"So." she finally said, questioningly.
"I know." He replied, by way of an answer.
The two reunited lovers regarded the holo-display while sitting in the main medical lab of the Eternal Alliance base on Odessen, their discarded clothes strewn about the floor. They were entwined, having wrapped themselves together in a single bed sheet pulled from a nearby gurney. They certainly weren't going to be breaking physical contact with each other any time soon. The room was empty aside from the two of them and given what they had spent most of the last hour doing, that was probably a good thing.
Matters now turned to explanations.
Kira Carsen idly ran her fingertips through his hair, not looking away from the holo-display. In front of her was the complete Table of Organization for the Eternal Alliance. Every species and faction. Every unit and ship. Every individual. At the very top – just above the 'Senior Advisors' (Theron Shan and Lana Beniko?) – was his name, and the title.
Commander of the Eternal Alliance.
She regarded it carefully, then turned back to the whole table.
"Beniko." Her tone was still questioning.
"Yeah." He answered. "Everyone here plays by the same rules. Sith. Jedi. Republic. Empire. Zakuulan. I didn't ask anyone to change what they believed in. Just that they follow the Alliance. Mostly… that involved asking people not to kill each other. Its worked out so far." He nuzzled at her neck. "And for the record, it was Lana who found me on Zakuul. Her and Tee."
Kira just nodded almost absent-mindedly, closing her eyes with a sigh as she felt him against her. For a long moment they just sat there, listening to each other's breathing.
She finally looked up at the display again. "You're in command of the Eternal Fleet." Again, her voice was questioning.
"I know." He said quietly. "I have the ships delivering supplies and transporting refugees. Peacekeeping. To be honest, it's probably the only thing keeping the Republic and Empire from restarting their war."
Again, she just nodded. A sense of detachment had come over her where that made about as much sense as anything else. Her eyes looked back at the display, finally locking on to one name.
"Arcann." Her voice dripped with bitterness.
He paused for a long moment. He wasn't going to give her the answers he'd given to everyone else. She deserved better.
"Suri." He finally said, voice just above a whisper.
Suri. Her old friend from her childhood. A Child of the Emperor. She had wanted to save her friend from his influence, but… they had failed. Later she learned that Suri had been killed serving the Emperor's will. That had hurt her. Hearing him say Suri's name now…. she didn't like it, but she understood.
He was telling her he wanted to save Arcann for Suri and all the other people they failed to save from Vitiate's influence.
"And you… don't call yourself a Jedi anymore." She caressed his cheek, looking into his eyes.
He let out a slow exhale. "I needed to change how I approached the Force to win against the Eternal Throne. And I think the decisions I've made… this role I've taken on… well, I don't think it's a suitable job for a Jedi. So rather than wait for the order to reform itself and declare me an exile, I just… left the robes behind. It wasn't easy, but it felt… right."
She gave him a small smile, as if she understood. Once upon a time, becoming a Jedi was the most important thing in the galaxy to her. After she had achieved that, though, all she could think about was reforming the Order. Getting it to take charge of the Republic more, not to mention getting it to be more accepting of attachments.
"And people know about… us."
"Teeseven's doing. But it was my fault." He sighed with an apologetic look. "When I got the call from Enaq, I was going to go after you with just Tee and Rusk. Frankly, I made an ass of myself with the others. So… he played the recording of us from Drommund Kaas. At that point, everyone insisted they be allowed to come with me. By now, the rumors have probably reached the rank and file."
He gave her a comforting smile. "I believe a lot of them want to meet you."
She swallowed, nodding her head again. Her hand slid down to his bare chest. Some of the scars – including the one that looked like a lightsaber thrust in the middle – were new. It made her cringe a little; she remembered when she knew the story of every scar on his body. And he, hers.
They would need many more examinations and explanations.
She looked up into his eyes, with a searching look.
"And you?" she asked quietly. "What is it you want?"
"I want everything." He murmured reassuringly. "Everything we ever talked about. All of those plans we made. I still want all of it." He picked up the precious jewel at the end of her necklace chain and gently squeezed it in his hand.
"But - only when you're ready." He pressed his lips to her forehead, inhaling the scent of her hair.
"When you're truly comfortable here, and only when this place, the Alliance, I mean – and these people – become as much a home to you as they have to me."
"And I know that will take a while. Maybe a long while." He pulled her in close again. "But I can wait. I waited a year to have you back in my arms. I can wait forever for everything else."
Kira's eyes pressed together. This was all overwhelming.
"Say something to convince me that this isn't a dream." She whispered, reaching up and caressing her fingertips along his jaw line.
The man who now called himself the Alliance Commander closed his eyes at her touch. After a moment, a smile came to his lips as he reached up and touched her cheek softly. His pale-blue eyes opened, meeting Kira's own deep blues.
"They'll take you over my dead body." He replied, eyes sparkling.
They were the same words he had said to her ten years before, when Kira's history as a Child of the Emperor had come out. After they had teamed up to beat Valis, she had told him everything about her past back on their ship. She had been distraught. Devastated, honestly. The knowledge that the Emperor and his lackeys – her 'brothers and sisters' – were after her and would never stop scared her more than anything.
Then he had said those words to her and it had filled her with a warmth that had never totally faded.
She grinned and kissed him again.
"That's all I needed to hear."