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Chapter Text

Jedi Knight Corellan Halcyon and his former Padawan, the newly-dubbed Jedi Knight Kira Carsen, stepped out of the chambers of the Jedi high council and into the halls of the Temple of Tython, the home and headquarters of the Jedi Order. In the aftermath of the Desolater Crisis, the halls of the Temple were abuzz with idle chatting and whispers from those around them. Some of these were directed at Kira, but most seemed to be pointed towards him. Already, in hushed whispers, they were calling him the 'Hero of Tython', the salutation bestowed on him moments earlier by Satele Shan, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order.

The whispers disturbed Corellan. In part, he knew it was because Kira's role in their victory seemed to be marginalized. But partly it was because in the back of his mind, there existed an ideal that Jedi should be above such gossip and hero-worship. Didn't they all have a collective duty to protect the Order and to defend the Republic, and therefore wasn't everyone's role important? But never mind. That was a problem for another day.

"Well, partner." he turned to Kira with a smile. "We each have three days of leave before we have to get back out there. Did you have plans on how you want to spend your break?"

Kira Carsen turned to Corellan, still practically glowing from her promotion, and from her victory in pushing the Sith Emperor out of her mind. She had overcome so much for them to have reached this point. He could not have been prouder of her. Kira had been raised in the Sith Academy as a Child of the Emperor, those Sith chosen at birth to serve Vitiate, the Emperor of the Sith Empire, and to be his eyes, ears and weapons to command. In effect, they were not only being asked to embrace the dark side, they were being asked to surrender all sense of personal identity. At the age of ten, Kira had broken free of the Emperor's control and had escaped Korriban and the Sith Empire. She had spent eight years growing up a street urchin and thief on Nar Shaddaa, one of the most corrupt and dangerous planets in the galaxy. That she had even survived to be recruited by the Jedi Order was a testament to her wits and skill. Since being assigned as Corellan's Padawan, she had done more than survive, she had thrived. Kira had stood strong through everything the galaxy had thrown at the two young Jedi. Their campaign to stop Darth Angral had been a whirlwind of fighting and investigating across multiple worlds in the span of a few short months. Time and time again, the duo had faced the Sith and their Imperial forces. Time and time again, they had emerged triumphant against impossible odds, culminating in their victory over Angral in orbit over Tython.

Over the course of that time, Corellan had quietly started to appreciate Kira's other qualities during their travels. The young redhead was beautiful, even in the Jedi Robes they both wore over their body armor, a combination of toned athletic build and feminine curves. Her smile made her even more lovely; the scar on her left cheek was the only blemish against her fair skin. The scar didn't bother Corellan. More than anyone else, he knew how Kira had earned it; the kind of life she had led. It somehow made her even more alluring.

He banished the thoughts from his mind. He was a Jedi. Those kinds of attachments were forbidden to him.

"Well, what were you planning to do?" Kira smiled back at him, genuinely interested. The two Jedi had been almost inseparable for a while, now, but they'd spent most of that time chasing down Angral's schemes. Kira had never seen her former master with more than a few short hours of downtime, and she wasn't going to pretend she wasn't curious.

Corellan gestured down the hallway. Here, just outside the council chambers, they were virtually in the middle of the temple, and they were attracting more glances and chatter, overt or otherwise. Best they start walking to minimize that sort of attention.

"Don't get me wrong, Kira." He said. "You are more than welcome to come with me if you wanted. Honestly, I'd like for you to come. But you're a newly-minted Jedi Knight, at the Temple of Tython. More than that, you're a hero. There are probably a hundred opportunities for you to explore right now. Things to learn, masters to talk to. Plus, in three days, we'll have to take off into space again. From what General Var Suthra said, the Sith Empire is on the move again. The galaxy will need more saving."

A new possibility suddenly entered his mind, and he stopped in his tracks, turning to Kira with a guilty look before she could answer him. "I'm sorry, Kira. I think I just assumed you'd be sticking with me after this. That was presumptuous. You're a Jedi Knight, now. You've more than earned the right to ask the council for a new assignment." He swallowed, feeling his throat go dry at the thought. "If you wanted one, I mean."

Kira's blue eyes went wide. "No!" she exclaimed, her eyelids fluttering just a bit. "I mean, of course not." She quickly recovered her composure, her voice dropping low enough that they couldn't be overheard. "I want to stay with you. You and Tee-Seven on the ship, I mean. We make a good team, don't you think?" she looked up into his eyes with an expression he had only seen twice from her before; a fear of abandonment, although this time with something else he couldn't quite identify.

"The best." He smiled broadly, masking his own relief. "We make the best team. And thanks. I just wanted to be sure that this is what you wanted." He quickly started walking again to break up the awkward moment. Movement seemed to be his natural state sometimes; lately he only seemed to relax when he was back on his ship. "Right. Like I was saying, we're going to lift off Tython in three days' time. I honestly have no idea when we might be back here. And you know the kind of pace we set when we're in space... It'll likely be awhile before we get a chance to rest and relax again."

"What I'm planning on doing is not particularly relaxing and is probably not most people's idea of fun. So, I'd hate for you to join me when you'd be better off resting up or learning something new in the Jedi Archives. I know you also have old friends on Tython, as well. You could visit with them, if you wanted."

The glint of curiosity returned to her eyes. "Okay, now I'm hooked." She smiled. "Where exactly are you going?"

He gave her a sheepish smile. He was only a couple of years older than she was, and every so often, his own relative youth showed. "I'm going to put a backpack together and head out into the wilderness for a couple of days. Reconnect with the wilds of Tython, you might say."

Kira just blinked at him in disbelief. "You're kidding me. You're going camping?" she exclaimed. "You've been flying from one end of the galaxy to the other for months, fighting and bleeding and saving people nonstop, barely a moment's rest, and when you finally get a chance for a break, you decide to go camping? That's so… you." She finished, giving him an incredulous smile and a shake of her head.

Corellan shrugged idly. "I have my reasons. If you want to learn them, you can come with me. Otherwise, take care of yourself for the next couple of days, and be ready to return to the ship when I get back."

Kira chuckled as the bait was offered, recognizing it for what it was. Corellan found himself smiling at the familiar, melodious sound. It was somehow comforting. They really had grown close.

"I can't believe I'm saying this." Kira shook her head again with a smile. "Alright, boss. You've got me. When do we leave?"

It had only taken about an hour to make the preparations. Corellan had checked in with their trusty AstroMech droid, Tee-Seven, aboard their ship. The droid had proven to be indispensable in their travels, up to and including the mission to stop Angral aboard the Oppressor. His surprising combat effectiveness and engineering ability were surpassed only by his impressive knowledge of the lore of the Jedi Order and of the greater galaxy at large. But even more than that, he'd become a valued friend to both Corellan and Kira. Tee-Seven had joyously beeped his congratulations to Kira on her ascension to Knighthood, leading Kira to laugh and thank the droid while Corellan simply smiled. The Jedi talked to the AstroMech droid about their plans, informing him that the leave extended to Tee-Seven as well. The Jedi told his friend he should get himself cleaned up and rested. They would all meet back on their ship when it was time to leave.

After that, they headed to the supply room and Corellan quickly ordered backpacks, sleeping bags and supplies for the both of them. Clearly, he had done this sort of thing before.

"No tent?" Kira had asked, taking note of everything as her former master – now senior partner – helped her pack. The younger Jedi had excellent survival instincts, but almost everything she had known had been based on a heavily urbanized environment like Nar Shaddaa.

He shook his head. "The weather report is clear for the next week. And if it's wrong, then we leave ourselves in the hands of the Force." Corellan wasn't going to bring up Kira's mild claustrophobia.

"Nifty." Kira checked the straps on her pack, finally nodding in approval. "Should we head to the speeders?"

He shook his head. "No, we do this the same way the ancient Jedi did. We walk on foot."

"Ugh." Kira groaned, reaching up and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Months of chasing behind you across every major battlefield in the rim, and now we're walking. And on our vacation, too." She sighed, looking up at him with a resigned expression that quickly turned into a smile. "You're trying to make me regret coming with you, aren't you?"

Corellan noted the tremble in her voice and, playing along, managed to give her a faux hurt expression. "Well, not intentionally. But it seems counter-productive to make plans to reconnect with Tython's natural wilderness and then take a speeder to get there. Besides, it's only a few hours away."

Kira just sighed, but gave him a grim smile. "Well, I've followed you this far. Lead on, boss."

Though they were both in peak physical condition, it still took the two Jedi about four hours to hike up into the hills far to the north of the temple, taking them close to nightfall. Eventually, the path he had chosen leveled off, and they began following a narrow river. Along the way, their conversation was relatively sparse. Reflecting on this, this seemed natural to Corellan; the exchanges he and Kira had shared while in the field were likewise usually brief, out of necessity. There were usually people trying to kill them in those periods, and there simply wasn't time for anything else. Even here on the relative safety of Tython, that approach still seemed to hold true.

Except this time there was no mission to distract them from further conversation.

"This is your idea of fun?" Kira huffed as they neared at the end of their journey.

"Well, for one thing, it does remind me of mountain climbing back on Uphrades." Corellan replied, coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff. "For another thing, if the maps are right, the payoff for this trek should be worth it."

"And what payoff is that…. Oh." The breath went out of Kira's voice as she joined Corellan at the cliff's edge. It was nearly a 30 meter drop straight to the bottom, and from this vantage point they could see the wilderness for miles around them. The river they had been following came down from the cliff in a waterfall, forming a lake far below them, with the last few rays of sunshine catching the surface of the water in a sparkle. To the west, the sun was setting behind the trees and mountains. Though both young Jedi had seen incredible things on dozens of worlds, it was by far one of the most spectacular natural sights either of them had ever seen.

Corellan gave Kira a slow grin, watching the sun's retreating light reflect in her eyes. "Well, partner? Was it worth the hike?"

Kira grinned back at him happily. "It'll do, I guess." She finally answered, nonchalant as usual. "You really wanted a site with a view that badly?"

Corellan turned and pointed roughly in the direction from which they had come, directing her to a line of trees about a hundred meters behind them. "That's the marker for the furthest extent of the Temple's monitoring network." He told her. "I checked before we left. The ground surveillance reports no Flesh Raider activity in this area for months, and I doubt this additional buffer will make a difference. Still, we'll setup our portable perimeter beacons. They'll warn us if anything gets close."

Kira nodded, putting her trust in Corellan's instincts for their security. "So, we're also outside the Temple's monitoring." She mused in reflection. "Nifty."

Corellan didn't comment to that, but instead conducted a scan of the water in the nearby river. "The river water is fresh. It should be safe for drinking." He opened his canteen and filled it, then took a sip. After sloshing it around in his mouth, he swallowed in approval. "Not bad."

The duo retreated to a clearing a safe distance from the edge of the cliff and the river, then set to work in setting up their campsite. Corellan used one of his lightsabers to gather firewood from some nearby trees, and they soon had a campfire ready. Kira set out their sleeping bags and secured their supplies before they both setup their perimeter markers. As usual, the two Jedi worked together almost seamlessly.

An hour later, huddled against the campfire and eating their field rations, they were well situated. Kira had already slipped into her sleeping bag while Corellan sat cross-legged, tending the fire with a stick.

"By the way," Kira said, giving her can a withering look as she took another bite. "Not to ruin the trip by complaining too much, but these field rations? Bantha dung. They're even making me miss C2-N2's cooking."

Corellan chuckled at the mention of their ship's much-maligned housekeeping droid as he finished up his own can. "I imagined that would be the case. That's why I packed this." He set the can and his fire tending stick aside and reached into his backpack, pulling out a long, slender device with a control handle. With the press of a button, it extended into a pole, complete with a string and hook.

"You packed a fishing rod." Kira said the words slowly, emphasizing each syllable. She then burst out giggling.

Corellan's eyebrows rose, but he took Kira's reaction in stride. "What? We used to fish all the time on Uphrades. We had to, really. Otherwise the rations from the monthly supply drops and the vegetables from our garden were all we had."

Kira's giggles were turning into laughs now. "You're a galactic hero. You're on your way to becoming the greatest warrior in the Jedi Order… and you're going fishing!"

Corellan continued to take it in stride even as Kira continued to laugh, a small smile on his lips. "Well, let's see if you're still laughing when we're eating fish tomorrow."

Kira finally recovered from her fits of laughter, drying her eyes and smiling over at him even as he put the pole away. "You didn't really come here just to fish, did you?" she asked, glancing up at him through downward lashes.

He gave her a thin smile. "No."

"You remember when you asked me what I would be if the Jedi hadn't taken me in?" Corellan spoke as he idly tended the fire with his stick.

"You told me you were born to be Jedi Knight." Kira remembered, regarding him curiously. The reflection of the fire seemed to dance in her eyes. "And you said that you never could have been anything else."

"Yeah." He nodded. "I'm thinking… you deserved a better response than that."

"Oh, really?" Kira seemed even more interested now. "You were holding out on me, partner?"

"I meant what I said." Corellan answered. "I honestly couldn't imagine being anything else. But there's more to it than that."

"Oh, nifty." Kira was sitting up now, smiling in anticipation. "Spill the goods."

The other Jedi withdrew the stick he had been tending the fire with, making sure the embers were out.

"When I was eight, I was still an initiate on Uphrades at the Jedi enclave there." He began. Kira's eyes flickered at the mention of Corellan's former home, knowing it had been destroyed by Darth Angral. But the senior Knight pressed on without hesitation. His Jedi discipline was serving him well. "The younglings there ranged from seven to about 13. Most of us graduated to Padawan after that, and were reassigned to Jedi knights and masters all over the galaxy."

"There were about a dozen of us at the time." He continued, preparing his bombshell. "I have to tell you, I was by far the weakest Jedi candidate of the group."

"Oh, come on!" Kira exclaimed, in complete disbelief.

"No, it's true." He insisted. "I could barely move a pebble with my mind. And that was after concentrating for almost an hour. Our Masters, Sogotto and Norwan, did the best they could with me, but I was hopeless. Honestly, I could barely recite the Jedi code, much less answer philosophical questions about it when they tested me. The other younglings didn't pick on me or bully me in any way. They were too well trained for that. But they looked on me with a sense of pity that was somehow worse. It looked like there was no chance I'd ever pass my Initiation Trials. Most likely I'd eventually be cast out of the order entirely." He was relieved that he managed to avoid cringing at the memory.

"And I was terrified, Kira. I remember being terrified of not becoming a Jedi. I remember being terrified of failing." He exhaled. "I was full of so much fear. And I don't need to tell you where that path leads."

KIra swallowed and nodded, the oft quoted Jedi lesson coming to the forefront of her mind. Fear was the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. Suffering led to the dark side of the force and ultimately the way of the Sith.

"So. What happened?" she asked, her voice quiet.

His thin smile returned and he exhaled at the memory. "Well. They gave me my first training saber."

Kira chuckled again. By the time she had met him, Corellan was already regarded by many as one of the best duelists of his generation of Jedi, and that was before he'd even reached the rank of Jedi Knight. Kira had been with him through nearly every fight since then, and she more than anyone could testify to Corellan's prowess as a warrior.

"Of course. You were born to wield a lightsaber." She mused, still smiling at him.

Corellan briefly considered replying with another quip, more meaningless banter. Truth be told, he was embarrassed by the story. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have even told them this much. No one outside the old enclave had ever heard this tale. Not even Master Orgus.

Instead, he just smiled faintly, staring into fire while he tended it with his stick.

"I remember the first time they trained us, and of holding the training sabre for the first time. I lined up in the training area like everyone else to practice the forms Master Sagotto was demonstrating for us. And in my mind, I was already expecting to fail. Or, at the very least, I'd lag behind everyone else. I was trying not to think about what would happen when the sparring started. I could imagine poking out my own eye, among other calamities."

"Instead, much to my own surprise, I picked the forms up quickly. They just seemed so natural my body just seemed to respond on its own. Master Sagotto would show us a movement, and I would copy it precisely, almost immediately. Then I learned the combinations. When the sparring finally started, I excelled, for the first time in my training. By the end of the first week, none of the other students were anywhere close to me in skill, even the older ones who'd been training for longer. And it all felt effortless."

"Soon, all my studies became easier. The Force was suddenly there for me. I no longer struggled to move pebbles; now I could move rocks, and even boulders. It seemed like every day, I grew stronger and faster, I could think more clearly, and I devoured knowledge at an impressive rate. Suddenly I was raising my hand to answer questions about the Code and everything else they lectured us on. By the time I was twelve, even Master Sagotto, the former Battle Master of the Jedi Order, couldn't stand against me in a pitched sparring session, and that man was a force of nature, even in his twilight years."

He sighed. "But my point is, you asked me who I'd be if the Jedi hadn't taken me in. The truth of it is, I was too terrified to even imagine what would have happened to me if I hadn't made it."

Kira blinked at this admission. "You know you're the bravest man I've ever met? Seriously? How many times have I've seen you charge into battle outnumbered and without a second thought?"

Corellan smiled at that. "And how many times have you been right behind me?"

She grinned back at him. "That's my job, partner. Besides, I can't let you have all the fun."

"And that's why we get along." He quipped playfully, enjoying the banter. It wasn't the first time he'd said it. "But everything I've told you is true."

She gazed up at him in understanding, clearly touched. "I believe you. And thanks for trusting me with your story."

Corellan smiled. "You've earned it. I know it isn't always easy teaming with someone like me."

"I'll say. Just from fighting beside you, I'm in the best shape of my life." She reached out and padded her shapely hip through the sleeping bag. Corellan's eyes were inadvertently drawn to her movement, before her voice drew his attention back to her. "You know, most Jedi need to take a break in between skirmishes. All that Force usage wears us down. But you… you never seem to get tired. Your natural stamina is off the charts."

"That's another legacy of Master Sagotto's training." He smiled at the remembrance. "The Enclave was basically an island and a small mountain. Mount Bastilla, we called it. It was actually an ancient volcano. As discipline, he'd have us run up the mountain and back down."

"Pretty hard-core." She grinned. "I can't imagine you ever merited many punishments, though."

"You'd be surprised." He exhaled and then smiled up at her. "I could be very… stubborn. I was never defiant, exactly. I just chose to do things the hard way. Sagotto was never the type to simply tell you 'no'. Instead, if you didn't do something to his standards, he'd put you through the paces. I had to run up that mountain every day, sometimes twice."

"You?" she looked at him in disbelief. "Mister Always minds his Jedi Code?"

He chuckled. "It was a long time ago. I was young and too ambitious by far. Looking back now, I was insufferable. Sagotto recognized that, and turned my stubbornness into discipline, both mental and physical. It was very hard. But if he hadn't done it, I wouldn't be what I am." He reflected for a long moment, glancing into the fire again. "I would say Sagotto influenced me more than any master up until Master Orgus Din."

"Orgus meant a lot to you, didn't he?" Kira whispered.

"He did." Corellan admitted, his voice vacant. "It's strange, isn't it? I learned from Master Sagotto for years and I had a string of masters after I left Uphrades. I was Orgus' Padawan for, what, just over a week? He was different from any other Jedi I'd ever met. He taught me about the living force. He was incredibly wise, but so grounded. There's so much I still want to ask him. Almost every day we face challenges that make me think to myself 'What would Master Orgus do?'" he sighed, staring off into the distance. "He was the best Jedi I've ever known. And the best man."

Kira reached over and grasped his forearm, her eyes full of compassion. "I'm sorry."

Corellan looked over to her as if snapped out of a trance. His expression softened in appreciation. "It's okay."

She withdrew her hand. "So how were you ambitious?" Kira asked, clearly looking to break up the awkwardness.

This time, Corellan allowed himself to cringe. "I suppose it was because I wanted to become the greatest warrior in the galaxy. I was a pretty insufferable initiate."

Kira chuckled. "Well, I'd say that ambition worked out for everyone in the end."

"Can I ask you something?" there was a focused curiosity in Kira's blue eyes as they looked up at him.

"You can ask me anything." He smiled, disposing of the remnants of their meal. He meant it, too. He trusted Kira absolutely.

"Why did we avoid the Twi'lek village when we were coming here? We could have stopped there, maybe traded supplies."

"Ah." He nodded somberly, sighing. "Did you hear about what happened there, after you and Master Kiwiks left for Coruscant?"

"Not really." Her brow furrowed. "Just that things were bad for a while there when Bengal Morr was running the Flesh Raiders. I haven't heard of any trouble since then, though." She was clearly still approaching the situation as a potential danger. "Not since you beat Morr."

Corellan nodded. "True enough. I was trying to help them out. They have a new Matriarch, Ranna Tao'Ven. Her mother passed away while all this was going on, and so Ranna became the leader of her people. The Flesh Raiders had planted toxin mines in the Twi'lek crop fields. She begged me to destroy them. It was hard task. I had to resist the toxins and the flesh raiders. But I pulled through. She thanked me afterwards, and I didn't think much of it. Orgus needed me elsewhere, so I didn't stay long."

He reached for his canteen and took a sip. "Sometime later Orgus told me to meet him at the village. They had sent out a distress call. I went there but couldn't find him. When I went to Ranna, she told me they hadn't sent for help. I knew something was wrong. Honest people make poor liars. While I was talking to her, three of her people ambushed me, against her protests."

"Why?" Kira exclaimed. "Why would they do that? You were helping them!"

"Bengal Morr. He had approached the Twi'leks and told them that he would spare them if they captured and turned over Master Orgus and myself. They'd already captured Orgus and given him to Morr. The trio of Twi'lek who ambushed me in the village intended to do the same to me. They hit me with a stun dart in the back, but I woke up hearing Ranna yelling at them. Apparently, she was willing to give up Orgus but not me."

"I managed to de-escalate the situation with the Mind Trick. The other three Twi'leks dropped their weapons and left, and Ranna tearfully confessed everything. She was upset, distraught and remorseful. I eventually forgave her. She told me what I needed to find Bengal Morr, and I managed to save Orgus. After that, I was made a Jedi Knight."

"But that was all later. Back in the village with Ranna, I was beside myself. I was going to ask how she could betray Orgus on the one hand but then try to save me on the other. But when I saw her in pain just from talking about what she'd done, something clicked in my head. I don't know how I didn't notice it before. I felt like a fool. She had developed… feelings for me. That's why she had tried to save me from the others."

Kira started at that. "She went through all that because she had a crush on you?"

He gave a nod of his head, disappointed in himself. "Orgus, the village and the Jedi Order all wound up safe. But if I had read Ranna clearly earlier, I can't help but think I would have wised up to what she and the Twi'leks were planning. Because I missed that, my Master was very nearly killed."

"You know that's ridiculous, right?" Kira answered. "Even if you'd have known about this Ranna, you couldn't have known what Morr would have done or how desperate the Twi'leks would become?"

He sighed. "Rationally, I know you're right. But that's why I avoided the village. The memory of that place, and of Ranna Tao'Ven, is painful. It's not because I resent her; I don't. I later defended her and her people to Master Satele and the Council. It just gets to me that even here on Tython, we find good people who are so scared they'll be abandoned by the Republic and their friends they turn on their own neighbors and do things they'd normally never consider. That's what the Empire has done more than anything, on virtually every world we've visited. The village is a constant reminder of that." He finally reached the end of his tale, falling back into silence and turning his attention back to the fire.

Kira had been listening attentively, and now seemed to be chewing over how to respond to this. She finally smirked, having worked something out. "Well. Everything else aside, that story explains why you didn't seem to notice that Mirialan on Nar Shaddaa."

"What?" Corellan blinked once, recalling the woman Kira was speaking of. "Deera Ulyette, the special liaison from the Senate to the Hutt Cartel." The attractive, green-skinned woman had met Corellan and Kira on Nar Shaddaa, enlisting their help in trying to get the Hutts to side with the Republic against the Sith Empire. He looked over at Kira. "Are you saying she was… interested in me?" he blinked at Kira again, clearly incredulous. "You're not teasing me, are you partner?"

Kira chuckled, her smirk widening in amusement. "Boss, it's a good thing you're a Jedi. If you were anything else, you'd be helpless with women. I swear, she was undressing you with her eyes!"

The other Jedi exhaled slowly. "I'll take your word for it. Alright, partner. From here on out, I'll be in charge of planning the missions. You'll be in charge of… letting me know about this other area where I apparently have a blind spot. Deal?" he reached over and offered her his hand.

"Deal." Kira grinned, accepting his hand in hers and giving it a firm shake. Their eyes met as their skin made contact…

The memory came to the forefront of Corellan's mind unexpectedly. Weeks ago, he and Kira had fought and slain Valis, a Child of the Emperor who was attempting to abduct Kira and bring her back to the Sith Empire and to the Emperor's service. Once they were back in the safety of their ship, a distraught Kira had confessed her past to him. It was the first time she had truly opened up to him. To her credit, she hadn't cried. Indeed, Kira never cried, and considering the hardships she'd endured, he admired her for that. But for the first time since he'd known her, she'd seemed on the verge of tears when she'd talked about the Emperor finding her.

"Now the Emperor knows where I am. The Sith will never stop hunting me." She had lamented.

Up until that point, she had been so fearless in all their travels. She'd been courageous, even enthusiastic in battle. When Ferav, a Sith Inquisitor and apprentice of Darth Angral, had captured her on Ord Martell and forced a hostage confrontation with Corellan, Kira hadn't wavered in the slightest, even with the Sith's lightsaber at her throat. She'd maintained the same carefree, plucky, sarcastic attitude she always had, mocking the Sith and maintaining the presence of mind to tell her Master that Ferav had been ordered not to kill her, so his threats against her could be safely ignored. Corellan and the Sith had fought, and for all the Inquisitor's bravado, and the presence of a trio of Imperial commandos, Ferav had fallen beneath the Jedi's blades. The experience had given him a new appreciation for Kira Carsen's bravery, building on a foundation of trust that had seen the duo accomplish incredible tasks, overcoming every challenge thrown their way.

But now seeing her so distraught after their confrontation with Valis troubled him deeply. He realized in that moment that Kira's greatest fear wasn't of falling in battle or the myriad of other dangers Jedi faced, but the idea of being rejected and abandoned; to be abandoned by the Jedi Order and, by extension, abandoned by Corellan. Above all, she feared falling under the Emperor's control again, and losing her own sense of identity. It made perfect sense, of course, now that he knew her story. Kira's parents had abandoned her to the Sith Academy and the Emperor when she was just a baby. She had spent her adolescence on her own on Nar Shaddaa, surviving only on her wits and the training she'd received back on Korriban. Of course, Kira feared abandonment.

It wasn't right. He immediately wanted to help her. To comfort and reassure her in her darkest hour that he would never abandon her, regardless of what the Sith threw at them.

The words came out of Corellan's mouth instinctively, before he even realized he was speaking. "They'll take you over my dead body."

As soon as the words left his lips, they filled him with a sense of discomfort. Strictly speaking, it wasn't the sort of thing a Jedi was supposed to say to his Padawan. At all. At the very least, the wording was… inappropriate. Very inappropriate. Properly, he could have just said 'I'll protect you' or he could have reminded her that Master Satele had ordered him to do exactly that when she became his Padawan back on Coruscant, and that nothing had changed. That would have been suitable. He hadn't intended the words to mean something more than that, but they had. They meant so much that he had felt an ever so slight and brief shift of his alignment with the force, which was normally so strongly attuned to the light. He had quickly and easily recovered, of course. No real harm done. Even the Jedi Masters hadn't noticed anything amiss. But it had been a new experience for him, that feeling of touching the dark side through one's actions. One more thing he wished that he'd had time to talk over with Master Orgus.

Kira, for her part back in the moment, had blushed and looked downward with an embarrassed smile, even as he felt the waves of relief roll off her. "I'm having a very inappropriate urge to kiss you… but I won't."

Now that response had left him stunned, and not trusting his own voice. Fortunately, the awkward silence was quickly broken up when Kira had declared that she was ready to tell the truth to the Jedi Order. From there, they'd traveled to Tython. She had spoken before the Council about her past, the masters had debated, Corellan had spoken on Kira's behalf, and Grand Master Satele had ultimately ruled that they could continue their mission together.

Neither of them had mentioned that previous exchange aboard the ship ever since...

Back in the present, Kira was looking at him expectantly, curiously. Corellan realized he was still holding her hand. He released it suddenly, mumbling an apology. Kira took her hand back, still smiling but turning her head to the side at the awkwardness, avoiding his gaze. The two Jedi fell into a silence.

The memories of their travels led Corellan to reflect on their final encounter with Angral, leading Corellan to chuckle suddenly, an expression he rarely allowed himself even amongst other Jedi.

"What?" Kira looked up, still smiling with a look of curiosity.

"'I'd rather jump out an airlock naked'." Corellan quoted Kira word-for-word from their confrontation with Darth Angral. The Sith Lord had ordered her to betray Corellan and stand beside Angral as a Child of the Emperor. Instead, even as she fought the Emperor's presence in her mind, she had defied Angral and helped her Master overcome their foe.

Kira's smile quickly changed from one of amusement to one of embarrassed sheepishness as her eyes cast downward. "It was the best comeback I could come up with on short notice." She managed to get the words out as she continued to look downward, avoiding his gaze. Watching her through the light of the fire, it took Corellan a moment to realize that she was blushing.

"Well, it was a good one." The Jedi grinned, and then let the moment pass. His mood turned somber. "Kira." His voice was lower than usual, leading his former Padawan to look up at him, questioningly.

"How much do you remember? I mean from when the Emperor was trying to control you?"

Corellan had resisted asking the question until now. He trusted Kira completely, now more than ever. Even the Council hadn't pressed her on this point when they'd given their report after returning to Tython. But it was gnawing at him, and here, just between the two of them, he sought an answer.

Kira closed her eyes and shivered at the memory. "Everything." She whispered. "It's like remembering a bad dream. No, it's like remembering a nightmare. I was a prisoner inside my own mind. I saw everything he said and did and I was helpless to stop it." She let out a deep breath, and then she opened her blue eyes, looking up at him with an expression approaching adoration. "You challenged the Emperor to a fight. For me."

Corellan looked away with a grin that was probably more boyish than he would have preferred. It was true enough; he'd tried to provoke the Sith Emperor into leaving Kira's mind. It hadn't worked, but Kira had ultimately proved strong enough to force Vitiate from her mind herself. Still, the context Kira presented did make him feel a little foolish. Fortunately, he had a safe answer ready. The same one he ought to have used back on the ship. "Well, it is my job to protect you. When you were still my Padawan, I mean. Master Satele ordered me to back on Coruscant, remember?"

"I remember. After we took down Tarnis and stopped the Planet Prison. That feels like it was a lifetime ago." Kira continued to look at him, her eyes now smoldering. "When I… when HE was fighting you. You were incredible. I've never seen you move that fast. I've never seen anyone move that fast."

It was true enough that Corellan had briefly dueled the Emperor as he possessed Kira. Somehow, the fact that he knew he would not – could not – harm Kira only pushed him to fight more aggressively. The Jedi Knight had disarmed his possessed Padawan, giving Kira the chance she needed to force the Emperor out of her mind with her own sheer willpower.

Back in the present, Corellan regarded Kira silently, fending off another bout of embarrassment. I never fought for so much before. Instead, he banished the stray thought from his mind and decided to break up the awkward silence with a quip. "Well, I had already stood up to Master Kaedan for you." He grinned. "So facing down the Emperor of the Sith wasn't so bad."

Kira blinked once and then exploded in laughter. Master Jaric Kaedan, stoned-faced, unyielding and unbending, held a seat on the Jedi High Council. Weeks before, when Kira's past had been revealed the council, Kaedan had demanded that Kira be imprisoned, claiming she represented 'a threat to our entire order'. Corellan, who at that point had been a Jedi Knight for less than a month, had calmly stood up before the council and declared that he trusted the Padawan with his life. Cooler heads had prevailed, and Kira had been allowed to remain at Corellan's side. Still, the encounter had quietly lingered with them both.

Of course, being Jedi, Kira and Corellan had both been reasonably discreet when they spoke about that council meeting, never specifically mentioning Kaedan by name.

Until just now, that is.

Kira's laughter now had her on her back, clutching her sides and gasping for air as she rolled around in her sleeping bag. Corellan merely smiled contentedly. His former Padawan – his friend and partner – who had been through so much in her young life from being raised in the Sith Academy to surviving the streets of Nar Shaddaa – was happy. That filled him with a warmth that eclipsed any honor Master Satele or General Var Suthra could ever bestow on him.

Kira finally recovered her breath, sitting up in the sleeping bag as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Wow, boss." She chuckled. "You're finally developing a sense of humor." she exhaled. "Nifty. Don't let the Council know, or they'll take back your 'model Jedi' badge."

"Noted, partner." Corellan just nodded. There was no such actual badge, of course. But Master Satele had heaped considerable praise on him, almost to the point of embarrassment.

Kira was still regarding him carefully. It was like she was looking for something within the other Jedi. "But seriously. That was incredibly brave. Heck, it was even heroic."

He smiled back at her, almost beaming. Then he gave her a slight shake of his head. "I had the easier time of it. I just had to defeat his lightsaber. You had to defeat him in your mind. And if we're trading praise, Kira, what you did on the bridge, rejecting the Emperor and declaring that you were a Jedi, and then that flash of light… all of that. I've never been prouder. Ever."

Kira's lips parted and her eyes widened in surprise at the admission. Her blush returned, deeper than before. She looked downward in embarrassment, averting her gaze.

"Blast it, boss." She managed a weak smile, still clearly overwhelmed by her former master's words. "Keep this up and you're going to make me cry. No one wants that." Kira was clearly desperate to change the subject. "So. Why are we really out here? You did promise to tell me."

Corellan smiled again. She'd held off asking the actual question for far longer than he'd have expected. Kira seemed so much happier now that she was free of the Emperor's influence and secured her place in the Order. She even seemed wiser and more patient for the experience. In short, she was at peace, maybe for the first time in her life.

"Do you remember the first thing you ever said to me?" he ducked his head a little, glancing at her.

Kira mulled that over, recalling the first time they had met each other. "You mean that time in the council chambers? I made that crack about your report on that Dark Sider brightening up the room…"

Corellan shook his head. "I meant later on, when we were out in the field in Kaleth. With Master Kiwiks."

"Oh." Realization came to Kira's eyes as she remembered the three Jedi meeting over the body of a slain Flesh Raider months ago.

She and Kiwiks had arrived on the scene just as Corellan, still a Padawan himself at the time, had finished off a group of the rampaging beasts. Kira had quipped to Corellan 'You sure made short work of this bunch. You ever leave survivors?'

Kira Carsen had never been one to embarrass easily. Yet for the third time that night she blushed in embarrassment, her eyes cast downward. "I was just running my mouth, again." She started to apologize. "I told you then I didn't mean anything by it…."

Corellan held up a forestalling hand and smiled. "Kira. It's fine. Honestly." He reached over and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "I swear I wasn't offended, even back then."

Kira watched her partner closely, regaining her composure. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "So what was it?" she asked quietly.

The Jedi Knight withdrew his hand, returning his attention to the fire.

"You know I'd never even been to Tython before all this started." He began. "I was raised mostly in the Jedi enclave on Uphrades, and after that I spent a few years traveling with a string of masters when I was a Padawan. By the time I got here, I knew I was good with a lightsaber, and that I could handle myself in combat. And after my earlier difficulties I told you about, I had committed myself to the rest of my studies, at least enough to satisfy the masters. Still, something always seemed to get in the way of visiting our homeworld." Here he gestured around them for effect at Tython's wilderness.

