Set about a month or so after A Lady's Choice

"I've got to take a break or my eyes are going to bleed," Aves said, pushing away from the table beside Shada. She knew how he felt. They'd been compiling and cross checking New Republic and Imperial intelligence reports most of the day. "I'm going to make more caf. You want some?"

"Desperately." She leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms over her head trying to work the stiffness out of her back.

Aves went over to the caf machine to start a new pot. "You know, I miss being just a smuggler. There was never this much flimsywork."

Shada smiled. This wasn't quite what she'd expected when she had signed on with Karrde either. She supposed it came with the territory of going legitimate.

"Faughn, Chin and I are going to try that new Corellian place in the city tonight," Aves called over his shoulder as he prepared their caf. "You want to go?"

"I would, but I'm going to that concert with Karrde tonight. Maybe next time." She looked back down at her datapad focusing on the information there. They needed to hurry and get this done if she was going to have enough time to get dressed for the evening.

"That's right. I forgot that was tonight." Aves came over and set a mug of caf in front of her. "Wear the blue velvet dress."

"What?" she asked distractedly.

"Wear the blue velvet dress," he told her again.

She focused on Aves again. "Why?"

"Trust me. Karrde will appreciate it."

Shada gave him a sour look. "Do you two just sit around and gossip about my wardrobe?"

"No, but the boss couldn't take his eyes off of you the last time you wore it."

"You need to mind your own business," she told him tartly and returned back to her work.

Aves just smiled and sat back down beside her nudging her with his shoulder. "Happy Lifeday, by the way."

"Thank you," she said simply, smiling back. She had never really celebrated her lifeday. It was a far too frivolous thing for a Mistryl to do. It would be nice to have a night out for once on her lifeday. It was convenient Karrde had suggested the concert and a night out on the town. Then again knowing Talon Karrde it probably wasn't a coincidence at all. She tossed down her stylus on the table and turned to Aves. "Do you think that's what this whole night out is about? My lifeday?"

He looked surprised she asked. "Of course it is. He's courting you, Shada. It's standard procedure to take your lady out for a romantic evening for her lifeday."

Her frown deepened and she glared at the screen in front of her not really seeing it. "I don't know how to do this."

"Here let me show you." He leaned over to get a look at her datapad.

"No, not that," she sighed. "Doing whatever it is Karrde and I are doing."

"Being in a relationship, you mean?" Aves asked giving it the name she would not.

"Yes. I don't know how to do it." It had been nearly a year since she and Karrde had begun this- thing. It had moved past being an affair to being something so much deeper than that, but she still felt like she was navigating blind. It had been so much easier when it had just been about lust.

"No one does, Shada. Why do you think everyone's so screwed up?" Aves must have seen the look of panic that began to creep over her and continued, "He's- you've both been alone for a long time, Shada. You're good for each other. You're both- I don't know- lighter when you're together." He paused then added with a little smile. "When you think no one's watching that is."

"Hmm." She stared down at her caf. "It's just that I don't have any experience with this sort of thing. Mistryl are forbidden any sort of romantic relationship."

He studied her a moment trying to process that bit of information. "You weren't- I mean you'd had- Karrde wasn't your-" Aves just kind of sputtered to a stop, staring at her mildly aghast.

Shada knew what he was trying to get at. "I wasn't a virgin if that's what you're asking," she assured him.

"Well, good. That would have been weird at your age."

"Gee, thanks, Aves," she said dryly.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I'd had a few casual encounters before," she admitted. "It's just this thing with Karrde is not something I ever expected. Especially not with my employer. I just- I don't know what to I'm supposed to do most of the time and that scares me."

"Relationships scare everyone sometimes," Aves told her reassuringly. "Just go with it and don't think so hard about it. You both deserve to be happy."

Shada wore the blue velvet gown. She nervously paced the length of her small sitting room as she waited for Karrde. She didn't know why going out for her lifeday should make her so nervous. She and Karrde went to concerts and other events all the time, especially when they were on Coruscant. But this had nothing to do with work or being seen.

Exactly at the appointed hour the door rang.

"Come in," she called.

Karrde entered looking particularly handsome dressed in the suit he had worn to the treaty signing. His cloak was draped over his arm and a box wrapped in sparkling flimsy was in his hand. His eyes took in her appearance at once and she saw the frank admiration on his face. "You look exquisite, my dear." Apparently, Aves had been right about the gown.

"Thank you."

"Happy Lifeday," he said handing her the gift.

"You shouldn't have."

"Don't be silly."

"Thank you." She sat down on the sofa and unwrapped the gift. In her hands was a box from the same jeweler as her black Mon Calamari pearls. She was almost afraid to open it knowing that what she found inside there was sure to be extravagant. Her hand trembled a bit as she lifted the lid. Inside was a fantastic necklace of sapphires set in delicate platinum filigree and matching earrings. Another fortune in a box.

"You can't keep giving me things like this," she said quietly, overwhelmed by how much it must have cost.

"Why ever not?" He sounded genuinely perplexed.

"It's far too expensive."

"You're worth it." He gave her a roguish smile. "What better way is there to spend my ill gotten gains?"

"Talon…" She often forgot that Talon Karrde was a wealthy man. He certainly lived very well, but was generally not one for ostentatious displays. She had gotten used to his habit of giving her little tokens of his affection, things he thought she might like or something she had admired but not bought for herself, but this was way too much.

He sat down next to her. "Shada, my darling," he reached out and took her hand. "It was not my intention to make you uncomfortable. I merely want you to have something beautiful for your lifeday." She raised an eyebrow. This wasn't a mere sparkly trifle. "Besides, it never hurts to have a bit of portable and easily disposed of wealth. Our lives can be rather unpredictable in this line of work."

"Oh, you're so practical," she said sarcastically.

"Shada, you're not a Mistryl anymore," he said with a touch of exasperation in his voice. "What we have is no longer forbidden to you and you don't have to lead that austere lifestyle anymore. You've taken care of your family. You don't need to feel guilty about enjoying life." He lifted her hand and pressed it to his lips. "We can enjoy life together."

"I know. You're right. It's just so- overwhelming." She didn't know if she was talking about the jewels he lavished on her or the emotions swirling through her.

"I know."

She looked down at the necklace, her finger tracing the filigree. "It is beautiful. You do have very good taste."

His eyes focused on her. "Yes, I do."

She laughed and rolled her eyes, breaking the tension. "Put it on for me?" She turned her back to him.

He lifted the necklace out of the box and placed it around her neck, securing the clasp. His hand gently traced the line of her spine revealed by the daringly low back of her gown. "This is my favorite gown," he whispered in her ear. "I love it when you wear it."

She turned her head and met his lips in a long seductive kiss that made her almost want to skip the concert. "Thank you, Talon," she said a little breathlessly.

"You're welcome."

She stood then and went over to the mirror trading out the earrings she had on for the ones that matched the necklace. She stared at herself in the mirror. How different was the woman before her in a fine velvet gown and sparkling jewels than the ragged half starved girl who had dedicated herself to the Mistryl more than 30 years ago today?

That little girl had never imagined a life beyond glorious battle and honor for her people. Now here she was decades later, working in an unexpected way toward peace in the galaxy and was the lover of a powerful but not all together respectable man who was none the less the most honorable person she knew. That single minded little girl would be horrified, but the woman she had become was content with this life.

Karrde came up behind her and settled her cloak around her shoulders, his hands resting on her shoulders. She saw him study her in the reflection of the mirror. "Do you get melancholy on your lifeday, my dear?" There was a slightly amused smile tugging at his lips, but his eyes were full of warm affection.

She smiled back. "I suppose I must."

TBC