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sky-scribbles · 5 years

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4, 13, 26, 31, and 45 for zeth?

Thank you! I’ll never have enough of gushing about him :D

4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

Seeing what happened with Jomar and Leeha. He’d always assumed the Jedi were right when they said that romantic love led to disaster. But when Jomar asked him not to tell the Council about his and Leeha’s relationship, Zeth suddenly found himself questioning that. It looked like separating the two would leave Leeha without an extra source of comfort and support, leave her more emotionally vulnerable. Maybe… maybe it would be better to stay quiet?

Zeth will always set very high standards for himself and do everything he can to meet them. For almost his entire life, those standards had been the standards of the Jedi Code. But meeting Sith like Praven and Scourge, seeing experienced Jedi like Tol Braga make such huge mistakes… that started to make him wonder if the Code was as infallible as he’d been told. Jomar and Leeha were the final push he needed. It was time to stop blindly accepting the Jedi’s standards, and start to set his own. I don’t think he could ever have fallen for Theron or led the Alliance without that change.

(The only person who knows is Kira, since she accompanied him on that mission and talked him through his existential crisis afterwards. She’s a gift and I don’t know what pre-character development Zeth would have done without her.)

13. Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

He’s not squeamish - he’s been shot, stabbed, burned, bludgeoned and dropped from great heights constantly since he was a Padawan. You sort of get used to it. It does bother him in a way, though: he’s meant to protect his allies, and, if he can, cause little harm to his enemies. If anyone’s bleeding, it means he didn’t keep his friends safe, or that he’s had to cast mercy aside. Blood means he’s failed.

26. How does your character behave around children?

He flusters. He hasn’t interacted much with kids since he was one himself, and he just… doesn’t trust himself to get it right. How do you keep kids from running wild without being too hard on them? How do you make allowances for them while also not patronising them? So he tends to do what he does in all situations where he thinks he’s going get it wrong: he avoids them.

He really needn’t worry so much; he’s a lot better with kids than he thinks. He’s naturally gentle and affectionate, so once he actually starts talking to a kid, he’s great at making them feel like they’re safe and being taken seriously. Interacting with the kids on Odessen (aka the kids of my other OCs) is helping him stop overthinking it so much, and if he and Theron ever become dads, Zeth will do a great job.

31. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

At the end of a day, in his own private space (either his cabin on the Defender or his room on Odessen) spending some quiet time with a book or a fluffy holomovie, and a cup of tea. The presence of Theron or one of his close friends is always a nice bonus, too.

45. What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

Whatever it means to become one with the Force, Zeth’s content with it. He’s ok with not existing as an individual after his death - if anything, he’d prefer not to. It would take a massive feeling of unfinished business for him to linger as a Force ghost; after how much he’s been through, and how hard he’s fought, he really hopes his life ends with just quiet and calm and rest.

#swtor #swtor jedi knight #oc: zethak menet #this perfectionist disaster honestly #i should really have a tag for ask responses #sky answers stuff #koshouu

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thievinghippo · 6 years

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Fic Update: Pragmatic Dreams (26/28)

Fandom: swtor

Chapter Title: A Plan Appears (Read on Ao3!)

Pairing: Lana Beniko/female Jedi Knight

Rating: Teen

Summary: When Darth Marr’s flagship is destroyed, the galaxy mourns the loss of a leader of the Jedi Order. And Lana Beniko mourns the loss of her lover. But when secrets are uncovered, Lana realizes that the only way to save the galaxy might just be to tear it apart, all for the woman she loves.

“So what if I said I had an idea?” Theron asked, leaning back in his chair at the conference table.

“It would truly depend on the sort of idea we’re talking about,” Lana said. Theron’s ideas tended to either be quite good or completely unfeasible. Somehow, after all of this time, he had yet to figure out how to find a balance of any sort.

“We talked about finding someone to bring on board to lead the tech division, right?”

Lana could hear the eagerness in his voice and hoped she wouldn’t have to dismiss his idea right away. “I do recall, yes,” she said. Ideally they would get someone in place as quickly as possible. She had tried a few contacts within the Empire, but none were willing to pick up and move to Odessen for the duration of the war, however long that lasted.

And that was part of the problem. Lana had absolutely no idea just how long this war could last. She had entered in scenario after scenario into her database, changing variables each time. Her results were laughable. One scenario showed the Alliance being crushed within a month after Maebry’s rescue. Another showed the downfall of the Zakuulan Empire within two years. The worst was the one predicted the war lasting forty years, with close to half the galaxy’s population being killed, before Zakuul triumphing in the end. Lana would do whatever she needed to do to make sure that specific scenario never came to light.

When her contacts asked how long Lana truly didn’t even know what to tell them any more. The base, at least, was specifically being planned with the long-term in mind. Plenty of space for ships and for soldiers and workers. Though those berths and bunks went empty for now. But only for now.

“Okay, just hear me out,” Theron said. “You heard about Makeb and some of the drama there, right?”

Lana nodded. “Of course. I might not have been Minister of Sith Intelligence back then, but what happened was well known. My personal shuttle is retro-fitted with an Isotope-5 engine.”

