A/N: Thanks to everyone for lurking, reading, following, favorite-ing, and reviewing! Special thanks to my guest reviewer - I can't reply to you directly, so thank you so much for taking the time to leave your thoughts! And since it hasn't been said in a while: remember that I'm taking liberties with in-game elements, dialogue, and events. Nothing that's recognizable is mine.
True to his word, Vowrawn was able to produce a large speeder for the group in fairly short order, and within a couple of hours, Tori and her crew had reassembled at Andronikos's ship in the spaceport, leaving Vowrawn and Qet to make their way off Corellia separately.
"Whoa," Vette looked up at the large freighter looming above them. "That's some pretty serious hardware."
Nikos gave her a grin. "You like, huh?" The twi'lek nodded emphatically, still gawking.
He chuckled, then strode up the ramp to the main hatch and input the security codes. "All aboard, folks."
Vette bounded in first, followed by the others, with Quinn bringing up the rear. Tori lingered at the bottom of the ramp, her back to the ship, obviously lost in thought. Malavai paused in the doorway, looking back at her, then to Nikos, who was also watching her, his brow furrowed.
"She okay?" Nikos asked Malavai.
A bit taken aback by the question, Quinn floundered for a moment before answering.
"She's tired. She dozed off while we were waiting for the speeder to arrive, and that is very unlike her in a situation like that. She'd clearly been sleeping and was caught off-guard by our arrival at the safe house. I would be lying if I said I was not concerned."
"That your medical opinion or your personal one?"
Malavai's jaw tightened. "Both."
Nikos clapped him on the shoulder. "I gotta go run pre-flight. Get her on board and set up in my quarters. I'll bunk with the crew." Before Malavai could protest, Nikos was gone.
Sighing, Malavai took a second to brace himself before approaching Tori, reaching out to touch her shoulder when she did not seem to notice his presence. "My lord," he murmured.
Tori startled, spinning to face him. "What?" she snapped, her eyes unfocused, then shook her head and centered herself. "Apologies, Quinn. I was distracted."
Malavai nodded his acknowledgment. "If you're ready, I believe we should be able to take off soon."
She hesitated before responding. "Actually, I need to retrieve some things from the Fury, if we can get into it." She paused again. "I don't think I want to face seeing the ship alone," she admitted softly.
"Shall I fetch Vette, or send Too-Vee instead?"
She met his eyes briefly. "No, that's not necessary, if you don't mind accompanying me."
"Y-yes, of course." He couldn't quite keep the stutter of surprise out of his response. "Let me run and let Captain Revel know that we will be a moment before we are ready to depart."
"Thank you. I'll wait here."
Malavai spun on his heel and, momentarily forgetting the pain in his ribs, jogged up the ramp and into the ship. After a quick conversation with Andronikos, he hurried back out, half-afraid she had left without him. She hadn't; instead, she paced in slow circles at the base of the ramp.
"All set, my lord. Shall we?"
Side by side, they made their way to the nearby docking bay that housed the Fury. Once they arrived, Malavai could hear Tori forcing her breathing to remain deep and steady. What was visible of the ship's exterior looked unscathed, but they both knew the inside would tell a different story. She reached the hatch first, and with a grim expression, input the security codes. As they both expected, the hatch didn't respond.
"Well, I suppose that's a good thing. If we can't get in, it's not likely anyone else has," she sighed.
"If I may?" Quinn gently nudged her aside and went to work with a slicing tool. A few moments later, he backed away with a frown. "I think the locks are released, but we may have to try to force it manually. I'm not sure how much help I can be there at the moment."
"Step back," she commanded, and approached the door. Pausing for a moment to gather herself, she gave two great Force-assisted shoves, and the hatch was open. They stepped inside, making their way to the common area.
Scorch marks from blaster bolts and lightsaber blades scarred the walls and floors, and spots of dried blood were visible everywhere Tori looked. All that was left of the main holoterminal was a charred shell, the furniture was smashed, kolto from the shattered tank in the medbay had flooded into the corridor, and only a handful of emergency lights were functioning. Tori drew her saber and ignited the blade for light, the orange glow making the effect all the more eerie. As she spun in a slow circle to take in the sight, Malavai saw a pained expression on her face, but she quickly shook it off.
