Ask Where It Has Led Us

[Altair Din]

It was exactly as when they left it last. The giant, manta ray-like creatures were still serene and largely ignoring him. The air was cool and crisp despite the fact it was a cave. The brilliant shades of purples and blues were all around him. There were crystals everywhere and the soft trickle of streams pooling into a vast underground lake. It was exactly as he remembered it.

He was the one that was different.

He stood broader now, more defined, his face bearing the signs of the stresses of the last few years. Altair carried an Empire on his shoulders, along with the title of King across several Kingdoms. He was a titan in his own right, loved and feared, admired and hated. It was always lonely at the top, and he carried the burden of many crowns. He trusted less, he kept his walls up, he had withdrawn.

And yet none of that mattered here in this cave. He was no god here, no king, no Emperor. He was just Altair. Even after everything that happened. And everything that didn’t.

Altair opened his eyes, the amethyst hues taking on a brilliant sheen with the colors in the cave reflecting in them, “I would kill you anywhere else,” He said without turning around. His tail swished from side to side.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Theme​

It was as perfect as a dream.

From the moment Vahliri stepped back into their oasis, she could feel herself transported back into time. The refraction of a dozen crystals painted the cave in shades of cyan, purple and deepest blue - rippling and shifting with every movement across the lake’s surface. She could feel the sweet scent of blooming, bioluminescent flowers that hung from boulders and grew from cracks in the walls. She could hear the trickle of crystal-clear water that poured from cascading falls and rushed from the streams at her feet. And she could hear the gentle coo of the Mantra-Ray creatures, lazing within the pools without a care in the Galaxy.

It was precisely as they’d left it. It was the place only they could call their own. And for the first time in years, Vahliri couldn’t help but wish they’d never left.

An eternity has passed since that day, and it was reflected in the changes they bore. Vahliri stood with a posture straight and rigid - chin tilted up ever-so-slightly out of practice. The weight of her position had forced the half-Annfyn to change and adapt herself. To grow stern and unforgiving, in ways she hadn’t been before. To become ruthless even to those she cared for. To shed away all of the weaknesses and vulnerabilities perceivable by those beneath her. Trust was something she reserved for herself alone.

Every step carried her in pursuit of her ambitions - stepping into her role as Darth Tempest. As the Dark Lord of the Sith. And every step took her further away from the person that Vahliri had been.

And yet.. She could feel it all melt away, gazing upon those familiar crystalline pools. The rest of the Galaxy became a blur of color in the back of her mind. The Sith. The Empire. Raze. None of it mattered where she stood. For the first time in a long time.. She was just Vahliri Kahtal. And she felt the presence she had longed to feel standing only a few paces behind her.

“Anywhere else, I wouldn’t have given you the chance.” Her voice echoed off the cave walls in response, tinged by her native Induparan accent. Free from the modulation and robotic distortion of her mask.

Vahliri drew her hand through a nearby waterfall - watching as the clear water streamed beneath her fingertips. She knew that she could have led the Sith to their planet - and the Galaxy would have been none the wiser to their existence. But she never would.

Slowly, Vahliri turned to face Altair for the first time - turning away from the separate entrances where they’d come into the cave. She was adorned in her robes and armor - but the iconic helmet had been tossed to the side and forgotten. It left her black hair to messily cascade to the center of her back in loose curls, her every expression on full display. Altair would see those familiar amber eyes staring back at him - and he would see the streaks of yellow that had begun to eclipse their natural hue.

“But it isn’t.” She said quietly.

@ya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair slowly turned to face her and almost didn’t recognize the woman gazing back at him. He saw the yellow hues in her eyes, saw the way she carried herself and everything that led to this point. Was she really that girl that interrupted his performance to dance in the streets on Indupar? Was this really the girl that laughed as he fumbled his way through a boat?

He was frozen where he was, not even sure how to address her. As he kept gazing at her, he started to see things he recognized. He remembered those curls. He remembered the slightest twitch of those ears. He saw that same expression on her face - the one she had on when she wanted to say a lot but was afraid. When she had words for him just at the tip of her tongue but that she didn’t dare say out loud. Words she held onto through the rise and fall of an Empire, words she held back when she faced the likes of Anaris or Trelain. As she looked at him and when she knew he would turn on her.

And she would recognize in him that familiar swish of the tail, those same amethyst eyes not quite corrupted by Dark, that same slightly puzzled look when he was faced with realities that he ran from on a daily basis. That faint look of remorse as he watched her walk towards Darkness into a place he couldn't follow.

There was no Cairo anymore. There was no Ashla anymore. There was no acolyte squad, no laughter, no goofy socials, no leaning on each other through every hardship. Those days felt like the faintest brush of wind that touched them and disappeared forever.

“It’s just us…” Altair said out loud as he looked at her. His chest felt tight and he wondered how they arrived here. She looked as if a smile hadn’t touched her lips in years, and it probably hadn’t.

“Vahliri,” He said her name out loud. He knew no one ever did that anymore, “Vahliri,” He whispered it, letting the word flow into her ears. He was one of the only ones alive that could still call her that. One of the only ones in the galaxy that knew that girl from Indupar that always corrected him on his homework or shared homemade meals on the cheap floor of his dorm room. That Vahliri Kahtal.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

For several seconds, Vahliri was silent as a crypt - staring back at the Tiefling before her. Only months had passed since she had seen Altair last in person, but it was clear that the weight of his office had changed the man she had once known. He stood proud and taller than she remembered - his posture and composure reflecting a maturity that had developed over the years. He was a galactic leader and revolutionary amongst the Empire. An Emperor in all but name.

