It comes down to this

[skyggedal]

It was late evening, and Adella found herself in a spectacular penthouse taking up the three top floors of a massive Corellian skyscraper. The owner of the penthouse was hosting an art exhibition on his first floor, below a large glass-enclosed pool with a translucent floor allowing light to shine through. Aside from the pool, the second floor also featured a real live park that was open to the sky, two landing pads for smaller shuttles and a large floor space for socializing. Much of the floor was covered only by a glass ceiling allowing light to pass through. Now that it was dark outside, the floor was tastefully lit to allow socializing but also privacy. The top floor was a semicircle of luxurious rooms overlooking the pool and the garden, where the owner and his guests would stay, as well as rooms used for other things, things she was here to look into.

Wearing a deep blue three-quarter-sleeved silk blend dress that had a modest neckline and a highly immodest open back which followed her spine almost all the way down, accented with a thin silver chain necklace, an elaborate silver hairpiece and wide silver bracelets, Adella's only concession to comfort were her shoes, which were open sandals with delicate lacing up to her knees. The lacing and the sandals were visible through the many slashes that divided the long skirts into layered leaves that flowed down from her narrow waist.

A small, matching purse hung from a thin silver chain over one of her shoulders, but other than its contents she had brought nothing here but her wits and her charm. It was the latter that she was counting on to gain her the access she needed.

It was almost like being back on Brentaal IV, she thought to herself, but the stakes were so much higher now.

Looking up at the somewhat older human man standing next to her with his hand on her arm, she smiled and laughed pleasantly at his statement, which he had no doubt found amusing. He seemed rather pleased with himself, at least. She could tell by the way his pose changed that he was relaxed, confident and about to make a pretty lewd joke or suggestion as a follow-up.

His eyes were everywhere but her face, which was where she wanted them to be, and the glass in his free hand was empty for the tenth time since she'd approached him. Garel Brawon wasn't the owner of this place, but he was wealthy enough to be on the list of VIPs with access to the upper rooms. Adella was thanking her lucky stars he managed to look pretty good in the low light, but she still planned on spiking his drink once they got upstairs.

"How about a stroll in the gardens, Levy," he suggested in his smooth voice, the words slightly slurred as he moved his hand to her spine, sliding it down her back. Soon, she reminded herself. "I don't know, Garel, I'd love another drink first, don't you agree?" she suggested, looking out across the crowd when he turned to wave after the nearest waiter. Most of all she wished for someone to sweep her away from this pretentious, self-made (he'd emphasized this more times than she bothered to count) man, but really, she'd settle for anything that'd take her mind off the stiff fingers currently curled in the small of her back.

@Kori Buor

 

[Kori Buor]

The hour was growing late, but in the city of Coronet, one would never have been able to tell; the hustle and bustle of the capital city never stopped. Even now that the world was under Imperial control, it seemed like it never slept. Something was going on somewhere. This night was no exception to the busy nightlife of the city. At the top of one of the elegant and regal skyscrapers, there was a party of big wigs and well-to-dos who had nothing better to do but blow a few hours and a few thousand credits on clothes and makeup.

Mandalorian Protector Aethon Kast had come to Corellia to do a little digging. His purpose was twofold. First, he was trying get a feeling of how people felt about the Empire on Corellia. Second, he following a lead on where Adella had disappeared to. Over a year ago, she had left on a business job never to be seen or heard from again. While other's might have concluded she was cutting ties to him, Aethon knew better. Something had happened to her, and he was going to find out what. The Mandalorian had already dug deep, sussing out leads and witnesses, some answers were willfully given, others had to be coerced. The only difference was time. Time and pain. Now the leads, the rumors and hints, were leading him to Corellia. A woman matching her description was said to be attending parties in the city.

Stepping through the elevator entrance, Aethon looked about the room. Checking his chrono, he noted that he had arrived on time, and yet the party was already fully underway. What ever happened to being fashionably late? Aethon wondered with a quiet chuckle as he walked further inside. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the multiple entrances and exits, the cleverly disguised guards positioned around the large room, the food and drink table, the bathrooms, and of course the throng of people.

