Part Ten: Tareesha
Demira walked along the outside of the shuttle running her fingers along its hull. She silently recited the Litany of Fear to herself as she worried that she might never see him again and this shuttle was the last thing she knew he touched…she should be able to sense him. It was still warm from its escape from Azeroth's atmosphere, and smiling to herself she could still feel his residual presence from the shuttle. In the adjacent bay Kitali and Zharn were helping Windi from her own wrecked ship, but her thoughts were not even remotely on her friends. Daneel had piloted this shuttle from the surface. She approached the ramp and walked into the craft. She could smell him in the cabin's interior, felt his presence in the deckplates where his feet had touched as he walked, tasted his breath in the air as she walked further into the cabin where he sat and piloted the shuttle. She sat in the pilot's chair and closed her eyes. Her senses took her on a personal journey to that first time they met, their first kiss, their first time making love…and on to other aspects of their relationship. Her brow furrowed as she mostly remembered how annoyed she was that he slept with his toes over the end of the bed, his habit of changing his voice when making light of things in their home, repeating something she said just to annoy her…why was she thinking of these things at a time like this? At a time when she may never see him again? She shivered at that last thought…the pain of loss struck her heart and she recited the Litany once again. Then she realized that they were all parts of who he was...his whole being. There was so much she loved about him and yet these other things were still part the jedi she loved with all her heart. The good and the bad. Their friends might think they never argued or fought, but that was simply not true. They had their moments when she just could not stand to be around Daneel, but those moments numbered fewer than those she cherished. These annoying quirks of his…now that she might lose him…she found she actually loved those things about him despite how she might feel at the time. Now that she might never see him again those were the things about him and his personality that she would find endearing…things that made him unique…things that were simply…him. Not only was the jedi the man she loved, but he was also her best friend and that meant more than anything. She counted herself very lucky. Demira turned when she heard a commotion from outside the shuttle near the ramp. She stood and walked towards the aft of the shuttle when Zharn came up the ramp.
"We have a slight problem," the orc said when he reached the top. "There's one of those clone things outside asking for our identification."
"What kind of identification?" she asked. He turned and walked down the ramp and she followed him. "Is she alone?"
"Not sure, but she sounds rather creepy," he replied. "It's like she is alive and yet not…like I said…creepy, very creepy." They walked from the bottom of the ramp to front of the shuttle. Windi was standing behind Kitali as the pandaren was talking to the clone dressed in black robes. They stopped and turned to look as the mage and orc as they approached. "Here is our leader," Zharn said to the clone as he gave Demira a half shrug of his shoulders. "She can tell you what you need to know."
The clone looked at Demira and gave the mage a curt bow. "My apologies, mistress. I had not been informed there was an arrival from the surface planned for today," the clone monotoned. Demira looked down and realized she was still wearing the cultist disguise from the island base. "Do you have something for the Lady Tareesha, mistress?"
Kitali, Zharn, and Windi gave Demira quizzical stares. What was she going to say? She looked at the blank face of the clone. "I…um…yes...I do have a message for Lady Tareesha," the mage stammered. "But I must deliver this message to her in person." She hoped the clone would not question her further because she had no idea how to get past the guard if the situation called for violence, and she didn't know how many more guards and clones there were aboard.
"Lady Tareesha is up on the command deck," the clone replied. It pointed to a corridor. "The lifts to that section can be reached through that hallway. The command deck is on the twelfth level." Demira nodded and began to walk to the indicated corridor. "Do you have instructions for me, mistress?" the clone asked halting Demira in her tracks.
Demira turned and looked at Zharn and Kitali. Both shrugged their shoulders. She looked back at the clone. They needed to find Daneel, but this clone had to be dealt with one way or another. But as she looked back at the distracting clone her eyes caught Windi. Demira suddenly realized that in their haste they had forgotten about the gnome, and bringing her throughout the ship was not a good idea. The diminutive woman was not a fighter and things being as they were Demira did not want to endanger Windi more than she already had. Thinking quickly she looked at the clone. "As a matter of fact," the mage started, "I assume you can fly this shuttle?"
