I hate Belsavis but somehow it got three chapters in this fic.

*sigh*

But it's almost over. I promise.

Chapter Five: Belsavis, Part Three

They traveled to the deepest part of the prison to find the Rakata power core, and Krannus. It also happened to be the freezing-est part of Belsavis and Aurelia couldn't stop shivering. Gutting the occasional enemy helped a little bit, taking her mind off of the numbing cold all around her, and then soon they were inside the block that housed the power core, and Aurelia could stay still ("Your skin is turning a peculiar shade of blue," Scourge remarked as they'd entered. "More blue than a human could be, I thought"). She scowled at him, and they fought their way to Executor Krannus, finally finding him stalking in front of the power core, several soldiers and officers flanking him. Yippee. With a sharp wave of his hand he ordered his troops to surround her and Scourge and she sighed.

Really?

The soldiers waved them forward and as she stood mere meters from Krannus's arrogant, crimson face there were more than ten blasters pointed in hers.

"You're too late," Krannus said smugly. "The detonite charges are in place - even you wouldn't be able to stop them all in time."

Aurelia shook her head. This guy needed to be taken down a notch. "All your tricks and distractions can't stop me, Krannus. I'm ending this!"

"We're all going to die here. The difference is," he smirked, "I will live again."

She glanced at the soldiers to her right and at the soldiers to her left. Then Aurelia grabbed her lightsaber, igniting it. If she was going to die, she was going to go out swinging. A gas grenade was suddenly thrown between her and the Imps and she turned to find a squad or two of Republic troops scurry in, blasters drawn. A Duros - sergeant? Captain? - stood beside her, hands clutched behind his back.

"Imperials!" he said. "Surrender to this Jedi Knight immediately! Drop your weapons." He looked at her then. "Republic Special Forces. Sorry to show up late."

Reinforcements. Yes! "Eh, better late than never." She smirked briefly before turning back to Krannus. "It's over," she said to him. "Don't be a fool - surrender."

He didn't. Of course not. As the fighting began Aurelia was able to sneak away to disable the charges he'd set up around the power core. She moved quickly, trying to tune out the harsh sounds of blaster bolts and Scourge's saber and the strange, underlying worry of is he going to be okay?

He's the Emperor's Wrath. He can handle himself.

But what if he can't? Sometimes all it takes is a lucky shot - kriff, earlier, with the colonel, was proof of this.

Why do you care so much?

She tried to chalk it up to the simple fact that he was her companion and that if he didn't survive they were screwed with this whole the-crazy-Sith-Emperor-is-trying-to-end-life-as-we-know-it thing. But something deep in the back of her mind insisted it was something else and she sighed, working to take out the last detonite charge. She wasn't sure why she felt this way but she had an idea. And she didn't like it.

And you don't have time for this!

"You will not survive this, Jedi."

Her fingers stumbled across the charge and she cursed, rising to face Krannus. He was battleworn, blood and bruises littering his crimson face, and he glowered at her. "You know, I've met a lot of Sith and Imps - and I mean a lot - and you're probably the most arrogant one yet." She ignited her saber. "And that isn't a compliment."

His smirk was short-lived. Aurelia fought hard, a part of her wanting to take him down now out of sheer spite. Then he struck her a couple times in the shoulder with some blaster bolts and she defeated him out of pure anger, throwing herself at him with a reckless rage she hadn't felt since her Padawan days and striking his chest with one saber. As he went down she saw Scourge rushing towards her, a strange look in his fiery eyes. He could probably feel her - angry, with a mix of irritation and pride because finally that pain in the ass was dead. But he didn't mention it.

"Have you disabled all the charges?" he asked, his voice almost breathless.

She couldn't hear any more blaster bolts, and she shook her head before turning back to the last charge. "I got distracted."

"I see that."

"Did we win?" Aurelia made quick work of the detonite, her fingers nimble and fast.

"Yes, and the Sergeant wishes to speak with you once you finish."

She nodded and rose, all the charges disabled now, catching his eyes - and that odd look in them. "What? Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

He waved a hand, dismissing her question. "The Sergeant?"

