Tempering the Chain

[Kalladrrl]

Even amongst the overwhelming power of Korriban, revealed to him with his rudimentary and instinctive control of the Force, he could feel her and his heart sang at her presence. Vex. Even within the darkness of the temple and one of its many training rooms, Vex was like a beacon burning brightly in the darkness; she cut through the noise of it all clearly like a bell, and Kalladrrl felt jumpy and couldn't help but smile at her approach.

Vex had that effect on him.

His eyes turned to the leather case, a meter tall and thin with a handle and a latch on the front. It was unassuming, but it held something very special within its confines. He put its contents out of his mind, considering the connection between the two of them. Better to leave that as a surprise for her.

She had requested his presence in this chamber at this time, and he knew better than to be anything other than early. Early was on time and on time was late, but doubly so when the person requesting his presence was Vex. She'd also requested a workbench and had provided a list of tools for him to assemble. Far be it from him to deny her anything, but that had been a simple matter; he and a menial had made short work of moving the table that stood to the side of the recessed circular ring. A training pit for Pureblood Sith and Massassi,now used by the proper Sith.

The Wookiee kneeled in the center of the circle, legs resting on the stone floor behind him, breathing as he reached out with the Force, trying to reach Vex with his enhanced perceptions before she arrived. He was arrayed simply, foregoing armor for a simple harness of dark leather, with freshly twisted braids in his long hair, dull gold beads threaded throughout painstakingly by his own hand. His lightsaber was set before him, perpendicular to his knees, just above which on his legs rested his massive hands. Its blade would point to his right if he activated it, as if laid down by his dominant left hand. And he awaited her, both patient for her to take whatever time she thought necessary and possessed of the unshakeable desire to look upon her once again. The close proximity to her made the wait seem longer, like he was waiting for his name day like the starry-eyed boy he'd once been.

@Dread

 

[The Eternal (Vex)]

Yet again she stood on the surface of the mighty Korriban. She felt it; a deep thrumming of power throughout her entire body. Even the air felt thick with it. It was no doubt her favorite world because of how empowered and connected it made her feel.

Approaching the chamber she felt Kal's presence increase—his beacon that sung to her even before she stepped foot on the planet. She followed it to the room, smiling from beneath her helmet when the door slid open with a hiss to reveal his dark towering figure kneeling.

Reaching up she carefully removed her helmet to free her braided locks of crimson hair, stopping just in front of him and kneeling too. "Kal..." her tone was soft, matching the smile that curled her lips. She resisted the desire to reach out to him; to give him a hello kiss or hug.

It was dangerous to show too much affection here, especially the mushy kind. It could be seen as weakness. What made it extra dangerous was the many eyes that enjoyed following her movement and the just as many ears that enjoyed listening. A downside yet also a perk of gaining a reputation in the Empire. Something that Kal would also understand all too well.

"Did you bring everything?" Vex tipped her head, placing her helmet down by her side. "Well... I brought you this," she added, reaching into a pocket that hung from one of her belts. From it she pulled and proffered a lightsaber crystal. It was partly bled, still blue and resisting the taint of the Dark Side. She had started to bleed it on her way to the planet, and wanted to offer Kal the opportunity to finish it. It was in part a gesture of her desire to connect with him even further, however something had called to her on her trip, telling her to start the process for him. "A gift, for the lightsaber I'll be helping you construct today."

 

[Kalladrrl]

Damn, but she was beautiful! He'd hoped she would remove the helmet and he was treated to the delight of seeing her yet again. And even as he was delighted at her presence, he wished they were somewhere else that wasn't quite the Sith homeworld. Powerful though it might be, it was not safe even for persons of influence such as Vex and Kalladrrl. Even then, none would dare to oppose the two of them openly. No, they would try to hold their relationship over their heads to levy political power against them.

But Kalladrrl had a very long reach indeed and trying to blackmail him or hurt Vex might not turn out the way the would-be extortion artist intended. She kneeled before him in a mirror of his own stance and he returned her smile. The power of Korriban wrapped around them, and even in his reverie at being with her again he could sense how easily the Force flowed between them, like space itself folded and collapsed under the strength of their affection for one another.