Even she could practically see the weight that pressed down on his shoulders. The stress that had begun to line the edges of his face. The loneliness that had come from rising to the very top of the Galaxy and above his peers. It was a sensation all-too-familiar, and one that the Dark Lord felt at every passing day. It didn’t matter how much stronger she grew or the Fortress she claimed for herself. The emptiness always lingered.

Despite all the differences, Vahliri still recognizes the man standing before her. The blank and frozen expression that he wore. The eager swish of the tail that she’d seen a dozen times before. Those vivid, violet eyes - free from corruption or changes. Eyes that were so easy to melt into. That had always brought her a sense of comfort and warmth. That always reminded her that he cared more than he could ever vocalize.

She didn’t miss the hint of remorse that etched across his features, but Vahliri made a point not to linger on it. For once, the half-Annfyn didn’t want to think about the path that had brought them here. The betrayals and pain that it caused them both. She didn’t want to think where they would be when they left back the way they came, nor the inevitability of turning on one another.

Years had passed since their first day back on Indupar - when they were both nothing but clueless Acolytes. There were a dozen different times that Vahliri wanted to hate him - with every rejection and heartache that he caused. A dozen different times that she had willed herself to move on, and yet never could.

He had taken her home in the Empire - making her an exile with the remaining Sith. And she still couldn’t hate him.

Because he was still Altair Din. He was still the Tiefling that had come back to rescue her from the fire on Zakuul, and had fought beside her through thick and thin. The first and closest person to her since joining the Empire. He was still the Acolyte that had cooked homemade food in their dorms and played his guitar when she was down. He was still the man that had brought her to storm that prison on New Alderaan, and for whom she had burned entire cities on behalf of.

He was still the man that she loved. He would always be her weakness - the one that she had carefully hid from Trelain and couldn’t rid herself of. He had been everything to her, and perhaps still was. Even as the Galaxy tore them in different directions. Even as Vahliri knew that she would never choose him over herself.

There was a clear swivel of her fluted ears when Altair spoke - calling out the name she hadn’t heard in so long. She couldn’t remember the last person who had used her birth name - nor the last time she had thought of herself in that way. Ashla and Cairo were gone. Arla had abandoned her. Her family had refused to say a single word to her since their exile from Indupar.

He was the only person that still saw Vahliri for the person she had been. He was the only person that she would allow to utter that name in the Galaxy.

Slowly but surely, Vahliri began to step towards Altair - closing the distance between them. She didn’t know what to say, or how to address the chasm that existed between them. All the regrets that she felt, from their fight on Eiattu to their opposing stances in life. All she knew was that she missed him dearly. And in that moment, all she could want was to have him by her side.

Within seconds, she stood only inches away from the Tiefling - her eyes locked onto his own. There was a million different things that swirled within her mind. That familiar gaze that he would recognize when the hesitation and fear gnawed from within. There was only a single thing that passed from her lips - the perfect pronunciation and warmth behind it recognizabable at once.

“Altair..” She said quietly, gently bringing her hand up to brush against his own. Fingers curling to squeeze his own, clawed digits.

 

[Altair Din]

Their fingers entwined, and it felt as if a jolt went through his chest. It was both exhilarating and agonizing. He doubted she would even retain the beautiful face she had now if they met like this again. Corruption was setting in on her, and she had made her choices to fully give herself to the Dark Side of the Force.

“We’ll come out of this feeling worse,” He quietly reminded her as he gazed at her, taking a step closer. They both knew it. They always promised to keep it in the cave, but it never stayed just in this cave. The ethereal beauty, the warmth, the haunting silence, all of it followed them when they left. All of it occupied their thoughts as they conquered one another on the battlefields.

But this was a tidal wave that couldn’t be stopped. There was no dam to contain it, and he selfishly didn’t want to build one. Altair leaned towards her to close that last bit of distance, tilting his head before his lips met hers. He despised himself for this, but he also strangely felt empowered. He chose this, he wasn’t being led into it. They were both vulnerable, both equally at risk for what this was. That didn’t stop him from kissing her, and it didn’t hold him back from curling his fingers into her hair or tugging at her clothing with unsatiated hunger in his every gesture.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped from her lips - feeling his clawed fingers curl around her own. Despite the years that had passed, despite the conflict between them.. It still brought that same sense of exhilaration to wash over her like a tidal wave. It still lit the butterflies in her stomach, at the mere way that he looked down at her. His embrace still felt like home - even if that was precisely what Altair had taken from her all those months ago.

The half-Annfyn brought her hand up to graze his cheek, drawing her manicured thumb across his face. She wasn’t blind to the circumstances. In any other place, they were enemies - and both of them knew what would need to be done. What was expected of them by the multitudes that regarded them as leaders. In any other place, Vahliri tried to convince herself that she wouldn’t hesitate.

But in that cave? All she saw was the man she had grown to love - through every year as an Acolyte and Champion. Through every hardship and celebratory moment. She saw the man that she wanted to see, and that tempted her to never leave that cave again. But she knew that wasn’t possible. She knew that nothing would change, and their promise to keep things trapped within the cave - hidden from view like planet itself - wouldn’t last. It would destroy them from the inside, and it would always be a risk of being discovered by those beneath them.

“I don’t care,” She practically hissed the words as but a whisper, leaning in to capture his lips for the first time in so long. Vahliri didn’t care what it would do to her - the pain she had already endured with Altair. She was the Dark Lord of the Sith. She would take what she wanted - and the only thing that she desired was to prolong that moment. To have him in her arms, until everything else melted away like water.

