Andria Saga could name a list of things that being one of the Sith weren't, but of course, only two prominently stuck out to her. The Sith were not self-sacrificial. The Sith were not kind-hearted.
Yet, here she was, looking to the bloodstain on the floor, and somehow she knew that some of that crimson liquid was hers. When had she moved to protect her query? She felt numb and hollow, like all emotion was lost on her.
The Sith she had moved to protect was covering his side as she glanced back. She had taken the brunt of the grenade blast. He was staring at her, his orange eyes wide in… she wasn't sure what emotion was passing over his face.
Andria blinked slowly. She knew exactly why she had done this. It wasn't to protect the Sith, although it was her mission, it was because she wanted to die. She should have never believed Baras to begin with.
It all started out with a nasty feeling to begin with. And then a bounty hunter had kidnapped Quinn after she was so valiantly trying to protect him. Now she just wasn't sure what to do. All she knew was hate and anger. It bubbled up so violently that when the blue Twi'lek tried to approach Andria, the Sith inside her lashed out, pulling Vette up by her shirt collar.
"Don't wait for me. Protect Vowrawn." The pureblood snarled, blood flying as she swung around.
"Where… where are you going?" Vette questioned. She'd never seen Andria with such a look on her face, her usual yellow orange eyes bleeding a dark red.
"I know he's here." Andria called her saber to her side and fled the building. Jaesa stared at her Master's retreating back.
"Baras." She answered the unspoken question that everyone had. Vowrawn stared after her.
"She cannot hope to defeat Baras in her state."
"I think that you underestimate Andria." Vette said.
Using the Force, Andria was able to locate Baras' location quickly and easily. He wasn't expecting her so soon, but he put up a fight anyways, quickly losing to the infuriated Sith. When his head rolled off his shoulders, Andria slumped against a wall; she was starting to feel the blood loss.
How many Sith had she killed to get in here? Everything was just a haze, a blur of faces and of bruises. His signature called to her, like a weakened child in the middle of a war. She scrambled to find him before she lost too much blood.
It wasn't that hard to find her captain. Baras obviously thought that number one, he wasn't worth protecting, and number two, that she wouldn't find him. Quinn was still, the only indication that he was alive was the shallow rise and fall of his chest, no matter the open and oozing wounds on his body. Andria sheared the cuffs from his body carefully with her lightsaber, letting him fall into her arms. He didn't stir.
Quinn needed to be in a kolto tank, and so that's exactly what Andria did, carrying him back to the ship and putting him in one of the kolto tanks and slipping into one herself after leaving a message on the holo for the Emperor's Hand.
Baras dead. Vowrawn safe.
The two Sith purebloods stared at the holo from the other end of the galaxy. Baras' death was an unexpected outcome of the Wrath's mission on Corellia. It was obvious that the Wrath had been injured and was short on time, because the message was short and sounded pained.
Andria woke the next morning, healed. She dragged herself out of the kolto tank and quickly showered and changed, intending on taking care of her captain. The major parts of his wounds had healed, but he was still in the unconscious state he was in the day before.
She pulled him out of the kolto tank, cleaning him up and dressing his wounds. There was a vile, bitter taste of anger in her mouth. There was so much more she could have done to Baras for this disgusting crime against her. Andria instructed the droid to watch over Quinn while in the meantime, she set out to destroy some training dummies.
Quinn stirred after a few hours. He felt woozy and light-headed. He found himself dressed in clean clothes in the medical bay he recognized as the Fury's. He made to stand, wobbling a little because his muscles were underused. There was definitely someone else on board the vessel, because a distinct sound of yelling could be heard.
He made his way to the sound, overlooking the training hall, only to see Andria hacking away at some of the training dummies. It was obvious that she had abandoned her saber, in the dark room, only the blade's dim glow lit up the room. With a flourish, she had called it to her hand and decapitated the dummy with a single blow.
The room darkened. She approached, sweat and blood staining her face. When she saw him though, her face brightened and she abandoned everything she held to run and grab the Imperial within her arms. Andria broke into sobs against his neck. He wrapped his arms around her.
How they had both missed this. Quinn only regretted not telling Andria how he felt before he was captured. Her hands cupped at his cheek and at the back of his head, pulling him close to her.
He could feel her shaking, her breaths coming in short, shallow pants as she clutched him to herself. He held her, letting the pureblood work through this. He wasn't any good as what she could possibly be going through. He only knew what the Sith said: peace is a lie; there is only passion.
Finally, she raised her head to look at him, tears staining her red skin. He cautiously raised a finger to wipe away the liquid.
"Malavai?"
"Yes, my lord?" He flushed a dull pink around his ears. He wasn't used to Andria being so informal.
"I… I love you, Malavai." Quinn blinked in surprise.
"My lord?" He queried, not sure if he'd heard her right.
"I love you, Captain Malavai Quinn." He looked into her eyes, searching for any signs of deceit. He found none, only sincerity.
"Ria…" He murmured, "I regretted not telling you this before, especially with all that's transpired between us, but I… I do return your feelings, my lord." He caressed her cheek softly, running his fingers over the bony tendrils. "Are you entirely sure this is appropriate?"
She laughed, cupping his chin between her fingers. "Shut up and kiss me." Quinn complied, kissing her softly before bringing his forehead to rest against hers as he held her close.
"I love you too, Lord Andria Saga."
