A/N: Hello all! Well, I recently finished the SWTOR KOTET expansion, and to be honest, I was a bit disappointed in the lack of interaction with your companions (it was still pretty good, though). CWaW is set before this one and contains the same characters, but you don't necessarily need to read it first (forewarning: my SW is very LS for a Sith). That said, there will be spoilers for KOTET in this story. Please feel free to leave a comment/review, as I am always looking for ways to improve! I will do my best to be at least somewhat timely in updating chapters. All rights go to Bioware. Enjoy!

Lana did not necessarily dislike parties, but under normal circumstances she was not inclined to attend them. The few she had gone to in her life consisted of either undercover operations during her time with Imperial Intelligence or the occasional cantina visit with Caius and, now and then, with Koth, Theron, and the rest of the crew. It was not that she had anything against social gatherings or alcohol (apart from the fact that it dulled her senses, and as a Sith Lord and a master intelligence gatherer, her senses needed to be sharp, always), but rather that she simply did not feel as though she had the time or the luxury for leisure. There were ever more reports to file, more threats to address, more strategizing that needed to be done. She had given Theron some grief the last time he pulled a holopad out during a party, but in truth, she had been trying to push that nagging sense of there are other things I should really be getting done right now out of her own mind. That is, until Caius had arrived, and the nagging had gone strangely silent.

All things considered, however, today was not a normal circumstance.

It had been two weeks since the final push for the Eternal Throne. The Alliance had mended most of the damage left over from Vaylin's assault on Odessen with surprising efficiency; new recruits from the Empire, Republic, and Zakuul alike had come to rally behind the newly-christened Eternal Alliance after Caius made his speech and relief efforts for the Core Worlds began showing progress. There were still repairs to be made, but Lana predicted that within another week they would be finished.

Indo Zal had insisted that they throw the "Grand Celebration" right after the Alliance's victory, but Caius refused, knowing that many worlds would need to recover and rebuild after the bombardments from the Eternal Fleet.

"Besides," he had said, seeing Indo's immediate disappointment over the holo, "the more time you have to plan, the more grand it will be. Am I correct?" Thus satisfied, Indo had agreed to postpone the celebration for at least two weeks.

Now, Lana was leaning against the bar in the Odessen cantina, watching with a mild sense of amusement as Indo completed his speech (over the holo, as the "main" festivities were held on Zakuul, although those on Odessen were holding a celebration of their own). With a graceful bow and a flip of his heavily-gelled hair, Indo's holo flickered off, and the room erupted into cheers for the Eternal Alliance. Lana allowed herself a small smile; beside her, Theron stood tall and pumped his fist in the air, and Koth let out a triumphant shout.

"Glad I convinced you to come join us?" Theron asked her after a moment, tipping his head closer so that he could be heard over the commotion.

"That depends. I have yet to see you make a fool of yourself on the dance floor." She raised an eyebrow and fixed him with a pointed look, beneath which Theron shifted and chuckled. Lana smiled.

"Right, well, I think I need a few more drinks in me before I venture out there again." He crossed his arms over his chest, watching as people began moving toward the dance floor; a live band had already started playing. The music was loud, but not overbearing, a thrumming mixture of rhythmic bass and scaled, simple melodies.

Koth waved the bartender over and ordered several drinks; Lana watched as the droid prepared them, shaking one vigorously until it turned from clear to gold to pink. "Here you go, Theron," Koth said, sliding the vibrant drink over while taking one that was the color of Korriban's sands for himself. Theron gripped the glass in one hand, regarding its contents with the expression of someone who had just bitten into spoiled fruit.

"Uh...Koth, what is this?"

The other man took a long swig of his ale and let out a contented sigh. "You know, I'm not actually sure," he said, wiping the foam from his upper lip with one of his sleeves. His brown eyes scanned the crowd and came to rest briefly on a table in the far corner, at which Senya and Arcann were engaged in conversation. Arcann was turned so that only the right side of his face was visible from where the trio stood at the bar; his stern blue gaze was fixed on his mother, listening intently as she spoke to him. "But," Koth continued, shifting his attention back to Theron, "you sure seemed to like it last time we all had a break."

"I did? I don't remember that." Theron's disgruntled look deepened.

Koth chuckled, his eyes brimming with laughter. "I'm not surprised. By the time you threw that down, you were pretty far gone. Then again, I think I was, too...I do remember it that it was right around the time when Len and Tora passed out, though. And that's saying something. Anyway," he paused to take another long drink, "Don't worry. We know it isn't toxic, because you didn't die the last time you had it."