"That is correct, mistress," the clone answered.
"Good. I would like you to prep this shuttle for departure when I return," Demira said. "I will be taking these two with me, and I want you to look after this one," she said pointing at Windi, "and keep her safe from any harm."
"I will begin immediately, mistress," the clone replied.
It walked towards the ramp. As it did Demira looked at Windi who was now glaring at her with hands on her hips. Demira knelt before the gnome. "I cannot thank you enough for bringing us up here, but I want you to stay with that woman in this shuttle where it's safe. Wait for us."
"But there is so much to see here," Windi started to protest. "You can't just expect me to come up to this engineering marvel and not look around!"
"But it's dangerous, Windi," Demira answered. "You risked a lot to get us up here and I appreciate that…I really do, but we must do the rest and face the dangers that are on this ship." The gnome started to argue again but the mage put her hand up. "Please, Windi. I know there is much to see here, but there are monsters on this ship that we must battle. There will be blood and guts and…" Demira stopped when the gnome began to blanch. "With this woman on the shuttle I know you will be safe. We'll find my friend and when we return we can all fly back to Azeroth. I promise."
The gnome sighed and looked at the shuttle. "I guess sitting in this thing will be alright. I mean…it's an engineering marvel too, right?" Demira shook her head. "Ok, but you have to tell me everything when you get back."
"I will," Demira replied. She watched the gnome saunter to the ramp and climb into the shuttle. She then stood up and faced her two friends. "Time for us to find Daneel."
"You think he went up to this command deck that woman told us about?" Kitali asked as Demira stepped closer. She noticed that the orc and pandaren were holding hands. She smiled at the couple.
"That's where he'll be," Demira replied. "His plan is to fly this ship into our sun in order to destroy it, and to do that he will have to go to the command deck." She started walking to the corridor on the side of the hanger bay. "That is where we will find my Daneel." 'With all his greatness and wonderfully annoying quirks,' she thought.
Daneel walked the length of the corridor outside the bridge. From here he would set the ship on its course for the sun and then make his way to the hanger and fly off in the shuttle. So far on this deck he had not come across any rakghouls, but he kept his lightsaber in hand just in case. Ahead of him was a turn to his right, and then beyond that should be the bridge access. When he got to the corner he stopped. He could feel a dark presence ahead. There was a staging room just aft of the bridge that housed an airlock and escape pods for the bridge crew. He stretched out through the Force and focused on the presence. Waves of dark side energy surrounded this person or thing, but he could not sense precisely what it was…or who. Taking a deep breath he rounded the corner and walked cautiously to the doorway ahead. When he got to the room he stopped and looked inside. On the far side of the room stood a woman who appeared to be a night elf. She wore a top that looped around her neck and came down to her breasts revealing her ample cleavage. Her stomach, back, and arms were bare. She also wore a full length skirt that nearly touched the floor with a long slit along her left leg almost to her waist. She was smiling at him, and in her right hand was an ignited lightsaber.
"At last I get to meet a famed jedi," the woman said. Her voice was soft and seductive belying her size. Although the woman was slender in build with toned musculature she stood almost as tall as a wookie. "I hope my children didn't give you too much trouble on your way to see me." Her mouth smiled on her heart-shaped and elegantly featured face, but her eyes were more than angry.
"You must be Tareesha…the Cult of Sith'ari leader," Daneel replied keeping his distance. "As for your…'children'…they were not a bother."
"That is Order of Sith'ari," she growled. She widened her stance exposing her muscled left leg. "Why must you types always get that wrong?"
"If it walks like a cult and talks like a cult," Daneel said smiling as he widened his stance to match hers. "Come now…you really didn't think that a bunch of Azerothians could make a true Order of Sith'ari? An order based on a species long extinct." He was taunting her…trying to ascertain just what she wanted. "I mean…you are not a true sith let alone a sith'ari."
