Summary:

Pronunciation Guide for Character Names:

Xaraeyn [ZAY rain]
Raeyn [rain]
Xayoimea [ZAY oh ME]
Andronea [AND ron EE uh]
Tai [tie]
Androxyn [AND rocks zin]
Nikolaes [NEE coh lace]
Xaya [ZAY uh]

Notes:

I want to thank everyone who has been so kind-still writing reviews and comments, and sending me messages while I was away. I can not begin to express how very, very thankful I am and how TRULY humbled I am by your thoughtfulness and care. I am fully committed to finishing this story, so thank you for hanging in here with me. I've been facing some very complicated challenges in my real life and my writing has truly been a point of loss for me as I have missed my happy place because I lost all my confidence.

Just...thank you all. You are more than I could ask for. I appreciate you, every read, every kudo, every comment, straight from your action to my very heart. ((((((((((((((squishes))))))))))))))))))

Just a couple of translations in this chapter, as always they are available on pop-up here or you can get them here:

Tumblr Post: simplicity-writes tumblr /post/160293082596/the-pages-between-chapter-12-teagemte

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Torian drew back, rolling his shoulders lightly before crouching back into a defensive position, seeing out of the corner of his eye Raeyn stepping forward to try to ensure she didn't get blocked into a corner. He wracked his brain trying to come up with a plan that might shift the balance in their favor, but he continued to come up empty.

They'd been fighting two Sith Lords, both insanely powerful and somehow collectively all of their skills seemed equally matched. What he and Raeyn lacked in force skills, they more than made up for with their agility and fighting skills.

He had no idea who they were, just that they were someone that Raeyn said needed to be 'taken care of'—which could mean any number of things he had come to realize—mostly it was a quick and humane death—as Raeyn herself admitted she didn't 'have the stomach for that torture business', sometimes it meant turning the person over to her benefactor…rarely, the person they hunted were allowed to leave—none of it mattered to him really—the hunt was the hunt—and he was happy to be a part of it…and more than that he was thankful to be able to keep an eye on Raeyn as he couldn't stand to be apart from her at this point.

Whatever else, whoever else these two Sith were—they certainly were mouthy—and their ongoing banter back and forth, undoubtedly meant to taunt him and Raeyn into overplaying their hands—was making Torian want to end them quickly if for no other reason than to make them shut up.

The Sith closest to Raeyn had revealed himself to be called Evgen, the one that was further away from her but closer to where he was positioned was Lindel.

The taunts were one thing, certainly, but what wasn't easy to overlook was that as they fought, the Sith were drawing more and more strength from the force around them. Raeyn stomped the floor, hissing, drawing his attention to her. He glanced to her, questioningly, where she was pointing down to the floor which had lightly glowing markings on it. Torian nodded when he realized there must be a vault of artifacts underneath them, allowing the Sith to access the power from them. He took a moment to study the markings on the floor, understanding coming at a harsh price, knowing they had been using the runes and markings to bolster their strength.

How could we be so stupid?

He was especially concerned when he realized that the Sith's plan, clearly, was to wear them down completely and then go in for the kill. Keeping them on defense long enough that they would grow weary and become easy targets. The Sith had positioned themselves between them and the doorway, on the platform that spanned the entry wall—with three tiers of rounded steps that drew down into the room.

Torian and Raeyn had managed to hold their own for quite some time, though he could tell that his arms were starting to weaken—certainly his responses were not slow but still sluggish compared to his normal sharp return. He kept his eye on Raeyn, realizing that she was working on an exit strategy as her eyes bounced around the room from place to place. Realizing that they'd put quite a distance between one another, he began edging backwards to get closer to her so he could move fast when she gave the signal. He'd only shifted a few inches when his attention was drawn to the doorway, where another Sith had blown the ornate doors off the hinges, the wood slamming to the floor, sailing down the steps as shards went flying off in multiple directions across the room. One larger piece hit the toe of Torian's boot, he crouched down, ready to spring if needed.

The Sith stormed into the room, a purple energy swirling around him, floating in puddles around his feet, his arms bent at the elbow, fists drawn forward, as if he were going to punch upward with both hands—the rage radiating from him like another living being in the room as he came to stand between the two Sith they had been fighting.

We might have had a chance against these two, but this one…there is no way.

Evgen and Lindel smiled, realizing he was there to help them, bitter, hateful, ugly smiles—their posture loosening as they realized they had just won the fight.

This Sith was taller than the other two, his countenance one of danger, there was no other word for it, he oozed it. His head was bare, his skin an ashen grey color, with bold markings upon his head and face, typical of a Rattataki, his bright white eyes standing out against the pallor of his skin as he clenched his fists harder, causing the air around him to ripple with energy. His chest was rising and falling with the raw fury that was emanating from him, his robes open to his abdomen, showing his muscles flexing from the power of his rage.

There is no way.

"You will NOT!" the Sith bellowed, his body curving forward, his voice shaking the walls around them.

Torian crouched down low, meaning to jump forward to the Sith to at least give Raeyn the chance to escape. He'd gladly give himself to protect her—though he couldn't imagine he would last long after all three of them attacked—he knew all she really needed was a window, no matter how slight.