Humming to himself, he put a smile on his face and went about introducing himself to a few of the passing socialites. The Mandalorian had never been particularly sociable, but with some training from Adella over the years he had gotten a bit better, and knew how to blend into a party. After making the proper introductions, Aethon made his way to the table with the snacks and drinks. Picking a few off their platters and popping them in his mouth, he then picked up a glass of some fizzing alcohol. Taking a sip of the drink, his eyes continued to scan the room.

That's when he stopped mid sip, eyes going wide as he recognized a familiar face. For a moment he didn't believe it was her, but as he lowered the glass from his lips, he recognized the hair, the lips, the eyes, the angular cheeks, the warm chocolatey skin. She was headed towards him, an older man with his hand around her. His blood ran cold then boiled hot in the span of a second. "Dell?" He asked as she drew close enough to hear him.

 

[skyggedal]

Getting on the good side of a man like Garel Brawon was pretty easy, you just had to pretend he was the only man in the world. Stroke that ego with attention, add a little flattery, and of course pretend that his jokes were amusing. Keeping his glass full helped, and by the time they were heading to the table of refreshments the man was deep in his twelfth glass. The bubbles were definitely going to his head.

Garel kept his right arm around Adella, drawing her close as they walked. She held her glass in her left hand, creating a little bit of distance between them, and laughed delightedly as he said something else he meant to be funny.

With her full concentration on her mark, she didn't notice the other man before he spoke, his voice reaching her as they arrived at the large table which was filled with enough hors d'oeuvres to feed a small town.

Recognition was instant, like a lightning strike followed by a storm of emotions. She'd know that voice anywhere, had cried at the realization she would never hear it again. Her eyes snapped to Aethon, widening in disbelief, and she stopped cold.

Her knuckles paled as she gripped the long stem of her still half-full glass hard, holding on to it as if it were an anchor keeping her grounded in reality. She'd momentarily forgotten Garel even existed when he, with a victorious look towards Aethon, as if Adella was a prize they had competed for, nuzzled her neck and kissed it lazily. "Someone you used to know, Levy?" he asked her, grinning drunkenly against her neck with his eyes on Aethon.

The stem broke, her glass falling to the ground and shattering into a thousand pieces, blood welling forth from her fingers as she finally remembered to breathe. Feeling faint, she summoned what resolve she still had to remain on her feet.

"Aethon?" she whispered faintly, unable to trust her voice.

 

[Kori Buor]

Their eyes locked together for a few moments which seemed infinitely longer. No doubt both of their eyes were as wide as could be, almost appearing to pop out of their heads, or would with the slightest application of pressure. As the man leaned down to kiss her neck, Aethon's eyes narrowed to slits, his free hand clenching into a fist; all that hey could do to prevent himself from lashing out in that moment and ending that man. Such a blunder would be suicide. No doubt the authorities would be called in and people questioned. Aethon would have to make a speedy escape so that the attention of the Sith overlords didn't fall on him and his true allegiance.

The possibility was still real though, he had found Adella, knew that she was alive, but it seemed she had found someone else. Or at least that's how it appeared. In truth, it didn't make any sense to him to see her here with another man, though a large part of him feared that his worries were confirmed; that she had indeed found another man. He wasn't even thinking about reading the scene as a whole, or trying to read Adella's body language to see that she was acutely uncomfortable around the man; Aethon's mind was swimming with thoughts of betrayal and anger. He didn't know what to do.

The sound of her glass shattering in her hand brought his thoughts back to the reality of the present. Adella seemed to gasp for air like she had been kept under water for several minutes and a wave of faintness seemed to wash over her refined features. Seeing her bloody fingers, he instinctively took a concerned step forward. Pulling a handkerchief out of his suite pocket, Aethon offered it to the woman as he stepped a little closer to her, motioning towards her hand. "Yes... it's me, Adella. Are you hurt?" He asked, his voice soft and concerned for a moment before he looked to see the man still hanging around his neck; his face flushed and he felt his choler rising as the desire to rip him off of this woman grew ever more.

 

[skyggedal]

"I..." Adella was struggling to find the words. Any words.

She held her left hand out, droplets of blood falling to the floor, wanting to touch him, to know for certain that he was real.