"So for years, Tython had been built up in my mind to be an almost mythical place. Here, I would find an even deeper connection to the light side of the force. I would study and debate the philosophy of the Jedi code with wise Masters. I would meet with other young Jedi who were like myself, and hone my skills with the lightsaber beside my future comrades in arms. I would, effectively, complete not just my training, but myself, as a Jedi."

Kira raised an eyebrow, shifting in her sleeping bag. "So… what? It wasn't up to your expectations?"

He reached for his canteen and took a sip of water. His throat had grown parched from this fireside chat. "I stepped off the shuttle on Tython, and literally within five minutes I'm killing Flesh Raiders."

Kira's eyes widened. "You mean the attack on the training grounds."

He nodded. "They told me the Masters were spread too thin to respond. We had initiates and untrained Padawans trying to fend off armed Jedi-hunting monsters from out of a nightmare. It would have been a slaughter, so they sent me. I grabbed my vibroblade and went."

"You drove them back." There was pride in Kira's voice. She was proud to serve under a master as brave and skilled as Corellan was. "Everyone was talking about it afterwards, even the Masters. You saved those kids. You were already a hero, even back then at the beginning."

He gave her a weak smile in acknowledgement of her praise, but he pressed on. "They had taken a Jedi prisoner, so I tracked them to the caves. I managed to free their captive, but I was forced to kill the Dark Jedi who had led the attack before Master Orgus could reach us."

"After that, Orgus took me under his wing. He sent me into the hills. I found Tee-Seven. I fought off the attacks on the village. But mostly… mostly I remember killing the Flesh Raiders. I would hit one of their encampments, maybe to free a prisoner, maybe to claim some artifact that the Raiders were drawing power from… it was all a blur. All of it involved fighting and killing these Raiders. And I don't care how monstrous they look or act, they are sentient. They're people."

"They're evil." Kira countered. She was trying to reason through his words logically. "Whatever the Rakata did to them thousands of years ago, it gave them a taste for killing Jedi, and everyone else for that matter. There's a reason we call them Flesh Raiders."

"True." Corellan agreed. "Those creatures don't respond to anything but force. Like Master Kiwiks said, they follow the Dark Side as much as anything else. I lost count of how many of them I killed. Master Orgus' guidance kept me focused, and later, when we fixed up Tee-Seven and he joined me as a companion that helped as well. But I still felt it every time I killed."

He took another sip of his water. "Since then, well, you've been with me for most of it. I've killed street thugs on Coruscant, Rakghouls on Taris, cyborg mobsters on Nar Shaddaa, Sand People on Tatooine, dissident nobles on Alderaan, and Imperial soldiers and Sith Lords practically everywhere."

He looked up at Kira again. Her blue eyes were locked on him now, with no small amount of concern. But for once, she seemed to be at a loss for words. She was trying to truly understand what he was saying.

"And again, it's all been necessary. Every single death was justified. I know that. I do. They've all been either trying to kill us or trying to stop us from saving everyone else. But it made me think about what you said back here that day with Master Kiwiks. I don't leave many survivors, do i? Most of our enemies simply don't surrender or retreat. And it does wear on me. Before this war is won, I'm going to kill a lot more people. And I'll feel every single death."

"I don't know why, but it seemed very important to me to stop thinking of Tython as just another world where I fought and killed our enemies. And I can't do that back at the Temple, surrounded by people who either revere me for saving them or who question the tactics we use. That's why I decided to come out here. Because I want to feel what other Jedi feel when they come back to Tython. I want to feel like this planet is some kind of home."

He exhaled slowly, then looked up at her again intently. "You understand, with Master Orgus gone, you're the only one I can really talk to about these things."

Kira's eyes widened at the revelation, full of compassion. "You can tell me anything, anything at all. I'm here for you. But if you needed to talk to one of the masters…"

"It wouldn't go well." he shook his head with a sigh. "Look, Master Satele once told me we should reflect on the lives we take. Force knows, I've strived to do that. But if she knew how much it weighs on me, she'd give me a lot more than three days' leave. She'd ground me on Tython and confine me to the temple until the entire council was certain I wasn't at risk of falling to the dark side." He paused. "Or just until they were certain I wasn't at risk of burning out." He exhaled again. "The Jedi Order and the Republic need me – need us – right now. And let's face it – the fighting, the missions, those are the things I'm good at. That's how I can contribute to the Jedi and to the Republic. I'm a warrior, and this is wartime. I don't think any Jedi should be a warrior to the detriment of everything else we are supposed to be, but sometimes it feels like that's my destiny."

He smiled up at her wryly. "Be honest, can you really picture me meditating all day in the temple, dispensing my wisdom to eager young Padawans?"

Kira smiled back at that, but her eyes still looked concerned. "No, you'd be wasted in the Temple. I told you before you weren't like most Jedi, and I meant it. Running with you all over the galaxy… it's like you were born to do this." The younger Jedi thought about the problem for a moment. "Alright, fine, what about Lord Praven, the Pureblooded Sith on Tatooine who abducted Master Kiwiks and tried to activate the Shock Drum? We beat him, and you spared his life. Now he's somewhere here on Tython, learning to be a Jedi. That's a win, right? And Bengel Morr? That Dark Jedi who was behind the Flesh Raiders in the first place? Same thing. He's recovering with the masters' help, thanks to you. He even sent you a message, thanking you. Doesn't that show the kind of good you've done? Doesn't that prove what kind of Jedi you are?"

"Thanks." He smiled at her. She had made a couple of good points. He actually did feel better with her reassurance. "That means a lot, Kira. Really, it does. And maybe you're right. Maybe I am a better Jedi than I give myself credit for. But to me, the most important lesson is this: when I came to Tython, I thought I'd find many Jedi who were like me. Young Jedi who I could talk to and relate to as well as fight beside." He looked back at her with eyes that were full of trust.

"Instead, I only found one."

This time, Kira's face didn't betray her surprise, though a tremor seemed to pass through her body. Her eyes met his dead-on, blue oceans full of emotion. She suddenly hopped out of her sleeping bag in one fluid motion, strode over to where he was sitting in two steps, and then crouched down next to him. He still hadn't moved when Kira reached out, grabbed his face in her hands, leaned in and kissed him.

The touch of her soft lips to his sent an electric thrill through Corellan, causing him to completely forget his Jedi discipline. His body responded before his mind could, reaching up and taking Kira in his arms. His lips and tongue met hers on reflex, tasting her as he gave in to months of built up tension he didn't realize he even had.

Kira suddenly broke the kiss, looking aghast at herself for having so brazenly broken the Jedi rules. "I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn't have done that. I just wanted…"

Corellan interrupted her, grabbing Kira by the shoulders and pulling her into an embrace, kissing her passionately. Kira gave a small shriek and then a murmur of pleasure as she responded in kind, returning the kiss as her arms wrapped around her fellow Jedi's neck.

The emotions had taken months to build up. All that fighting and guarding the others' back against Tarnis, Ferav, Valis, Angral, and everyone else who'd tried and failed to kill them. They'd had the constant pressure of knowing the fates of entire planets were riding on their shoulders. Kira had endured the Emperor's attempts to reclaim her mind and soul as one of his Children, finally freeing herself for good. Corellan had coped with the death of Master Orgus Din, his mentor with whom he had forged a powerful connection in his final days as a Padawan, emerging stronger than ever. They had been there for each other and through it all, and they had come to trust each other completely.

That bond - and the emotions spawned from it - proved to be far more powerful than all the Council prohibitions against attachments could ever hope to be.

Shifting his arms without breaking the kiss, he drew her into his lap, his hands running up and down her back. Her knees shifted until she was straddling him, their bodies pressed against each other.

She unexpectedly broke the kiss again, her eyes burning on him intently. "Hey, Boss?" Kira spoke in a husky whisper as her arms grasped him tightly.

"Mmmm?" Corellan murmured up at her in surprise and concern. Had he done something wrong?

"That job you asked me to do before? That you wanted me to be in charge of?" she broke out into a grin. "I thought I should warn you. I think that cute redhead who used to be your Padawan likes you."

He returned her grin, overcome with relief. "Thanks, partner. Good work."

As the two young Jedi resumed their kiss and the rest of the galaxy melted away, Corellan knew he would never question his connection with Tython ever again.

Author's Notes: This was originally intended to be a stand-alone story, but I've decided to pursue it further. I've also made some edits since I originally posted it. As you can see, Corellan Halcyon is a light-side Jedi Knight, and with one or two exceptions, he has consistently toed the line with the Council. (Obviously, that last part may be changing.)

Chapter Text

Author's Notes:  This story is based on the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO, drawn from the Jedi Knight class storyline. Our protagonist is Corellan, our male human Jedi Knight hero, having (mostly) chosen light-side options. Chapter 2 of this story takes place immediately following Chapter 2 in the in-game story. Spoilers will obviously be forthcoming. Kira Carsen and all other characters are the property of BioWare / Lucasfilm.

Jedi Knight Corellan Halcyon sat in the pilot seat of his Defender-class light corvette and inputted the coordinates he had been given for the Belsavis system. He and his crew – which now included a Sith Lord, Force help him – were leaving Tython after just a few short hours. This, after having spent months as prisoners of the Emperor of the Sith Empire. Properly, rationally, they all should have spent days or weeks being debriefed by the Jedi Order and Republic intelligence, followed by a mandatory (and possibly highly "supervised") extended leave of absence for rest and recovery.

But the Galaxy did not have weeks. If their mission to Belsavis failed, the Galaxy might not even have days.

Working from the engine room, Teeseven, his trusty AstroMech droid and the first companion he ever made, messaged him that they were finally ready to enter hyperspace. He messaged a thanks to his old friend, and triggered the hyperdrive. Seconds later, the stars outside the cockpit canopy shifted as the Defender made the jump.

Within a few hours, they would be on Belsavis, a hidden Galactic Republic world that had apparently been used as a top-secret prison for centuries. That world was now the target of a ritual by the Sith Emperor that would, if successful, give him the power to destroy the Galaxy. It was an utterly insane notion. But having confronted the Emperor and his madness twice now, Corellan didn't doubt that he would and could conceive and implement such a plan.

Behind him, someone stepped into the cockpit area, closing and locking the door behind them. Even without the Force, he would have known instantly who it was.

"Rusk is still having a staring contest with Scourge." Kira Carsen, his former Padawan, current partner, fellow Jedi Knight and covert lover spoke the name of the Sith Lord with all the contempt and scorn she could muster, which was considerable. Sergeant Fideltin Rusk, an elite soldier attached to Corellan's ad-hoc squad from the Republic Military, had made it his personal mission to watch Lord Scourge, formerly the Emperor's Wrath and personal executioner, now a traitor to the Empire pledged to Corellan's personal service, for signs of treachery.

Without turning away from her, Corellan's hand reached out and triggered the autopilot on the ship's console. He stood up, taking a step towards Kira, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Doc is getting his med-bay restocked and back in order. Says he needs to get the stench of Imperials out." Kira returned his look as she took another step towards him. "Teeseven is doing the same in the engine room. Running diagnostics and… so on." Her voice started to crack. Corellan didn't trust himself to speak at all.

The two Jedi simply gazed into each other's eyes, then simultaneously lunged into each other's arms, grasping each other. Their lips met and their spirits soared. It had been months since they had been together. Months of Kira being locked up with the others with no idea what was going to happen to any of them. Months of Corellan being brainwashed by the Emperor and doing things he could not remember and probably would not want to remember. They couldn't even share a kiss when Corellan had freed her in the interrogation chamber; it had been too dangerous with too many Sith and Imperial soldiers around. Then on the trip back to Tython, things had been tense with the rest of the crew. Corellan's decision to allow Scourge to join them had not been popular, and everyone was taking turns watching the Sith. There had been no privacy. No time.

There never seemed to be enough time for them. There was just 'right now'.

Their lips and tongues pressed together hungrily. Their arms wrapped around each other, pulling their bodies together. They needed this. There was want and need and affirmation in every touch and motion. The assurance that no matter how long it had been or what the Emperor had done to them, their connection, the bond they shared, could not be sundered. Not by the rules of the Jedi Council, and not by the machinations of the Emperor. He might well be the most powerful force-user in the Galaxy, but he could never destroy what they had.

Eventually, Corellan fell back into the pilot's seat, pulling Kira down in his arms. Even that didn't break the kiss. She simply wrapped her arms around his neck while he pulled her into in his lap. The pilot's chair squeaked a bit in protest as it leaned back; neither Jedi noticed. Their hands roamed their bodies wantonly. There was no subtlety here. No declarations. No words.

They didn't need words. Not now.

Kira sat up in his lap suddenly, gently caressing his face with her hand as she looked deep into his eyes with urgent longing. He returned her look, drowning in her blue eyes as, for one glorious moment, all his troubles faded away. Her free hand reached down for his belt…

Afterward, they straightened their clothes out and sat beside each other at the pilot's and co-pilot's stations. It almost felt like how it had been for them before. Back in their early days together, when it had just been the two of them and Teeseven, running around trying to stop a single Sith Lord from seizing planet-killing weapons of mass destruction. Corellan remembered the experience had seemed so overwhelming at the time. In retrospect, compared to the task ahead of him, that now seemed like a pleasant little adventure.

For now, though, for a little bit of precious time, he was at peace. He was with her.

"Thank you." he smiled over at her languidly. "I really, truly needed that."

She leaned back in her chair, folding her hands behind her head and grinning back at him impishly. "Believe me, partner, we both did."

"We never… did it quite like that before." He looked downward. The bulk of their clothes had essentially stayed on throughout the experience, with only the barest minimum of undressing and… things pushed out of the way.

"I know. But we have our whole crew plus a Sith Lord out there. Things are already on edge." She gestured towards the door, indicating the rest of the ship. "None of us should be alive after what we've been through. And tomorrow… tomorrow we could be dead." She exhaled, then gave him a smirk with a wild look in her eyes that was downright reckless. "I decided life is too short for taking clothes off."

He laughed lightly, leaning back in his seat as a sudden melancholy came over him. "I missed you." He sighed, reaching over and taking her hand in his. "I hardly remember a thing from when… from when he had me. From when he was under his control. But I couldn't not miss you."

"You blasted well better have." Kira's expression was more somber now, her voice becoming softer as her blue eyes, full of water, took him in. "Because I missed you every moment of every day."

Corellan's eyes close in pain and guilt. "I'm so sorry." He whispered quietly.

"For what?" her voice became firmer, more like her normal self. Assertive, sarcastic, fearless.

"For putting you in that position, for one thing. But more than that, for not listening to you. Before we attacked the Fortress, you felt it was a trap. You felt that the Emperor was expecting us. You tried to warn me and I didn't listen." He sighed. "We're partners. I'm supposed to trust your instincts and I didn't. We all could have been killed." He reached out and grasped her hand. "You were right, Kira. I'm sorry."

Kira blinked at him, her eyes suddenly full of sincere compassion, forgiveness and understanding. She loved him and could forgive him almost anything. But the young Jedi couldn't help who she was, and the kind look was just as soon replaced with a mischievous smirk. "Wait, I need to record that last part. Preserve it for posterity as my own personal holo-answering message."

He wrinkled his nose at her, resisting the urge to snort. Despite the aggravation, he was immediately relieved that she was making jokes. "Oh, very funny."

"No, I just want the recording of you saying 'You were right, Kira. I'm sorry'. Just that one line over and over again. I can leave it on a continuous loop for all eternity." she teased. She leaned back in her chair as she grinned at him.

"I'm pretty sure this constitutes insubordination." Corellan finally broke into a grin himself. He couldn't help it. Kira could always get under his skin, and get a smile out of him.

"You realize I'm not your Padawan anymore?" she leered just a bit at him, bumping up her eyebrows.

He rose to the bait. "You realize I can still knock you on your perfectly shaped rear end in a sparring match?" he smiled, folding his arms.

"Wow, partner." She laughed as her eyes lit up. "I see what you did there. Inserting flattery into a threat, huh? Nifty. Changing tactics on me mid-sentence the same way you do when we duel with lightsabers. Okay, 'boss'. Have it your way for now." Kira poked him in the arm, then fell back into her chair, looking rather smug. "So. What happened with the Council?"

Corellan's mood immediately shifted as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Kira could no doubt feel a wave of frustration surging within him, which was just as quickly suppressed. "'There is no emotion, there is peace.'" He exhaled, reciting the first line of the Jedi code. Plainly, he was exercising basic personal discipline techniques for maintaining self-control.

Kira smiled a bit as she reached out and caressed her hand through his hair. "Not so great, then."

"After Lord Scourge laid out the Emperor's plan for them and told them he would help me, Master Kaeden drew his lightsaber on him. There was no great preamble. No threats. Nothing." Corellan sighed. "He just said that Scourge's role in this was done. Even Master Kiwiiks was against letting him go free." The disappointment was evident in his voice. Kaeden had proven to be difficult in the past, but Kiwiiks had been Kira's former Master before she teamed with Corellan. Corellan and Kira had saved her life twice – first on Tatooine and then again on Tython when they had defeated Darth Angral. She had always been supportive of Corellan, Kira and their crew in the past.

"You know she was just worried." Kira gently defended her old master as she looked up at him with her blue eyes. She didn't want a fight. She and Corellan never really fought, exactly. But she wanted to make sure Corellan was seeing things clearly. "Worried about you."

She didn't come right out and say I am, too. But he could feel the unspoken words in her gaze.

"I know." He swallowed, his voice softening. He tried to press on. "I could feel the anger and contempt coming off Scourge, but he never even budged a muscle. He just stood there stoically, defiantly, and told Master Satele that we needed each other, like it or not." Just as he had at the time, Corellan held his breath in anticipation. It was unsettling.

"Fortunately, Master Satele believed him." He exhaled. "Or, at least, she felt the same in the Force. She warned me not to trust him too much, and let us go."

"He said himself that he'd always be a Sith." Kira offered the words carefully. Regardless of how she felt, she wasn't going to reproach him when he had already committed himself. Kira had always admired Corellan's decisiveness and conviction. She wouldn't turn on him now, no matter how much she disagreed with his decision.

Force, that meant so much to him.

"Maybe so. But right now, he's working to save the galaxy." Corellan countered, his voice level. It was always like this. Corellan and Kira never really argued, exactly. One of them would take a stand on something, and the other would simply accept it. Maybe it was their Jedi training. Maybe they were just too much in love. Regardless, they never seemed to raise their voices to each other. "And that makes him an ally. I don't trust him. But I trust he wants the Emperor dead. And I trust Orgus that we need him. That shows his willingness to work for the greater good. If he can do that, then he can change."

"He's not Praven." Kira gently prodded, her voice soft. "Satele was right that we can't trust him."

Corellan remembered Lord Praven. Like Scourge, he was a pure-blooded Sith Lord. He had once served Darth Angral during the Desolator Crisis. When Corellan had defeated him on Tatooine, Praven had elected to defect to the Jedi, realizing that the principles he held – honor most of all – to were far closer to the Light than the Dark, and ashamed of what he had done in his master's name. Now Praven was in training to be a Jedi, and was doing well by all reports.

Kira was right. Something within Praven had wanted to change, and Corellan had sensed that. He couldn't say the same about Scourge. But he did sense a resolve within the Sith Lord that was nigh unbreakable.

"Deep down, I know that. But Kira… this task before us seems monumental. The Emperor is committed to this plan. He'll send everything he has to stop us when we get in his way." He inhaled slowly and then let it out, applying a basic Jedi breathing technique. "I remember how I felt before we attacked the Emperor's Fortress. I never admitted it, but I think I honestly thought I was invincible. With four of the best Jedi in the order at my back, I was sure there was nothing the Emperor could throw at me that would stop us."

He turned away from her in shame, closing his eyes. "I was so arrogant. I had no comprehension of the power he wielded. I nearly lost everything. I could have gotten both of us – and the rest of the crew – killed or worse." He sighed. "I almost failed everyone."

He felt her hand grasp his chin, pulling it until he faced her again. Her eyes, lovely as ever, were narrowed on his with a resolve he hadn't seen since they took down Darth Angral. "But you didn't." she said firmly, steel in her voice. "Yes, you stumbled. It happens to the best of us. Up until now, it just had never happened to you, tough guy." Her tone allowed for no disagreement. "So, we get back up. We rally. We fight. We do what needs to be done. We win. Because that's what we do." She gave him a hard poke in the chest with a half-smirk. "That's what you taught me."

Corellan grinned at that. Only Kira could make him feel this way. "I guess I did a good job of teaching you something, then." He exhaled, his resolve reforming. Very slowly, he was starting to feel like himself again. He regarded his partner with a look of grim resolve. "You do know that eventually I'll have to face him again?"

Kira closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know." she said quietly, giving him an encouraging smile. "Just… not until you're ready next time. Okay?"

The older Jedi nodded. "Every chance I get, however long this takes, I'm going to be training and learning from Scourge." He spoke with conviction. "Learning as much as I can about the Emperor. Getting stronger. That Sith has known the Emperor for 300 years. If the Emperor has any kind of weakness, he will know how to exploit it." He exhaled. "That's why I need Scourge."

At the mention of the Sith Lord on their ship, Kira's eyes widened. She reached over and took hold of his arm. "You know there are a hundred ways this whole deal could go wrong, right?" Her voice was quiet as she pressed him. "Including Scourge trying to turn you to the dark side." she visibly repressed a shiver.

His eyes locked on Kira's, and they were the same eyes that he had looked upon her on Tython, months ago. The eyes that said he trusted her above all others. "And that's why I need you."

She started at that, stunned, and Corellan pressed on. "I need you with me on this. Watching Scourge. Watching me. Making sure I don't get too deep. I know the others are worried, and I don't blame them. But… I need you with me on this." He swallowed. "I can't do this without you."

Kira shuddered. Corellan knew more than anyone how hard this must be for her. Kira's past as a Child of the Emperor, and breaking free of that life, at the age of ten no less, was the most difficult decision of her life. And then a year ago, completely rejecting the Emperor's attempts to control her and overcoming the Sith's bond to her, that had been her greatest challenge. One that resulted in she and Corellan saving Tython, surviving the Desolator Crisis and Kira finally being named a Jedi Knight by Master Satele.

Continuing to travel with a Sith Lord, and to watch for signs her partner, friend and lover was falling to the Dark Side, to someone like Kira, that must seem like the most difficult challenge imaginable.

But this was Kira Carsen. And she had done nothing but embrace challenges since the moment she'd been assigned as Corellan's Padawan. And probably since long before.

She finally nodded. "Okay." She whispered.

Corellan smiled up at Kira again, relieved. He was long past pretending to be the invincible hero with her. The person he was with her was the real him. He reached out an open hand over to her, grinning.

"Partners?" he offered.

The gesture made Kira's eyes light up. She had known since before that night on Tython that Corellan would always stand by her side, and that she would do the same for him. It reminded her that even back when he had been her Jedi master and she had been his Padawan, they had been friends and comrades first. It reminded her that before they were lovers, they had been partners. And everything they had done together had been built on trust and a commitment to each other.

"Partners." she answered, returning the grin with one of her own and accepting the firm handshake.

"So. Orgus freed you?" Kira finally worked up the courage to ask the question. She was still regarding him carefully, and she plainly knew she was treading on uncertain ground here. Corellan understood immediately, his Jedi training serving him well. When your partner tells you that his mind was freed of the Sith Emperor's influence by the force ghost of his former Jedi Master who has been dead for a year, it probably made sense to be wary.

"Yeah." Corellan replied, forcing himself to calm as the memory formed in his mind. Everything up to that from the moment he fell before the Emperor was a haze at best. "Kira, I don't… I don't remember anything before that. When Orgus freed me, he suppressed my memory of everything that happened from the moment we were taken." He closed his eyes, trying to remember. "I have vague glimpses of Chaskar putting me through training sessions against battle droids. Not much else." His eyes opened and refocused on Kira, showing the nearest thing to panic the younger Jedi had ever seen in her partner's eyes. "Kira, I think I did horrible things when I was in there. When I was under his control."

She reached out and gripped his arm firmly. "It wasn't you." She said. Her voice was low, but there was a ferocity to it. "It wasn't your fault."

He gave her a sad smile. "That's what Orgus said. When he freed me. When he… blocked my memories of what happened."

"Well, he was right." Kira's voice was fiercer now, her grip on his tightening. "So. When exactly did Master Orgus free you from the Emperor's control?"

Corellan closed his eyes and cringed. "About two minutes before that Sith overseer, Chaskar, brought me in to torture you." His body shivered. "Orgus always did have a good sense of timing."

That knocked the wind out of Kira's sails. Her eyes blinked once hard and she swallowed. "Well, then I'm real glad he showed up when he did." she half-stammered the words, managing a grim smile.

"Kira, I don't think it was a coincidence." He said, looking up at her. "If I'd… if I'd hurt you, I don't know if I could have come back from that." He exhaled. "I think I would have hated myself too much to ever escape the dark side, even if I had somehow escaped the Emperor." He closed his eyes. "I think Orgus must have known that."

The younger Jedi's lips parted just a bit in shock, her beautiful blue eyes widening further. They were full of surprise, compassion, worry and love. Her breathing slowed as she gazed at her friend and partner. It was rare for her to be caught silent.

"When Chaskar and I came in and I saw you strapped to that machine…" Corellan tried again. "It was all I could do not to kill him on the spot with my bare hands and then run to you. Then I would have carried you out of there." He closed his eyes again. "That… might also have pushed me over the edge." He exhaled.

"You…." she began, then stopped. It was Kira's turn to apply some standard Jedi breathing techniques. That accomplished, she started again, taking his hand in hers. "You once told me that Orgus had taught you that our choices are what matter. Not how we arrive at them."

"You've never had to deal with this before, have you?" she said the words almost accusingly. "We've faced our share of hardships, but you've never actually fought someone in a real battle and come up short." She paused for effect, and Corellan reluctantly shook his head. Her expression became hard and uncompromising as her blue eyes narrowed. "You, Jedi Knight Corellan, are a hero. And nothing will ever change that. You were a hero before I even met you. You'll be remembered as a hero long after we're both dead. You're good. Do you hear me? Good." She smirked suddenly. "Do I have to kick your butt to prove it?"

Corellan smiled softly. "No." he whispered. "And thank you. Again."

"Good." Kira grinned again, releasing her grip on his hand. "And your welcome." She stood up and folded her arms, looking rather pleased with herself.

"So, while you were meeting with the Council, I got another upload from the Jedi archives." She said, her voice idle as she turned away from him in her chair.

Corellan frowned as he turned back to her. He'd learned long ago that Kira often feigned indifference when something important was bothering her. She hardly ever stopped looking to prove how tough she was. "Oh?" he raised an eyebrow.

She seemed to be paying close attention to a navigational chart on her console. He couldn't see her eyes. "Yeah. Finally got the skinny on how we become an official Jedi twosome. Short version? Not happening." Corellan doubted that anyone but himself would notice the tremor of disappointment in her voice. He remembered their conversation before the raid on the Emperor's Fortress. She had told him there were records of Jedi living openly in "attached" relationships, even married and with children, with the Council's permission. She was going to research further.

"We'd only ever see each other on Tython." Kira continued. Her voice was dismissive, but she was still looking away from him. "Senior Council members would review us monthly. Make sure we stayed 'detached'. The clincher is, only Jedi who were raised by the order from birth get permission. I'm automatically disqualified."

He instinctively reached out his hand, placing it on her shoulder. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. "At least we have our answer."

She leaned back in her chair nonchalantly, looking over at him idly. "Still plenty of questions left. What happens when the Council catches us, for starters. The longer we keep things going, the harder they'll be to stop." She looked down again, refusing to meet his eyes. "Not gonna ruin your life, tough guy. If you want out of this, just say so."

Corellan decided to himself that no one else in the Galaxy would have noticed the slight tremor in her voice as she spoke. Kira was so tough, she wouldn't admit when the very idea of something was simply devastating to her.

Or maybe she simply knew him too well. It didn't matter.

There had been moments in Corellan's relatively brief but remarkable Jedi career where the path immediately before him had been unclear. Where he doubted that he could make the right decision or find the right answer on his own, and the Force itself provided no great insights. When that happened, he looked to his companions to be his beacons, lighting his way and reminding him of who he was. It was not always easy and he did not always act as his companions would prefer. But they had rarely led him to regret his actions.

The bond he shared with Kira predated their physical relationship. They had come to trust each other completely long before they had shared their first kiss. They were mutually devoted to each other long before they had slept together.

And the path before him had never been clearer.

"Kira, I just stood up to Masters Satele, Kaeden and Kiwiiks just so I could run around the galaxy with a Sith Lord I barely know in my cargo hold." Corellan reached out and took her hand in his, causing her to look up at him. "I'd rather face down the whole council than lose what we have."

And Kira smiled, looking up at him with devotion, her eyes glazed over and her lovely lips pursing as they moved to kiss each other. "You know, for a man of action, you've got a way with words."

This kiss was very different from their previous ones. It wasn't from a need to express relief or desire or happiness or even trust. It was a commitment. Pure and simple.

As they broke the kiss, held her closely, his forehead pressed against hers as they felt each other breathing heavily.

"I love you." He whispered, his eyes opening.

She grinned up at him happily, her eyes sparkling. "You know, that's the first time you've ever said that to me."

"I know." He beamed. "But I meant it every day."

They kissed again, and this time, there was no question what they were expressing to each other. Their spirits soared as they felt each other in the Force, embracing not just their bodies, but their souls.

As they parted for air, Kira's eyes looked him over hungrily. "How are you doing? Physically, I mean?"

Corellan shrugged, reflecting on the vague sense of fatigue in the back of his mind. It had been a long time since he'd had a real break. And it seemed unlikely he'd be getting a vacation anytime soon. "I'm fine, I guess. Doc checked me out before we got to Tython."

"But I didn't." she replied crisply, the smallest trace of a smile on her lips. "Here. Hold still."

He raised an eyebrow at that, but complied as her hands slipped inside his robe untying it and removing the adaptive armor padding beneath it. Within a minute, he was stripped to the waist.

"I thought life was too short for undressing." He shifted and smiled at her.

Kira's lips quirked. "Know what? I changed my mind." She then set about examining him thoroughly, a task she was well-suited for. After all, they knew every inch of each other's bodies.

Kira's fingertips gently caressed the tree-branch shaped scars around his right shoulder and bicep as she frowned in concern, recognizing the marks for what they were: The distinctive damage inflicted by Sith force lightning against human skin.

"These are new."

He sighed at her soft touch. "Yes."

She looked up at him, slightly puzzled. "I thought they put us all in bacta tanks right after he took us down."

"They did." He was silent for a moment. "I think I got closer to him than the others. I remember his lightning striking everyone down one after the other. It was down to Tol Braga and myself. We charged him. No subtlety about it. We were both taking a lot of hits. When Braga finally fell, I remember leaping right at the Emperor with both lightsabers drawn. The pain was unlike anything I've ever felt before. I went right for his heart. I was taking so much damage. I was… within inches of him when I blacked out." He sighed. "Looks like I fell just short." He glanced back to the lightning scars. "I got the full dose, it seems. That's why mine didn't heal all the way."

"Even when you fail, you have to be the hero." She mused, giving him a teasing smile. She looked up into his eyes as she leaned in, pursing her lips and planting a kiss on the scarred skin.

Corellan let out a slow moan, his eyelids flickering contentedly at her attentions, his hands moving to her waist. This. These were the moments he fought for. These were the moments he lived for. He would happily spend the rest of his life doing this with Kira. She was the only one who could free his mind from this war. Not just from the Republic against the Empire, but from the continual conflict between the Light and the Dark.

As they kissed each other, the Galaxy, and all his problems, once again faded away…

They both re-dressed, helping each other with their adaptive armor and robes.

"I doubt we'll have much time to do this on Belsavis. Or anyplace else we're headed to in the next few weeks." The words were wrapped with regret.

"Don't spoil it." Kira's hands secured the belt of his robes before planting themselves against his broad chest. "We'll make time when this is over."

With Kira in his arms, Corellan closed his eyes, taking it all in. He absorbed everything he had endured since he first arrived on Tython nearly two years before. He reflected on the challenges they had overcome, the troubles they had endured. Then he reached out into the Force, looking for guidance. He was hardly the most skilled Jedi at reflection, but he couldn't imagine being in a more tranquil state at any point in the immediate future.

In his mind's eye, Corellan was walking through a tunnel. Ahead, it grew darker and darker. He knew what was waiting for him there. Ahead, lying in wait, were the Empire's forces. The Sith. And in the darkest place of all, the Emperor himself.

But past the darkness, there was light. And when he looked deep into the light for what awaited him there, he saw only…. Kira.

He opened his eyes and turned to Kira, beaming.

"You know something, partner? We're going to win this."

Kira grinned and chuckled. "There you go, tough guy. I think I just gave you your mojo back." Her silky voice rolled off him even as she gave him one last quick kiss before sliding back into her own seat.

Corellan smiled at that. Deep down, he knew he would never quite be the same Jedi he was before the attack on the Emperor's Fortress. But that was alright. He knew who he was and what he had to do. Even better, he had the love of a woman who would stand by his side no matter what. A shining beacon to light his way and remind him of who he was.

"You're right, partner." He grinned, turning in his chair. "I feel fantastic. Let's go take on the Empire."

Author's Notes:  So i wasn't necessarily as pleased with this edition as i was with Chapter 1. I had a number of things i wanted to use, but i realized most of them were more appropriate for future chapters. On the advice of one of my reviewers, one whom i respect, I avoided lengthy flashbacks this time around. To an extent, this Chapter felt like a "bridge" story between two larger, more impressive works.

Sometimes we learn more from our mistakes than our successes.

The main point i am trying to convey here is that, mentally and emotionally, Corellan needs Kira as much as she needed him. In Chapter 1 of the game, when she was dealing with her Child of the Emperor issues, he saw her at her darkest moment, and he helped her deal with that. He didn't fight her battles for her, but her gave her the support she needed to win her own battles. Now she's doing the same for him.

Corellan's personality is obviously an X-factor, and that's the reality for most of these SWTOR-based stories. When he starts out, he's fairly bland. He's Superman. He's a Boy Scout. He has immense potential in the Force and incredible fighting skills, but there's not much else there. Then he meets a woman who slowly, surely changes how he thinks and feels about a number of things. Their relationship is clearly much more developed than it was in my previous Chapter, and its obviously going to become even more serious.

My next work will not be for this series, but will still be SWTOR-related. Please give me an "Author Follow" to keep a look out for it.

As always, feedback is always welcome.

Thank you, and may the Force be with You.

Chapter Text

Author's Notes:  This story is based on the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO, drawn from the Jedi Knight class storyline. Our protagonist is Corellan, a male human Jedi Knight Sentinel, having (mostly) chosen light-side options. Chapter 3 of this story takes place immediately following Chapter 3 in the in-game story. Spoilers will obviously be forthcoming. Kira Carsen and all other characters are the property of BioWare / Lucasfilm.

Jedi Master Corellan Halcyon, the newest and almost certainly the youngest Master in the Jedi Order, stepped through the ship's airlock and onto his Defender-class Corvette, following his crew in as they departed from the Valiant, the Galactic Republic's massive flagship. Corellan and his crew had just been recognized as heroes of the Republic by Grand Master Satele Shan, Admiral Dabrin and many of the Republic's top military leaders for their actions on Drommund Kaas. Each member of his crew had been awarded the Cross of Glory, the Republic's highest honor, while Corellan himself had been promoted to the rank of Master by Satele Shan on behalf of the Jedi Council.