"Vex,” he responded simply. Kalladrrl knew the Sith’s ways; if she had an objective that needed to be fulfilled she would not be stopped until she had accomplished her goals. The strength of will that hid within her was prodigious indeed. She asked if he had everything, and a subtle turn of his head in the direction of the workbench was his response. And her purpose here with him as revealed, at least partially. A crystal, blue but a dark blue, like a fresh bruise. Kalladrrl’s fingers brushed over her hand for but a moment as he accepted it, grinning briefly and not because of the gift itself.

He spoke softly, as a student would to an instructor; it was rare for any to draw such humility from him.

"Does my current weapon not suit your standards?”

He gestured subtly to the hilt that lay in front of him, laid before him respectfully, before he turned his attention to the crystal in his hand, feeling something wrong about it. Like it wished not to obey, like it rebelled against his touch though it could do little about its predicament. He reached out with the Force to the crystal in the lightsaber that lay before him, taken from a tomb on this very planet, and he could feel the difference between the two. He hummed mightily, his voice dark and rich as he spoke again.

"This crystal does not seem ready to be inset into the weapon of…” he paused for a moment. " Of a Sith.” Kalladrrl seemed to exist between the Sith Order and the Legion now, fully dedicated to the military but also learning the arts that elevated the Sith amongst the Empire, and building a lightsaber under the tutelage of one of the deadliest and most feared Sith Masters was not a privilege afforded to just any Imperial soldier.

 

[The Eternal (Vex)]

It felt good again to feel his touch on her hand. The power of the planet swirled inside her, speaking to her in soft tantalizing voices scarcely above whispers that she would never understand but accept. It doubled her senses, making everything feel twice as intense. So in order to avoid acting on her growing feelings she remained focused on the task at hand.

"Your other weapon is satisfactory, however it's important to have a backup weapon. And if you practice duel-wielding with both it'll give you an edge." When she finished talking she brought up both her hands and wrapped them around Kall's hand—the one holding his crystal. She wrapped them tightly around so he would grip the crystal tightly too. "And you're right about it not being ready." Vex nodded, making eye contact with Kalls dark orbs. "I have begun the process of bleeding it for you but you must complete it."

She closed her eyes after, feeling the rebellious spirit of the crystal cry out in his hand. "You must show it the way, Kalladrrl. Show it that the Dark Side may be a path of danger and fear but also the right one" Leaning she placed her head on his hand, allowing herself to gather the Force and hoping Kalladrrl would follow suit. "The Dark Side will free it, you, as it has me. It allows us to experience everything life has to offer. To break the chains that hold back the weaker. " She breathed in deeply, slowly, then out. "And if it will not accept it, you must force it to accept it. It must submit."

 

[Kalladrrl]

He nodded as he took in her words. When he'd used the lightsaber before, it had always been in one hand and often in conjunction with unarmed technique. But, fighting against those that used lightsabers was dangerous; if he lost one he would be be at a disadvantage even with his skill without a weapon. So a backup would be welcome. Wielding one in each hand could be effective as well.

He visibly shivered at her touch, her hands squeezing his and his hand squeezing the crystal. He held back the smile that threatened to crack the solemnity of the ritual, even as she leaned her head against his hand, which set his heart to beating quickly. Every time she touched him was like the first time again.

Kalladrrl followed her lead, summoning what lay within and without, the thrumming of the planet around them as he leaned into her, his head above hers as he focused on the crystal in his hand. The Wookiee showed it what he had shown Vex, starting with the despair. The despondency of no sunlight, of no safety, of little food and of constant labor. Years of torment poured into it and Kalladrrl could feel the crystal vibrating in a realm beyond the physical, straining against what was injected into it by Kalladrrl’s willpower. From that despair, he showed the crystal his underhandedness and his willpower; even though the Force was not with him, it was as if his rage and his pain and fueled him to a violent victory over his captors and the captors of a over a thousand lives. A thousand lives saved by anger applied to those who deserved it. And Kalladrrl felt a shift within the crystal, not a submission, but an understanding of sorts as frequencies beyond sound and almost beyond his limited understanding of the Force.

He pressed further and further against it with the power she had given him, and he could feel its orientation begin to shift under his unending wrath, righteous and avenging and eager to destroy opposition and set order in a chaotic galaxy rife with conflict. Kalladrrl could almost feel the crystal trying to move from his hand, ethereal vibrations becoming real ones that increased in frequency until he felt an actual buzzing in his prodigious hand. And still it resisted, putting up a barrier against the Commander’s efforts. Kalladrrl made a throaty noise as he wrestled with it, before his free hand, acting on instinct, lightly gripped at Vex’s armored waist.