"Is this some jedi ploy? Trying to anger me?" she replied. "Tsk, tsk. I thought the jedi were all about the light? That's what the sith here always believed." She took a step to her left which Daneel matched keeping his distance from her. "They believed the jedi were unfeeling creatures bent on the annihilation of the sith race and culture. They feared the jedi. My elders told me stories of their flight from the jedi and Republic in their home galaxy…how the jedi hunted them to kill them and all other sith. But seeing you now…knowing what I know…I do not fear you. I know you better than you think, jedi."
"Suppose you enlighten me, then." Daneel replied.
"Let's see…where to begin," Tareesha said bringing her free hand to her chin trying to act coy. "For starters I know you arrived to this planet about three years ago. You live with a blood elf…how's the fucking, by the way? I imagine with a body like hers you must have no trouble keeping it up." She brought her hand down along her cleavage and looked seductively at him. "She's nothing compared to me, but I guess you settle for what you can." She took another step to her right. Daneel matched her move. "You offer peace plans to both the Horde and the Alliance, but neither wants to hear you. The Kirin Tor is afraid of you…this big powerful mage…just because they don't understand the Force…not like we do." She stopped and ran her hand along her leg exposing it more almost to her inner thigh. "Come now…I know you quite well. I can offer you so much more than that sin'dorei can."
"Trying to seduce me? Sorry…you just are not my kind of woman," Daneel said with a smile.
Tareesha's hand dropped to her side. "Then how about I just help you release that anger inside…make you forsake the light side? I can turn that wench you're so fond of into one of my pets…how would you like that? Watch the woman you love become a creature without thought or feeling? To turn her into my willing slave?"
Daneel's smile widened. "I know you can do no such thing."
"So certain are you?"
"I found the amulet…the one the original sith created. I destroyed it along with that Rakata island you found. You have no way of turning others into rakghouls because you never discovered how to make it a disease like Muur did. You have no power. You're cultists are dead…both when I destroyed the island and those you left at the base in Eversong Woods. All you have is the malfunctioning cloning machinery below…and I know that is why you are hiding up here…you are afraid of your 'children' because you cannot control them."
"You…you destroyed the amulet? And the island?" she growled. Her smile left as her brow furrowed. She ignited the red blade of her lightsaber. "I will enjoy killing you, jedi."
"Ah…I see you acquired a lightsaber after all," Daneel replied igniting his own blade. "Shame you had to steal yours. I wonder…just how much of the Force you actually know."
She leapt at him with her blade held in both hands over her head. He raised his to block her attack…crimson and green clashing in a shower of sparks. She whirled around trying to get behind him, but he matched her movement facing her…both holding their lightsabers before them. The hum of their blades filled the room. With a feint he attacked low causing her to stumble backwards while trying to block and parry with her own attack. Her back struck the wall and she gasped. Daneel backed slowly towards the center of the room.
"You can end this, Tareesha," he said to her as she steadied herself. "Give up your hatred. Let go of your anger. You are no match for me."
"Never," she growled as she raised her arm. Force lightning sprouted from her fingers towards the jedi.
The lift door opened on the twelfth level from the hanger. Kitali screamed as there were rakghouls crowding the corridor outside the lift. Demira quickly slammed the controls closing the door blocking the alerted creatures. This could not be the command deck.
"What the…"Zharn started. "Are those the creatures you all have been talking about?" Kitali nodded and leaned over placing her hands on her knees. "There had to be dozens of them in there!"
"This is not good. This is not good," Kitali chanted. "There is no way Daneel came up to this level." She looked up at Demira. "Are you sure this it the right level?"
"It's the twelfth level just like the clone said," Demira replied. She looked at the controls and touched a couple of keys. "Maybe she told us the wrong level? I mean…this is not even the top level for the lift. It's about half way." The lift began moving. "I'm taking us to the top."