Before he could react, his eyes were drawn by movement in his peripheral-Lindel had shifted closer to him, his eyes focused above where he was standing. Torian looked up to see the wall he was next to shaking. He looked back to Lindel, his hand up in the air gathering the force, preparing to whip the stone wall down onto him to no doubt crush him to death.

His mind raced through different options as quickly as he could, realizing he really didn't have any.

There isn't enough time to get away, it's not possible. I'll make sure she gets out of here. Raeyn, I lo…

Raeyn's agonizing scream broke his thoughts, whipping his head to the side to look at her, thinking she might have already been attacked in the short moments that had passed. His body tensed to respond, despite knowing there would be little he could do, at the same time a force of sheer terror, of dread, of mourning washed across him, his hand flying up to grasp his chest where his heart was suddenly wildly responding to the instantly induced emotions.

"NO!" her voice was a like a wrecking ball, a shaking beginning underneath his feet, as if the foundation of the room was groaning. He tried to make sense of what he was seeing—she'd dropped her blasters on the ground beside where she was standing—the sound of the metal hitting the marbled floor loud in his pounding ears—his eyes widened, worried at her becoming defenseless. Her body rotated to fully face him, eyes fixated on his, boring through him—seeing him but somehow…not.

Her hands were beside her hips, her elbows bent to her side, her palms were raised as if to reach out for him, her feet set apart and one of them back in a stance that screamed 'fight', her eyes focused, in a way he had never seen before. He tried to speak to ask what was happening but before he could get a word out, her hands slashed forward, extending straight out toward him, the palms opened up, facing him, as if she were shoving something out of her way. The air from the movement whooshed past him, blowing him slightly backward, he shifted his feet to steady himself, hearing Lindel to the side of him, struggling to keep from falling as well.

The sound of debris, bits of rock and sand falling from the walls to the ground below filling his ears while he tried to balance himself, trying to stand to move to Raeyn.

Suddenly, something that felt like hands all around him took hold, grabbing him and jerking him, his head snapping backwards as his body went flying forward as if launched from a catapult, toward Raeyn, then landing, rolling behind her, head over feet, until he stopped in a heap. A groan pushing out of him as he tried to right himself, feeling like every bone in his body was wobbling.

What just happened?

"Raeyn…" he whispered, confused, trying to focus on her through his muddled mind, "…what?"

She was staring at him, as if studying him, ignoring his question, but nodding as if a query of her own had been answered. She turned away from him, though he could still see her clearly, she wasn't paying any attention to him. She had shifted down low, her posture predatory-squaring off with Lindel who had been trying to bring the wall down on him. Her hands were clenched to her sides as she swayed to the slow rumbling of the floor under her feet.

Her hand reached forward, her entire body shaking as she rose up in a fluid motion, the floor beneath them moaning and vocalizing the stress it was under, the runes in the floor beginning to crack, the glow they were emitting before turned to a bright white light that was making the floor appear to be moving under their feet. He could hear noises from outside battering the walls like the wind was trying to push them over, angry, unrelenting. The ceiling of the room rattled as a barrage of hail began to hit it, echoing off the open space. Torian watched as a part of the ceiling caved in, ice and rain showering into the far corner.

He looked back to Raeyn, trying to understand when suddenly, her hands shot forward, her fingers still clenched into a fist at first and then her fingers shot forward—he saw a drip of blood falling from her hand down to the marble floor under her—her hands having been so tight her fingernails must have been biting into her palm.

He wanted to help her, stop her, do something, but he couldn't move, he was mesmerized by her—he'd never seen anything like her, her long white hair was flowing around her—as he'd convinced her to try going without the wig more and more often—of course, for his own selfish reasons as he absolutely loved to see and touch her hair. He felt it was a pity to have it hidden all the time underneath a wig no matter how lovely she looked in one—nothing was like her real hair.

He took in her current posture, her hair was brushing back around her, like it was being moved by the air in the room, almost as if it were alive, fanning out and moving lightly in the air. The white tone of her hair was now glowing softly, the colors of an opal gem radiating outward from it—something that her hair hinted at somehow day to day when he'd study it—but this, this was something other—something breathtaking as hues of blues, pinks, purples, and colors he had no name for swirled from not just her hair but seemingly her entire body, puddling like thick clouds on the ground by her feet.

"My siblings nicknamed me 'tea'gemte' when we were young—it means 'Little Angel'—but…it upset me so much—my father made them stop, though they still whisper it when they think I can't hear them. I just wanted to be me, just Raeyn—not something…other. Not angel or devil. Just Raeyn."

Her words echoed in his mind, and now he understood—this is the 'Angel' her siblings saw.

Tea'gemte.

You could never be 'just' anything, Cyare. Never.

He looked past her then, to see Lindel's eyes growing wider and wider, an odd squeaking noise rising from him, as his feet lifted off the ground, his hands grasping at his throat, then his chest, and his stomach. His eyes shot back to Raeyn where she stood vibrating with rage, her entire body both stilled and moving at the same time. He blinked trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

A low, furious noise was bubbling up inside of her, released in a wild scream, Lindel's body suddenly lifted up sideways, twisting violently, as if he were just an old rag being wrung out, the room filled with strange popping and snapping noises, blood splattering across the floor under him, the marble wall beside him, and then his body flew across the space to the wall he had been trying to bring down, hitting it and bursting into a rain of ash and dust. The cloud of the debris burst outward obscuring his view of Raeyn for a moment.

