AN: This chapter contains mentions of sexual intercourse and Stockholm Syndrome. Again, nothing that doesn't require a higher rating.

I've fallen for a monster,

somehow he's scaring me to death

– "Black Heart", Stooshe

There was blood on the inside of her thighs.

Eldra didn't think about how it would rub onto her trousers as she quickly pulled them up, fastening them tightly as her feet hastily carried her back to her quarters. The part of her brain that wasn't panicking wondered if the blood was normal. Of course the Jedi wouldn't be teaching her these things. The Code forbade them from having the kinds of relationships that would lead to…

No. She shook her head as she entered her quarters. After shutting the door behind her, she locked it and just stood there, staring at nothing. Her head slowly fell forwards and she pressed her forehead to the door, its cool, smooth surface grounding her. She half-expected to hear footsteps following her, but none did.

She tried not to think about Maul, whom she'd left behind in the training room. Eldra could feel her face flushing from the horror that was sinking in; the realisation of what she'd just done of her own free will.

The desire that had clouded her mind was gone, taking with it memories of the bliss-laced dreams that had motivated her to do it in the first place. And with the absence of both, the reality of her actions sunk in.

What would her master think of her? What would her friends think of her? If they knew what she'd done, would they even welcome her back to the Order, if she ever escaped?

Her entire body began to shake. She could hear her heartbeat racing in her ears. The world started spinning around her, and it was getting harder to breathe.

Eldra closed her eyes and focussed on her breathing. She cleared her mind of all thoughts relating to what had just occurred, instead bringing forth one of her fondest memories: when her Initiate Clan had gone to Dexter's in order to celebrate passing their trials. She'd sat on one side of the booth with Siri and Obi-Wan, the latter squished in the middle, while Bant, Garen and Reeft had sat opposite them.

They'd spent hours there, talking and laughing. And at the end of the day when they'd returned to the Temple, Master Vant had informed Eldra that she was to be the Padawan of Leora Ori.

She wanted to stay in her memories forever, but knew that she couldn't ignore the present. At least she was no longer on the verge of a panic attack. Though she knew she was still conflicted internally, Eldra also knew she was safe from it consuming her, so she allowed herself to think over what had happened.

Blatantly ignoring the fact that she'd done that with a Sith Lord, she desperately clung to other questions she had about the encounter. Had she done it right? She was pretty sure she had, but there wasn't exactly some kind of holomanual available to her because, again, Jedi Code. And she was certain that if she'd done something wrong, Maul would have told her.

That was another question. Had it been Maul's first time too? She doubted the Sith would have time for that sort of thing, what with keeping themselves busy with their ultimate plot to destroy the Jedi. And there had been a lot of surprise in his expressions, like he hadn't known what to expect; like he too was exploring all the sensations for the first time…

She knew he'd enjoyed it. And though she didn't want to admit it, she'd enjoyed herself, too.

Her trousers began to stick to her thighs, reminding her of the blood still there. Sighing, Eldra grabbed the datapad she'd left on her bedside table and carried it into the refresher. She locked the door behind her in case Maul came knocking, feeling more secure in the knowledge that there were two locked doors between him and her. Not that she was afraid of what he would do if he got to her; she could take him. She just needed some space from him.

As she turned on the tap and let the water run, Eldra tried to focus. She'd enjoyed the experience, and hated that she had. It sounded crazy without context, but made perfectly logical sense in her head.

She just had to keep on top of her emotions, and not let what she'd seen in her dreams cloud her judgement. Because if things went too far…

During her studies in the Jedi Temple, she'd come across the psychological condition referred to as Tyrena Syndrome, named after an incident that occurred in the Corellian city of Tyrena. Bounty hunters had broken into a bank and taken several people hostage, all of whom defended the actions of their captors once they were rescued and refused to testify against them. One of the hostages had even married one of the captors after he was released.