"I hope you are right about this, because I don't want to have to face more of those things," Zharn replied placing his hands on Kitali's shoulders. "And I haven't even shouted an angry word at them. I'm not afraid of much in this world…but those things….scare me."
"They're vicious," Kitali stated. "They bite and scratch and just keep coming no matter what you do to them. Before…back at the base…I lit one on fire and it kept coming…like it didn't even realize it was on fire…it just kept coming."
The lift stopped and the door opened. The three looked out into the corridor. There were rakghouls before them, but they were all dead lying along the deck. The trio stepped from the lift and Demira approached one of the bodies.
"Careful," Zharn warned. "That thing may just look dead. It could be baiting you in."
Demira knelt beside the creature. It had a cauterized wound diagonally across its chest. She stood and looked at other bodies close by. They all had similar wounds. She looked back at the other two and smiled. "Daneel came this way."
"How can you be sure?" Kitali asked.
"Those marks…they're from his lightsaber. He came this way."
"Then let's follow the trail of bodies," Zharn said pushing his way to the front. "We'll find him that way either dead or alive."
"He's alive," Demira said quietly causing the other two to look at her. She looked up and smiled. "I can sense it…he's alive."
"You using that Force thing?" Kitali asked her.
"No…I just…I can feel him…in here," she replied holding her hand on her chest. "In my heart I know he's alive."
"So you think he's alive," Zharn replied rolling his eyes. He didn't want to crush her hopes because of the way she felt about the jedi, but gut feelings didn't mean they were true. "How can you be so sure? And that he's still on this level?"
She shook her head at him. "No…I can feel him. He's calm and at peace, but still troubled…and very much alive." She walked past the orc. "And he's not on this level either. He's above us."
They ran along the corridor following Demira. More rakghoul bodies littered the deck. They finally came to another lift. Stepping inside and looking at the controls Demira smiled at her companions.
"This must be where the clone was confused. This lift only goes twelve decks up."
Zharn and Kitali joined her in the lift. She activated the controls and the lift took them to the twelfth level. The doors opened to reveal a dark and vacant corridor. They left the lift and walked forward cautiously. Zharn and Kitali both kept a hand in their pouches ready to pull totems out if needed. Fifty yards ahead of them was a corner turning to their right. About half way to the corner they heard a familiar sound…lightsabers clashing. Demira ran to the corner and rounded it while Zharn and Kitali rushed to catch her. They found her stopped in front of a doorway. She was just standing and staring. The clashing was louder, and as they approached the mage they thought they heard lightning. They stopped next to Demira and looked where she was staring. Ahead the room was dark with a few lights sprouting columns from the ceiling. Two dark figures were fighting in the middle of the room…one with a green blade of light coming from it…the other a red one. The two blades reached out for each other and when they met there was a blinding flash of light. Sparks flew from the contact of the blades and crackling sounds filled the air. The two blades separated and retreated from each other. In one column of light Daneel appeared holding the green blade. Across from him a tall night elf woman emerged holding the red. Her skin was dark red in the shadow and as she backed into the full light of the column Zharn swore her skin looked dark blue. She had waist long silver hair and wore a white top that barely covered her breasts. From her waist down she wore a white floor length skirt that was slit along her left leg. She was beautiful he judged by night elf standards, but what stood out from other night elves were her eyes. Most night elves eyes glowed either silver or gold, but this woman's eyes did not glow at all. Zharn squinted trying to make certain he was seeing them correctly. Her eyes looked like those of a human…white with colored irises. This woman's irises were red for the most part, but right next to the pupil was a yellow ring. The orc shuddered as his first thought was she had the eyes of a demon.