"All right. You can wait here; I'll just be a moment."
Out of habit, Quinn slid into parade rest as she drifted through the ship, coming back to stand beside him a short while later with a small duffel slung over one shoulder.
"Everything accounted for?" he asked, unsure what his next move should be.
She met his eyes briefly. "I have what I need. Let's go. No sense lingering here."
Tori held her saber ahead of them like a lantern as they picked their way back to the hatch, where she again used the Force to her advantage to close the door as well as she could, and they quickly made their way back to Nikos's ship. Once aboard, Tori turned as if to make her way to the crew quarters, but Malavai reached out and lightly touched her elbow to stop her.
"My lord, Captain Revel would like for you to use his quarters. I was told to see that you got settled there."
To his surprise, she did not protest. He walked with her to the captain's quarters, lingering at the door for a moment after she went in.
"Speak, Quinn," she said wearily as she dropped the duffel onto the floor and sank onto the bed. "And if you begin or end your sentence with the words 'my lord,' I will render you unable to utter those words or any others for a very long time indeed."
Despite the harshness of her words, Malavai could not suppress a small smile; he sensed no real malice behind them, but rather exasperation, much like at the beginning of his time on her ship when he continually defaulted to protocol.
"Of course. I'll leave you to your rest now, but I'd like your permission to examine your leg later."
"Yes, but on one condition. See to yourself, Jaesa, and Pierce first, and in that order."
Quinn knew better than to argue. "As you wish. I'll secure the door behind me. Rest well."
Silently, he withdrew from the room and made his way to the medbay, thankful that it was spacious and that Andronikos kept it well-stocked. As he expected, Jaesa and Pierce were already being settled into bunks by Melia and Too-Vee.
"...don't need to be stuck in here," Pierce was snarling at Melia. His sneer only deepened upon seeing Quinn step into the room. "Just kolto me up and I'll go back to the bunks."
His military training kicking in, Quinn started to open his mouth to fire back an order, but Melia fixed him with a blazing stare, and he could nearly swear he heard her voice in his head: Do not make this worse, Malavai, if you know what's good for you. He tilted his head in a "have it your way" gesture, and turned to check on Jaesa, straining to hear what his sister was murmuring softly in the lieutenant's ear, but only catching a few words:
"If you… shut up and let me… make sure you… clear?"
Gauging by Pierce's half-pained, half-furious growl, he guessed that his sister had somehow provided ample motivation to keep her patient still for the moment. His amusement, however, was muted by the discovery that Jaesa's arm was in fairly dire shape, and the girl was clearly suffering some additional ill effects from Force-based damage, as she had slipped into a semi-conscious state.
"She needs a kolto tank at the least," he said softly to Melia when she joined him at Jaesa's side. "Truthfully a skilled Force healer would be preferable, but I'm afraid we don't have that luxury." Melia nodded, her expression grim. "Will you prepare her for surgery and then the tank? I'll reset her arm as best as I can then have the droid assist us in getting her in. I cannot lift her myself at the moment," he finished with a scowl.
"About that," Melia said with a meaningful stare, eliciting a sigh from Malavai.
"Yes, I know," he grumbled. "If you can help me with kolto and wrapping, that should be sufficient."
She was already moving to get the necessary supplies. "Sit. I'll have Too-Vee get the tank ready, then by the time you're sorted we can get Jaesa prepped and taken care of quickly." She nudged him down onto a bunk and gestured impatiently at him to start removing his jacket and shirt.
He sighed heavily, but complied. "At least I'm not getting ordered around in my own medbay," he muttered under his breath.
Malavai collapsed onto one of the well-cushioned sofas in the lounge area a few hours later. Melia had done well with his ribs, aided by his instruction - the pain had lessened significantly, but he was exhausted from both the mental and physical effort involved in getting Jaesa settled safely in the kolto tank and repairing some of the more complex damage to Pierce's shoulder. Melia had ended up having to covertly sedate the lieutenant while he was ranting, as he grew belligerent at the notion of Quinn performing the necessary procedures; she mirrored her brother's actions on an adjacent sofa, also clearly worn out.
"He should only be out a little while longer," she said. "I didn't give him a terribly strong dose."