Even in his drunk state, Garel noticed that he no longer had Adella's undivided attention, in fact she hadn't even looked at him when he kissed her neck, which seemed to annoy him. Garel appeared to enjoy the jealousy on display in the newcomer, however, and being a man secure in his power he simply changed his focus. That Aethon was a lot more physically imposing than him had little effect on someone who knew any hint of physical violence would be met by a swift response from the security Aethon had so skillfully detected when he arrived.

"How about we head upstairs, baby," Garel suggested lewdly, his eyes locked with Aethon's as he drew Adella closer to him. She tried to squirm out of his grip, but he wasn't going to let go now.

 

[Kori Buor]

Seeing as she extended her left hand towards him, as though to touch him, Aethon took a step closer to the woman, his heart melting and the fury in his chest quelling as he saw her speak. His head was swimming as he watched her, bringing his hands up and gently placing the handkerchief in her injured hand. Pressing gently against her with one hand, Aethon gingerly held her hand in place with the other, letting the blood get absorbed into the fabric of the cloth. The other man's presence hadn't been forgotten about, but for the moment Adella and her bloody fingers and hand were a more pressing concern; despite how angry and betrayed he felt, he couldn't ignore the injured woman's hand. He still loved her after all.

"It's alright, Dell..." Aethon's voice whispered back to her for a moment as her mouth moved searching for the right words. It was now that he saw the look in her eyes, like she was seeing a ghost, a look he didn't quite understand. He didn't know what else to say; part of him wanted to steal her away from there, another part of him wanted to shout and scream. However, as soon as the man spoke again, Aethon could feel his desire to lash out grow.

"I think you need to ease up, pal. The lady is hurt. The only place she should be going is to get that hand checked out." Aethon growled lowly. It took every fiber if being not to floor the man right there and beat him into a bloody pulp on the floor. His eyes flashed angry and cold as he met the man's gaze. These were not the eyes of some high society socialite, these were the eyes of a stone-killer, a cold-blooded murderer who had seen and done far worse things than this man had ever dreamed of. After a year of searching, Aethon wanted answers, and he wasn't leaving or giving up until he got some. Giving the man an unflinching gaze which dared him to try something, the Mandalorian placed a deft hand on Adella's waist, pushing her in another direction. "C'mon, Dell."

 

[skyggedal]

Something in Aethon's look made Garel stand down, letting go of Adella as if she was contagious. Apparently a hint of self-preservation was still present, he couldn't quite meet that murderous stare that revealed Aethon as something else than a mere partygoer.

The self-made business owner couldn't resist a parting shot, looking over his shoulder as he retreated with a displeased pout. "Fine, whatever. Have your fun, she's paid for until dawn."

Adella didn't hear the man, she was so caught up in the feeling of Aethon's hand against hers, closing her fingers around the once-white handkerchief before he placed his hand around her waist and moved her away from the scene. She stepped carefully around the shards of glass on the floor, holding her hurt hand against her chest and looked at him with wonder in her dark eyes.

"It's really you..!" She recovered her voice at last, relief and a hint of sorrow on her voice. She buried her face in his chest, then looked up at him, noticing the tension in his body as if for the first time. Something was wrong, and not just the 'not dead after all' part. "Aethon?"

 

[Kori Buor]

Feeling Adella close to him, her head on his chest, it brought back pleasant memories of warm days and lazy afternoons on Lorrd. But as the other man stormed off with a huff, the Mandalorian suddenly remembered how she had been someone else's date, and how she had disappeared out of his life just when he thought he had found someone important and special he could settle down with.

"A full year." Aethon growled under his breath so that only she would be able to understand him. The small victory he had just achieved against the older man moment's before had already been cast from his memory. Only Adella was close enough to hear him as he continued to speak, hear the barely bridled fury contained in his voice. Even still, his hands were gentle as they touched her; the war of his emotions making his head their battleground, and Adella would be able to tell just by his body language. "You left for over a year and didn't tell me where you were going or why!"

It was clear that he was angry. Not even a blind fool would be able to miss that bit. "And the time I find you, you're hanging off another man's arm with him making comments about you like you are his personal whore! You couldn't send me one message, Dell? To tell me you're fine and to stop looking for you? I spent months looking for you!"

