It's early morning and Gaius is heading out the door to spend the day planning the sacking of the Jedi Temple. "I'll buzz you on the com when I take a break," he promises as he flicks up his hood. "Then, I'll come get you and we'll go see the dogs for a few minutes."
"Two breaks," Eleena immediately starts bargaining.
"We'll see. We have a lot to cover."
"It's boring in here all alone all day," she complains. It comes out a bit petulant. But Eleena is going stir crazy cooped up in Lord Malgus' quarters all day with the door locked with the Force. Three days straight of 'house arrest' as she calls it is making her grumpy.
"You're safest here," he reminds her, looking impatient to be away. And, yes, she knows that the Absolute is the nerve center for the Coruscant invasion planning. That means most days the warship is swarming with Dark Lords. Gaius' solution has been to stash her away like a prisoner when heretofore she's had the run of the ship. Eleena appreciates the risks involved, but she's also chafing a bit. This former slave relishes her freedom above all things.
"What if I promise to stay off A-Deck?" she tries bargaining some more.
He shakes his head no. "Adraas is back today. If he were in the room with me where I could keep an eye on him, then things might be different. But he and the ground assault guys are down the hall with Angral. I don't know what he's up to." Malgus reaches to cup her cheek. "You are precious to me. Give me one less thing to worry about," he cajoles.
It's gently and sincerely said. Eleena lowers her eyes and backs down. "You're right, my lord."
"Two breaks," he promises.
"Or," she's back to bargaining, "you could just take me with you to the meeting."
This suggestion apparently doesn't merit a response. "I'm off," he announces as he pecks at her cheek. "See you in a few hours."
"I'll be here," Eleena grumbles.
Her absence around the ship is noteworthy, especially given the recent unaccredited rumors that she and Gaius are quasi-married. Their relationship was already an open secret on the Absolute, but this news gives it a new juicy spin as forbidden love. Giving Eleena unacknowledged wife status also helps to smooth things among the disapproving holdouts onboard the ship. The crew are either predisposed to like her now or at least to pretend.
Plus, being Lord Malgus' wife explains a lot about the mysterious Eleena Daru. It explains why she lived at the space station, how she knows the dogs so well, and why she knows Jose Escriva. It also explains her history of combat training with Lord Malgus. Now, the original rescue mission to Ziost has a much more understandable context. A Sith Lord doesn't go behind enemy lines to rescue a former employee. But rescuing your secret wife living anonymously makes sense. And the Republic wouldn't have a reason to arrest and interrogate some random accountant. But they would definitely be interested in their famous foe's wife.
Why was Lord Malgus' wife stashed on Ziost during the war? Well, everyone explains this away by her alien species. Darth Malgus is known to be tolerant of non-humans. Apparently, he even married one. But the rest of the Sith are not so broad minded. And that's a reason for Lady Malgus not to live with the rest of elite Sith society on Dromund Kaas. And are the rumors that Lady Malgus was once a slave true? Well, maybe. And that too helps to explain all the secrecy to the crew. Darth Malgus is flouting convention and that is very Lord Malgus the New. Everyone knows he is his own man in all things. Some think it ironic, some think it romantic, and some think it downright foolish. Who is right? Maybe all of the above.
The explanation that comes together is not the truth, but it all sort of hangs together and it fits everyone's expectations. Had the Absolute's crew been with Lord Malgus longer than a year, the story might be less widely believed. But none of the rank and file are privy to the rumors among the Sith elite about Lord Malgus' upcoming marriage alliance. And so, the lie that Darth Malgus and Eleena Daru might be secretly married is mostly believed.
True to his word, Gaius makes it back for a break later that day. Eleena eats a quick meal with him and then they toss the ball with the dogs so she can get a change of scenery. All the while, Eleena listens intently to his talk of war. As usual, Gaius solicits her ideas. Eleena is his behind-the-scenes unofficial advisor, something his actual aides-de-camp are beginning to figure out. Moreover, Gaius is listening even when he doesn't appear to be listening. And just because he doesn't comment on something doesn't mean it is forgotten. The man's mind is like a steel trap, plus she's figured out that he has a photographic memory that he puts to good use.
