't been present to witness. If nothing else, talking about Silvi was a true joy.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

Change. It had to be a good thing, right?

Looking at Silvi's delight with her father, she couldn't help but smile. Of the many things he could be, being a neglectful father would never be one of them. One would have never known he hadn't had any other children before; Silvi flourished around him. She adored her father, and even Amariel was moved by the tender mutual love between father and daughter.

At Corran's question, she smiled a little easier; talking about Silvi was easy, as natural as breathing. Love and pride filled her chest, as she began to talk quietly. "When she gets annoyed, cover your ears. Her screams are deafening." Lips twitched slightly as the little girl tried pulling his finger into her mouth. "And she is very stubborn about her sleeping hours. She likes to stay up for as long as possible; naps are almost impossible to get her to settle down for." Still, she couldn't be mad; she stroked a downy cheek again, the smile turning tender.

"But above all, she has a sweet heart. She knows no strangers, and she smiles every time she hears your voice." The last part was spoken quietly, amber eyes lowered for a moment.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Corran tilted his head slightly to regard the Arkanian as she spoke. Silvi was a tender topic for them both and Ilana radiated with warmth in every word. He had always thought her beautiful. At first, impossibly so. An angel among mortals. Her elegance otherworldly and intelligence towering. Yet seeing her both interact with a small infant and come to be an loving parent... she seemed more corporeal. Maybe it was the inherent messiness of a baby or that they both labored to support such a small thing. He no longer idolized her in the way he did, but the love was still there. Even among the dark clouds.

A light chuckle followed the warning of the shrill alarms from Silvi. "So you know when she's got an opinion? Noted." Behavior like was unique to the newborn. A foundation of her future personality all her own. With only the patience a dad could have, Corran ignored the feeling of a gummy-bite on his index finger. Did this count as teething? That was something babies did, right? Commentary on Silvi's stubborness had the blond, bearded man shake his head and shrug, "It was inevitable given her parents. Stubbornness was bound to appear. If refusal to nap is the worst of it, we should count ourselves lucky." A flash in his sky-blue eyes and a small tick of a boyish grin signaled he was teasing.

The final habit was more touching than expected. Corran blinked at Ilana, her golden eyes downcast, before shifting his gaze at Silvi. Her hand tightly bound around her father's finger and sucking on it gently. Things like this stopped being gross long ago. His greatest doubt was if this child truly cared for him at all. Hearing that his voice brought glee of any amount was enough to keep him warm for awhile yet. A quiet lingered between them for a few moments more. "She gets that from you," he said softly, keeping his profile to Ilana, "That sweet heart."

The Ranger raised a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat, "I'm sorry about the mess." He broadly gestured to the toys all around. With another adult here to survey the assortment, it was clear the overzealous father had gotten single-minded on his trip back. "I'll clean it up tonight. I got a little carried away, buying every toy I thought she might like. Play time with her is..." Corran exhaled slowly, "something else." Since the first time they played, child and dad, it had become the main delight of his existence. It was that little kid in him that surfaced every so often.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She could see that Silvi was beginning to wind down from the excitement; if they weren't careful, she could easily slip into a cranky mood very fast, and though Amariel thought her adorable even when she was at her wits' end, Corran looked just as wearied. Noting the mess, her lips twitched slightly, hiding a smile, and she pressed one last kiss against Silvi's temple. "T1N4," she turned to the droid, "Could you make sure Silvi gets her bath?"

<<yes, my lady,>> the droid chirped, and the tiny tot was carefully picked up. Silvi gave one last, gummy smile to both parents before she was taken to the refresher unit. Amariel's eyes followed her all the way there until the sounds of falling water began, and then she sighed quietly, closing her eyes to rub at her temples.

"I don't mean to be a downer. I wasn't kidding when I say when she gets mad... you'll know." Looking at the mess, her lips twitched again, and she shook her head, giving a wry chuckle. "There's nothing wrong with the mess. But help me clean it up? She has a bin over here for all her toys," she gestured next to the coffee table, which was devoid of anything any curious hands could possibly grab.

"Want anything to drink?"