“Wait, I thought the Republic had all of the Isotope-5,” he said, looking somewhat offended. He glanced down at teeseven, who was right next to Lana. The astromech had become her shadow since its arrival on Odessen and she could admit she didn’t quite mind. Having a physical connection to Maebry again, strengthened her, she found. “Did Master Maebry-”

T7 = surprised as well // Lana = knew of supply?

“Oh don’t act so surprised that the Empire was able to get their hands on some of the Isotope,” Lana said, holding back an annoyed sigh. Why did they need to look so disappointed? They both understoodd how the Empire worked. “The Empire is usually quite good at what it does, you know.”

“I’ll give you that one,” Theron said. “So there was this scientist there, Doctor Oggurobb. He might be the guy we’re looking for.”

In her head, she flipped through her various contacts, but found she couldn’t place the name. “That name almost sounds Huttish,” Lana said.

“Because he is.”

Praven, also sitting at the table, cleared his throat. “I’m afraid we don’t have the proper facilities for a Hutt,” he said, sounding almost apologetic.

Lana reached out her hand to Theron, who handed over his holopad without a word. She quickly scrolled through his credentials, which she could admit were quite impressive. Theron did his homework, including testimonials from projects the Hutt had managed, and even some results from non-classified projects. Of course, there was the biggest selling point, that she didn’t have a candidate of her own.

“Praven,” Lana said. “If the Alliance considered bringing a Hutt to Odessen, how much additional work would need to be done?”

“A fair amount, to be perfectly blunt. It would have been a great deal easier if we had planned for a Hutt from the very beginning. We’ll have to widen hallways and change our service elevators,” Praven said as he picked up his holopad. As he started making notes, he added, “A challenge, certainly, but my team will be up to the task. It will however, set back the base’s completion date.”

“Sounds like an okay price to pay for the right guy,” Theron said, taking back his holopad. “Lana?”

Her mind wandered a bit as she worked out a decision. Strange to think that at this moment, Theron and Praven and all the other department heads looked to her as the defacto leader of the Alliance. If things went as planned and they finally had the chance to rescue Maebry from carbonite, Lana would place Maebry in that role. Lana liked to think she wasn’t a jealous or selfish person, but a very tiny part of her brain wondered if she would resent Maebry down the road. She couldn’t ever imagine actually being upset with her lover, especially over something like this, but stranger things have happened.

The feelings simply made no sense. Lana’s never sought the spotlight. Ever. She would be much more confident as Maebry’s advisor. Yet Lana had her pride, which had been one of her main faults since she discovered the Force. Would anyone currently in the Alliance think less of her if she stepped aside to make room for Maebry? In the end, it didn’t matter. Lana’s job was to have the foundation of the Alliance ready for Maebry. And truth be told, the galaxy wouldn’t unite to follow Lana Beniko. They would unite for Master Maebry of the Jedi Order.

“I agree,” Lana said, keeping her voice crisp. “Surely a bit of a setback won’t be too much of a hardship on the crew.”

“Indeed not,” Praven said, not looking up from his holopad. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

Hylo Visz, Bey’wan Aygo, Sana Rae, and now Doctor Oggurobb. Lana and Theron would keep up with their own spy networks. Once the building was complete, Praven would act as quartermaster and facilities manager. And Maebry would lead them all.

Someday.

Soon.

Lana?

“I’m here, Senya,” Lana said, keeping her voice low.

Enough progress had been made on Odessen that she now had a room to herself, off of the barracks. It was small and cramped but it had a door that closed and when she ran her privacy programs, Lana actually felt secure. Her room was tiny, though, compared to the room that Praven wanted to build for the head of the Alliance. Which one day would hopefully be Maebry.

She still hadn’t told anyone about having Senya as a contact. Impractical, no doubt, but truth be told, Lana worried about the reception. Whenever the truth did come out, Koth would be undoubtedly upset. Knowing Koth as she did, if she let it drop that Senya actually had taken it easy on him and his crew over the past few months, he would be even more angry. Some people weren’t born to be practical and Koth was one of them.

Do remember last year, when there was to be a celebration of Arcann’s reign?

“I do, yes,” Lana said, thinking back to that first night she and Senya shared a bottle of wine. They’ve shared several bottles since, when meeting on Asylum. Senya was always discreet at those meetings, wearing down trodden clothes and a hood to obscure her face. It was practical. Asylum would be in chaos if they thought the Knights had found them. “Nothing ever came from that.”

Disappointing, as it could have been an excellent cover to rescue Maebry. However, Lana knew they weren’t ready then. The work on Odessen’s base had hardly begun and she had been still feeling out potential allies.

Word’s been officially given. They’ve decided to celebrate the fifth year anniversary. About four months from now. Planning has already very much begun.

Lana still, folding her hands in her lap and forced herself to take even breaths. The Alliance wasn’t quite ready, but give them four months? They could have a plan. They could have a solid plan. Hylo already was starting to look for contacts in the Zakuulan underworld. With enough planning, she and a small strike team could get Maebry out of her carbonite prison and have her join the galaxy again.

And then…

Lana pushed that thought away, the thought of what might become of the two of them after Maebry had her freedom. That would be for the two of them to decide. After they were safe

“Please,” Lana said, hoping her voice didn’t sound too desperate. Just the fact that she said the word please should give Senya a clue at how badly Lana wanted the information. “Forward anything you can to me. Details, dates, plans. This could truly be our chance.”