She didn’t hesitate to test at the clothes Altair wore, pulling the shirt from his torso before moving further south. The pieces of her own armor fell away bit by bit - falling as easily as the walls she had built around herself. Felled by perhaps the only man in the Galaxy that was capable of it.

Vahliri took several steps forward - pushing Altair backwards and against the wall closest to them. Desire was betrayed in every movement, and there was no attempt to mask it. Their conjoined bodies pressed back into one of the multitude of waterfalls that flowed through the chamber, showering the both of them in its warm, crystalline waters.

 

[Altair Din]

They had been here many times before, but it had never felt so forbidden. He was going against Imperial principles for doing this. Was she going against her doctrines? No, because Sith simply did whatever they wanted. One could argue she was the one winning here. But did it matter? He was no longer acting Emperor. It was all someone else’s problem. He could reclaim some of his individuality. He could make his own mistakes. He could commit sins. He could indulge himself in vices. He never advertised himself being a good boy, and he was tired of acting like it.

He was pressed against the wall, emotions running high. Altair gazed at her, his violet gaze gleaming. He didn’t stay there for long, spinning around to slam her into the wall instead, his hands pinning hers. The sheer force of it caused cracks along the wall, a dent appearing against the stone. They were both powerful beings, perhaps second only to the likes of Raze and the Grandmaster. Did they really need to hold back like they had been?

His fingers entwined between hers, the pointed end of his tail swinging up to mercilessly cut through her clothing till her bare legs were revealed to him. That same tail snaked around one of her legs, firmly holding her in place. Altair leaned in close towards her, “You’re mine,” He declared to her, “You’ve always been mine,” He almost growled the words. The boy she met years ago may have been too nervous to utter those words. But the man he was today was not.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri could feel her own heart pounding as Altair pinned her to the cave wall - sending waves of heat through her entire body, manifesting as hints of red across her bronze complexion. He was perhaps the only person in the Galaxy that she would tolerate relinquishing control to, and the gesture only added fuel to the desire that coursed beneath her skin. Even as the streaks of gold grew more prominent within her eyes, there was no mistaking that she enjoyed every bit of it.

Her every emotion was running on high, and it was an intoxicating rush. No matter how much it burned her in the end, Altair had always been her weakness. The drug that always beckoned her back, and the high that never lost its edge. There wasn’t a single thing outside of those walls that mattered to her. Not a single person's opinion, or the ‘values’ they were compromising. They were among the most powerful being in the Galaxy. They had the strength to seize anything they wanted - and he was the only thing that lingered on her mind.

Even as she remained pinned to the wall, Vahliri beckoned the Force - summoning tendrils of energy that snaked around Altair. She mercilessly tore at his clothes and any Imperial uniform, shredding anything that didn’t fall away without resistance. Until there was not a single layer between them, with only the bioluminescent pools to reflect off of his obsidian skin. His own words echoed across the cave walls, immediately causing her fluted ears to swivel and twitch in response.

Just as he leaned inwards, Vahliri lurched forth - capturing his lips without the hint of hesitation. Rather than a passionate embrace, the half-Annfyn kissed him before biting down against his lower lip, applying just enough pressure to cause pain and threaten piercing the skin. She tugged backwards ever-so-slightly, causing the Tiefling to lean forward before finally releasing.

“Then what are you waiting for?” She practically hissed the words against his ear, staring back at him with eyes of gold. There was no hesitation or fear left between them - not just then. Only the desires that had persisted through the years, no matter how many times they tried to put them to bed.

 

[Altair Din]

Music​

He knew what to do every step of the way. It was all muscle memory and he knew once again how to please her and how to make her writhe and gasp and forget who she was to the galaxy. None of that mattered right now - they had shed their titles and burdens outside of the cave. They were entwined as one, dancing to a rhythm of their own making, to tunes only they could hear and no one else. Just as it had been so many years ago.

Altair explored her all over again, brushing over scars old and new. For her part, she had many new to find on him. They were the product of all their mistakes and sins, but here they could wear them all openly. Here they could touch them, savor them, and accept them. Because they were still part of the individuals that sat together on the top of a roof so many years ago. When it was just a young girl that didn’t like being called princess and a shy boy that couldn’t believe his luck at scoring a date.

For all the ways they failed, for all the hardships they went through, for all the ways they vowed to kill one another one day, all of that crashed like waves against the foundations of their passion. He was reminded of it as his fingers curled between hers, as he felt her arch or sway and look deep into his eyes. He was reminded of it when he saw the way her hair messily fell over her face.

It felt like it was hours later and he still hadn’t pulled away from her. For a while they just laid there calmly staring up at the crystalline ceiling, watching some of the smaller manta rays serenely floating above them. His amethyst eyes reflected the cave brilliantly, his obsidian skin lined with sweat. He could lie here all day and for days beyond that.

Altair slowly leaned over to gaze down at her, taking in sight of her tired, yet content face and her messy hair framing it. The tiefling gently cupped the side of her jaw, brushing a thumb along her cheek. So many had fallen and burned. He had turned away from so many. They had all come and gone. In the end, it was just them again. Just like from the very beginning. The tiefling’s gaze met hers, searching in those golden tinted eyes, “I love you,” He confessed barely above a whisper, those painful, damning, maddening, tormenting, agonizing, cruel words that she wanted for years from him. Those words that could lift them to the highest stars, but shatter them to dust in the next instant. And he said it all the same, “Both in this cave….and outside of it,” A promise he was breaking right then. Tearing down whatever agreements they had prior. Here at the summit, where they knew it could be death for one or both of them after this, is when he knew it was time to shed the last of his chains. Perhaps when it was already doomed beyond salvaging. But he would die having liberated himself from it. She would know. Wherever she went after this.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

It didn’t matter how the Galaxy had repeatedly tried to tear them away from one another. It didn’t matter how Altair had betrayed the Order, or the vengeance that Vahliri had promised to the Sith loyal to her. Like whispers on the breeze, it faded away until itcwas nothing at all. Until the Tiefling was the only person left in the Galaxy, and his arms were the only place she could stand to be.