Demira held her breath as Daneel and the night elf circled each other. The very toned and lean night elf stood much taller than the jedi. Demira knew that he was five foot ten inches tall, but this woman he countered stood at least a foot taller if not more. The lightsaber she wielded looked like a dagger in her hands instead of a sword like Daneel's appeared in his. She brought her hands to her mouth as she further noticed the condition of his robes. They had been torn and ripped and on his right shoulder burned like it was scorched from lighting. She saw no blood, but she knew also that lightsabers tended not to cause bleeding instead cauterizing any wound. The woman moved from one column of light to another…her skin appearing dark red then dark blue as she moved from darkness to light…something the mage had never seen before in any creature except dragons.
"Your friends have come to play with us, jedi," the woman taunted. She looked at Demira and smiled. "Including your little wench. I honestly don't know what you see in her. She's such a little thing with very little power."
"There is more to her than you can imagine," the jedi replied not taking his focus from the night elf. He had not felt their presence in the Force until just a moment ago. How did they get to the ship? But these thoughts were distractions…and he needed to focus on the night elf. "Demira is more woman than you could ever dream of being," he said to Tareesha. With the last syllable he jumped at the woman swinging his lightsaber in a wide arc. It was not meant to hurt the woman but to throw her off balance. She reacted by rolling to her left and blocking his blade. He squared off to face her…his back to his friends blocking them from any possible attack she might launch in their direction. "You three should leave here. This is my fight," he said to Demira, Zharn, and Kitali. When he noticed they had not moved he looked to his side. "Zharn…Kitali…get Demira out of here! Get her some place safe!"
"I won't leave you," Demira replied. "I can't leave you."
Tareesha stood up and faced her opponent. She grinned as the noticed he was blocking her from the newcomers. "How touching," she said hearing Dermira's claim. "The two lovers profess their devotion just before their end. I wonder what kind of torture I can put her through." She raised her hand and Force lightning sprung from her fingers towards the mage. Daneel stepped in front of Demira taking the entire attack square in the chest. Demira screamed behind him as his body shook from the power coursing through his body. His lightsaber dropped from his hand to the deck. Tareesha ended her attack, as the jedi slumped to his hands and knees. "So weak," the night elf scoffed. "My elders were foolish to fear your kind."
"Daneel!" Demira screamed. Zharn and Kitali held her back as she struggled to run to his side. "Daneel!"
"Now it's your turn little miss cute thing," Tareesha said with a sneer. She pointed her hand at the mage. "This time there is no jedi to protect you."
"Get…her…out…of…here," Daneel gasped. He had lifted his left arm and his head to look at the night elf. He started to stand on his left leg bracing his hand on his knee.
"Too late, jedi," Tareesha snarled as lightning sprung from her fingers towards Demira. Zharn gasped and Kitali closed her eyes, but neither saw Daneel jump up to intercept the lightning yet again. Demira was struck dumb wondering how the jedi had found the strength at the last minute, but her heart sank as he again convulsed from the power in the lightning. Tareesha stopped her attack and glared at the jedi. "How did you do that?"
Daneel slumped to his right knee and smiled. "Never underestimate the power of the light." His head hung low and his breathing had become erratic.
"I'll bet you can't do that a third time," the night elf said raising her hand towards the mage. "And if you do…this time you will not get up." But her attention was on the jedi and not the mage, and she screamed in pain as a ball of fire hit her arm. She looked at the mage still being restrained by the two shamans…Demira's right hand outstretched towards her. "How?"
"Not all magic comes from the arcane, bitch!" the mage replied. As she spoke another ball of fire formed before her hand. "Rot in hell!"
The fireball raced across the room towards the night elf engulfing the woman in flames, but that was not all of Demira's attack. Flames followed the initial ball further immolating Tareesha. The woman's screams pierced the room. Kitali and Zharn relaxed their hold on Demira when they realized what she was doing. Before them Daneel fell face down on the floor not moving. Demira did not relent and the night elf stopped screaming as her life ended, but still the flames burned her body as it slumped to the deck. After a moment the attack stopped and Demira's arm went limp.
