:: Chapter Four ::

'Such beauty…' Ravage thought to himself as he admired the scene.

The warehouse serving as a base of operations for the Black Hoods was absolute chaos. Broken bottles littered the floor, tables had been smashed in half, chairs scattered everywhere and the overhead light swung around lazily. Beaten and bloodied corpses lay all around but Ravage marvelled most at the woman who'd so brutally punished the pirate crew.

In the center of the room Eliza stood bathing in hatred, seething with rage. Her eyes shining a deep red, her clothes covered in blood spatter and her face bore the most menacing grin. It had taken them four days but they'd successfully tracked down the men who shot Theron's shuttle from the sky and Eliza had demanded retribution by slaughtering almost everyone.

"P-please… don't, don't k-kill me…" a lowly member of the crew, the last one to still draw breath, begged as he scurried away into a corner.

"Oh I'm not going to kill you," Eliza pointed out with a sudden eerie calm and clipped her lightsabers back onto her belt "you get to live and serve as a warning."

"W-warning?"

"Mhm." she approached "To others. Let them know if any crew ever fires at another shuttle again, or if anyone continues to hassle the locals and tourists then this…" Eliza indicated all around the room "will look like child's play compared to what I'll do to them."

The pirate who appeared to be in his early twenties nodded nervously and swallowed hard.

"Is that understood or do I need to write it down for you?"

"N-no, it's understood ma'am."

"Good." Eliza crouched down before him and pulled a handkerchief from the vest-pocket of a nearby corpse. She gently wiped the blood from the pirate's face as he trembled before her "As of now, you work for me. No matter what I ask, what I need, you will do it."

"If I call on you, you'll respond with 'Yes my Lord, I will see it done my Lord, as you command my Lord'. Okay?"

"Y-yes my Lord." he stammered.

"Mm you learn quick, there may be hope for you yet." Eliza patted his cheek and got back up "Now first order of business—gather all stolen supplies and credits and redistribute them among the locals. Go."

The pirate climbed to his feet, his knees quaking with fear still but he took a sprint and quickly made himself scarce.

"Delightful." Ravage snuck up behind Eliza and snaked his arms around her middle. His lips found the nape of her neck and he pressed into her "That got me so hard…"

She rolled her eyes and freed herself of his hold. Without dignifying his comment with a response, she strode past him and marched back towards the shuttle to return home.

"Would you do the same if any harm ever came to me?" Ravage eagerly followed and strapped in next to her, deep down hoping she might just cave to his advances during the ride back "If anyone attempted to kill me?"

"Oh I would probably…" Eliza reached over and smirked his way, leaning in close enough that he felt her breath upon his face while she let a hand run up between his thighs "give those complicit a huge stack of credits and a night with one of Vowrawn's most expensive whores as a just reward."

And just like that Ravage's infamous scowl returned and he slapped her hand away "Bitch."

"What? Suddenly not so delighted with my dark side?" Eliza laughed and set course for their private island.

Not surprisingly, the rest of their journey was spent in complete silence. Ravage's mood was once again as dour as it often was while the darkness which had served Eliza well fighting the pirates now ebbed away slowly. By the time they landed she was a few shades more of her old self, save for the blood that still specked her clothing.

"Would you mind going inside first and distracting Cyara so she doesn't have to see me like this?"

"Oh so now you want favors?" Ravage scoffed.

"You'd rather traumatize my three year old daughter just because you're annoyed with me?"

He stopped in his tracks and spun around "Why can't you just admit there's something between us? There always has been."

"Uh, how do you figure?" Eliza raised a single brow at his curious remark.

"You want me as much as I want you. Our fights? They're just foreplay building to an explosive finale and we've been dancing this dance since we met. You anger me, I get you worked up. We'll have a moment of reprieve, some kindness towards each other and then start all over again. Recently with the added bonus of undeniable passions mixed in."

"Oh wow…" she chuckled and shook her head "and you think that means something? Anything other than mutual loathing save for those rare moments where one of us makes an effort to be nice and we regrettably end up in bed together?"

"Regrettably? Mutual loathing? No, I've always cared about you."

"You wanted me dead from the moment we met!"

Ravage shook his head growing tired of her dismissal and trying to recall one of their earliest moments "We've had good times! Remember that night we danced, after you'd defeated Aruk?"

"When you put your hands on my ass? Yeah, you also pointed out that party should have served as my funeral."

"I was the one who pulled you out of your catatonic state after the fall of Ziost, I held you!"

"You attacked me with Force lightning, you were cruel!"

"But effective and you thanked me, kissed my cheek!"

"Whatever! I…" Eliza sighed and groaned "You remember that thing I said about Cyara being a nice person even towards assholes? She gets it from her mother."