And so, it's not a big surprise that her suggestion to join the working group sticks with Lord Malgus. When two days later, the mission evolves to include troopers at the Temple in addition to Sith Lords, that's just the excuse Gaius needs. He springs Eleena from her captivity so she can sit through the planning sessions with him. She was part of the original invasion planning group, so this isn't that different, he decides.
Still, it is a bit unorthodox when Eleena shows up one afternoon trailing behind him. She's suited for battle and not her usual regally dressed self. But she's a blue Twi'lek woman and clearly not regular military, so eyebrows raise around the room. For cover, Lord Malgus also adds the Ziost strike team leader Lt. Commander Barker to the mix. He introduces Barker and Eleena as members of his best special ops team. They will be the troopers and mercenaries assisting the Sith Lords who will destroy the Jedi Temple, he announces. The four Dark Lords who are planning the attack with him at least ostensibly accept this explanation.
For his part, Gaius only gets comfortable with this arrangement because Darth Adraas is down the hall with the larger ground assault team. Adraas has the more important command responsibility for the invasion. That irks Gaius . . . a lot, she knows. But it also keeps his archenemy busy. Lord Malgus and Lord Adraas seem to have struck a detente for now. There is too much to do and too much at stake to be distracted by their own differences. These days, the two men pointedly ignore each other.
Subduing the Jedi Temple is an afterthought as far as Lord Malgus is concerned. It was an add-on to the original mission of destroying the Republic's famed city world. But others clearly see it differently. Gaius is overrun with requests from Sith Lords wanting to participate in his attack on the Temple. Everyone with a red lightsaber apparently wants in on the action. The original plan calls for twenty Lords plus a sizable coterie of special ops troopers. That gets upped to forty Lords at Darth Angral's insistence. But I want men who follow orders and execute battle plans, Gaius privately grumbles to Eleena. Yes, there will be plenty of Jedi to deal with, but if this turns into a free-for-all melee of Jedi and Sith, it could be chaos. That's a problem because like every good Sith, Darth Malgus likes order.
Not everyone shares his concern, however. "Sounds like fun," Darth Angral tells Lord Malgus when he drops by unannounced into a planning session. Lord Angral doesn't want to hear Gaius' complaining. The invasion commander smirks, "Finally, you are a popular guy, Malgus. Show me your list of requests and I'll give you my thoughts on who to pick. Be sure and let Serevin give you a few names, too. Throw that father-in-law a bone. Oh, and it's sixty Lords on the team now," Angral announces much to Gaius' consternation.
"This is ridiculous. It's overkill," Lord Malgus glowers.
"I certainly hope so," Lord Angral retorts. "Look, if this succeeds, there won't be any Jedi left to kill except on Alderaan. So let's give everyone a chance to take one down while they're still around to hunt."
"At this rate, we are going to end up dueling each other," Malgus gripes. "There won't be enough Jedi for everyone to fight."
"Spare me the rant on infighting," Angral sighs. "We all know it's your favorite topic. If the Lords are fighting each other because all the Jedi are dead, I'll count it as a victory. Now, I need a consult, Malgus. We're about to go over the plans to storm the Senate. I want you to sit in and give me your thoughts. I know I'm overlooking something."
As Gaius gets beckoned away by his superior, he catches her eye and nods. That is her signal to disappear back to his quarters. Gaius will give her liberty so long as he can keep an eye on her in person. But if they get separated, she must discretely disappear back into seclusion. It lessens the chance that she will run smack into Darth Adraas again. So, Eleena excuses herself to her 'commanding officer' Commander Barker and nods respectfully to the four Sith Lords in attendance. Then, she slips away and quickly heads for the nearest elevator. Once she's off A-Deck and away from the bridge, she's pretty much safely away from all the Dark Lords.