Torian couldn't move his eyes away—from where Raeyn was standing, from the dust that was floating through the bright flashes of lightening that was now coming through one of the cracks in the wall, thunder echoing around them as what once was a Sith Lord drifted in the air—now merely dust floating across the air like any other speck of matter.

He jerked his head to the side as he saw Raeyn emerge from the settling debris, coming toward him, his breath caught in his throat as his eyes took in her beauty, trying to memorize the symbols that were glowing brightly across her entire face, all of her exposed skin, and her normally green eyes which were bright, too bright, a color he couldn't understand, a reflection of the colors around her, white but every color at the same time, as she stormed past him toward the other Sith, Evgen.

He shifted carefully so he could see her better, propping himself with one hand on the floor as the ground rumbled underneath them, seeming as if something was trying to rise up from underneath the ruins, with the wind outside howling like a wild animal as it battered against the stone walls.

Evgen was being held against the wall there, looking like he was pinned by a thousand tiny pins, completely incapable of movement, held only by what appeared to be the very will of the third Sith, who wasn't even looking at him but was rather watching Raeyn cross the room in a fury.

"I said no."

He spoke so loudly it vibrated Torian's heart in his chest, he could hear the voice inside his body, not just through his ears. Torian's eyes widened when she flipped her hand as she flew past the Sith, his face jerking sideways as if he had been slapped even though she hadn't even been near him. She was at least twelve feet from Evgen when she suddenly launched in the air, landing on him where he was pinned to the wall—his face frozen in fear, completely mute. She had her hands on each side of the Sith's face, a low, menacing noise echoing through the room, as blood began to seep slowly through the pores of his skin, a drop of blood forming in the corner of his eye, pooling and then slowly running down his cheek as his throat filled with a gurgling, choking sound.

"Xaraeyn," the third Sith whispered, stepping close to her, "Stop."

Her hands stopped moving, Torian could tell her fingers were digging into the Sith's skin, and it was clear she intended to kill him—slowly, painfully. He deserved nothing less in his opinion.

She stiffened, the low noise stopping as a sound of surprise echoed as her head jerked to the side when the Sith's hand touched her shoulder. Torian wanted to run across the room and stop him, unsure of what was actually going on between them. Raeyn turned back to look at Evgen, he noted that the Sith's face was partially unfrozen, moving into an expression that was horrified, full of fear at what she was going to do to him. Raeyn suddenly loosened her hands, jumping away from him, the third Sith's hand still resting on her shoulder. She looked down at her hands, blood dripping from the slashes in her palms from her nails. She sank slowly down, on her knees, pulling her hair with her hands, the crimson streaks a sharp contrast to her white hair.

Torian began inching his way toward her, needing to tell her she was okay. He had no idea if it were true or not, but something in him was screaming for him to go to her, to take care of her. His heart was wild with the emotions that were suddenly rolling off her, flying across the room and crashing into him, nearly knocking him backward from the force of them. Guilt, fear, mourning, remorse, so many negative emotions were slamming into him one after the other.

He heard another beat of thunder from outside the room and the hail turned to a steady thrum of rain on the ceiling, gasping, his hand pressing into his chest as he tried to control his response to the newest wave of feelings.

"I'll take care of it," the Sith turned his head, his hand still on Raeyn's shoulder, and with a single glance Evgen slumped down, his body crumpling to the floor, and was no more.

Instantly dead.

The Sith turned then, getting down on his knees beside Raeyn, looking like a giant next to her tiny body, grabbing her and pulling her into his chest, holding her. His face twisted as he felt the first sob break through, her body shaking with the force of her tears, and Torian wanted to scream across the room at him that he was the one to do that!

"Saith'na, gege'ti, aer'e nm'tele ais sham, ais li'ltem. aemhe em, gege'ti, tea'gemte," the Sith spoke softly, as he held her face to his chest, her body shaking, his solidly still, "Gege'ti."

Raeyn's fist flew up and hit the Sith hard on the chest, a growling scream echoing from the center of her, "Don't call me that!"

The Sith actually laughed then, a deep belly laugh that felt wildly inappropriate at this point. Torian had managed to get up on his knees, taking a deep breath to prepare to stand up.

"I didn't want to, rair'te emh'tel, I didn't mean….I don't know what happened," she was talking through her tears, sniffling and trying to calm down, "Em aemtei, gege'ti, Neldae'na. I don't understand…Torian—they killed him! I saw it!"

What?

He stopped where he was, one knee raised up, his hands resting on it, kneeling there in the floor, trying to make sense of what she was saying.

"Tai, he was dead, completely broken on the floor," she jerked her head pointing across the room to where she saw the vision, her eyes landing on Torian's. Her expression mirrored his own shock, filled with wonder, confusion, drinking him in, her breath caught in her throat…he felt her from across the room like a tidal wave—relief, hope, fear, uncertainty.

"I'm here, Cyare," he spoke, his voice not as solid as he would have wanted, shaken as he was, but firm, and consoling, trying to help her see he was okay, right there in front of her.

"But….Torian?" she reached out for him then, her hand opening and closing toward him like she was trying so hard to reach him, "Please, Torian!"

He stood up carefully, testing his bones and muscles, yet moved without hesitation toward her as her eyes clenched shut, shaking her head, "I can still see it, Tai…help me, I don't understand!"