"Daneel!" she screamed looking at him lying comatose before her. The two shamans released her as she ran and knelt beside him. "Daneel…wake up!" He was still breathing but not moving. "Daneel, why did you do that?"
Slowly he turned his head to face her. The left side of his face was scorched where Tareesha's lighting had struck him. "Isn't it obvious?" he replied weakly trying to smile. "I couldn't let her do this to you." He began to lift himself up with Demira's help. Once on his feet she supported him with his arm around her neck and hers around his waist.
"You could have been killed," Demira said. "That was foolish and reckless…just like coming up here on your own."
"For you I would do anything including sacrificing myself to keep you safe from harm," he replied. "And that is not just because it is the jedi way…I would do it for you because I care that much for you."
They turned to face Zharn and Kitali who were still standing in the doorway in shock. As they saw Demira Kitali gasped. "Honey…your eyes!" Kitali said.
"What about my eyes?" the mage asked.
"They aren't glowing green any more," Zharn replied. "I never knew you had green eyes. I mean…besides the glowing bit you blood elves have."
"What do you mean my eyes aren't glowing?" Demira asked. She guided Daneel to a shiny part of the wall where she could faintly see her reflection. Indeed her eyes were no longer glowing as they had before. "What happened?"
"You used the Force more than you ever have before," Daneel said. "Sometimes it can have a healing aspect. In your case the affliction common to your race with past usage of fel energies has been erased…healed. Your eyes are as they should have been." He smiled and looked at her. "Your use of the Living Force has had a positive affect on you."
"But I was angry when I attacked that woman. I hated her," Demira replied. "I thought that was the dark side."
"There are mysteries of the Force we jedi have yet to discover," Daneel replied. Zharn and Kitali stood and stared at the mage enraptured by the change in her. "We have been in existence for over twenty thousand years with many great masters trying to learn the mysteries of the Force, and yet for all that time and all the knowledge we have gathered we still only know a fraction of the Force. What happened to you I do not presume to understand except to say that although your feelings were dark your heart remains pure…and it was the light that answered your call." He stood taller having regained some of his strength. "But there is one thing I have to ask. Not to sound ungrateful…I am very grateful…but what are you all doing here? How did you get here?"
"That's a long story," Kitali replied. "But we can get to that later. Shouldn't we do something?" she said pointing to the burning corpse of Tareesha. "I mean…about that?"
"I say leave her as is," Zharn replied. "The woman had no honor and she paid the price." He leaned over to Demira and smiled. "I never knew you had that much in you." She shrugged and looked at the jedi. Zharn stood back up. "Now we should just destroy this thing and go home. We can celebrate later when we are safe on the ground."
"A good idea," Daneel agreed. "The bridge is just through those doors behind us. Once I set the ship's course for the sun we can get to the shuttle and head home." He gave Demira a squeeze. "All of us." She smiled and helped him turn around.
The four of them walked past the body of Tareesha still burning on the deck. Once they opened the doors to the bridge Daneel pointed to the helm station. Zharn and Kitali followed Demira as she helped the jedi to the console. With effort he sat in the chair and punched up the ship's systems governing propulsion and navigation. With a frown he rekeyed the sequence. He sighed and looked back up at Demira. "The controls to set the autopilot are severed," he said grimly. "I cannot set the ship's course from this console without staying here to make adjustments as it gets closer to the sun."
"What does that mean?" Kitali asked from his side. "Can we still destroy this ship?"
Tears began welling in Demira's now clear eyes. She nodded and hugged the jedi. He hugged her back. "I can, but I must remain here to do so," he said answering the shaman. He looked at Demira. "I'm sorry, my love. Although when I felt your pain I planned to return to the surface after setting the ship on its course, it appears I no longer have that option."
"NO!" she cried looking up at him. "There must be another way. Some other controls to set the course…there must be!"