The Emperor of the Sith was dead. The galaxy was saved.

As his crew all settled into the main living area, he allowed himself to smile proudly as he regarded each of them. Tee-Seven, his faithful AstroMech droid, who had been with him since the beginning, back when he was a Padawan on Tython. Sergeant Rusk, the Chagrian Republic soldier, who had joined them on Hoth and whose dedication and tactical advice had served the team with dedication and distinction ever since. Doctor Kimble, called "Doc", had joined them on Balmorra, and his medical expertise had been desperately needed. Doc's desire for personal fame sometimes tested Corellan's patience, but he knew the man's instinct for preserving the lives of others were his core, not glory-seeking. Lord Scourge, the 300-year old Sith Lord who had formerly served as the Emperor's Wrath. After centuries of serving his old master as his personal executioner, the Sith Lord had betrayed the Emperor and pledged himself to Corellan's service to save the galaxy. Though Scourge remained an unrepentant follower of the Dark Side of the Force, none could deny that without his help, they could never have prevailed on Drommund Kaas.

Finally, Kira Carsen. His former Padawan. His fellow Jedi. His partner. His closest confidante.

The love of his life.

She was the beacon of light shining his way through a dark storm. The one thing giving him hope for the future. He was far past the point of caring that their attachment, their relationship, their love violated the Jedi Council's rules. They had carefully kept it secret, even from their crew. Their crew. No matter how powerful he became or what feats he accomplished, Kira was, in fact, his partner in all things.

"Well, everyone." He smiled, taking the group in. "Looks like we've done it. Well done."

"Hey, same to you Mister Jedi Master!" Doc smirked, pulling a Corellian Ale from the refrigeration unit and plopping down on one of the couches surrounding the holo-terminal. "That's a pretty nice promotion for you."

"A well-deserved honor, Doctor." Rusk said sternly, taking a seat to Doc's right. "Master Corellan's victory in personal combat over the Emperor may well be the single greatest blow the Republic has ever dealt against the Empire. As Admiral Dabrin said, these events will raise the morale of every Republic soldier opposing the Sith… at least once it is made public."

The team had learned that the Republic had classified the operation to Drommund Kaas just prior to leaving the Valiant. Doc, for one, had not taken the news of the secrecy well, coveting the fame that would come with the galaxy at large learning of the team's achievements. Corellan had had to take the medic aside and assure him that the recognition Doc sought would come in good time. He didn't entirely approve of Doc's fame-seeking, but he did respect it was part of the medic's personality. For his own part, Corellan understood the need for security. From what Corellan now understood of how the Empire was structured, it seemed entirely possible most high-ranking Imperials would be completely unaware of the Emperor's death for quite some time, with the Dark Council continuing to rule in his name indefinitely.

"Thank you, Sergeant. But it's an achievement for all of us." Corellan smiled, still standing. "We could never have come this far if we hadn't worked together."

"So, what now, boss?" Kira smirked, taking a seat a few feet down and folding her arms as if in a challenge. Kira may have found Doctor Kimble irritating for his egotistical personality and his womanizing ways, but she had eventually accepted him as part of their crew. The bickering between the two hadn't completely abated, but it had gradually become more light-hearted. The two still grated on each other almost constantly, but the truth was their personalities were quite similar in many respects, though Corellan had decided never to say so out loud. Corellan couldn't quite say the same to Kira's relationship with Scourge. The Sith Lord was a walking, talking reminder of everything Kira had escaped years earlier on Korriban. But at least they had become civil to each other. For Scourge's part, Corellan knew the Sith respected Kira's strength of will and prowess as a warrior, even if he held little regard for her as an individual. Kira's devotion to Jedi principles (in most respects, anyway) meant that part of Scourge would always look upon her as wasted potential at best.

"Now?" Corellan paused. He'd been so focused for months on their mission to defeat the Emperor and save the galaxy that he hadn't given the subject of what they would all do afterward significant thought up until now. "Well, I suppose, all things considered, we've at least earned ourselves some leave."

"Oh, heck with that. The vacations can wait. Tell us about the fight!" Doc enthused, raising his bottle in the air.

"Hey, yeah. You never did say exactly how it went." Kira grinned. "One second we were all fighting around the Temple, trying to lure the Imperials away from you and Tee-Seven. The next second, the whole building was coming down, and we needed to get out of there." She tilted her head. "So, you obviously beat him. What was it like?"

Corellan blinked, reflecting inwardly. Privately, the fight with the Emperor had been… intense on multiple levels. He knew it would be the most challenging fight of his career going in, and it was, though perhaps not in the way he had anticipated. He had precisely no desire to relive the experience, not even for the benefit of his team.

"Honestly, there's not much to tell." He finally spoke in a rather soft voice. "It was…. trying, but Tee-Seven and I pulled through. He's gone, and we're all still here." He squared his shoulders, finding his voice again. "That's what matters."

"Oh, come on! You can do better than that!" Doc lamented. "We were all at that blasted Dark Temple. Sheesh, I'm gonna have nightmares about that place for weeks. But you and Tee were the only ones who laid eyes on the old bastard. The least you can do is tell us how you did him in." the medic grinned suddenly, his goatee twitching. "You gotta tell me: Did he grovel?"

"You have to tell us the story." Kira smiled over at him. "Unless you want us to get it out of Tee?"

Corellan finally sighed. "Look, its not that memorable a tale." He barely noticed Tee-Seven rolling behind him towards the opposite wall of the room. "Jedi don't usually tell stories about their exploits. I know I never really have. Master Orgus always told me…."

The Jedi Master suddenly stopped talking as he saw the faces of his crew. He had realized that they weren't listening to him, or even looking in his direction. All four of them were looking past him, with enraptured expressions on their faces.

Corellan turned around… and saw the Emperor of the Sith Empire sitting there on his throne.

For the briefest of moments, the Jedi's breathing stopped, his hands instinctively reaching for his twin lightsabers. But he had felt nothing of the Emperor in the Force. In fact, he had earlier felt him die. And the blue tint was a dead giveaway. All of this took a second to register before he finally reacted.

"Cease playback!" he shouted, mouth hanging open.

Ever obedient, Tee-Seven's holo-projection vanished, and the droid turned to his master.

"Tee-Seven…. What was that?" he released his grip on his sabers and pointed at where the projection had been.

"Tee-Seven + Jedi + Crew = Greatest Heroes in the Galaxy!" the droid beeped happily, dome-head spinning. "Story = Must be told!"

"What the…. You recorded the fight?!" Corellan was in total disbelief as he planted his hands on his hips. Through the Force, he could feel Kira smirking at him a bit from behind him. He rarely showed any loss of emotional control like this, and she was no doubt amused that he had been thrown off. He should have been irritated, but it was Kira. So instead, he continued to focus on Tee-Seven. "You weren't supposed to record it!"

The chastised AstroMech droid let out a sad whistle. "Jedi orders Tee-Seven to record all combat where Tee-Seven was present." He whined. "Tee-Seven = only following orders."

Corellan blinked at that, reminded of the command. "That was back on Tython… almost two years ago. We had just beaten Bengel Morr." He realized that this was more of an explanation to the others than an excuse. After all, back then it had just been Tee-Seven and himself. "And as I recall, that was intended for training purposes only." He carefully emphasized. Nevertheless, between his Jedi training and the technical correctness of the droid's answer, his initial revulsion at Tee-seven's actions was quickly fading. Just as well, as he could feel both Kira and Doc stifling their snickers behind his back.

"Jedi = Still need training!" Tee-seven chirped in response. "Training = Eternal!"

Corellan managed not to visibly react to that. Tee-Seven had reminded him of one of the tenants of the expanded Jedi Code. Training is eternal. He could remember everyone from his earliest Masters to Orgus Din himself impressing that one into his psyche.

"Training is eternal. Holo-recordings can assist training. But they still aren't supposed to be for…. entertainment." Corellan finally answered, pouring as much disdain as he could into that final word. His defenses were weakening, however. Kira would no doubt pick up on that through their bond. Blast it.

Indeed, as if on que, Kira jumped on it. "I say we put it to a vote." The young Jedi grinned. "All in favor of watching the holorecording, raise your hand." She promptly did so to demonstrate her position.

"Hey, great idea, Red." Doc promptly followed Kira's lead, raising his hand in the air like a schoolboy hoping to be called on by the teacher.

"Hey, who's in command here?" the young Jedi Master turned to the duo, as he felt his control of the situation slip away. "Last time I checked, we defended democracy aboard this ship. We don't practice it."

Seemingly ignoring him, Tee-Seven made his 'vote' clear in a serious of enthusiastic beeps. Finally, looking very reluctant, Rusk finally raised his hand as well.

"Sergeant…. Really?" Corellan raised an eyebrow at the normally taciturn Republic soldier.

"Apologies, Master Jedi." Rusk, with his devotion to the chain of command, had the good grace to look embarrassed for expressing opposition to his designated commanding officer's stated wishes. "The information we could obtain from this holovid could prove invaluable to strategizing future missions against the Sith."

No one present was exactly fooled by Rusk's reasoning. But no one would call the soldier out, either. He had been far too courageous throughout their campaign for Corellan to question the soldier's integrity.

They had all been so courageous, blast it. Corellan lamented to himself, sighing inwardly.

The Jedi Master finally turned towards Lord Scourge. The massive Sith Lord was standing to the side, his arms folded, almost as unmoving as a statue. Scourge's demeanor was stoic but dour, as usual. If Corellan had ever held out any hope that the Emperor's death would improve Scourge's sour disposition, he would have been disappointed. For three-hundred years, Scourge had waited for this day. Now that it had come, he did not seem happy or even particularly relived. But the Sith's ever-watchful eyes were keenly observing his crewmates. Clearly, he was interested in the proceedings.

Corellan placed his hands on his hips again as he regarded the Sith with a scrutinizing look and a raised eyebrow. "Shall I assume by your silence, Lord Scourge, that you are voting against this… proposal?"

The Sith Lord tilted his head at the Jedi Master, his perpetual frown in full effect. "I have no interest in participating in this expression of your absurd democratic beliefs." His low voice, just a couple of notches above a whisper, slithered across the chamber like a snake. Corellan had started to feel a small sense of inner relief – Scourge had been a loyal crewmember in his own fashion - when the Sith suddenly continued.

"However…" Scourge didn't smile. The Jedi Master knew from personal experience that this quality was not typical of other Sith. Sith Lords, Pureblood and otherwise, were known to arrogantly smile, grin and even laugh when circumstances warranted, usually at the suffering of others or in the anticipation of the destruction of an opponent. Lord Scourge, in contrast, wore a near-continuous expression of dissatisfaction, regardless of the occasion. Despite that, on certain rare occasions, Scourge's yellow eyes took on a certain gleam, and the tendrils hanging from his cheeks seemed to twinge in a way that seemed to suggest approval.

The tendrils moved in such a way now, much to Corellan's chagrin. "…. I, too, would like to see the Droid's holo-recording."

The Jedi Master reassessed the Sith carefully. As he always did, Scourge had referred to Tee-Seven simply as the Droid. Likewise, he referred to Kira as the Girl, Rusk as the Soldier and Doc as the Medic. When referring to Corellan himself, Scourge simply called him the Jedi. At some point, he would have to have a chat with the Sith about using the proper names of people, at least when it came to the crew.

But for now, they had more pressing matters to deal with.

The young Jedi did not feel much like a prestigious Master of his Order at this moment, feeling that he was neither calm nor astute nor particularly wise. Nothing in any of his Master's trainings seemed to fit this situation. Whatever other wisdom he had picked up along the way had been hard-earned through hard experiences. Corellan pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing the rest of his crew was watching him. He could simply forbid the playing of the holovid. He could order Tee-Seven to delete the recording. He could have just ignored all of this, retreated to his chambers and meditated, and found some of the inner peace he currently seemed to be lacking.

But if he did that, it wouldn't have been him. And after a day where it felt like he had fought the Dark Side itself, reinforcing his own sense of identity seemed important.

He opened his eyes and regarded each of his crewmates. His companions. Jedi code be damned, he couldn't deny his connection, his attachment, with each of them, nor his gratitude to them. He truly meant it when he said they couldn't have made it this far without each of them. More to the point, Corellan could not have become what he needed to become without their help. He owed them this.

"Alright. Here's the deal." He finally said. "We watch it together. Once. After tonight, we don't talk about it, even amongst ourselves, and certainly not with anyone outside this ship." He paused, giving Doc a hard look. "Particularly not while drinking in a Cantina." The Doctor raised his hands in acknowledgement and surrender, his smile spreading. Corellan nodded once and continued. "I'll instruct Tee-Seven never to play it again, except on my instructions." he exhaled slowly, his shoulders rising and falling. "That had better be acceptable to everyone."

Doc and Rusk each nodded enthusiastically. Tee-Seven tilted his chassis and beeped in a sign of acknowledgement. Scourge, after a moment, inclined his chin slightly, which Corellan realized was the closest thing to assent he was likely to get out of the Sith.

Kira just grinned over at him and chirped. "I dunno. I like to think even Master Satele and the Council would definitely find it fascinating viewing."

Corellan folded his arms at Kira, giving her a wry look. He didn't actually roll his eyes – as a Jedi, he rarely expressed himself in ways like that – but he was clearly disdainful.

The younger Jedi held up her hands, mimicking Doc's motion from moments before. "Just kidding. I'm in." Kira said, giving him a bright smile that pulled at his heart and soul, despite his mood.

Corellan quickly buried the feelings building inside him, clearing his head. He sighed again, resigned to the exercise. "Alright, then. I'll get the lights. Tee-Seven, plug into the holo-terminal and take it from the top."

The Jedi tapped the console button on the wall and the main lights dimmed until the room fell into darkness. Aside the small lights on a few control panels, they were blind. Corellan sat next to Kira at the end of the room on the side nearest to the cockpit, and he could feel her comforting smile even in the darkness. She discreetly wrapped her arm around his broad back, giving his left shoulder a squeeze. He smiled back at her as Tee-Seven moved into position next to the holo-terminal. Scourge finally had a seat at the far end of the room, opposite from where Corellan sat.

"Maybe I should have made popcorn?" Doc quipped in the darkness. Kira hastily shushed him as the recording began.

The AstroMech droid's projection came through much larger and clearer now, though it retained its blue, translucent tint. Tee-Seven had been just a few steps behind Corellan as the duo entered the throne room, and the Jedi Master saw himself from behind as they approached the steps to the throne.

The Emperor sat on his black marble throne high above them. Even in his supposedly weakened state, and even through the holoprojection, he radiated power. Pure, dark side power.

"The Circle closes. The end begins." The Emperor's deep voice reverberated unnaturally throughout the massive chamber as he rose from his throne and walked to the top of the steps. He looked down at Corellan, seemingly unconcerned.

"You dissipated your energy saving the weak. There are consequences."

Kira, sitting next to Corellan, gave a small inhale of breath. She remembered that Corellan, warned by Tee-Seven's sensors of her distress, had doubled-back away from the entrance to the Emperor's inner sanctum to rescue her when Kira had been cornered and wounded by Imperial droids. He saved her life, but it had given the Emperor several additional minutes to gather his power, which Scourge had repeatedly assured them was incredibly dangerous.

Corellan reached down and took Kira by the hand, giving her a comforting, reassuring squeeze. He would never normally have shown her even that level of intimacy in the presence of their crew, but with the lights off, he felt it was safe enough. The younger Jedi returned his grip and smiled up at him even as the recording continued.

There was a sudden flash of movement as Corellan could be seen drawing and igniting his lightsaber – his right-handed primary blade – then assuming a defensive position, all in a single, fluid motion just as the Emperor's Force lightning struck the blade. The saber absorbed the deadly attack, as the lightning dissipated harmlessly.

The Emperor seemed to glare down at him. His eyes were completely devoid of anything remotely resembling emotion. He reached out and gestured, and eddies of Dark Side energy encircled Corellan and Tee-Seven, each one forming into an exact duplicate of the Emperor with a red lightsaber drawn.

The Jedi and the droid didn't hesitate. Corellan ignited both of his weapons and attacked even as the illusions converged on them. Corellan skillfully deflected their lightsabers with his own even as he struck three of them down in rapid succession. The fourth came into view at close range and was momentarily stunned – by a blast emanating from Tee-Seven's force pike, Corellan remembered, though that was not entirely clear from this angle as the weapon was mere inches above the droid's recording eye –before the Jedi dispatched that one as well.

Corellan could then be seen turning on the true Emperor as the Sith reached the bottom of the steps. The hooded figure was tall, and even through the recording, his sheer power – and the evil it represented – could be felt.

"My Life spans millennia. Legions have risen to test me." The Emperor's mouth moved to the words, but once again, to Corellan, it was as if the gravelly sounds were coming from throughout the Temple. He thought that watching the recording would allow him to separate himself from that moment, and observe with real detachment. Instead, it was as if he were re-living it all over again.

"If you kill everyone in the galaxy, you'll be Emperor of nothing. What's the point of all this?" the question had seemed so obvious to Corellan at the time, he couldn't help but ask. The Sith were extremely ruthless, cruel and, by every definition of the word, evil, but to wantonly slaughter everyone living seemed pointless.

"You discern a fraction of reality." The Emperor seemed indifferent to Corellan's incredulity. "Beyond these stars exist other galaxies, other worlds, other beings. I will experience or ignore them as I wish. I will spend eternity becoming everything: a farmer, an artist, a simple man. When the last living thing in the universe finally dies, I will enjoy peace and wait for the cycle to begin again."

Corellan well-remembered his thoughts at the time. The Emperor simply didn't care. It wasn't insanity or evil that guided his actions. It was simply the belief that in all the Galaxy, he was the only one that mattered. A righteous fury stirred inside him, more powerful than he'd ever felt before. As he had every time before, he had transmuted that fire into steely resolve. At all costs, he would not fail. Not on this day.

"You will never possess that kind of power." Corellan brandished his saber.

"There is no death; there is only the Force - and I am its master." That had made the Jedi narrow his eyes and hesitate. Whatever he expected from this… being, he certainly didn't expect him to quote from the Jedi Code, even in part. His first reaction was to assume the Sith Lord was trying to provoke him. That would have been nothing new. Many Sith had tried to throw him off with a wide assortment of threats, insults, promises of what would happen if he won or if he lost. Indeed, virtually every Sith or Dark Sider he had ever come across expressed complete confidence that they would succeed in killing him.

Corellan had always brushed their bluster and arrogance aside. And he had prevailed.

But… no. This was different. This was truly how the Emperor viewed the Force and himself.

"My ascendance is inevitable. A day, a year, a millennium it matters not. I hold the patience of stone and the will of stars. Your striving is insignificant. Let your death be the same."

With that, they had begun. More illusions of the Emperor suddenly surrounded Corellan and Tee-Seven, each of them brandishing a lightsaber. The projection filled with a flurry of whirling lightsabers and Force lightning as the Jedi began moving too fast to be seen clearly.

Jedi often spoke of the light side of the Force in contrast to the dark side. Corellan believed in the Light side whole-heartedly; indeed, it represented everything he had ever fought for. But he also knew it rarely expressed itself as directly or dramatically as the dark side usually did. Only a few times in his life – such as when Kira had fought off the Emperor's influence at the end of the Desolator crisis – had Corellan truly seen the light manifest itself purely. Therefore, he was careful never to arrogantly assume too much of the light himself. He served the Force; but he was not the Force, and he was certainly not the light itself.

But watching himself fighting the Emperor, in that moment, in the throne room of the aptly named Dark Temple, surrounded by the Sith illusions and the dark side itself, just for a moment, Corellan really did seem to burn brightly amidst the dark, like a glow-rod or a lightsaber illuminating a cavern of pitch darkness. An avatar of the light.

The Jedi Master felt Kira squeeze his hand as he continued to watch. He turned slightly in her direction. She seemed enraptured by the fight, her chest rising and falling as her breathing became faster in excitement.

Corellan continued to fight the Emperor and his illusions. Every time he struck one down, another soon took its place. They seemed to be ignoring Tee-Seven for the most part, giving the droid the chance to observe the fighting, helping only when he could. Every few moments, he could feel the true Emperor attacking him with his Force lightning or his Death Field technique, or worse still attempting to freeze him in place with his static barrier. Each time, the Jedi's combat awareness only narrowly saved Corellan, leading him to defend from the true attack at the right moment, ignoring the distractions of the illusions. Likewise, each time this occurred the illusions would then change tactics, preventing him from turning his defense into offense against his true foe. Indeed, they converged in such a manner that within seconds he was unable to track the true Emperor. No doubt, that was the Sith's intent. The illusions attacked and dropped back with no discernible pattern.

In one particularly narrow escape, Corellan felt a massive concentration of pure Force energy build up. He barely dived out of the way of its path, then watched as it completely obliterated a decrepit old statue behind where he had been standing. The Jedi realized that attack would have completely pulverized him, and the Emperor could continue to try to employ that attack until it connected. He desperately reached out through the Force, hoping it would help him penetrate through the Emperor's illusions. If he could just concentrate hard enough, he was certain he could put his foe on the defensive.

Corellan could feel his crew becoming anxious for him as they continued to watch. Even though they knew he had survived and emerged victorious, caught up in the intensity holovid as they were, it was difficult to imagine how he could prevail. Kira's grip tightened once again, as if she were tightening her grip on the idea that he was, in fact, here and beside her and not dead at the Emperor's hand back on Drommund Kaas. This time, he squeezed her hand back in comfort and affirmation.

Kira. I am with you.

It was no use. The dark side was too strong here; it obfuscated the Emperor's precise presence; it was all he could do to mount an effective defense. Eventually, he would tire or get unlucky, and then he would fall. For the briefest of moments and for one of the few times in his life, despair threatened to overwhelm him.

No. He was a Jedi. There is no emotion, there is peace. He was living proof that if he kept calm and put his trust in the Force, he could find a way. He just had to clear his mind. To separate himself from the emotions of the moment.

And suddenly, there it was.

Corellan suddenly took a Force Leap out of the cluster of illusions that had surrounded him, striking out at an apparent Emperor who had moved to the periphery of the battle. This one fell back in the face of his assault rather than attempting to counter it with his lightsaber. Corellan could feel the illusions coming up from behind him with their own weapons, prepared to encircle him again. But this time, he pressed his attack against his target, ignoring the presence of the mirror images. His lightsabers slashed again and again, even as the Emperor desperately re-ignited his own weapon, attempting to fend off the attack. Withdraw. To buy himself enough time to gather another Force blast or to change tactics entirely.

For perhaps the first time in his existence, time was no longer on the Emperor's side.

The Jedi drove the Emperor back on his heel. As momentum shifted, the illusions seemed to lose their potency and focus.

So, too, did their master.

Scourge had once told Corellan that millennia before, the Emperor had gathered the population of an entire world, then proceeded to slaughter them all – Sith and non-Force sensitive alike – in a massive dark side ritual to grant himself immortality. The former Emperor's Wrath had further told him that during Scourge's mortal lifetime, the Emperor had once summoned the Dark Council – the most powerful Sith in his Empire – and destroyed them all in a single moment after discovering a conspiracy against him.

Corellan now understood how the Emperor had survived this long. Fear and preparation. Fear kept his potential enemies off-guard, reluctant or even completely stagnant. It gave him time to prepare. To manipulate circumstances to his own choosing. It was entirely possibly and even likely that in all his centuries, the Emperor had never fought a battle where he wasn't in complete control.

Until now. Until forced to face an enemy who could resist his Force abilities, and who had caught him in a weakened state. Until forced to face an enemy who did not fear him, nor was he blinded by hatred and anger.

Nothing in the Emperor's experience had prepared him for this.

Finally, one of Corellan's lightsabers struck true, and the Emperor collapsed, dropping his own weapon. More importantly, the illusions faded, along with much of his power. As Corellan stepped towards him to finish him off, the Sith, still clutching his side, sat up, raising a hand and using a Force push to drive the Jedi back.

Corellan recognized the move for what it was: Desperation.

The Emperor glared up at him with sheer hatred. "You harness immense power, but you lack the purity of will to direct it." He sneered.

Forcing himself to his feet, the Sith once again unleashed a constant steam of Force lightning at the Jedi, stepping towards him. Corellan used his right-handed saber to deflect and absorb the electricity, slowly closing with the Emperor.

They closed on each other, now. Two titanic opponents. A Jedi and a Sith. The story of ages. The light and the darkness. The Emperor might have believed himself above the eternal conflict, but he could not escape it. Not on this day.

As they finally met in the middle, Corellan spun, catching the Emperor in the back. The wounded Sith finally collapsed.

Corellan stood above him with his saber raised, prepared to finish him for good.

"I will not be contained. I cannot be redeemed. Death is all that remains, and you will not kill me." The Emperor's voice dripped with contempt.

Corellan shut down his saber and clipped it to his belt. His eyes narrowed at the defeated, but still unspeakably dangerous, Sith Lord.

Corellan watched the scene unfold on the ship. He did not look away. He would not look away, no matter how much he might want to. The room was silent – everyone else was as taken in by the holovid as he had was. He could feel it in the Force. At that moment, he realized he had stopped breathing. It was possible he would pass out right here, in the dark, without anyone in his crew noticing.

Except for Kira.

She could feel him. She could feel how difficult this was for him. She could certainly feel that his breathing had stopped.

Kira squeezed his hand.

I'm here with you, too, tough guy.

Gradually, Corellan started breathing again.

In the holovid, Corellan's eyes seemed to darken as his hand reached out.

"You've underestimated me for the last time."

Using the Force, the Jedi lifted the Emperor off the ground, raising his hand to do so. The Sith struggled, lightning cackling in his hands, but his power was spent. With a flick of his wrist, Corellan hurled the Emperor across the chamber, pinning him to the ground.

Then his hand reached out again, reaching up towards the ceiling as he called upon the Force to pull one of the massive, inverted spires down from the ceiling. There was no further hesitation from the Jedi Knight as several tons of stone plunged downward, crushing the Emperor completely.

Corellan could be seen observing all of this carefully, as if making sure. Then he turned and approached Tee-Seven, growing larger as he drew closer to the droid's eye-recorder. "Come in, Lord Scourge…." He said.

The projection suddenly stopped.

Corellan could feel the crew shifting in an uncomfortable silence. He released Kira's hand, the stood up and reached out, turning on the main lights. As the chamber was illuminated, he could see most of them adjusting to the lights.

"Right. It stops there because I was speaking with Lord Scourge using Tee-Seven's projector." He paused and waited for reactions as he took in the state of his crew. Scourge simply continued to sit, arms crossed, looking rather contemplative. Rusk looked like he was making internal notes for himself. No doubt, he'd want to talk to Corellan later about the tactics both he and the Emperor had used. Doc's mouth was hanging agape, his eyes still wide and on the now-deactivated terminal. When he turned to Kira, she was letting out a long breath, like the weight of the galaxy had been lifted off her shoulders. She closed her eyes and the Jedi Master could tell she was trying to bury her emotions. Tee-Seven simply disconnected from the main holo-display, then his top whirred, noting the reactions of each member of the crew before settling on Corellan. The droid seemed to want to ask if he'd made a mistake showing the recording. Corellan wished he had an answer to that.

Scourge finally seemed to notice the silence. "Well done." He nodded slightly in Corellan's direction.

Rusk seemed to take the Sith's lead. "An extraordinarily impressive victory, Master Jedi."

Doc finally regained the ability to close his mouth. "That... was... awesome!" he grinned, emphasizing each word. He jumped to his feet. "Wooo!"

That drew a series of chuckles from the crew as Doc ducked back into the hallway to the port-side airlock where the kitchen was. He soon returned with a crystal bottle containing a deep golden-brown liquid, along with five glasses.

"Corellian Reserve. Best brandy in the Galaxy. I've been holding onto this for a long time." The combat medic set the glasses down, then with a flourish he opened the crystal bottle and began to fill the glasses. "I was gonna save it for someone special. But no woman will ever be able to top this."

"Spoken like a true hedonist, you Nerf-herder." Kira made a face at Doc as she reluctantly accepted one of the glasses from him. The others accepted theirs as well, even Scourge.

Doc, pointedly ignoring Kira's barb, looked down at Tee-Seven. "Sorry, little buddy. I'm pretty sure this stuff would short-circuit you."

"Tee-Seven = Okay." The droid beeped an acknowledgement. "Have a drink for me."

Rusk accepted the glass Doc had filled for him. Scourge raised an eyebrow at the proceedings, but didn't refuse a glass.

"Technically, Jedi aren't supposed to …." Corellan started to speak as Doc offered him a glass.

Kira reached up and grasped his shoulder, making him turn his head to face her. "Just once, boss. Just for tonight. Live a little." From this angle, the others couldn't see her facial expression as he gazed down at her. She was giving him a knowing smile. She was the only one who had some idea of how much he had allowed himself to live, and how much that factored into who he was now. Just to drive the point home, she winked up at him in a way that made his heart skip a beat. Reluctantly, he turned back to the rest of the crew.

"I have a very bad feeling about this." The Jedi Master said. "Alright. Just for tonight." He accepted a glass from Doc.

Doc grinned and waited until they were all ready. "To Jedi Master Corellan!" Doc raised his glass in a toast.

Corellan reached out and gently grasped Doc's arm. "To the best crew in the Galaxy." He smiled somberly. That drew approving smiles from everyone but Scourge. All five humanoid crewmembers raised their glasses and drank while Tee-Seven adjusted his chassis to stand a bit taller.

Was this living? Corellan wondered. Were moments like this what life was about?

Kira sipped from her glass, eyeing Corellan curiously. "So. How did you figure out which Emperor was the real one?" she asked. "Did the Force tip you off?"

That seemed to get everyone's attention, as they all went quiet and turned to the Jedi. Rusk was obviously mentally taking notes. Tee-Seven tilted upwards. Even Scourge seemed intensely curious, as if he'd thought of the same question himself.

Part of Corellan still didn't feel like sharing. He honestly didn't like talking about the fight. He hadn't wanted to watch the holo-recording. He simply wanted to withdraw from the Galaxy. Meditate and reflect on all that had happened.

But he couldn't deny these people his best. For the same reason he didn't forbid them from watching the recording to begin with.

Corellan looked down into his glass of brandy. Being a Jedi, he very rarely drank, and he had never been truly intoxicated. But he knew enough to understand the principles of ingesting alcohol. He raised the glass to his lips and tilted his head back, downing the remains of the beverage in a single gulp and closing his eyes as it burned down his throat. He didn't particularly like the taste, but he suddenly realized why that Zabrak smuggler on Nar Shaddaa had referred to alcohol as "liquid courage". He took a breath and opened his eyes.

"Well, I had already fought him before." He said. "When I cleared my head, I realized something that both of us already knew." He paused, as the crew waited intently. "He was never going to beat me with a lightsaber. I just had to spot the version of him that wasn't bothering to use one." His lips pressed into a thin smile.

Doc laughed and Tee-Seven tooted. Rusk gave a rare smile at the tactic. Scourge, after a moment, simply nodded again.

Kira … looked stunned. After a moment's consideration, he remembered why. The whole crew knew that over a year ago, the Emperor had defeated Corellan, Master Tol Braga and the rest of the Jedi strike team at his Fortress, a massive cloaked space station that had been orbiting Drommund Kaas at the time. That had led to months of imprisonment for the crew back on the ship, and had nearly led to Corellan becoming the Emperor's slave forever before he broke free through the spirit of Orgus Din's intervention.

But only Kira and Scourge had been physically present for that earlier fight. And both knew that the Emperor had required only his Force Lightning to overwhelm and subdue Corellan, Kira and the other three Jedi who had opposed him.

Only Kira remembered the duel aboard the Desolator, nearly two years ago now. Kira, then still a fugitive Child of the Emperor, had been possessed by the Sith Lord in an attempt to slay Corellan and to destroy Tython, the Jedi home world. Only Kira remembered that the Emperor, using her body, had employed the defeated Darth Angral's lightsaber against Corellan instead of using Kira's own double-bladed weapon, and only she remembered that Corellan had defeated the Emperor, giving Kira the chance to free herself from the Sith forever. It had arguably been Kira's proudest moment as she had embraced the Jedi way, soon becoming a Jedi Knight.

The others, apart from Scourge, would make their assumptions. Kira knew the whole story. Had it not been for that earlier battle, had it not been for both Jedi coming through, Corellan might have lost to the Emperor once again.

He reached down and gave her hand a squeeze, then smiled as she looked up at him. Something silently passed between them as she smirked back at his smile, with a twinkle in her eyes that promised delights to come later.

As the volume of Doc's brandy continued to diminish, the group was soon taking turns sharing the stories about the circumstances that had brought them together. They had each come from radically different backgrounds. Their personalities were as diverse as their abilities, and their moral codes, perhaps even more so. But here, in this one moment, they were a single crew.

His crew. Their crew.

Corellan sat back and smiled.

Some hours later, Doc and Rusk were each half-sprawled on the seat cushions. Rusk seemed woozy while Doc was completely out. Corellan was laying back on the couch, while Kira leaned against his shoulder. Even Scourge had finally relaxed somewhat. The Sith might not have been able to enjoy the taste of alcohol, but he was not completely immune to its after-effects. Likewise, the Sith rarely took pleasure at being in the company of others, but he seemed to be content with the camaraderie of the crew. Naturally, only Tee-Seven seemed to be moving around at optimal capacity, but even he had slowed down now that things had died down.

Corellan looked about again, surveying his crew. He was surprised at how… happy he felt at this moment. The simple pleasure of their shared experiences made this current situation, ridiculous as it was, seem natural.

But all good things must come to an end. Wasn't that a part of living, too?

"Sergeant Rusk." He finally said, raising his head up and speaking in his best authoritarian tone.

Rusk quickly shook off his lethargy, rising to his feet at attention as his military discipline took over.

"Master Jedi." Rusk didn't literally salute, but for all other intents, he was himself.

"Would you please see Doc to his quarters? I don't think he can make it on his own."

"Of course." Rusk helped the groggy Doctor to his feet, wrapping one of the human's arms behind the Chagrian's neck. "Congratulations again on your victory, Master Jedi."

Corellan just smiled and nodded. After the duo left, Tee-Seven rolled over the two Jedi.

"Fight with Emperor + Ceremony on Valiant + Party with Crew = Long Day." The droid began delivering its trademark beeps. "Tee-Seven = Going to engine room + Shutting down for the night."

"Go ahead, old friend." Corellan smiled, reaching out and touching the top of the droid's hull. "You've more than earned the rest. We all have." He paused. "And… thanks. For everything."

Tee-Seven's head-top spun at the compliment, then he tilted his chassis in a sort of bow. He finally rolled out of the main conference room, headed for the stairs that led to the engine room where he usually resided when not on a mission or socializing with the rest of the crew.

Scourge seemed to take that as his que to make his departure, no doubt returning to the cargo hold that he had converted into his personal chambers. He rose, stalking towards the stairs to the lower deck, and then paused, turning and regarding the Jedi Master. The Sith's gaze was level, or as level as it could be looking downward. But the look in his eyes was somewhat disturbing to Corellan. He obviously seemed… intrigued by something he had seen in the holovid. There was a new respect there, but it was mixed with something else he couldn't quite identify. A warning? Fear, even? Scourge was difficult to read.

"We should speak tomorrow." The Jedi finally said.

"Yes." The Sith agreed, speaking enigmatically. He gave him a slight nod of his head – a sincere gesture of respect. With that, he made his exit. A few moments later, Corellan gently reached out through the Force, confirming the Sith was, in fact, in his cargo bay and turning in for the night.