"I gave you a pass when you freed that Cipher and helped her escape to the Republic, and kept your rendezvous with Agent Shan a secret!"

"What?! No!" she shoved him but he didn't budge "You stormed into my chambers and threatened me! Cornered me and grabbed my throat!"

Ravage smirked and drew nearer, so close he wound up backing her into the side of the shuttle "And don't tell me you didn't feel it then, the sexual tension between us both."

He ran a hand up along the side of her waist and higher, drawing invisible lines right underneath her breast. He whispered, his voice thick with budding arousal "The way I get under your skin so deep it ignites the fire within you. To that point where you find yourself torn between the urge to kill me…" Ravage trailed his lips along her jaw "and the desire to surrender yourself to me completely…"

Eliza closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Already her body began to respond to his words, his touch and he was right. Far too easily he brought her to the brink, to that point where part of her wished to slap him and fight him off while the other yearned to give into the hunger he'd stirred.

"Ravage…"

"Give in." he encouraged and his other hand slipped down the front underneath the waistband of her leatheris pants "I know you're still high on adrenaline from your victory over the pirates, what better way to work it out of your system?"

"Ravage…" she breathed out again, now in half a moan and she came that much closer to losing the battle within herself until an unlikely savior came to her aid.

"Ah Darth Ravage, Eliza, you're back." Lord Cytharat walked up to the couple and feigned oblivion to the situation he found them in "I did think I heard a shuttle approach. How did you fare?"

If looks could kill Lord Cytharat would have died a thousand deaths on the spot with the way Ravage glowered at him.

"Victoriously." Eliza's smile held more gratitude than words could express and she quickly stepped away from Ravage "Only one survivor and he will serve us from now on."

With a thundering expression written all over his face, Ravage stormed off inside.

"That's good news..." Lord Cytharat watched Ravage leave and clasped his hands behind his back "Was my timing truly that unfortunate?" he looked to Eliza.

"No. Quite perfect actually, thank you."

"Naturally." he inclined his head and extended his arm to her which she gratefully took "We should head inside and get you a change of clothing. There's someone who's eager to see you."

"Oh?" they turned towards the side entrance "Who?"

"Theron. He's awake and your name was the first thing to escape his lips."


Over the past days she'd barely paid him a visit. It wasn't that she didn't care, if anything she cared too much and found it too difficult to just watch him linger in that kolto tank. Then there was Nyssa—as much as the two women had slowly begun to bond, Eliza struggled with her presence. She'd decided it'd be wiser if she just kept her distance and instead focused on finding those who'd caused the shuttle crash.

Much to Eliza's surprise she found Theron sat up in bed already, eyeing stronger and healthier than Dr. Keans had predicted.

"There you are!" Nyssa beckoned her over with a smile "I'll give you both some privacy." she got up from her seat and kissed Theron's forehead "Be back in a little while with your tea."

Once at the door, Nyssa clasped Eliza's hand for a moment and leaned in "Keep an eye on him please? He's already been asking me for his datapad and updated mission reports…"

"I'll tie him down if I have to." Eliza reassured with a wink, trying to sound aloof but deep down her heart was racing.

In a way she didn't want to be alone with him, she had no idea of what to say after all this time. Their eyes met across the ugly grey linen that served as his bedding and a tired smile crept up the corners of Theron's mouth.

"Hey…"

Eliza mimicked his expression and dragged her feet over to the empty chair at his bedside "Hi."

"I had a vision of you" he took her hand the second she was close enough to touch "you swam to the bottom of the ocean to save me, brought me back to life."

"That wasn't a vision."

"I know. Thank you…"

"Oh, it was nothing." Eliza waved him off and wrapped herself in a shroud of nonchalantism if only to keep the tears welling in her eyes at bay "Just you know, don't do that again or if you do at least bring appropriate diving gear."

Theron felt tempted to laugh and he almost did but a sharp pain pulled through his ribcage and he winced instead.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be trying to make jokes…"

"No it's alright." he squeezed her hand and laced his fingers "I've missed you Eliza."

"I've missed you too."

The tip of his index finger idly caressed along her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers and he swallowed hard "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you when you needed me most. I wanted to be. So many times I…"

"It's okay Theron, they were… are troubling times for everyone."

Eliza looked down, captivated by his touch. The tender strokes along the back of her hand reminded her of curious waves teasing up the sand along the shoreline. It had a soothing effect as though with each caress he lowered her walls a little further, kindly tearing down the mask she wore to protect herself.

"I don't believe he's dead." she admitted at last, touching on something she rarely discussed though those closest to her knew she held on to hope.

With some difficulty, Theron moved over and patted the empty spot next to him "Tell me what happened."