And the power in the simplicity of the act overwhelmed the crystal.

The crystal’s alignment flipped violently and quickly, hatred and rage and even the promise of love pouring into it eagerly now, the vibrations of the crystal aligning with the fields in the Force generated by its new master. Kall kept at it until a dark harmony as achieved, releasing his hold on the Force but lingering on Vex for moment.

Reluctantly, he leaned back onto his legs, opening his hand and examine the crystal, which was a brilliant garnet, blood-red and deadly as it sat in his hand. He nodded again as he smirked in satisfaction. Kalladrrl looked back to Vex, humbled by her guidance yet again as his hands eagerly found hers for a moment and squeezed one each.

“Thank you.”

 

[The Eternal (Vex)]

Vex felt the struggle between Kalladrrl and the crystal. It resisted until she felt his hand on her side, and a rush of emotions finally overcame it, sealing it's fate. She leaned up as Kall did, staring at his hand when it opened up to reveal a blood red crystal. It was unique, darker than the usual bled crystal. She wondered if it was something different about Kall, or if it was because she started and he finished. Either way, to her this meant that he committed to the Dark Side and it made her happy.

He thanked her and she replied by simply nodding and smiling. Giving into her feelings for a moment to trace a finger along his jawline before standing up. "We should continue now," Vex spoke calmly, flicking her eyes towards the work station and making her way in front of it.

"I've brought some parts myself," she tapped her bottom lip, tipping her head somewhat. "Because you may not have all the parts for the saber you want to make." The young sith grabbed one of her sabers from her belt, holding it up and front of her so the blade would ignite to the side away from them both. And she did ignite the crimson blade, allowing the humm of it to fill the room before speaking again. "There are several types of lightsabers and lightsaber hilts." She pressed a button, which with a second hiss doubled the blades length. "I carry dual phase sabers because they can catch opponents off guard." Pressing another button she turned off the blade, leaving darkness in place of it's eerie glow. "Then there are double-bladed, crossguards, curved hilts and of course the standard saber. There are a few more but I do not recommend them."

Placing the saber back on her belt she turned to the station again. Digging through her pocket, pulling out a few parts he could choose from if he needed them: a medium and small power cell, some modulation circuits, an energy gate, a blade emitter shroud, a dual-phase emitter, an emitter matrix and a blade length adjuster. She also plucked cross guards, a pre made curved hilt but in pieces and several rings for extra grip if he wanted them.

"There's a lot to choose from, but there's a lot I didn't bring either. If we are missing some I'll send an acolyte out," she shrugged, smirking somewhat. "It really isn't too difficult of a process once you pick the type of saber you want," she said with a small nod. "Just, uh, don't invert the emitter matrix unless you want your saber to blow up in your hand." Vex laughed, partly in a nervous way. "I certainly didn't learn that from experience or anything..."

 

[Kalladrrl]

He wished they were far away from this place of constant strife and competition, where they could relax. Maybe somewhere with a nice view of the ocean. All sorts of drinks served to them out of the shells of tropical nuts or in the hull of a tropical fruit. Sun, sand, refreshment, ease. But that wasn't the life they had chosen, he and Vex. They were burdened by purpose and united by it, like intricate pieces of a machine carefully crafted to interlock and work together. But Kalladrrl grabbed at a little piece of that idyllic fantasy and turned his head to kiss her fingers as they brushed him before the two of them would move on to the next task at hand.

He stood at her passage outside of the ring, following behind her, the Wookiee stepping lightly and carefully as he peered at the crimson crystal clutched in his grasp. It thrummed with residual energy in his hand and he could almost detect some measure of curiosity emanating from it. He'd have to do some reading into the nature of these peculiar items. And perhaps he'd need to bleed the one he had won over slowly to optimize the vibration between crystal and owner.

Kalladrrl's musings tapered off as he listened attentively to each and every word Vex said. He tried not to get lost in the way her brow furled and relaxed as she spoke and emphasized aspects of lightsaber creation. He turned his attention reluctantly from her to her weapon as she ignited it, the snap-hiss long past pleasing his ears. And then, the length of the blade doubled in her hand and the Wookiee could not hold back an appreciative grumbling hum. That was most impressive.