I’ll send everything I can, Senya said with a curt nod. I’m trusting you, Lana. If this doesn’t work…

“It will,” Lana said at once. “I have the right people and the right resources. More importantly, we know what to do when the Outlander is free.”

Then the Alliance truly would begin. Lana closed her eyes, just for a moment, enough to remember that hint of a future the planet showed her the first time she stepped on Odessen. Maebry would walk in these halls. And hopefully Lana would walk right besides her.

Very well, Senya said. Expect the first data burst this evening, Spire time.

Lana checked her holopad. It was ten in the morning in the Spire. After all this time with Senya as a contact, Lana had learned that evening for the Knight was after nine at night. Potentially twelve hours from now, which would be in the middle of Lana’s sleep cycle. Well, she had been woken up for information far less important than this.

“Thank you, Senya. Truly,” Lana said, bowing her head slightly. She wondered if Senya would understand the meaning. A Sith bowed their head for no one. Though as Lana has told many people in her life, she was no typical Sith.

Thank me after you rescue the Outlander.

Senya disappeared from the comm and Lana deleted the record of the conversation. No doubt if they were actually able to pull this off and rescue Maebry? Lana would be happy to thank anyone willing to listen.

But first? They needed a plan.

At the incoming call, Lana sat up with a quick intake of breath. It was the middle of the night on Odessen and being woken up by a contact was not new to her. Still weary from sleep, she fumbled for her holocom and pressed a button, telling the caller that she would pick up in thirty seconds. If the call was important, the other party would wait. If not, they usually hung up, which wouldn’t bother her in the least.

Lana stood up and quickly put on her thick woolen robe, hoping the annoying chime counting down would end. It didn’t. Looking down at the holocom, she saw the ID, and tried not to go into an internal panic. Why, of all times, would they be calling now?

“Hello, Lana Beniko here,” she said, standing up as straight as possible, her hands behind her back. She had chosen a limited view, so Korin Zelka could only see her torso. There was no need for a member of the International Banking Clan to know that Lana choose to wearing fuzzy socks to bed. The floor was cold.

“I assume it’s the middle of the night?” Zelka asked, pushing her glasses up her nose.

“It is, yes,” Lana said. The clan had access to the star charts and knew exactly where Odessen was located. What they didn’t know was that the planet had a twenty-two hour day and thanks to the base’s position on the planet, they would have almost exactly eleven hours of day and eleven hours of night year round.

“Hmm. The damn droid told me I would be calling you in the middle of breakfast. I’ll get our conversions updated,” Zelka said. Lana had to hold back a smile. The Ugnaught sounded as if the droid had personally offended her. “Apologies.”

“None needed,” Lana said, holding back a yawn. Just when was the last night she had a full night sleep anyway? Some days it felt like she might never get one again. “Now that I’m up, I’ll be able to get an early start to my day.”

Zelka let out of huff of a laugh. “An optimist?”

Lana shook her head. Being an optimist is hardly something she was ever accused of. “Hardly. Pragmatist.”

“Well, then you’ll understand why I’m calling to check in on you. Some time has passed since our initial investment and we’ve yet to see any returns,” Zelka said. Any warmth from the earlier banter was gone, leaving a woman with only one thing on her mind. Credits.

“I did advise you, when this whole thing began that this would be a slow process in the beginning. We’ve made a great deal of prog-”

“And you just took out a great deal more credits,” Zelka said, holding up her hand. “Explain.”

Trying not to be too annoyed, Lana gave a brief rundown of the need for additional credits to make the base Hutt friendly. It’s something she should have considered from the beginning. What if funding from the Clan dried up and appealing to the Hutt Cartel their only option? Lana didn’t want to think that could actually happen, but better be prepared. If that day did come, they’d have a base they could actually show a Hutt, even lounge chairs in the cantina.

The pinched look on Zelka’s face told Lana the banker wasn’t impressed with the Alliance’s reasoning. Time, perhaps, to try a different tactic. “I can’t provide details at the moment,” she said, keeping her voice low. “But something big is going to happen. And the International Banking Clan will be rewarded for its patience.”

Zelka’s expression did not change one bit. Damnit. Why did warfare have to be so expensive?

“I’ll be expecting weekly reports until the Clan is satisfied with your progress,” she said, sounding sterner than Lana thought an Ugnaught could sound. “Weekly. Understood?”

Lana nodded, ignoring the pressure building up in her chest. The International Banking Clan sat safe in their offices while the rest of the galaxy fought and bled for their freedom. And they wanted to tell Lana, a lord of the Sith, how to do their job? The moment the connection to this holocall ended, she would be letting out a burst of lightning; already she could feel the electricity in the tips of her fingertips. Hopefully the walls Praven built would be up to the challenge.

“Understood,” Lana said, her voice clipped. What was one more report when she already was downing in them?

Zelka disappeared from the comm and without hesitating, Lana threw out her hand, and lightning shot out of her fingertips. She kept the stream going until she felt slightly weakened. Perhaps she was being paranoid, but she wanted to be at full strength whenever she walked around the base. More people knew about the base than she liked, at least at this stage. She wouldn’t be surprised if word had gotten out to Sith Intelligence and the SIS. No doubt they would be trying to place their own spies in the Alliance’s ranks. It was what Lana would have done as Minister.

