The holoterminal's double-tone beep cut through the silence of the control room, and Lana's mouth curled in response. Shaking off her annoyance at the disturbance, Lana looked up from the consolidated reports of Ziost on her console, and tapped the terminal's button – audio only.
"Yes?"
"Minister Beniko, Darth Avriss is here. The Dark Lord…uh, requests access to mission control."
The young officer sounded uncertain, as he should. A Lord of the Dark Council didn't 'request' access to anything, and hardly needed permission to go anywhere – least of all the temporary office of a subordinate Sith Lord.
Lana was seized by conflict for a moment – exasperation that Vestra would risk even a sliver of doubt towards her authority, clashing with shock at her imminent arrival. Lana hadn't expected to see Vestra so soon, nor planned to – the past months had been difficult, but she'd adjusted well enough not to ponder over Vestra with every idle moment between work. In fact, Vestra had been the last thing on her mind since the crisis on Ziost began, every memory of her partner sealed away in a mental vault so it couldn't distract her or be twisted into a weapon by Vitiate. But Vestra was here, now, on Vaiken Spacedock; Lana could feel her presence even through the thick durasteel walls that separated them. Vestra's proximity alone had upended Lana's state of calm, but she gritted her teeth, pulling herself together.
The Dark Lord had requested access to the control room, and the Minister had only one answer to give.
"Granted."
The terminal's light dimmed, and Lana took a breath. She clasped both hands behind her back in casual imitation of parade rest, and focused on the dark presence that drew close to her office.
When the doors slid open, it was not Vestra who strode in, but Darth Avriss – all hard edges in her black-and-red armour gilded with gold. Not a single strand of hair was out of place, her red-winged eyes impenetrable yet penetrating; even with a casual tilt to her posture, she dominated the room with a blend of natural magnetism and Force-borne aura.
By all the stars, she was simply sublime.
Digging her nails hard into her palm, Lana gathered herself. She rounded the table to greet the Councilor, bowing her head.
"Dark Lord. I wasn't aware that you were coming."
"Neither was I," Avriss sighed in that deliberate, cavalier tone. Lana half-expected her to inspect her nails in boredom. "But Darth Marr caught me in this sector, and requested that I receive your report in his stead."
Lana frowned, cocking her head. She was due for a flight to Darth Marr's fleet, where she would deliver her report to him anyway. "Did he give a reason?"
"Yes." But Avriss didn't bother to elaborate, shifting away from Lana. She sauntered around the table, standing opposite Lana with arms crossed, leaning her weight back on one foot. "When you are ready, Minister."
Lana held Avriss' stare for a moment, then looked away to key commands into her console. A lens set into the centre of the table lit up, projecting three-dimensional holo-models of Ziost and New Adasta between them. Lana launched into her report – starting with a brief summary of Ziost's current status, and updates from the Imperial science and reconnaissance teams charting its devastated surface, before recounting the events that had led up to the disaster. Her voice was steady, words clinical – it was easier to stay detached aboard the spacedock, lightyears away from the planet. But when she ended the report, meeting Avriss' eyes over the model of New Adasta, she felt her throat tighten.
Avriss nodded, and Lana shut off the holoprojector. When she looked up from the console, she found that Avriss' eyes hadn't left her – still unreadable.
"Minister."
"Yes, my lord."
"Do not resist."
Lana frowned, mystified. Then Avriss' eyes flared with a stark, purple glow.
Her vision turned black, and she could dimly feel herself grip onto the table's edge for support. Her mental defenses locked tighter when she felt another presence about her mind – Avriss, devoid of the warmth she'd carried in their bond before. She was cold, unforgiving; crowding around Lana's mind in a mental siege. But the pressure eased for a moment, allowing logic to reassert itself over instinct.
'Do not resist.'
Lana forced herself to relax, lowering her defenses by just a hair – and that was all Avriss needed, seizing the first opening to appear. Lightning shot through Lana's skull, setting a fire in its wake that razed through her consciousness. Then, just as rapidly as she'd invaded, Avriss retreated from Lana's mind, pulling her back to the present.
Lana found herself still standing straight, though her grip on the table was knuckle-white. She focused on her breathing, measuring each inhale and exhale, until the adrenaline had faded from her veins. She glared at Avriss, half in anger and realisation.
"Is that why Darth Marr sent you?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"You're clean. Congratulations."
The dry humour made Lana's head fall into one hand, a quiet growl escaping her throat.
"I did tell you not to resist. It would've been less painful."
"You could've warned me."
"And allow any foreign presence in your mind time to prepare? I think not." Avriss' smirk was faint as she tapped on a console beside her, transferring the reports and associated data onto her own datapad. She took her time, scrolling through the information. "What happened on Ziost was tragic, Minister, and its resolution is…far from ideal. We could've better studied the Emperor's power with Surro in our custody, but we will have to make do with what's left on Ziost."
She looked up from the datapad, and paused when her gaze found Lana's stony expression. "But I am sure you have done your best in such a dire situation. You always do."
Lana's hands clenched behind her back, and she averted her eyes, wishing Avriss hadn't bothered with the concession. The silence between them stretched long enough that she could feel hesitance breaking through Avriss' dispassionate façade, before the Dark Lord spoke first.
"Truth is, the report today wasn't necessary. Darth Marr merely wanted me to ascertain that the Emperor is not hidden in your mind." Avriss smiled, crooked. "You are to report to his fleet immediately for debriefing. He will give your next assignment there." She tapped the datapad on the palm of her hand, and regarded Lana quietly, as if thinking of more to say. But she seemed to give up, and made for the doors. "That's all I had. Thank you for your time, Minister Beniko–"
She stopped abruptly in her tracks beside Lana, glancing down at the hand that gripped her arm.
