Chapter I
Kerr stood on the balcony reverently running the tips of his fingers over the metal railing. He had returned home, to Coruscant, and the suite in which he had spent a portion of his life. He had fond memories of this place and the city beyond the windows looked just as beautiful and majestic as when he was a young boy. He closed his eyes and reveled in the noises that as a child bore him into the arms of sleep. He wrapped his fingers around the railing, gripping it tightly. As if letting it go would mean losing the last fragment of his past. Home is where the heart is, and Coruscant had always been the heart of the galaxy. A chime from the door caught Kerr's attention and brought him back to the present. "Come." The door slid open and Vu Nin timidly made her way into the living room. Seeing no sign of her one-time lover, Vu gently called out his name. Kerr closed his eyes with a sigh; "I'm on the balcony." Vu took a place by his side and inhaled deeply. "You have a great view from here." Kerr smirked. "Yeah, one of the perks of having a Moff for a father." Kerr looked back over his shoulder to the room inside. "I always figured the New Republic would have torn this place down, or remodeled or something. But everything is exactly as I remember." Vu smiled sheepishly and lowered her head. "I, uh, have a friend in the zoning department and called in a favor." Kerr turned to face her. She had a sheepish smile on her face, and was obviously restless. He caught her eye, "Thank you." Her smile widened and warmth filled in Kerr's chest. She straightened up and lost some of the previous unease. "It's the least I could do." Kerr studied her face, a profile of shadow and light from the glow of Coruscant's nightlife. He marveled at how years of war and worry had not taken a toll on her features. She still had that same fire in her eyes, the same smoothness to her skin, the same passion in her voice. Gently he reached out and caressed her cheek. Their gazes met and saw the mutual love contained therein. Kerr leaned over and initiated a deep, probing kiss. Vu finally pulled her head back, somewhat short of breath. Kerr let her slide from his embrace and cupped her cheek with his hand. He whispered her name, suddenly at a loss for words. She quickly filled the void. "Kerr, I've been. a wreck since you left." She lowered her eyes, abashed. "Since I rejected you. I've made some terrible choices and mistakes in my life. That has to be the worst." She groaned as her comm unit beeped. She ignored it. "I don't want to be. I wish.." She glowered at the comm and looked back up at the man she loved. Tentatively, she proceeded. "I love you. And. I want to spend the rest of our life together. I know I hurt you and if you don't want to be with me I'll understand." Kerr shushed her and smiled warmly. Running his hands across her ribs and down to her waist, Kerr took the persistent pest from its place on her belt. Turning it off, Kerr led Vu back into the suite. Sliding the vest off her shoulders, Kerr pulled her into his embrace again and kissed her fiercely. By the time they made it to the bed, Kerr had somehow lost his shirt and Vu lacking her pants. Kerr was running his hands underneath Vu's shirt when the chime rang again. Kerr glared at the offending noise and resumed his explorations of his lover's chest. When it became apparent that the visitor was not leaving, Kerr got up from the bed and promised to return. The doors slid open to reveal a young man in the uniform of a trooper in Taskforce Shen. Kerr looked at him and scowled. "What." Jark cleared his throat. "Sir, I was sent by Major Stevez to retrieve Lieutenant Nin." Kerr shifted his posture but made no move into the apartment. "Why." "Sir, you are not authorized to." Vu came up beside Kerr, laying a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right. What does the Major want?" Kerr groaned and looked down at Vu. "A message has been received from Admiral Pellaeon at Bastion. It appears Imperial forces being led by someone claiming to be Luke Skywalker are staging a coup d'etat. Bastion is under siege and he has requested assistance. Major Stevez is sending us in." "Give me a minute." The doors closed and Vu turned away from Kerr. A thousand different scenarios were playing out through both of their minds as the uncomfortable silence filled the room. Guilt, burdensome guilt, was weighing down on Vu, as she felt torn between love and duty. It was finally Kerr who compromised and broke the silence. After all home is where the heart is, and his heart has always been with her. Might as well make his home there as well. "All right. This time. I'm not letting you go. If I can't get you to quit, then I can join you. I've lost you once." He let go of his breath and inhaled deeply. "I'm not letting you go again. I love you, Vu. I want back in." Vu felt torn between joy at the prospect of their life together, and the sorrow at dragging her lover back into war because she can't concede her responsibility. Her boot forgotten, Vu stood up and wrapped her arms around her fiancee.