Against all the odds, the two of them had always found their way back to one another. They returned to the place that always left Vahliri wanted in the end - chasing something that never came to fruition. But it didn’t matter. She could feel herself falling all over against, and did so without hesitation. Altair had always been home to her - and every gesture seemed to reflect the familiarity and affection cultivated through the years.

Hours seemed to pass, and there wasn’t the slightest sense of urgency between them. For the first time, Vahliri took type time to explore the man before her - brushing over every mark and scar that lined his body. Across every place that the Galaxy had hardened over the years. Altair would see the prosthetic arm that had replaced her own, and every injury that she’d endured to claw her way to the very top. They were all the places and reminders of how the Galaxy had damaged them over the years. The bits and pieces that had been chiseled away. But it didn’t matter.

Beneath it all, Vahliri found the man that she’d loved from the very beginning - and the one she’d continued to love as he grew to stand before her now.

For all the times they’d been together, she had learned exactly the way to please and drive him wild - with every sway and passionate gesture. There was no hesitation or inhibitions left between them. It was just as that very first time on Dromund Kaas, and through every moment together throughout the years. She wanted to savor him for as long as she could, until exhaustion finally crept to claim them both.

Even then, Vahliri had no desire to break away from laying at his side - as the sweat glistened against her bronze skin. For what felt like an eternity, she laid with her arms curled tightly around his torso, leg layered over his own so that Altair could wrap one arm around her. There was nothing in the Galaxy that would motivate her to move. Nothing that would motivate her against staring back at the hair that messily stuck to his forehead, and the slightly dazed expression left on his face.

Cairo was gone. Ashla had left them to start something of her own. Anai, Wodan, Arla.. It all ended the same. It was only the two of them left, and that alone could have been enough for her. She could have laid there in complete silence - but it was Altair’s own words that brought her back to reality. Words that caused her eyes to go wide, head lifting off his chest for just that moment.

It felt as if a freighter had slammed into the half-Annfyn all at once, completely disorienting and catching her off guard. She almost didn’t believe the words when they passed the Tiefling’s lips - and yet she heard them all the same. They were words that had haunted her for years - tormenting her through the night, eating away at her piece by piece. They were the words that she’d always wanted to hear him utter and whisper to her, and left her wanting every time he fell short of doing so.

There was no controlling the flood of emotions that washed over Vahliri at once - palpable through the Force and easily detectable. She wanted nothing more than to capture his lips once again - to sink deep into that embrace and never let him go. And neither could she deny the terror that washed over her at once - knowing just how high they had climbed together. How far they could potentially fall, and the way it would almost certainly break them in the end.

But there was something more. It was the guilt that crept deep from the pits of her stomach - spreading like venom through her veins. She felt no remorse for what she’d done to Clove, and not even for ridding the woman from Altair’s life. But the pain it had inflicted upon the man she loved? It was a guilt that never left her. The knowledge that the worst of his scars were her own doing, and the happiness he once had was gone because of her. Could he ever know the truth? No. Vahliri knew just how badly it would destroy him.

And she knew that Altair couldn’t truly love the woman she’d become. The woman that had destroyed Clove just to prove a point, and believed Altair better off because of her absence. The woman that would tear down his Empire piece by piece, the moment she had an opportunity. She would always be the monster that Altair rebelled against becoming himself. It tore all new wounds throughout the half-Annfyn, aching with equal intensity as the joy and affection she felt.

In that moment, Vahliri forced all of it down into the back of her mind. The reality that she didn’t want to consider. Her leg swept over the top of Altair to pull herself into his lap, leaning over the Tiefling to gaze down at him. How many times had she wanted for just that moment? How many times had the words stuck in her throat, every time she wanted to tell him how much she loved him. She was one of the most powerful individuals in the Galaxy. Dark Lord of the Sith. And she was terrified all the same.

“I love you,” She said mere inches from his lips, forehead lightly pressing against his own. Her dark hair fell to messily cascade around them, and she could only lean into that tender embrace. “I am yours alone. Inside of this cave.. And outside of it.” The words were but a whisper against his lips, but Altair would hear them all the same. He would know they were genuine with every ounce of her being.

 

[Altair Din]

--

As they had said, whatever began didn’t end in just that cave. He was surprised at his own actions, but he was far beyond caring. He knew how he was perceived - self centered, narcissistic, self-sabotaging, fuckboy, playboy, heartbreaker, class A bastard. He was probably all of those things or none, but he was done worrying about it. Altair knew it didn’t matter, because Vahliri - or more properly Darth Tempest the Dark Lord of the Sith - was probably just as bad if not worse.

And so he found himself back on Bandomeer gazing out at the endless valleys that led to the farm he grew up on. Vahliri had been here before, and she would know none of his family lived here now. Ironically it was Vahliri he feared would eradicate his home and family, and the threat of that was never entirely gone. He also didn’t tell her that the entire place was discreetly rigged with explosives - measures he hoped never to take.

For now, he had invited her here because he was still just farmboy Altair here. The neighbors still saw him as the next door ‘goat’. While that term bothered him in the past, he almost missed it these days. The tiefling was adorned in a simple tank and gym shorts, his usual default when he wasn’t playing Grand Marshal. Clove had their daughter while Altair was on holiday, so he took some time to visit his home.

