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“Actual privacy,” Darth Nox said. She shook her head as she looked out over the gray lines of the Empress’s shuttle, the triangular shapes that comprised its interior surface. “Though I admit I’d hoped for something a bit more decadent..”
Empress Acina didn’t turn from the shuttle controls. She seemed quite at ease with them, in the manner of someone grown tired of constant delegation. “Perhaps I’ll borrow some tapestries from Vowrawn next time. A few servants to electrocute if you grow bored.”
“I prefer to test myself on more worthy opponents. It’s good to see the Empire sharing that viewpoint.” Nox tapped her gold-clawed hands on the wall of the shuttle.
Acina looked back just long enough to smile. “Your successes have been quite helpful in proving the point. Though waste and decadence are hard to sustain under Zakuul’s demands for tribute.”
That earned an amused snort from Darth Nox. “A few Sith ran themselves out of servants did they? Can’t say I feel bad for them.”
“They lack your self-restraint. You didn’t even singe Lowrawn.”
The shuttle swayed in the rain and wind. Such only a momentary bump under Acina’s keen control.
“Minister Lowrawn,” Nox said, as she stiffened her spine and fold her hands together in imitation of any of a thousand imperial bureaucrats.
Acina had the dignity not to laugh. “A primary example of the personnel shortage.”
“And that’s why you need my Alliance.”
“IAnd why you could still use my assist—” The shuttle shook, then dropped suddenly as Acina glared at the controls. “Engine isn’t—going for a controlled crash.”
“Even I know we’re going too fast for that,” Darth Nox said, as she attempted to lean back in a useless show of nonchalance.
“Then jump already.”
“And lose the pleasure of your company?” The shuttle shuddered as Nox lifted a hand, focusing as metal rattled beneath her.
Acina bit her lip and darted her hands over the controls as the shuttle rattled again.
“Sabotage?” Nox asked, twirling her hand as she attempted to slow their descent.
“Focus!”
The shuttle sheared off a set of trees, then hit the ground to the screech of rending metal. Darth Nox kept her hand upraised just enough to keep it from closing in around her, though she lost sight of the Empress in the process.
“You always introduce yourself by nearly getting assassinated?” Nox said, coughing slightly in the dust of their impact.
“It gets dull to stay out of harm’s way all the time. I look forward to punishing those behind this myself.” Acina’s voice was strained, and cockpit where she’d been standing now seemed to be formed of little more than twisted metal.
Darth Nox reached to tap her commlink, then frowned. “And we’re being jammed. Let me get you out of there, your imperialness.”
“I can extract myself. I’m hardly injured.”
Nox tilted her head back to sniff the air. Smoke, burning plastisteel, and ah yes, quite a bit of blood.. Not even hers. Except for the nosebleed of course.. “Try to stop bleeding first.”
“Did I ask?”
A wave of her hand as Nox narrowed her eyes, focusing on the shattered debris, the sense of Acina’s voice and presence. There was a thin bubble of air and life within that metal, one that grew ever more compact as Acina’s strength bled out from her.
“Hold still so I don’t drop half the ship on you.” That outstretched hand folded into a fist, and the shattered top of the cockpit curled into a ball of screaming metal beneath its force.
That metal rolled down from the ship to crash into a crevasse nearby. Acina lifted her head into the opening it left. A cut across her cheek stained her proud face with blood, and half the delicate protrusions from her armor had been snapped off or bent down and inward.
She started to climb out from behind the debris, though her hands slipped on the blood that coated it. Darth Nox rushed over to aid her, and held out a hand that shook from recent efforts. One of her cheeks was bruised as well, and dark new lines spread out from the yellow of her eyes.
“You’ve overextended yourself,” the Empress said. “Foolish; I doubt our enemies will consider a flaming wreck as sufficient proof.” She narrowed her eyes and did not take the outstretched hand.
“Do you want my aid or not?”
“Does it always come bundled with your stupidity?” Acina stumbled only to find herself caught by Darth Nox’s hand and breast. Perhaps the softest space in all that remained of their vessel.
“Someone had to start flirting.”
That made Acina laugh. “And we’ve even the romance of hunting down our enemies together. I do hope you’re not in too much of a hurry.”
At that, Nox lifted Acina’s chin with one hand and used the other to pull the Empress into a sudden kiss. It tasted of little more than smoke and blood, but then what else was there for Sith to need? Her claws left new scratches across Acina’s face. It seemed a shame to not give them the chance to scar.
Finally, they pulled their lips apart. Nox stood still for a moment to admire the face before her. “Now let’s get you somewhere safe before they show back up to bomb what’s left of your shuttle.”
Acina raised an eyebrow and leaned against Darth Nox in an effort to stay upright. A gash in her armor showed a set of not-yet purple bruises along her side. Traces of purple lighting dashed across her hands to cast shadows amid the storm and rain. To sketch marks across Nox’s armor. She lifted Nox’s hand to her lips and kissed each one of those claws before letting go.
“Fine,” Nox said. “Not safe. Just less rainy. I’ll get back to conspiring once we’ve killed whatever enemies are out there.”
Acina took a step back. Pain turned her stance to something steady. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
“Such is the tradition of the Sith.” Nox smiled wide enough to show her teeth. “And you’ll be so beautiful covered in someone else’s blood.”
The pounding of the rain let them pass from the fallen shuttle in silence.