Flashback...

After Lana and Theron parted ways, Theron looked at Crimsen and smiled bitterly. "What a ride, huh? If you'd told me when we met all the ups and downs we'd go through together, I'd have called you crazy," he says and then says lightly, "Maybe I called you crazy anyway. I don't remember anymore. Between all my family fun with Revan and the Grand Master, and then, well, you..."

Crimsen cuts in and asked gently, "Care to finish that thought?"

Theron replied, "I won't lie: You've been one of the two real bright spots in all of this."

"Two," Crimsen asks, "What do you mean?"

Theron said sadly, "Well, look, there isn't any easy way to say this, but... I mean, we both knew this would have to end eventually... The Republic exonerated me, so I'm back in the fold. And they gave me a new job A big one."

Crimsen replied then, "I guess I can see where this is leading..."

Theron nods. He says sadly, "Soon as we rejoin the fleet and make the jump to light-speed, that's it. No more truce. You and I, we probably won't exchange another word ever again."

Crimsen replies, "Who needs words," before pulling Theron into his arms and kissing him in the darkness of Yavin IV's jungles. Then... they simply parted ways.

#
Crimsèn's POV

Theron is gone.

I felt his lips against my mouth. I felt him in my arms. His smile, his laughter, his jokes. I loved being with him. He and I are so similar. He works for the SIS, I work for Imperial Intelligence. He and I came from force using families, but we both chose completely different paths. We felt a strong connection, perhaps even love. I could see myself being with him forever. And now he is gone, gone, gone...

I am an agent, I try to tell myself. Love is used as tools in order to get to gain information, get at the right target. I couldn't just talk him into staying as he and I are both going our separate ways. I'm a Cipher, he's the head of the SIS now. We're enemies. That's it, no more can become of us.

I hold my hand to my heart, as I feel it almost collapsing. This is not how I wanted this alliance to end. This is not how I wanted Theron to part ways with me. I didn't want him to ever part ways with me. Look at us- He and I were more a like than anyone I have ever met before. Not even my first love can hold a candle to him!

Damn it... I cannot take this. Just when I find a man who understands me, he gets ripped away. And why? Because it was time to go back to a war that for a short time was put on hold. Curse our faction differences! Do they really matter in the grand scheme of things? It's not like the Emperor cares about faction now: He wants to destroy everyone and everything that lives in the galaxy!

If only I had fought more, and showed him I did not care about our differences. Maybe if I told him what I really wanted to say back on Yavin IV, or maybe if I tried to convince Master Shan and Darth Marr that now is not the time for war when we have too big of a common enemy. I didn't. Now Theron is gone and I am once again alone. I pull myself to my chambers, the loneliest room on the Phantom. If only Theron were here to greet me. If only I could see him smile again. And oh... his lips...

I rummage through the tiny fridge and grab some bloodwine. I yank off the cork and just start drinking. It was all I could do to numb the pain. Numb my desires... But I'm a fool as it doesn't work. In fact, it almost makes this worse as I think back on what Theron said. He has no clue of what I really feel. I couldn't admit it because I was a coward and picked the wrong time to follow the status quo for once in my life.

I remember the last words we spoke to each other: I remember how he said I was a bright spot- a bright spot! And Theron was... bright for me too. Son of a force user, but went a different path. And then to meet up and set aside factional differences aside because there was something greater at stake was amazing. For once I could be open with someone. For once I could just be Crimsèn Hevilas, and shed the Cipher 8 mantle. I had been fighting so long to get rid of it after I reprogrammed my mind away from the Castellan Mind Control. Why did I not emphasize how wonderful it was for us to be together, and that we should not part ways now? Why did I not push for the small possibility that the Empire and Republic need not fight? Well I suppose I can answer the latter question: I am

I should have told him all of this. I did not. Why?

Oh yes, it's because Cipher 8 took over then. The Cipher Agent does that from time-to-time. And in the Cipher Agent's it mind it was simply illogical for the romance to continue: I'm Cipher 8 and he's with the SIS. He and I don't have genuine conversations, never mind fall in love. We shouldn't fall in love! It was a nice distraction in the midst of chaos. That's what most of my romances are. It's all they need to be. My heart, the heart behind the Cipher was crying out to me and saying Crimsèn what the kark are you doing? Why are you letting him go?!

Yet for once I do not want to be the Cipher at all any more. No more Cipher, no more locking my feelings away, no more deception behind a casual flirt. But the realization came too late and now I'm a fool. I am a fool... Theron was so... real to me. Why did I not suggest something, anything? Too long a Cipher, I no longer have the strength to fight for someone any more. Or worse, I have become so cold that love is just a means to an end, and then cast aside when it is not needed any more, no matter how much I try.

Now I'm back in Sith intelligence and stuck with Lana- Someone who almost resulted in having Theron ripped from me. I should have shot her when I realized she sold Theron out.

This is no good. This behaviour is not befitting a Cipher Agent. Theron is gone and he's not coming back. I need to distract myself; I need to unleash the passions so embodied within me as a sith. I need someone, anyone. But will anyone do any more? Don't care as anyone is all I have now.

I walk out and shout to HK- "HK! Set a course for Nar Shaddaa. Sith intelligence can wait... What gay bars are still open on the smuggler's moon?"