Every being needed to live in hope. Corellan reflected. Even Lords of the Sith.

Satisfied that the two Jedi were truly alone, he finally turned to Kira. He walked towards her as she stood up, reaching out and taking her hand in his again. She happily gave the hand a squeeze, drawing her body closer to his as he instinctively wrapped his arms around her.

She suddenly smirked up at him. "Blast. I'm going to have to start calling you 'Master' again, aren't I?"

Corellan chuckled lightly as his eyes met hers. "Only in public." As usual, he found her smile as infectious as her humor, and as tantalizing as everything else about her. "In private... well, you can still call me 'tough guy', I suppose." His hands wrapped around her waist.

Kira stifled a laugh, giving him a playful shove in the chest. "Funny. Or not." She smiled up at him, drawing closer again. Their lips met as their eyes closed, softly gauging each other, their breathing synching with each other.

She finally broke the kiss, resting her head against his chest as if listening for a heartbeat. "I'm sorry." Kira whispered. "For …. the whole voting thing. Making you show us the recording. I didn't think."

His fingers reached up, gently caressing through her hair. "You were right. You and our crew deserved to see it. And maybe I needed to see it, too. And you were here for me when I needed you."

"Mmmmmmm." Kira sighed contentedly, relieved. Suddenly, her own breathing paused, and her eyes snapped opened. "I just realized something." Kira was now looking up at him, a bewildered look in her eyes. "When we were in the Temple and you saved me... Tee-Seven saw us kissing."

Corellan simply nodded. "And he didn't say anything. To us or to Master Satele. Even though, with decades of experiencing serving the Jedi Order, he probably knows the Jedi Code even better than we do." He winced just a little, giving Kira a wry smile. "And he is probably a tad more dedicated to some of its orthodox principles."

She chuckled lightly at that. "Does that mean you think he… approves?"

"Maybe." Corellan just smiled. "But he was our friend long before any of this started. Maybe he just decided his loyalty to us was more important than whether we followed the Council's edicts to the letter?" he wrapped his arm around her waist again. "Or maybe he just decided that after everything you and I have been through that we deserved a little happiness. That maybe we should be allowed to… live a little." He smiled, using the same phrase she'd used earlier.

Kira's smile was almost glowing as her eyes lit up again. "Just a little, huh?" her arms wrapped around his neck again. "So. Tee-Seven is apparently okay. What about you?" She flinched a little. "I wish I could have been there with you."

"You were there." He reassured her. "In here." He took her hand and pressed it to his chest. She could feel his heart beating within, going faster now that she was in his arms.

Her smile returned, and she looked up at him with watery eyes. "How is it you can get me going with such a sappy line?" she chuckled, before giving him a serious look. She was his partner. She had been his partner long before she had been his lover, or even his friend. She was going to be sure he was alright before anything else happened. "But I know finishing him off was… hard for you."

"It was." he agreed somberly. "I had to touch the dark side to do it. There was no way around that. Part of me wanted me to lie to myself when I did it. Tell myself that I was acting under orders from Master Satele. Or that if I let him get back up he would recover his power and kill me, so that it would be a form of self-defense. But I couldn't quite bring myself to do that." He exhaled. "No, the only way I could deliver the death blow was to reach out and remember what was at stake."

"The whole Galaxy was at stake." Kira mused, caressing his cheek as she continued to look up at him. "That should have been a powerful motivation. Even for a Jedi with strong morals. Everyone living owes it to you."

Corellan drew her closer, looking down at her. His normally gray eyes were just a touch darker. Perhaps a bit like they had been in the holovid. When his words finally came, they were just above a whisper. They were only for her.

"It wasn't the Galaxy I was reaching out for when I struck him down."

Kira blinked, and it took her a moment to realize what he meant. Her eyes widened, and her breathing stopped. She grabbed the front of his robes, and, as she had in the Dark Temple, she pulled him in for a long, deep kiss. He returned it, holding her against his body. It was a kiss that promised that even if this were to be the end for them both, it would have all have been worth it. Every single moment they had spent together.

Neither of them would have traded this moment for anything.

Kira finally broke the kiss, breathing heavy and looking up at him with utter devotion.

"Your room, tough guy. Now." Her lovely lips quirked into an impish, sarcastic grin. "…. Master."

Corellan just smiled, wrapping an arm around her and leading Kira to bed.

Chapter Text

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.”

Jedi Master Corellan Halcyon, known to many around the galaxy as the Hero of Tython, gazed down the side of the snow-covered hill. Not for the first time in his life, or even for the first time that day, he basked in Alderaan’s natural beauty. With this world nominally still recovering from an ice age, much of its mountains, forests and rivers were the very picture of pristine wilderness. He had seen dozens of worlds and had found Alderaan more awe-inspiring than any of them.

Despite these surroundings, the idea of attempting to ski down this slope with absolutely no formal training was enough to give him pause.   

“Oh, don’t be such a baby.”

Kira Carsen smirked up at him. His former padawan - now a highly decorated Jedi Knight – had stood by his side through thick and thin, culminating in his defeat of the Sith Emperor. Of course, that didn’t tell the whole story of their relationship, but it was all the Jedi Order or anyone else needed to know. So, with Corellan and his crew visiting Alderaan for some much-appreciated downtime, he shouldn’t have been surprised that she would insist on an adrenaline-inducing recreational activity.  

Both young Jedi were outfitted with thermal retention garments and they were adorned with the requisite ski gear, all provided as a courtesy of a grateful House Organa. Unfortunately, that was as far as their preparations had gone.

“Neither of us have any idea what we’re doing.” He reasoned logically.  

“When has that ever stopped us before?” she grinned happily. More than once, Kira had suggested that the two of them retire from the Jedi once the war was over and spend the rest of their lives doing something ‘fun’. The idea had been growing on him, he had to admit, which is probably the biggest reason why he had agreed to this: There were so many things he was unable to give Kira at this point in their lives for so many reasons. At the very least he could give her this.   

“Ready to race me down the hill?” her grin turned into her trademarked smirk.

“I have a very bad feeling about this.” he gritted his teeth as he tentatively took his position at the edge of their summit. “You’re crazy. You know that, right?”

“Well, I was your Padawan. So that’s probably your fault.” She teased. “Last one to the bottom is bantha fodder!”  

With that, she took off down the slope.

What could he do but follow? She had followed him across every major battlefield in the galaxy.

The two Jedi zipped down the slope. Had they been ordinary novices, this almost certainly would have been disastrous. But they were both honed to their physical peaks. They had the Force, and they could feel each other through their bond. Their movements were hardly elegant or skilled, but they were better than they had any right to be.

So, it was that they had made it almost to the bottom when, with Corellan having edged into the lead and Kira fiercely looking to pull ahead, they finally collided with each other. Both Jedi came crashing down, skis and poles scattering.

When the dust settled, the two now found themselves laying in the snow beside each other, both face up.     

“Wow.” Kira sighed as the high of their near-disaster wore off.

“Ow.” Corellan answered.

She sat up quickly, immediately concerned. “You hurt?”

“I think I sprained my ankle.” Corellan grumbled, sitting up in turn and looking down at his right foot.

“Aww.” The sound was nowhere near as sympathetic as it could have been. She reached over and touched the region between his foot and leg gingerly through his thermal leggings. He winced slightly, and she nodded in agreement. “Well, I could kiss it and make it better…. or I could fix you up with a kolto bandage.”

He wrinkled his nose at her. “I’ll take the kolto, please.” She chuckled and reached for the pad in her medpack. “Given everything we’ve been through, that would have been an embarrassing way to die.” He said.

“Admit it. You loved every second of it.” She grinned over at him with a look that was knowing and wild and so very Kira. He felt his heart skip a beat and he forgot to breathe.

She was right.

“Marry me.”

The words escaped his lips suddenly, as they sat there watching each other.

Kira blinked, an expression of disbelief and then concern coming to her eyes. The kolto bandage was forgotten as she reached a hand towards his face. “You hit your head, didn’t you? Don’t move. I can comm Doc….”

“I had it planned, you know?” he cut her off. “I was going to have Duke Organa setup a private candlelight dinner for the two of us. Then I was going to surprise you with… it doesn’t matter.” He swallowed, reaching into his coat pocket urgently. “The moment will never get more perfect than this.”

The Jedi pulled out a small object and held it out to Kira.

It was a silver, ornate ring… formed around a large diamond.

A promise ring.

Kira’s eyes widened, her disbelief turning to shock. Her frosty breaths, which had been heavy from the exertion and laughter, now stopped entirely.

Corellan rose slightly, then dropped to a knee before her, ignoring the slight pain as he put pressure on his ankle. He presented the ring to her in his open palm.

“I’m not fighting this war for anyone but the woman I love. The one who makes my ship into a home.” He swallowed again – truly nervous for the first time in his life - but pressed on. “I’ll spend the rest of my life with you Kira – if you’ll let me.”

Kira’s deep blue eyes started to glisten as she gazed into Corellan’s own pale blues. She finally leapt at him, her arms gripping behind his back, grasping him to her and clinging to him desperately. He recovered from the impact, giving a half-chuckle in relief as his hand closed around the ring so he wouldn’t lose it in the snow.

She finally pulled away just enough for her full lips to find his, kissing him passionately. He returned the kiss in full, letting out a low moan. It was a long while before either of them broke for breath, laying there with their foreheads pressed against each other as their breathing synchronized in little clouds of frozen breaths.  

There would be other moments for the couple. But perhaps none so perfect as this one.

“’Course I will. Thanks for asking.”

Chapter Text

11 ATC
Apalis Coast
Alderaan

Kira Carsen glared daggers at the smug Alderaanian noble. Jharkus Thul, the so-called ‘Wolf Baron’, (What a dumb nickname!) had just laid out his ‘proposal’ to Kira, her partner, Jedi Knight Corellan Halcyon, and to Duke Charles Organa. The two Jedi and the leader of House Organa were standing in a Thul field base – really a converted barn – just a few kilometers south of Castle Organa, having fought off an ambush by House Thul moments earlier at what was supposed to be a peaceful negotiation.

Small chance of that. Kira thought. House Thul is aligned with the Sith Empire. No way they can be trusted to bargain in good faith.    

Thul had decided that Corellan was effectively the lynchpin in Organa’s defenses at the moment. (He was probably right about that.) The Baron had therefore demanded that the Jedi Knight, who – with Kira’s help – had already fought off two attacks against Organa’s forces and had liberated the fabled ‘Spears of Organa’ besides, surrender himself in return for the release of three hundred forty-eight of Organa’s citizens who had been taken hostage by House Thul. He’d promised that he would not harm the Jedi Knight; that he would simply ransom Corellan back to the Republic after the Baron finished crushing House Organa. Likewise, he’d promised that he’d execute all the prisoners if Corellan refused the offer.

Now Kira watched as Corellan regarded the Baron with his cool, thousand-meter stare, his pale blue-grey eyes scrutinizing their foe unflinchingly.

You could cut through the tension in this room with a lightsaber. Kira thought. Any second now, she was certain, Corellan would give Kira the signal and they would attack. They’d dispatch the last of Thul’s flunkies, then they’d take the Baron prisoner and figure out a way to save the hostages. Maybe they’d barter the Baron back in return, or maybe they’d have to go charging in to wherever Thul was holding the hostages. Whatever it took. That was their motto. And Kira knew she would stand by Corellan’s side no matter what.

Any second now…

Instead, Corellan slowly unclipped both his lightsabers from his belt, then turned and handed them both to Kira. The Padawan blinked up at her master in confusion.

“Kira. Take these and head back to the ship. Contact the council so they know what’s happened, and then await further instructions.”

Kira’s confusion turned to sheer disbelief. “What?”

Corellan turned back to the Baron, still holding his weapons out to Kira. “I accept your terms, Baron Thul. Release the hostages.”

Duke Organa turned to the Jedi Knight with a grateful expression. “You will not be forgotten, Master Jedi. I swear it.”

“Corellan, no!” Kira cried out in alarm. “We can still beat him.”

Corellan turned back to his Padawan, his eyes softening. “Yes, we could, Kira. But we wouldn’t be able to save the hostages in time. The price is far too high.”  

“They’ll kill you.”

Corellan shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so. And even if he might, it’s a chance I’ll have to take. But the council needs to know the status of the mission so they can make contingency plans. That has to be the priority.”

“I can’t just leave you behind!” Kira exclaimed. The Jedi padawan fought down a surge of panic she felt in her heart. This was Corellan. This was the toughest hero she’d ever met, and the best lightsaber duelist among his generation of Jedi. They’d already saved four entire planets together – including the untold billions of people on Coruscant. With Darth Angral still on the run, the whole galaxy needed him right now.

Kira needed him right now.

He promised he’d protect me from the Sith. She thought bitterly. He’s my…. He’s Corellan.

Corellan’s pale blue eyes met Kira’s own deep blues squarely. His gaze was gentle but firm. Just like he was.

“You have to. Please, Kira.” Corellan pleaded softly.

So many things left unspoken in those five words. So many emotions that neither of them had dared to acknowledge. It was almost overwhelming.

Kira swallowed. Reluctantly, she finally reached out and accepted his twin lightsabers. She turned back towards the Wolf Baron, glaring at him again.

“I’m holding you responsible for what happens to him.” Every word was pointed like a threat.

The Baron, heedless of the danger he was in, merely scoffed dismissively. “I am a man of my word, girl.”  

Kira’s eyes narrowed, but she realized it was pointless to push any further with Thul. She turned back to Corellan, not trusting herself to speak again. The two Jedi exchanged one final, fleeting look, then Kira forced herself to turn away.

She walked out of the building and back in the direction of the spaceport, feeling her heart break with every step.  

Two hours later, Kira was still pacing around the ship anxiously. She’d sent a quickly composed report to the Council about what had happened. Maybe they were sitting around the table in their chambers, debating their next course of action. Maybe they were all meditating on the dilemma, seeking guidance through the Force.

Maybe they should all get off their collective butts and do something.    

Kira let out a slow exhale, closing her eyes and pressing her hands together, and using one of the exercises she’d learned from the Jedi to restore some semblance of calm. She knew she shouldn’t be so hard on the Council. After all, they’d let her stay with Corellan on his mission even after her past as a Sith was revealed. She wondered if Master Kiwiiks was even back on Tython yet. She’d been so weakened by her experience on Tatooine… Kira worried about her old Master.

And now she was worried even more about her new one.

Teeseven had tried to get her to meditate, but she couldn’t focus. Corellan… he meant too much to her.  

She was about to mutter ‘kriff it’ and to run back out there by herself when her holo-communicator chimed.

Pressing the receive button, Kira felt an immense sense of relief when she saw a projection of Corellan smiling up at her. His robes looked a bit worse for wear –he had clearly been fighting – but he looked otherwise unhurt.

“Where have you been?” Kira blurted out before he could speak. Her cheeks reddened a bit at her own reaction.     

Corellan raised an eyebrow in bemusement but didn’t press. “Sorry, Kira. I couldn’t get to a transmitter until now.”

“What happened?” she asked.

“The Organa prisoners. When they heard I had turned myself in for them, they attacked the Thul troops and released me. Then we flanked Thul’s invasion force from behind. I managed well enough with a vibroblade until I could down a Sith carrying a lightsaber. I started using that.” He paused. “The battle’s over. Organa troops captured the Wolf Baron, his Sith support is gone and his remaining Thul soldiers are either being rounded up or they’re fleeing on foot into the wilderness.”

“House Organa is safe.”     

Kira bit her lip, happy that he was alright but also disappointed that she had missed the excitement, and that she hadn’t been at his side in the fight. It stung deeper than she thought it could.

“Oh.” She said finally.

“Duke Organa has invited all three of us – you, me and Tee-seven – to a ball at the castle tonight.” He smiled. “We’re the guests of honor. I don’t think Master Orgus would begrudge us a few hours of relaxation before we go find him.”

Kira’s eyebrows rose. The most infuriatingly driven man she had ever met had just asked her to a dance.

“I don’t have anything to wear.” She blurted out awkwardly.

Corellan waved his hand. “The Duke is taking care of all that. He’s having his royal tailors make a suit for me… and a gown for you.”

Kira felt her cheeks redden again. “A gown, huh?” she swallowed.

He nodded. “You and Teeseven should meet me at the Palace, alright? You and I need to get fitted, and we can get Tee cleaned up as well.”

“Right. We’re on our way.” She nodded, her confidence reemerging. “I’m not gonna miss a party.”

“Great. And Kira?”

“Mmm?”

“Remember my lightsabers.”

Kira smirked at that. “Sure thing, tough guy.”

16 ATC
Darth Marr’s flagship
Wild Space

“We’re free and clear… but it’s not looking good out here!” Kira shouted as the Defender disembarked from the Imperial destroyer.

All around them, the allied task force was being pulverized by the massive enemy fleet. Neither the Republic nor Sith warships seemed able to mount an effective response. As they had with Marr’s Terminus, these mysterious wild spacers were pounding through their shields, then launching boarding pods with battle droids were wrecking destruction on the ships’ internal systems.

It was a losing fight for the allies. Made even worse by the fact that with the airlock to Marr’s ship crushed, they’d been forced to leave Jedi Master Corellan Halcyon, the Hero of Tython and the Battlemaster of the Jedi Order, alone aboard the destroyer.

He was also Kira’s fiancée, but she didn’t think telling their attackers that would help anyone.   

“If you see an opening to escape, take it.” Corellan’s level voice came through their communicator. “Someone has to make it back to the Republic.”

A surge of panic rose in Kira’s heart. Years of experience and training had left her far more grounded and disciplined than she’d been as a Padawan. But the thought of leaving Corellan behind in the middle of all this still was as overwhelming to her now as it had been years prior.  

“I – WE can’t just leave you behind!” she exclaimed, catching herself. Kira could feel Doc and Teeseven looking at her for direction on the bridge of their Defender, but that wasn’t something she cared about right now.

Corellan’s voice was gentle but firm, just like he was.

“You have to. Please, Kira.”

The words were a plea. Kira knew that. And she could feel the meaning behind them through their Force bond; all the many emotions that there was no time to give a voice to.

Kira’s eyes pressed closed for a moment. It was almost overwhelming.

“All right… but you’d better be right behind us. May the Force be with you, Master.”

Kira quickly plotted a course away from the battle, then hit the emergency jumper. The stars outside the ship streaked as they entered hyperspace.

She sat back and exhaled slowly, finding no peace in it. Somewhere, Corellan was fighting a battle, and Kira wasn’t by his side.

He’s the Hero of Tython. Kira tried to tell herself. He’s the Battlemaster of the Jedi Order. The conqueror of the Sith Emperor. The champion of the Galactic Republic. The greatest warrior this galaxy has to offer. He’ll find a way back to us. Back to me.

“Come back to me, tough guy.” She whispered.

Then why did every light year of distance they put between themselves and the battle feel like her heart was breaking over and over again….

Chapter Text

Author’s Notes: Mild warnings for adult content. The following chapter takes place two days after the conclusion to Shadow of Revan . Special thanks to rainofaugust / rainofaugustsith for her assistance.

Kira Carsen grunted in exertion as she half-carried her lover to the bed.

Two days ago, Jedi Master Corellan Halcyon had defeated Revan on Yavin IV, concluding a brief but brutal campaign that had witnessed an unprecedented alliance between the troops of the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire against the Revanites. That coalition may have been negotiated between their respective leaders, Jedi Grand Master Satele Shan and Darth Marr, the Dark Lord of the Sith, but it had only been possible because Corellan had fought every moment of every day to make it a reality and give the troops a sense of cooperation.

(The battle of Yavin had also seen the return of the Sith Emperor, but Kira was trying very hard not to think about that right now.)  

Unfortunately, Corellan had not been able to sleep on Yavin, not with everything else going on. He had privately confided in Kira that even meditation wasn’t doing him much good, not with Yavin so enveloped by the dark side, not to mention the presence of both Revan and the Emperor. And this was coming on the heels of their operation of Rishii, where he’d hardly been idle, what with the pirates, and the Mandalorians, and Orgus Din’s spirit, and so on. After Marr had confirmed what they’d all suspected – that the Sith Emperor was still alive, in some form or another – he’d been unable to rest on the journey to Yavin.   

So it was that he had spent day and night bouncing back and forth between the main coalition camp and the field almost constantly, usually finding himself in the heaviest of the fighting. This had culminated in the final confrontation with Revan, which Kira knew had been mentally as well as physically exhausting.

As usual, Corellan had rotated his crew carefully, only keeping one of his five companions with him at any given time while the others either rested or conducted side missions. It had been amazingly effective; the team had performed beautifully on Yavin, and the campaign had ended with little physical harm to any of them.

(Alright, so Scourge had almost been eviscerated by Revan, but he, at least, was practically immortal. He’d be fine.)

It stung Kira a bit that she hadn’t been there for the last battle against Revan, but there had been too many Force users present. Master Satele, Marr and Lana Beniko, not to mention Revan himself had all been present. Any of them might have picked up on her relationship with Corellan if they had been there together in an intense environment at the same time. Therefore, it was Scourge who had been chosen for the crucial fight. At least she’d been by Corellan’s side earlier when they had defeated Lord Kael, Scourge’s successor as Emperor’s Wrath, who’d been a major thorn in the Republic’s side for years before suddenly defecting to the Revanites.

Throughout the entire campaign, Corellan had been very careful not to show any weakness of any kind, especially not in the presence of the Sith. He had put up his ‘invincible hero’ face, knowing full well that to do anything else would have been to invite betrayal. (Thank you, Scourge, for teaching him that lesson. Kira thought dryly.) It hard worked. The Sith had (mostly) behaved themselves. In recognition for his incredible performance during the campaign, Master Satele had afterwards pronounced Corellan Halcyon as the new Battlemaster of the Jedi Order.

Afterwards, back on their ship, Corellan had spent several hours recovering in Doc’s medical bay. After the team medic had cautiously cleared him for light duty, Corellan had pronounced himself ‘fine’.

That self-assessment had held up… right up until the moment where Corellan had passed out while eating dinner.

It was at that point that Kira came to two conclusions:

First, as much as she loved it when Corellan played the ‘tough guy’, she was not going to let him put himself in any further risk. His legendary stamina, that bottomless well of endurance (something else she loved about him) wasn’t regenerating as it should be. Knowing they could be called back into action at any time, that needed fixing.

Second, she was going to have to clear the ship to help him properly, removing all distractions.

She could have taken him to Tython, of course, but there, the healers would want to observe him for weeks on end. Weeks during which he wouldn’t be at the forefront of the war. Weeks during which their crew would grow listless while underutilized. Weeks during which he’d be unavailable in the event of an emergency.

(Weeks during which he also wouldn’t be free to spend time with Kira...)

Really, it would be irresponsible of her to let that happen.

Kira accessed the crew’s war chest, then bestowed a significant sum of credits each to Scourge, Rusk and Doc. She told each of them to take a few days of leave, and that she’d let them know when Corellan had recovered. To no one’s surprise, Doc had complained the loudest. Most of his arguments centered around his duties as the crew’s medic and Corellan’s medical condition, but really, Kira knew he just didn’t want to feel left out. She had held her ground, knowing that Corellan’s condition wasn’t medical-related. Doc had decisively stomped off, announcing that he was going to Nar Shaddaa with his allotment of credits. (After he left the conference room, she could overhear him grumbling something about spending all his leave money on ‘booze and hookers’.)

Rusk, in stark contrast, had regarded Kira appraisingly, and in a cool silence. In turn, the young Jedi had held the old soldier’s gaze without flinching. After a moment, he nodded, saying that he understood. Rusk then told her he would join Doc on Nar Shaddaa to keep the medic “out of trouble”.

That left Lord Scourge. Immortal or not, the Sith Lord was still recovering from his own injuries, and Doc had wrapped several layers of bandages around his torso. If Rusk had given her the thousand-meter stare, then the look the massive Pureblood Sith gave her was one she’d have feel from a light-year away. Finally, the tendrils around his mouth seemed to quiver.

“I hope that you know what you’re doing, Jedi.” He emphasized the title as he took his share of the credits and departed.

He didn’t bother to tell her where he was headed, and she didn’t bother to ask. At least he wasn’t calling her the girl anymore.

After their three companions had left the ship, Kira had found a nice patch of empty space where they could lie low in the Defender. She asked Teeseven to watch over everything, and to answer the holo-terminal if anyone tried to contact them. She didn’t know what kind of excuse the droid would offer if Master Satele and the council came calling, but she was sure he’d come up with something.

Then she had taken Corellan by the hand and brought him to the Jedi meditation shrine in his quarters.

The healing potential of Force meditation were common knowledge, and they could heal the spirit as well as the mind. Corellan, however, obviously needed a push if he was ever going to ‘jump start’ the process. Fortunately, Kira, from sharing a Force bond with him, was well-suited to provide him that ‘push’.

The two Jedi had then knelt facing each other, letting their minds link to each other and to the Force, and shutting away everything else.

They were both still sitting there nineteen hours later when at last Kira felt her efforts had bearing fruit.

(Did people have any idea how hard it is to sit still for nineteen hours straight? Especially for a girl who tended to get antsy from just standing around??? Really.)  

That familiar spark within Corellan Halcyon’s spirit had reignited. She could feel the Force start to flow through him again on its own accord and was relieved to find his body start to respond as it should.

By that point, however, both Jedi were physically exhausted, with Corellan particularly weakened despite the recovery of his spirit. Kira was considering giving Corellan another sedative and sending him straight to bed when she realized that neither of them had bathed since before Yavin, and now they were both in desperate need.

Kira had undressed them both, pulling Corellan into the refresher. She had resisted the urge to initiate anything at that point; he needed his rest, after all.

Once done, Kira had shut off the water and dried them both off, hastily wrapping them both in bathrobes. From there, she had helped Corellan to his bed, tucking him in. She briefly considered returning to her own quarters, but then decided neither of them should be without the other after all of that, so she joined him in his bed, curling up against him, pressing her back against his chest and wrapping his arms around her waist, grasping him to her.

Honestly, Kira would have been fine spending the rest of the night like that. Or spending the next full day like that. Or to spend the rest of their lives like that.

Much to her surprise, she felt his body start to respond to her. He murmured her name as she felt his lips brushing the back of her neck, and up towards her ear.

“Kira.”

Kira moaned softly at his attentions. Yes, she ought to have said no. He needed his rest right now, because if he overdid it, it could undo all the work she had just put in to fixing him. She really ought to have just kissed him goodnight, then slipped away to her own quarters. It would have been the prudent choice.  

But Kira Carsen’s life had rarely been defined by making the prudent choice.

She turned into his arms, kissing him full on the lips as she pressed her hands to his chest. He sighed in pleasure, returning the kiss, his hands pulling her to him as they ran up and down her back.

Fighting against her own instincts, Kira broke the kiss, then turned Corellan onto his back, turning her hips until she straddled him. He reached for her again, but this time, she forestalled him by pressing a finger to his lips.

“Okay, tough guy.” She whispered conspiratorially. “Here’s the deal: I’m not going through all of this again because you get too excited. So just this one time, you’re just going to lie back and let me take care of everything. Okay?”

Corellan’s pale blue eyes peered up at her with a slightly glazed over look. There was minimal illumination in the darkened room, with only a chrono on his bedside displaying the time and flashing a bit of lighting. Nevertheless, his eyes seemed to twinkle up at her.

“M’kay.” He smiled happily, sincere and glowing.    

Kira couldn’t help but return the smile and give him a quick pec on the lips. He was adorable like this.  

Then she began. It had been more than a week since they’d had a chance like this, and quite frankly, she needed it.  

They both did.   

Two minutes in, however, his hands reached for her body, and she could feel his ardor growing. She closed her eyes and let an involuntary sigh escape her lips, as the pleasurable sensations travelled right to her core. Normally, she loved how he was with her. Through their Force bond, it was like he knew exactly what she liked, even better than she did. And this came after a nineteen-hour long meditation that had probably linked them more than ever. Even now, she could sense with eager anticipation what he was about to do next…

Not tonight. Tonight, she needed him to settle down.

Her hands reached for his wrists, pulling his hands from her and pinning his arms to the bed. Despite their bodies still being entangled, she did her best to look down at him reproachingly.

“You agreed you’d just lie there.” She clucked her tongue at him, pretending to look cross.

Corellan’s eyes fluttered open. Though physically he was far stronger than she was, he made no attempt whatsoever to free himself. He didn’t even struggle, now that she had halted her attentions.

“Can’t help it.” He smiled up at her apologetically, looking bashful. “I want you.”

Kira’s heart did a backflip as her lips parted. Hearing him say things like that so freely always got to her. He was normally the model of self-control, but right now he was… woozy? No, addled. She bit her lower lip in consideration. The problem was that in his present state, he would try to regain control the moment she started again…

Then inspiration struck her.

“What if you… couldn’t move your hands?” she finally said.

He looked back up at her, and she could feel his sense of puzzlement.

“Don’t need hands.” He murmured. “Just need you.”  

Kira’s mouth twisted into a lopsided grin.

“Hold on a second, tough guy. Don’t go anywhere.” She said the words while still straddling him without any sense of irony.

Without bothering to untangle herself from Corellan, Kira released his wrists and then reached over the bed’s edge to where his bathrobe had been left on the floor. She pulled the soft cloth belt free from the robe, then looked down at Corellan again. His fingers by now were caressing her hips in gentle encouragement. He looked passive enough for the moment, but she had no doubt he would become active again once she resumed.  

She held up one end of the belt to him.

“I’m going to tie this around your wrist, okay?” she asked, gently gauging him for any hesitancy or reluctance.

His eyes attempted to focus on the belt in the dark.

“Okay.” He murmured.

Kira carefully took hold of one of his hands, tying one end of the belt around his wrist. (Ironically, she reflected, she had learned about knots from Corellan himself when he had taught her how to survive in the wilderness.)

She caressed his cheek. “Is that too tight?”

He leaned into her touch contentedly. “No.”

Emboldened by his trust, Kira reached out and pulled the belt through the bars of the bed’s headboard, pulling it until it stretched his arm well above his head, pulling the other end back down towards her.

“Still okay?”

“Mmm.” He closed his eyes and grinned. “I’m learning all kinds of things from you.” He murmured.

Kira scoffed at the remark, a phrase he’d used more than once regarding his relationship with Kira. Still, she couldn’t keep the smirk off her face.

“I’m serious!” she insisted.  

“I’m good.” He said, tilting his head. “Always good with you.”  

Kira swallowed, then took his other wrist and repeated the process with the other end, looping the belt so it allowed just the right amount of give that he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. Then she double-checked the knots to make they weren’t too tight.

Finally satisfied, she took a moment to admire her work.

His arms were pulled above his head, seriously limiting his movements, just as Kira had intended. When she reached out to caress his cheek again, he again leaned into her touch. He did keep giving his arms occasional tugs – instinctively trying to return the touch as he had before – but he wasn’t struggling to try to free himself, and he made no sounds of protest or discomfort.

Satisfied that he was alright, she let her hands caress down his broad, well-muscled chest. The two had been intimate with each other hundreds of times by now. Normally, however, Corellan was active. Very active. A quality in her lover that Kira approved of enthusiastically. But just this once, it was nice to just touch him unimpeded. To run her fingers over the hard muscles of his body, gently examining the scars that had been left behind from countless battles and skirmishes. She felt free to do what she liked with him.

That thought gave Kira an unexpected rush of power. She wondered if this experience had taught her something new about herself.

As her hands slid further downward, caressing the muscles of his abdomen, he let out a pleasurable sound. She could feel his body’s approval of what she was doing, both physically and through the Force. She bit her lower lip again, believing he was enjoying this as much as she was.

Just as she was about to begin in earnest, a sliver of doubt entered her mind: This was new territory. They had never done anything quite like this before. At this moment his mind wasn’t at its sharpest…

She had to be absolutely certain.

Kira reached down, and took Corellan by his chin, gently tilting him until his eyes refocused on her.

“Corellan.” She whispered seriously. “Are you sure about this? Are you sure you want this?”

His blue eyes looked up into hers, full of love and trust and even passion.

“Want this.” he murmured. “Always want you.”

A relieved Kira grinned at that, then leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

“That’s all I needed to hear, tough guy.”

Thirteen hours later, the two lovers awakened.

It was unclear who awoke first. It was likely that the waking thoughts of one had awoken the other. Or, perhaps, they were so synchronized at that moment that they simply had awoken in the same moment.

(Kira later reflected that Corellan was normally a morning person while she, decidedly, was not. But by this point, their sleep cycles were shot anyway.)

Fortunately, Kira had released Corellan from his bonds just moments before they had fallen asleep. As a result, both Jedi awoke rested, content and very rejuvenated.

Soon, they would step out of Corellan’s quarters, where they would greet Teeseven and take in a quick meal before heading out to Nar Shaddaa to pickup the rest of their crew. No doubt, somewhere, the galaxy needed saving, and they would be needed.

Soon.

Still lying in bed, the two Jedi smiled happily at each other, then kissed. Even when the kiss broke, their foreheads pressed against each other as they breathed in unison.

“Thank you.” Corellan finally whispered. “For… last night.”

Kira chuckled happily. “Play your cards right, tough guy, and I’ll give you the chance to return the favor.”

“No, ah…” the newly minted Jedi Battlemaster reached up and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “I meant, ah, with the whole belt… knots… thing.”

Kira giggled at his embarrassment, her trademark smirk widening.  

“So did I.”

On the other hand, maybe their crew – and the rest of the galaxy – could hold off for one more day….

Chapter Text

Author’s Notes: Written using the @elimemes Tumblr prompt – “Soft Angst Starters”. The following story takes place late in Chapter 1 of the Jedi Knight storyline.

Kira Carsen silently followed Corellan Halcyon up the loading ramp as they boarded their Defender.

As they stepped into the main hold and the door closed behind them, Corellan stopped, reaching for the holo-communicator on his belt. He thumbed it, opening a channel to Teeseven, their loyal astromech droid, dutifully waiting for them down in the engine room.

“Tee, get us airborne. We need to put Alderaan behind us as soon as possible.” His voice was level, but far more curt than usual.

Teeseven beeped his acknowledgement. The droid could do that much remotely, even without coming to the cockpit.

Corellan then closed the channel and, in a movement that Kira found very uncharacteristic, gripped the handlebar railing for support, looking downward. He then let out a slow exhale, as if trying to catch his breath. Kira could see the slight tremble in his shoulders, as if he were desperately trying to control his breathing.

In the past week, Corellan, with Kira by his side, had accomplished amazing things on Alderaan.

They had restored House Organa’s off-world communications array after an attack by House Thul, thus preventing the Empire from cutting Alderaan off from the Republic. They had saved over three hundred Organa hostages from ‘the Wolf Baron’ of House Thul, ultimately saving Organa itself from an assault by Thul and his Sith allies. Duke Charles had even named Corellan as a Paladin of House Organa.

But Orgus Din was dead.

In the Alsakan Lowlands, they had rescued even more Organa hostages from Thul, then they had saved Doctor Parvux from being eaten by Kiliks at the Death Mark laboratory, knocking out the superweapon’s primary power grid in the process. They had helped Jedi Master Skohani Ren save an Organa noble from being ‘joined’ to the Kilik nests. They had even saved the Kilik nests from being controlled and tortured by House Ulgo.   

But Orgus Din was dead.

They had saved Duke Horis Thul, apparently the only Thul leader genuinely interested in peace, from the assassin Aleyna Hark, thus saving the prospect of peace on Alderaan. They had rescued Andra Cressen, a wannabe spy in the service of House Organa, from House Rist. Then they’d used Andra’s information to save an Organa convoy from being destroyed by Rist saboteurs.