"What an astute observation, Koth," Lana said, eliciting a snort of laughter from Theron. Koth wrinkled his brow in a dramatic scowl, but only briefly, as he saw that the edges of Lana's mouth were curled slightly upward in amusement.

"Uh huh." He chuckled, a sudden flicker of mischief passing over his face. "So, word on the street says you're a Darth, now." Koth slid the third drink over to her, a small glass containing a simple spiced wine. Lana swirled the liquid briefly with little intention of actually drinking it. She watched as Theron sniffed disdainfully at his beverage, clearly trying to decide whether or not he wanted to taste it.

"Oh? This is news to me. Do tell." Lana lifted the glass closer to her nose; it smelled of cinnamon and clove. Theron had, apparently, decided to try his drink, as he was just raising the glass to his lips. Koth cleared his throat and rested his ale on the counter with a click that was lost in the thrum of the band's music.

"Yeah. What did Tora say it was…?" He tapped a finger to his chin as if in thought, then, "Darth Eyeliner?"

Theron choked on his drink, sputtering pink liquid everywhere, as he tried and failed to swallow both the alcohol and an untimely laugh all at once. Koth's composure dissolved as he, too, broke into a fit of laughter, all rushed inhales and deep, rumbling guffaws.

Lana narrowed her golden eyes, leveling them first at the men beside her and then out across the crowded room. "Very funny, you two." She said with icy calm. "I may need to have a talk with her, later." It didn't take long for her to spot the blue-haired mechanic in the fray; at the moment, Tora was near the middle of the dance floor, waving her arms wildly in some bizarre sort of dance while a slightly less bizarre-looking Len danced nearby.

"Theron," she said suddenly, deciding to leave Tora to enjoy the party for now. Lana turned to see that Theron and Koth were still laughing. "Theron." He straightened, attempting regain his composure as he wiped the remnants of the pink beverage from his jacket.

Lana suppressed a smile in spite of herself. These two.

"Yeah?"

"Where is Caius?"

"Hmm." He frowned, turning his eyes towards the throng of dancing patrons. "Good question." Theron was a good liar, both naturally and because his line of work demanded it, but Lana knew him well enough that, on most occasions, she was able to tell when he wasn't being straight with her.

This was one of those occasions.

"Theron." She turned so that she was facing him square on and crossed her arms, her voice sharpened by an edge of irritation.

"What?"

"He's on a mission, isn't he?"

Theron snorted in mock bemusement. "No..."

"Unbelievable."

Theron sighed, an honest, heavy thing that gave Lana pause. "Look," he said, "I didn't want him to have to go, either, but this was important. There's been an uprising on Tatooine…."

Lana rested her glass on the counter and traced a finger along its rim, troubled. "It's alright, Theron. You needn't explain yourself." She sighed as well, then, letting her shoulders slump forward slightly as she massaged her forehead with three fingers. "I think we both understand the reality of how difficult it is to relax when there is so much to be done. Still," she added with a tight smile, "I think I'm more upset about the fact that he went without me than I am about him being absent at all."

Theron tipped his head to the side, eyebrows raised in subtle amusement, and reached to pluck at some spare threads on his sleeve. "If you have to suffer through this party, he should too?" He fingered a red thread, lifting it up so he could examine it more closely, as though it were the final piece to an unsolved puzzle. After a moment he let it float to the ground; his eyes flickered back to Lana.

"Something like that."

"Ah, well, I was going to recommend someone else for the operation, but you know how he is."

Lana's expression softened. "Indeed, I do. I assume he didn't even give you the chance."

Theron chuckled. "Nope."

Koth let out an indulgent belch as he finished the last of his ale, punctuating the end of Lana and Theron's discussion. He waved the bartender droid over again and ordered a second.

"Very nice, Koth," Lana said, and Koth raised his new glass in acknowledgement.

Theron moved to order himself a drink as well, having given up on what was left of the first. He leaned against the bar, fingers drumming along with the music, as he watched the droid pull a glass out from behind the counter. Lana eyed her untouched spiced wine; by now it had cooled, but she could still catch the faint scent of cinnamon and clove when she leaned closer.

The atmosphere in the bustling cantina was loud enough that after a few moments Lana felt, rather than heard, a familiar presence approach from behind her.

"Am I late?" Caius came to stand beside her and wrapped a steady arm around Lana's waist, gently closing the space between them.