Malavai grunted a noncommittal response.
"Is he in love with Tori?" she asked bluntly, and Quinn immediately forgot his exhaustion, sitting bolt upright.
"What?" he choked, but before the conversation could go further, Tori appeared in the lounge, her comm in hand.
Taking in the scene before her, Tori was taken aback by how strongly she felt fury and grief rolling off of Quinn in waves, but only for a split second. Their eyes met, and while she could no longer sense his emotions, she saw a wildness in his expression that she had only rarely seen before, and she quickly shut out the memories that threatened to overtake her.
"Is there a problem?" she asked, forcing her tone to remain light and neutral as she moved to perch next to him on the edge of the sofa.
Quinn recovered quickly. "No, Melia and I were just discussing Jaesa and the lieutenant's conditions."
Tori raised an eyebrow at that, but let it slide. "I have just been contacted by the Hand. Baras is on the move; they believe he is headed for Korriban. I've not yet been able to reach Vowrawn, but it seems the last step will take place in the presence of the Dark Council." She spoke as calmly as if she were describing what she ate for breakfast, but Malavai saw the tension in her eyes. He held her gaze for a moment, unsure of what to say.
"Shall I let Andronikos know?" Melia broke in, suddenly feeling as if she were intruding. Without waiting for a response, she hauled herself to her feet and made her way to the bridge.
An uneasy silence settled over the lounge. Tori stared at the floor, obviously lost in thought. Malavai's mind was racing, too, and once again remembering Vowrawn's advice, he cleared his throat and spoke before he could second-guess himself.
"I would like to accompany you when you face Baras," he said, surprising even himself with his conviction. "Both for your sake and my own. I confess that I lack resolution on a personal level." He was doubly surprised upon seeing Tori's slow nod of agreement.
"Yes," she whispered, bringing her gaze up to his, and once again they studied one another. "Yes," she repeated, more strongly. "That seems fitting." She drew herself to her feet, but did not break eye contact. "As I told you, it is your actions that will speak truth now, and this is nothing if not a moment of truth for us all."
Malavai let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and he too rose to his feet, turning to face her and stepping as close as he dared. "Thank you," he said, willing his sincerity to bleed through. "An opportunity is all I ask."
Tori's expression softened almost imperceptibly as she ducked her chin by way of response. He reached out and swiftly, but gently, clasped her upper arm in a gesture of appreciation, then stepped aside as if to leave the room. Before he got more than a couple paces away, he felt her snag one of his rolled-up shirtsleeves to stop him.
"I trust you have seen to your own medical treatment?" she asked, still grasping his shirt lightly.
"Yes, thanks to Melia's help, I am sore but able to function without impediment," he replied. A devilish smirk flitted across Tori's features, but she quickly neutralized it.
"Very good. And Jaesa and Pierce - what are their statuses?"
It was Quinn's turn to smirk. "The lieutenant had to be sedated for what should have been a simple procedure, as he was being rather uncooperative, but he should awaken soon." Tori rolled her eyes, but gestured for Quinn to continue. "I reset Jaesa's arm as well as it could be, and she's now resting in the kolto tank. I believe she also suffered some internal damage, likely Force-related. In this case, I wish we had access to a skilled Force healer, but the kolto will eventually do the job, if less efficiently. I have Too-Vee monitoring her now."
"Keep me apprised as to her progress." Tori started to say more, but was interrupted by Vette shuffling in, clearly just up from a nap. Abruptly, Tori released Quinn's sleeve and took a step back, but not before Vette noticed and shot Tori a quizzical look.
"Wha's going on?" Vette yawned, stretching her arms over her head.
"I've heard from the Hand, and it looks like we're headed to Korriban. I've not yet been able to reach Vowrawn, but my assumption is that we will join him there." Tori kept her explanation simple.
"Ugh, that place," Vette shuddered. Tori laughed.
"I tend to agree," she said with a wry grin. "But, hopefully, it will be the last time we will have business there for a while."
The mood suddenly became very somber as all three wandered off into thought. Tori lifted her chin after a few beats and broke in. "Vette, come see what's in the galley with me. We are going to have a nice meal with the full crew, and you and I are going to put it together without the damn droid."