When Avriss met her eyes, Lana's lips parted, then pressed together again. In the absence of words, Lana's fingers dug deeper into her arm, and Avriss' gaze softened – ever so subtly, allowing herself to be Vestra once more. She laid a hand over Lana's, gently prying the grip from her arm, and pulled Lana into an embrace.
Lana's eyes fluttered shut when Vestra's arms wound tight around her, and she yielded to the strength of her partner's hold, fingers digging into Vestra's back and the groove of her pauldrons. Lana turned her head into Vestra's, nose brushing against her jaw, breathing in the sweet, familiar scent of her perfume. With an ache in her chest, Lana lowered her head to Vestra's shoulder, allowing herself to find solace that she had denied herself since Ziost.
Vestra stroked her back, soothing. "Are you alright?"
Lana nodded against Vestra's shoulder, lingering long enough to soothe months' worth of yearning, then lifted her head. Vestra cupped her cheek gently, and it was then that Lana understood those painfully soft gazes Vestra wore, when she'd cradled her partner's face in her own hands.
"I am now," she murmured, a faint smile on her lips.
Vestra regarded her quietly, a sharp edge beneath that tenderness, unconvinced. "I'm bound for Marr's fleet as well. Would you like to take my ship there?"
Lana's eyes flickered away, then returned to Vestra's when a thumb brushed gently over her cheek.
"You've been through a lot, and you need time to recover. Let me take care of you."
A faint chuckle fell from Lana's lips. "You hardly need to."
"I want to." Vestra's arm around her waist pulled her impossibly closer. "I've missed you."
There it was – a small pout, accompanied by a puppy-eyed gaze. The sight made Lana smile; she wondered if Vestra was aware of doing it. "And I missed you. Every day without you was…"
"I know," Vestra whispered. Her lips twitched, and there was an expectant glint in her eye – but she didn't move. Still waiting.
Lana closed the distance between them, meeting Vestra's lips in soft reacquaintance. Vestra was pliant under her touch, then pressed back to her – gentle, seeking. Lana answered with another kiss, and Vestra met her with a simmering heat that she'd missed, an honest need tempered by affection untold. She felt a motion through the Force – Vestra's warmth seeking hers, bringing to life a bond left cold for too long – and embraced it. The echo of Vestra's own longing resonated within her, beside the undeniable touch of earnest love, and her heart soared as Vestra's lips brushed against hers again.
When they parted, Vestra's eyes were alight with adoration, and Lana wondered where she'd found the strength to leave this behind.
"I love you, Ves."
Vestra grinned, a hint of a flush touching her cheeks. "I love you too."
When Lana brought her belongings onto Vestra's ship later that night, she found Ashara, Andronikos, and Xalek lounging on the large booth in the living area, dressed down for the day. Khem Val sat on the floor beside them, eyeing Vestra and Lana beadily as they walked in. Ashara sat up at the sight of her, while Andronikos waved and Xalek offered a nod.
"Lana! Does this mean you're back?"
Lana felt warmth gather about her neck, but fought it down. Of course the crew knew of their 'break', even if Lana was certain Vestra hadn't divulged it willingly.
"You could say that."
"Oh, good. Then Vestra will stop moping around like–"
"I didn't mope," Vestra retorted, crossing her arms with a frown.
"Yes, you did."
"I did not!"
"Guys, did she mope?"
"Nearly bought pet treats 'cause she looked like a kicked pup," Andronikos drawled.
"It was unbecoming," Xalek pitched in.
"See," Ashara said smugly.
Vestra stuck a hand out at her crew, looking at Lana indignantly. "They bully me. I am Dark Lord of the Sith, and I get bullied on my own ship!"
"Psh. Only because you like it, Dark Lord."
"Ashara Zavros!"
"Ooh, a full name. Is someone in trouble?" Talos strode out of the galley with a thermos in one hand, and a huge bowl of crunchy tidbits nestled in the crook of his arm. "Ah, Lana! So good to see you again. I'm sure my lord will not scowl so much now that you're back–"
"Ugh, I don't have to take this!" Vestra threw her hands up, and stalked off to her quarters.
Lana bit her lip, but didn't follow just yet. While Talos made himself comfortable in the booth, Lana eyed the assortment of snacks and drinks laid out on the table before them. "Are you celebrating something?"
"Nah, it's movie night." Andronikos pointed at the holoprojector affixed to the wall behind them. "Been a few long months. Gotta unwind, ya know?"
"Join us, Lana? And get Vestra back here, yeah? We've got those chocolate wafers she loves so much." Ashara plucked a small, square wafer from Talos' bowl, and tossed it into her mouth with a wink.
"I'll try."
"You say that like she doesn't jump when you tell her how high."
She chuckled, hitching her pack higher up her shoulder. "She's right – you do bully her."
"And you do nothing to stop it."
Lana hummed, turning away with a shrug. "Maybe it's for her own good."
She let a smile spread across her face as she moved towards Vestra's quarters, listening to the crew laugh and chatter behind her. It was such a significant little thing, to be surrounded by those you could trust implicitly. A rare comfort that she'd missed, but had been unable to pinpoint until she stood in this ship once more.
Perhaps Vestra hadn't been the only one she'd left behind. But it did feel good to be back.
A/N: *casually slides a found family to Lana before KotFE*