"Gonna need me another one of those,” he said in a low voice in reference to the dual-phase emitters of Vex’s lightsabers, mostly for himself but at a high enough volume for her to notice. The utility was too good to pass up. As Vex continued, he noticed how much she seemed to be enjoying herself and that made that ferocious feeling rage in his chest once more, the energy of Korriban stimulating everything, like its darkness acted as the ultimate contrast for luminous beings of love and hate. It pushed his highest highs further and he eagerly set to work, relishing the technical aspects of building his new weapon.

He decided against the flashier options Vex had laid before him. A curved saber hilt was tempting, but at the same time if he was to wield it in two hands he would find the curve would offset his grip. The double-bladed lightsaber was right out. Why did they even exist? They might inspire fear in an incompetent opponent, but not all opponents would be caught off guard by the vicious appearance of such a weapon. Maybe a creature with multiple arms could get more mileage out of wielding a pair of sabers configured in such a way.

And so he decided that a second single-bladed lightsaber was the way to go, and he began to work dutifully and eagerly, thoroughly enjoying the artisan aspect of his task. His thoughts flickered to the contents of the leather case. What lay within certainly possessed less utility than what Vex had given him, but his instincts told him she wouldn't expect it one bit. He laid the power cell within the rudimentary hilt and connected the parts in series, taking special care to assemble them in the correct order as Vex laughed at herself. Kalladrrl smiled as he tinkered, even as he resisted the urge to press his body against hers as they stood together. The work came first.

He continued on, setting the newly bled crimson crystal into the weapon, securing the dual-phase emitter below it. His fingers moving with surprising care that belied their size he completed the wiring for two buttons, one to ignite the blade and the second to extend it in the manner of Vex’s. He double-checked that the matrix was set within the hilt at the correct polarity; he wasn't interested in ruining the crystal or repeating the mistake of many a lightsaber wielder of the past. As he toiled, the crystal seemed to hum with purpose, like it knew it was being used in the construction of a powerful tool in the hands of a warrior like Kalladrrl. After checking over all the components a final time, he closed the chassis of the blade, long enough for it to be wielded in both of his hands comfortably; more importantly, he'd be able to gain a savage amount of momentum from such a two-handed swing, which was not the case with his other weapon. He would need to fix that, and eyeing the remains of the components he reckoned he could do so without needing any more. Maybe a second dual-phase emitter. Those things were sweet.

Kalladrrl gripped the hilt in his dominant left hand and turned it over in his hand, completing a final inspection before he turned it away from them and hit the igniter stud, the weapon roaring to life for the first time. Threatening crimson light washed over them and the Wookiee did not resist the smile, hard and predatory, from taking over his face. Another tap in the hilt and the weapon’s blade doubled in length, giving Kalladrrl a truly menacing amount of reach with the weapon. He nodded his head appreciatively and his thoughts strayed to the other weapon and how it was now incomplete. This was to be his way of battle; he felt the conviction rise within him. He would learn what Vex had to teach him and synthesize a method that none could stand against. Kalladrrl turned away from the workbench as he swung the weapon in an upward arc, spinning it and changing his momentum to a downward strike that pivoted into a swing from a twist of his mighty core muscles. He nodded again and deactivated the weapon before he took two steps to return to Vex, his eyes twinkling down at her as he reached out with his hand to the pit where his other weapon laid. Summoning the power they commanded to him, he cast his willpower forward and brought the lightsaber to his hand with a swift pull that sent it shooting through the air.

"I've got a thing for symmetry.” His smile smoldered on his lips before he turned to the workbench again to use the remaining rings. He stripped the lightsaber of Korriban of its outer layer, noting that the power cell within seemed to match his new weapon. That was well. Kalladrrl worked quickly this time, adding the new rings to the bottom to extend the grip of the lightsaber to the exact length of the other. If he was going to wield two blades, their hilts needed to be interchangeable in either hand at any time. His eyes turned to the crystal that projected the blade of this lightsaber and without thinking, he removed it, taking it in both hands as he probed the alignment of the second crystal. What vibrations existed between it and Kalladrrl were only subtly out of sync, and he focused the power of the darkness within him upon it like he had the darker crystal. This one resisted far less, aligning with him completely after several long moments of concentration.

With the curiosity of a technician, the Wookiee opened his hand and noted that this crystal had not darkened as much as the first, but its shade was a brilliant, dangerous vermillion that excited him and drew his eye. He smirked as he reset the crystal and finished the weapon’s reassembly. It was still not complete, but it was still satisfactory. He tested its new color in the air, relishing his success.