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

The finger in Silvi's mouth was delicately removed as as the dutiful droid proceeded over, taking the infant up and away to be cleaned. Corran made tiny baby noises and silly faces all the way until Silvi was out of view. He sighed happily with a small hint of forlornness flavoring the tail end. If he was able to live until the stars died out and the cold, dark void was all that was left in the universe, that still wouldn't be enough time to spend with his baby girl. Perhaps her ear-splitting screams before bed would shake him out of that dream-state view. He doubted it.

Ilana looked a little tuckered out herself. Either from the baby, work, or what was to come. Still, Corran tried to make it easier. "You're not a downer. We'll take turns being the responsible parent." He pushed off his knees to stand up, taking one of stuffed animals with him. "That means I'm up next." The toy jiggled in his hand towards the Doctor. Noticing his finger was still a little slobbery, the blond man wiped his digit on the toy and began collecting the others one by one. A ring with a rattle inside here. A fluffy planet that doubled as a pillow there. The first armful was dropped into the bin before Corran replied. "Just water, thanks. The usual." Part of him wondered if he'd want something stronger for the discussion later. No, he'd want to face this with only his own courage and none of the liquid kind.

Even from the kitchen, if she cared to look, Ilana would notice the physical differences since the last time she saw the blond ranger. His shoulders were rounder and larger. Chest broader and boxy. The arms which carried bushels of toys from one side of the room to the other were wider and dense. By any estimate, he had gained 20-25 pounds of muscle. Much of it had been hidden by his traditional jacket and the armor he wore during the delivery but could no longer be hidden by a white t-shirt tucked into pragmatic pants secured by a belt.

The last toy was plucked from the floor. Instead of walking it all the way over, Corran tossed it underhand like a sport's pitch. It landed in the box and settled among the others. He gave himself an arm-pump of self-congratulations before returning to maturity. Doctor Morata, being among many other things a practiced therapist, would realize this was a type of avoidant behavior. Delaying the inevitable. His chores complete, the ranger proceeded into the nearby kitchen in the open floor-plan and took up his glass of water. "Refreshing after all that hard work," Corran jested with a wry grin.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

Just as he was delaying, so was she. The words sat heavy in her chest, like iron, and even his antics couldn't lighten them. He loved her. She knew it. But yet... there were so many questions that burned behind that. So many things that she had to doubt, to dwell on herself when the night was long, lonely and quiet. She also had a water; she couldn't really bring herself to drink much of anything stronger than water these days.

Between all the crises and the vaccine research, she hadn't been able to rest longer than a few hours at a given time. Raising Silvi, along with that, had been difficult.

She gave him a faint smile, miming a toast. "Couldn't find a better drink," she deadpanned, before taking a sip of her own drink.

Hesitating, she set it down on the countertop, arms crossing beneath her bust. She could deal with his hatred after this. His disdain. But the one thing she flinched at the face of was his pain. "...I have a confession to make," she spoke quietly, meeting his eyes squarely.

No. She wouldn't flinch this time.

She had to do right by him, even if he came to hate her for it.

"I've been keeping things from you. Things that... I shouldn't have handled alone. I hope you can forgive me in time, if I can forgive myself." She fought the urge to soften her words, twist them to something that he could palate. But she was tired of the mask.

"My name isn't Ilana. It... was legally changed when I turned eighteen. No doubt you've looked for my records before..." she stared at him, before tilting her chin up.

"It's Amariel."

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

False frivolity came to a sluggish stop at the feet of weighty conversation. Like a speeder running out of power and dragging into the pavement until it settled. Corran placed one hand on his hip and held the other glass near his lips to hide his face. There had been confessions before. Her Force-sensitivity. Connections with the underworld. Not easy hurdles to cross but they had. The way Ilana looked at him made that pit in his stomach grow more cavernous. It already felt like this was something different this time.

The glass in his hand lowered until it softly clinked against the countertop. His gaze met hers with equal seriousness. No immediate expression of surprise, distrust, or anger appeared in his features save the denting of his eyebrows; a display of concerned curiosity. Keeping secrets had been against the vow they made to one another. It was the first step for the Doctor to break away from the criminal life she'd dwelled in before - even though it was forced by circumstance. All this time she had, to him, done so well. Helping the Sector Rangers as an associate, dedicating her life to Morata Corp, and slaving away to free the galaxy from the specter of the AMS virus. What could be so terrible as to overshadow all that?