Continued background checks would be essential. If anyone had a remotely suspicious story, they wouldn’t be given Odessen’s location, simple as that. Hopefully that would be enough to protect them. For now, at least.

Two months.

Each day, each hour even, brought Lana closer and closer to Maebry. It was maddening to be so close and yet so far. She found herself practically counting the hours until it was time.

“I’d like to go over the plan once more,” Lana said. She purposely made no reaction as the heads of the various departments all seemed to inwardly sigh. Everyone except Sana Rae, of course. The Mystic was damn near unflappable, seemingly settling into her life here on Odessen far better than Lana expected.

Admiral Aygo spoke first. “Have we gotten any new intel?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. At her shake of the head, he added, “Then I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of our roles.”

“Eh, humor the Sith paying our stipends,” Hylo said with a wink towards Lana. She appreciated the gesture, knowing that she wasn’t completely annoying everyone at the table. Or if she was, Hylo had the good sense not to let her know. “Never hurts to go over a plan. Though you remember the old saying…”

“Plans never survive contact with the enemy, anyway,” Aygo said.

“Exactly,” Hylo said. “So we’ll work on those contingency plans.” She leaned back in her chair, hands behind her head. “I’ve got a forger, working on some new papers for the strike team. I’m not sure if they’ll be needed, but in case orbital security decides to actually do their job because of the celebration, you’ll be ready.”

As of now, the strike team consisted of Lana, teeseven, Theron, and two former imperial block ops agents, chosen because they wouldn’t stand out in the crowd. Senya had sent Zakuulan clothing, baggy enough that light armor could be worn underneath without looking too suspicious.

If everything went according to plan - and Lana hated to admit it, but Aygo was probably right, things never went according to plan - they would make their move the evening after the first day of the celebration. Arcann and his entourage would be in one of the smaller Zakuulan cities on the southern hemisphere. After dark, when there were few guards around, they would make their way to the small shuttle where Maebry would be.

Take out the guards. Steal the shuttle. Then once safely out of orbit and on the way back to Odessen, free Maebry from carbonite.

A simple plan, but simple plans generally worked best. So many things could go wrong, though. Arcann could decide to take Maebry’s carbonite form into the hotel where he would be staying. Or there could be far more guards than the strike team could overcome. But what choice did they have? Storm the facility where Maebry was kept now? That would be suicide.

“Thank you, Hylo,” Lana said. She needed to stop and remember that she hired competent people who could do their jobs. Micromanaging would get her no where. “And thank you, all. I know this has been a stressful time. But truly, we’re close.”

So very close.

#swtor #lana beniko #maebry hindemith #hippo writes fanfiction

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fluffynexu · 6 years

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Day 4 - Surprising/Hidden Talent

prompt list - finished prompts

so the two sections are... def not close to each other time wise and don’t really have anything to do with each other except in relation to the prompt lol. but the first part does happen before the second part.

Quinn sat in the galley with a cup of tea as he filed away another report on the datapad. It was relatively quiet with the rest of the crew on leave for the time being. With yet another report finished Quinn leaned back in his seat with a content sigh. He took a sip of tea as Akrona came into the galley.

“How’s work?” she asked, rummaging through the cabinets and retrieving a container of tea leaves.

“Everything has been finished ahead of schedule.”

Akrona smiled at him. “Naturally.” She began to hum a quiet tune, waiting for her tea to finish.

Just then a memory entered into Quinn’s mind. Though the moment had been some time ago and he never gave it any thought, hearing her now made him wonder. Looking at her from his seat he asked, “Do you… sing, love?”

“Hmm?” Akrona blinked curiously, pausing before she continued, “Oh-I, er… why do you ask?”

“It’s just that…” Quinn’s gaze went back to the datapad laying on the table. “Some time ago Darth Nox had asked if you still sang… But I told her, no. And that I’ve never even heard you sing.”

She nodded slowly, staring deep into her cup. “I see… Why bring it up now?”

“You were humming and I was merely curious.” He shrugged, but spoke quieter. “I meant no offense.”

Akrona’s lips curved into a small, sad smile. “Malavai… I’m not—it’s fine. And you’re right… I don’t sing… At least… not anymore.” Her head hung low and her eyes gazed off into the distance.

Quinn figured it was probably best to leave her be. But despite his better judgement, he wanted to know. “Why? I mean… if you don’t mind me asking that is.”

“Quinn,” Akrona chuckled, “I told you. You can always speak freely with me. And no, I don’t mind.”

“Still…” He rose from his seat, walking up and standing behind her. “It’s nice to hear your reassurance and approval.”

Akrona took a deep breath as he began to gently rub her arms. She leaned into his touch and sighed, “The thing is, I used to sing for my first love.”

Quinn’s hands and body froze for a split second. “Your first… A Lord… Praven. Correct?”

“Yes.” Akrona nodded and pushed a strand of hair back. “It was one of the things we did… you know, to show love and appreciation and just to have fun.” She shrugged and turned to face him. Her eyes sparkled while her voice became light and airy. “He’d write me poems, carve small trinkets out of precious stones and rare, fragrant woods. But since I was never good at any sort of crafting I would sing for him.”

“I… I see.” Quinn slowly backed away to retrieve the datapad from the table.