"Shhh," the Sith stroked her hair back away from her face, urging her to look up at him, "I'll help you, but it is not safe here."

She nodded, wiping her hand across her face, blood smearing with every movement, turning to watch Torian walking over to them. He breathed through the pain in his leg, which had been bent into a strange angle when she'd thrown him, fairly sure there were no broken bones since it was bearing the weight reasonably well, closing the space between them finally.

He was thoroughly confused about how Raeyn had done what she had, he knew she was unique, and she had some strange abilities but this was different than just a mere force user—he'd seen, even fought next to dozens of force users, powerful ones, but the energy around her was something other. To say he was fairly confused about this Sith who was holding her now was an understatement. He held her with a level of familiarity, but Torian sensed no jealousy inside himself at the way he touched her.

The Sith looked up at him, a smile breaking the harsh lines of his face, "Did not intend for us to meet quite like this, Torian."

So, the Sith knew him, interesting, considering he had no idea who this person was in the least. He raised an eyebrow in return.

"My name is Andronea, you can call me Tai, that's what most people I like call me, unless you happen to be a lovely little Twi'lek named Vette, then you call me 'most handsome and wonderful husband in the whole universe'."

Torian couldn't help but laugh despite the seriousness of the situation, his eyes drifting down to where Raeyn had taken his hand, squeezing it tightly, he squeezed softly back, mindful of the injuries to her hand. He looked back up to Tai who was smiling broadly, when the assumed Twi'lek came in the door, walking across the floor to slap him on the back of the head, bending over to touch his head, kissing it softly and then kneeling down to grab Raeyn, pulling her into her arms, shushing her gently, rocking her softly like a baby.

Torian wanted to grab her away from the Twi'lek but knew better than to get on the wrong side of this particular Sith, just from being this close to him. He was radiating a strange energy too, different than what Raeyn had, but powerful he could tell.

"And if you don't like them?" Torian asked lightly, still holding Raeyn's hand gently, her grip having loosened a bit, attempting to seem conversational, squatting down to touch Raeyn's head, breathing through the pain in his leg, stroking her hair softly, noting that the glowing of the marks on her skin and her hair was subsiding, going back to its normal state of white, nearly clear color, her skin looking unblemished, unmarred as it faded.

"They don't live long enough to call me anything, actually," Tai laughed heartily at that, slapping Torian on the shoulder like they'd known each other their entire lives. Torian had to release Raeyn's hand in order to put a hand on the floor to keep from being knocked over by the slap to his back—groaning as he felt the pain radiate through his already sore body.

"Ship's ready," the Twi'lek said over top of Raeyn's head, "…this happened….fast? Didn't it? Was it like this for you, Tai?"

Tai shrugged at her, glancing around the room, alert for any hidden dangers, his senses tweaked and high strung.

"I'm Vette," the Twi'lek nodded toward him, he opened his mouth to speak but she continued on in a flurry before he could, "I know you, Torian, and I promise things will make more sense once we are on board our ship and you have a proper explanation. For now, just know, you can trust us. Andronea is her brother, and he came to rescue her, and of course, you. I know there's a lot of questions, and we probably…well, we might…maybe just have answers for them," she shrugged then, "Fine, fine, we might not have ALL of the answers, but we'll try—I promise, but not here, not now."

Raeyn's hand reached up to rest on his chest, his eyes snapping down to hers, where she was looking at him, her eyes wide and searching, still filled with something related to fear. He leaned forward, closer to her, pushing her hand into his chest so she could feel his heartbeat, his voice absolute, firm, "I'm here."

She nodded, a small movement, her eyes narrowing slightly in affection, and then slowly her arm went limp as it appeared she was in and out of consciousness at this point. He carefully tucked her arm to her own chest, standing up, looking around at the floor that was still rumbling occasionally, protesting the abuse it had endured that day.

His eyes landed on Raeyn again, and then bounced to Tai, and then back again.

How can they be siblings? Adoption?

Confusion marring his features. A puzzle to be sure.

Vette could tell where his thoughts were taking him, "It doesn't make sense, but yes, siblings, flesh and blood, same parents, same blood, you name it, I get it, crazy stuff, I tell ya!" her words rambled together, as she tapped Tai on the arm, careful to not bump Raeyn in the process.

Tai looked at Torian, as if he had been lost in thought and only just remembered he wasn't alone. He stood up, bending down to pick Raeyn up into his arms, she appeared like a tiny child being held there surrounded by his massive body.

He walked over to Torian, gesturing her forward, like she was a package being delivered.

Torian's eyes widened, reaching out with both arms as the Sith set Raeyn into them. She felt so small and fragile, so tiny and light, her body curling inward toward him, he wanted to close his eyes to relish the feeling. He lifted her upward to hold her closer to him, running his nose across her forehead.

"You're gonna want to hold onto that," Tai said with a wink, Torian looking up embarrassed by being caught…doing….something with this guy's sister—Tai laughed lightly, turning away to head out the door without any other explanation.

Torian nodded, and followed along when Vette took his sleeve and led him to the door out into the now bright sunlight—mist floating up from the ground as it evaporated the moisture that permeated the ground after the storm had passed—he squinted trying to keep his bearings and rolled Raeyn into his chest to protect her eyes from the light. Vette walked forward to meet Tai at the ship, and Torian took a moment to glance down at Raeyn's face, pressed up against the metal plating of his armor, looking so normal there, like she had just fallen asleep in his arms….on his completely cold, hard metal armor.