A name.

The blond man blinked a few times, tilting his head slightly in visual display of processing the information. Changing of a name at adulthood was something billions of beings did across the galaxy for a multitude of reasons. He knew the Arkanian had a strained relationship, to say the least, with her family last they spoke of it. It almost was laughable for something so innocent to be regarded so heavily.

Golden eyes, her most expressive features, professed the weight of this admission. It was more than just a name. "Amariel..." Corran said aloud, committing the new name to memory, "Amariel." He twisted the glass in his hand one way and then the other with a finger and a thumb. That would take some getting use to. "I only checked your records for Associate status. Nothing you hadn't told me came up." Sky-blue eyes softened, reliving a memory behind them. "I never did any digging of my own. I trusted you."

Corran lifted the hand on his hip to scratch the back of his head. For nothing else but to fill time in the uncomfortable, unsettled atmosphere. "Why the change? What's it mean?"

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She didn't deserve this trust. The fact that he hadn't dug deeper made all of this sting worse. She didn't deserve this trust. The name change was like a key, unlocking the rest of her secrets. Secrets that would hurt once they came loose... but hadn't she already done something similar on Paqualis III? And she came out a stronger person because of it.

A free person.

"It means..." she hesitated, then ran a hand through her hair. "It was a mask. Something I wore for protection. Like keeping you close. When you met me..." she closed her eyes, features turning pained. "I was broken. You know I lost someone... it broke something in me. An ability you, and so many others in the galaxy have. The capacity to love, without terms or restrictions." She opened her eyes. "Ilana was my mask. My darkness. The thing that pushed me towards a path the one I loved had led me to. The Dark Side."

Her hands started to tremble, but she clenched them against the countertop. "I was saved. It... I can't describe it. A Jedi saved me, and I..." she exhaled heavily, a fist curled against her chest. "I can breathe freely. But I'm afraid I... was never the person you needed. The person who deserved you." Pained amber eyes met those of unsettled blue. "You don't deserve a lie. I'm... not sure how I feel anymore."

She was struggling with the truth. There was more to admit, but she wasn't able to find the words yet. But she would have to face his emotions, his questions, and his hurt head on. She had to.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Corran's mouth opened a sliver; a subtle expression of dawning uncertainty. Her revelations were a torrent of rushing water smashing trees that rooted his worldview. He grasped at limbs and branches to ground himself. She had been broken when they met - physically and mentally. Affection and love were challenging expressions. The other waves rushing past were more difficult. Ilana was a mask. A false persona. How could that be? This was the person he fell in love with. "You weren't dark to me..." Corran said quietly to no one in particular and not expecting a reply.

Amariel's visible anguish stung the young man's heart and he reached out across the granite island to comfort her, but hesitated. A barrier had been placed between them. By whom was uncertain. Such a display felt forbidden and so his hand withdrew back to the countertop to endure.

It was good that the Doctor was brief in the details regarding the Force and the Jedi. A world that a non-Force Sensitive like him would struggle to understand. How something unseen could heal, hurt, subjugate, and liberate. All Corran understood was that this... experience had freed her, somehow. Dueling forces of delight at the news and gnawing anxiety shone through his eyes. Then came the shock.

Amariel's chill had always been something blissful. A fresh-fallen snow that twinkled with the light. His natural warmth never clashed with it, but accepted it with relish. Her wintery touch soothed, calmed, and braced in all the best ways. For the first time, a frigid wind blew through his bones. Corran's extremities began to feel numb. His blue eyes, often filled with expression, were blank. Staring into the void of a cracking reality. "What? I don't..." The tone was parched and desiccated.

The blond man shook his head and resolve flared into his face. His hand outstretched, palm open to her but too far to grasp. "I love you. This stuff about need or who deserves what - that doesn't matter. I've been in love with you since... since Starfall." As Corran said these words, they even sounded like a plea to his own ears. A man trying to find purchase as he plummeted down the cliff-face. Vines began to constrict around his lungs and throat. A fear that, one he never thought he'd face, was clenching around his neck. "Is there something I did to hurt you? I can make things right. Help me understand."