“Malavai…” Akrona called out. “You’re upset.”

“No. Not at all,” he replied, unsure of who he was trying to convince. “I understand that you still love hi—”

She huffed slightly with a roll of her eyes, “That’s not it… well yes, I did love him but—” She shook her head. “The point is that I love you. Now. I miss him. That’s all. And I admit, I thought my songs had died with him. However…”

Akrona smiled, slowly coming up to him and took both his hands into hers. She gave them a light squeeze before kissing them.

She began to sing. The words were in Sith, the lyrics poetically described of great desires and love. It was beautiful and soothing, but something about the way she sang made it hauntingly sad… Akrona nuzzled his neck and kissed him as the song became a soft whisper in his ear before fading away entirely.

Quinn swallowed a lump, exhaling a heavy sigh while Akrona’s looked at him with misty eyes that pierced at his heart.

“It seems that I simply needed to find another great source of inspiration.” She pulled his face down to hers, capturing his lips in a warm kiss. “My dearest beloved.”

This was miserable.

Akrona waddled around the entire apartment with a large, swollen belly sitting and lying on different surfaces in a futile attempt to get comfortable.

With a frustrated huff she pushed herself off of the large couch in the living room. A part of her couldn’t wait until the baby was finally born.

“Ugh!” Akrona grunted at no one.

She trekked back to the bedroom in hopes of finding some form of comfort. As she turned a corner with the room door in sight Quinn’s voice called out from his study.

Tired and a bit cranky, Akrona humphed as she decided to visit Quinn before the bed.

“Yes dear?” she asked, dragging her feet through the doorway.

He sat hunched over his desk and replied, “It’s done.”

A brow ridge perked up. “You mean your secret project?”

Quinn nodded, getting up with a small, thin parcel in his hands.

With her curiosity piqued, Akrona walked up and reached at the unassuming package. “May I?”

“Of course.”

She smiled and quickly tore the flimsy wrapping off to reveal and neatly folded cloth. “Oh?” Unraveling it Akrona gasped as her eyes went wide. “Oh!”

The cloth was black, and made from a soft, light fabric. But what truly caught her attention were the details upon it. The border was embroidered with intricate gold patterns while in the center of it all was an extravagantly ornate Imperial symbol in a deep red with a stylized mowhef upon it. From this centerpiece there were numerous Korribani flowers spread around it in a cyclical pattern.

“Quinn…” Akrona’s voice was barely a whisper as her fingers slowly traced the small, fine details. “It’s… it’s beautiful!”

“I’m glad you like it.” He placed a hand on her belly, gently rubbing it. “I’m usually better at planning these things but I’m glad I was able to finish our child’s blanket before the due date.”

“Where—how did you—?”

Quinn smiled. “Aside from going through various data sets, I’ve always found embroidery to be relaxing.”

Akrona looked up from the blanket and chuckled, “Relaxing? Really?”

“Well I’ve always enjoyed the process of planning, the forethought, organization of patterns and colors, hand-eye-coordination with—”

She replied with a smile, “Yes, yes. I think I get it,” and kissed him on the cheek.

“You like it then?”

“Quinn, of course I do!” Looking at the blanket again, Akrona ran her fingers on the patterns. “It’s a lovely gift for our child.”

quinn’s talent based on this old HC post.

#swtor #malavai quinn #she sings and he embroiders #that's basically it lol #akrona #OTP: Imperial Culture Clash #jediprompts #oh and quinn's not really upset or jealous #he just has that perpetual feel of 'unworthiness' and anxiety bc he's 'just another imperial' while she's 'super special awesome sith'#>.<#(even tho she really does! love him and all)#cw pregnancy #pregnancy mention

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meatbag-status · 7 years

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More loose ends that just came back to haunt me

-My Agent light sided the final confrontation with Darth Jadus so he escaped. Whaaaaaaat happened to him? And there’s that ancient Sith asshole who was possessing Parkanas, but I saved Parkanas so that asshole’s still out there somewhere.

-Darth Lachris (sp?), whom you meet on Balmorra, was Darth Marr’s apprentice. What happened to her?

-The Esh-Ka the Jedi Consular recruited to the Rift Alliance. Where are they now???

-General Garza hasn’t said a peep in a while. You’d think she’d have a LOT to say about what Saresh pulled in KotET.

-Where the FLIP are Satele and Darth Marr? Yes I know we saw her helping rebuild Coruscant with Malcome, but she and Marr were like, “oh the force is telling us to leave you with your dick in your hands.” What was THAT all about?

-How the hell is my homeboy Lord…excuse me…Padawan Praven? He’s my boy!

-Wasn’t there a Killik/Empire alliance if you helped Vector? Yeah, there was. Why couldn’t I deploy a massive Killik, make that TWO massive Killik, armies when shit went down with Arcann and then Vaylin?

-I know Darth Vowrawn is still alive, but I was hoping for a more informal letter to my Sith Warrior. And maybe an invite to have drinks together and laugh about the time you owned Darth Baras in the Dark Council chambers. Or I don’t know, talk to him about The Hand hunting him down on Rishi. “Hey, Vowrawn. Wrath here. So wtf happened with that Hand business? Are those assholes still alive?”