But Orgus Din was dead.

In the Glarrus Valley, they had defeated the cybernetic Sith Lord Deral Thul and his imperial forces who had been seizing Organa and Republic-aligned assets in the region. From there, they’d saved the last survivors of House Panteer, Alderaan’s defunct ruling house, from Ulgo’s forces. Then they’d toppled House Ulgo, defeating ‘King’ Bouris Ulgo and bringing him to justice for his murder of the old monarch.   

But Orgus Din was dead.

Finally, they had achieved their primary objective on Alderaan. The infamous Death Mark weapon had been destroyed, and Darth Angral’s apprentice, Lord Nefarid, was dead, failing to kill either of them.  

(Somewhere in between all these events, the two Jedi had found the time to attend a ball hosted by Duke Organa in their honor. Kira had worn a gown, Corellan a suit. The two had danced together. Kira was trying very hard not to think too much about that right now…)

But Orgus Din was dead.

Kira heard the ship’s engines start to roar, as the Defender started to take off under Teeseven’s control.

It had been Nefarid’s final gambit; forcing Corellan and Kira to watch a live holo-broadcast of Darth Angral slaying Jedi Master Orgus Din, Corellan’s last master and mentor.

It hadn’t saved the Sith. Not even unleashing the Death Mark device on Corellan while the Sith had used a stealth field generator to strike from the shadows had saved him. Instead, the two young Jedi had silently coordinated their actions, with Nefarid pouncing on a feint by Corellan to give Kira the perfect opening she needed to deliver a fatal blow.

But the ploy – obviously feeling Orgus’ death even as he watched – had nevertheless devastated Corellan emotionally. Kira could feel it, especially now that they had a moment to catch their breaths. They’d barely spoken since it had happened; she simply didn’t have the words.  

Now she watched him grip the bar and stare at the floor, his broad shoulders rising and dropping in short breaths. She had never seen him like this before. He was normally a rock. Now he was… anguished.

He should be headed to the cockpit to prepare the ship to jump into hyperspace. He should have been communicating with General Var Suthra, letting him know that Alderaan was secure. (And about Orgus.) He should have been preparing to pursue Darth Angral and finish him once and for all. Worst case scenario, he should have been meditating about what he had just been through before doing all those other things.

But right now, he couldn’t do any of that. He was too shattered inside.

He had won on every world. He had saved the Jedi on Tython. He had saved the entire Republic when he had saved Coruscant. He had saved Doctor Godera on Taris. He had saved entire worlds from Angral’s plans. Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine and now Alderaan.

Kira had been with him since Coruscant. He had saved her on Ord Mantell. He had backed her against Valis, then supported her to the Jedi Council. She, better than anyone, knew how driven he was, how dedicated he was, how frustratingly noble he could be.  

Now, seeing him like this, feeling him like this…

It was like he should be ranting in anger against the Sith and the injustice of the galaxy but couldn’t. Like he should be sobbing but didn’t know how.

For the first time, it was like Corellan didn’t know what to do. 

Fortunately, somewhere in the back of Kira’s mind, or perhaps in her heart, she did know what to do.

She stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his body, grasping her hands together as she tried to pull him into an embrace. She could feel his entire body go rigid for a moment, as if confused by this totally foreign gesture.

Blasted Jedi training. Kira thought to herself. This was a man completely at home fighting three armed Sith simultaneously, but he had no idea how to respond to a hug.

Just as she was about to pull away to avoid any further awkwardness, she felt something within him thaw. Melt, even.

He turned away from the handlebar, his arms wrapping around Kira, returning the embrace. He pulled her tightly against his broad chest, still clad in robes and adaptive armor, holding on to her for support even as Kira felt the ship break atmosphere. She turned her head and rested it against his chest, closing her eyes. She clung to him, her hands wrapped around his shoulders. Slowly, he started to breath normally again. Even through the thin body armor, she could hear his heartbeat.

And Kira could feel his spark start to return. It grew warm and bright and powerful. And she felt a surge of happiness in her own belly, as if the two Jedi were synching with each other in comfort as they had a few hours ago in battle against Nefarid.  

Kira thought she could stay like that, leaning against him, all day.   

Inevitably, it had to end. Corellan let out a sigh, then gently grasped her shoulders, pulling away. He was looking down at her with the most grateful expression.

“Thanks.” He finally whispered, not trusting himself to say more than that.

“Anytime.” Kira swallowed nervously, biting her lip and stepping back just a bit. Her right hand reached behind her back and gripped her opposite arm, just to keep from fidgeting.   

Corellan exhaled slowly, still not looking away from her.

“You prep us for hyperspace, I’ll comm General Var Suthra?” he finally offered, recognizing they both wanted to change the subject.

“Yeah, I remember the drill.” Kira nodded, giving him a soft smile.

“Okay. Thanks, Kira.”

With that, he set his jaw in place and strode into the main conference area, preparing to contact Var Suthra.

Once again, he appeared to be the invincible hero.

As she turned towards the cockpit, a strange thought formed in Kira’s mind:

She had personally liked Orgus Din. He was kind to her, had a better sense of humor than most Jedi Masters, and he was even gentle when he rebuked her for talking too much during council meetings when Master Kiwiks had Kira attend.

For all of that, he and Kira weren’t particularly close. Certainly not close enough to have developed a Force bond.

But when he had died, Kira had felt it intensely. She had even cried out his name in pain.

She now realized that she hadn’t been the one feeling Orgus dying; Corellan had. But Kira had felt Corellan’s pain as his former master died, as he felt it through his bond with the Jedi Master.     

But it was their bond – the bond that had grown between Kira and Corellan – that made her cry out; and it was their bond that had made it possible for Kira to help him just now.

As Kira Carsen sat in the co-pilot’s chair, a smile spread across her lips.  

Like she had said; she’d be there for him anytime he needed.

Chapter Text

Author’s Notes: The following tale takes place during your five year carbonite sleep. It doesn’t necessarily fit the AU of some of my other works, as it was inspired by the material from the Onslaught expansion.

Kira Carsen tossed and turned in her sleep.

The sleeping bag she bundled herself into was comfortable enough. The campsite they had set up on this desolate, all but abandoned Sith world – hoping to meet their contact – certainly wasn’t the worst place she had ever lived. Their supplies, such as they were, were holding out after three weeks. It wasn’t as if she were still living on the streets of Nar Shaddaa. Or if she were still a child on Korriban, coping with the horrors of Sith training.  

Honestly, Kira thought she’d exorcised these nightmares long ago.

But they were coming back now. And she knew why. That was the subject of tonight’s nightmare.

The past three years had been terrible. Zakuul had invaded. The Order broken up. The surviving Jedi had gone into hiding. The Republic had rolled over. Even their crew was mostly gone. They’d had to abandon the ship; it was too well known and a vessel that screamed ‘Jedi’ would almost certainly get the Eternal Fleet on their tail. Rusk had been recalled by the Republic military. They’d been separated from Doc on Begeren; Kira had wanted to go back for him, but she’d eventually been convinced that they were all better off letting their medic find his own path.  

Blast it. She actually missed Doc. How crazy was that?

Teeseven …

Teeseven had never given up hope. The astromech droid – arguably her second-best friend in the galaxy – knew there was only one thing that could get the galaxy moving again. Indeed, there was only one person who could jump-start that process. When the droid had left, it had been devastating. It was like her final link to the best time of her life was being taken away from her. She’d hugged the little droid and told him may the force be with him.

Those had also been her last words to him.

She had her own mission. She knew that. If they failed, then the Eternal Empire and even the Sith would seem like nothing in comparison. The Emperor could always just wait until everyone who could stop him was dead, and then start over. So she persevered; it’s what he would have done.

And thus, the nightmares continued.

Sometimes, she was back on Nar Shaddaa, hiding from the gangs, trying to survive. Sometimes, she was back on Korriban, hoping the Servants weren’t on their way to drag her off to meet her ‘father’.

Sometimes, she was trying to save him. Trying to fight her way through armies of Skytroopers and Zakuulan Knights. Knowing that if she could only reach him, the galaxy would be right again.

Her galaxy would be right again.

But each time, she would come up short. Sometimes, they would kill her quickly, all her training and power counting for nothing. Other times, she’d make it almost to his prison before she was finally overwhelmed.

This time was much worse.

Kira had actually reached him. She’d fought her way to his prison and revived him, only for him to turn and look upon her with those black eyes she knew so well.

“No…. no, not him….” She murmured, tossing and turning wildly, still asleep, and yet all too aware.

And she knew it wouldn’t end.

If they failed, it would never end.

Then she felt strong arms wrap around her, pulling her into and embrace against a massive chest.

It was comforting. It was something to hold onto. And for the briefest of moments, she fooled herself into thinking that it was him.

But no. He was tall and strong, but nothing like this. The arms were too large, the chest too massive.

And somewhere deep in her slumber, she felt the familiar ping of the dark side. And the part of her mind that was aware knew precisely who it was.

A year ago, she would have shoved him away. Two years ago, she’d have killed him for the presumption.

Right now, as Kira fell from one nightmare to another, she couldn’t find the strength.

The arms pulled her closer, and their owner leaned in and whispered.

“I miss him, too.”

Kira exhaled.

Slowly but surely, the nightmares started to eb away.

She finally tucked her head into the huge neck, clutching to him.

The galaxy wasn’t right.

Her galaxy wasn’t right.

But for now, she could sleep soundly.

And someday, when they had completed their mission, they would find him.

END  

Author’s Notes: I was fascinated by the interactions between Kira & Scourge in Onslaught. Their dynamic has clearly shifted.

Chapter Text

Author’s Notes : The following chapter takes place in between the Coruscant and Ord Mantell campaigns during the Jedi Knight’s story.

Corellan Halcyon had rarely concerned himself much with his aesthetic appearance. 

He’d been raised a Jedi, so he supposed that was to be expected. He understood full well that the clothes he wore, robes or otherwise, were merely a tool, and not a reflection of his own progress as a Jedi. But that did explain why he felt rather self-conscious as he regarded himself in the full-length mirror in his quarters on his ship.

The body armor and robes he had just picked up while docked at Carrick Station were exactly his size; he knew that. Darthyn, the wizened tradesman who shown the set to Corellan, had told him that the armor and robes were known as the Resolute Guardian; a white ceramic breastplate stood out on his chest while smaller plates adorned his shoulders, arms and legs. The robes – clearly marking him as a Jedi – were secured by the utility belt at his waist. The belt and his heavy bracers included every device he was likely to need in the field. He knew the plates wouldn’t stop a direct hit from a high-voltage blaster, much less a lightsaber, but their defense would be adequate against most glancing blows. His boots would absorb the impact of a fall and provide sufficient protection on hostile ground. His lightsabers were clipped to his belt.  

The Defender was docked at Carrick Station, effectively the heart of the Republic’s fleet. Corellan, who had achieved the rank of Jedi Knight just over a week ago, had been ordered by Satele Shan, Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, and General Var Suthra of the Galactic Republic military, to prevent Darth Angral, Lord of the Sith, from seizing control of the Republic’s superweapon projects. He was accompanied on his mission by Padawan Kira Carsen, who Master Satele had named his apprentice on Coruscant, and by T7-O1, his devoted astromech droid he’d first teamed with on Tython.

They had stopped at Carrick to refuel, and Corellan had taken the opportunity to obtain the Jedi body armor he now wore from the dispensary at the station. The robes he had been wearing had been adequate enough back on Tython, but after his experiences fighting Vokk on the Emperor’s Glory and later Tarnis on Coruscant, Corellan felt he required more substantial protection if he was going to be regularly testing himself against the Sith.  

Teeseven was down in the engine room, tuning up the ship, while Kira was still on Carrick. The padawan had asked to replace her own robes at one of the shops, and he’d seen no reason not to grant her permission. Master Satele had charged him with training and protecting Kira, but that didn’t mean he’d attempt to restrict her on such a minor thing as apparel.

He was still a little nervous about the challenge of training a Padawan, even one as talented and driven as Kira Carsen. After all, he’d been a Padawan himself just days ago. But he couldn’t deny that he and Kira worked well together, and there was every reason to think they could accomplish great things as part of an actual team. As soon as she got back, they would jump to Ord Mantell try to upend Darth Angral’s plans to destroy the Galactic Republic.

He had briefly tested the body suit back on the station and had been convinced that the armor wouldn’t slow him down significantly. The feeling of the material against his skin – and the added weight – still felt unfamiliar, but he trusted that he would adapt in time. Indeed, he seemed to be growing more accustomed to it by the second. Where a moment before he felt some minor discomfort seeing himself in the mirror, he had to admit that he felt more confident than ever in his place as a Jedi Knight. The moment of reflection had served him well. Corellan found himself smiling at his own reflection, now filled him with a renewed sense of confidence in himself and his mission; that he was ready to take on all the Sith had to throw at him. 

The moment ended when he heard the airlock door slide shut and light footfalls coming up the steps from the airlock egress. The Jedi Knight turned away from the mirror and ducked out of his quarters as Kira reached the top of the stairwell.

“Well? How do I look?” the Padawan grinned as she caught sight of him, dropping the two parcel bags she’d been carrying and planting her hands on her hips.

Corellan’s jaw dropped.

Kira’s outfit included a utility belt and bracers, but that effectively covered any similarities to the armor Corellan was wearing. The green top featured a V-neck, baring Kira’s throat and no small amount of skin. Her midriff, almost from just beneath her bosom to her belt, was bare. The top did not reach her arms, and she wore gloves, bracers, and binding straps ideal for concealing an extra weapon. Her trousers appeared serviceable but seemed to provide no discernable protection.

 “Kinda ambitious, don’t cha think?” she turned around in place before looking back at him.

“Uhm.” was all Corellan could manage. He was dumbstruck.

Kira smirked slightly at his reaction, taking a step forward and arching an eyebrow at him.

“You did say I could pick out my own robes.”

“Well, yes.” Corellan said. “But I’d imagined you’d pick out something more… like robes.”

Kira put her hands back on her hips, this time giving him a questioning look.

“What? You must have seen Jedi on Tython wearing something like this.”  

Corellan collected himself, taking in a long breath. This was not a conversation he’d been expecting to have.

“I have.” He admitted. Corellan had indeed seen variations of this garment on a couple of Jedi back on the homeworld, though if he recalled, both had been worn in the field and not while walking the halls of the temple.

“But I’m... uhm. I’m not sure Master Kiwiiks would approve of her padawan wearing it.” He finally said. Bela Kiwiiks, like Satele Shan and Corellan’s own former master, Orgus Din, was a member of the Jedi Council, and therefore one of the wisest and most respected members of the order. She had also been, up until just recently, Kira’s master. Corellan was very mindful that his status of Kira’s master was likely to be a temporary one.

“Master Kiwiiks isn’t here.” She looked up at him with a challenging look. “You are.”

Corellan paused at that, reflecting that Kira had a point. Using Master Kiwiiks as a justification for a decision did seem unreasonable. His deliberations, he remembered from his training, should be based around evidence and reason.

“Wouldn’t something like this offer better protection?” Corellan opened his arms wide to indicate the Jedi body armor he was wearing.

Kira looked down at the armor and frowned, not in anger but in annoyance.

“Full body armor would slow me down.” She answered him with a huff. Clearly, she felt this reality was unfair. “Look – you’re big and strong and… tough. I’ve seen you shrug off hits that would take a lot of people out. Me? I’ve got to rely on my agility and speed. Even the most lightweight bodysuits would do me more harm than good. I need to be able to move and dodge. Be honest, do you really think Master Satele’s outfit would protect better against a lightsaber than what I’m wearing?” she gestured downward.

Corellan chewed that over, trying to maintain eye contact and not following Kira’s downward motion. He knew that Satele Shan – a double-lightsaber duelist like Kira – hadn’t worn battle armor herself during the war, and it was true that she dispensed with robes herself, wearing a vest with trousers. Kira seemed quite correct.

Then again, the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order’s outfit did not expose her midriff either.  

“… Probably not.” He admitted. “But won’t this distract people?”

Kira folded her arms in front of her and looked at him crossly.

“Who, the Sith?” she snorted. “We should be so lucky. If a Sith gets distracted by what I’m wearing, we’d make short work of them.” she raised a withering eyebrow at him. “Unless you’re saying me wearing this would be a distraction for you?”

Corellan suddenly felt alarm in his mind, as his wrists started sweating. Was it the suggestion that he found Kira’s garment distracting? Or the suggestion that such a distraction would be cause for objecting to what she was wearing? Best not think about that.

“Absolutely not!” He stammered, feeling his face flush in embarrassment.

Kira seemed to be eyeing him, her body language relaxing as she took on an amused look in her eyes.

“Well then?”

Corellan’s training had taken over. Orgus Din had been as pragmatic a Jedi as had ever sat on the Council, and his mind was now going down a mental checklist.  

“What about… hostile planets? Ones with colder climates? Won’t this be… uncomfortable for you?”

“No problem.” She grinned, picking up one her deposited parcels and opening it up to show him. “Thermal wear. Full body. I’m not getting frostbite no matter where we have to go.”

Corellan regarded the equipment and was impressed. His own masters had encouraged their students to think ahead, and he should probably be doing the same.

“Okay.” He nodded appreciatively. “I mean, you’ve obviously thought this through. I can’t deny that. But just tell me, why this set specifically?”

“Because this feels comfortable for me.” Kira said earnestly. “And… honestly? Because I can. Don’t get me wrong. Master Kiwiiks has been great to me. She got me out of a bad situation on Nar Shaddaa and took me into the Order. But I always hated those robes she had me wear. For one thing, they made coming out of Force leaps super awkward. For another, they are not at all flattering. This just… feels like me.”

As if to make a point, Kira locked her fingers together then stretched with her arms in the air. Corellan’s eyes widened as they were inevitably drawn downward. The young Jedi Knight suddenly had a feeling of butterflies going through his stomach, feeling himself blink and swallow as he turned away.

His own reaction confused him; was he coming down with something? 

Kira glanced at him sideways with a glint in her eye, again observing his reaction as her lips turned upwards into a smirk. He didn’t quite understand what had amused her. Maybe his confusion was that evident?

“So we’re good?” she asked.

“Yeah… we’re good.” Corellan relented, exhaling. It occurred to him that as her Jedi master, he should be impressed that she’d been able to explain her reasoning in such a rational manner. “Maybe I should have picked up a set like that.” He gave a shrug with as much faux nonchalance as he could muster.

Kira snickered.

“I think this outfit would look totally different on you.” She sighed, her eyes giving him a once-over. “Not that it isn’t a tempting thought. Sometimes, the galaxy just isn’t fair.”

Corellan had no idea how to answer this observation, so he clammed up. Kira rolled her eyes at his lack of reaction, and he decided that maybe it was better that he didn’t know.

Satisfied, Kira walked up to him, reaching out and padding his arm.

“Hey – don’t worry. I’m not gonna pull any fast ones on you when we’re, you know, out there. For as long as this… arrangement lasts, I’ll follow your lead in the field. You know what you’re doing, whether you give yourself credit for that or not. You proved that to me on Coruscant.” She shuffled her feet a bit, looking down. “It’s just… this one thing was kind of important to me, you know?”  

Corellan nodded appreciatively at her words. He’d been praised already by Master Satele and several other distinguished luminaries already, but somehow, hearing Kira say it after they’d fought side by side meant more.

“I believe that, Kira. And thanks.”

“Anytime. And by the way.” Kira smiled and reached out her hand again, this time gently rapping her knuckles on the breastplates of his body armor. They made a slight plunking sound at the light impact.

“Looks good on you.” She looked up and him and grinned, her deep blue eyes almost sparkling in amusement.

Corellan felt the butterflies in his stomach start to swarm again. And why did his ears feel like they were burning?

“Uhm. Thanks.” Was all he managed to say, suddenly lost in her eyes.

Kira caught his look, her grin widening. then turned away and retrieved her parcels.

“I’ll put these away, and then we’ll head to Ord Mantell?” she asked.

Corellan felt his mouth go dry, but then nodded vigorously.

“Right.”

“Great.” Kira smiled. “See you in two.”

As she headed off for her quarters, Corellan turned slowly and started walking towards the cockpit.

He reminded himself that the body armor he was wearing was merely a tool, and not a reflection of his own progress as a Jedi.

Still, he felt like he had taken a tiny step forward towards whatever destiny the Force had in store for him.

He hoped that he would meet that destiny well with more confidence than this conversation with Kira had.

Author’s Notes : Much has been said of how appropriate certain armor sets are for certain companions in the game. Specifically female companions. This is valid. I see a lot of people running around with Vette or Elara Dorne in slave girl outfits, and it makes my eyes roll. Having said that, I think Kira is absolutely the type of woman who would be comfortable in a crop top, for practical reasons. In case it wasn’t clear, the armor set that Kira is wearing is known as the Ambitious Warrior set, which DOES look totally different on male characters than female characters.

I wanted to show something from earlier in Corellan and Kira’s ‘association’. I know there is an issue of women – particularly young women in school – facing unfair restrictions on their wardrobes due solely to how males around them might react. Corellan – very early in his story – isn’t quite immune to that with respect to Kira, but even now he would never penalize her for making her own choices. He gets that this ‘problem’ is about himself and not Kira or her attire. That, as I see it, is the important part. That we recognize our faults as our own and not those of others.

Kira obviously has a certain influence on Corellan at this point, and she’s probably picking up on that. She’s a good person, however, so she won’t be taking advantage of that fact.

Also, I wanted to show Kira trying to be flirty and it just totally goes over Corellan’s head.  

Oh and by the way – Yes, butterflies exist in the Star Wars universe. Thank you, Wookiepedia.

Chapter Text

Author’s Notes : The following story takes place a few weeks after the Rise of the Emperor expansion.

Jonas Balkar’s eyes scanned the south balcony of the Star Cluster Casino on Nar Shaddaa.

From the nearby Strategic Information Service observation post, the senior agent had multiple angles to choose from on his monitor displays, both inside and outside the venue. Years before, Jonas and the Republic SIS – with the assistance of Havoc Squad – had remotely sliced the establishment’s nigh-impregnable security system ever since, giving them a backdoor to the casino’s entire network. Say what you will about the Hutts, but they weren’t stingy on surveillance. They wanted every credit and every gaming chip accounted for, and they were committed to keeping (unsanctioned) violence away from their lucrative hotels and casinos. There were literally hundreds of security holo-recorders and sensors throughout the Star Cluster, and Jonas had access to all of it. What’s more, he could adjust what the Hutts and their goons saw at their end, meaning they wouldn’t get wise to what Jonas was up to.

This had all made the Star Cluster the ideal location for a discreet handoff between their contact – a rather gullible Rodian information broker named Rox, who had a nervous demeanor – and a Nikto working for a Black Sun arms dealer who was (allegedly) supplying off-the-books weaponry for the new Sith Intelligence and their covert operations on the Smuggler’s Moon and other Hutt-controlled worlds. (Why waste time smuggling in ordinance that can be traced back to your government when you can just as easily buy large quantities of untraceable weapons after you arrive, and all at a reasonable price?) The plan was for the Rodian to pass a large bribe to the Nikto for a data-disk on these (alleged) shipments to Imperial safehouses. In one swoop, the SIS would pick up the drop-off points of the network.

But the plan got even better. If things went well, then two days from now, Jonas – through a proxy –would approach the Nikto – the fellow was named Fhentar – with all the information the man had illicitly provided to the Rodian, along with a recording of the hand-off. Using that evidence as leverage, he would turn Fhentar into an SIS informant by threatening to share what the Nikto had done with his boss. The Nikto would then realize that his future lifespan could be measured in minutes if that happened. With Fhentar in Jonas’ pocket, the arms shipments could be disrupted at the Republic’s leisure, forcing the Imps to resort to smuggling their own weapons to the planet. That would further antagonize the Hutt Cartel, causing the Empire even more problems.

Within a few weeks, the Empire’s entire Nar Shaddaa network – so carefully reconstructed by Lana Beniko, the new Minister of Sith Intelligence – would be compromised.

A beautiful plan. All it relied on was this handoff going well over the next few minutes. Just in case, Jonas had an SIS security team – disguised of course – standing by just a few minutes away.

The balcony hadn’t been the obvious choice for the hand-off, but Jonas was convinced it would work. When the action was going hot inside, most of the people tended to ignore the balconies; everyone liked a party, after all. He’d spent weeks surveying the surrounding buildings. A sniper from a nearby high point – should the Exchange or Black Sun or even Sith Intelligence choose to intervene – would find no clear shot of the south balcony. Surveillance – aside from that of the SIS, of course – would be problematic with these acoustics. Rox was wired, but any other audio monitoring would be suppressed.

It worked.

To ensure relative quiet on the balcony, a simple ruse had been arranged to distract any potential witnesses. At the appointed moment, a million-credit jackpot would miraculously (and conveniently) hit on one of the Star Cluster’s Kingpin machines to get the crowd’s attention. An undercover SIS operative would then create a diversion on the floor of casino, feigning drunkenness and staging a fight with the gambler who’d won the jackpot. The altercation would draw the remaining bystanders, all but clearing the balcony of potential witnesses and making it an ideal exchange spot. In Jonas’s experience, nothing drew eyes like a fight on the floor of a casino.  

Still, the SIS agent found himself nervous about this operation for some reason he couldn’t quite place. That’s why he’d called in backup to help him observe everything from his post.  

“You know, of the two of us, I’m supposed to be the one with the anxious reputation.” said the voice from behind him.

Jonas turned, giving Theron Shan a rather haughty smile. One of the top agents in the SIS and (technically) still a division head, Theron handed Jonas a steaming cup of caff, which he accepted with genuine gratitude.

“Well, maybe you’ve been rubbing off on me.” Jonas quipped. “I’ve seen you fret on these things more than a few times. Besides, you were the one who needed to get off Coruscant, remember?”

“I know, I know.” Theron held up a free hand. “Everyone’s still upset with me over that mess I made on Ziost.” He sipped his own cup of caff with a shake of his head as he let out a sigh. For a moment, his normally care-free demeanor slipped away, and Jonas could see the guilt weighing heavily on him.   

“I tell you, Jonas, I honestly don’t blame anyone for being angry with me. I should have called in the cavalry the moment I heard from my contact that the Emperor was back. Instead, I got most of my team killed, and that was before Saresh even called in the invasion out from under me.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “What a mess.”

Jonas felt an upswelling of sympathy for Theron and his troubles. He knew the SIS agent had only ever done what he thought was right, even if that was exactly what got him into trouble most of the time.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up too much.” Jonas patted Theron on the shoulder of his trademark red jacket, giving him a smirk. “At least I still like you.”

Theron wrinkled his nose affectionately at his fellow agent, then rolled his eyes.

“Flatterer.”

“It’s true.” Jonas shrugged, still grinning. “And anyway. I did owe you one from that one incident at the Dealer’s Den back on Coruscant.” Jonas attempted to imitate Theron’s reproachful tone. “‘Jonas’ you said to me, ‘Casino jobs are always tricky. You need to plan to the last detail.’ And hey – you were right.”

“Well, at least this time you actually told me what the operation was. That should make it a little easier.” Theron gave him a scrutinizing look. “So you had a funny feeling about this exchange, and decided to call me in for backup?”

“You are here to add ambiance to an otherwise dreary observation post. Even if it is in an unofficial capacity.” Jonas found himself smirking again. “And hopefully, to start the process of rehabilitating your image with the top brass, even if you aren’t actually here officially.”

Theron nodded in gratitude.

“I appreciate that. I know you didn’t have to do this for me.”

“Don’t mention it. Just help me make sure tonight goes down alright.” Seeing that Rox was in position, Jonas turned back to the bank of monitors, noting the chrono indicator.

It was almost time.

Theron silently gave Jonas a thumb’s up signal as the slice command went through the system. From inside the casino came a blast of celebratory music as the jackpot hit, followed by a series of cheers from the crowd. Most of the handful people still on the balcony started making their way inside. The casino was known to offer a round of complimentary drinks for such rare events. Mere seconds later, shouting could be heard, indicating the scuffle had begun. On one of the peripheral screens, Jonas could see Dionne – a junior agent who showed promise and could play the ‘drunken bruiser’ well – shoving the beleaguered and confused Mon Calamari who’d won the rigged jackpot. The Zabrak’s antics drew even more interest from the casino’s guests than the jackpot had, both inside and out on the balcony. Four or five stragglers made their way inside, eager to watch. Jonas smirked at their reaction as he checked the chrono once again. Perfect timing. Within seconds, Rox, their contact, was one of only three people left still standing on the balcony.

Jonas’s eyes narrowed as he regarded the remaining two individuals; a young human couple who were standing in the far corner, holding each other in an intimate embrace. Jonas watched the man and woman carefully; you couldn’t be too cautious in this business. Both were wearing the revealing attire that had become so popular among socialites on Corellia since the battle there had ended three years before; the ‘Euphoric Corellian’, this look was called. Their arms and shoulders were laid bare, though their hands were gloved. The cut of the tunic was provocative, leaving their flanks bared and showing plenty of skin. This duo wore the outfits well, the woman’s was a deep green while the man wore a royal blue.   

He focused on the woman first; a beautiful brunette with shoulder-length hair, fair skin and green eyes that seemed to match her dress. Jonas would place her in her twenties. The Corellian outfit hugged her impressive feminine curves, but Jonas noted the equally impressive lean, athletic muscle of her arms as well. She wore no jewelry; her only accessory was a green purse she wore over her shoulder, and like her outfit, it matched her eyes perfectly. She was beaming adoringly up at her lover, with a dazzling smile that could have made even a Trandoshan’s heart flutter.    

Damn. Lucky boy. Jonas marveled, turning his attention to her companion.

The man was tall and broad-chested; from what he could see, Jonas would normally assume that he worked out extensively. The scarring, however, across his arms suggested otherwise, telling the tale of injuries suffered over the years; this man – like his companion, only in his twenties by Jonas’s eye – was no doubt a veteran soldier. Probably he’d seen action on Corellia during the war. Based on his attire, maybe he hadn’t been regular Republic military but part of the planetary militia or maybe CorSec. His hair was as raven black as Jonas’s, though the SIS agent suspected the man’s might have been dyed. Regardless, he was a good looking fellow, Jonas couldn’t help but notice. He could easily imagine him on a recruitment poster for the military or for some holo-ad campaign, and his hazel eyes were completely enraptured with the beautiful woman in his arms.  

Huh. Lucky girl. Jonas reflected, chuckling to himself.

His initial anxiety about the couple quickly faded; these two were clearly in love and hardly looked like they could be carrying any concealed weapons. They both clearly enjoyed an active lifestyle. He couldn’t pick up any audio from here – the device Rox was wearing was designed for conversations near him – but they were obviously whispering ‘sweet nothings’ in each other’s ears, holding each other and occasionally leaning in for a teasing kiss. They certainly weren’t paying attention to anyone or anything else but to each other and probably hadn’t even heard the jackpot or the fight from inside. They were plainly just enjoying each other’s company until it was time to withdraw back to their room in the hotel for the evening.

Jonas sighed inwardly, trying to remember how long it had been since he had withdrawn to his room with someone special. Almost on reflex, he glanced over at Theron, who seemed distracted scrutinizing another monitor.

No. Jonas thought to himself. Theron Shan had been fun enough on that late night years ago after a mission when they’d each had far too much to drink, but they’d both agreed afterward that it was better that they remain friends. And honestly, Theron was a good friend, one of the best he had in the galaxy. He shook his head to clear it and then turned back to his own screens.   

Regardless of anything else, that young couple shouldn’t be a problem during a simple handoff.

Confirming once more that Rox was otherwise alone, and naturally that he was looking nervous, Jonas turned to the entry door to the balcony. The time was one minute past the agreed time for the exchange; not enough to call it off just yet. This was always a concern for intelligence agents, but it was the price of working with criminals.

There he is.

The Nikto finally walked in, eyes glancing around the balcony, briefly noting the intimate couple in the corner before dismissing them just as quickly, finally focusing on Rox and approaching the Rodian. A quick holo-scan confirmed that he was unarmed; Jonas was confident the Casino’s security was up to that task of keeping lowlifes like Fhentar from carrying weapons, as they’d had far too many incidents of violence here over the past few years. Fhentar himself was a strange story; supposedly he’d been part of a cult on Taris that had worshipped a fallen Jedi years ago. The SIS file on that situation was still sealed tightly, even from someone of Jonas’s rank. How Fhentar had wound up working for Black Sun after his ‘religion’ had collapsed was anyone’s guess.   

Rox folded his arms, trying to give the Nikto a hard look, but to Balkar, it merely came off as petulant.

“You’re late.” The Rodian said in Huttese.

“And you’re impatient.” Fhentar retorted. “Give me a break. Didn’t you hear the commotion? The casino is going crazy right now.”

Jonas couldn’t deny the validity of the excuse, even if he didn’t trust it. It came with the territory of being a spy.

“Whatever.” Rox shrugged dismissively. “You have the disk?”

“Depends. You got my credits?” the larger Nikto wasn’t giving up any ground. It was the normal underworld posturing, practically clichéd at this point.

“Of course.” The Rodian pulled out the high-denomination credit stick from his belt. Jonas hoped the credits would prove to be money well-spent. The SIS budget was not unlimited.  

 The Nikto knew the game, producing a data disk from his jacket.

“So who’re you selling this to, anyway?”

As Rox’s ‘tough’ demeanor – such as it was – started to falter, Jonas could almost smell the Rodian’s nervousness from here.

“Come on. I’m an information broker. You know I can’t talk about that. Not when my clients are paying for discretion, anyway.”

Jonas suddenly noticed some distortion on his monitors. He checked the sensors, but they all seemed to be coming up blank… wait.

There. A series of vibrations against the side of the Star Cluster that weren’t accounted for anywhere else; four distinct series in fact. Rapidly heading down towards the balcony.

Theron Shan noticed it, too. Jonas watched as he urgently plugged into the sensor grid through his cybernetic implants. Jonas hit the ‘standby’ button for his backup team.  

Meanwhile, the conversation was still ongoing.

“Ah, well.” Fhentar shrugged, with a degree of smugness. He tapped the button on his chrono-wristband. “If you’d actually told me now, it would have saved us all some time.”

Jonas was hitting the alert button before the Nikto even finished speaking.

“Team two! Move in! Move in!”

He watched helplessly as the four series of vibrations converged on the balcony. A moment later, he saw the tell-tale shimmer of stealth field generators shutting down as four armed figures in sneak-suits had suddenly surrounded Rox and Fhentar, each one attached at their belt to a rope running up the wall. The SIS agent realized immediately that they had rappelled down the side of the building. The Star Cluster’s sensors should have normally picked up the anomaly well before this. Something had gone wrong.

Many somethings were obviously going wrong.  

“My bosses want to know who’s got their eyes on their business, Rox.” Fhentar chuckled. “So my friends here are gonna take you up to the shuttle pad on the roof. I hope you aren’t afraid of heights.”

Jonas’s communicator beeped as the Rodian started to look around, panicking.

“Chief!” Wynnefred’s voice came through. “The kriffing catering trucks have blocked us off! We have to go around!”   

“Dammit!” Jonas’s hand slammed against the table, checking the layout and realizing he’d been outplayed. “My backup team is more than a minute away!”  

Theron just looked up at the array of screens and smirked.

“Mine’s not.” He reached up and tapped the relay on his earpiece.