Lana smiled, a true, honest smile, and allowed herself to relax as she breathed in his scent: pine and cold metal and windswept sands. "Fashionably so," she murmured. Caius' quiet chuckle rumbled softly through his chest, producing a pleasant hum where Lana's ear was now pressed against the fabric of his robe. "I trust your efforts on Tatooine were successful?"

"Mmm. Successful, indeed," he replied, letting out a quiet breath that briefly stirred the hair atop her head. She shifted and looked up to find him watching her, his dark eyes set starkly against the pale hue of his skin. His lips turned upward in a small smile. "Although I think it would have been a shorter trip if you had been there to lend your expertise."

"You should have asked me to come, then." Lana raised a blonde eyebrow at him. "Stubborn fool," she added, eliciting another chuckle from Caius, and she joined him this time. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head before they stepped apart.

"Glad to see you could make it, Commander." The pair turned as Theron spoke, a glass of something that appeared more appetizing than his last beverage sitting on the bar beside him.

Koth, leaning away from the counter so that he could be seen from behind Theron's profile, raised a hand in greeting. "About time you got here," he said. "How did your op on Tatooine go?"

"Quite well. They shouldn't be giving us trouble from now on." Caius crossed his arms over his chest. He was no taller than Koth or Theron, but he struck an imposing figure nonetheless; he carried himself with the sort of well-measured balance that was often associated with Force users who preferred to dual wield lightsabers, as though even the smallest movements were precise and planned, each a powerful and purposeful exchange meant to turn the tide of battle.

"I'll bet." Koth took a draft of his ale and smirked. "So, you going to have a drink?"

"Don't let Koth order for you, if you are," Theron interjected, shooting the pilot a pointed look. Koth snorted.

"I would, but I'm afraid I have somewhere to be this evening." Caius ignored Koth's growl of protest, instead turning to Theron and giving him a slight nod.

What are they planning? Lana flicked her eyes between the two; clearly, Theron already knew of Caius' arrangements.

"You're leaving?" She asked the commander. He turned to her, a glow of mischief and some strange mixture of hope and anticipation lingering on his face, as if he were a child cupping a sparrow in his hands. The glow faded quickly, however, and was replaced with his usual steady, calm gaze.

"Yes. Care to join me?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

Lana looked to Theron, who was watching the two with an unreadable expression. "And where will we be going?"

"I'm afraid that's classified."

"Really." A side of Lana's mouth lifted in a lopsided smirk, her golden eyes sparkling.

Caius parted his lips and breathed a quiet chuckle. He took a step closer, arms still crossed over his chest. "As I recall," he mused, turning his gaze upward, "We had a discussion on Iokath about scheduling some personal time."

Lana's smirk turned to a frown as she remembered the occasion with a sense of guilt. She had, indeed, promised to schedule some time for the two of them to relax when they got back to Odessen. She and Caius—and the entire Alliance, really—needed a break. Lana had hoped that there would be more time to rest after defeating Vaylin and Valkorion, but the list of things to do had only seemed to increase.

I should have made time. "I'm sorry, Caius—"

"Lana." Caius leaned closer, uncrossing his arms, and there was a certain softness in his voice when he spoke. He brushed a finger under her chin to lift her head up. The movement was so fleeting that had Lana not felt it, she wouldn't have known it had happened. "Don't be. We've both been busy lately, so I thought I would take the liberty of scheduling us some time together." He pressed his lips into a thin, hopeful smile, dark eyes against her gold. "Theron will take care of things while we're away. Come with me, Lana."

She watched him, watching her, the upper portion of the scars on the right side of his face obscured by a shock of jet black hair. Lana mirrored his hopeful smile. "Gladly. I think we could both use the respite."

After just enough time for Lana to pack a few things (Caius had informed her that they would likely be gone for a few days), the pair made their way down through the military hangar and out across the bridge that led to Caius' ship. The Fury sat silently in the grassy basin; its dark color scheme and the sharp, angular lines of its wings reminded Lana of a bat or a mynock.

She paused as they reached the end of the bridge. Caius continued on across the grass, perhaps lost in thought, as Lana gazed up at the ship. The prospect of simply boarding the Fury and leaving for nothing else but to escape and rest seemed, suddenly, so easy that Lana wondered briefly if it was all some sort of dream.

Nothing is ever this easy, this simple. And yet….She watched as Caius began walking up the ship's ramp, the rhythmic thump of his boots echoing across the grassy basin. And yet, here we are.

"Coming, Miss Beniko?" Caius paused at the top of the ramp to look back at her, grinning. Lana hoisted the small bag she was carrying and returned his grin.

"Right behind you, Lord Wrath," she said, and then she crossed the distance between them without looking back.