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

It would have been easy to lie. To say it was his fault things had fallen apart, that his disappearances and the constant, gnawing fear had been the breaking point, but that would have been a lie. He was pleading, grasping at anything to keep close, and she felt sickness in the pit of her stomach for what she was saying. He loved her. She knew it. Ilana used it, abused it, manipulated him and his youth into this.

The guilt of what she had done would echo in her thoughts long after this.

"You didn't hurt me."

Her voice was soft, low in the space between them. "But Ilana... used you. I used you. I never wanted to be alone, so I said and did things that would keep you by my side. But I can't do that anymore." The world she wanted with him couldn't exist. It was unequal, a farce. Everything had been built on carefully crafted half-truths and misdirections. She wouldn't do that anymore. "I do love you," she spoke quietly, arms tightening as though to ward off a chill. "But I'm not sure if I am in love. I don't want you to tie yourself to someone like me, because the charm will fade. I was a monster, and I would have dragged you down with me. I couldn't do that."

There was still more to come. "When I was pregnant with Silvi.... Preef Callo came to my office. Armed. With an armed Cathar, and according to my secretary, armed guards. I don't know if you recall my former bodyguard, N4-X4... He betrayed me, and Preef came to me to pay for its' mistakes." Palpable, the anxiety that thrummed in her bones. "I couldn't tell you, because at the time you were in Nar Shaddaa. I just wanted to protect you if I could... but I should have asked for your help then. But he was there, and I wasn't able to protect myself beyond a deal."

She continued to match his stare. She had to hold onto to countertop to prevent her knees from buckling, and there was a sourness in the back of her throat. She knew every word would hurt him, turn him away from her, but she promised truth.

She would tell the truth, even if it hurt. She owed him so much.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

He prayed to be wrong. Being gone too much. Focusing on work. Not helping around the apartment. Never providing enough affection. Any reason that was within his control to change. Because if it could be changed, Corran could hold their relationship, their family, together. He'd swear to change and Amariel would know he never broke an oath. Those prayers went unanswered and the nightmares came in their stead. Each word felt like a knife carving out a piece of his flesh. Cold and precise, like the scalpels Doctor Morata knew well. The blond man's hand around the glass tightened until veins appeared on his wrist. That small admission of love, a tiny dot of light, was swallowed whole by the darkness that consumed all else.

It wasn't the refutations of feelings that hurt Corran the most. It was the scouring of Ilana's memory. The man's brows furrowed but eyes remained soft, wounded. "Ilana was monstrous? When she wrapped her arms around a frightened child in the dens of Nar Shaddaa? Dragging me from the burning Sector Ranger Headquarters? Standing by my hospital day for days until I awoke? Bringing Silvi in this world?" A shot of grief spiked in his chest. Corran closed his eyes for brief moment to swallow it down. "Were these the acts of a monster?" It seemed so impossible that it was all a mask. A façade. So elaborate and conniving to fool the galaxy. His heart couldn't believe that to be true. Unless... "How much of it was you, Amariel? Anything at all?" Blue eyes had recovered their will to persist. Resolve to see this through without cowering from the truth.

The story of goons, common thugs with guns threatening a pregnant woman for greed and glory, elicited a rise in Lieutenant Velt. His other hand curled into a tight fist; knuckles going white. Where Corran was harrowing with mounting loss, the man who wore the badge was able to take over - enough to give his real self rest. Even his shoulders rose, squaring in authority. "I can't believe someone would sink so low. A pregnant woman and so flagrantly." Preef Callo liked to paint himself as a folk hero, but he was as slimy and crooked as any Hutt. "I'll still help you," the Ranger said with clear, unshaken tone. "You were threatened and attempted to be intimated. Black mail. You were as innocent as any hostage was." Even if the situation was resolved, he was duty-bound to bring justice if it could be done.