The Mandalorian had done many things, awful things on his search for the woman who had one day suddenly walked out of his life when things were getting serious. His anger and rage flared in his eyes, his face stern and demanding. Aethon wanted to know, to know why she had left him and had seemingly moved on with her life. Whispering to her, his voice quavered and trembled as he spoke, "Do you have any idea what I've done just so I could get the lead to come here, Dell? Do you have any notion what it took to find you here?"

 

[skyggedal]

“I sent a thousand messages,” Adella answered quietly, looking into his eyes and seeing the turmoil of emotions that warred within him. Aethon’s body spoke volumes about the struggles he had gone through, about the rage and betrayal he felt so strongly, and even about the love that was still there, like a little pool of light within an ocean of darkness.

She had listened to him without interrupting, as if there was nothing she could say that could stop him. His words cut through her, replacing her barely reconciled sorrow with a heavy feeling of guilt she was sure she deserved.

At one point she almost wondered if he would hit her, but the gentle touch of his hands despite the fury in his expression suggested otherwise. That gave her hope, a hope she held on to like a lifeline. Could she even survive losing him a second time? The things she had done... she was already on the edge. It wouldn't be far to fall.

“As soon as I knew I wasn't coming home on time, I tried to get in touch with you in any way I knew how,” she added, her sorrow seeping into her words. It was difficult to think of those desperate days when she had hunted for any scrap of information she could get while serving her new masters, without setting off any alarms. “I never got an answer, I couldn't leave where I was, and then the report came in..."

She couldn't meet his eyes any longer, looking down at her hand instead. The sharp, fresh pain throbbing with each heartbeat was just the latest in a long year filled with hurt. It had all started with that little tidbit.

"I knew where you were going next, and one of your colleagues who died there matched your description." Such a bland statement to cover that moment of panicked grief. Using her undamaged hand, she pushed away the tears that were threatening to form in the corners of her eyes. Her voice faded to a whisper. "When you still didn't reply, when I could find no sign of you anywhere... I was sure you were dead, Aethon."

"But I never stopped loving you." The words were quiet like dust sweeping along a Tatooine street in the dead of night.

 

[Kori Buor]

"A thousand?" Aethon asked, his voice was unusually quiet, like he was still in disbelief of what she had just revealed. Though he was sure she was exaggerating he could tell the woman wasn't lying to him, but if what she said was true, how could he receive not a single one? Frowning, he continued to listen to her as she revealed that as soon as she knew she wouldn't be returning she tried to contact him. "I see..."

Taking a moment to process what that all meant, he continued to listen quietly as she explained how she believed he had died on one of his missions, the revelation nearly breaking his heart. Watching as she pushed away the tears from the corners of her eyes, Aethon looked down at his feet. As she told him she never stopped loving him he leaned in and kissed her softly on her lips.

"I believe you..." he whispered back to her just as loudly. There was no dishonesty in her voice or her body language from what he could tell. Sighing, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I never stopped loving you either. I'm sorry I was angry."

 

[skyggedal]

Hearing Aethon say those words, her lips still tingling with disbelief at the soft kiss they had shared, it was all she had hoped for but not dared dream of. She'd been so sure, so certain. Even when she'd sliced in to look at the autopsy photos, there had been nothing in the grisly images that even suggested it was another man, although in retrospect of course it had been almost impossible to tell the identity of the deceased. The continued lack of responses to her messages had been the confirmation forcing her to accept the impossible. Her hopes for the future had been crushed, she'd thought, beyond any possibility of recovery.

Her eyes met his for a moment, shining with a newfound hope before Adella melted into Aethon's embrace. Her slender frame, leaner and more angular now than a year ago, shook with a single sob before she got hold of herself. She was sure she’d cry her eyes out at some point, but this was neither the time nor the place. Over the last year she’d become pretty good at keeping her emotions reined in, and she drew in a long, slow breath to calm herself down. Exhaling just as slowly, she felt better than she had in months.