Aurelia sighed and started up the nearby stairs. When the hell was Scourge going to stop being so vague? It drove her crazy. He was almost as bad as Master Orgus had been. She pushed these thoughts from her mind as the Duros sergeant informed her that some Republic colonel wanted to talk to her about Pak. Weird, but okay. The sergeant let her and Scourge borrow a speeder they brought and as they ventured back out into the cold Aurelia realized it was almost dusk again. And she realized she was thoroughly and utterly exhausted. But she still didn't let Scourge drive.

The moon was shining by the time they made it back to the main Republic base, and to the colonel. Her name was Bartaph and she looked in her early forties, with greying black hair and a few wrinkles. Personally, Aurelia was a bit pleased to see a woman that high up in the military - there ought to be more - and she smiled.

"You wanted to see me?"

Bartaph thanked her for everything she'd done to save Belsavis - and while it was nice, Aurelia knew it was a prelude to a but. And that but was Pak Taldine. He walked into the tent, flanked by a couple of armed troopers, and Aurelia frowned.

"My forces apprehended this prisoner during the riots," Bartaph said. "I need to know why one of the galaxy's worst criminals was helping you."

Um. What?

Beside her, Scourge folded his arms across his chest, and they shared a look. Seemed he had no idea, either.

"All due respect, Colonel," Aurelia said, "but what are you talking about? Pak's a guard, not an inmate."

"It's true," he sighed. "I came here ten years ago as a prisoner - and I deserved it." He left it at that.

She frowned at him. "And, what, you were just never going to bring it up?"

"You never asked."

Scourge scoffed.

"But, being here on Belsavis - surrounded by scum just like me - it opened my eyes. Even if I could never leave here, I could still change. It took years, but I did it." He half-smiled. "The warden made me an honorary guard. Said I earned that."

She could feel the truth of his words, even if there was no tangible evidence to back it up - and he had been a huge help during her time on that awful planet. So when the colonel asked her what they should do with him she didn't even have to think about it.

"Let him go," she said and next to her Scourge made a noise. "He's telling the truth, and besides - I couldn't have done anything without him."

He looked at her with soft, brown eyes. "Thank you, Jedi," he murmured.

She nodded.

"He was a prisoner for good reason - why did you let him go?"

They were almost to the airlock when Scourge asked, and she was proud of him - it must've taken a lot of restraint not to demand to know the moment Pak was gone. Aurelia looked at him as they walked. "I don't need to explain myself to you."

He gave her a sideways glare - he wasn't going to let this go.

She sighed. "He was a good man, Scourge. He helped us, and I returned the favor. It's called honor. Jedi have that, you know."

"As do Sith."

She almost burst out laughing at that. "Not the ones I've met."

"I will admit, it is a trait that seems to be vanishing in our order."

"Did we just agree on something?"

He scowled slightly but didn't respond. Instead he noted, quietly, "You killed Krannus. Murdered him. You were - "

"I didn't murder him. He was armed - and I gave him the chance to surrender."

"Fine. Nevertheless you killed him - and out of anger. You were incensed. I could feel it…" He stopped and looked down at her (kriff, he's so tall), his eyes curious, questioning. But he didn't ask it.

Aurelia sighed heavily. "I've never been good at the whole self-control thing. I mean, I straight up murdered the Sith that killed my master. And I know Jedi aren't supposed to be like that. But I just… some people deserve to die. Simple as that."

"And Krannus was one of those?"

"He was going to kill us all. He used the threat of him blowing up volcanoes and killing millions of people to stop me from getting to him. He was a bad guy." She raised an eyebrow. "Why? You would've kept him alive?"

"Oh no. I would not have even let him surrender."

Figures.

"I bring it up, however, because you intrigue me, Jedi. You are unlike any other I've met - Revan excluded, of course."

"You'll be my best friend if you keep comparing me to Revan."

Scourge frowned, and it made Aurelia smile. But she fought it back.

"I'm sorry - finish what you were saying."

He shook his head once. "That was all."

Aurelia looked at him. "You're - different from most Sith I've met," she murmured, hating that she was admitting this.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, but only a little different. There's still the whole thing of you, you know, preferring killing people to letting them live."

"I let you live."

"What, on Quesh? I'd just taken out a whole battalion of Imp soldiers and Sith - you were scared, too scared to take me on."

"Do not make me laugh, Jedi." But his eyes lightened.

She grinned, resisting the urge to ask if he even could laugh, and she took a step closer. "Oh come on. You know I could totally beat you in battle."

"Is that right?"

"Oh yeah."