"I didn't feel it, his passing. I felt Marr's but not his…"

She took his offer and climbed into bed, nestling herself up against his side and quickly Theron's fingers stroked through her hair. With just a simple gesture it was as though no time had passed between them at all and no distance or circumstance had tainted the affection they held for each other. A weightless sense of calm and peace unlike any she'd felt in the past years washed over her instantly and Eliza began detailing how she'd escaped the tragedy—how Lord Scourge had forced her to return to Dromund Kaas and leave him behind.

"I had only just regained my senses when the Vanora touched down at the spaceport. I tried to retrieve the coordinates for Marr's ship, to return immediately but Scourge must have erased them from the system. He knew me too well…"

"I headed for the Citadel next to inform the Dark Council and gather reinforcements but just as I was telling others what had happened, I felt it. They all did. Darth Marr was gone and with him so were my chances of returning to Wild Space."

A single bitter tear rolled down her cheek and Theron caught it with his thumb. He held her closer, his free hand soothingly massaging along her back "Dromund Kaas was put on lockdown, just as Coruscant was?"

"Yes. While other members of the Council scattered to look after their own interests, Acina stepped up to protect the city and grounded all remaining forces. We nearly came to blows. I was so angry, so upset and so very desperate to find Scourge but then my body betrayed me."

"The stress took its toll and I almost miscarried. My blood pressure was off the scales, my pregnancy became 'high risk' and I spent the next few months on bedrest. Powerless, depressed and with no indication of where my husband was or if he'd survived."

Theron closed his eyes and sighed. Up until now he'd never known just how bad things had been for her, how much she'd struggled and he more than ever regretted not being there for her. Eliza didn't seem to notice, her face was buried against his shoulder as she continued.

"After giving birth to Cyara my first instinct was to finally escape Dromund Kaas and set course for Wild Space but by then, Acina had declared herself Empress. She forbade it. She was in the middle of discussing terms for the treaty and didn't want me to jeopardize negotiations by traveling to Zakuul with armed forces."

"Typical." Theron scoffed quietly.

"Yeah… anyways I decided to challenge her for the throne. If I became Empress then all Imperial forces would be mine to command and I could finally search for my husband. But…" Eliza blew out a deep breath.

Despite the safety and comfort of their situation now, the mostly peaceful childhood her daughter got to enjoy, a part of her sometimes still wondered if she made the right call.

"Vowrawn persuaded me not to. He convinced me to play the long game, remain in the shadows. Bide my time and build up our own powerbase. According to him I would only be putting myself at risk as Empress. One mistake, one failure to deliver on agreed terms or even just catching Arcann in a foul mood and I might just find my head on the chopping block."

"Sounds wise…"

"It probably was, so we came here. Vowrawn remained behind to 'serve' Acina and keep an ear to the ground while Lana ventured out to find anyone willing to join our cause. The rest of us settled down on this island doing what we can while raising our little girls."

Theron pressed his lips against the top of Eliza's head and held them there "And Scourge?"

"Like I said, I never felt his passing and though we cured his immortality… I mean his high regenerative properties remained… so there's a chance. Perhaps he survived and was captured. I can no longer sense him in the Force but that doesn't have to mean he's dead. He could be in a special cell designed for Force users, or be wearing a dampener of sorts. Something that cuts him off from the Force."

Just by her tone of voice Theron could tell she really needed to believe this, for herself more than anything. Her words weren't just filled with hope but desperation too, and insistence as though by sheer will and belief she could actually make them true.

"You really think he survived…"

"I have to, and wouldn't you if you were in my shoes?"

"Eliza if anything like that ever happened to you I'd turn every planet in the galaxy inside out to find you. I would not give up until I held you in my arms once more."

She smiled and looked up at him though somewhat uneasily "I meant if Nyssa…"

"Oh well, of course I mean…" Theron fumbled with his words. For a moment he'd all but forgotten about the woman he'd spent the past four years of his life with "That goes without saying right?"

"Right."

"In any case…" Eliza quickly carried on "He may be listed as deceased and there's an empty grave for him on Dromund Kaas. Officially, I may be a widow but one day… we'll find him. We have to. I'm not giving up until I have definitive proof either way."

He nodded "Then you have my support. If he's out there, we'll find him." Theron echoed her words and promised.

Despite his own history with Lord Scourge and all the feelings he so clearly still had for Eliza himself, he knew she needed this and it was the only thing he could actually do for her now. To be supportive, to be her friend as they'd vowed to be. To return her husband to her and bring home her daughter's father.

Outside the room, Ravage's brows furrowed. He'd been eavesdropping from the moment Nyssa left and occasionally peered inside through the narrowed opening of the door. What he'd heard and seen unsettled him and quietly, careful not to give himself away, he retreated to his office to mull over his thoughts and figure out what his next move would be.