Promising to fight criminals was an easier weight to bear. The badge was both a shield and a sword. Providing strength and defense when called upon. But they would be of no service here. Corran had to endure alone against a crippling frost. It stripped away any shelter for his personal and most private hopes. The frost could not be escaped. Only weathered.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She could feel the pain as acutely as though it were her own, and she took a deep breath, trying to will her heartbeat to slow, but it pounded heavily in her chest. Ilana was a monster. True, there had been moments of grace, but they didn't excuse what she was. What she had done. But it had to be done, it had to be said.

"I... tended to the child because innocence doesn't deserve the cruelty it receives." A reply to Nar Shaddaa. "I didn't want to lose you. But whether it was genuine love, or the fear of being alone... all I knew was that you had to survive. The galaxy needed you far more than it needed something like me." At the mention of Silvi, there was the faintest smile, bittersweet.

"I'll never regret bringing her into the galaxy. She is... the light of my life. I love her with all that I could possibly give. It was why I had to change. I want her to live in a world protected from monsters like Ilana. And she was a monster." She tilted her chin, exhaling quietly. "A monster no longer, however. I am free of the Darkness... but I refuse to hold onto you out of fear." Amber eyes stared him down, and her throat felt thick, her voice soft.

"You're a good man, Corran Velt."

She nodded to the refresher unit where their daughter had gone. "She needs you. You are her sun. As for Preef..."

She shook her head. "He had done what any new Syndicate boss would have done. I don't fault him for his actions. However, I will be addressing the Galactic Senate about this soon, because..."

She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. "Part of this... deal, this coercion, blackmail, whatever you want to call it... was to sell his spice to the Core through my dispensaries for four months, as well as a fifty-percent ownership of my next drug. However..." amber eyes flickered to life, passion burning in them, "he won't lay his hands on the vaccine. It will not be a product of MorataCorp, but the Senate. But..." She exhaled wearily. "I have been without protection. I worry that announcing this to the Senate will mean his retaliation against my people if he is denied his share of the deal. I must accept whatever punishment they will mete out, because I refuse to stand in the shadows anymore."

She swallowed again, but there was a small, bitter smile. "I plan on giving the vaccine freely to the galaxy, actually. My gift for Silvi. My only way to protect our daughter."

In a way, it felt like dying. Getting her affairs in order, making sure those she cared for would be taken care of. In a way, it was.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Explanation after explanation felt like a series of blows to the body. Each a bruising punch to his middle. Ilana was darkness. A monster. A cruelty. A hidden puppet-master. Each body shot direct and undefended. The only breaks in the barrage were the matters of children. Sparing them any suffering. Giving them a shielded childhood to grow into the people they were destined to be. Even if Ilana truly was as bad as Amariel claimed... she at least had that good in her. Corran cast his eyes down at the granite countertop. He didn't feel like a good man. He couldn't help the one he loved. At the nod, the man looked over his shoulder to the refresher. Although she could not be seen, fatherly eyes lingered as if Silvi was right there in front of them. Just an infant and already being the rock for so many. So much goodness and not even a year old.

Doctor Morata standing before the Galactic Senate was imaginary sight to behold. Lieutenant Velt's mouth hung open a little, blinking a few times in astonishment. The woman whom he found in the gutter on Corellia, or... someone like her, standing before the entire civilized universe and declaring her deeds, good and ill. It was nothing short of fantastical. His jaw clenched shut as more of the corrupt, forceful bargain came to light. Shipping spice through clinics... Preef was lower than bugs on level zero on Coruscant. For what? Credits? An angering reason.

However, Doctor Morata was never one to be a pawn. Corran understood that much and saw it flare in her eyes like a towering fire. A vaccine, given to the public domain, to outwit thugs and save billions or trillions of lives. Where AMS ceased terrorizing the Rim and haunting the Core. If Amariel had pulled it off, her name would go down in medical textbooks forever. Yet it wasn't for her personal glory. For another. Silvi. Corran may not have known this woman who looked like his true love, but she did care about what mattered to him most. His gaze, while pained, was thankful.

"You don't have to face any criminal retaliation alone," the Ranger offered, holding up his hand, "You have earned allies through your efforts. Governments. People you've healed. I can have a unit assigned to you." He hesitated but then steeled himself. "I would personally see to the safety measures. If you requested it."