He regarded her for a moment, his eyes reading her face. Then, "You are a strange one, Jedi."

"Strange in a good way?"

Scourge nodded, and then he started for the ship. She watched him for a moment. Sometimes he could actually be pleasant. It was… nice.

After greeting her other companions and insisting that no, Doc the blaster wound in my shoulder is not life-threatening Aurelia contacted Master Satele on the holo, informing her that Belsavis was safe. And then, per usual fashion, Satele told her that another awful thing had happened that required her assistance. Jomar Chul had disappeared investigating an Imperial space station where, so it was rumored, many high-ranking Sith had gathered to meet - and on the Emperor's orders.

"I know you and Jomar have had your differences, but I believe he's onto something," she said.

Differences? The jerk had had the audacity to question her loyalty to the Jedi Order and maintained that she would fall to the Emperor (which she had, but the horned son of a Bantha made it sound like she would do it of her own accord). He was definitely not high up on her list of favorite fellow Jedi. "After the accusations he made to the Council, I doubt he'd be willing to help me - assuming he's alive."

"My only concern is uncovering the Emperor's plans," Satele responded, ever the neutral party. "We need to know what's happening on that station."

"This is worth pursuing," Scourge agreed.

Satele seemed please. "I'm transmitting coordinates to the space station. However I have no advice for getting inside."

"Leave that to me," Scourge said, and he couldn't have made that sound less threatening if he tried.

"May the Force be with you," and with that, Satele's blue figure flickered, and was gone.

"Remind me when this is over to log in a couple years of vacation time," Aurelia said, rubbing a hand down her tired face.

"You and me both," Kira said. "Now, though, you should focus on resting. The coordinates Master Satele sent through are in the unknown regions, so it'll be awhile before we get there."

"Yeah, you don't look so good, beautiful," Doc murmured. "I mean, you always look good but now you just look… dead."

She nodded, sighing. "I feel like it." She turned her eyes to Scourge, who was brooding a few meters away. "You should get some sleep, too. You've been going, going, going as long as I have."

He waved her words away with his hand. "I am immortal. Sleep eludes me."

"Must be nice," Kira grumbled.

"Well, either way, you should rest up in whatever way that means for you." She gave him a soft smile. "It's probably not a good idea to infiltrate an Imperial space station half-dead."

He gave her a curt nod, and she sighed, dropping her eyes as she started towards her quarters. Sleep would probably elude her now, too, but for different reasons.

"I should probably check out that blaster wound."

Aurelia turned around just short of her quarters to find Doc a few meters away, leaning against the wall with a lazy smirk on his lips. "Is that Doc talking or the doctor?"

"Both." He straightened up and started towards her. "Come down to the medbay, baby. I missed you."

She smiled as he took her in his arms and she kissed him softly. "I need to sleep."

"Not yet you don't."

It was the first time they'd had sex in her bed - usually they reserved themselves to staying in the medbay. And it was the first time Doc had fallen asleep next to her. But, like she'd predicted, Aurelia couldn't sleep. Her mind was too wired. Even with Doc beside her she thought about Scourge. Not like that… but he fascinated her. He'd lived through and seen so much and she wanted nothing more than to pull up a chair next to him and let him tell her everything (and she wanted to hear him compare her to Revan and the Exile some more). He'd spent centuries searching for a way to finally end the Emperor; spent centuries searching for her - and then he fully and completely renounced the Empire, giving up everything he'd ever known to pledge his loyalty to her. No one had ever done that for her before (though, she had to admit, he was doing it for the greater good and not necessarily for her). And he wasn't a typical Sith. She wanted to know why he was different. She wanted to know why he never smiled or laughed. She wanted to know if he had any friends in his old Empire or if he had any regrets… she wanted to know everything.

Aurelia turned from Doc with a soft sigh, his arm slung over her abdomen. If she was being honest she was probably a little bit, slightly attracted to Scourge, too. He was beautiful, in his own Sith-y way, and he was warm and strong (and his hands had felt really nice on her stomach whenever he sat behind her on the speeders)… ugh, this was not good. Not good at all. And as she lay in bed sleepless she couldn't help but wonder what Scourge thought of her. Was he so tense around her because he couldn't stand her - or because he felt something?

You know better than to dwell on that sort of thing.

She did. But she couldn't help it.

Sleep never found her.