Spoilers:

I'd started to think about what a relationship between two murderous people in a world where you can't trust anyone could possibly be like when there was a conversation that took place between Andronikos and the Inquisitor at the end of the romance arc that struck a cord:

He says something like, I didn't think this would work out. She responds, Why not? We're two beautiful, volatile people. He says ,That's right, we haven't killed each other yet.

Then I got the mail about him sending a fleet if they ever broke up and things started to come together in my head.

Prologue: Alderaan

Liri'd gotten some sort of special permission to land the ship in the middle of a large clearing on Alderaan. House Thul practically fell over itself to give her the coordinates to a good spot. It was pretty, he had to admit and the day was gorgeous.

Andronikos was checking the exterior of the ship for damage and tweaking a few things to get some more speed out of her. She'd been sitting by him, making small talk, but he'd gruffly told he had to focus. She'd moved off and was laying in a patch of flowers, Khem Val nearby.

It wasn't her fault he was mad, but it felt like her fault. He was just royally pissed off and couldn't get a read on why.

A piece of the ship bent back into place under his hands and he looked over at her. She was doing something with her hands and every so often she'd scan the patch of flowers. Khem Val said something to her and she answered, but they weren't talking much. Guess it's hard to hold a conversation with a creature who keeps telling you he's eventually going to kill you.

She had an expression on her face that he hadn't seen yet. It was only when she caught him staring and smiled at him that he realized she looked lonely.

Damn, he thought. She just saw a guy she'd slept with killed and didn't have anyone to talk to other than him or Khem Val. Zash was clearly going to try to kill her soon, even if they didn't know why or how and he was being distant and mean because he was pissed off about something he couldn't even put words to.

Andronikos picked up his jacket and walked over to her. She must have dragged one of the blankets from her bed out here to lay on. She was laying on her stomach, propped up on her elbows, making a flower chain. He blinked. His Sith was making a flower chain. "My" Sith? What's wrong with you?

"Scoot over," he said. She inched her body over so he could lay down on half the blanket. The sun beat down on them as he tried to think of something to say. He dropped his jacket on the ground, took his shirt off and lay on his stomach next to her, watching her work.

Her fingers deftly wove the flowers into a chain and then she tied it off and put it on her head.

"Ta-da!" she smiled at him again.

"What? I don't get one?" he said.

She snorted, giggling and reached for more flowers. He'd never seen her this relaxed before. It was usually all business and artifacts. She made him a chain and tried to drape it around his mohawk, but realizing it wouldn't work, she worked on lengthening the chain.

"This is a nice break," he said, trying to get her to talk.

"I thought we all could use it. Well, except for Khem. I think you think a nice break is eating Sith and this is a waste of time."

"I do," rumbled Khem's voice.

"Besides, we haven't exactly spent much leisure time together. I don't like feeling like I have a stranger on my ship." Her eyes met his and he was momentarily frozen by what he saw there. She'd kill him if he betrayed her, but there was something further than that. She was desperately lonely and wanted someone she could trust.

"What do you want to know?" He said.

She looked back at her chain, "Whatever you want to tell me."

"I'm not exactly a touchy-feely sort of guy."

She rolled her eyes, "I get that you're dangerous." Her voice got soft, "I'm surrounded by dangerous people all the time."

She sat up and ran the flower chain around the entire length of his mohawk and back up the other side. She tied it off and sat back, "King of the Flower patch!" She giggled and lay down on her crossed arms.

"Does that make you my queen?" He smirked at her briefly.

Her eyes were closed and she said cheekily, "That depends on what privileges you think that gets you."

He looked down at her; was she flirting back?

"I could give you a list." He said seductively, testing. He reached out to touch her back, make contact to see the reaction, but he pulled back, waiting for her response.

Her eyes didn't open, but she smiled, her lips curving and opening to say something that never got said as her holo beeped and she jumped up, running back to the ship.

He watched her go, an odd sort of anticipation rolling over him.