HK-51 replies, "Answer: None stored in my data-banks. However, there is a nice male dancer back on Rishi that I noticed was eyeing you in a way that you programmed me to notice. "

Rishi, where it all truly started. Don't get me wrong, I playfully flirted with Theron on Manaan when we first met. Yet, when we were on Rishi it grew beyond that. I have never worked so closely with an SIS agent, never mind for the same goals. Their spies are well trained and so skilled. In Theron's case, he had such a keen mind, and a better sense of humour than me. His ability to insightfully look into things and see the details for the greater picture almost stripped away faction differences until all I could see was Theron Shan the man, and I think all he saw was the man Crimsèn Hevilas by the end. It all happened on Rishi...

I don't need to go back there! I whirl around and storm up to HK, "NO you stupid droid," I said in a rage, "how dare you suggest I go back there now! What are you some cold, heartless, jealous suitor that wants to remind me of the one who walked away from me?! I should have you scrapped!"

HK-51 steps back and says, "Appeasement: But Master, have I not been good to you ever since Lord Noxturna gave me to you as a parting gift?"

I glared at HK and simply tossed my wine bottle at him. It shattered into pieces against the droid. I shouted at the wine-drenched droid, "Clean that up! Then set a course for... any gay bar in the galaxy that ISN'T on Rishi nor with the Republic!"

I walk back to my quarters. I say out loud, "Stupid kriffing droid... Re-phrase that: Stupid kriffing Cipher Agent. I should know better than to find sympathy from a psychotic droid."

It seems I am incapable of doing anything right today: Cannot fight for a man I think I've fallen in love with; can't find a good place to get a date; and I can't figure out that a droid can't feel so he can't give me sympathy.

You know what? To hell with this. A dancer or man-whore on Nar Shaddaa deserves better than my company!

"HK," I said, "When you get done cleaning lets just go to Kaas. Intelligence awaits its rebuilding."

#
Theron Shan's POV


Wow, what a ride!

I go from a lowly SIS grunt to it's commander in chief. If anyone told me what would happen the moment I started helping with the attack on Korriban, I would have sent them to the medical wing. Yet, here I am and I did it by helping out alongside Imperials. Didn't think that would happen in my time either, but that is the galaxy for you! Thankfully, it is over now and we can go back to our old lives.

Well, sort of our old lives. Lana is the head of Sith intelligence, now. Who knows, maybe I can give her some payback for selling me out to our enemies back on Rishi. I don't care if it got us more information, you do not turn your back on your allies! Shows that Sith are all the same with some differences. Actually, wait, that is not true. There is one sith that stood out the most and may be the one that is out to break all the rules: Crimsèn Hevilas. He's of the sith species, and yet no lightsaber? That must have been hard to pull off. I only got out of the lightsaber wielding business because I have no force awareness. Was that the same for him or is there more to his story?

There must be more if he can still walk with such a stride, and practically showing off the fact his strong and muscular body have so many scars. Did I mention he also has a lot of grace and honour to his stride, too. He actually demanded Lana apologize to me for selling me out! For a spy, I am glad he did not take back stabbing allies very well. All things considered, he was an enjoyable companion, and sometimes I cannot believe what he and I shared.

As I look out the window on the Republic ship, my mind drifts back over the events on Rishi and Yavin IV. I have many fond memories: The laughing with Jakarro, even some of the chats with Lana, and feeling Crim's lips on mine. I also have one... regret? I am not sure. Crimsèn and I were an item I guess. I don't know, I suck at relationships. My last one prior to this ended because I found a note from her that we were done. It doesn't look better on my end that I read the note 3 months after she sent it. See what happens when you become a work-a-holic?

Though I think Crim understood those circumstances. He's the ex-Cipher 8, after all. He has probably had relationships for short periods, had relationships to get information... I mean I only guess that he has. I wonder if he has had trouble finding them since he admitted how not interested in women he is during some of our down time on Rishi? Or did he say it while the 5 of us were having casual conversations? Hard to know.

What I do know is he and I laughed, joked, cried, and kissed. I have used romantic relationships to get me places, but Crimsèn is the first one where I genuinely cared for the person. And I called it off. I told myself it was because the truce is over. He is Imperial; I am Republic. We simply could not continue past Yavin IV. It was a fling, it was not meant to last. Case closed.

And yet here I am, opening it up again. We are agents to our own factions... Why did I not decide to be with him anyway? We could have just met on neutral worlds like Rishi or Nar Shaddaa. No one on those planets care who you're with and our organizations would have been none the wiser. Heck, we could even have worked towards a more peaceful understanding between our own factions.

Oh well, I suppose I will never know what could have happened.

We are now back to our own intelligence agencies. If I seem him again, I probably won't recognize him. Yes, this is for the best. I'm sure we will just look back on this as a nice memory but nothing more. Know what is strange? Crimsèn seemed sad when we last spoke, and I could tell! Couldn't say that about some of the last girlfriends and boyfriends I had. This makes me wonder if his words of understanding were a façade.

They should not be a façade! This is what should happen, what has to happen. Though a part of me hopes I'm wrong and the façade is right. I was proven wrong when I thought I had Crimsèn figured out when I first met him: A duplicity, evil monster with the darkside rolling around on the inside. Yet, I was wrong. Very wrong.

What makes me think I have him all figured out now?