"I wish there was, Demira," he replied holding her. "I wish there was."
Kitali turned and embraced Zharn. He held her in return not knowing what to say. They all knew what the jedi was saying…that he was remaining on the ship and would die as it was destroyed in the sun.
"Then I am staying with you," Demira said through her tears. "I won't leave you to die alone."
"You cannot stay with me, Demira. You must leave and live," Daneel replied quietly. He cupped her cheek with his hand. It was blackened from the lighting attack earlier and felt rough on her skin, but she did not care. "I meant it when I said I would do anything for you…to keep you safe."
"But I don't want to go," she pleaded. "I don't want to leave you."
"I don't want to leave you either, but there is no other person and no other way to ensure that this ship is destroyed and cannot endanger Azeroth." He held her with both arms. "Sleep," he whispered and caught her as she slumped in his arms. He looked up at a shocked Kitali and Zharn. "Down in the hanger bay there is a clone. She is not dangerous…I do not think…but she can pilot the shuttle to get you three home."
"We already saw her and lined that up," Zharn replied.
"What did you do to her?" Kitali asked looking at Demira.
"She will not go willingly, and I cannot let her stay with me," The jedi replied. "Please…take her to the shuttle and get off this ship."
Zharn nodded and let go of Kitali. He stepped forward and picked up Demira cradling her in his arms. He bowed his head to the jedi and turned to leave.
"What do we tell her when she wakes up?" Kitali asked. "She'll be furious and heartbroken."
"But she will still live," Daneel whispered. "Just tell her I love her with all of my being…and I have no regrets."
Kitali wiped her eyes and nodded. "I will miss you, Daneel. We'll all miss you." She stepped forward and hugged him. "I'll let Demira know what you did and why."
"Thank you," the jedi said hugging the pandaren back. "You take care of her for me. She'll need you most to help her through this." Kitali stood and nodded. "You are a true and dear friend, Kitali. I ask of you only one thing."
"Anything," the pandaren replied.
"Show her who you really are," he said with a smile. "And Zharn too. I know neither will care because they love you, not what you appear to be."
Kitali turned to see Zharn had already left the other room heading towards the lifts. She looked back at the jedi. "How do you know? I mentioned something about it to Demira, but that was in jest. But I never revealed what I really am."
"I could sense it through the Force," he replied. "In recent months you have become more than Alliance as they have become more than Horde. Those divisions amongst us mean nothing any more."
Kitali looked down and reached into her pouch. She withdrew a small stone and her visage melted from the pandaren into a tall and beautiful draenei with blue skin and long dark hair. She looked at the jedi and smiled. "I was a spy once until I met Demira and Zharn," she confessed. "I was still spying a little until I met you. From that day on I never reported back to the Alliance. I felt…more…after I met you…that there was something more important than those old battle lines. In the past few months I have learned just what that is…it's not Horde or Alliance…it's just…people." She looked up at the ceiling and wiped a tear from her eye. "I never would have imagined falling in love with an orc before I met you. But I learned to view him in a different light." She looked back at the jedi. "You two are a lot alike in many ways. He cares more for the people around him than he does the Horde. He joined us on this venture without a thought of what it might mean to his standing in the Horde because he felt this was more important. And if he were in your position I know he would make the same decision." She paused and laughed looking back at the ceiling. "As a matter of fact he already did that for me once."
"He's a good man with a kind and gentle heart," Daneel said. "And he's a very lucky man to have you as a friend…and a lover."
"I'm the lucky one," she said now crying again. She knelt over and hugged the jedi again. "I will never forget you, Daneel." She stood and followed Zharn and Demira afraid to look back at the man she considered a hero and a friend.
Alone on the bridge Daneel looked down at the console. He punched in the coordinates for the sun. He looked back where his friends had left and smiled. In his heart he accepted what was about to happen and felt at peace. He tapped the control to engage the engines…and the ship began its slow turn away from Azeroth and towards the sun.