Author's Note:

Hello all! This is my first fanfic, so I welcome any comments, critiques, etc. Please let me know what you think. I'm better versed in the Mass Effect universe, but I really think that Lana Beniko is one of the coolest characters ever, and after playing through my LS SW, I thought that they make a great pair. Here is my take on them. I'm considering writing more in the future, but we'll see what you guys think. All rights go to Bioware. Also, at the end of this chapter I wrote out an email...this comes straight from the game (you will find it in your mailbox when you arrive in Odessen). Spoilers for SWTOR KOTFE ensue. Enjoy!

Two days.

That is how long it had been since their escape from Asylum, one so narrowly executed that Lana hadn't been sure they would make it at all.

Two days of listening to Koth and Senya bicker, of patrolling the ancient hallways of the Gravestone because she needed to move, of ignoring the frequent silences over the comm when HK would have likely made an interjection. Two days of planning and logistics and connecting with old contacts and potential allies.

Two days of waiting for him to wake up.

It wasn't quite so bad during the day (or, rather, what may pass for daytime on a ship cruising through space, for it was the time when most of the crew was awake and functioning). There was plenty of damage that needed repairing; more than once Lana encountered a door that refused to open upon her approach or a panel that had torn loose during the escape.

Late into the first day, Lana was walking the halls when she came to such a door. She had been helping Koth with repairs on the engineering deck, and he had asked her to look for a part he left at the last panel they repaired. What did he call it? A regulator of some sort? Lana huffed a sigh of irritation.

Technology, she scoffed. Manipulating the Force is far easier, and more worthwhile, than poking around in all of these electrical panels.

She paused in front of the malfunctioning door and, for what must have been the millionth time that day, scowled.

"Koth, we have another problem."

There was a muffled grunt and a curse over the comm. Lana waited, examining the door and the periodic shower of sparks it produced each time it attempted to open. "Koth?"

"What? Ah, sorry, this stupid thing won't cooperate...the capacitor keeps disconnecting and I'm in the middle of trying to recalibrate—"

"You do realize I have no idea what you're saying?" She cut him off, knowing that he would continue to ramble. "Listen, I've run into another malfunctioning door."

"Where?"

"Just down the corridor, to the left."

Koth's exasperation came in loud and clear. "What? We were just down there!" He paused for a moment, then, "What did you do?"

It was Lana's turn to show her exasperation. "Don't insult me, Koth. I've been trying to help you for the last few hours, and regardless of how crude I think all of this...technology is, I'm not completely incompetent." She sighed. "I'll try to fix it."

"You're right, I'm sorry. You've been very helpful today. Well, except for that one fuse box earlier…."

"Oh, shut up."

Lana had helped Koth with a similar door earlier. She found this door's corresponding control panel nearby and opened it up, then began to examine the various wires and components within. It looks to be mostly intact, based on what Koth was working on earlier, she thought, frowning in concentration. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it. The problem must be the door itself. She replaced the cover and turned back to the main culprit.

"So.…" Koth's voice came in over the comm after a few minutes, "You think he'll be alright?"

Lana paused, just for a moment, where her fingers had been running along the edges of the door, searching for some sort of obstruction. Something clutched briefly at her chest, a strange sensation, unpleasant and unwelcome. She suppressed it with a careful breath and continued her search. "He sustained a wound that would have killed a normal person. However—"

"He's not a normal person," Koth finished. "Yeah. I've picked that up." A current ran through his tone, ringing very subtly of bitterness, that Lana did not miss. She decided it would be better not to address it. When he spoke again, however, it was gone: "Well, I know he'll be alright. The man is an unstoppable force—pun intended. Besides, it's his destiny to defeat Arcann. That much should be obvious by now."

Lana rolled her eyes, but in truth, she had begun to wonder. Perhaps, in some small way, destiny did play a part in Caius' path. She stepped away from the door and shook her head. I've been spending far too much time around Koth and his "destiny" rants. In any case, I do know that destiny is not going to fix this door. And I've found nothing.

Koth must have heard Lana's frustrated grunt. "Having trouble over there?" He asked.

"No, not at all. I've just found the problem, actually."

"Lana…."

"What?"

"I know that tone. You're about to do the lightning thing, aren't you? Please don't do the lightning thing."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'll be back with the part you need in a moment."

Lana found Koth in the same state she had left him in, kneeling beside an opened panel, tinkering with the wires inside. He looked up to acknowledge her when she entered. "About time," he said.

"Excuse me?" Her golden eyes narrowed dangerously, and she levitated the part into the air when Koth reached for it.

"Hey! Ah...I mean, thanks. It's been a long day." Still glaring at him, Lana lowered it through the air and into his palm. He began installing it, casting her a suspicious look over his shoulder. "You broke the door, didn't you?"

Lana crossed her arms and leaned back on one foot, regarding him. "It was already broken."

"So, that's not a 'no'. You broke it."

"I opened it."

Koth wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and readjusted his goggles, then grunted noncommittally. "Whether or not it closes, however, is an entirely different matter," Lana added, as if it were an afterthought.

Koth straightened. "Seriously?"

"What? You asked for my help, Koth. If you don't like my methods, then don't ask next time." Koth grumbled something under his breath, then sighed.

"Well," he conceded, "At least it's open. I'll work on it later. That is, assuming there's anything left to work on." He turned back to the panel and snapped something into place. Their section of the hallway, which had been relatively dark just before, came to life. A whirring noise accompanied the return of several lights above them. "Finally!" Koth smiled widely and began replacing the panel in front of him, carefully fastening the edges. Lana shifted her weight to center and clasped her hands behind her back, returning to her accustomed parade rest. Koth brushed the dust from his knees as he stood.