-For everyone at home wondering, just what happened with the Agent’s droid disguise implants? Those things are still in there!! Is that how Watcher X appears to them and helps them undo their conditioning? Maybe it was their subconscious…or MAYBE it was the DROID DISGUISE!

-I’ve already mentioned this one, but seriously, just what is the Mother Machine up to nowadays? Has she cooked up any new and exciting species? Will she help with the whole Iokath mess? You know she would. YOU. KNOW.

-Speaking of Rakatan technology, a few of my Imps kept that Rakata in the mind trap from Tatooine and sent it back to the Empire. That thing probably got stolen…dammit. But WAIT! What about the Infinite Engine some of my toons stole from Revan’s Ongree slaves on Nar Shaddaa? Probably got stolen…dammit. Revan probably stole both those things during his “phase”. Dammit.

-Dude, my latest Inquisitor didn’t kill Harkun (Harkon? Harkin? Harken?). How’s he doing?

-Nobody ever said Nok Drayen died, did they? I can’t remember if Risha said he did. And Agent didn’t kill him. What’s that slimy, ol’ bastard up to…if he ain’t dead from carbonite…whatever?

-Where's Lord Cytharat? WHERE IS LORD CYTHARAT??? THERE IS SOME UNFINISHED BUSINESS THERE!

And NO, Bioware Austin, don’t just tell me all these folks got fucked by the Eternal Empire! The Esh-Ka do not go down easily!!!!!!!

#BALLS #I just want them to remember that we care about our OCs and the actually stories #jeez is that so hard??!#swtor #kotfe #kotet #long

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thievinghippo · 6 years

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Fic Update: Pragmatic Dreams (24/28)

Chapter Title: The Hangar Bay (Read on Ao3!)

Pairing: Lana Beniko/female Jedi Knight

Rating: Teen

Nighttime was lovely on Odessen.

Lana sat on the edge of what would at some point be the base’s main hangar, swinging her legs back and forth, like she used to as a child. This had become her favorite spot on Odessen, somehow. There was something about being underground yet being able to look up at the stars that thrilled. Behind her, she could hear HK-55 patrolling, even though she didn’t feel any sort of threat. The shadowbeasts kept far from the base, as they should. A cool breeze swirled around her as she looked out into the forest over the valley. Praven had ambitious plans for the base. One day, he hoped to build out there.

But for now, the essentials would have to do.

Her eyes closed as she reached out through the Force, wanting to feel Maebry’s pulse. A few minutes passed - the Force did sadly need time to travel - but then the familiar sensation washed over her. Not quite as bright as Lana remembered, but still just as comforting.

Sudden footsteps distracted her just enough to lose the connection. She held back an obvious sigh, wondering what sort of fire she would need to put out this time.

“You’re impossible to sneak up on, you know that?”

Lana looked at to find Koth standing over her. Arching an eyebrow, she said, “I’m quite aware, thank you.”

“Of course you are,” Koth said with a laugh as he moved to sit down next to her.

While there was plenty of space between then, Lana was suddenly quite aware that this was the closest they’ve been since right after Arron Prime. She pushed away thoughts of straddling his lap as they kissed, knowing it was another pair of lips, so many light years away, that she wanted.

“Is everything alright?” she asked as a way of distracting herself. “I hadn’t realized you were on Odessen.”

“Well, you did say we could consider this a port, right? Consider us ported,” Koth said as he leaned back on his hands. “My crew’s drinking in the cantina. They need some time to bitch about their captain for a bit before I join them.”

Lana brought up her legs, crossing them underneath her. “You think they’re disparaging you right now?”

“Oh, I know they are,” Koth said. “It’s fine. They’ll get out their complaints. Len will hopefully stay sober enough to filter out the ones that have no basis. Then best of all, when I go join them, they’ll all feel guilty for talking shit about me, so I get free drinks.”

A sound plan, Lana decided. Only one fault, though. “I don’t think the cantina is actually open for business yet, I’m afraid. If they’re drinking, they’re using their own supplies.”

“Of course they are. They’re probably drinking the good stuff, too. Way to take the fun out of everything,” Koth said.

The words were most certainly meant to be innocent, yet Lana still felt a bit of a sting from them. “I’ve been told that’s what I do best,” she said, folding her hands in her lap as she looked back outside.

An awkward sort of silence settled over them. Lana’s never been one to feel like a silence needed to be filled, but she knew from experience that Koth was the exact opposite. The fact that he wasn’t speaking made her wonder why he was here. Surely not to simply spend time together?

“Odessen’s pretty damn nice,” Koth finally said.

Lana nodded. “It is, yes. It’s going to work out very well for our base,” she said, patting the metal floor underneath her.

“This is the type of night where my mom would say it feels like you could live forever,” Koth said, his voice quiet.

From Koth’s background check, she knew both his parents were killed in a speeder accident when he was fifteen, leading him to live with relatives until he joined the Zakuulan army. In the years that they’ve know each other, Koth never once brought them up. She wondered why he did now and immediately scolded herself. Not everyone had motives behind every word and every look.

Besides, Koth was right. With the hangar lights low behind them, they could easily see the night sky, speckled with stars. “We’ll all live forever,” Lana said, keeping her voice soft to match the mood. At her darkest moments, that always comforted her. That someday she would be one with the Force, and people she cared about would be there, too.