 

[The Eternal (Vex)]

Vex watched Kalladrrl proudly. He had quickly picked up on constructing lightsabers. Thinking about how much they had in common made her heart flutter—she couldn't help it. As he worked he'd feel how happy she was. It had to have been the Force that drew them together that fated night. That night that set everything into motion.

He even bled the other crystal after and altered it's hilt to match the new one, giving it the ability to dual-phase as well. It gave her some comfort that he would have that extra trick on the battle field and she knew they'd find themselves on one again in no time.

When he finished she stepped forward, somewhat giving into her emotions and placing her hand on his arm. Looking up into his eyes, a content smile swept over her lips. "They look perfect," she complimented, looking around before leaning on him.

"Did you want to practice some Force skills now?" she asked, wanting to show him Force lightning but her mood was too good for it right now. "Perhaps pyrokinesis?" Her free hand came up, letting loose a small burst of flame towards nothing. "...Or cryokinesis?" She pointed at a pot at the far end of the room and it began to form ice around it. "To preform cryokinesis you simply remove heat from around an object to drop the temperature."

She squeezed his arm, before adding, "But we could take a break instead if you want. Bleeding crystals can sometimes take a lot out of a person." There were safer places to be if he wanted to rest or eat, which Vex could show him. Though if he was eager to keep learning, she'd be happy to oblige.

 

[Kalladrrl]

Her pride in his work made that feeling inside him, the one that flared so brilliantly when they were together, roar louder within him. To know that he had done well by Vex meant so much to him. She was his destiny; of that Kalladrrl had no doubt. He set his new, vermillion lightsaber on the workbench as he observed her prowess with various applications of the Force. The flames were stunning, but the ability to make an area void of its heat energy intrigued him immensely.

However, she was correct that bleeding two crystals in a row was tiring work. Focusing on bending the will of the curious rocks to his own was exhausting work and he felt strangely tired.

“Perhaps we could rest for a moment,” he said as his eyes turned back to the black leather case, standing about half a meter high. It was time. Vex had given him so much that it would only be fair to give her something in return, although his gift held considerably less utility than hers for him.

“I have something for you,” he said, almost bashfully, “but you have to close your eyes.” He'd wait for her to acquiesce to his request before he reached out for the case with the Force, levitating it up and then over to set it upon the workbench before them. Kalladrrl felt an eager, anxious wave roll over him.

“You can open them now,” he said as he unsnapped the fasteners atop it and opened it.

What was inside had been a log of the finest ebony wood of Kashyyyk, matching the coloration of much of his hair. However, Kalladrrl had painstakingly worked the wood into a statue. It was just under a meter in height and it was of a short, yet curvaceous woman, with hair arranged in elegant curls that spilled about her shoulders. A sly smirk gripped the statue’s lips, and she was clad in a carven dress that would be immediately recognizable as the dress Vex had worn to Draco Virtus’ party on Lothal, as it was a statue of Vex herself, adoringly carved by Kalladrrl. There were no nicks or imperfections in the statue’s surface and a glossy sheen of varnish gave it a gleam in the low light that elevated it beyond simple wood. He had begun its carving a few days after the idyllic night spent together, working it by hand quite literally, using his claws to shape the material.

He felt suddenly shy as he revealed his secret labor to her.

“Well…what do you think?”

 

[The Eternal (Vex)]

When Kalladrrl asked her to close her eyes she blinked a few times, confused though insanely curious about this gift he spoke about. She simply did what he wanted, closing her eyes. A playful smile warmed her face, eagerly waiting for him to finish whatever he was doing. She was tempted to put her senses out to get a grasp of what it was but she didn't because the idea of a gift excited her enough not to cheat.

When he said she could open her eyes she did right away, letting her yellow gaze fall upon a dark statue. At first she remained silent with an unchanging expression, reaching out to brush a hand delicately across the carefully crafted object. Taking it and all the detail in. Tears began to fill her eyes. Tears of joy—of a sudden spike in emotion. And she grabbed it, pressing it against her chest. "Oh Kalladrrl... this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

She turned to him, still holding it tightly against her chest. Looking deeply into his eyes while the tears still flowed down her cheeks. Nothing in the galaxy could stop her from going up to him and pressing herself against him, burying her face into his ebony hair to be close to him as possible. It didn't matter if someone was looking. It didn't matter if they saw weakness. All that mattered was that she was close to him in this stitch in time. "I love it so much. I can't believe you did this."