Okay, so maybe his mind was creating something better than what was…but surely, it mattered that she was there and he was there and they were both okay. Not much of anything made sense to him right then, but he knew for sure that this was where he was meant to be.

"Gonna hold onto this," he muttered as he looked down at Raeyn who was sound asleep from the exhaustion of whatever had just happened to her, her face puffy and swollen, her eyes reddened and still weeping even in sleep, her face covered in tears, dirt, and blood, her hair tangled and matted with blood in it, drying, crowning her head in a wild disarray.

He studied her face, drinking it and realized he couldn't be sure if he had ever seen her look more beautiful. She was breathtaking, absolutely exquisite—he couldn't stop his breath from hitching as he studied her.

She had saved his life. She had rescued him. Today, but now, in thinking about it, from the very start…from the moment he saw her, maybe even before that.

Gonna hold onto her.

Torian was sitting on a crate beside a curved row of seats, clothes, bowls of water, and other miscellaneous items littering the area around him. Raeyn was laying on the rounded bench, with Torian's shirt rolled up under her head for a makeshift pillow, looking very peaceful despite everything that had happened, still sleeping soundly.

Torian dipped the cloth back into the bowl of warm water, wringing it out and gently stroking it across her face, trying his best to not wake her, but to still be effective in removing the last of the blood and grime that had marred her features. He had spent several hours at this—a process made slow by his desire to not wake or disturb her.

He'd initially cleaned her hands, carefully washing away the dried blood and dirt, then cleaning out the gouges her fingernails had created, putting dabs of ointment in each cut and bandaging her hands as best he could with the supplies he had been given. He expected more from a Sith vessel, but then realized it was likely that they didn't get hurt too often, and if they did, they probably could heal themselves.

When he'd inquired about what would happen if one of the crew was injured Tai had responded in no uncertain terms that he would never let that happen.

Torian believed him.

He'd spent an hour on Raeyn's hair, soaking it and then carefully cleaning out the blood, bringing the shine back to it, as each piece went from a dull copper color to a bright, semi-transparent color reflecting the dim red lights in the area they were in. He ran his fingers through it cautiously, taking care to not hurt her, until it was clean and tangle free, drying it thoroughly as he went.

He dipped the rag again, then returned his attention to Raeyn, wiping off the last of the residue from her jawline, her face a bit pink from the rubbing he had done to remove the grime—but otherwise, unmarred. At least, no new injuries that he could make out.

He'd never been close to her like this before. He took the chance to study her, her skin was somehow translucent and now that the makeup she normally wore had been washed away with everything else, he saw the strange markings on her skin, barely noticeable even with everything cleaned away. His mind drifted back to when she was attacking the Sith and she had turned toward him and was bright light all around and there were glowing, shining runes that seemed to be coming from under her skin at the time.

He leaned further inward, shifting his body so that he could cast more light from behind him on her face. He could make out the faint, small shiny symbols, under her eyes, and now that he was near enough, he could see that they ran down her nose and to her lips as well. Another row fell in the lightest of differences in the tone of her skin across her cheeks—the markings seeming to somehow lie just under her skin. He leaned around her head, looking at her neck and found the same nearly invisible markings ran down her neck as well.

Having seen her mostly in armor—and even when functions didn't require full armor—then she wore clothes that still seemed a form of armor to him—layered and made of a durable material that seemed to be impenetrable. Of course, when they were on board their ship, with just their crew she wore loose fitted black pants and high necked shirts generally, and always with makeup, always, now that he considered it. He startled when he realized that he never saw her with anything other than long sleeves and pants on so there's no way he would have noticed these markings before.

Her eyelashes were thick, laying heavy across the tops of her cheeks, her rounded face full of peace despite what she had went through earlier.

When they had boarded the vessel, Vette had explained where they had sent Mako and their ship, while Torian had carried Raeyn to the closest horizontal surface, stripping off his upper armor, the extra layers from the frigid planet they had been on handy, pulling off his over shirt, rolling it up and gently lifting Raeyn's head to lay her on it.

Despite not knowing anyone present he barked out orders of the things he needed like they all worked for him and he was only just now realizing that he had been fairly rude. They hadn't questioned him though, just brought what he needed and then surprisingly left him alone with her to tend to her wounds and clean her. He'd managed to get the heavier pieces of her armor off her, but she still had her leg plates, and while he'd been able to take the top layer of her chest piece off, the base piece was held to her abdomen with a series of intricate buckles and snaps so he had left it in place. He had done as much as he could without risking waking her. Though if he knew anything about her he knew she loved noise while she was sleep and the constant buzzing sound of the engines of this particular ship was probably as good as any lullaby he could provide.

He reached behind him and set the cloth into the bowl, sliding it across the table from him, leaning forward on his arms, resting his head in his hands, dropping his shoulders, closing his eyes.

She's okay, she's fine…she's gonna wake up and everything will be okay. Take a deep breath, Cadera, she's okay.