Kerr stood on the balcony reverently running the tips of his fingers over the metal railing. He had returned home, to Coruscant, and the suite in which he had spent a portion of his life. He had fond memories of this place and the city beyond the windows looked just as beautiful and majestic as when he was a young boy. He closed his eyes and reveled in the noises that as a child bore him into the arms of sleep. He wrapped his fingers around the railing, gripping it tightly. As if letting it go would mean losing the last fragment of his past. Home is where the heart is, and Coruscant had always been the heart of the galaxy. A chime from the door caught Kerr's attention and brought him back to the present. "Come." The door slid open and Vu Nin timidly made her way into the living room. Seeing no sign of her one-time lover, Vu gently called out his name. Kerr closed his eyes with a sigh; "I'm on the balcony." Vu took a place by his side and inhaled deeply. "You have a great view from here." Kerr smirked. "Yeah, one of the perks of having a Moff for a father." Kerr looked back over his shoulder to the room inside. "I always figured the New Republic would have torn this place down, or remodeled or something. But everything is exactly as I remember." Vu smiled sheepishly and lowered her head. "I, uh, have a friend in the zoning department and called in a favor." Kerr turned to face her. She had a sheepish smile on her face, and was obviously restless. He caught her eye, "Thank you." Her smile widened and warmth filled in Kerr's chest. She straightened up and lost some of the previous unease. "It's the least I could do." Kerr studied her face, a profile of shadow and light from the glow of Coruscant's nightlife. He marveled at how years of war and worry had not taken a toll on her features. She still had that same fire in her eyes, the same smoothness to her skin, the same passion in her voice. Gently he reached out and caressed her cheek. Their gazes met and saw the mutual love contained therein. Kerr leaned over and initiated a deep, probing kiss. Vu finally pulled her head back, somewhat short of breath. Kerr let her slide from his embrace and cupped her cheek with his hand. He whispered her name, suddenly at a loss for words. She quickly filled the void. "Kerr, I've been. a wreck since you left." She lowered her eyes, abashed. "Since I rejected you. I've made some terrible choices and mistakes in my life. That has to be the worst." She groaned as her comm unit beeped. She ignored it. "I don't want to be. I wish.." She glowered at the comm and looked back up at the man she loved. Tentatively, she proceeded. "I love you. And. I want to spend the rest of our life together. I know I hurt you and if you don't want to be with me I'll understand." Kerr shushed her and smiled warmly. Running his hands across her ribs and down to her waist, Kerr took the persistent pest from its place on her belt. Turning it off, Kerr led Vu back into the suite. Sliding the vest off her shoulders, Kerr pulled her into his embrace again and kissed her fiercely. By the time they made it to the bed, Kerr had somehow lost his shirt and Vu lacking her pants. Kerr was running his hands underneath Vu's shirt when the chime rang again. Kerr glared at the offending noise and resumed his explorations of his lover's chest. When it became apparent that the visitor was not leaving, Kerr got up from the bed and promised to return. The doors slid open to reveal a young man in the uniform of a trooper in Taskforce Shen. Kerr looked at him and scowled. "What." Jark cleared his throat. "Sir, I was sent by Major Stevez to retrieve Lieutenant Nin." Kerr shifted his posture but made no move into the apartment. "Why." "Sir, you are not authorized to." Vu came up beside Kerr, laying a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right. What does the Major want?" Kerr groaned and looked down at Vu. "A message has been received from Admiral Pellaeon at Bastion. It appears Imperial forces being led by someone claiming to be Luke Skywalker are staging a coup d'etat. Bastion is under siege and he has requested assistance. Major Stevez is sending us in." "Give me a minute." The doors closed and Vu turned away from Kerr. A thousand different scenarios were playing out through both of their minds as the uncomfortable silence filled the room. Guilt, burdensome guilt, was weighing down on Vu, as she felt torn between love and duty. It was finally Kerr who compromised and broke the silence. After all home is where the heart is, and his heart has always been with her. Might as well make his home there as well. "All right. This time. I'm not letting you go. If I can't get you to quit, then I can join you. I've lost you once." He let go of his breath and inhaled deeply. "I'm not letting you go again. I love you, Vu. I want back in." Vu felt torn between joy at the prospect of their life together, and the sorrow at dragging her lover back into war because she can't concede her responsibility. Her boot forgotten, Vu stood up and wrapped her arms around her fiancee.