The syndrome wasn't as clean cut as that. There were sometimes other factors at play (especially in that particular incident; the incompetence of the law enforcement in how they responded to the situation had been more of a danger to the hostages than the actions of the captors had). And the debate over its qualification as a legitimate condition and what cases it applied to was still ongoing. But what most specialists seemed to agree on was what the symptoms were: developing positive feelings (be they romantic or platonic) for a captor, failing to recognise the captor as a threat, refusing to leave the captor, and rationalising the captor's actions in a positive light.

Eldra repeated all this information in her head, even found herself bringing up the information on the datapad in case she'd missed anything. She had to keep telling herself that she wasn't developing the syndrome. She'd never tried to rationalise Maul's actions as acts of kindness, though she also understood that her situation could be worse. She knew that Maul and his master were both threats to her life, his master more so, since Maul had made it clear he himself didn't want to kill her. She knew she would run away the first chance she got.

As for the positive feelings… The bond was there for her own survival and sanity, and while she had to make sure it didn't grow beyond its limits, it didn't blind her to the reality of her situation. She never tried to rationalise that Maul was a good person, in order to justify having feelings towards him. Though she supposed it was understandable why some people would try to believe their captor was a good person, otherwise they'd have to face the truth that they loved a monster holding them against their will…

In her case, the truth kept her sane. And the truth was, the whole thing was messed up, and she was surprised that she hadn't lost her mind. It helped to tell herself that Maul's master was the true captor, and Maul was just as much a captive as she was. With that in mind, she could safely say that she didn't have Tyrena Syndrome at all – but Maul probably did. Along with a ship load of other conditions that would make a therapist richer than the Banking Clan.

She finally looked up the reason there was blood on her thighs, whilst cleaning it away. From what she read, it was a normal occurrence for Humans and Near-Humans to bleed after their first sexual intercourse, including Twi'leks. Nothing was wrong with her physically, so she relaxed a bit more.

But she still had to deal with what had happened. Eldra soon realised that looking up a psychological condition that merely could apply to her didn't help her rationalise her situation. She was torn between what she'd seen in her dreams and the harsh reality of the waking world, and she had not a single idea as to how she could proceed.

The Force was unusually quiet, offering no guidance. Did that mean she needed to make the choice herself? To either pull away from Maul and never let it happen again, or dive in deep and potentially lose herself in the process?

Was she willing to put her trust in a future that was still in motion, if that meant further binding herself to a Sith?

After she'd cleaned herself up, she sensed Maul approaching her quarters. The refresher door was still locked, and she wanted to keep it that way.

But he didn't try to enter her room. From what she could sense, he stood outside her door for a few minutes, as if debating whether or not to talk to her about what had just happened between them. But then he seemed to decide against it, and left.

Eldra wondered how long it would be before they had to address it.

Maul could feel her presence in the refresher of her quarters. He knew she could sense him too, yet she remained where she was.

He raised his hand, wanting to open her door and… do something. Talk to her, kiss her, do what they'd just done again…

Though he'd been aware of pleasures of the flesh (as was aforementioned before), there was a difference between knowing about it and engaging with it himself. He couldn't even begin to describe what he'd felt, being with Eldra in such an intimate way. But he didn't want to think about it.

All Maul wanted was her; to be with her in any way he could. The pain he'd felt when she'd fled from him had been unbearable, and he never wanted to feel it again. The thought of the Jedi coming for her and ripping her away from him made him hate them all the more, and the sheer power he felt in response to this unspoken vow was unlike any he'd felt before.

Actually, he had. In the arena at the prison, when the thought of her had helped him win a fight he'd been close to losing.

The passionate way he felt about her was something he could rely on to give him strength. That was the way of the Sith, wasn't it? To draw power from his emotions? Hate and anger weren't the only emotions that existed, though they were the only ones that had been taught to him by Sidious.

Speaking of his master… Maul's commlink beeped with a summoning from Lord Sidious. He was tempted to ignore the call and instead spend his time with Eldra, but he knew he couldn't. His master would punish him – and possibly Eldra, for being the cause of his distraction. The thought of his master hurting her filled him with dread.

It was the first time he feared for a life other than his own.

With one last lingering glance at Eldra's closed door, Maul turned away.

