Twelve
Contested Territory, Telos
13 ATC
As the dropship made its way from the wreckage of the Republic encampment back towards the Imperial base, A'tro did her best not to look at Quinn where he stood on the opposite side of the cramped interior. The business with K'saria had distracted her from the miasma of doubt that he seemed to instill in her psyche every moment she was in his presence.
It hadn't always been like that. Seeing him had made her happy, once. With nothing to do until they returned to the base, she let herself remember the moment when it had all gone wrong.
Voss-Ka, Voss
12 ATC
Late afternoon was wearing into evening, and the sun's increasing proximity to the horizon turned the normal red and orange hues of Voss' sky into an even more vibrant display of color. Ribbons of deep pinks and golds fanned outward in the wake of the gleaming sun, while the somber purple of night eased its way into view at the far corners of the sky.
A'tro was not normally one to admire scenery, but with nothing to do but wait for the shuttle to the orbital station she was content to sit on a bench in the Imperial enclave and watch the celestial spectacle unfold. It was a welcome distraction from her increasingly grim thoughts.
She had stood in the literal Dark Heart of the Nightmare Lands and borne witness to the Voice of the Emperor himself. Even chained, even fading, he had carried such immense and terrible power. Beside that power, what was she?
"My lord," said Quinn's voice.
A'tro looked up and there he was, standing close to her bench with his hands behind his back, his posture as straight as the nearby lamp post. She hadn't taken him with her into the Nightmare Lands. She had gone alone, not trusting anyone else to be strong enough to endure the rigors of that place. It had been…strange.
"What is it, Captain?" she asked quietly. Truth be told, she had feared for his safety if he had accompanied her. Quinn was strong-willed, but…
"I wanted to inform you that the last shuttle of the day leaves in less than an hour," he said.
She had already known that, and he had surely known that she knew, which meant that he really wanted to talk about something else.
"Sit down, Quinn," she told him, motioning to the empty spot on the bench beside her.
He hesitated, his demeanor becoming even stiffer. "I'm not certain that would be proper—"
"There's no one around."
"If—if that is what you wish, my lord." He settled himself on the very edge of the bench, radiating discomfort.
A'tro started to worry. If there was one thing Quinn possessed in abundance, it was confidence. To hear him stumble over words was strange. "You seem tense," she said softly, careful not to let her voice travel too far beyond the bench. "Is something wrong?"
He glowered off into the distance. "Not exactly. There's just—I find myself in a difficult situation, and I'm uncertain of how to explain the matter."
"If you need time to think, I can wait."
"No. No, I don't think it should wait." Quinn turned to face her, some indefinable emotion flickering in his eyes. "My lord, I—" He stopped and looked around. "I'm falling in love with you," he said in a voice barely louder than a whisper. "I've tried to keep this development to myself; I don't want to make any presumptions about the nature of our relationship." The words seemed to be tumbling out almost too fast for his mouth to keep up. "But things are changing, and I felt I shouldn't remain silent any longer."
"You're right," A'tro said. Her voice, and everything around her, seemed to be far, far away. "Things are changing."
Quinn wilted visibly. "I apologize for bringing this up like this, but I felt you should know that I—"
A'tro cut him off. "I've been thinking too, Quinn." She took a deep breath, the darkness that had been lurking at the borders of her thoughts swirling and crashing into the forefront. "Given my new responsibilities, I believe it would be best if we terminate this relationship before it goes too far. I have enjoyed our time together, but I cannot afford to have any weaknesses in this battle against Baras."
A small spot of color appeared on each of Quinn's cheeks, looking drastically red against his pale skin. "I see." He stood up quite abruptly. "If you will excuse me, my lord, I am going to check on the status of the shuttle."
He walked away before she could say anything. A'tro watched him go, her hands falling to her sides and latching onto the edge of the bench with a viselike grip.
This was the right thing to do, she told herself. It's for the best. I am the Emperor's Wrath, now. I can't afford to be tied down, can't afford a potential distraction. That's all this ever was, anyway. A distraction.
She had spoken with the Emperor's Voice, come face to face with reality. Ending her affair with Quinn was the logical choice to make, for both their sakes. Because when he'd said he loved her, there was a part of her that had very much wanted to answer in kind. That was weakness, and now she'd cut that weakness out. It would hurt for a while, but she would be stronger for it.
That was what she told herself as she made her way to the landing platform. It was what she told herself as she boarded the shuttle, and what she told herself as she waited out the flight in tense silence while Quinn sat as far away from her as he could without seeming rude.
She was still justifying it in the back of her mind when she reported the success of her mission to the Emperor's Hand. When the conversation was over and the holoimages of Servant One and Servant Two faded away, the sound of Quinn's voice was as startling as a sudden dousing of icy water.
"My lord, I'm afraid that we cannot go to Corellia at this time…"
As the Alecto sped through hyperspace to their new destination, A'tro tried to recover her resolve, and found it shattered.
I can't do this, she realized. Force help me, I'm too weak. I can't do it.
She had to make things right. Quinn was alone on the bridge, but she didn't want to talk to him while he was piloting. She would bring him with her onto the transponder vessel, get him alone, and do her best to salvage the situation.
I'll apologize to him, she decided. I wasn't thinking clearly. If he's willing to forgive me, we can continue. If not…then I'll just have to come to terms with my own stupidity.
Her plan seemed to work perfectly. Quinn volunteered, and so she took him with her onto the enemy ship. It wasn't even suspicious to the others. The Force was with her, stirring nervous anticipation into a hurricane deep in her stomach.
She was so distracted by her emotions that she didn't even stop to wonder why they hadn't encountered much resistance. She let Quinn take the lead, since he knew the layout of the ship, and when he came to a halt in the center of a large, empty room, she saw an opportunity to make her case.
But Quinn spoke first. "My lord," he said coolly. "I regret that our paths must diverge."
And then A'tro realized that she was far, far too late.
Imperial Base, Telos
13 ATC
She had very much wanted to kill him then, and perhaps she should have, but she couldn't. Even now, she still didn't hold Quinn accountable for his actions. It had been Baras' plan, and she had unwittingly pushed him over the edge into carrying it out.
Logic and all her Sith teachings told her that she should kill him now and eliminate her ceaseless internal debate. But as she stepped down from the shuttle and watched him walk off towards the command center, she realized, quite suddenly, that there was another way.