"Excellent," Lana said, watching him steadily. Her golden eyes unnerved him at times, and he looked away.

"Right, well, maybe we should call it a day. Before you break anything else, that is."

Lana raised a blonde eyebrow at him. "Yes. I have other things I should attend to. Do try to get along with Senya, Koth," she said as she turned to go, "It wouldn't do to have you two kill each other before we reach our destination."

Koth snorted and waved her away. "No promises. And, hey..." Lana paused, her back still to him, "I know you're worried about him—yes, I can tell, Miss Nothing-phases-me-super-intense-Sith-lady—since when do you help with electrical issues?"

Lana opened her mouth to protest, but he continued. "It's okay. That you're worried, I mean. But I meant what I said: he'll be alright. I'm sure of it."

Lana remained for a moment, hands still clasped behind her back, again suppressing that tightness in her chest, unpleasant and unwelcome. Then she lifted her head to look at the steady lights above them. "Thank you, Koth," she said, and continued down the hall.

She knew what that tightness was now. It was worry.

Lana did not venture into the med bay that evening until it was very late, long past the time when most of the crew had gone to sleep. The room was relatively small for the size of the Gravestone; there were only two beds, and a kolto tank stood against the far wall. Upon her arrival she was greeted by C5-Z4, the resident medical droid, which had been brought on by Koth's crew when they had first arrived at Asylum.

"Greetings, my lord," it said, the yellow of its headlamps blinking softly.

"Hello, C5." She hesitated. On the bed nearest to the wall, Caius was sleeping quietly, his breath coming in slow, shallow draws. Lana could see the thick bandages binding his chest and abdomen where Arcann's saber had gone through. She looked back to the droid. "How is he?"

"He has been improving at a slow but steady rate. He was removed from the kolto tank five hours and twenty-seven minutes ago. Since then, he has remained stable. I do not believe that he will need the tank any longer, my lord." Lana took a step closer, attempting to get a better look at his bandages. C5 held out a datapad for her, inclining its head. "This contains my extensive reports and assessments on Lord Wrath's condition since he arrived. You may find it useful."

"Thank you, C5." Lana took the datapad and began reading over the various charts. After some time, during which the droid ran two more scans of Caius' wounds and prepared his anticipated medications for the morning, it turned back to address Lana.

"Do you require any further elaboration, my lord?"

"No, C5. You have been very helpful. Thank you." She handed the datapad back to the droid. "Actually, I was going to say that I can watch him for the rest of the night. You may power down...I will wake you if he needs anything."

"Thank you, my lord. Please do take time to rest, as well. I am ninety-eight percent certain that Lord Wrath will not require any further interventions tonight." With that, the droid positioned itself near the door, and its lights blinked off.

Left alone with the dull hum of the ship's engines and the soft bubbling of the kolto tank behind her, Lana found a chair and brought it to Caius' side. She sat beside him, again studying his bandages. Apart from his major wound, Caius had sustained several burns and lacerations, clustered on the right side of his body, both from his battle with Arcann and from the destruction of the Scions' hideout afterward. His right arm was wrapped in a thin layer of medicated gauze. Only the tips of his fingers were visible, and those looked dark and bloodied in comparison to his normally pale skin.

His face, however, was only slightly bruised, and a few cuts marked his right cheek. It looked as though they would heal nicely. Lana's eyes traced the long lines of the perpendicular scars cutting across his face; one, along his cheekbones and across the bridge of his nose; another, beginning above his right brow, and running down to bisect his mouth and chin. She realized that she hadn't asked him how he got those scars yet. Lana wondered if they, too, were from a lightsaber. It's highly likely, she mused, given all that he has been through. And there will be much more to come…. The thought came heavily, and Lana sighed.

"We ask too much of you," she said. She reached out, tentatively and before her logical mind could stop the movement, to brush a lock of jet black hair from his face. Caius did not stir.

Lana sat beside him for a long while, listening to the gentle hush of his breaths. Although she could not—would not—admit it to her crewmates, his presence brought her some sense of peace. She measured each inhale, breathed in with it, held onto it, for it reminded her that he was here, safe, close enough that she could protect him from further harm. For the moment, at least.

Lana had always had a strong connection with the Force. It was one of the things, she believed, that had drawn her and Caius together. She had known from the first moment she met him that his connection with the Force was altogether different from most of the Sith around her. There was power there, yes, and a deep sense of conviction, of purpose, but there was also a certain...how would she describe it? A certain light. It was there, carefully concealed and fortified, but bright nonetheless. She saw it more and more as she spent time with him. Lana focused in on that light now, reaching gently for it, and though there was another presence there—subtle, but dangerous—it did not go near the light. Like a gentle flame, Caius' connection seemed to flicker quietly as she reached out with her senses; the tightness in her chest continued to ease, and Lana sat back once more. She allowed herself a small smile. "Rest well, love," she said, and then she picked up her personal datapad and began to type.

We'll be arriving in Odessen soon. I don't know when we'll have a moment to simply talk, but I need to get something off my chest. I knew going into this fight, sacrifices would be necessary. Such is the nature of war. But seeing the damage you suffered at Arcann's hands…. You should be dead. I spent the last five years searching for you because I knew you were our only hope for victory, but I didn't think about the toll it might take on you. Koth did. He's always harping on those things. All I cared about was rescuing you so that you could rescue us. I wonder if that was unfair of me. Please know that I never take what you endure for granted. No matter what happens, the galaxy will be forever in your debt.