“You got a proper home these days?” He asked Vahliri as he overlooked the scenery, "Or do you just sit ominously on a throne and drink the blood of your enemies now?" Altair teased with a grin. This was the first time they had met up since Dathomir. Altair hadn’t broken the news of Aadya’s death yet, but Vahliri would have noticed the green lightning scar across his chest.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri could hardly remember the last time she’d paid a visit to Bandomeer. It had been years, during a time when Cairo and Ashla were still close and in regular contact. When they were all younger and their lives were significantly simpler, hardly recognizable to the people they’d gradually become. Perhaps the only thing that hadn’t changed from those days was the love that she still felt for Altair - cultivated over the course of years.

Despite every heartbreak and fight between them. No matter how many times she’d tried to rip him out of her thoughts. Nothing ever worked. Whether the Tiefling knew it or not, his hooks and barbs were embedded deep into her soul - and Vahliri was done fighting against them. They were the last of her chains to break, until the inhibition and hesitations were gone.

She knew what started in that cave would evolve into something more - and Vahliri embraced it, regardless of how it could destroy her. The half-Annfyn knew all the ways backfire on her - the dissent it would stew amongst her own followers if it was ever discovered, and couldn’t be bothered to care. There wasn’t a single person strong enough to challenge her, and she knew just how much Altair was risking in contrast. They would both walk the edge of disaster together, exhilarating and freeing as it was.

For just that moment, Vahliri didn’t give any of it a second thought. Instead, her thoughts were only on the present and physical. The gentle brush of breeze that caressed her face, rustling through the waves of her black hair. The warmth of the Bandomeer sun that reflected shimmers of gold across a lake, far across the valley before them. The familiar presence of the man standing just beside her - without the titles or rivalries that separated them.

Some things never changed, and that could certainly be said for her wardrobe. She was dressed in an expensive pair of jeans and off-the-shoulder blouse, coupled with a fur line jacket over the top. Her outfit was accessorized with tall boots and a pair of earrings that dangled from her fluted ears.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” She rolled her eyes, still staring across the fields before them. “Bathing is the preferred use for the blood of my enemies.” Vahliri finally glanced back at him. “All of the horror flicks have taught you nothing,” As she began to walk down the hill, Vahliri leaned over to jam her elbow into his arm - nudging him as she began to stroll into the taller grass.

The question, of course, still lingered on her mind. Mustafar was hers. Thule was hers. But were any of those places truly home? Indupar was lost to her and her family, and it was a blow her own kin hadn’t forgiven her for. There was a moment of silence before she glanced back, the faintest smile tugging at her lips.

“My ship - the Starblossom-class.” Altair would immediately recognize the yacht as the very same that Vahliri had claimed for herself on conquest - the single token she’d taken after ravaging New Alderaan. All of it had been for him, vengeance against anyone who had dared to imprison and torture the Tiefling. The fact that the ship had survived all the years and poor flying incidents was impressive in of itself.

“I’m sure they have you living in luxury now, Grand Marshall.” She said with a smirk. “Nice penthouse on Raxus, private gym..” The half-Annfyn couldn’t contain any hint of seriousness. “I’ll bet you and the Emperor are best neighbors.

Shaking her head, Vahliri only made it a few more steps down the hill. Before she even reached half way down the slope, the half-Annfyn couldn’t help the question that had gradually begun to resurface within her mind - appearing as they approached the same crossroads they always found themselves at.

It was a question that was always dodged and danced around - and yet, for the first time, Vahliri believed that this might be different. Taking in a breath, she finally turned to glance at the man beside her. “What are we, Altair?” She finally said. The words would likely hit the Tiefling like a truck, but it was a question they both knew was coming eventually.

She glanced around. At the home that he brought her too - to the place that was most important to him. “We’ve been down this road so many times, haven’t we?” How many times had they begun to grow close to one another. To find comfort in each others arms and linger there. It always ended the same.

“You know what I feel for you. You know what I want from you.” She met his gaze just then, amber eyes piercing into his own. “I want to call you my own - regardless of what the Galaxy brings.” Her hand brushed against his own, nails grazing the tops of his digits.

She exhaled a single breath through her nostrils. “But.. This time, I want to know what you want - before we take another step.”

 

[Altair Din]

“What a fancy way of sayin’ you’re homeless,” Altair teased as she admitted to living on her yacht. He grimaced as she mentioned the Emperor, “I don’t think he likes me very much,” He mused aloud. Then again, anyone that came to be Emperor would find Altair to be competition even if the tiefling didn’t want the job. Altair had the loyalty of the Imperials, and that made him a formidable adversary to anyone seeking power in the Empire.

They made it a few steps down before Vahliri paused. Unlike in the past, Altair wasn’t entirely shaken or surprised by the question. They had gone through this countless times over the years. She had tried to ask subtly and directly and each time he drew back from it. However, this time, he stopped and genuinely listened. If he wasn’t a clueless boy back in the cave, he couldn’t be one here now. He owed her at least that much.

Altair felt her hand brush against his, and he didn’t draw away this time. Instead, he entwined their fingers, turning to face her fully, “I’m your man, Vahliri,” He stated, “Ain’t no ifs or buts this time,” Altair exhaled as he brushed a thumb over the top of her hand, “Are you wantin’ to be my girl though? It ain’t just me no more. I got a kid..” He trailed off. It was not as simple as it was back then. Was she ready to be a presence in his child’s life? Was he prepared to have a presence in Zara's life that was the Dark Lord of the Sith?

