Chapter Text
The end.
The journey to Hell is over, the path turned abruptly in another direction, but the light of happiness, peace or even hope did not illuminate the horizon for some reason.
Probably, this always happens: a large, overly complex and intolerable-righteous Case justifies all means and allows you to think only of it.
About nothing more.
About no one.
But it's time for the Cause to end, there is free time, from which thoughts begin to climb up to mind, like devils from dark crevices. The most grandiose, annoying and filthy of which: was it really the end and not the beginning of a new, even more impossible? Probably suffering is something permanent, but passing from one state to another, changing the disguises, germinating with poisonous roots in the different spheres of life.
Exhausted by fatigue Theron found himself in the cantina, among those, who celebrating the victory of the Alliance over the madness of the immortal Emperor. He easily ignored the joy of his coworkers and looked sadly at the Commander, who was making herself drunk sullen and methodically. He tried to recall how many times he at least hugged her from the moment he arrived at Odessen.
Among all the pain and loss of those days, they could find solace and support in each other, butinsted of it indulged in thoughtless sex as another way to at least forget about the burden of responsibility lying on their shoulders.
The initiator always was she. She visiting him in the evenings after returning from the campaigns, sometimes for a short time she invited him to her quarters. That memorable day it was she, who summoned him to a private conversation and she said those beautiful words: "I agree to everything, if it means to be here, with to you."
What is has changed or was not been destined to happen this intention? Or maybe it's too soon to expect anything more, because the non-obvious threats still has power?
After the case when the Commander disappeared in the wilds of Odessen, Theron sent her a letter full of anxiety and hope. He couldn’t wait for the invitation, and dared to tell his desire to be with her at least that evening, to feel her presence, but received only a kiss in the cheekbone, smeared as a blow, and a dry refusal, followed by a horrible message in the dead of night.
"You feel something is wrong, but I see Vitiate more often and more clearly.
He tempts and our connection is strengthened every day. He's in my head, but I'm not going to let him penetrate my soul. We must withhold our feelings, otherwise he will certainly use them and will find the most painful points, and ruin everything we decided to fight for. Our destinies have ceased belong only to us and now I understand a little more about what the accursed Jedi Codex reiterates. I do not like this understanding, but I have to minimize the risks that depend on my actions.
Try to understand. "
He realized that similar motives forced his own mother to abandon him. But does it became easier to anybody? And at the same deceitful marsh of self-sacrifice, he personally helped to draw in a woman who seemed to be the least inclined to this? He unsuccessfully tried to convince himself that his merit is minimal, because Lana initially recruited her. Further immersion in the problems of the Alliance is entirely the own initiative of the Wrath of the Empire. Nevertheless, resentment and anger did not want to let him go.
Surprisingly, their intimate meetings did not ceased, although they became extremely rare. However, the burning, unconcerned Sith passion and only the fragile tendrils of tenderness that had just begun to rise again been replaced to some ice mechanical satisfaction of primitive needs. Any tenderness from Theron has been ignored if it counts as superfluous by her personal scale.
"I do not want pervert who live in hy head and read my mind to watch our intimacy. Do you want to? " she explained with a grin.
Apparently, without an admixture of emotions thought could be concealed.
The shrouded cold of indifference was pouring Theron for too long, so that any other could fall into despair, but he was tolerated. He never experienced lighthearted happiness, didn’t see him in others, and did not really believe if it exists at all. But he hoped: the end of the war would come, the immortal madman would release the mind of the one who had captured Theron's thoughts and would feels little easier at last.
Wha’t now? In the morning, Theron watched as the lovers returned from this war and fell into each other's embrace, their happiness of reunite was almost palpable, while the Commandant's heavy glance forbade even to approach her. Something happened and it did not concern anyone. No one but ...
Wrath of the Empire, Commander of the Alliance, The Empress Forsaken, she walked slowly along the base, accompanied by Arkann and his mother.
They were silent, even when the inhabitants of the base approached with congratulations or simply in a fit of universal joy, Senya only tried to give everyone a warm, radiant smile.
When the three entered the vaults of the buildings, they turned around among the idle crowd to look meaningfully at each other's faces, still without words. Then Senia touched both of her companions by the shoulders, like the priest of the newlyweds - to hold each other hands would be enough- she smiled briefly and disappeared into the shadows of the rooms. The Commander and Arkann for a few more moments continued their seemingly extremely strained silent dialogue, then they nodded synchronously and parted away. Theron bitterly managed to suddenly notice and realize that the usual burned scar covering the whole right side of the Commandant's face mirrors the mutilation of her now-former enemy ...
Nine.
Theron hugged her nine times. Alone, in silence and not for long.
The commandant knocked over another glass and closed her eyes. Then she lowered her head and with obvious force pressed on the bridge of her nose before replacing the absent facial expression with the spiritualized one and slowly, tiredly get up. It took a few seconds for the views of those present to turn to the low figure of their leader with a speech at the ready.
“We won!” she says loudly and insinuatingly in her low voice and raised the glass. Theron notices that it was from this glass that she did not drink today - not the heavy swill that she had already loaded herself enough. In appearance, you need to set an example of an almost healthy lifestyle. Sith, who sets an example - what an absurdity! From all sides came the cheers of "cheers!", "For victory!".
“Today we rewrote history! Our association, our Alliance became the dominant force in the known space. From now on we are the very power of punishing justice. And we achieved this all together, but each of us individually. We still have a lot of work to do, a lot of new, complex solutions and tests, but today and a few days later you should rest and rejoice for yourself. I insist. And now, we will raise glasses for friends, relatives and relatives. For those who are no longer with us and those who will someday join us. To us! To the galaxy!”
The applauses and shouting "to us!", "horray!" fell. Then the joyful hum and the ringing of glasses returned to the hall.
The commander sank to her place, furtively looked around and flung the glass down in one gulp. External alienation returned to her. After sitting a little more, she again reached for the bottle of strong alcohol, but decided to leave the cantina altogether instead.
Theron followed, but the Commander diligently ignored his presence.
“What's happening?” asked Theron when they were in her room. The commander looked him over with an empty glance over her shoulder and fell onto the bed, as was, in armor.
"I can not help if you do not tell me anything. Is the Emperor still in your head?”
"Not really.” she said “Everything that moves the Sith is tangible. Force is every unrestricted movement of the body. Power is authority. And the authority is money and someone's tightly clasped throat. Anger is a spray of warm blood. Passion is the lover's hot body. I have none of this left. I can not touch gratitude, duty and someone else's happiness.”
Theron bit his tongue. And what about himself? ..