“Not everyone is the Immortal Emperor,” Koth said, his voice sad as it always was when he mentioned Valkorian.

Lana kept herself from flinching at the casual mention of the emperor. “I meant we’ll all live on in the Force,” she said.

“And not everyone is Force sensitive.”

“It doesn’t matter if you are or not,” Lana said, leaning back on her hands to get a better view of the sky. “Everything is connected in the Force.”

“You know, I used to be so jealous of the Knights of Zakuul as a kid,” Koth said with a sigh. “Always thought I did something wrong since I wasn’t Force sensitive, like I didn’t believe in the emperor enough. Funny how things work out.”

Lana dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand. She wanted to correct him, explain more how the Force truly worked, but this was not the time. Koth was offering her an olive branch, a chance to be friends again. She would be a fool to refuse the offer.

Luckily, she was saved from answering when she heard new footsteps behind her. But these heavy metallic ones were easily recognizable as HK-55’s.

“Query: who would want to live forever?”

“Not you, HK?” Koth asked, turning to the side to look at the droid. The gesture touched Lana. So many people ignored droids, herself included before she traveled with teeseven. But Koth always treated droids like they were their own person. Commendable, that.

“Correct,” HK said, putting his blaster rifle on his back. “There is no need for that. New droids are made, old droids eventually lose their purpose. I hope to go out fighting.”

That gave Lana pause. “I don’t have a memory backup for you, HK. I assumed my mother had one for you.”

“Negative. Master Beniko asked, but respected my wishes.”

Interesting. Lana never assumed that droids would even have strong feelings about that sort of thing. How she’s proven wrong on so many things. “Understood,” she said. “If something were to happen, I’ll make sure your wishes are carried out.”

“With gratitude: Thank you, masters,” HK said before turning around and going back on patrol.

Koth craned his neck for a second, following HK’s movement. “Wait, did he just say ‘masters?’”

“He did, yes,” Lana said. “I’ve asked him to consider the advisors and some other important members of the Alliance under his protection. Honestly, it’s simply to give him something to do so that he’s not hovering over me all of the time.”

“I see how it is,” Koth said with a grin. “So you have him hover over me instead.”

Lana thought back, trying to think if she could have possibly given HK instructions that would cause him to hover. “HK hasn’t been hovering, has he?”

“Nah, but watch, now that I know this, I’ll manage to see him everywhere,” Koth said.

She felt no need to answer as another silence stretched between them. How long would Koth go before breaking this one?

Not very long.

“So you any closer to finding this magical Outlander?” Koth asked.

“Maebry?” Lana debated what to tell him. She trusted Koth, trusted him with her life, actually. But this was more important than her life. Only two other people outside of Arcann’s circle knew where Maebry was. The question became did she want to extend that to three?

She found she did. Another person knowing the truth wouldn’t compromise anything, Lana decided. Though she would have to conceal the fact that Senya knew. It had been hard trying to balance both Senya and Koth, but so far she’s managed to do just that. But as these stories go, one day, the two of them would meet. Lana would just have to hope that on that day, Koth would understand.

“We’ve found her,” Lana said, feeling a slight smile tug at her lips. “I know exactly where she is. We’re just not in a position to do anything about it yet. But we will at some point. And then she’ll come home.”

Koth didn’t answer and this time it was Lana who suddenly felt the silence uncomfortably wrap around them. She looked over at Koth, who had an expression on his face she couldn’t read. “What is this Outlander to you?” he asked.

Lana stilled, wondering how in the world Koth could have gleamed any information from her words. Yet somehow he did. She found herself wanting to do anything but lie to her friend and decided she owed him the truth. They had been working together long enough. He deserved that.

She sat up straight and looked ahead, out into the night sky. “Maebry and I were lovers,” she said quietly, looking down at her hands. “Once we’ve freed her, I hope that we will be again.”

She couldn’t be more truthful than that. Lana hadn’t given much thought to after - just getting to that point seemed like an impossible task some days - but she would like to think that she and Maebry would be able to find themselves together again. Too much had happened for them to pick up where they left off, but they could forge a new path for themselves, without worrying about being Jedi or Sith.

When Koth didn’t answer right away, Lana worried. A moment passed and Lana turned her head to meet his eye. His face still had that unreadable expression. “So you’re telling me that all of this, everything we’ve worked our asses off over the last four years has been to rescue your girlfriend?”

The injustice of the words stung. “No, of course not,” Lana said quickly. “She is much more than that. Perhaps it’s because you’ve stayed in Zakuulan space, but you don’t understand what she means to people.”

“Explain it then,” Koth said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“She’s a symbol of hope. People in the Republic celebrate her and in the Imperial Empire? They respect her,” Lana said, knowing she sounded like an idealist, but when it came to Maebry, perhaps that’s what she was. For Maebry, Lana was willing to set aside her pragmatic nature and embrace her hidden idealism. “That is… I wish I could make you understand just how rare that is. To have someone that both Republic and Imperials look up to.”

Koth stood up, but his movements were slow and had no anger in them. “And you really think she can save the galaxy?”

“I do, yes,” Lana said, each word more truthful than the last.

“I trust you, Lana,” Koth said. “Guess I’ll have to trust this Outlander, too.”