Even afterwards, even with the benefit of re-watching the recordings at reduced speed, Jonas could still barely comprehend what took place over the next two seconds.

One second, the Nikto and the Rodian were surrounded by four armed assailants, ready to restrain Rox and take him away the same way they had come, all while the young couple in the corner of the balcony continued to bask in each other’s company, completely oblivious to the abduction taking place behind them.

The next second, there was a veritable explosion of movement. The young couple were gone and Fhentar and all four of his accomplices had been knocked to the ground. As for Rox, the panicked Rodian had fallen to his knees and found himself flanked by a pair of bodyguards… each of them brandishing lightsabers.

Jedi. Jonas marveled to himself.

Other things registered to Jonas. The long dark wig had fallen from the brunette’s head - he now observed her short red hair - and was lying on the floor of the balcony, an obvious consequence of coming out of a Force leap. Her purse had likewise been discarded, and he realized that was likely where they had been hiding their weapons. He noted that the woman’s lightsaber was of the fluorescent green double-bladed variety, while the man brandished a pair of radiant blue sabers.

But these were all secondary observations to Jonas, as he watched all four assailants – apparently oblivious to the fact that they were completely outmatched – attempt to rise to their feet and to press the attack, only to be cut down in a flurry of brutally efficient lightsaber strikes.  

Apparently wiser than his fellows, Fhentar remained prone on the ground. Jonas could hear his lamentations through Rox’s audio device.  

“No! Not Jedi again!” he groaned, raising his hands in the air and plainly giving himself up.

Jonas was right about to turn to Theron in for an explanation when recognition dawned on him.

Wait.

Jonas’s eyes refocused on the man. The shade of his hair and eyes were off, and he was missing that distinctive scar going down his left cheek, but his physical build, the twin blue lightsabers and his red-headed companion…

Jonas’s jaw dropped in realization and he gaped.

“That’s the Hero of Tython!” he whirled on Theron.

Theron Shan was doing absolutely nothing to suppress his amusement.

“Yup. Colored contact lenses, some hair dye, and cosmetics. Plus a wig on Kira – his partner – obviously. No one in their right mind would ever expect to see a Jedi dressed like that.” Theron smiled. “I put a scan-blocker in Kira’s bag. Hutt security trains to look for blasters, knives and explosives, not for lightsabers.”

Jonas finally let out an exhale, realizing only then that he’d been holding his breath.

“I’d heard you’d been working with him.” He offered, turning back to his screens as the gears of his mind started to turn. “Not a perfect night, but its salvageable. Rox is still breathing and we took Fhentar alive. It shouldn’t be too hard to flip him, even without the recordings. Not ideal, but he should at least be able to give up some Imperial drop points.”

He nodded, turning back to Theron with a grateful smile.

“Well. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Theron chuckled. “Like you said, something about this exchange felt off. I might have waited too long to ‘call in the cavalry’ on Ziost, but I wasn’t going to make the same mistake here.”

“After all, everyone needs backup sometimes.”

“That we do. Please make sure to pass on my appreciation.” Jonas smiled back, then turned back to the monitoring station.

“So you had Halcyon and Carsen pose as a couple?”

Theron smirked boyishly, obviously pleased with himself at the deception.

“Clever, huh? I was worried they wouldn’t be able to pull it off, being Jedi and everything. But they were great out there. Hell, they could have fooled me.”

Jonas turned away from his fellow SIS agent, regarding the screens as Wynnefred and his team finally arrived to take Fhentar into custody and to deal with the bodies of the four fallen assailants. Despite the Nikto’s importance going forward, Jonas’s focus again zeroed in on the pair of young Jedi.

Halcyon was cautiously turning Fhentar over to the security team. Clearly, the Jedi Battlemaster wasn’t taking chances. Carsen was standing beside him, positioned protectively over Rox. But their postures were aligned towards each other; Halcyon turned just so his wide stance was open to Carsen, who likewise was turned towards him, her eyes gazing up at him affectionately as he conferred with Jonas’s backup team leader.

Theron Shan was one of the cleverest intelligence operatives Jonas knew, and he was nearly as good an analyst. But sometimes, he couldn’t see the forest from the trees.

For once though, Jonas decided to keep his observations to himself.

Well. At least somebody’s going to bed happy tonight. He suspected, with an envious look back at the couple.

Author’s Notes: I just take it as a given that Theron and Jonas once had a brief thing.

Fhentar shows up on Taris during the Imperial Agent story, serving the memorable Ki Sazen. Obviously, in my legacy, he survived his encounter with Cipher Nine. Unfortunately for him, his new employers don’t appear to be much better than the old ones. Rox and Balkar’s subordinates are my own creation.

The mention of Havoc Squad’s trip to the Star Cluster Casino for the SIS is obviously a reference to the Trooper’s class mission to Nar Shaddaa.

The Euphoric Corellian armor set is a real thing. It’s probably illegal on some planets.

Rodians get shafted in this game and in the greater Star Wars universe in general. So I feel bad for piling on.

Chapter Text

Author’s Notes: WARNING - Shameless, smutty, explicit, self-indulgent NSFW content ahead. You have been warned. Inspired from the Tumblr prompt “Bet I can make you c*me without even touching your c*ck.” The following story takes place sometime before the beginning of Knights of the Fallen Empire.

“There is nothing that inspires so much anger as thwarted longing.” – Lord Scourge

Kira Carsen pressed her lips to Corellan Halcyon’s for a long kiss, relishing in the feel of his body as her hands roamed up and down his chest. The kiss elicited a wanting sigh from Corellan, and no doubt he would normally be responding to her touch with his own, his arms wrapping around her and his hands caressing her from her hair all the way down to her thighs.

Normally. Assuming he could have actually used his hands at this moment.

Since their first experiment shortly after Yavin, Kira and Corellan had become much more adventurous in their love-making escapades. “Kinky” was how Kira had heard it called on the holo-net. Both had taken turns restraining the other when they’d had time alone. Kira had taken to ‘taking charge’ quickly; her confidence bolstered by Corellan’s complete trust in her. Corellan had been a bit more hesitant, as Kira had come to realize that part of what had made them so good together was his ability to “read” her and her desires through non-verbal cues. But when she couldn’t touch him, or when she couldn’t even move her hands (Or her arms, or her legs, or that one time when she couldn’t turn her head.), he seemed less certain, unwilling to risk doing something she might not like. Kira had reassured him, however, and – when they waited for days when the rest of the crew were off the ship – she was able to properly encourage him with moans and cries of pleasure that would have made a Zeltron blush.

Like he had with everything else, Corellan Halcyon had eventually figured it out.

But for tonight, he was hers.                

Kira had – over the last few weeks – bound him in a number of ways. The first had been his hands tied together above his head and through the headboard of his bed. Then she’d tried a similar approach but spreading his arms wide by tying them to the opposing bed posts. Once – when she had him sitting in a chair – she’d bound him behind his back.

Tonight, however, she’d opted for his wrists above his head, tied together with the Lashaa silk rope she’d bought that wouldn’t cut off circulation or leave a mark. This position gave her room to work; if she decided to straddle his face, she could do so without hurting his arms. She’d likewise bound his ankles to the corner posts of the footboard, spreading his legs wide, leaving him completely open to her.

He’d already been getting excited by the time she’d finished, his eyes following her around the room like he couldn’t look away.

She’d debated blindfolding him. It was one more thing they could try at some point to spice things up.

But not tonight. Tonight she wanted his eyes on her.

When she’d undressed and bound him, she’d been wearing the outfit that she’d picked up on Nar Shaddaa. The one that showed off almost everything. It had confused him the first time she’d worn it for him, but since she’d explained it to him, he’d taken to her wearing it well.

Very well. Kira thought to herself, smirking impishly.

With Corellan bound securely, and with the lights in his quarters dimmed and with some soft music playing, she’d taken her time dancing a little, before slowly divesting herself of the outfit, piece by piece, smirking down at him the whole time in appreciation of his reaction. Through their Force bond, she grew quite certain that many of the sensations going through his mind and body at the moment were ones he’d never experienced before.

That reaction further excited her.

Finally finished with her little performance, she’d noted with approval that his body (And his spirit; thank you, Force awareness) were both more than ready for her, as his pale-blue eyes gazed up at her in longing.

Normally, she’d start on him now. Already, she felt ready for him. But just this once, she decided she would be patient, and to draw this out.

So she straddled his chest, taking her time touching him gently with faint traces of her fingertips, then leaning in, letting her breasts press against his chest as she gave him a long kiss.

As he strained to regain her touch, she grinned down, deciding to tease him with something else she’d been experimenting with :  

Talking dirty to him.

“I want to see how much you can take, tough guy.” She whispered, caressing his cheek as her thumb brushed his lips.

He looked up at her, confused, then turned downward, looking between her legs and regarding his length.

“But I’m… ready now.”

Kira chuckled at that, feeling a bit pleased with herself. Normally, she was the impatient one.

“Yeah. I can tell.” Her smirk widened. Then she leaned in, whispering into his ear.   

“Bet I can make you come without touching your cock.”

She felt a light tremor pass through his body; she’d never said something quite like that before. Her tongue slipped out, catching his earlobe for a lick and drawing a gasp from Corellan.

From there, she started kissing down his collar bone, carefully turning her hips so that – as promised – she wouldn’t make contact with the erect phallus.

Then she really started to work him.

Her kisses moved down his broad, muscular chest, taking her time, finding every tender old scar. As she slowly worked her way downward, her hands and fingers roamed at will, caressing down his bound arms, brushing his cheeks, lightly groping him here and there. The kisses slowly trailed down his abdomen, her deep blue eyes looking up into his.

There was no question she had his complete attention. As he was staring down at her, he continued to strain, biting his lip with an urgent look in his eyes.

Just as it seemed certain she would grant him respite, her trail of kisses shifted, bypassing his pelvis as she started working her way down his right leg. Corellan gasped, straining against the ropes as his head tilted backwards.

Kira just smirked, continuing to tease him, with kisses and her gentle touch.

She reached out to him through the Force again, feeling his longing. His frustration. His need. His want.

This man who never seemed to want anything wanted her. In that moment, he wanted more than anything in the galaxy for Kira to grant him release.

But she also felt his trust. He believed in her completely, even as he silently pleaded. The mounting pleasure of what she was doing was like nothing else either of them had experienced.

That was the only reason she kept going, her kisses by now moving up his left leg even as he struggled against the silk ropes. Her fingers reached up to tease him with fleeting caresses, but each time stopping short of actually touching him where he most wanted.   

“Reach out to me through the Force.” She smiled up at him. “I can feel how much you want me. Can you feel how much I want you?”

Corellan choked down a cry as his body gave Kira what she’d wanted, finally finding some relief.

Triumphant, Kira was gentle with him afterwards, releasing him from his bonds and taking care of him. When they’d both finally finished, she’d cradled him in his arms as they both fell into a blissful slumber, neither of them wanting anything else.

Author’s Notes: I regret nothing.

Chapter Text

Author’s Notes : OC Response Meme – Hurt / Comfort – “Please don’t beat yourself up.” Thank you @amlovelies ! Warnings for sexual and / or sensitive content. This story takes place sometime before the start of Knights of the Fallen Empire.

Kira Carsen snuggled into Corellan Halcyon’s arms, tucking her head into his neck as they lay in bed together.

She hadn’t felt this guilty in a long time. Not since that time Vitiate had possessed her on Darth Angral’s flagship, maybe.

No. she reflected. This is worse. This is all on me.

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered.

Corellan shifted and leaned in, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Don’t be.” His fingers caressed her hair. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”

 “I wasn’t thinking.” she sniffed. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“We were trying something new. That’s all.” His voice was calm and comforting, like always.  

Kira didn’t want to feel comfortable at this moment.

Kira bit her lip.

“I hurt you.”

“You didn’t.” Corellan said firmly, then he paused, looking up at the ceiling. “Well, okay, I am a little sore, but I’ll be fine.”

She harumphed; he was missing the point, she could tell.

“But you didn’t like it.” Kira insisted. “And I didn’t realize it immediately. You’re my partner. You’re my… everything. And I didn’t realize it wasn’t good for you.”

He just chuckled.

“Well. I probably didn’t help with that any. I was doing my best to… find a way to enjoy it, I guess.” He sighed, like he was disappointed at himself. “I don’t think I got there. Maybe I’m not very good at this thing?”

“That’s… what?” Kira looked up at him, shook.

Corellan looked down at her.

“I mean, I’ve enjoyed everything else we’ve tried. I guess I just assumed if I wasn’t enjoying something, it was because I was doing something wrong. Honestly, I’d be willing to try it again… though maybe not for another day or two.” He added reluctantly.

He’d said it all the way they might have been discussing some lightsaber maneuver.

“We’re never trying that again.” Her voice was hard, even if the rest of her was quaking. “You were letting me take advantage of you.”

“How? I consented. I didn’t totally understand it, but I consented.”

Kira bit her lip as she felt her brow furrow. How can I explain this? He’d do anything for me.

“But you know I would have stopped if you had said anything?” she pressed him. “We agreed on that ‘word’ for a reason.”

“Of course.”

“So why didn’t you?”

“I thought if I kept at it long enough, I’d figure out what I was doing wrong.”

She groaned in aggravation.

“You always want to test your limits, don’t you?” she shook her head. “How are you not angry with me right now?”

“I can’t get angry with you.” He countered, gazing at her serenely. “You can’t make me angry with you. Confused? Sure. You’ve been throwing me off since the moment we met. Frustrated?” he smiled thinly. “Once or twice. But I’ve never been angry with you.” He smiled at her reassuringly. “And I never will be.”

Kira looked down, burying her face into his chest as her cheeks started to flush in embarrassment.

“Why did you agree to it if you didn’t get it?”

“Well, you seemed to think that having me like… that would be something we’d enjoy. And you’ve always been right so far.”

Kira let out an exasperated huff, still not looking at him.

“You’re just so big and tough, you know? The greatest hero in the galaxy. I… do kinda get turned on occasionally when I’m in control. And it’s not that I don’t love it when you do things to me; I do! It’s great. It’s just that every once in a while, I like to have you all to myself.” Kira blinked; her eyes were starting to water. Dammit. I don’t want him to see me cry. “But I’d never want you to do anything you weren’t comfortable with.”

She felt him reach down and take her by the chin, gently tilting her head so he could look into her eyes again. As she looked up into his own icy blues, even in the minimal light, she could see the reflection of her own pain and guilt. But she saw nothing but trust and affection in his own. Corellan drew her in, softly kissing the tears from her eyes and cheeks.

“Don’t beat yourself up, okay?”

She felt his confidence. His complete certainty in her, and what they were to each other. It felt like she was leaning up against a duracrete wall. Or something stronger than that, given that she had seen him go through a couple of duracrete walls over their time together.

“Okay.” She nibbled at her lip again. “But can you do me one favor, please?”

“Anything.” He promised her without hesitation.

“Will you promise me that if I’m every doing anything that you aren’t comfortable with… that doesn’t feel good… you’ll tell me right away?”  

Corellan eyes flickered and then he nodded.

“Of course. I’m sorry I… well. I’m sorry I didn’t handle that situation well.”

“Don’t be sorry.” She scolded, processing everything he’d said. “Are there other things we’ve done that you… didn’t like? Or are there some things you’ve liked more than others?”

“Well.” He turned and looked up at the ceiling again. “I think I’ve liked everything. Maybe not … what we did tonight. But everything else has been good.”

She softly kissed his chest, her deep blue eyes never leaving his.

“Anything in particular?”

Corellan smiled again, looking down at her tenderly.

“I do love looking into your eyes when we’re together. Its… reassuring. I feel like I know exactly what I should be doing. Everything feels so… right. There’s a lot of things I don’t understand at first, Kira. A lot of things I’m not completely sure about. But I am sure about you. And us. I always have been.”

Kira felt overcome with tenderness for him just then. She pulled up and pressed her lips to his, gently pushing him onto his back as she straddled him. As their lips pressed together, she felt a familiar warmth growing within her.

“Listen.” She broke the kiss and looked down at him. “I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t blame you for not being in the mood, but… can we do something? Right now, I mean? Whatever you wanted? Just to make me feel better?” she bit her lip. “I just want to take care of you.”

“Whatever I want?” he quirked an eyebrow down at her. “Honestly?”

“Yeah.” Kira looked up at him, swallowing whatever doubts she’d felt. They trusted each other completely and the chemistry was perfect. She was prepared for anything he would want to do.

Except for what he did.

Corellan took her in his arms and gently turned her around, pulling her back against his chest before turning them both onto their sides. He drew her in closely, his arms wrapping around her waist and his chin coming over her shoulder, allowing their bodies to touch from her head all the way to her toes. She sighed in surprise as she felt him ‘spoon’ her.    

Here, there was no limit in how close they were.

“I love all of it, Kira Carsen.” He whispered into her ear. “Every moment we’re together. Everything we try. But the only thing I need is you. Out there, we have our duty. In here, you always have me to yourself. There is no place I would rather be than right here.”

Kira sighed as a comfortable fatigue washed over her. There was no place she’d rather be, either.

Author’s Notes : FYI – The safe word Kira and Corellan use is ‘Teeseven’. Insert your own joke here.

Chapter Text

Author’s Notes: Warning – The following piece is shameless smutty fluff, so NSFW material ahead. The story takes place sometime after the class stories. Written for a prompt I received from the “thread starters kink edition” post – Thank you for the tag, @darthsinister66 !

“Goooooooooooal!” Doctor Archiban Froderick Kimble – ‘Doc’ to his long-suffering friends and colleagues – called out triumphantly from the Defender’s central conference room.

Kira Carsen groaned as she sealed the door to the cockpit behind her, mercifully shutting out the noise. Doc and Sergeant Fideltin Rusk had been watching the Huttball match for the past hour now, hogging the main holo-terminal in the process. Doc, fanatically loyal and boisterous to the Frogdogs, and Rusk, who was considerably more subdued in his support for the Rotworms, had bonded over the pastime, and had both spent many an hour watching the sport when the crew wasn’t busy with a mission.

As the Defender was in hyperspace, still hours away from their destination at CZ-198, she couldn’t deny that now was as optimal time as any for the unlikely duo to watch holovids.

She just wished that they enjoyed watching something other than Huttball.        

Kira had grown up on Nar Shaddaa. Huttball was all just a part of the background noise. And to her, it was also a constant reminder of the Hutts’ willingness to risk the lives of other sentient beings for their entertainment and profit. It was little better than blood sport.

But Scourge was still on a private mission to Mustafar to recover some ancient Force artifact, Teeseven was monitoring things down in the engine room and Corellan was in the pilot’s seat on the bridge. So it was that the two men had outvoted Kira when it came time to find something to watch.   

Thus, she’d withdrawn to the bridge, plopping down in the co-pilot’s seat beside Corellan, who had been reading from his holopad, probably to break up the tedium of auto-piloted hyperspace travel. She gave his pad a glance. As she might have expected, it was reports regarding the war, covering the latest data from the front, troop movements, the actions of prominent individuals and the overall course of the conflict.

Boring.

The Jedi Master looked over at her, giving her a sympathetic look.

“I take it you were outvoted again?”

“Humph.” Kira grunted in resigned acknowledgement, folding her arms and looking away grumpily. Corellan just smiled and turned back to reading his pad.

Despite her mood, she could have easily pulled out her own pad and found something enjoyable to distract herself with. 

Jedi Master Corellan Halcyon – effectively the Defender’s captain – was a light-touch when it came to his crew. He’d asked them to follow him to the darkest, most terrible places in the galaxy to fight against incredible odds. And to win. She usually appreciated all that about him.

Kira just wished that he’d occasionally pull rank so that the woman he loved didn’t have to watch Huttball. She’d never try to trade on that relationship, of course. She’d seen far too many ‘General’s spouses’ at various military bases make that kind of mistake. And anyway, Corellan was far too blasted noble to have gone for it anyway.

She idly glanced sideways back at him as a stray thought caught her. It was probably just the star-scape through the cockpit, but there was something about how the light was catching his profile…  

So blasted noble. She mulled to herself.

Kira glanced back over her seat at the sealed passageway. Through the bulkhead, she could barely hear the sound of the game, despite the full volume from the holo-broadcast and Doc’s bellowing.  

“You know…” she spoke up, keeping her voice nonchalant. “Rusk and Doc are busy watching their silly game. Distracted.”

Corellan looked over at her.

“Yeah, but it should be fine. We won’t reach the rendezvous site for hours now. Even if we get an emergency call for help and are rerouted, they’ll still have plenty of time to prepare themselves for a mission. Besides, they’ve earned themselves some downtime.”

He hadn’t taken her hint.

“Scourge is away.” Kira pressed on. “Tee is down in the engine room.”

Corellan tilted his head, looking a bit confused.

“I know. But how does that…”

“I mean we have time to ourselves.” She emphasized final word in the sentence.

Corellan blinked at. Through their Force-bond, she could feel the gears of his mind turning.  

“That’s… good?”

Sighing inwardly, Kira reached out with her left hand and caressed his cheek. Almost instantly, Corellan’s eyes closed and he let out a long exhale. It was an expression that demonstrated more emotion than almost anything he might have said aloud.

“You know, no one will bother us up here.” She pressed on, tempting him.

Corellan’s eyes flicked open in alarm.

“Here?” he’d kept his voice low, but his tone was incredulous. “Now?”

“What? We’ve done it in here before.”

Corellan’s eyes focused intently on her even as his cheeks flushed. They both remembered that time well. They’d just escaped the Emperor’s Fortress after spending months apart as prisoners on. They were headed full speed to Belsavis on a mission to save the galaxy, with no prospect of private time in sight.

They’d needed that time alone on the bridge. 

“Well, that was…” he stopped himself. Neither of them wanted to talk about the Emperor. “Different. Things were getting serious.”

“Things are always serious, tough guy. Doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of what we have.” She started to smirk, leaning in closer and continuing to caress him.

“We have time.”

Kira watched Corellan’s Adam’s apple as he swallowed, closing his eyes again.

“What if they see us?”

Kira reached her hand out towards the door without looking away from him. The security lock clicked audibly into place, cutting off from the rest of the ship. Without missing a beat, her hand resumed touching him, this time her fingers caressing through his hair.

“Rusk would need to use his grenade launcher to get through that.” Her voice grew lower. “And hyperspace won’t tell anyone, tough guy.”

Corellan Halcyon, who so rarely put his own needs first, exhaled in exaltation at the sensation of her touch.

“What if someone calls us on the holo?” he asked faintly.

Kira smiled, feeling his reservations starting to melt away. Determined not to break the contact, her free right hand reached out and tapped a series of buttons on the console.

“Communications are down.” She whispered. “The ‘boys’ can keep watching their game, but that’s it.” She’d learned long ago that she could wear Corellan down with reason. “We run dark while on missions all the time. No one will think twice about it.”

Her hand reached around and started gently scratching the back of his neck. Corellan, eyes still closed, allowed another exhale to escape his lips. Despite how tranquil he looked she could feel his excitement building.

She wanted to stroke that fire.

“I want you to pin me face first against the transparisteel and take me.” Kira whispered sultrily in just the way she knew would get beneath his armor. “Hard.”

Corellan’s flush now spread to his ears and she could feel a tremor surge through him. But there was one last line of practical resistance he apparently still had to get over.

“What if they hear you?” his voice low and surprisingly passive. This wasn’t a protest; it was practically a submission.

Kira didn’t pull away from him, not when she had him this close. He did have a point; she could be loud when things got hot and heavy. But years of surviving on Nar Shaddaa, followed by Jedi training, and then running missions with Corellan had all taught her to think creatively.

“No problem.” Her smirk widened, then she leaned in and whispered a solution into his ear. When she finished, her tongue flicked out, catching his earlobe for a lick.

Corellan’s face now turned beat red as his eyes blinked open at her. He swallowed again, looking down at the floor, then back up into her eyes.

“Kira, I love you, but you’re a little crazy.” He swallowed again. “You know that, right?”

She smirked as she pulled him in for a long kiss.

“You love it.” She whispered.

And she was right. He did.

Author’s Notes : Kira is into sports, but more as a participant than a spectator. (Also Huttball reminds her of Hutts.)

Chapter Text

Author’s Notes : The following chapter takes place near the end of Chapter One of the Jedi Knight’s story. Inspired by the prompt from @tishinada – from the “kissing someone’s forehead” entry of the physical affection prompts from a very long time ago – I never forget a prompt sent to me! I just don’t promise when I’ll get to it!

Kira Carsen felt herself fall to the durasteel floor in exhaustion.

She felt emotionally and physically wiped, and that was a small wonder.

In the past month, she’d seen more fighting than in the first twenty years of her life to that point. She’d fought on half-a-dozen planets, three different space stations, and now onboard an Imperial dreadnaught. She’d bested enemies from paramilitary vigilante gangs on Coruscant to Rakghouls on Taris and had helped topple Sith Lords and tyrants.

But the Emperor was finally gone.

She’d watched comrades and friends like Agent Galen and his team of SIS agents on Nar Shaddaa meet their fates with courage. She’d watched Bela Kiwiiks – her mentor and the closest thing Kira had ever known to a mother – come agonizingly close to death from prolonged exposure to the Shock Drum on Tatooine. She’d seen hundreds of innocent civilians die on Coruscant, Taris, Nar Shaddaa and Alderaan – before watching an entire world get wiped out by the Desolator superweapon mounted on the very same capital ship that she was now laying on the bridge of.

But the Emperor was finally gone.

Now here – in orbit over Tython with the fate of the entire Jedi Order hanging in the balance – she’d achieved the greatest victory of her life to this point: She’d struck the killing blow against Darth Angral, the madman obsessed with the Republic’s destruction and one of the most infamous Sith in the galaxy, finally putting a stop to his scheme.

For any other Jedi, that probably would have been more than enough ‘glory’ for a lifetime.

But for Kira, in this moment, that victory had already been reduced to an afterthought.  

Because minutes after Angral had fallen, she’d confronted a challenge a thousand times greater than that lunatic.

He’d been part of her life – lingering in the back of her mind – almost for as long as she could remember. Hiding. Waiting. Here on the Oppressor, he had finally struck, seizing control over her body to finish what Angral had started.

He’d failed.

And now, at last, the Emperor was finally gone.

Kira lay curled on the floor of the bridge. She could feel the tears of relief forming in her eyes.

She was finally free.

As she lay there, letting out a sob, she felt strong arms wrap around her body.

Corellan. She let out a breath.

Had it really only been a month since they’d met?

Weird. It feels like I’ve known him forever.

They’d met briefly on Tython, and then teamed up for the first time on Coruscant. There, they’d stopped Tarnis, Angral’s son, from using the Planet Prison to subjugate the Republic capital.

Since then, they’d been together every step of the way. Taris. Nar Shaddaa. The revelations of Kira’s past as a Child of the Emperor, and Corellan’s staunch defense of her not only against Valis but before the Jedi Council besides. Then had come Tatooine and Alderaan.

(There had been a dance at a celebratory ball at Castle Organa on Alderaan. That had been… something.)  

Then Orgus Din’s death, and the destruction of Uphrades.

Finally the confrontation with Angral.

The Sith Lord had been obsessed with revenge on Corellan for Tarnis’ death. But powerful as he was, he couldn’t overcome the young Jedi Sentinel’s skilled defense. Certainly not with Kira fighting at his side.

Angral had finally switched tactics, focusing his efforts on Kira. No doubt, he imagined that if he slew the Jedi Padawan – ‘Child of the Emperor’ or no – it would be that much easier to prevail against the Jedi Knight.

It was a valid strategy. And if nearly every other enemy the Jedi duo had ever encountered hadn’t tried the same thing, it just might have worked.

Corellan and Kira had easily adapted, and soon, Angral was being driven back.

Frustration finally turning to rage, the powerful Sith Lord had let out a furious roar and changed targets yet again, determined to slay Corellan even if it cost him his life.

This time, he’d left himself wide open to Kira’s short stab to his abdomen, as she’d struck him down.

Then the Emperor had made his move.

It hadn’t been her, but it had been her body, fighting Corellan with everything she had.

It had taken all her will – and Corellan’s unyielding support – for Kira to win.

“Hey. You’re okay now.” He whispered into her ear. “He can’t hurt you ever again. I promise. Alright?”

Kira weakly returned the embrace, her body still shaking. Pulling him against her felt… good. Reassuring. Softer than the duracrete floor, but just as solid at the same time. She lay her head against his broad chest. For once, she felt content not saying or doing anything.   

He cradled her head in his neck.

“Your life is your own, Kira.” He murmured. “I’m so proud of you.”

Kira exhaled, turning her head enough to speak.

“You could have been killed.” She rebuked him. In her mind, he should have run.

Corellan’s answer was immediate.

“I wasn’t leaving you.” 

She believed him. Only now did she appreciate that this man would never run.

Not if it meant leaving his partner behind.

Not if it meant leaving her.

Kira tilted her head up towards him. His pale blue eyes were looking down at her with pride and admiration. He reached out his free hand and gently wiped the tears from her eyes with his gloved hand.

Kira felt her heart skip a beat as she swallowed, not trusting herself to speak.

He leaned in and pressed his lips against her forehead, pursing his lips softly. Kira felt her cheeks start to burn in a blush.

Force. She could have died.

For one moment, Kira wasn’t thinking about the Emperor. Or Angral. Or the Desolator. Or anything else.

All she was thinking about was him looking down at her with those eyes that were so full of compassion.

She instinctively reached out to him through their Force bond. He had acted on instinct, she was sure. In fact, he seemed startled by his own actions. Like he had no idea what he’d just stepped into.

“Sorry. That was… I didn’t mean…” he stammered self-consciously.

His reaction instantly put Kira back in her comfort zone. This she knew how to deal with.

Poor fella has probably never kissed anyone. She mused to herself. It was kind of cute, honestly.

“’S okay, tough guy.” She smirked.

The moniker had only just sprung from her mind, but Kira immediately decided that it suited him. Noting the sheepish smile on his lips as she looked up at his handsome face, and those blue eyes that were so full of trust and admiration. She decided that she’d definitely use it again.

Kira felt herself starting to push her face up to meet his…

An explosion suddenly rocked the bridge of the Imperial dreadnaught, throwing both seated Jedi off-balance. On instinct, Kira grabbed Corellan for support, and he in turn had held her in place. Then he quickly helped her to her feet as he pressed the button on his wrist communicator.

“Tee, get the ship ready to launch!” he shouted into the device. Kira remembered that T7-O1 had returned to the ship after giving them their window to board. “We’re getting out of here!”

The droid beeped his ascent, and his encouragement for them to hurry.

Neither of them said anything to each other.

Neither of them had to.

Kira stepped over Angral’s body as they started to run for the exit.

As they fled the bridge, Kira noticed the dead Imperial officer sitting in the captain’s chair that had been pushed to the side, his head fallen backward, blaster still clutched in his limp hand. The blaster burn going through his chin left no doubt how he’d died.

Admiral Hacklin. Kira recognized Angral’s former top military aide from her brief time as a prisoner on Ord Mantell’s orbiting space station. Looks like he came to regret working for a Sith at the end.

I could have warned him about that.

As they ran, Kira found herself looking over at Corellan more and more, despite – or perhaps because of – the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Even in his Jedi robes and armor, he still looked good.  

“Corellan?” she called out, not breaking stride.

“Yeah?” his head tilted in her direction.

She knew he was a faster runner than she was by far. He could have left her in the dust by now. But he wouldn’t. Corellan would never leave her behind. If she didn’t know that before today, she certainly did now.

“Don’t tell Master Kiwiiks I cried, okay?” she was breathing heavily from the exertion, but she still managed to get the words out. “It would totally ruin my ‘tough girl’ image.”

He gave her a boyish grin. She felt her heart flip.

“No problem.”

Relieved by his answer – and by everything else about him – Kira felt her mood lighten. She gave him another smirk.

They were running for their lives from an exploding ship. But that didn’t matter.

She’d be okay.

Author’s Notes : I’ve always held to it that Kira kissed Corellan first, so I suppose I’m retconning my own story, here. This chapter obviously takes place before Trust, which was the first real SWTOR fanfiction I ever published. https://swtorpadawan.tumblr.com/post/668878279906918400/trust

Corellan’s promise that Vitiate would never be able to hurt Kira again would eventually come back to bite him on the Emperor’s Fortress.  That failure would haunt him for a long time.

Kira, of course, could have broken free without Corellan’s support. But I head-canon that she isn’t looking at it that way at this moment, and that perspective is supported by her in-game dialogue. No, she didn’t need the Jedi Knight’s help, but she deserved to have it, nevertheless.

Admiral Hacklin never technically appears in the game. He’s mentioned at length as part of the ruse to lure Kira and the Jedi Knight into Valis’ trap. His fate is left unresolved in the canon story; in my head-canon, he killed himself when he realized Angral’s attack on Tython was going to be a one-way trip.

The reference to Angral – and other NPCs – focusing on Kira is a meta-observation from the gameplay. Even when your companion isn’t set to tank.

Thanks again for the prompt, @tishinada !

Chapter Text

Author’s Notes : The following story takes place on Yavin during the Shadow of Revan storyline in my Halcyon Legacy. CW for violence, original character deaths, and brief blood and gore. Also – this is a rather long one, folks. My apologies.

“Dammit! We’re being driven back.”

Theron Shan’s face glowered in consternation as icons representing various Yavin Coalition military units shifted across the holo-map, many of them retreating while a few flickered out entirely.

The Revanite counterattack against the Coalition forces here on Yavin IV had come suddenly, besieging Republic and Imperial troops alike across a wide front. Within minutes, many of their forward positions were isolated if not overwhelmed, while the remaining defensive hardpoints were pinned down, unable to support other troops when they needed it the most. All coordination and communication between the reluctant allies had seemingly gone out the window in the wake of the assault, and the cybernetic communications relay in his ear was being bombarded with requests – pleas, really – for reinforcements, for support, for orders, for any help whatsoever.

Standing around the makeshift conference table at Coalition headquarters, the other members of the ah-hoc ‘leadership council’ – Lana Beniko, Satele Shan and Darth Marr – were likewise intently reviewing holo-transmissions and reports as they came in. Beniko’s expression was one of focused and controlled anger. That was the kind of personal discipline that made her such an effective Sith. Satele (Theron was trying very hard not to think of her as his mother at this moment) watched over the proceedings with a frown of contemplation. Until she saw the necessity to interject herself, she would keep her peace. Marr… well, Theron obviously couldn’t see the expression of the Dark Councilor’s face behind his metal mask, but Marr radiated intensity under normal circumstances. Right at this moment, with all their plans at risk and the campaign itself in doubt, the closest thing the Sith Empire had to an actual leader was positively seething.

None of them had bothered to respond to Theron’s dire assessment of the situation.

The unprecedented Yavin Coalition composed of the Imperial troops commanded by Marr and the Galactic Republic forces led by Satele had successfully invaded the moon known as Yavin IV and – up until just a few minutes ago – had appeared to be on the verge of victory, pushing the remnants of the Order of Revan back until they were almost at the base of the ancient, pyramid-like temples for which Yavin was infamous. Some of the forward Republic recon troops had even reported they’d been facing greater resistance from the indigenous Massassi warriors than they had from the Revanites.

Now the Coalition forces had been caught overextended, with the Revanites driving a wedge between the Republic and Imperial forces. It seemed almost everyone was calling for reinforcements, air support, resupply, orders… the command headquarters couldn’t cope with it all.