The tears didn't last, only a short burst from the sudden change in emotion. She sniffed a bit, moving her face away enough to look up at him. "I'll stow it safely away in my quarters here for now. Did you want to have a short break there? It's probably the safest place we could go." Vex had never invited anyone back to her quarters before; though her main quarters were in the Black Hand base she did travel with some personal items, so the room wasn't barren.

 

[Kalladrrl]

Kalladrrl beamed brightly under Vex's appreciation of his gift. He had worked hard over many days to perfect it. He raised a hand to the back of his head and grinned, eyes narrowing happily.

“I did the bulk of the work with a sharp knife, but I used my claws for all the detailed work. Had to go by memory. There aren't any holograms of your face available. Funny, that.” His tone was jovial at the end. They both knew why that was the case. She was more of a clandestine operator than even he; while his work took him behind enemy lines doing deniable work, he was no assassin like she was. His footprint was a little too big for that work, both literally and figuratively speaking.

Kalladrrl was less prepared for her sudden and intense expression of emotion, the tears brimming in her eyes making him feel fiery and hollow, like the pit of his stomach was hot with the vitality of liquor despite not having drank a drop and he held her to him, fingers finding her head and brushing down the back of it affectionately. He knew he hadn’t upset her as emotions slipped easily through their bond, but Kall felt what Vex felt when they were close. He could perceive her gratitude like it was his own and he was gladdened at her reaction and touched that she reacted so.

Turned out there were few things as satisfying as your handiwork being appreciated so totally.

He nodded to her warmly with a low rumble in his chest of assent to her suggestion that she would feel through the Force and the vibrations in his barrel-like chest. Rest sounded good, and he hadn't ever seen where Vex took her leave. It was probably spartan and undecorated, all of her focus on whatever work she was doing at the time.

 

[The Eternal (Vex)]

A soft laugh left Vex when he mentioned there were no holograms of her. For awhile she'd forgotten that he had seen into her mind just as she had seen into his. A few memories of the shared visions flashed in her mind, reminding her of some things she wanted to ask him about.

But for now her hand ran over the details of the statue. Kall did not only make it, but hand made it with his claws. It was a darling gift. Something she never thought she'd ever get. "It's amazing, truly." Vex wanted to grab his hand but stopped herself for now. Instead gesturing her head over towards the door before starting to walk.

She remained quiet for most of the walk, looking down every once in awhile at the statue. Coming to a stop the rooms door hissed open, revealing her sparse quarters. There were a few lightsaber and miscellaneous droid parts and powerless relics. Some sitting on the desk, mixed in with piles and piles of datapads. Mostly reports, of course.

Vex went to her bed, going to her knees on the edge and reaching under to pull out a luggage bag. Inputting in a code the locks snapped and the top popped open. Inside was her Wraith armor, packed in neatly. She placed the statue on top of it. It was her most cherished possession now and she wanted it protected, though seeing the armor reminded her again she wanted to speak to him about something.

"Kalladrrl," she spoke at the same time as she closed the bag. "When you saw The Eternal in my mind, your reaction was only fear." Vex pushed herself up to her feet, spinning around so that she could sit on the edge of her bed. "Why is that?" It was an honest and important question to her. The Eternal owned her life and she wanted to know Kalladrrl's opinion on the man.

 

[Kalladrrl]

Kalladrrl lived to make Vex laugh, the very sound of it delighting him, and he was filled with a sense of pride as he listened to her laugh and watched her appreciate the statue. He followed behind her half of one of her steps at her right through the corridors, watchful of any they came across and actively taking stock of his emotions and thoughts to isolate them from any casual onlookers, save Vex herself. It was good practice in mindfulness now that the Force was with him. He wondered as they walked how many Sith had seen into his mind without alerting him, their touch subtle and elusive to the uninitiated and those deaf to its music.

Her quarters were…well, everything was in some way devoted to the way and the Sith. Parts and datapads everywhere, some mixed together. He couldn't help but smile. His quarters were bare of decor but orderly. Everything in its place, even when he was elbow-deep in work, whether it was reports or exercise or planning.