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She knew everything she said had hurt. But what hurt, could heal. Whatever happened moving forward, she wanted there to be no secrets between them. No lies, no more pretending. She wanted him to see what Ilana had been, and what Amariel was. But she wouldn't fault him for feeling fury or grief. She couldn't help him through that; it was his decision how to move forward.

But...

"It's not me I'm worried about," she spoke quietly. "What will happen to me, will happen. My concerns lie with protecting Silvi, no matter what happens, and the lives of my people." She met his gaze squarely. There was nothing but love there, love for their daughter, and there were still emotions there for him as well. "Protect her first. Keep her sheltered and safe. But... I'd appreciate that, the security detail as well, Corran." Her voice was low, soft as she looked at him.

She felt like curling up alone. Like a strong drink, or just leaving the room. But she couldn't do that now, she had to stand tall and face the consequences of telling the truth.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

As resolutely as she had declared all the ills of Ilana, Amariel was so, so very much like her. At least in his eyes. She was willing to sacrifice her own protection and personal safety for others. Without hesitation. Golden eyes, powerful in conviction, expressed more than her words could. Love for their daughter surpassed all others. A power so strong that he doubted it would ever dim. A small flicker of care for him was there for a blink, but soon vanished. Another slash cut across his heart. A tormenting reminder of what was being lost. Corran raised his hand and pointed his finger downward from a fist. "I'll protect Silvi with my dying breath and beyond. You can be certain she will be unharmed and safe." Such seriousness gripped his tone that it was clear the oath was more than professional. Sky-blue eyes shone like carved diamonds, unbreakable in their resolve to this pact. A father's love beyond all measure.

"For your people, and yourself, I'll see a security detail assigned to the task personally," the lieutenant said as he retracted his hand and laid it on the edge of the counter, "You'll be able to review the detachment and make alterations as you see fit." Doctor Morata knew she could get her pick of nearly anyone in the Sector Rangers. Not only had she been a former Associate, but she had bled with them. Patched up many. And she was a critical scientist in the battle against AMS. The offer to review the security plans was one not extended to many. Corran trusted... Doctor Morata and her insight was something he relied on many times in his career. Now was no different.

Talk of protection attachments, assignments, and the duty of Rangers had been more easily handled by Lieutenant Velt. It had given Corran, the man, rest to build up his strength for the tougher discussion ahead. There would never be enough. His eyes shuttered closed for a small inhale. In anticipation, he gripped the counter firmly; finding strength in its inorganic stability. Soft, human eyes opened again followed by a long exhale. "Is... there a chance we could start over, Amariel?" Corran's voice was like the first snow. Airy, soft, but together. "Or... is there someone else?"

He knew he had just handed her a lance with which she could run him through. There was no other path he could take. If it meant taking a full spear to the heart, there was no escaping the inevitable. If the man had to endure the truth, then he would choose on what terms he would bear it.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She had known the question was coming, and she thought she was prepared. But truthfully, she wasn't. She wasn't prepared for the answer either. But if there had been anyone else... silver eyes flashed into her thoughts. Black hair, a severe face firm and resolute. But... it was attraction only. Hadn't it been? It had to be just that. She remembered Sevrin's revulsion on Nar Shaddaa, the fistful of broken plas shards in his knuckles.

"There is... someone else who also sits in my mind," she confessed quietly. "But I don't think... it's anything. Attraction, perhaps, on my end." However, she had been stunned. Did he want to start over? After everything, she'd just confessed? "Why would you want another chance?" she whispered. "With a woman who has broken her promises and does not feel as you do? Why would you..." Frustration flared to life, along with pain in her features as she ran fingers through her hair again.

She wished she could be the person he wanted her to be. But it was a dream, wishful thinking, an escape she could run away to. But she wasn't running away anymore.

It would break his heart. But she had warned him she would, hadn't she? Even then, Ilana knew what she could do. "Silvi will always be our family," she spoke quietly. "I want... I want you to be a part of her life. Every day. She needs you so much." She nibbled on her lower lip, forcing herself to meet his gaze. She wouldn't flinch away from the pain she would inevitably cause. He could hate her for it, be disgusted by it, but she wouldn't hide anymore.

Bast... Love him in ways I couldn't. Please.

@TerranSteel