“Isolate the problem.” Satele Shan’s voice was carefully measured as she broke her silence. She may have just as well been presenting a logic problem to a group of Jedi younglings in a classroom back on Tython for all the alarm she demonstrated. “Revan is attempting to distract and overwhelm us. Otherwise, his attack would have been much more precise. If we can look past his maneuverings and identify his true strategy, we’ll be able to understand his intentions.”

As if on mental reflex, Theron realized that she was right. He recalled Master Zho teaching him that same technique so long ago in his childhood, and he strongly suspected that Zho had been the one to demonstrate the same stratagem to Satele once upon a time in the Grand Master’s own youth. (Though he had a very hard time imagining Satele ever being a youngling.) Coalition command had been thrown off its game. Junior officers of both factions were scrambling around the conference table with the communications aides urgently relaying messages and reports. Just outside field commanders were yelling for their troops to form up and prepare for deployment as soon as the orders came down. The sound of artillery fire could be heard in the distance…

These factors were all just distractions.  

Theron had always preferred being a field agent over being an analyst. Indeed, he’d been more than a little rankled when Marcus Trant, the Director of the Republic’s Strategic Information Service, had temporarily placed him on desk duty as a punishment for one of his “unsanctioned operations”. (Alright, it had been several “unsanctioned operations”.) But that inclination didn’t make him any less effective at analyzing tactical information. Utilizing his cybernetic implants, he crunched the numbers, trying to make sense out of all the chaos. Finding his center. His sense of calm…

Time seemed to slow down for Theron. As he looked down at the map, he didn’t see soldiers fighting and dying or the Coalition at risk of collapsing. Instead, he saw a clearer picture start to take shape.

After a moment of contemplation, it became obvious to Theron that the Revanites’ numbers were not as impressive as the ferocity of their attack would seem to suggest. Nor was their counter-offensive as broad as it had initially seemed on the map. Yes, the Coalition flanks were being pressured, but only half-heartedly, as if to discourage reinforcement or encirclement of the main thrusts by the Order. The allies still enjoyed a significant overall advantage in force strength by better than a two-to-one margin; maybe even more. But that advantage had been neutralized by the Revanites’ rapid advancement…

“There.” The crisp, Imperial voice interrupted his thought process.

Much to Theron’s chagrin, Lana Beniko, the former chief aide to the Minister of Military Offense of the Sith Empire (and his erstwhile partner for the last few months in exposing the Revanite conspiracy), had found the solution first.

Beniko re-oriented the holo-map, zeroing in on one particularly deep thrust into the Coalition lines. The display flickered as live holo-streaming of the scene quickly followed the three-dimensional image, projected above the map.                      

“This is the tip of their spear.” She explained, as they watched the small group of Revanites effortlessly tear through a platoon of Republic soldiers. The assailants appeared to be cyborgs… led by a single armored Sith Lord. “Their vanguard. It’s the lynchpin to their attack. Their momentum is keeping us hamstrung.”   

Theron immediately recognized the design of the cyborgs from their mission to Rakata Prime months earlier. Infinite Elites. Revanite volunteers surgically enhanced with Rakatan technology in a process developed by Gorima – a sick, twisted Selkath scientist who’d been operating a secret laboratory on Manaan, the same creep who had briefly tormented their ally, Jakarro, the Wookie smuggler. These cyborgs were incredibly powerful, with their advanced, regenerative capabilities allowing them to shrug off most attacks. Revan had intended to build an entire army of the Infinites, using them as his shock troops. They’d proven to be so dangerous that Theron had even wanted Jedi Master Corellan Halcyon, their ally against the conspirators, to terminate the Infinites they’d found on Rakata in their stasis pods out of hand. (Corellan had refused. Typical Jedi nobility. With hindsight, Theron shouldn’t have been surprised.) Regardless, he’d been relieved when their efforts on Manaan and Rakata had resulted in the destruction of the completed Infinite prototypes, as well as the technology required to create more of them.

Apparently, that sense of relief had been premature.

There may have only been a squad of them, but these Infinites were nevertheless hammering through their formations like a juggernaut, the thin end of the Revanite wedge driving into the Coalition lines.  

“Revan must have gotten them off Rakata before we moved in on them.” Theron heard the frustration in his own voice even as he silently called in an air strike via his implant. “He planned this. Keeping them in reserve until now.”

Seconds later, the quartet around the table watched as a squadron of Republic dive-bombers unleashed their payloads upon the advancing squad of Revanites. As the holoprojection flickered to adjust to the smoke and fire, Theron witnessed a Jedi and a Sith leading Coalition commandos into the area. The intelligence agent briefly allowed himself to hope that this strike had finished off the Infinites and would blunt Revan’s entire counter-offensive.

That hope quickly evaporated as he saw the massive Sith Lord who had been leading the Infinites rise to his feet, activating his twin crimson lightsabers. Theron had not initially identified this foe beneath his strange, ornate armor, but now, on closer inspection, he realized that he recognized this mighty Sith Pureblood.

Indeed, nearly everyone in the entire galaxy should have recognized him by now.

“Kael.” Marr hissed behind his mask, the Dark Councilor’s voice was dripping with venom and contempt.

Lord Kael Nosrol Krannus was a towering Pureblooded Sith Warrior of great renown. Over the course of his relatively brief but infamous career, he had led countless operations against the Republic, from crushing the War Trust on Taris to freeing the Dread Masters on Belsavis. Dozens of Jedi and thousands of Republic soldiers and civilians had fallen beneath his blades, including wiping out at least one Strategic Information Service team at a safehouse on Nar Shaddaa. According to the intelligence reports Theron had read, he was wanted for a long series of war crimes and had gained a reputation for brutality even by the standards of the Sith. But it had been on Corellia where his ruthless butchery against his enemies had earned him a new epithet: The Emperor’s Wrath. He had become Vitiate’s chosen, hand-picked to eliminate the Emperor’s enemies both in the Republic and within the Empire. Although the Sith Lord had never formally been named a Darth, anyone would have been foolish to think him any less deadly for that lack of title. Indeed, he had already crushed several of the most powerful Darths in the Empire for apparent disloyalty to the throne, even slaying his old master, Darth Baras. He’d thus cemented his claim as the Emperor’s Wrath before going on to lead Imperial troops on Ilum and beyond.

There had been no reported sightings of Krannus in almost a year, not since he had supposedly broken with the Dark Council and the entire Imperial hierarchy. Locating him had been a priority of the SIS for some time.

Right at this moment, Theron sorely wished that the Emperor’s Wrath had remained missing.

He watched as the Sith Lord stormed through the Coalition commandoes, ignoring multiple blaster shots to his body mere moments after shrugging off the aerial bombardment.

The Coalition Jedi and Sith attempted to divide Krannus’ attention, attacking him from opposite flanks; the Twi’lek Jedi on his right with his lightsaber and the human Sith Lord on his left with Force lightning. For a moment, Theron thought they might have succeeded when the Jedi’s blade caught Lord Kael’s armor squarely on the shoulder while just missing his helmet – a blow that should have all but severed his arm – while the Sith’s lightning blasted at his armored torso.

Impossibly, the massive Pureblood shrugged off these lethal assaults and then, in a single move displaying more agility than should have been possible for a man of his size, simultaneously impaled both of his opponents, one lightsaber sinking into the chest of each.

Just like that, the effort to stop Lord Kael and the Infinites had been snuffed out, the few the surviving commandoes quickly overwhelmed by the Infinites.     

Theron grimaced. Not even Mandalorian beskar should have protected the Sith Lord so completely from the kind of punishment Krannus had taken, and he wasn’t even slowed down.

As a stunned silence settled around the table, Theron remembered that the Coalition had already definitively ruled out any orbital strikes from the fleets above. The main temple held by the Revanites was protected by a force field for one thing, and for another they’d decided that the risk of friendly fire falling on their own forces was too great. (Though Marr, of course, hadn’t been thrilled with that decision, given the stakes in play.) That danger was even greater now with the Infinites driving so far into the Coalition lines. There was nothing else he could think of in the Coalition’s arsenal that could have stopped Krannus.             

“Please magnify on his armor.” The firm, unexpected voice cut through the silence.

It was only then, as he looked up at the speaker, that Theron realized there was a fifth individual watching the display above the holo-table. Jedi Master Corellan Halcyon looked like he had just fought through Hell itself while simultaneously looking resolute enough to invade it for a second time at a moment’s notice. The Jedi’s robes were singed at the edges and his armor was lightly scorched though undamaged. His expression, normally healthy and open, was darker and grimmer than Theron had ever seen before with bags under his eyes and a pallid complexion.

He doesn’t look good. Theron thought to himself. But one could not have told that from his posture or from the clarity of his voice.

This was the champion who had taken down the Emperor’s Voice on Dromund Kaas. Who had spear-headed the raid on Korriban and then mere hours later had liberated the Jedi Temple on Tython. The one person who Theron and Lana had trusted when they’d gone on the run after they’d been framed for killing Darth Arkous and Colonel Rian Darok on Rakata Prime. On Rishi, he’d defeated Nova Blade pirates, Mandalorian bounty hunters and Revanite conspirators in quick succession without seeming to break a sweat, inflicting more damage in a few days than Lana and Theron might have managed in months.

Since the joint task force had arrived on Yavin three days ago, Halcyon had been even more impressive. His reputation alone demanded respect from friend and foe alike. Every time a trouble spot emerged, every time it appeared bad feelings over decades of war might drive a wedge between the reluctant allies, Corellan had personally intervened, acting decisively yet amicably, putting out fires before the leadership council even knew about them and showing a mutual respect that puzzled the Sith, impressed the Imperials and inspired the Jedi and Republic troops to put their differences with their allies aside and behave themselves. If the Hero of Tython – who’d probably fought and killed more Imperials in combat – Sith and otherwise – in his relatively young life than anyone else still breathing (aside, perhaps, from Satele Shan herself) had made no objection to fighting alongside the Empire, hardly anyone else could either, given the circumstances. He hadn’t started this campaign with a reputation as a diplomat, but he definitely seemed to be building one for himself, albeit unintentionally.

His entire demeanor seemed to have changed since coming to Yavin. At first, Theron wanted to think it was just the proximity of so many Sith. Then he wondered if it might have been that their target was Revan, a figure who was almost mythical in the tales of both the Jedi and the Sith. Heck, Corellan, like Theron, had probably grown-up hearing bedtime stories about the legendary fallen Jedi.

But now, Theron was starting to fear that it was the presence of the Sith Emperor here on Yavin. The same tyrant who’d captured Corellan and his crew at his Fortress years before, imprisoning them for months. The same cancer who was, if reports were to be believed, responsible for much of the suffering the galaxy had experienced dating back to the Mandalorian Wars.  

The same enemy who Corellan – and the entire Republic – had hoped had been permanently destroy during the attack on Dromund Kaas.

All this has to have taken its toll. The SIS agent privately suspected. It was rumored that Halcyon hadn’t been sleeping; simply meditating for an hour or two at a time before pressing on with whatever needed to be done. He’d rotated his crewmembers regularly to keep them fresh, then had headed off on another mission. Each time, he’d check in with the temporary command center at the base camp, reporting on details he had observed that might have been missed through the various chains of command.

He also hadn’t shied away from putting his own crew at risk when necessary. Yesterday, he’d designated his loyal astromech droid, Teeseven, to oversee the advance sensor array they’d set up, thus keeping the Coalition’s monitoring system impartial. Later he’d ordered Sergeant Rusk to take temporary command of a company of Republic troops who had lost their commanding officer during the fighting. The veteran Chagrian soldier had quickly whipped that demoralized unit into shape, and even now they were successfully holding one of the critical defensive positions along the Coalition’s lines despite the Revanite assault. And just minutes ago as the attacks had begun, Corellan had assigned his squad medic, Doctor Archiban Kimble – or ‘Doc’ to anyone who asked – to treat wounded Imperial soldiers who’d been cut-off from their recovery camps. The Imperial officer on site had sworn an oath that no harm would come to Doc, and that he would be returned safely to the Jedi Master afterward.      

Satele and Marr had provided the leadership and legitimacy. Theron and Lana had delivered the expertise and intelligence on the Revanites and how they operated. But it had been Halcyon, with the aid of his crew, who had brought a sense of unity to the Coalition.

Theron had worked with Corellan Halcyon off and on for more than two years now, ever since enlisting the Jedi Master in a couple of off-the-book operations to deal with problems the SIS would have preferred to remain under wraps rather than address through “official” channels. He was a bona fide hero. A paragon, even. The best Jedi warrior of his generation. A champion of the Republic and the protector of the free galaxy. Honestly, he was exactly what most Jedi younglings grew up wanting to be. The guy the Republic military put on their recruitment posters.

Since they’d arrived on Yavin, Theron had learned that beneath that surface, Corellan Halcyon also possessed a keen tactical mind. One that understood full well the strategies employed by Sith and Jedi, Empire and Republic.

By now, Halcyon had become extremely effective at combating the Revanites, regardless of which faction they’d previously worked for. Their enemies might all claim to serve Revan, but it had been proven on Rishi and now again on Yavin that they weren’t all ‘one big, happy family’. The Order of Revan desperately needed symbols to rally around; specifically, they needed the symbol of Revan himself.

That was the kind of unifying symbol that Halcyon was providing to the Coalition.

And it was now apparent to Theron that the Jedi Master was proving surprisingly adept at approaching people undetected. Even where it concerned dealing with allies.

Even when dealing with Force users as potent as Darth Marr and Satele Shan.

Theron usually prided himself on maintaining a good sabacc face. After all, he was an SIS agent. That sort  of went with the territory. But he had no doubt he looked startled right at this moment. Lana had also blinked in surprise at the unexpected arrival. Marr’s face was concealed by his mask, but even his head tilted up in surprise as Corellan’s voice cut through the room.

Only Satele seemed nonplussed at the Jedi Master’s sudden appearance, simply accepting it in stride. If the Grand Master was concerned with Corellan’s behavior or physical appearance of late, she had clearly decided not to reveal that in front of the Sith. She nodded in Theron’s direction, who was only now reminded that he was the one at the terminal controls.

The Republic operative swallowed, increasing the magnification on Krannus’ armor as requested. Some of the resolution was a bit hazy – that often happened when transmissions were broadcasting during a battle with portable surveillance equipment – but the distinct pattern across Krannus’ body eventually became clear. The bulbous pieces looked strange to Theron, who was familiar with a great many body armors commonly used throughout the galaxy by soldiers, mercenaries and Force-users.

“I don’t recognize that design.” He admitted.

“Nor do I.” Lana admitted, who looked over towards Marr and Satele, questioningly.

The Jedi Grand Master was once again in silent contemplation, as if the answer to the problem was hiding right in front of her but would only reveal itself in time.  

Officially, Darth Marr was the head of the Sith Empire’s Sphere of Military Strategy and was the second-longest tenured active member of the Dark Council. Unofficially, Marr was effectively running the Empire at this point, having bent the Council to his will. Analysts in the SIS had been taking bets on how long it would be before Marr formally declared himself the new Emperor.

Theron hadn’t taken that action on the bet. Marr knew what had happened to Darth Malgus on Ilum when he’d tried to claim Vitiate’s throne and establish a “New Empire”. Even when it came to Vitiate himself, who’d ruled the Empire for more than a millennium, the facade of invincibility that once came with that position had been shattered. As an institution, the Sith Empire only operated properly when everyone was too frightened of the Emperor to challenge him, or to risk compromising his goals with the internal squabbles. The title of Emperor must have looked much less attractive considering the present political climate, where any Sith who claimed supremacy risked being pulled down and destroyed by his fellows.

Theron suspected that Marr was playing a much different game.

Regardless, he also had to assume that Marr had more practical knowledge than just about anyone else living concerning the multitude of exotic weaponry of the Sith. And he was being silent.

That silence worried Theron intensely. With all the other surprises the Revanites had thrown at them over the last few months, the last thing they needed was mysterious Sith armor that seemingly made one of the most dangerous Sith Lords living invincible.

As he tried to analyze the armor for weaknesses, he could only consider it an effort in futility.

“Honestly, it doesn’t look like armor at all. It looks more like… shells.” He added, grasping for any observations.

With Krannus leading them, the Infinites couldn’t be stopped. With the Infinites leading the Revanite assault and driving a wedge into the Coalition lines, their entire offensive couldn’t be stopped.

Invincible, indeed.

“Orbalisks.” Corellan’s calm, matter-of-fact voice cut through the silence once again.

Theron turned to look over at him again. The Jedi Master was looking down at the projection in what he could only describe as ‘intense detachment’ as the magnification moved out again. In the projection, Lord Kael had Force-leapt onto an attacking Imperial Walker, knocking the towering machine over before eviscerating its driver with his lightsabers for good measure.

Theron was realizing no one else had responded to Corellan yet. He had no idea what an ‘orbalisk’ even was and no one else seemed to be stepping up either. In the absence of any elaboration, Lana took the lead this time, her brow furrowed intently as she addressed the Jedi champion.

“Do you know how we can stop him?”

Corellan Halcyon turned away from the display and towards Lana. The two of them had – along with Theron – developed a surprisingly strong working relationship these last few months. They had made a good team, regardless of their personal, political and ideological differences. (And Lana allowing the Revanites to abduct and torture Theron. That had been a bump in the road.) This question undercut a reversal of roles; usually, it was Corellan relying on Lana and Theron for information, direction or analysis.

But here in this instance on Yavin, the people standing around the table were relying on the young Jedi Master for his knowledgeable insight.

“We can’t.” Corellan answered firmly, gently stressing the first word. “But I will need some help.”

That wasn’t lost on Theron. The Hero of Tython clearly had something specific in mind. Something he intended to personally put into motion.

Corellan had followed Lana and Theron’s lead on Manaan, Rakata and Rishi, and he had likewise acknowledged the authority of Satele and Marr as leaders of the leadership council assembled here on Yavin.

But now, he was calling his own play.

We’ve underestimated him. Theron considered. All of us.

The Hero of Tython raised his arm to chest level, tapping the communicator on his wrist.

“Kira. We’re up. Maneuverer Alderaan-Delta-Three.” He paused, checking his chrono and apparently doing some quick calculations in his head. “Eleven minutes.”

“On it.” a familiar, feminine voice answered. Corellan closed the channel just as quickly.       

Since they’d started working together, Theron had long come to understand that Corellan usually only operated with one of his companions by his side at any given time. He had always assumed there was some method behind his choice; a specific companion for a specific kind of mission. That would make good strategic sense, though the particulars in Corellan’s thought process usually escaped him.  

Theron had met Kira Carsen several times. First on that Corellian rescue job almost two years ago, then more recently at Carrick Station before the assault on Korriban. He liked her. Frankly, she was probably the most outgoing Jedi he’d ever met and she was genuinely funny. (Granted, her jokes directed at Theron about being ‘Satele’s kid’ had grated on him, but he could deal with that.) Her combat record was proof that she was fantastic with a lightsaber, too. He’d been rather surprised that he hadn’t seen her working beside Corellan lately. He knew that she’d been by his side earlier on Rishi but when Corellan had first arrived at the safehouse Theron shared with Lana and Jakarro, Rusk had been accompanying him. Later, he’d seen Teeseven and Doc at his side as well. He’d found it curious at the time, idly wondering if the two Jedi were ‘on the outs’ somehow.

Whatever Corellan had in mind – whatever ‘Maneuverer Alderaan-Delta-Three’ even meant – he’d clearly decided he needed Kira with him to execute his plan.

The Jedi turned towards Theron and Lana.

“Set a timer.” He requested. “I need every bomber we can get in the air to hit Kael and the Infinites in exactly ten minutes in successive waves. Then pull them off after 30 seconds.”  

Theron set the timer on reflex, then checked the data. The Infinites had advanced well past the range of the remaining Revanite anti-air flak cannons. At the speed they were moving at now, it would be a tricky target; even fighter-bombers usually weren’t designed to hit a target as small as a single squad. But he could predict their movement speed and relay those coordinates to the pilots.

“We can do that.” Theron offered. “But you just saw that it won’t keep them down for long.”

Corellan looked down at the SIS agent intently. For a second, Theron thought he might have seen a hint of a grim smile on the Jedi’s lips.  

“I don’t need it to keep them down for long.”

Without another word, he turned and headed towards the exit.

“I’m ending this battle.” He spoke as he walked away from the table intently, never breaking stride or even looking back over his shoulder. “Now.”   

Theron blinked as the Jedi Master departed, then turned back and looked at the others.

Lana seemed uncertain. Satele looked concerned but continued to keep her silence. Marr… Marr just continued to watch the passageway where Corellan had exited, as if trying to decide something. Theron now realized that Corellan hadn’t even asked Satele or Marr – the Coalition’s nominal leaders – for approval of his plan.

Without anyone needing to say anything, Theron relayed the orders.

Kira Carsen was more than ready to go when she’d gotten the call.

Three days of barely seeing any action back on the ship while a massive battle waged around her had admittedly left her antsy.

Corellan would have known that, and she knew he wouldn’t have held her back this long without a good reason.

She’d also barely seen him since they’d arrived on Yavin. He would have known how that would make her feel, too. She knew he wouldn’t do that to her if it could have been helped.

(It also didn’t help that they could both feel the Emperor’s presence here on Yavin. Deep down, she’d always known he hadn’t been completely destroyed on Dromund Kaas. But feeling him this close still put her on edge.)

These were their lives: They meant everything to each other, but the needs of the rest of the galaxy would always come first.

Kira knew that. She understood it. She even accepted it.

That didn’t mean she had to like it.  

Still, she’d been monitoring the situation carefully. Kira had been in enough battles to know that this one was rapidly approaching its climax: the fight between the Revanites and the Coalition would be decided over the next few minutes.  

And in this crucial moment, Corellan Halcyon, the vaunted Hero of Tython, had called her. She’d never admit it to anyone, but that meant something.

(It meant everything.)

Kira didn’t know if she’d ever be a Jedi Master. That goal had once been a driving ambition for her; something to solidify her sense of acceptance within the Order. To give herself that reinforced sense of belonging that she’d been seeking for most of her life. Maybe she’d even have been able to stir things up with some much-needed policy reforms. But the last few years – spent with Corellan and their crew – had eventually led her to reconsider her career goals.

She was happy with who she was. And with where she was in her life.

For example, Kira couldn’t imagine there were many Jedi Knights who could outfight her in a one-on-one lightsaber duel at this point. After all, Kira had been the one who’d struck the killing blow against Darth Nox on Tython, one of the most feared Sith in the galaxy and a particularly infamous member of the Dark Council.

But Corellan was the most driven lightsaber duelist she’d ever met. He was up before dawn most mornings (long before Kira usually rose), sparring with Scourge for an hour before even showering and sitting down for breakfast. Then, if they didn’t have a mission that day to keep him occupied, he’d spar with Kira in the early evening, working them both almost to exhaustion.

He was dedicated.

(And if Kira had ever felt overshadowed by her partner, he’d more than made it up to her during their nights alone together. Lightsaber training wasn’t the only thing he was dedicated to.)

And he did his homework, too. There probably wasn’t a holocron or text on lightsaber combat in the Jedi Archives that he hadn’t borrowed for review at least once.

But as valuable as those had been, they couldn’t begin to compete with the knowledge provided by the individual who lived in their cargo bay.

For someone like Corellan Halcyon, training with someone like Scourge was more valuable than a dozen holocrons. The former Emperor’s Wrath had spent three hundred years hunting and slaying the Emperor’s enemies, effectively becoming a ‘boogey-man’ within the Sith Empire. Kira thought it was ironic that most of those ‘enemies’ had been Scourge’s fellow Sith. (After all, up until these last few years, the Emperor had had little to fear from the Jedi, himself.) He’d taught Corellan dozens of techniques that would aid him in facing and defeating his enemies.

In the years since Dromund Kaas, Corellan’s reputation among the Sith and Imperials had only reached new heights. Even most Mandalorians refused to accept contracts on him anymore; not since his meeting with Xadya on Makeb.   

Kira hadn’t listened to every lesson Scourge had taught Corellan about ancient Sith weapons and rituals, but she’d gotten the gist of what orbalisks were. (And frankly, the things sounded incredibly disgusting to her. As neat a trick as it sounded, invincibility would not be worth having those nasty bugs all over her body and digging into her skin.) According to Scourge, Vitiate had destroyed all known records of the blasted creatures decades ago. Not because he feared they could make a rival Sith powerful enough to face him; Kira’s ‘father’ was apparently far above such physical concerns. No, it was more to discourage any ‘fools with delusions of grandeur’ who managed to master the Dxunian creatures from even attempting such an act.

And Corellan being Corellan, he’d put in more than a little thought into how to counter an enemy employing the parasites should the need ever arise.

Kira supposed she owed the ‘Big Tomato’ a ‘Thank you’ for that kind of help.

The culture of their ship facilitated this kind of thinking. Hundreds of hours of training amongst their crew had led to the creation of dozens of combination maneuvers for various contingencies. Alderaan-Delta-Three was one such combination. With Scourge’s assistance; Kira and Corellan had trained for it in parts, but they’d never actually had the chance to use the whole thing in a real fight.

To Kira, that uncertainty made this job even more exciting.

Also, she’d get to bring her speeder-bike. Things were always more fun when they involved speeder-bikes, in Kira’s opinion. It would be a pity to lose this one; she’d spent months customizing it just the way she liked. Force, it was even purple.

But if this worked, then it would be worth it.

Both for the thrill of the thing, and to win this battle.

The sooner they got off this rock, the sooner she and Corellan could get some alone time together.

Theron knew that lightsaber enthusiasts and gamblers alike had been debating for years who would win in direct confrontation between the Hero of Tython and the reigning Emperor’s Wrath, and for good reason. The two champions of their respective factions were contemporaries: Corellan Halcyon and Kael Nosrol Krannus were near enough the same age with vaguely similar ‘career tracks’. Both were practitioners of Jar’khai, wielding a single-bladed lightsaber in each hand at once to devastating effect. Both had incredible combat records and a plethora of accomplishments, any one of which would have granted any warrior legendary status in the wider galaxy. Both had seen action at many of the same flashpoints that had defined the current conflict for the last few years.

Taris. Balmorra. Belsavis. However many others.

Frankly, it was a wonder that the two adversaries, these titans of the age, hadn’t met in battle before now.

Between the two of them, four consecutive Sith Lords at the head of the Empire’s Sphere of Military Offense - Vengean, Baras, Arho and most recently Arkous – had met their ends; the first two by Krannus and the latter two at the blades of Halcyon.

(Theron had heard that the entire ministry had recently been placed under Marr’s “temporary” stewardship, since Arkous’ death on Rakata Prime. If Theron had been Marr, who’d spent decades as the head of the Empire’s Sphere of Military Defense, he wouldn’t have been in a hurry to formally claim that position any more than he apparently wanted to claim the title of Emperor.)   

Nor was that the end of the parallels of their journeys. Corellan had reportedly slain Lord Kael’s brother on Belsavis. The Imperial Executor – a fanatically-loyal servant of the Sith Emperor’s will – had attempted to destroy the prison world to further Vitiate’s plans for a ritual that could have destroyed the galaxy.

(Just thinking about that report had boggled Theron’s mind. He was, after all, just a spy. Situations like this still felt like they were way above his pay grade.)

From what Theron had heard, Kael had been – if anything – even more loyal to the Emperor than his brother had been.

But now, seemingly in a complete reversal, the surviving Krannus had taken up with the Order of Revan. Conspirators who fanatically opposed the Emperor’s return to the point where most had turned their backs on everything they’d ever known, to ally with a fallen Jedi who’d gone missing for centuries.

What could have prompted such an astronomical shift in allegiance for the Sith Lord?

And now, after all of that, he was finally facing Corellan Halcyon.

Theron had it on excellent authority that Nar Shaddaa bookmakers had a massive betting pool of several million credits going of what would happen when the two finally met, with odds swinging back and forth between one or the other.

The intelligence operative couldn’t deny that as the fighters began their bombardment of Krannus and his Infinites and the seconds ticked down to whatever Corellan was planning, he felt a surge of adrenaline within him despite the circumstances. As he looked around the table above the holo-map, he could feel that the others were intrigued as well.

There. 

Within seconds of the barrage beginning, an icon representing a speeder bike appeared, tearing across the map, skillfully dodging stray blaster fire along the battlefield. The Coalition had been employing a handful of the machines, mostly for transporting portable equipment and relaying messages and orders that couldn’t be safely transmitted. This, however… this wasn’t one of those efficient, practical, military vehicles. Based on the specs of the data-stream, Theron recognized this one as an Aratech Coral speeder, a high-end civilian bike designed for style and mobility as well as speed.

As the holoprojection focused on the speeder, Theron noted the two figures were mounted in the pilot’s seat, a smaller figure – with short red hair, he noted – driving the vehicle while their companion, larger, wearing Jedi robes and armor, had their arms wrapped around the driver’s waist.

Just before the bike crashed into the Infinites, the two Jedi leapt off.  

The resulting explosion made the holo-display flicker as it knocked Krannus and his squad down yet again. Everything within ten meters of the point of impact was suddenly immersed in flames, the wild grass on the ground briefly catching fire before just as quickly burning out. Theron only now realized the speeder must have been rigged with incendiary explosives. As Corellan and Kira landed unscathed, their lightsabers lashed out at their fallen enemies.

Theron was starting to understand the broad details of their tactical plan. The Infinites were normally all but indestructible; but as Corellan had proven on Manaan, exposing them to extreme flames could briefly leave them vulnerable to direct attacks.

Including attacks made with lightsabers.

As Kira continued to finish off the stunned Infinites, Corellan turned his attention to Lord Kael, who suddenly found himself alone and isolated. The Pureblooded Sith had risen to his feet and now plainly recognized his opponent.

The Jedi Sentinel squared off against the Sith Marauder, with the fate of Yavin, the Order of Revan, and perhaps the whole galaxy on the line.

The Hero of Tython versus the Emperor’s Wrath.

As their blades met, Theron was tempted to ask for popcorn.

Kira’s lightsaber impaled the last Infinite before it could rise, finally snuffing the last of them out for good.

For a fraction of a second, she wondered who this person had been before their transformation. Did they have a life? Did they have a family? Did they fall for some bill of goods the Order of Revan had sold them to get them to volunteer for this insane procedure?

Would they regret that their lives had come to this?

She was reminded of Agent Galen, who’d worked with Kira and Corellan on Coruscant and later again on Nar Shaddaa during the Desolator Crisis. The SIS agent had been abducted by Lord Sadic, and then horrifically transformed against his will into an Imperial-aligned Power Guard cyborg. Thanks to the Jedi duo, the Republic operative had broken free of the Sith’s control and had found peace with his lot. Kira heard months later that Galen had eventually met his end while serving on an SIS mission, but he did so on his own terms, doing something that mattered to him.

Kira took some comfort from that memory as she steeled herself and turned to join the main event.

The duel before her was incredible.

Kael Nosrol Krannus was using Form VII to deliver ferocious blows from both his sabers without restraint. The powerful Sith Lord was considered by many to be the master of using Juyo with twin lightsabers. Corellan was, for his part, seamlessly alternating between stances: employing Form Three – Soresu – to deflect Krannus’ attacks before switching to the powerful strikes of Form Five – Shien – to press him back; precision and grace one moment, decisive strength in the next.

The Jedi’s approach was slowly starting to frustrate Lord Kael, who – to no one’s surprise – was responding with overwhelming rage. His only rival for the title of ‘mightiest warrior in the galaxy’ had finally engaged him in battle and that challenger had already taken the early advantage by eliminating his supporters. Even as she approached, the Sith roared, battering the Jedi’s defense with powerful blows.

Kira scowled. Even this varp-head was ignoring her.

His mistake. she vowed to herself.

Kira Force-leapt at Krannus, her green double-bladed saber flashing high above the battlefield.

“Eat lightsaber, jerk!” she called out.

Corellan timed it perfectly. As a startled Lord Kael raised his crossed sabers above his head to meet Kira’s attack, the Jedi Master’s own blue lightsabers found an opening, slicing low at the Sith Lord’s ankle.  

Had it not been for the orbalisks, the blow would have cleanly severed Krannus’ foot, and that would have been the end of it.

Instead, the attack (mostly) glanced off the impenetrable armor. Wounded or not, the impact had definitely further enraged the massive Sith Pureblood however, pushing him even further over the edge.

“Shavit!” Krannus screamed in pain, his blades recklessly slashing at Corellan again even as the Jedi effortlessly jumped backwards, a graceful toreador fighting a mighty bull.  

Kira and Corellan hadn’t had time to discuss this part of the plan, but through their Force-bond, she knew they didn’t need to. She felt what he was doing. Kael’s orbalisk armor may have protected his body and even fueled his rage, but even with the Force, his physical and mental stamina had limits. Especially if he were wasting energy with his frustration.

This wasn’t the ‘end game’, of course. That would come later. But Corellan was a savant at lightsaber combat. Where most skilled duelists could, at the most, think a few moves ahead against an opponent of equal skill, it felt to Kira that Corellan could see a dozen moves ahead, even against a Sith as dangerous as the Emperor’s Wrath.

Krannus had the advantage of strength and resiliency. With his orbalisks, he could shrug off nearly any attack.

But as his frustration grew, it would also turn into anger and rage. Those emotions would power a Sith, but it would also lead them to make mistakes. The longer this fight lasted, the more Lord Kael fell back on his instincts. And those instincts had been honed long before he had donned the orbalisk armor. Those instincts were plainly built on the premise of ‘The best defense is a good offense’. (After all, if your enemy was dead, they couldn’t attack you, could they?) Within minutes he was again fighting like someone who was supremely confident in his capability to overwhelm his opponent with his powerful attacks to the point of arrogance, not like someone who rationally knew he couldn’t be wounded and had adjusted his tactics accordingly.

Corellan Halcyon and Kael Nosrol Krannus were equals in nearly every way. But here, their differences shined through for all to see.

Lord Kael had the benefit of his impregnable armor.

Corellan had the benefit of having a plan.

And of having Kira.

As the duel in the center of the battlefield raged on, so too did the greater battle of Yavin.

Theron knew that there was a perception amongst the general populace of the galaxy that the great clashes between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire were ultimately decided by lightsaber duels between Jedi and Sith.

Historically, Theron knew, that was rarely the case. While there were always exceptions, most major battles were instead decided by planning, logistics and – in Theron’s experience, what with being an SIS agent – superior intelligence.

He was starting to realize that – despite the Hero of Tython’s reputation as being exactly that, a Hero – Corellan Halcyon understood the same thing. Young though he was, at some point during his adventures, Corellan had learned to appreciate the difference between tactical planning and strategic planning:

Good tactics could win you a fight.

Good strategies could win you a war. 

Because regardless of whether he and Kira could beat Krannus, in eliminating the Infinites and halting Lord Kael’s advance, he had already stopped the Revanites’ momentum cold. Their offensive had stalled.

The Coalition lines, buckling mere minutes earlier, were now consolidating and holding firm. Formations had regrouped, communications re-established. The pressure on the flanks faded as the Revanites struggled to hold their gains against superior numbers. The ‘wedge’ into the Coalition lines was now under pressure. Now, it was the Order of Revan troops that were looking overextended.

In that moment, Theron Shan finally began to understand why Halcyon had been so successful throughout his career. Yes, he was brave, skilled and powerful, but now he understood that this was what the Jedi Master had actually done on all those other worlds in his travels.

He didn’t do other people’s jobs for them. Instead, he took on the central problem those people were facing – the one obstacle that was causing the crisis and preventing the people there from doing their jobs – and that freed everyone else up to refocus on what mattered.