She could have stayed in his arms forever, and she closed her eyes to imagine doing just that. Letting the sounds around them fade until she could only hear his heart beating. “I’m so glad you found me,” she told him quietly, lovingly. It was pointless to wish he had found her sooner, but she found her mind wandering to that place nevertheless. How different would their lives be, if he had found her on Hoth, on Coruscant, on Tatooine..?

Adella was well aware just how difficult a task finding her must have been. She had been so very deep undercover, and she’d been traveling far and wide. She knew what she would’ve done, if their positions had been reversed, and she thought she had some idea of just how far he would go if required. His intense, angry statement had already told her more than the mere words he had used. She welcomed the faint feeling of fear that came with her conclusion. Whatever he had done, she had caused it.

“Can we sit somewhere?” she asked, straightening a little. Lifting the handkerchief to peek at her hand within the now deep red cloth, she grimaced, feeling a little light-headed. "I really need to... to sit down," she finished, faintly.

((Will edit in colors when I'm on the pc -- colors edited in))

@Kori Buor

 

[Kori Buor]

There was hope in her eyes, he could see it, what more, he could feel it. She still had feelings for him and he for her, their kiss reinforced that, however brief it had been. It was reassuring. A feeling he had not experienced since Adella had left without managing to leave him a note or any form of a heads up. He wasn't angry at her, he knew she was only doing her job, and he believed her when she told him that she tried to get in contact with him. That was enough for the moment.

"Me too," Aethon replied back softly agreeing that he was glad to have finally found the woman. He had no reason to think otherwise, no reason to consider the what ifs or could have beens. He was enjoying himself too much at that moment, enjoying finally having Adella back to give anything else a second thought. Letting out a little sigh, he rubbed her back gently before stepping away.

Pulling away from her, she asked him if they could sit somewhere, and he smiled, giving her an affirming nod in return. "Yeah, let's get out of this stuffiness... I think I saw a garden on one of these floors if you want to try that. I'm sure there are some seats or benches we can use. Follow me."

Aethon had spotted the gardens upon entering and had made a mental note of them. Leading Adella to where the park was located in the skyscraper penthouse, they eventually managed to find a bench with the green lush leaves and branches on one side, and the open windows of the outside on the other. "So, what is it you want to talk about? Anything at all?" He asked as he looked into her dark brown eyes, waiting to see what they'd do, hoping to get a glimpse of something from her reaction.

 

[skyggedal]

It was quiet in the garden, where lush green plants muted the sounds from the busy crowd mingling and exchanging pleasantries on the main floor. With the low lighting encouraging private conversations, the garden functioned as a small retreat, where there was space to breathe. They weren't alone there, but the garden gave every appearance of being deserted. A faint giggle could be heard somewhere in the distance, muted and impossible to place.

When Aethon asked what she wanted to talk about, she felt her mind fill with questions. But there was something that was more important to her than anything else. Adella lifted one of his hands with her right hand, and kissed the inside of his palm like she had done so many times in the past. When she looked up into his sharp, blue eyes, it was with a small, hopeful smile that didn't dare take anything for granted. “I've missed you so much, Aethon.”

She drew a calming breath before reopening the topic which his death had closed for her. All those things they had talked about. Their plans for the future. “Are we..?” It was difficult to get the words out. But it all came down to this single question. Everything else could wait. She tensed, as if preparing for the worst, but her eyes held his with silent hope.

“Will we be all right?”

 

[Kori Buor]

Feeling her fingers wrap around his hand, Aethon's blue eyes shifted to watch her as she lifted up his hand to kiss the inside of his palm. The Mandalorian smiled gently, and let out a sigh of relief. Meeting her gaze, he smiled at her, leaned in, and visibly relaxed. "I miss you, too. You were away too long. I'm glad you're alive, glad I finally found you."

As she began to ask another question, he raised an eyebrow, wondering what it was she wanted to ask. For a moment, she paused, and he could see that she was visibly anxious about what she was going to ask. Even as her body tensed up next to him, as if anticipating the worst case scenario, she continued to gaze into his eyes, a gaze he returned, expectantly. When she finally asked him if they would be alright, he smiled sadly and looked down at their hands, still intertwined between the two of them. It took him a moment to consider everything.