Vette clapped her hands and bounced on her toes. "Excellent! I'll round up Melia, too. I suspect she's a better cook than either of us. Meet you there in a sec!" Lekku flying, she dashed off to the bridge, following the muffled sounds of Melia and Nikos chatting, leaving Tori and Quinn alone once more.
"I'll… I'll just go check on Jaesa and Pierce," Malavai said, backing away, but still looking at Tori, who nodded. "Jaesa will need to stay in the tank, of course, but the lieutenant may up and around in time for the meal." Finally turning away from her, Quinn trotted off to the medbay. Tori watched him go, then took a long, centering breath and closed her eyes for a moment before making her way to the galley, where Vette had already begun haphazardly pulling things out of cabinets.
Laughter echoed in the galley, where the group - save for Jaesa, who was still being monitored in the tank by Too-Vee - sat gathered tightly around the bar area enjoying a plentiful, if hastily assembled meal. Drinks were flowing freely, and Andronikos was regaling them with the tale of acquiring the speeder on Corellia, much to Quinn's chagrin.
"Hey, I tried to bargain with the old man, but he wouldn't shut up and take a deal," Nikos shrugged, tossing back the last of a glass of ale. "I offered him way more than that scrapheap was worth."
"As I recall, you only let him get out a sentence or two before you waved your blasters at him then hauled off and decked him," Quinn drawled, sipping from his own mug.
"Not my fault he couldn't see reason. We were pressed for time, y'know," Nikos retorted, drawing giggles from Vette and Melia and a groan from Tori. Pierce sat and glowered in silence, still looking a little dazed from the effect of the sedative. Broonmark, as usual, lurked in the shadows in a corner of the room, wolfing down a pile of raw meat that Vette had dug out of one of the coolers.
The shrill beeping of Tori's comm brought the chatter to a rapid halt. Not bothering to rise from the table, she pulled it from her pocket and answered the call. As she expected, Vowrawn's form shimmered into view.
"Ah, good evening, Wrath!" he breezed, dipping forward into a little bow. "I trust you are all safe and sound?"
"We are, thank you. And you?"
"Splendid, splendid. You no doubt have heard from the Hand?" Tori nodded. "Excellent! As anticipated, Baras is en route to Korriban, where the Dark Council will convene in two days' time - to allow for those of us who are far flung to make our way . He has called a special session where he will no doubt attempt to make his claim as the Voice of the Emperor official. I will see to it that you are there - and then the day of reckoning will truly be at hand."
Tori's pulse raced at the thought, but she maintained her composure. "Indeed, my lord. We will take an indirect route to Korriban and contact you when we arrive. I presume you'll maintain this holofrequency?"
"Yes, yes, my dear. Rest up and gather your strength." Unable to contain himself, Vowrawn stretched out his arms in elation. "Ahh, the anticipation fills my veins with fire! I feel a hundred years younger."
Vette chortled at that, and Tori threw her a stony glare. "I will be ready," she said. "If there's nothing else…"
"That's all, young one. I see you are enjoying a meal, so I will not keep you. Until Korriban." With a last sweeping bow, Vowrawn disconnected, and Tori sank back into her seat. The room remained silent; she sensed that all eyes were on her. Rather than lapsing into mission mode, she picked up her fork and resumed eating with a pleading look in Vette's direction, who immediately understood and began to chatter to Nikos about the ship. Gradually, the momentum of the conversation drew them all in, and once focus was adequately shifted from her, Tori began to gather empty plates and glasses, taking an armload to the sink and marvelling at its size.
"Must see to upgrading the Fury's water reclamation," she murmured to herself idly as Melia brought another load over. "We'll leave these for Too-Vee," Tori told her.
"Works for me," Melia snickered. "I can handle clearing the rest, if you want."
Tori shook her head. "No need; we'll let the rest of that lot do it." She tilted her head to indicate the group around the table. "I do have a favor to ask of you, though. I'm betting Pierce isn't taking kindly to Qu- to Malavai treating him. Would you check in on him before the end of the evening and see that he gets some rest? Tranq him again if you must."
Melia laughed at that, as Tori smirked at her knowingly. "Of course. I'll be bunking in the medbay to monitor him and Jaesa so Malavai can get some rest and look after his ribs. Anything else you need?"