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri rolled her eyes when Altair called her homeless. There was almost certainly a joke to be made that he’d been the one to evict her in the first place, but she opted against it for the time being. Instead, she merely arched a brow when Altair revealed the Emperor didn’t particularly like him. It was a fact that the half-Annfyn didn’t find entirely surprising upon further thought, but it still gave her pause nonetheless.

Altair was Force Sensitive. Even if he’d disavowed them, he was former Sith - and his method of coup was an almost perfect execution of their methodology. Most importantly, the Tiefling was a revolutionary with immense support, and would always present a threat to established power and authority

“Does that bother you?” She asked, though the question was more rhetorical than not. As a Sith, that sense of anxiety and fear evoked was something to relish. It represented the power and influence an individual could project onto others, without ever having to lift a finger. But Altair wasn’t Sith - and she couldn’t help but wonder where he wanted his career to lead in the Empire.

None of that, though, was what Vahliri opted to focus on. Her amber gaze drifted to capture those familiar violet eyes, just as she’d done a thousand times before. She lingered there - frozen in time - as her words hung in the air. There was a part of Vahliri that expected Altair to pull away. To dance around the question and change the subject and leave her wanting yet again.

But he didn’t. For the first time, Vahliri could tell he was listening - and the words that followed were enough to make her heart skip a beat. Words she’d wanted to hear a dozen times over, and that seemed to bring a smile to brush across her features, genuine and bright, for the first time in a long time. She didn’t hesitate to pull him a bit closer, her fingers squeezing against his own.

“You already know I do,” She said, staring back at him. She was done trying to do anything but embrace the fact that she loved him. Of course, the revelation that Altair had a child? That certainly gave her pause. Vahliri blinked a few times, unable to help the dozen different questions that surfaced at once.

For a few moments, Vahliri remained silent - considering her words before finding his gaze once again. “I am your girl, Altair. Yours alone.” She brought her hand to brush against his face. “You will always have me.. And I will be involved with your them as much as you want for me to be.” No matter what they were to each other, Vahliri would always be Dark Lord of the Sith. How much Altair wanted to bring the half-Annfyn into the life of Zara was a decision the Tiefling would have to make for himself. Regardless of the decision, the half-Annfyn wasn’t going anywhere.

“How old?” She asked after a moment, unable to help the curiosity that sparked.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair shrugged at her question, “When haven’t people wanted me dead, Vahl? All the girls back in the Sith thought I was the biggest tool - you included,” He added with a wink, “The entire Sith Order wants to kill me, two of my bros have gone missing…the Emperor is just the newest flavor of the week that wants to fuck me over,” He rolled his eyes, genuinely unfazed at this point.

He didn’t realize that Vahliri still hadn’t known about his daughter. It wasn’t exactly anything he had been actively hiding, so he figured she found out through her sources. However, the curiosity and slight confusion on her face suggested that there was a lot she didn’t know. Altair sighed and sat down on the grass, motioning for her to sit.

“Clove,” He said quietly, knowing it would cause some sort of strong reaction from Vahliri, “She came back…after a year. Turns out she been alive this whole time. She was pregnant,” He ran his fingers through his hair, “I didn’t even know it could…that I could..that we could..” Altair said sheepishly, glancing over at his..well shit, she was his girlfriend now, “I guess she thought we could pick things up where they were but I told her I ain’t doing that no more. I mourned her, so that entire chapter is closed. But I ain’t gonna do a kid of mine dirty, so I’m doin’ the single dad thing,” The tiefling brought out his EZPhone, showing a picture of an infant with tiny horns and big, amethyst eyes. Vahliri would see a tenderness in his face she had never seen before when he looked at his daughter.

“Sometimes I think about walkin’ away, ya know? Away from the Empire..bein’ Grand Marshal..” He jutted his chin towards his farm, “Just go back to that…raise my daughter away from the bullshit. I’m tired…I fought so much..I’m worn out… I never wanted all these grand titles,” Altair sighed, “That was always your thing,” He scoffed, “Overachievin’ all the time,” Altair quirked a brow, “I know you ain’t thrilled to ever be a step-mom, Vahl..”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

“You were a tool,” Vahliri said right back to Altair, following up with a playful wink and nudge with her arm. It was clear that the Tiefling wasn’t bothered by the disdain of the Emperor or anyone else - even if the half-Annfyn didn’t agree with the nonchalant way he handled it. She had little tolerance for disrespect from those beneath her, and the contempt of a head of government was dangerous.

To say that Vahliri was surprised was a severe understatement. The fact that Altair had a child of his own.. Wasn’t something that initially sunk in. The simple reality was that the Dark Lord had unofficially treated Altair and his family as off limits in spite of the schism, shutting down multiple proposals to assassinate his siblings or attack his home. Intelligence directly on the Grand Marshal was limited, and it made the existence of his daughter a new fact entirely.

Her jaw immediately tightened when Altair mentioned Clove - feeling a pulse of irritation that surged through her at once. The half-Annfyn had hoped the woman wouldn’t re-emerge for the rest of her days, forgotten and passed over by the Galaxy around her. The woman had done nothing but cause undue suffering for Altair, each and every time she ghosted or chose the Jedi over him. And now? She’d returned to merely drop a child in his lap. A bargaining tool to bring herself into his good graces.

Vahliri had to squint ever-so-slightly when Altair seemed surprised any of it was possible - but there was another host of feelings that bubbled up within her. The same sense of guilt for the pain she has inflicted on Altair, gnawing at her insides like a parasite gorging itself. New concern and anxiety had joined the flood of emotion, knowing just how easily the love and peace they’d found together could be shattered by the truth. A truth that Altair could never actually know.