With a nod, Koth turned around and started to walk towards the exit. Lana refused to indulge in the temptation of watching Koth walk away, instead turning her sights out over the valley. Closing her eyes, she focused not on Maebry, but the planet itself. Something still felt slightly off. The balance was still there, but something had changed from the first time she stepped on this world. And it wasn’t the shiny new base.

Her holocom beeped then, the short, shrill beep that meant an emergency. At once she stood up, squaring her shoulders, ready to face whatever crisis had just landed in her lap. She took a breath and pressed the accept button.

Raina Temple appeared, her eyes wide as she cradled her right arm.

My lord?

Lana’s teeth clenched. Raina had given to calling her Lana over the last year. If she was using my lord instead, she must be worried about being overheard. “I’m here, yes,” Lana said, purposely not using Raina’s name, just in case. “What’s the issue?”

Raina’s right arm stayed curled against her body as she rubbed her eye with her other hand. We’ve been compromised. Darmas is dead.

“Are you safe?” Lana asked, her heart starting to pound. Darmas was dead? It didn’t seem possible, but she highly doubted that Raina would lie about that sort of thing. Less than two months had passed since she was last on Odessen. She tried to think if she had made some sort of misstep or a mistake. If it had been her fault somehow that this had happened.

Maybe? I don’t know, Raina said, clearly trying to hold back tears. She started to walk in some unknown location. I’m trying to get to our shuttle and get off the planet.

“Do you know what happened? Darmas was there for more than four years,” Lana said, trying to figure out how this operation could have fallen apart like this.

Darmas thinks he asked one to many questions about the Outlander.

Lana pursed her lips together, forcing herself to remain calm. So it was her fault. She had been pressing Darmas to get more information, to find out as much as possible about the building where Maebry was in her carbonite prison. But then she realized she was being ridiculous. Darmas was a cipher agent with more than thirty years experience. He would know the fine line to walk.

“The safehouse?” Lana asked. It felt cruel to press Raina on this, but the young woman wanted to be an Intelligence Agent. And Lana would treat her like one. “The data stored there?”

Almost four years had passed since Lana had first stepped on Zakuul and stayed in Darmas’ safehouse. Even though she had done everything she could to make sure she left no trace behind, it was inevitable. As much as she sometimes tried to be, Lana was not a ghost.

That’s why Darmas is dead, Raina said. She looked down at the ground for a moment, but when she looked up, her face was calm, almost accepting. He stayed until the last possible second to destroy any trace of our work. He told me to leave, to get out while I had the chance, and he would make sure of everything.

“Did you leave?” Lana asked, trying to make sense of everything. “If you left, how do you know he’s dead.”

Raina held up a small beacon. We each had one with the other’s life signs. He said he’d take his cyanide pill if he couldn’t get out in time. His life signs are gone.

“I’m sorry, Raina,” Lana said quietly. “Darmas Pollaran was an excellent agent and he died well, doing his duty.”

I know that, I know it’s important to do your duty. Doesn’t make things easier, Raina said.

“No, it doesn’t.” Lana looked out of the hangar into the night sky, wondering if she’d ever feel that sense of peace she had earlier this evening. Her most important informants, gone. She wouldn’t be able to go back to Zakuul unless there was an absolute emergency. Not when she was a known collaborator of Darmas’. If Zakuul’s Overwatch Agency was in any way competent, Lana would be arrested on sight.

I’ve made it the ship. I should be okay now. Darmas always said the orbital security was atrocious.

“Do you want to come to the base?” Lana asked. She didn’t say the planet’s name, just on the off chance that someone might intercept the message.

Raina shook her head. No, I don’t feel safe. I don’t think I’ll feel safe anywhere.

Lana wanted to protest, but technically, she had no hold over the young woman. She was Cipher Nine’s asset, not hers. Lana had just been lucky to double dip for all these years. “Where will you go?” Lana asked. “I want to make sure you’re alright.”

I don’t want to say outloud, Raina said, as she settled into a pilot’s seat. Fraeja will know. I’m going back to the agency where she and I first met. Ask her what that is and she’ll tell you, I’m sure she will. I still know people there, they’ll be able to protect me.

From her own background searches on Raina Temple, Lana knew that to be the Chiss Ascendancy. This could work, Lana told herself. She had absolutely no contacts in the Chiss Ascendancy. It didn’t come close to making up for the loss of her contacts on Zakuul, but it did take the sting out a bit.

“If you need anything, just let me know,” Lana said as she decided on a tactic. She hated the idea of manipulating Raina while she was in distress, but Lana had a galaxy to save. “When you arrive to your destination, will you contact me? I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

It worked. Raina nodded. I will. In few days. Her eyes closed as she looked down. But then she looked up, meeting Lana’s eye. I’m sorry

“You’ve done nothing wrong, Raina, you need to believe that,” Lana said, putting as much warmth into her voice as she could manage. “You need to believe.”

I don’t, she said, shaking her head. But I’ll try.

The holocall went dark and not able to control her frustration, Lana let out a burst of lightning out into the Odessen wilderness. How lovely it would be to have the time to give into worry or fear in regards to the situation. But that was impossible. She would find a way to deal with this.

She had no other choice.

#swtor #lana beniko #maebry hindemith #hippo writes fanfiction

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