He helped people to help themselves. That not only earned him peoples’ gratitude, it also minimized any potential resentment people might have for being ‘rescued’. 

And that’s what he was doing right now for the Coalition commanders.

Even if Corellan and Kira did fail to put down the ‘invincible’ Sith Lord, they had already defeated him. The Revanites were starting to be pushed back by Republic and Imperial forces all along the front. Looking down at a secondary display, Theron noted the icon representing the troops under Sergeant Rusk’s command. They had routed a group of the Order of Revan’s attack droids they’d been fighting and the Chagrian was even now driving his soldiers forward.   

The tide had been turned.

Win or lose the battle, Corellan Halcyon had already won the war.

How long had they been fighting? Minutes? Hours? It could have been a day for all Kira knew. But the Force was surging within her, firing up her endorphins. She hadn’t felt this powerful since she’d purged Vitiate from her mind back on the Desolator above Tython years before.

Right now, with the adrenaline pumping in her veins, she felt like she could keep fighting like this forever.

And with Corellan at her side, she never questioned what the outcome of this fight would be.

It wasn’t courage, really. It wasn’t even faith, though Force knew she believed in Corellan Halcyon more than she believed in almost anything.

No. This was the confidence of certainty.

In the four years since Kira’s Knighting, Corellan had never taken on a new Padawan, despite numerous offers from the Jedi Council to do so. Nor had Kira accepted any assignments that would have allowed her to begin formally training a Padawan of her own; something she’d always intended to do herself.

Their physical relationship aside, this fight highlighted the reason why. They simply could not do the things they did with anyone else. Certainly not with a padawan.

They frankly would’ve gotten anyone else killed.

At some point, perhaps inevitably, Krannus had shifted his tactics, refocusing his attacks on taking down Kira while simultaneously attempting to hold off Corellan. No doubt he had decided that once he’d dealt with her, he could have turned his full attention on the Jedi Master in a one-on-one engagement with improved odds. Theoretically, it was a sound strategy, eliminating your weaker opponent so you could then focus on the main target. Kira and their crew often used similar tactics against particularly powerful enemies and their followers, allowing Corellan to isolate and defeat the primary threat.

But Lord Kael employing this plan in turn against this particular duo ignored three critical factors:

First, while she couldn’t match Corellan in sheer power or ability, Kira Carsen was still one of the most skilled duelists of her generation of Jedi. One who’d spent a childhood training to be a Sith on Korriban and who’d endured an adolescence just surviving the dangers of Nar Shaddaa and who’d spent nearly every day for the past four years training against the very best the Jedi Order had to offer. As far as she was concerned, she was no one’s “weaker target”.

Second, countless Sith – and far more Imperials – had already attempted this exact same tactic against the pair of Jedi. Thus far, it hadn’t worked out for any of them. Their ‘switches’ – where Corellan and Kira would suddenly change positions during a maneuver – had been the undoing of some of the deadliest Sith in the galaxy, most notably with Kira’s lightsaber spelling the end of Darth Angral on the Desolator and – much more recently – delivering the death blow to Darth Nox during the Empire’s assault on the Temple of Tython.

Third, the bond between Corellan and herself now far surpassed anything she imagined any two Sith – with their inherent distrust of each other – or any two Jedi – with their dogmatic dismissal of attachments – could ever experience. Kira and Corellan fought as one.

This Sith Lord didn’t have a chance.

As his frustration continued to build, Lord Kael let out another roar of rage.

“Schutta!” he cursed, calling upon the dark side as a massive radial Force blast knocked Kira and Corellan back.

Had she been on her own, Kira might – might – have been intimidated by the sheer power behind the blast. Krannus was proving to be even more powerful than Zu’fanda Pampya had been on Tython. More powerful than Darth Malgus had been at Ilum. Perhaps – in sheer power – he was second among the Sith only to Vitiate himself.

But fighting beside Corellan, with his innate combat senses and reassuring presence, she saw the blast it for what it was: a desperation move.

As she regained her balance, Kira found herself smirking in spite of the situation. The attack had been against both Jedi, but the expletive – with its feminine connotation – had unquestionably been directed against her. She’d gotten to him.

So when Lord Kael reached out his fingers and she felt the pressure of a Force choke squeezing her neck, Kira didn’t panic. Her own defensive barrier, having briefly flickered by the Force blast, reasserted itself, resisting the strength of the Sith’s attack. He was still restricting her breathing, but he couldn’t apply enough pressure to strangle her or to snap her neck. With time, perhaps, he could have rendered her unconscious.

But time was something Lord Kael Nosrol Krannus had just run out of.

Corellan Halcyon had risen to his feet.

As Kira glared into the Sith’s golden eyes, she could tell the moment they both sensed what was about to happen. Engaged this closely to Kael, she could feel him start to panic as he desperately used the Force to hurl her towards the oncoming Corellan, clinging to the hope that it would buy him a few more seconds to regroup.

And Kira… Kira simply placed herself in the hands of the Force. And in the hands of Corellan. Instinctively, she turned her body sideways in mid-air, watching in awe as a cerulean blue lightsaber passed above her by mere inches while sensing an identical blade passing below.

It took her mind a second to comprehend what had happened; as Kira’s body had been thrown towards him, Corellan had unleased both of his weapons in a twin-saber throw towards Krannus, one directed above her, the other beneath, no more than a meter apart.

It was an insane move.

Had Kira not turned her body at the precise instant she had, she’d have been sliced apart.

Before she could process that, however, she felt Corellan’s hand catching hers. Rather than pulling her into his arms, she instead felt his own body turning in place. Kira’s feet never touched the ground as her deep blue eyes caught his icy pale blues for a fraction of a second.

That fraction of a second was all Kira needed to understand exactly what Corellan was doing.

Had they been anyone else – any other two Jedi in the galaxy – this entire maneuver would have been insane. They’d have both been killed.

But they weren’t anyone else.

They were Kira Carsen and the Hero of Tython.

They were young. They were in love.

But above all else, they were heroes.

And today, with the eyes of the galaxy upon them, they would prove that claim beyond any doubt.

Spinning in place, Corellan effortlessly redirected Kira’s momentum, releasing her hand and hurling her back towards Krannus.

The Sith Lord had barely fended off the attack of Corellan’s sabers. Turning to see the Jedi Knight hurtling towards him through the air, her green, fluorescent double-bladed lightsaber ignited, even his Force-enhanced reflexes weren’t fast enough to block her attack.

In that instant, as the Emperor’s Wrath looked up at her in shock, Kira felt like a living weapon.

More, she felt like she was his weapon.

It was nothing like what she’d felt like when she been under the Emperor’s control. Back then, she’d felt like she was losing her own sense of identity. Like she was less than a slave.

Here, through her bond with her partner, she felt free.

Because someone like Kael Nosrol Krannus, who’d spent most of his life devotedly serving the worst tyrant the galaxy had ever seen in pursuit of his own personal power, would never understand that to someone like Kira Carsen, moments like this weren’t just worth dying for.

Moments like this were what she lived for.

Kira’s blow caught the inside of Lord Kael’s helmet as he screamed out in pain, dropping one of his lightsabers as he reached his hand up to grasp at the wound. She landed on the other side, turning to see that Corellan had regained his own lightsabers and was now standing alongside her.

Whatever Krannus’ helmet was made of must have been tough; he wouldn’t have survived this long if it wasn’t. But it didn’t protect his entire face.

As his blood spilled across the ground, Kira realized that she’d put out his right eye.

There had been a multitude parallels between Kael Nosrol Krannus and Corellan Halcyon over the years. But how they faced change and adversity were quite different.

Kael had once placed his total faith in Vitiate, the Sith Emperor, the being of ultimate power who had ruled the Empire for more than a millennium convinced that service to that monster was the truest path to power.

When he’d seen that faith shattered, he had thrown himself into the service of Revan, losing all sense of himself in his pursuit of revenge.

Corellan had once placed his total faith in the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic.

When he’d seen things that had challenged that faith, from the Jedi Order’s dogmatic apathy on Voss to the Republic prison on Belsavis to Chancellor Saresh’s “military reforms”, he’d learned from it. He’d grown up. Matured. Evolved. He’d accepted that he could look past the shortcomings of others and find the strength within himself to do the right thing. That our beliefs could evolve without sacrificing the principals that defined us.

Corellan had accepted that he could change without abandoning the things that made him Corellan.

Their choices had now led these two icons of their respective, warring factions to this point here on Yavin at this exact moment.

With his remaining good eye, Lord Kael now glared at Corellan with a burning hatred.

“They call you the Jedi assassin.” He spat blood on the ground between them.

Kira felt a flash of anger at the Sith’s verbal snipe. She wanted to shout back at him that Corellan was the blasted Hero of Tython, and that he had saved the whole blasted galaxy, and that Kael could take his insults and go kriff himself.

Instead, she felt nothing but a cool acceptance from Corellan, who maintained a defensive stance with his lightsabers drawn.

“I would imagine they do.” He acknowledged, a placid expression on his face. “I’ve killed many people in my time, Lord Kael. Sith. Imperials. Criminals. Even a few rogue Jedi here and back on Rakata who joined you in Revan’s service.”

Corellan exhaled.

“I admit, at one point, even I was afraid I was turning into something I wouldn’t recognize.”

Krannus stood stunned, breathing heavily, a trickle of blood trailing down his red cheek from his ruined eye socket. Lightsabers usually cauterized the wounds they caused; this was something else. His body wasn’t responding normally. And whatever response he’d expected from his barb at the Jedi, it hadn’t been a confession.

“But just recently, I met with… with an old friend.” Corellan continued.

Kira knew instinctively that he was speaking of their encounter with the Force-ghost of Orgus Din, his old master, on Rishi. Corellan may have called almost everyone he’d ever met a ‘friend’, but she knew the few who actually got to him.

After all, she knew his story.

She knew everything about him, inside and out.

“That friend helped remind me of who I am and why I do what I do.” The Hero of Tython continued. “That I do have a future, if I can just let go of my fear that it will never come.”

He smiled wistfully.

“The strangest thing happens when we let go of our fears, Lord Kael. We become… well, I believe we become more of ourselves.”

To Kira, that very sentiment said so much about Corellan. Some cynical thinkers – and maybe even Kira herself – would claim that people were defined by their fears. How much suffering had been caused by people fearing their fellow sentient beings? Or for a lack of resources? Or a hundred other fears that seemed to drive everyone’s motivation? Even Kira’s own story had only really begun when she’d fled Korriban in fear of what the Emperor was doing to her.

Right or wrong, Corellan was exactly the kind of person who would think that people could only become the best versions of themselves when they let go of their fears.    

That was one of the things she loved about him.

And he wasn’t finished.

“But that begs the question… with all the sacrifices you’ve made from just by donning that armor, what is it that you’re afraid of?”

Krannus’ good eye blinked once, and Kira found herself smirking as he snarled in anger at the barb. As Corellan raised his lightsabers, Kael’s hand lashed out with a massive blast of Force lightning towards the two Jedi…

All along the front, the Coalition forces were emerging from their defensive positions, starting to advance. Slowly at first; the Revanites were fanatics and they made their enemies fight for every step. But the loss of their momentum and the carefully coordinated counterattacks ordered by Satele and Marr were having the desired effect: The allies were once again starting to gain ground.

In a few minutes, if Krannus were even still alive, he’d be encircled.

So when Lord Kael’s blast of Force lightning struck Corellan’s crossed sabers, Theron decided that this had to be the end.

As lightning met lightsabers, the seconds started to pass. Roaring again in frustration, Krannus’ added his left hand to the attack, discarding his lightsabers entirely as the holoprojection flickered at the sheer power being unleashed from both hands.

Any second now, Corellan would break the circuit. He would turn the lightning aside and take the fight back to the Sith, even if he couldn’t directly penetrate the armor. Or, perhaps, he’d have Kira lead off with a series of distracting blows, then move in himself for the kill.  

Once that happened, the leadership would order an all-out attack. The Revanites were already starting to buckle. Once Krannus was off the board, everything else would – Force-willing – fall into place.

He watched intently. Any second now…

Theron finally blinked, as the seconds kept ticking by and electrical charge against the sabers continued to build. Only now did he notice the awkward silence around the table.

 “Uhm.”

Kira remembered, some years ago, Corellan discovering that he had no real aptitude for the Tutaminis Force technique beyond the rudimentary level. This was not particularly remarkable; only a small percentage of Jedi – among them Grand Master Satele – were skilled enough in the art of energy absorption to harness the truly impressive effects, like absorbing Force lightning or deflecting a lightsaber blow with their bare hand.

(Kira had heard a rumor once back on Tython that some Jedi and Sith could even use the Force to freeze a discharged blaster bolt in mid-air for several minutes by using only their minds before releasing it with full effect on a target. She’d always assumed that story to have been a crock: no one could ever identify a single individual who’d performed the trick. If Kira herself had seen it, she wasn’t sure that even she would have believed it.)

Still, it was a bit of a surprise that Corellan hadn’t managed to at least become adequately skilled at it. Aside from his old friend Ulannium, he was probably familiar with more Force combat techniques than any other Jedi of their generation.

But learning this one particular feat had always alluded him.

Still, hours upon hours of training with Scourge and Kira were sure to pay dividends eventually. The grumpy old tomato had probably seen more combat between Force-users than anyone else living, aside from maybe the Emperor himself.

But when Corellan had discovered the capability of doing something even Scourge had never seen or heard of before, even the Sith Lord had been impressed. And on that fateful day more than a year ago when the three of them had attempted this move together in a secluded valley on Alderaan, the effects had been, well… shocking.

Despite nearly being electrocuted during the exercise, Scourge hadn’t even been mad. In fact, he was as close to pleased as Kira had ever seen him. Heck, the grumpy old tomato had almost smiled.

The very rage that was powering Kael’s lightning attack was also going to be his downfall. Even with that pool of anger to draw on, sustaining this continuous torrent of lightning would be physically and mentally exhausting. Further, it would blind him to the fact that the charge building against Corellan’s lightsabers was actually growing brighter.

Lightning was supposed to dissipate against lightsabers; Tutaminis or no, it wasn’t supposed to build up.

Through Kira’s Force bond with Corellan, she could feel the moment coming. The Hero of Tython was focusing all his attention on the power building within his crossed sabers. In a sense, it felt like a test of wills between the Jedi and the Sith.

Engaged as he was, there was no possible way that Corellan could redirect that power himself with any kind of precision.

Of course, if Corellan were properly attuned through a Force-bond to someone skillful enough… well.

When the instant arrived, Corellan didn’t need to say anything. He didn’t even need to project anything towards her.

Kira simply knew.

She thrust out her green lightsaber blade, crossing it with Corellan’s weapons at a precise angle that should have been impossible to calculate.

The resulting blast of Force power erupted from the built-up charge, and it launched itself towards Krannus, faster than any of them could process.

The Sith Lord screamed in pain, blasted by electricity of his own making.

It was part of what Scourge had taught them about orbalisks: They were vulnerable to concentrated electricity. They could resist an attacking Sith’s Force lightning adequately enough… but they could not resist the wielder’s own power.

Kira watched as Kael continued to scream, the orbalisks literally burning off his body as the Sith Lord struggled to break free, to no avail.

As the final surge struck him with all the power of a thunderbolt, the Emperor’s Wrath was knocked off his feet for the third and final time this day.

The lightning finally dissipated.

The Sith Lord lay there on the ground motionless.

It sounded to Kira as if nearly the entire battlefield had suddenly gone quiet. She could hear blaster fire somewhere in the distance, but it felt like the planet itself was holding its breath for whatever happened next.

Corellan lowered his lightsabers, deactivating them as he exhaled in exhaustion, barely able to stand.

And yet, the victorious Jedi Master was still standing.

Krannus wasn’t.

Tired though she was from her adrenaline high wearing off, Kira reached out to Corellan through the Force, offering him a gentle caress. His eyes closed for a moment in acceptance and soon, his breathing started to return to normal. She could feel him becoming rejuvenated and felt more than a little satisfaction that she could have this sort of impact on him without even touching him.

He didn’t even look back towards her. But then, he didn’t need to. She could feel his upswelling of appreciation and gratitude as if he had squeezed her hand.

Corellan finally stepped towards the fallen Kael Nosrol Krannus. Kira, acting on reflex, followed at his side, looking down at the beaten Sith.

The smell of cooked flesh was revolting as it reached her nostrils, and she could barely contain the nausea she felt. As they looked down at their fallen foe, Kira could almost imperceptibly observe the Sith’s chest rising and falling; his breaths were ragged and broken.

Krannus was dying. And he clearly knew it.

With his one good eye, the Emperor’s Wrath glared up at the Hero of Tython.

“Finish them, Jedi.” He snarled weakly. “Finish those who have deceived us.”

Kira understood immediately whom he meant, even as Corellan stood in place in stoic silence.

The Emperor.

And Revan.

The galaxy itself had been engulfed over an insane feud that dated back three centuries.

It had to end.

A final sigh escaped Kael’s lips as his head fell back, yellow eyes still open, looking skyward.

The Emperor’s Wrath was gone.

Back at Coalition headquarters, Theron had been standing by to give the order the moment Lord Kael fell. Before Krannus had even taken his last breath, the Republic agent had already toggled the open channel on his communicator.

“All Coalition forces – this is command.” He announced. “The Revanites are broken. General attack. Again, all troops, general attack. It’s time to finish this.”

Theron fell back in his field chair as the icons started to advance in earnest across the holo-map. If there had been any fight left in the Order, any faith in their leader’s mad plans, it had been spent the moment Krannus had fallen: They were running.

No more strategic planning would be needed. Not for commanding the troops, anyway.

“Whew.” Theron exhaled in relief. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that trick before.”

He beamed, looking up at the others.

All three pairs of Force-sensitive eyes around the table were still locked silently on the projection of Halcyon, Carsen and the body of Krannus.

Lana’s mouth had fallen open in shock for a long moment before she’d quickly composed herself, swallowing before letting out a breath. Satele’s eyes were clearly focused on the projection of Corellan, as if silently scrutinizing him for something only she could see. If she’d appeared concerned for her order’s young champion before, she was definitely rattled, now. Theron had long reasoned that part of the famed ‘Jedi mystique’ involved keeping one’s mouth shut when you didn’t actually have anything to say. Grand master Satele Shan certainly personified that approach. Meanwhile, hidden behind his mask, Marr’s throat made a sound that Theron couldn’t even begin to describe, nor did he think any human mouth should have been able to make.  

Once again, it was Satele who seemed to regain her senses first.

“Deploy the medical teams to recover our wounded.” She ordered, reasserting herself, the very picture of decisive calm. “Alert the fleet in orbit to be on guard for fleeing transport ships. We cannot allow Revan or any of his followers to escape us again.”

Theron, blinking surprise at the reactions of the others, nodded in assent and relayed the instructions.

As the battle of Yavin came to an end, the SIS agent reflected on what he’d seen this day. Lana was certainly highly intelligent and knowledgeable concerning the Force, but it was their mutual superiors who’d captured his attention.

Satele and Marr were two of the most active and accomplished leaders of Jedi and Sith in history. They’d seen countless battles over the decades, fighting endless enemies. Between the two of them, they’d probably opened Force-knew how many holocrons or other ancient texts to expand their respective knowledge of the Force.

Neither of them had even recognized the orbalisk armor that Krannus had been wearing. And certainly neither of them had seen anything like the feat that Corellan Halcyon, at just twenty-seven years of age, had just performed with his former padawan.

Reflecting on that, Theron finally turned his attention back to the live feed of the duel that had just ended.

Halcyon and Carsen had turned their backs to the fallen Sith Lord and were now walking back in the direction of the Coalition lines even as their troops advanced the other way. Their part in the wider campaign was done.

As she followed a step behind and to the right of Corellan, he saw Kira turn and glance over at him, an expression in her eyes that he couldn’t quite interpret through the projection.

Theron was usually a loner by choice. It suited his personality. But just for a moment, he truly envied Corellan Halcyon for having a partner like Kira Carsen.

Minutes later, now standing just outside of Coalition headquarters, Kira stood across from Corellan.

Right this moment, she wanted so badly to grab him and kiss him. She would have shoved him back against the nearest tree and…

But it wasn’t the place or the time. Even in this moment of relative privacy, there were too many Republic and Imperial officers close by. Anyone could have been watching them.

Meanwhile, Satele, Theron and the Sith were waiting for him.

Revan was still out there, preparing to do Force-knows what. Regardless of whether or not it was really him behind the mask, he needed to be dealt with.

And beyond Revan was the Emperor.

As always, there was never enough time for them. And until they gave it up, there never would be.

Still, in this moment, Corellan had let the mask drop for a bit. The cold front he’d put up for the Sith. For Marr, Beniko and even Krannus. The ‘Hero’ personae he’d put up for Satele, Theron and the Republic. She alone could see the vulnerable man beneath the invincible hero.  

That was enough for her. For now.

The development of Corellan’s “mask” meant she owed Scourge another ‘thank you’. As much as she loved Corellan, she’d been worried the Sith would exploit his blasted heroic nature for their own ends. So along the way, he’d learned to present the face of someone else for when he needed it; someone who could consistently throw his enemies off based on their expectations of what a Jedi even was. Between his Force camouflage and the public demeanor, they didn’t see him.

Kira had heard that Darth Marr claimed that the mask he wore was his face.

Right now, it felt like Corellan’s face was a mask.

On the flip side, he’d probably worried both of the Shans with how he’d been acting the last couple of days in front of the Sith and the Imperials. That would need addressing at some point, Kira knew.

But here, alone with her for this moment, he could allow himself to be vulnerable with her. More than that, he could be himself.

That moment couldn’t last, of course.

“You’ll tell him that its time?” he finally asked her.

I love you. Was what Kira heard.

“Yeah.” she nodded in agreement. “I’ll send ‘Big Red’ in.”

I love you, too. Kira had answered.

Without another word, she turned and left, feeling his gaze following behind her before he, too, took his leave.

“How did he do that?” Darth Marr nearly growled beneath his mask.

The Coalition forces had turned the victory over the Revanites into a route. But no one could have discerned that based on Marr’s mood in their headquarters.

“How did he even know about orbalisks? They haven’t been seen in the Empire in centuries! I barely recall even reading about them from some forbidden text in my youth!”

“My lord, please.” Lana beseeched her new boss. She’d had the presence of mind to dismiss the support staff so they wouldn’t be around to witness any ‘potentially difficult’ discussions. “I can begin making discreet inquiries once this current situation is concluded.”

Theron didn’t have any explanation that could have placated Marr and decided to himself that a snarky remark would be ill-timed right now. So he and Satele were quietly continuing to coordinate the mop-up effort while Lana attempted to defuse the situation with the frustrated Dark Councilor.

Marr paused, turning to glare down at the younger Sith.

“Talented as you are, Beniko, I doubt even your guile could determine how a young Jedi learned of long-forgotten Sith techniques.” Marr’s voice had leveled, but he couldn’t quite keep the slight hiss from his tone as he addressed his subordinate. Indeed, it was so intimidating, he probably hadn’t even tried. Regardless of how he felt about her right now, Theron didn’t envy Lana having Marr’s attention in the slightest.

Fortunately, they were interrupted before things escalated any further.

“’There is no ignorance, there is knowledge’, Lord Marr.” Halcyon’s voice echoed in the clearing as he approached the table, as he quoted the opening line of the Jedi Code, the same doctrine that Sith Lords so famously rejected with contempt. Clearly, the Jedi Master had overheard the conversation.

Theron found himself surprised that Corellan didn’t sound remotely smug; just coy. Aside from his singed robes, there was little sign he’d just fought the battle of his life. Indeed, if anything, he looked reenergized.  

“You’ve returned.” Satele noted assessing him with a conciliatory nod. “Well done, Master Corellan.”

If she was still concerned with Corellan’s state, and Theron had to believe that she was, she was keeping it well-hidden in her voice behind a shield of formal compassion. Her veneer of calm was as unflappable as always.

Corellan turned to the famed leader of his order and bowed, crossing his arm across his chest in the Jedi salute.

“Master Satele.” He returned the formal greeting, bowing his head. “Thank you for approving the bombardment.” Corellan paused. “I regret there wasn’t time for me to sufficiently explain the plan earlier.”

Theron bit his lip, remembering their previous conversation.

“So we gathered.” The Grand Master assented. Their exchange was entirely civil, but Theron noted that it had not been entirely warm.

“Yes, let me second those congratulations, Master Jedi.” Lana stepped towards Corellan, giving him a surprisingly genuine smile. “It was a remarkable victory.”

She paused as if about to speak further, looking past Corellan towards the entrance.

“Will we be meeting your talented companion?”

Corellan returned her expression. Somehow, though, the smile he gave her didn’t quite reach his tired eyes.

“I’m afraid not, Lana.” He answered. “Knight Carsen was needed elsewhere. But thank you.”

Again, civil words. But delivered more formally than Theron would have expected from a man who was usually so open.

Corellan paused and looked around at the faces around the table.

“What’s our status?”

Theron, undistracted from the drama with Marr, had been ready for that line of inquiry.

“All units report success.” The SIS agent reported. “The weapon has been shut down and all the Revanites have been neutralized.”

He let that sink in, knowing what was coming next.

“Only one more left to deal with.”

Theron didn’t have to announce who that was. Lord Kael Nosrol Krannus had been all but invincible, but in the end, he’d just been a follower. There was no doubt in his mind that Revan had been the one who’d donned Krannus in the orbalisk armor in the first place. They’d be foolish to think their quarry didn’t have more surprises in store for his enemies, even with his army thoroughly beaten.

“Iven told us where Revan might go.” Satele reasoned. “The Emperor’s final sanctuary.”

A moment of silence fell across the table. Defeating the Order of Revan had been one thing. Defeating Revan himself – and possibly the Emperor, as well – was something else altogether.

Marr regarded Halcyon with what Theron could only assume was an appraising look beneath his metal mask. It felt like the Sith Lord was finally regarding the young Jedi Master with new eyes.

“You must realize, Master Halcyon, that if you embraced the dark side of the Force yourself, then no one in the galaxy would be able to stand in your way. Not even Revan.”

His voice felt like a viper slithering up Theron’s arm as he dangled the other, temptingly.

“You would be invincible.”

Satele’s eyes narrowed at the suggestion that her order’s champion could be corrupted in such a manner and even Lana looked downwards and shifted her feet uncomfortably. Theron found himself torn between the practical advantages of a dark-sided Corellan Halcyon and the fear he felt in contemplating the Jedi as a Sith Lord.

But Corellan Halcyon himself merely turned and regarded the towering Dark Councilor in turn. Marr stood at least five inches taller than the Jedi, but they might as well have been at eye level for all that mattered. The thinnest of smiles came to the Jedi’s lips.

“But then who would you find to stop me, Lord Marr?” he asked. “When I became too powerful to be contained and ruled your Empire for my own benefit?”

Theron watched as Marr’s powerful shoulders clenched at the barb. The reminder of what Vitiate, a veritable demigod ruling the Sith Empire for thirteen hundred years, had done was still fresh in everyone’s mind.

Before Marr could respond, the intelligence agent decided to change the subject.

“We could call in help.” Theron offered, eager to break the tension. “Havoc Squad could be here within a day. And Barsen’thor Kaarz reached out to ask if we needed his assistance, as well.”

He considered their other options, glancing towards Lana.

“We could even call in Xadya, the reigning Champion of the Great Hunt, if the Empire wanted to contract some Mandalorian help.”

There was a quiet pause around the table, then Corellan shook his head.

“Not enough time. Whatever Revan is planning with the Emperor, we don’t have a moment to waste.”

Theron just nodded in agreement. He was unsurprised when again no one attempted to contradict Corellan’s assessment of the situation. Glancing sideways at Satele, he could see the reluctant approval in her eyes as well. Her concerns for the young Jedi Master could wait.

“We’ve got speeders prepped.” he promised, turning back to Corellan. “Jakarro is insisting on joining us as well. You won’t be facing him alone.”

Corellan just nodded back to Theron gratefully.

“Then let’s finish this.”

Without another word, he turned and headed back towards the exit, his ruined robes flowing behind him like a hero from some holovid drama.

Theron watched him silently as the others began their preparations.

He wondered if Marr had been wrong in his estimation.

Corellan Halcyon was, by all outward appearances, already invincible.

Deep within the Temple of Sacrifice, a man behind a metal mask scowled as he witnessed his final roll of the dice come up short.

He’d known that Kael had been a blunt instrument given the state of mind the Sith Lord had been in, all but useless the moment a more refined response was called for. Nevertheless, had played the hand the Force had dealt him.

Now his followers were routed or fleeing. Even his personal guards, the Infinites, had been lost in that last assault.

The Order of Revan was finished.

That was unfortunate, but the cult had served its purpose getting him to this point. He was strong enough to complete his great work on his own no matter what these interlopers threw at him.

They might have been powerful. They might even believe that they were invincible.

But he was Revan.

TO BE CONTINUED

Author’s Notes : Full disclosure, a small chunk of the dialogue late in this story is pulled directly from the Shadow of Revan expansion, just before you go to face Revan near the end.

I’ve had this story in my Work-In-Progress writing journal for many years. At one point, I started to actually write a draft of it, then set it aside when the scope of the work started to become clear. It’s by far the longest thing I’ve written. That was two years ago. The final product involved going through many, many drafts, and has been a burden for these last three months.

It was the hardest writing project I’ve ever finished since I started writing fanfiction.

I remember one day thinking to myself ‘The Jedi Knight crew spends all this time together. What do they wind up talking about? What are their common interests?’ So I decided they talk a lot about combat. Rusk is a tactical specialist. Kira is an adrenaline junkie. Scourge is basically an ancient ninja. Doc is a field medic. Teeseven loves lightsabers. Corellan is Corellan. I imagined the group spent a lot of time designing maneuvers the way coaches draw up plays in American football and basketball. For the record, I do remember that when I fleshed out this idea, I had Skillet’s “Invincible” playing in the background. This piece was also partially inspired by the action scenes in the classic Deceived and The Return trailers.

This piece was originally planned as a chapter in a five-part series, with each piece featuring a point-of-view alternating between one of the Jedi Knight companions and one of the prominent NPCs involved in the S.O.R. story. (Lana and Teeseven would have been “paired” together, for example, like Theron and Kira were here.) That project wasn’t coming along, so this story is now a two-parter in that duology, with this chapter being the first. I’m fascinated by the idea of a story being told from the points of view of different characters who have different perspectives on the same scene based on their own understanding and preconceived notions. I touch on that concept for this chapter and I’m thinking I intend to make it even more pronounced in the next.

Writing action scenes is … still challenging for me. But I’m working on it.

We never see them in the actual SWTOR game story, but I head-canon that orbalisks are not commonly used in the “modern” Sith Empire, with even the knowledge of their existence a secret suppressed by the Emperor. By the time of the Shadow of Revan expansion, even knowledgeable Sith like Marr have barely heard of them. (Obviously, certain select individuals – such as a three-hundred year-old Sith Lord – are obviously more familiar.) I was tickled by the head-canon that Marr kept forbidden Sith texts under his pillow as a child. I know that many of you are not fans of Drew Karpyshyn, but I enjoyed his Darth Bane Trilogy. Those of you who have also read it will no doubt be familiar with some of my inspirations for this chapter. I wanted to introduce a special element into this fight and giving orbalisks to Lord Kael seemed to make sense to me.

Speaking of which, Kael Nosrol Krannus is one of my oldest OCs, dating back to when he was simply known as “Nosrol”. (Which sounded too much like one of the orcs from Warcraft for my tastes.) The literal intent of the character was to take (almost) every single dark-side choice available in the Sith Warrior Class and Imperial stories since I so often play light side. Simply put, he’s my token ‘edge-lord’, as terrible a trope as that is. But he was also a hardline Vitiate fanatic, and as such he fit the role here: when you shatter a fanatic’s faith in something, they don’t usually become a better-rounded person with a fresh perspective. They just find something else to be fanatical about. That development is about as interesting as the character gets. Other quick notes on Kael: First, ‘Lord Kael and the Infinites’ sounds like a good name for an 80’s death-metal band. (No, that wasn’t intentional.) Second, the game-play rule that Sith Warriors can’t make Force lightning is dumb. Third, his line of dialogue at the end is a reference to the Obi-Wan / Maul scene from Star Wars: Rebels, one of my favorite moments from that series.

Fun fact, the first reference to Theron in the actual game story comes from Kira Carsen herself, during a post-class story letter. I head-canon that Kira, in contrast to the discreet Corellan, frequently teases Theron about Satele being his mother. (She eventually quits teasing him after she joins the Eternal Alliance, but that comes much later.) Aside from his encounter with Orgus, Corellan didn’t team with Kira for much of the Forged Alliances / Shadow of Revan storyline, primarily because he was concerned about Lana or Satele or possibly even Revan himself putting two and two together concerning their relationship. Obviously, that weighs on my favorite one true pairing. Other notes on Kira: First, @taraum is the reason I have Kira calling Scourge ‘the Big Tomato’ and so on. Years later, I continue to be inspired by her work. Second, I’ve head-cannoned for a while that Kira loves the color purple and would change her lightsaber color to it if it didn’t make the other Jedi look at her suspiciously. (Lookup the story “Apex” on ff.net for my inspiration on that.) Third, SWTOR gameplay is weird. Regardless of the settings, companions often wind up acting like tanks in the fights, drawing the attention of mobs. So I have certainly seen enemies trying to gang up on Kira while I’m playing as Corellan, and they usually pay the price. Fourth, Kira’s Tutaminis rumor was a light dig at the opening scene from The Force Awakens with Kylo Ren. All jokes aside, it wasn’t a terrible film, but I can only look back on it now as a waste of potential knowing what was to come.

Theron’s obliviousness to Kira’s relationship with Corellan is just good, clean fun for me.

Unintentionally, I feel I’ve laid the groundwork for the Eternal Alliance storyline and the choices Lana, Theron and other characters wind up making concerning Corellan Halcyon as the future Outlander and Alliance Commander. On its surface, there aren’t a terrible number of reasons why Lana Beniko would ‘draft’ an Outlander like Corellan, who is probably a bit too idealistic for her tastes. The Corellan she sees here has a ruthless streak in addition to being an inspiring figure. That is the version of Corellan she wants to lead the revolt against Zakuul. (This naturally leads to some misunderstandings later on after she frees him. “Lana Beniko disapproves” indeed!)

I’ve alluded before that in my Legacy, Corellan and his crew met with Theron well before the events in the Forged Alliances story on a couple of “unofficial” missions. That story is even deeper in my WIP folder than this one was and probably will not see the light of day.

The Twi’lek Jedi and human Sith Lord who died fighting Kael are named Pol’fenn and Fen Huang. They are obviously minor supporting players here, but they are featured original characters in my Barith Legacy, where (obviously) they don’t meet their end fighting my favorite evil edge-lord. I might write about that “alternate timeline” legacy some other time.

My characterization of Satele Shan feels very passive in this story and that may draw some deserved criticism. I intend to address that in the next chapter.

I don’t know if any of you caught it, but there was an homage to the classic Dark Phoenix Saga story from the X-Men comics. It was just a bit of narrative text that always stuck with me, and it fit Kira and Corellan.

Stay tuned for “Part Two” of this story, titled Allies and coming… someday. I probably need a break from this series for awhile, but I’ll get to it. Kira won’t really be there, but Scourge and Satele definitely will be.

Thank you, and may the Force be with you.

• SWTORpadawan