He couldn't count how many times he'd checked her breathing and pulse…he knew it was just his nerves but still, it set him on constant edge. His mind kept playing tricks on him—a level of paranoia he'd never experienced before awakening new inside of him—realizing that he cared more about what happened to her than he did his own life. He was prepared to die for her back at the temple, he would fall to any fate if it meant keeping her alive—and that was a completely unknown emotion to him. The desire to protect, to be a shelter. He'd been his own mountain, his own wall. He'd never felt vulnerable before.

He found that he rather liked the warmth that spread through him as he considered that this wasn't exactly a new feeling, but rather something that had been building up in him over the last few months.

I love her. This is what that feels like when tested. This is what I was always missing.

A metallic grinding noise came from somewhere behind him in the ship. He turned, leaning backwards on the crate to look down the hallway, the light to the receiving hatch lit up. He wasn't exactly surprised when a man appeared in the hallway, stomping as he approached, his voice bellowing in much the same manner Tai's voice had.

"Force take the lot of you!" he shouted as he passed by Torian like he wasn't even there, heading into the bridge, "I can't even believe you went without me."

Another Sith.

Torian glanced back at Raeyn, who had not moved despite the loud noises. He reached his hand under her nose to make sure she was still breathing, relieved when he felt the heat from her breath touch his fingers. He realized that the markings on her face matched the ones the man who had just boarded the ship carried on his face, the same as Tai had—both of theirs were darkened, raised on their faces, but unmistakably matching to the ones he had seen on Raeyn's face.

The man came storming back out of the doorway, the metal plate from the back of his belt grazing the edge of the doorway, and Torian absently wondered why they even put those odd triangular shaped pieces of metal on their armor. The man stopped, glancing at Torian, "Where the hell are they?"

Torian wasn't sure who the 'they' he was talking about could be but hazarded a guess it was Tai and his crew. He jerked his head behind him toward the other hallway. Torian noticed the man looked familiar but couldn't really place it, unless it was just the similarity in his facial structure as that of Tai's. His skin was very pale, and light, his lips were lined in black, shadowed, an odd thing since it was clear it was how his skin was formed, not some kind of makeup or lining—his eyes were a bright green, set with darkness around them, his eyebrows reaching up nearly touching the metal band around his forehead in some emotion Torian couldn't quite get hold of.

"Thanks," the man said, his eyes drifting over to Raeyn on the couch, one of his hands reaching up to pull at his short hair on top if his head, making the already spiky hair stand higher up, his eyes clenching shut as a moment of pain stained his face, and then his eyes snapped back to the doorway Torian had gestured to, stomping across the room and disappearing down the hallway, "I warned you! Aem e'lem 'tel'tehm aer! Get out here, Neldae'na! Lem'ohge!"

Barely seconds had passed before the Sith flew out of the hallway, soaring past Torian, straight into the hallway beside him where he had entered from, landing with a loud crash. Torian kicked the crate away as he stood up, his body tense, moving between the doorway and the seats Raeyn was sleeping on—prepared to protect her, his hand reaching behind the couch to pull his staff forward.

He looked back at the doorway the man had flown out of to see Tai storming through the opening, seething, his teeth bared staring where the man had landed. Vette walked out behind him, shoving him dramatically, even though he didn't actually move, her eyes rolling as she glanced at Torian, walking to where he was standing.

She touched his shoulder, leaning around him so he would look at her, "This is normal, they aren't going to kill each other. You might as well get comfortable." She reached around him tapping his staff with one hand, "You won't need that."

Torian looked at her with surprise, standing up and dropping the staff to his side, twisting his head around her to look at Tai who was still standing there looking like fury personified, when suddenly a chair came flying out of the hallway opposite him, jettisoned toward Tai, who waved his hand, deflecting it into the wall beside him. Sparks flying as the metal grinded into the sideplates.

"That's Androxyn…he's…how do I put it? Umm…he's impulsive," Vette whispered, pointing down the hallway to the man he could not see. He had a feeling that the word impulsive was a compliment compared to the truth.

Another item came flying out of the hallway past them, some kind of metal box, which Tai swatted away before it got to him, it slammed against the wall, dropping to the floor with a crash.

"He's Tai's twin, I know, I know, again, they don't look alike, but it's true, Roxy was born eight minutes after Tai, this is their normal way…of discussing things," her shoulders raised in a shrug, "….brothers."

Another chair flew out of the door, crashing into the space Tai had been standing in as Torian jerked sideways to shield Raeyn when the blur of Tai leaping past them down the hallway flashed past him. The sounds of scuffling, grunts, and curses filling the air. He glanced down at Raeyn who was still asleep somehow blissfully unaware. He was surprised given it sounded like they were going to tear the ship down around them.

The console beside him began to beep and buzz, Vette turned around and tapped a few buttons and the hologram of a young woman appeared, flickering blue. Her mouth was set in a tiny 'o' shape, looking quizzically at Vette.

"Everything's fine, Xaya," Vette intoned, trying to speak over the noise from the hallway, "Roxy is mad that Tai picked up Raeyn without him, he's going to be fine. What's up?"

"I just wanted to make sure she is okay," the woman murmured, appearing to be a Jedi given the lightsaber attached to her waist and her clothing, her voice was soft and smooth, gentle by its very nature and Torian felt like it might be like a bedtime story on a stormy night.

Vette, having sat down on the crate Torian had kicked, reached over to tap him on the waist, gesturing for him to move to the side so the Jedi could see Raeyn. He quickly stepped sideways and away, giving the woman a clear view.