He was soon travelling across Coruscant and into an industrial district known as The Works. Sidious favoured an abandoned circular tower that was strong in the dark side of the Force, a place where Maul had spent most of his childhood training under the Sith Lord. It was out of reach from any prying eyes and more importantly, any Jedi.

It reminded Maul of how far the Sith had fallen, that they had to remain hidden in the shadows, festering like rats. The Sith, he told himself, deserved to be out in the open, challenging the Jedi head on as they did thousands of years ago. It angered him that the Jedi had cast them down to such levels.

Maul found that he couldn't muster any anger towards Eldra herself. That was strange.

When he arrived in the docking bay, his master was already waiting for him. The black hood he always wore hung down low over his face, masking his identity. "You are late, my apprentice."

"My apologies, Master," said Maul, kneeling before Sidious. "I have no excuse."

Sidious didn't comment on this. Instead he spoke of their plans, detailing how long it would be until they could reveal themselves. Another four years, he estimated. Not soon enough, would have been Maul's usual thoughts, but that was before he'd gained a Jedi sparring partner to keep him occupied and quench his bloodlust. Though he'd noticed that said bloodlust had calmed since meeting Eldra…

"Your thoughts betray you, Apprentice."

Too late did Maul realise that he was purring; a Zabrak trait that Sidious had spent most of his childhood trying to beat out of him. Being with Eldra had brought the instinct back, and while he tried to only do it in her presence, simply thinking about her caused him to do it involuntarily.

And he'd done it in front of his master. Maul tried not to flinch, knowing that Sidious would strike him down if he showed any form of weakness. "My thoughts are focussed on our plan, Master."

"And yet, I can sense them drifting away. You are distracted by other matters," said Sidious. "They linger on the Padawan I allowed you to keep."

"She has been a formidable opponent, Master," Maul explained. "My skills have only improved since I began using her for my training. She has become a valuable asset."

"That may be, but I sense a change in you. A change she has brought about." Sidious considered him, and Maul kept his gaze averted to the floor. "Emotions drive us; they are what gives a Sith their power. But only certain emotions: anger, hate, the fear we install in others… Any other emotion is unnecessary. They are a weakness that can be exploited. What you feel for her distracts you from your true purpose."

"I remain loyal only to you, my master."

He huffed. "That may be the case now, but if these emotions are left unchecked, they could divide that loyalty."

Maul was shocked. His master thought he would choose Eldra over him? It was inconceivable. "I would never betray you, Master. If you wish for me to kill her, then say the word, and I will do it." Though he didn't show it, those words threatened to tear him apart. Perhaps his master had a point; that he was becoming too attached to Eldra.

But even with that revelation, he couldn't deny what he felt. He couldn't go back to hating Eldra no matter how hard he tried.

"That pleases me to hear, my apprentice," said Sidious. "For now, it is best you let her live, so you can continue to test your mettle."

Maul hid his relief. "Of course, Master."

The Force suddenly flared to life, and Maul was lifted from the floor in an invisible chokehold. The air left his lungs against his will, and his hands instinctively grabbed at his throat to try and remove the hand that was choking him, but the hand wasn't there and there was nothing he could do to stop it. His whole body fought to take another breath, to survive, and rebelled against the helplessness he felt at his master's mercy.

The man could end his life with a wave of his hand, and Maul couldn't even fight back.

"But know this, my apprentice," Sidious continued. "I can give the order to kill her at any time. And when it comes, you will follow my command immediately, or suffer the consequences. Do you understand?"

The Zabrak couldn't speak, but managed to nod.

Sidious let him drop to the floor before he turned to walk away without a word, showing no concern for his apprentice. Not that this surprised Maul; he was used to it.

He couldn't betray his master. But at the same time, he refused to think about striking Eldra down; refused to contemplate the notion of living in a world without her in it. Letting her go would destroy him.

There had to be a way around this; to remain loyal to his master and keep Eldra. Maul opened himself up to the Force for guidance, and received no response.

And he let his anger burn.

After Maul left, Eldra waited in her quarters in case he made a quick return. When she determined that his trip would be a long one, she ventured into the main apartment in order to find something to eat.