He eyes Vex briefly as she kneeled, but turned his gaze before it would be overly impolite as she secured his gift to her amongst curious armor that he had seen only in shared memory. It made him think of the Eternal.

And then she spoke of him as well and he felt unease creep through him coldly like an advancing army marching in the dead of winter. He pursed his lips.

“Well, he always has that mask and cloak on, and you shared with me the measure of his power in the Force. What's not to be afraid of?” His first answer was sarcastic as he tried to arrange his actual thoughts.

“I felt your devotion to him, but I also saw the price of disobedience or his displeasure. I know the totality of his control over you.” Kalladrrl remained standing as his features fell and he spoke seriously after pausing briefly. “I fear what might happen to you if you fall out of his favor, not the Eternal himself.” His voice dropped to a murmur and he looked away from her, his emotions brimming over as he frowned from the center of his mouth, stoic and yet expressive.

 

[The Eternal (Vex)]

Vex shook her head and grinned some when he made his joke. Of course she didn't laugh because she know something deeper would likely follow.

And it did.

"He gave me life," the words fell from her lips almost instantly when he finished. Noticing his frown, his worry that filled her heart with more love for him than she ever thought was possible, though she needed to explain.

Vex looked away but she also gestured to Kalladrrl before falling onto her bed, hoping that he might join her by her side in some comfort as she explained. "I had nothing. No place to live. No meaning to my life. Only enough credits to barely live off the jobs I did. "

It was an admission of weakness. A difficult admission because strength was all that mattered in the Sith, but she pressed on. "He offered me a home, purpose, more credits than I could ever use in my lifetime. The chance to advance which also means survival in this galaxy." Vex closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. "I took it. I seized the opportunity to live in exchange for my life and The Eternal has not failed to deliver his side of the deal. He has given me everything I have ever wanted and more."

None of it was a lie. He had also provided training and guidance, some of which she did not follow and lived to regret later. The man got where he was for a reason; he was smart. "Yes, his displeasure leads to pain. Disobedience or falling from his favor would lead to death but I already gave my soul to him." A pang of sadness and worry hit her in that moment and the final words escaped her slowly, "But I...appreciate your concern."

 

[Kalladrrl]

Kalladrrl took in her words, his eyes cast in a furtive, shifty narrowing that hid his dark orbs under heavy, deep-set eyelids; it was an incisive look that was matched by him joining her slowly as he listened to her, sitting on the edge of the bed and feeling like he already took up a large part of it. Guess they hadn’t designed it with Kalladrrl in mind. He did not meet her gaze as she elaborated more on her relationship with the creature of Force and flesh whose deeds were discussed in hushed whispers, his nature a mystery to the Wookiee, who folded his hands politely in his lap.

He cared not for the way Vex saw herself before the Eternal -- he could feel her shame at the admission but it troubled him not. He had come from nothing to command the Force itself, bringing billions into the Imperial fold through martial deeds. It was a few short years ago that Kalladrrl was nothing but the most prominent slicer and mercenary on Tatooine, that in itself not a difficult title to aspire to, what with the typical caliber of professionalism that Tatooine had to offer. After that, he had been a second-rate security enforcer for the Free Trade Guild and now...now he was here.

After she finished speaking, Kalladrrl took his time to formulate a response, the tension hanging in the air between them.

“Well, if you know what you’re about, then who am I to tell you how to live your life?” It wasn’t the most understanding or diplomatic response and he realized that, but Kalladrrl intended it to contrast with the way Vex had just described the Eternal. Kall would not dictate her life the way the Eternal did. There was neither penalty nor punishment for choosing to spend her time with him.

Unless her master decreed it, that is.

 

[The Eternal (Vex)]

Even though she had explained herself, she could still sense Kalladrrl's worry. Despite it, she decided to leave the subject alone for now. Maybe one day her master and Kalladrrl would see eye to eye. Maybe not. For now, neither of those things really mattered.

Wanting rest and to be close to the man she loved, she sat up and wrapped her ams around one of his. Looking up at him, hoping that he'd lock his chocolate eyes with her yellow ones. If he did she'd give him a soft look, smile and giggle.

Then without saying a word she fell back. She hoped he'd fall back onto the bed with her, because there was no way she could pull him down by force. Though it made her feel weak in some ways, she wanted to cuddle with him for awhile. Enjoy some peaceful quietness as they had the morning of their first breakfast together.

//end thread