She couldn’t help but soften when Altair brought up the picture of Zara for her to see - the resemblance uncanny at once. It was a side of the Tiefling that she hadn’t seen in a long time - almost certainly for years. It was fond and familiar, in ways that Altair almost certainly wouldn’t realize for himself. “She’s beautiful,” Vahliri said quietly, smiling back at Altair.

The half-Annfyn reclined comfortably into the tall grass - allowing her hand to brush across the blades that danced and swayed with every breeze. She listened while Altair spoke of his one doubts and place within the Empire, the endless fight that never come to a conclusion, even if the enemies changed. They’d been fighting since they were both barely Champions, and their positions within life ensured they always would.

“Do you still want to be in leadership?” She asked genuinely after a moment. Altair had risen to the very top and successfully conducted a revolution. He had fought his way to the top and achieved his goals, and the only question that remained was what came next.

“You could have been Emperor,” She said after a moment, tilting her head towards him. “And remain the most influential figure within the Empire. More than any other individual alive, you have the power to create whatever life you choose for yourself.” Whether he continued to lead the Imperial military or expand his own Kingdom in the south, Altair had no obligation to be bound to the whims of others.

“You know I’ll be there to support you. Whatever you choose.” Altair knew their positions in life - and he would know just how meaningful that simple statement was.

When the topic shifted back to Zara, Vahliri was silent - considering the last thing that Altair said. “It’s new territory,” She admitted after a moment, tilting her head back ever-so-slightly. The idea of having a child of her own - or being in the life of one - wasn’t something that Vahliri had considered in quite a while. She had no intention of ‘settling down’ anytime soon, and her position within the Sith only made children a liability for herself.

“I haven’t imagined myself with a child of my own or anyone else’s..” She glanced back up at him. “But I’m not against it. And I know that it’s important to you,” A smile tugged at her lips

 

[Altair Din]

“Were?” Altair scoffed, “Get real, babe, I'm still a tool and you ain’t into nice guys,” He stated flatly. After all, wasn’t Varyn a nice guy? And she had others pursuing her, and each time she never found what she looked for. Several years later, he had a pretty good idea why. They moved on and he found himself wondering if it was risky to share details about his daughter with Vahliri. However, if the woman was going to be his partner, he couldn’t exactly shield her from his life.

Her question caught him off guard - he had entertained the question, but no one in the Empire had the guts to ask him that outright, “Yes and no,” Altair admitted after a moment, “I don’t care about the titles, but I do believe in what I do for my soldiers. They been lookin’ to me for years now and I can’ exactly bail on ‘em now,” He shrugged vaguely. It was a non committal answer, he knew, but his loyalty to his men ran deep. If he was going to step back from leadership, it was only if he fully believed they were in great hands.

The tiefling laughed softly as Vahliri mentioned supporting him, “You? Support me? Girl, you got your own shit goin’, Miss Dark Lord of the Sith,” Altair lightly traced a hand along her thigh as she laid on the grass next to where he sat, “Kinda hot, actually. Big boss lady with everyone kneelin’ for you and shit,” He mused aloud with a chuckle, “I guess I always been into bad girls, and now you the baddest bitch around,” Altair shook his head, his hand sliding down along her leg to her foot to knead it softly.

“You been in touch with your folks?” He asked her quietly, his tone shifting from the sultry joking prior. He knew the ISC had banished her entire family from its borders and he hadn’t brought it up since. He couldn’t imagine his family being suddenly deported for good.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

“True,” She said towards Altair with a smirk. Despite the years that had passed, the half-Annfyn had never found a sense of contentment or draw with anyone else - even when feelings had developed for the other person involved. By now in her life, Vahliri has come to realize exactly what she liked in a partner - and precisely whom she wanted to be with. Though she said nothing about it initially, the half-Annfyn couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips at the word ‘babe’ being spoken by Altair for the first time.

“Don’t allow yourself to be their savior at the expense of yourself.” Vahliri said quietly, but it was a warning tone that Altair would recognize all the same. Sith doctrine taught its disciples to pursue their own ends and interests, and their own safety paramount. Whether Altair had opted to leave their Order or not, their lessons carried value.

Her thoughts briefly flicked to the Emperor, and she couldn’t help but wonder if the man was cunning enough to attempt removing Altair from the board. Accidents and failed missions happened all the time in war - and Altair would eternally be the face of those efforts.

Vahliri couldn’t help but smirk when Altair mentioned her own position within the Sith. Years had been spent dreaming of taking the title for herself, and the half-Annfyn never tried to hide the satisfaction she felt to be there. The smallest breath shuddered through her lips as Altair ran his hands up her thigh, amber eyes flicking upwards to melt into those familiar violets. Her smile only tugged wider when he mentioned the countless Sith that knelt before her. Without a word, the half-Annfyn leaned upwards - planting a kiss to his lips briefly. “Is it? And maybe knowing that you can get me to do the same,” She whispered against his ear - the implication behind the words clear and shameless as they passed from her lips.

She laid back against the grass as Altair moved to knead his fingers into her foot, letting out a small sigh of relief from the tender gesture. Of course, the question was something that caused her to tense visible. A long moment of silence passed before the half-Annfyn opted to glance up towards him again.

“I have, briefly.” She said, her tone lingering with the faintest hints of bitterness. “I.. Ensured that they were established on Thule and are protected. They will live as royalty for the rest of their lives.” The half-Annfyn exhaled through her nostrils harshly. “But they want nothing to do with me. They lost their noble status - their home - and thousands of years of family history behind it.” Her family had been established on Indupar since the days of the Old Republic, even if they weren’t the wealthiest. "They didn't leave Indupar without fuss." It was a loss of pride and status in the Galaxy that the members of her family wouldn’t soon forgive her for.

