Moon beams floated across cerulean waters, the Firrerreo and Tiefling comfortably tucked away from the rest of the galaxy in their own little safe haven amongst the trees. Amira was beaming, too, nestled into the Firrerreo's side, one finger idly tracing water droplets across his stomach. "I was right," she observed, a contented sigh escaping her lips. "You do make for a drop dead gorgeous prune."
They laid there in silence for a while, basking in the starlight and each other. When Edin finally broke the silence, his question surprised the Tiefling. This wasn't the pillow talk she had expected—light and temporizing. Nor was it a simple, straightforward question with an equally straightforward answer. Amira hesitated to answer, struggling to find the right words. Struggling to find the answer. The Empire wasn't like the Jedi or the Free Worlds Alliance—you couldn't just wake up one morning, decide you'd had enough, and leave without any consequences. Dissention was frowned up, to put it mildly. The Empire wasn't for the weak willed or the faint of heart, for those teetering between two opinions. Master Roth, in particular, did not allow irresolution, weakness. Any sign, no matter how small, had to be stomped out at every turn.
But Edin was not Master Roth, and he was no Sith. He was a friend. A lover. Someone she could trust. She hoped. She wanted to open up to him, if even just a little bit, after everything they'd share with one another tonight "Sometimes," she admitted in a quiet voice, as if the trees themselves had ears and were listening. As if Master Roth was listening, waiting to pounce on her. "Especially when I was younger. My master was... strict, and I was largely isolated from the Empire. I missed my family." The Tiefling thought back, to those long nights spent crying herself to sleep in the labyrinths beneath Dorin, missing Bandomeer and her family. "But my master... he cared for me. Deeply. In his own way. And it got better over time.
"I joined the Sith because I wanted to be like my older sister. She was always the brains in the family," she chuckled, smile wavering. Amira had always looked up to Imani, but even after all these years, could she truly say she was anything like her older sister? All the training, all the discipline Master Roth had provided, and she'd still let herself down. More than that, she had let her master down, failed him in every possible way. The Tiefling looked up at Edin, amber eyes shimmering. "I've made mistakes in the past, but the Empire is making the galaxy better. It's brought not only stability but prosperity to the planets it touches. I can be a part of that—improving the galaxy, improving my own life." Atoning for my mistakes, she added silently to herself.
Had she shared too much? Opened up too much? The Tiefling wasn't sure, and she decided not to dwell on it long. She rolled over onto her stomach, still pressed up to the Firrerreo's side as wet, silver strands of hair tumbled over her shoulders. "What about you?" she asked, staring into his blue eyes. "Do you ever regret it? The life you lead?" The lives you take? @Sreeya