With the ship this crowded, elevators are in short supply. "Coming! Hold it, please!" Eleena rushes to duck into a waiting lift with the door already closing. "Thanks," she breathes out as she looks up and right into the handsome red face of Darth Serevin.
Yikes.
"Oh," she exclaims. "My lord." Eleena drops her eyes in instant submission. It's still an automatic reflex when she meets men of this class other than Gaius. Eleena remembers this guy from his visit with his wretched daughter to the space station. Just the memory of that confrontation makes her cheeks burn with indignation.
"Eleena Daru." Serevin looks her over. "What a surprise." His sarcasm is more weary than biting. The man looks like he's had a hard day.
Serevin's fellow Sith Lord companion regards Eleena with little enthusiasm as well. His eyes linger on the impressive weaponry hanging at her hips. "Is this a Malgus thing?" He raises an eyebrow and looks questioningly to Lord Serevin.
"Yes. She is a Malgus thing."
"It figures." The human Sith Lord shakes his head in disapproval at the pureblood Lord Serevin. "Malgus and his alien mercenaries."
"She's supposedly an accountant," Serevin responds icily with a glare her direction.
"Really?" The unknown Dark Lord looks her over in her blue and black light battle armor. "My accountant is not so well equipped."
"Oh, Malgus has many titles for her. But he always keeps her around," Serevin grumbles.
The other man is not slow on the uptake. He gets the implication. "Indeed? What is he? Some sort of Hutt now?" The stranger Sith Lord rolls his eyes at Eleena. "Because he certainly has the head shape and physique for it. Serevin, I hope you're getting a generous settlement for allying yourself with that guy. I don't care how good he is, Malgus is beneath you."
Lord Serevin seems annoyed at this topic of conversation because he reverts back to business. "When is the next draft coming?" The two men resume speaking now as though Eleena were not present. And that's typical of how Dark Lords act in front of those who they regard as lesser beings. They treat them as invisible.
"Late tonight. The lawyers are slow."
"It's a two-hundred-page peace treaty." Gaius' maybe father-in-law now slants some side eye at his companion and snipes, "Your comments were extensive. Maybe you should be a lawyer."
Sith Lords might all be on the same side, but you'd never know it from their conversation, Eleena thinks.
The target of this disrespect takes it in stride. "This is not a draft we're presenting to the Republic. 'Take it or leave it' were the Emperor's exact words. Everything needs to be in that document because we're going to have to abide by those terms."
Lord Serevin frowns. "With Angral's men storming the Senate to kill Berooken, will there even be anyone with authority left alive to agree on behalf of the Republic?"
"Angral says he's going to keep a contingent of Senators alive as leverage. One of them can sign it."
"What if we have to kill them all to press for surrender?"
"Then whoever they send to Alderaan will have to do it."
"That might mean it's some Jedi." Darth Serevin looks troubled.
His companion grunts. "Then, all the better. The Jedi pride themselves on keeping their word. Is this the floor for the hangar bay?"
"Yes."
Eleena steps aside to let the two men exit the elevator. She catches the words of the unknown Sith Lord as the pair stride down the hall. "You really ought to negotiate up the cash if Malgus is going to act like a damned Hutt. Does he keep more of those tail heads around? It's disgusting."
Eleena doesn't catch any more of the conversation after that. And, frankly, she's glad for it. She long ago became inured to scorn, but that doesn't mean she likes it. Truthfully, it bothers her mostly on Gaius' behalf. She hates that he is ridiculed for her, even if she believes him that he's not ashamed of their relationship. But while Gaius might not care what other Sith Lords think, other Sith Lords do care. And that hurts Gaius' efforts to earn their respect.