Venny was seeing to matters she didn't understand (and didn't try to; it was Sith business), so she left the droid to it and sat on the sofa, quietly eating her meal. She was in the middle of reading the latest holojournal on the datapad when she sensed the droid approach her, uncharacteristically quiet.

"What?" she asked, turning to him. "Are you going to berate me about treading mud on the floor? It wasn't me because one: I never go outside, and two: there's no mud on Coruscant. It was probably Maul from one of his stupid hunting expeditions." Bantering with the droid was a normalcy she needed to hold onto, in the wake of everything that was happening.

"Eldra."

That caught her attention. Venny rarely used her name; hadn't used it much since she'd first arrived. He usually referred to her as "that Jedi" or "the Padawan", along with a string of colourful language that would've made her master blush.

The fact that he'd used her name meant that he was being serious.

"Yes?" she asked. "Is this the part where you tell me I'm going to die?"

"No," he said. "Not that I know of. But you could, if you continue down this path. Please, be careful."

Eldra narrowed her eyes at him. "Were you listening to us do… that?"

"I was trying not to, but you were so loud, it was hard to block it out."

"Sorry." She blushed with embarrassment. "I'll try and be quieter the next time I'm riding my mortal enemy. And since when are you concerned about me?"

His head tilted as he considered her. "I am not normally a fan of sacks of flesh, but you have grown on me, Eldra Kaitis. Though I would appreciate it if you ceased mocking my holodramas."

She laughed. "I make no promises, but I'll try and restrain myself."

The droid suddenly straightened. "Master Maul has returned. He will reach the apartment shortly."

Eldra wasted no time in hurrying back to her quarters. She locked the door behind her and waited, wondering if Maul would seek her out or if he was going to avoid her. She silently prayed to the Force that he would do the latter; though she'd had time to process what had happened, she still didn't want to see him.

Maul entered the apartment with a loud roar, which was followed by several crashes. Eldra jumped, and couldn't help but be battered by his emotions. He was angry, but she was relieved when she sensed that he wasn't angry at her. The anger itself wasn't surprising, but this anger felt… different. Like he didn't know why he was angry.

There were more crashes, and Eldra realised that there was a very good chance that Venny could get caught in the crossfire of whatever tantrum Maul was throwing. And after the concern the droid had showed her, he didn't deserve to get torn apart for no reason.

Taking a breath of courage, Eldra left her quarters and hurried into the main apartment. The Sith was in the process of smashing his fist against the wall when she entered, and though he hadn't yet put a hole in it, he was close.

This was the man she was giving her body to. She needed to do something before the whole situation spun out of control.

After taking a moment to compose herself, she yelled out, "Maul!"

He spun around, and the second his gaze fell on her, his anger seemed to evaporate. Not completely, but it returned to its usual levels.

Maul stared at her in silence, breathing heavily. The apartment was a mess, but luckily Venny wasn't anywhere in sight. Eldra guessed that the droid had made his escape quickly to avoid getting trashed.

She didn't break her gaze with the young Sith, and she didn't say a word. Somehow, she knew that Maul needed to make the first move.

And he did. He moved fast, probably under the belief that she would run back to her room if he didn't get to her quickly. When he reached her, he didn't hesitate to pull her against him, clutching her tightly as he buried his nose against her neck. His deep breaths gradually slowed, and the trembling of his body began to fade.

Eldra frowned. Was her presence comforting him? She didn't try to move away from him, in case this was true.

Her arms were pressed up against his chest. Very slowly, she encircled them around him. His body went still but he otherwise didn't react, so she began to gently stroke her fingers along his back. After doing this for a minute, he began to relax under her touch, and a loud purr escaped past his lips.

She had her enemy in her arms, and it felt not only natural, but nice. At best, it should have felt strange. At worst, it should have felt wrong.

Maybe she needed to stop thinking about what was right and wrong.

Maul lifted his head up slightly, but didn't pull back. Instead he whispered in her ear, "What have you done to me?"

Eldra had no response to that, so she didn't reply. And she didn't resist when she felt him begin to remove their clothes.