"Thank you, but no." Tori gave her a grateful smile. "Keep it up and I might try to recruit you permanently," she teased.
A shadow flickered over Melia's face. "Hey, I might take you up on it. I'm pretty sure I no longer have a job on Dromund Kaas."
Tori sobered immediately. "I am sorry you've been pulled into this mess. Once Baras is dealt with, I'll do whatever I can to see that you are able to return to whatever sort of life you wish."
"Thank you, my lord," Melia said softly. "I do appreciate that."
"Of course. And please - it's Tori or Torilya. I really do mean that."
Melia ducked her chin, and Tori smiled at her once more as she made her way out of the galley, turning to face the group for a moment.
"Thank you all for playing along and joining me for dinner, but I believe I will turn in. I encourage you all to get some rest, too. It's been a long few days for us all and we have more to come. Good night." With a small smile at everyone, Tori turned and left the room, heading for the captain's quarters.
Amid a chorus of "good nights," Melia slid next to Pierce and stooped to speak in his ear. He scowled, but wearily stood and followed her to the medbay. Vette and Nikos, still conversing animatedly about the ship, made quick work of clearing the rest of the dishes, and Malavai managed to slip from the room unnoticed. Catching up to Tori at the door to her quarters, he reached out and once again caught her by the elbow.
"Tori," he said quietly, and she stiffened upon hearing her name on his lips. "I'd like to check your leg now. As I recall, we did have a deal," he arched an eyebrow at her playfully as he gently turned her to face him.
She sighed, but he saw a faint twinkle in her eyes that was not quite obscured by the odd amber color still lingering there. "I suppose you're right. Shall I come to the medbay, or…?" she trailed off.
"If you prefer to stay in your quarters, I can just go get my kit. Assuming there are no new issues, this should only take a few moments," he said, his voice dropping into a lower register that he knew from past experience she found soothing.
"Yes, that will be fine. I'll leave the door unlocked; just come in when you're ready." She slipped into the room, pulling the door mostly shut behind her.
Malavai all but flew to the medbay, ignoring Pierce's grumbles at Melia while he hastily gathered supplies. Melia shot him a wink over her shoulder as he raced back out and to Tori's door. He paused to catch his breath, then lightly tapped on the door.
"Enter," she called softly.
He slid into the room on soft feet, feeling for some reason that any undue noise or sudden movements might wreak havoc. She had changed into a camisole and cutoff workout leggings and was sitting propped against a pile of pillows on the bed; his breathing grew a little ragged at the sight of her long limbs exposed in the soft light. Mastering himself, he stepped over and carefully set his bag on the edge of the bed, pulling out his scanner and a couple of prepared syringes. Silently, he began to work, checking the muscles and soft tissues with deft fingers, using the scanner to examine nerve response and bone. She remained still, her head leaning against the wall and her eyes closed. After a few minutes, he straightened, and when she did not open her eyes, he gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. She startled, but immediately calmed.
"I'm sorry. I nearly dozed off," she admitted. "What's the prognosis?"
"The good news is that there is no further significant damage. The bad news is that you certainly are not healing, but this comes as no surprise," he responded. "I strongly recommend you allow me to administer a muscle relaxer as well as a heavy dose of kolto. The combination should also ensure that you sleep soundly, which you obviously need."
She regarded him carefully, then nodded her agreement. "All right. It's not as if I have anywhere to be tomorrow, I suppose." Her lip curled in what was supposed to be a grin, but came off as a grimace.
By the time he administered both injections, she was already halfway asleep despite still being crunched into a half-sitting position. Keeping his touch as light as possible, Malavai carefully moved his hands to her shoulders, and her eyes fluttered open.
"Just relax," he murmured. "I'll take care of the pillows." Her eyes closed again, and he slid one arm behind her back, supporting her as he removed the excess pillows, then slowly, gently lowered her until she was lying comfortably on her back. Working his arm free, he pulled the blankets over her, and with a last soft squeeze of her shoulder, whispered "Sleep well, my lord," and stepped away. He quietly gathered his supplies and crept to the door, securing it behind him. Drawing a deep breath, he made his way to his own bunk for the night in the crew quarters, unable to stop the smile spreading across his face.