"I don't know, Dell... I don't know what's going on with you, why you left. Is this going to be the only night we see each other? Or will you come home with me, tonight? We had so many plans... I... I still want all that which we discussed." Aethon replied candidly, looking into her dark orbs and waiting for the Lorrdian woman to respond. "I want us to be all right, but that depends if you still want everything we had talked about. If you're going to stay, or up and disappear without a word or a trace."

 

[skyggedal]

When Aethon asked if she would come home with him tonight, Adella smiled. It was all she wanted. She had to figure out a way to make it possible. She leaned up to kiss him, just a short, sweet kiss while she sorted the ideas in her mind.

"I do. I want it all," she stated with certainty in her voice. If there had ever been any doubt, that doubt had been burned away by the last year, drowned in the depths of her sorrow. She'd been on a path towards self-destruction, taking risks, working beyond late hours and pushing herself until exhaustion took over. That was not the behavior of someone who was doing well. Seeing Aethon again, she could feel those shadows lifting at long last. She could imagine a future again.

"I left thinking it was just a normal business run. Getting into the spaceport, talk to some people, set up a transaction. It really wasn't supposed to take long, so I didn't even pack. I'd be home with brunch, that was as far as I'd planned." She talked while she unwrapped the deep red cloth from her left hand, but upon seeing the mess that was currently her fingers she winced. "I'm sorry, I've ruined your handkerchief," she apologized with a grimace. At least the bleeding had stopped, but she saw some small glass shards and a few deep cuts. There were medikits around, even a medical professional somewhere, for an event this big. It could wait.

"But it wasn't a business run at all... I was getting promoted." She said the last word with a hint of mixed feelings in her voice. Looking up into his eyes, she shook her head so faintly he'd barely see it. There were some things she didn't want to talk about, unless he was going to press the issue. "Turns out what I thought I knew was just a small piece of a much larger picture."

 

[Kori Buor]

Feeling Adella's lips lock with his for a moment was reassuring to the Mandalorian and a small, genuinely happy smile, cross his face when he heard the certainty in her voice. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Aethon let out a nervous laugh. Watching as the confidence returned to the little Lorrdian woman, he could clearly see that the anxiety and uncertainty in her was melting away. "Good, I'm glad you do. That's all I really want, too."

Looking deeply into her eyes as she spoke to him, telling him how she had never planned on being away that long. Glancing at the blood-soaked handkerchief in her hands, he laughed. "Don't worry about it, Adella, I can get another one. Besides seeing you... it's worth it." As he glanced at her wound he could see that despite the pause in bleeding it would still need some medical attention. Once it was cleaned out, a quick bath in some bacta would likely do it some good. Nothing that was too difficult to provide.

Adella continued talking, telling him how she was "promoted" which only caused Aethon to cock an eyebrow at her. "Promoted?" He wondered aloud as he looked at her curiously. "That's very cryptic, Dell. I'm not even sure what to make of that..." He sighed as he looked away. The fact that she hadn't told him meant that she was keeping it a secret. "What am I going to do with you? Since when do we keep secrets from each other, Dell?"

Standing up, the Mandalorian went to the edge of the building and looked out over the city. "I don't even know why I'm still here... I'm going to leave... if you want to be with me, join me."

 

[skyggedal]

Ever since those secrets could kill you, Adella thought as Aethon looked away from her, disappointment practically radiating from his body. He was very unhappy about this, almost to the point of seeming disgusted, which came as no surprise.

"I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely as she got to her feet. "I don't want this to come between us," she added even as she felt like that was exactly what would happen. Her work, being an agent... it was like a wedge opening a rift between them. Trying to remove it could kill them both, but letting it stay unresolved might accomplish the same outcome, just in a different way. "But surely, you can understand the need to protect the one you love?"

She took a few steps towards him, feeling weak as his words cut through her. Having him look away from her as he said those words, it made her sad. She wanted nothing more than to leave with him, but it seemed he doubted that now. "I've never lied to you, Aethon. There are some things I can't talk about, but if you ask me I will answer what I can."

Closing the distance between them, she hugged him from behind, placing her head in the space between his powerful shoulders. "There's nothing I want more than to come with you. Please, can you forgive me?"