“I’ve done what I can to make amends for it.” Vahliri said, shrugging her shoulders ever-so-slighty. Altair wouldn’t have to guess that the sentiment of her own kin wounded the half-Annfyn deeply, but neither would the Dark Lord of the Sith beg for their forgiveness.

Her gaze flicked out across the horizon, watching as a few birds flew directly overhead. “How long as it been since the last time you were here?” She asked after a moment - knowing full-well that most of the Din family had relocated. “Has it changed?”

 

[Altair Din]

Altair had no response to her warning about letting the job consume him. In truth, he knew he ran that risk. He had given up his farm, his entire family was moved to a new planet, all because of his loyalty to the Empire. While he loved his men and they loved him, how deep that really run? One wrong move, and they could all turn on him. He carried the burden every day and he felt that pressure eating away at him. It didn’t matter as much before, but now he had a daughter of his own. Did he really want to get caught up in a role that could make her a target?

He was distracted when she leaned in to kiss him and he savored it. Altair barely pulled away when she whispered those sultry words. The implications were so brazen and naughty that he found himself grinning sheepishly. His tail swished from side to side against the grass. He missed this - he missed her unapologetic personality, the one that knew what she wanted from the very first day they mate.

Altair kept massaging her foot, letting his touch graze back up her leg again. He was entirely familiar with her body and he knew where she carried her burdens and aches. It was tenderness mixed with sensuality as they lounged around on the grass.

Her family life had been complicated from the beginning, so he wasn’t entirely shocked that ego prevailed above all. He gazed out towards his farm at her question, “Over a year..” He said quietly, “The neighbors have been tending to it but it hasn’t been safe to bring everyone back. I asked ‘em to stock up the food before we arrived though.”

Altair looked at her as he rose to stand, extending a hand to help her up, “Let’s go inside,” He said, guiding her towards the house. She had visited before, but it had been years ago. The tiefling stepped inside and basked in the familiar smell. It always smelled like flowers or fruits, and the distant sound of animals could be heard.

The tiefling made her sit down at the counter in the kitchen as he began to rummage through the cabinets, humming to himself as his tail swished around. He used the Force to casually float over a few different containers, “You sit there and look cute while I fix somethin’ up for you,” He said with a smile before.

It was perhaps the first time she was seeing him at work in the kitchen - all his friends knew about his excellent cooking, but almost none had seen him in his element. Within seconds, bottles and spice containers were being tossed and flipped in the air as he worked over the stove. It was as if he was a celebrity chef with how effortlessly he navigated his way around a meal.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t help the sly smirk that worked its way across her expression - a direct result of the words whispered against Altair’s pierced ears. She was shameless and unapologetic, and had every intention of making good on that playful comment. Even as she lounged back into the grass, the half-Annfyn didn’t miss the sheepish smile that the Tiefling wore, coupled with the way that his tail swished about happily.

It wasn’t until that moment that Vahliri realized just how much she had missed him. The sides of Altair that the Tiefling so frequently kept hidden away - buried beneath the formalities of his position and the countless walls he erected around himself. It was the side of him she hadn’t seen in quite a while, and took her back to the days when they were both clueless underlings of the Sith Order.

Her head tilted back into the grass, feeling all the tension and stress melt away with the massage from Altair. He knew exactly what he was doing, and it manifested in the pleased expression that settled across her face, toes curling and lower back aching as she stretched. All the while, her gaze never left his own - sultry amber eyes melting into the depths of violet. Her fluted ears swiveled and twitched as she stared back at him, and Altair would know the meaning behind the reaction well enough.

“It is,” She said quietly, staring back at Altair when he declared the farm wasn’t safe. There was no more complicated or lengthy explanation, but Altair would immediately understand the weight behind the words. She was Dark Lord of the Sith and reigned supreme. There were very few things that didn’t pass through her hands, and an attack on the Din family home most certainly would have.

She would never promise not to attack the Empire. She would never promise not to tear down the very foundations of what Altair had built. But she would take no action against the place that his family had called home for generations.

Vahliri accepted his hand, following the Tiefling towards the farmhouse. She was barely a Champion that last time she stepped through the aged doors, but the familiarity struck her at once. The portraits that seemed to line every wall. The sweet scent that filled the air. Her fingers ran across the corner that rounded into the kitchen, where dozens of notches were carved into the wood, tracking the height of each sibling through the years.

She smiled brightly, chuckling as Altair left her seated at the kitchen counter. From a distance, the half-Annfyn watched as the Tiefling began to cook over the stove - snagging one of Ma’s ancient cast iron skillets and a dozen different spices. For the first time in their history, Vahliri could only watch in amazement as the Tiefling swirled bottles of spice and threw ingredients into his skillet with practiced finesse. He was an artist working a blank canvas, with every aroma adding to the spectacle of what he was doing.

There was a tenderness beneath the entire gesture that made her heart beat just a bit faster. She watched the skill with which he moved. Watched the way his tail swished and hips swayed in front of the stove - and couldn’t deny just how good he looked while doing it.

Despite his request to stay seated, Vahliri couldn’t help but rise up from her seat - rounding the kitchen counter to close the distance between them. Her arms snaked just above his waist, wrapping around him while her fingers splayed across the front of his muscular torso. Her lips pressed against the side of his shoulder left bare from the tank top, planting a string of gentle kisses to his skin, teeth grazing lightly.

“I missed you, Altair.” She said quietly, nothing more profound to add as the Tiefling continued to cook their meal.