The Jedi sighed a sound of relief, "Good, she's okay, that was too close." Vette nodded at her. Torian's patience was starting to ebb at how many people appeared to fully understand everything that was going on here except him, and he was promised an explanation hours ago.

The Jedi turned to look at him then, her eyes wide and calm, exuding peace and comfort, "Torian, it's a pleasure to finally officially meet you, my name is Xaya, I am the youngest in our family—I'm sorry you are confused. It's hard to know where to begin, we'll all get this sorted, okay?"

He shrugged, embarrassed now that he realized she had understood what he was feeling even over the holocall, "It's nice to meet you."

They all turned to the doorway where the two brothers were trying to come through at the same time, Tai grabbing Androxyn's head and holding him back as he passed through. They were laughing, whatever their issues having been settled while they were in the hallway.

Androxyn reached to his waist, clicking a button and pulling off his belt, the metal triangles falling as he took them and dropped them to the floor behind the row of seats. He walked back over to where they were all standing, grabbed Raeyn's feet, plopping down on the cushion where they were, setting them back down in his lap, stretching his arms out around the back of the seats, "Well? What does the new kid know?"

Torian instinctively tossed out, "Not a kid."

That habit was going to get him killed one day he was sure.

Everyone's eyes turned to Torian, who shrugged his shoulders, not sure what they were actually wondering, since as far as he could tell he knew virtually nothing.

"He's been taking care of Raeyn," Tai gestured to her still form, "There hasn't been much time for explaining."

"What exactly where you doing…" Androxyn took a deep breath then, his eyes closing for a moment, a wicked grin settling on his face, "Is that right?" One of his eyebrows shot up at this, staring at his brother.

Tai smirked, crossing his arms and his posture relaxing, his eyes drifting over to Vette, who giggled lightly and blushed in an adorable way only a Twi'lek could possibly blush. Torian was confused until Vette burst out.

"Look, technically it's still our honeymoon! Don't be jealous, Roxy, just cause your wife doesn't even know you exist yet!" She stuck her tongue out at him then, he rolled his eyes in response.

"Not jealous, and don't call me Roxy," he muttered, one of his hands coming down to rest on Raeyn's leg on his lap, Torian noted the way he affectionately squeezed it before he spoke again, "You can't use the honeymoon excuse forever, seriously, you can't exclude the Aim'te, it doesn't work that way. Plus, it's just bad manners, I mean, who does that?"

Torian understood then, his eyes landing on Raeyn.

So that's where they disappeared to. I mean if Raeyn and I were marri-

Androxyn's voice was sharp, biting, "Don't." The word was violent in the room, a suffocating air swirling around him, "Kid, I am not even kidding, do not even think about it, really. Just don't."

Xaya sighed dramatically over the holo.

Torian looked over at Androxyn, confused, who reached up and tapped his head twice with his index finger, "I can't turn it off. I don't need to know about what kind of stuff you and my sister get yourselves into, thankyouverymuch, so please keep all thoughts of her in those kind of compromising positions out of your mind for my sake. I'd hate to kill you the first day we met."

Torian's hands drew up into fists, his body tensing, "Not a kid, and it's not like that. Don't insult her that way."

His voice was a hiss, and though he knew it was probably a bad idea to pick a fight with a Sith who had another equally powerful Sith as a brother on board of said Sith's ship without any knowledge of where you were, why or where you were going, he wasn't about to let them paint a picture that discredited Raeyn.

Androxyn was staring at Torian, his face impassive, then his hand came out in front of him, gesturing to shake Torian's hand, "I see."

Torian took Androxyn's hand to shake it but was surprised when the man clenched it and didn't let go for a moment, it happened so fast it would have been easy to think he had imagined it. There was a feeling of something digging through his mind, his memories, and just as quickly the feeling was gone and Androxyn had released his hand.

I'm no idiot. I know what you just did. Did I pass your test? You understand now? I don't see her that way, she's no object. I wouldn't treat her like that. Ever. It's not my code.

"Do you see?" Torian asked sharply, pulling his hand back to his side, feeling insulted.

"I do," Androxyn nodded, his posture relaxing, his head leaning back on the top of the couch, one hand coming over to pinch the bridge of his nose, "If you knew the kind of things most men think about when they see my sister, you wouldn't blame me for my concern."

"I'm not most men," he hissed, his stance growing taller.

A male voice, new to the room, clipped accent, different than the others, amused, drawing everyone's attention to the holocall where another person had joined Xaya, "That's obvious since no ordinary man would challenge my brother in such a forward way." The man looked just like the other two men in the room, save the fact that his hair was long and white, reaching down past his shoulders, and he didn't have any obvious symbols on his face, though Torian knew that the holo might not be picking them up.

"Another brother, then?" he asked, turning fully to look at him, "How many of you are there?"

"Correct," the man responded, his hand waving forward to gesture to him, "Torian," the man pulled his hand back, resting it on his chest, "Nikolaes. I see you've met everyone else, to save time—I'll send along my resume if you'd like to see references but be prepared," he leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper, his face amused, his tone as if addressing a fellow conspirator, "between you and I most of it isn't true."

Tai rolled his eyes dramatically, gesturing to his holographic brother, "Niko is SIS. He is ridiculous and you should be glad he isn't actually here."