 

[Kori Buor]

A snort echoed from Aethon's throat as Adella apologised to him. She may not have wanted her secrets to come between them, but he knew that they would, that's what secrets did. As she replied back about how he could understand her wanting to protect him, he rolled his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "What am I, a child, Dell? Do I really seem like the kind of man who needs protection? I'm the one who was supposed to protect you and keep you safe... how can I do that when you disappear on me and start keeping secrets?"

Grunting, Aethon made a disgusted face when the chocolate-skinned woman told him she couldn't talk some things. That made the Mandalorian shake his head in disappointment. He didn't know what to say; he couldn't believe that this had happened to them; that they were keeping secrets from each other now. Kast had been honest with her since the first night they had made love, or as honest as any man could be. She was the one person he felt he could trust and let loose around, but now it seemed she didn't trust him, even after all this time. Perhaps she did trust him, but didn't believe he could handle those secrets or his ability to protect himself. He found that notion to be more insulting, especially after everything they had been through.

Feeling the touch of her arms around him, Aethon relaxed considerably. Closing his eyes he smiled as he felt the weight of Adella's head in the middle of his back. When she asked for his forgiveness he sighed again, looking down at the railing in front of him. "I don't know, Dell. How can I forgive someone who continues to hide things from me?"

Aethon Kast slowly turned around, his arms deftly sweeping around to take Adella and hold her close. His blue eyes were serious and stern, concerned and worried. "We wanted a family, Dell. How can we have a family when we will have an ocean of secrets between us?"

 

[skyggedal]

It had been a simple question, she thought, however it seemed the answer was anything but. Adella felt that empty space within her expanding again, draining all color from the world despite her best efforts at fighting it. But she wouldn’t give up. How could she, with the love of her life come back from the dead?

When he brought up the subject of family, she brought her right hand to her heart, as if to steady it. That hurt, to hear him questioning whether they could accomplish their dream any longer… She'd had to bury that dream with him, had eventually managed to move past it into a place where nothing mattered. Everything that had happened in the last thirty minutes had forced her back out into a world where it was all on backwards.

“We can have anything, as long as we don't give up!” She couldn't help being frustrated, and it spilled into her voice. It was so very long since she’d felt anything close to hope. She was sure he felt it too, somewhere underneath the anger. “We can’t-- I won’t let you give up on us!”

She looked up into his stern, worried eyes, reaching up to touch his face, to gently push some errant strands of hair to the side. The conflict within him was as bad as her own, she thought, just following a different line. He’d been hurt before, in a way that scarred his soul more effectively than torture had scarred his body. “It has been a long year for us both,” she stated softly, “But know that I love you, Aethon. No matter what else you may think of me. Please, at least for now can’t you find it in you to trust my judgement as I would trust yours? We’ve only just found each other again. I can't bear to lose you a second time.”

 

[Kori Buor]

The Mandalorian flinched a little as she declared that she wouldn't let him give up. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, at least not at first. Closing his eyes, he clenched his jaw and gathered his thoughts and feelings. He could feel her hand on his face and he smiled at her soft touch. When he opened his eyes again he was looking into her brown orbs, eyes which were full of worry, but hope. "I'm not giving up on us, Dell."

Adella's request gave Aethon pause. It wasn't that he couldn't find it to trust her, but he hated that she was having to keep secrets from him. He wanted to be with her, but could he make a life with someone who was going to keep secrets? Aethon didn't know if he would, but he was anything but a quitter. Taking a deep breath, the Mandalorian let out a low growl, a sign of reluctant resignation. "Fine..."

Leaning over he pressed his forehead against hers, a frown written across his face. "For now I'll trust you... but sooner or later you're going to come clean with me. I don't want to lose you either, Dell... I just hate that you can't tell me where you've been or what you've been up to. We can't have a family that keeps secrets, Dell. If that's what you still want... then we'll need to face this eventually."

Looking away, Aethon felt the urge to leave this party. There was nothing for him there anymore. He had found Dell and now he didn't know what really to do. Taking a step to the side, the Mandalorian pushed against the skinny woman, giving him some space to move. Glancing back at her he sighed again. "I'm leaving here, Dell... Come with me. Let's have what we had before you left."