It causes Eleena to seriously consider whether she is holding him back. After the invasion, assuming the Republic surrenders, Lord Malgus is sure to get the Emperor's attention. He might even get Angral's command when his boss gets promoted to governor of Coruscant and the Republic Core worlds. And that could position Gaius for that spot on the Dark Council which he has wanted for so long. Maybe, Eleena thinks glumly, success at Coruscant will signal that it's time for her to step aside. She loves Gaius and believes in his ideals for the future. She would never want to become a hindrance for his ambitions. There's too much at stake for him personally and also for the Empire. That's why interactions like this are so troubling. They nag at Eleena in quiet moments.
Later that night, she tells Gaius about her interaction with Serevin. She omits the insults, of course. Eleena is not looking to stir up trouble, but she's concerned about what she heard. Plus, she feels like Gaius should know that she ran into his future father-in-law in case he gets wind of it.
"That sounds like Darth Baras," Gaius remarks as she describes the man with Lord Serevin. "He is the Emperor's spymaster but he's technically a diplomat. He's currently the Ambassador to Alderaan, which is how he forced his way onto Serevin's team."
"Why were they talking about a peace treaty still?" she wants to know. Eleena doesn't understand the context of the conversation she had overheard. And why were those men here on the Absolute where the invasion is being planned? "What's the point in working so hard on a document for a peace deal that you don't need?" she wonders aloud.
Gaius shrugs. "I suppose the ruse needs to look good. We need to convince the Republic that we are sincere about the talks on Alderaan. A two-hundred-page proposal sounds sufficiently sincere to me."
"But you're sure we're still invading, right?" Eleena persists. "Because the conversation made it sound like they expected to sign it."
"Angral gave the order to amass troops just this morning. This is happening. Finally," he smiles at her, "this is happening. Operation Overlord goes live as soon as next week. Now," he slides up beside her, "Come to bed."
"Don't you want dinner?"
"Dinner can wait," he whispers huskily as he starts fondling her lekku. And, yes, she agrees that dinner can wait. Because their passion cannot.
Twenty minutes later, they are cuddling in bed in the aftermath of another wild romp. "What has gotten into you lately," she teases. But Eleena knows the answer. Gaius has been in a very positive mood lately as he plots the invasion that has been his lifelong ambition. For a Sith Lord, he is ridiculously happy.
He doesn't deny it. "You make me feel young again." Despite the late and long hours, fatigue doesn't seem to be Gaius' problem these days. Normally, they aren't a sex every night kind of couple. Lord Malgus has way too much going on for that. But lately, it's like he is a randy teenager. This morning, she brought him a cup of caf and ended up bent over his desk.
"It's the invasion," she whispers. "All this talk of war gets you going,"
"I'm a Sith Lord," he smirks. "War makes me lusty."
"I wish I could be there with you on Coruscant," she says softly. Sitting in those planning meetings all day long has her wanting to participate.
"It's too dangerous. This won't be like a prison break on Ziost. Everywhere you look, there will be Jedi."
"You'd be there," she points out.
"Yes, and I might have my hands full." They don't know how many Jedi they will find at the temple complex. Obviously, there are many Knights off embedded with the Republic forces scattered across the galaxy. And there will be some on Alderaan expecting to negotiate a peace deal. But other than the younglings and the administrators, it's unclear how many Jedi will be present during the attack.
Still, Eleena thinks she can be useful. And there will be a sizable strike team present led by Commander Barker. "I would have your back," she persists.
"You always have my back. I love you for that." He pulls her closer now. Darth Malgus is like a big cuddly bear after sex. It's great. "I want to keep you safe," he explains, as she knew he would.
"I know. But nothing about our life is safe. And this matters in a way those raids on Ziost didn't. This is Coruscant. This is the Jedi Temple. This is the ultimate revenge of the Sith. I want to be there at your side for it." His excitement of late is contagious. Eleena feels it, too. "This will be history in the making."
He opens his mouth but she silences him with two fingers raised to his lips. "Don't say no," she preempts his next objection. "Just think about it." She knows he will. This fierce Sith warrior's Force and fighting skills might be the envy of others, but Eleena knows his most potent weapon is his keen, logical mind. It's second only to his heart, but very few are privileged to know that.