Nikolaes scoffed at this, looking pointedly at Andronea, "Aer em'elor, Neldae'na!"

"They're all just jealous," Nikolaes spoke quickly, "I'm the only entertaining one out of the whole lot, except perhaps for my Nu'tem'saer, though, I think we all know that your affection for her rests on a different plane than with us. That said, don't pick your favorite until I've had the chance to take you out on Nar Shaddah, deal?"

Torian huffed out a laugh, "Sure, whatever you say, though I have to admit…" he stepped back and away from the group, outside of the circle, "This would all be much easier if I actually understood anything that is happening here. I think it's about time someone offered me some long promised answers."

They all glanced between one another, all eyes moving at once to the couch where Raeyn spoke softly, "Past time."

She rolled onto her side, her eyes blinking rapidly, looking past everyone else to open wide, landing on Torian, who was stopping himself from rushing over to her.

Androxyn cleared his throat, reaching up to muss Raeyn's hair, moving her feet off of him as he stood up, gesturing to his brother and Vette, who left toward the galley.

Androxyn stopped at the door, bowing slightly to Torian, his countenance issuing a type of apology, reaching down to grab his belt with the metal plates on it, his eyes gaining Torian's attention, "The 'triangles' are actually centrifugally balanced force sensitive blades that come out when I spin toward an enemy, often slicing off an appendage or two, or if I am extremely fortunate, will take off a head in the process."

He smiled at Torian, the information clearly a peace offering, "…and you've met all of us, there are five, birth order, Andronea, myself, Xaraeyn, Nikolaes, and Xaya. You have not yet met our parents, and I am not sure when you might. Tai and Vette are wed…the rest of us, ah, well, it's…complicated. Eventually, you will meet us all." He turned to go out of the room, "Though I will hope they will each leave a better first impression."

With this he nodded his head at Torian, who nodded back, accepting his apology. Torian watched him leave, starting to turn to Raeyn, when his head popped back around the corner, "Oh, and Torian?"

"Hmm?"

"Do not let my brother take you out on Nar Shaddah," Androxyn's brows were drawn down, his tone severe, "Seriously, don't."

Torian laughed lightly, nodding again, positive he should take this advice under serious consideration—Androxyn appearing to be satisfied he understood the warning, disappearing around the corner. He turned to look back to Raeyn who was still laying there on the couch, but her arms were open, her fingers opening and closing rapidly, begging for him to come to her. He moved to the couch, dropping to his knees, leaning into her arms, which tightened around him dragging him down, her hand reaching up to hold his head close to her. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her forward to him.

He could feel her shaking, her hands grasping him so tightly, and he just waited, knew that she was processing something, and so he just let her hold him, and he held her—just breathing, taking it in, reassuring themselves the other was alive and safe and whole.

"I was so scared," her voice was small, above his head where it was resting on her chest. He tried to lift his head to look at her, but she held him fast, not releasing him as her voice shook—he knew she was crying as the words left her mouth, "Torian, I've never been so scared before…of myself, of losing someone, of…losing you."

"I'm here, I've got you," he smiled at the words, pulling her impossibly closer.

She took a slow, shuddering breath, "I'm sorry. I planned to explain so much, for so long now—but I'm going to now…and there are things I just don't understand myself yet…but I'd like to figure them out together—with you."

He hummed softly, pulling his arms out from around her, pressing backwards as she slowly loosened her grip so that he could look at her. Propping himself up on one elbow, his other hand reached up to wipe the tear that fell from her eye.

"That's how it should be," he smiled, leaning forward to kiss her softly on the forehead.

"It's a long story," she whispered as he drew back, "some of it is intense, but something I can share with you in just a few minutes, if you would let me, I can show it to you, here," at that she ran her hand around his head, indicating his mind.

He nodded, giving her permission…not remotely caring how or what she was going to do, his desire to know and understand outweighing any questions he had about method.

"It can be overwhelming, sharing history with someone, the things you see—it's like you will experience them yourself…and the memories, they feel like your own memories. It can be disorienting and sometimes even painful, so if you want me to stop, you have to tell me, promise me?"

He nodded again, her breath shuddered beneath him.

"I promise," he whispered.

I promise you forever.

Notes:

If you came back here, after all this time with me being gone, and you read this...can I just say from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU. Seriously, you can't even begin to know how much it means to me to feel needed and that my story is important to you. THANK YOU.

Translations:

"Saith'na, gege'ti, aer'e nm'tele ais sham, ais li'ltem. aemhe em, gege'ti, tea'gemte," the Sith spoke softly, as he held her face to his chest, her body shaking, his solidly still,

"Sister, please, your beloved is safe, is whole. Hear me, please, Little Angel," the Sith spoke softly, as he held her face to his chest, her body shaking, his solidly still,

Gege'ti : Please.

rair'te emh'tel : I didn't mean to do this

Em aemtei, gege'ti, Neldae'na : Help me, please, brother.

Aem e'lem 'tel'tehm aer! : Hell has come to take you!

Neldae'na! : brother

Lem'ohge! : come uncaged aka release the animal: fight me-strongest possible taunt

Aer em'elor, Neldae'na! : You wound me, brother.

Nu'tem'saer : Tiny Innersoul-his nickname for is sister