A short time later, they were walking down the hallway, Liri tucked against him.
"Where did you put Magda's room?" Liri asked.
"Next to Ashara's."
"Good choice." She moved away from him to look down the hallway further, "I wonder where Decimus got off to."
Andronikos snickered.
"That's not what I meant!" Liri grinned wickedly at him, "Especially since Pella is busy."
"How is Magda?"
Liri got a distant look on her face, "Honestly, she's coming along better than I thought. What was done to her though; it's..." she trailed off.
"It bothers you."
She nodded.
"Because you can do it too."
She whirled on him and he put his hands up in surrender, "I didn't say you would, but it stands to reason that if it's a Sith thing, you can do it."
He took her hand and started propelling her down the hallway again.
She pulled him to a stop, gazing at him with that expression that made him want to lock her in his quarters for a good week. Their quarters, he reminded himself.
"How do you read me so well, Rev?" she murmured, her voice full of affection.
"You're an open book."
"Liar," she grinned before turning to continue down the hallway. "By the way," she called over her shoulder, "You'll have to tell me about what happened on Nar Shaddaa sometime."
Andronikos grimaced, "Trust me, you really don't want to know."
"I'd love to know what you did that was so bad, you can't tell your 'Sith on the Dark Council' wife."
"It's embarrassing. So no."
"I'll get it out of you somehow," she sounded gleeful, walking in front of him.
"I imagine you'll try. Don't forget who usually wins that game." He caught up to her, "Pella told me she didn't tell you."
"She didn't. I picked it up as a strong surface emotion. That I'd be pissed when what happened on Nar Shaddaa came out."
Andronikos shrugged, "You don't really have a right to be pissed, but knowing you, you'll find it a lot more funny than upsetting."
Liri laughed, "Oh I hope so."
They had reached the room the others were in by then.
She paused with a smile just for him. "You know I'll find out; why not just tell me?"
He pulled her in for a kiss. "I enjoy the process of you trying to find out," he smirked.
They turned together and Liri swept into the room ahead of him.
Pella turned, grinning. Her eyes were lit by something Andronikos had never seen. She seemed in her element. Xalek actually had an impressed look on his face. Vel hung from the ceiling, her flesh hanging in charred ribbons, some of which were beginning to heal.
Pella began to speak immediately, "SIS, interestingly enough. She lied about knowing someone on board, but her history was perfectly forged. She hasn't been able to get word back because of Jorif's abilities with communication jamming."
Andronikos nodded; Jorif was the best at what he did. "How'd she mask her intentions from Liri?"
"She was essentially programmed to be violently attracted to you. That crush masked her true purpose. What it also did was make her hesitate about acting against you. Fools."
Someone came into the room behind them. Andronikos looked over his shoulder and saw Decimus. The man looked electrified as he saw Pella. Pella stiffened and raised her head. Their eyes met and Andronikos took a step towards Liri so he wasn't in between them anymore.
Decimus approached Pella and caught her chin in his hand, "I see what you meant, Darth Oculus," he said musingly.
Pella leaned into his hand and even Andronikos could see the sparks of lightning coming off of both of them.
"Anything else?" Liri broke in, a smirk on her face.
"She thinks they think she's dead. They want to know if this fleet is funded by the Empire." Pella spoke quickly.
"Thank you then, Pella. Well done." Decimus' hand drew back, but they stayed staring at each other.
"You were going to show me my quarters?" came Decimus' voice smoothly.
"Yes," Pella answered, her eyes still glowing slightly. Decimus motioned for her to proceed him.
The two left the room and Liri started giggling.
"My bet's on Pella," she said impishly.
"Bet?"
"On who has less scars when they're done."
Andronikos shook his head. "Do you think people ever bet on us like that?"
Xalek rumbled, "I won quite a lot of credits, actually."
Liri burst out giggling again.
Outside in the hallway, they heard the unmistakable voice of Ashara coming towards the room and Xalek shot a look at Liri. She inclined her head and he left the room.
Andronikos heard him speaking to Ashara quickly, "Not in there, 'Ara. Not now."
Her sputtering reply fell away as she was moved further from the door.
Liri turned and began to heal Vel. Andronikos noticed she wasn't softening the painful sensation of the dark side of the force knitting your flesh back together the way she did for him. He felt a surge of love towards her that quickly turned to lust, as it normally did.
Vel moaned and opened her eyes.
Liri flung her hand out at Andronikos and he raised his eyebrow at her from across the room. She put her finger on her lips.
"Vel. Vel I need to know what was in the syringe you gave Andronikos. He's having a bad reaction."
Vel moaned again, "It was," she said hoarsely, "it was either a poison or the other one."
"What was the other one?"
"Calming adrenal, with some other stuff to make him agreeable. He would have given in to me if he'd gotten that one."
"Why would you give him that?"
"Figured. Figured you'd kill him or leave him if you saw us together. Two birds with one stone."
"He might have killed you."
"Job would still be done."
"Let me guess, this was your plan, fucking my husband to get him to leave me, not the SIS' plan."
"Two. Birds," Vel gasped.
Liri lashed out, lightning springing from her fingertips to ravage the Twi'lek's body. Vel screamed.
"What information did you manage to get back to the SIS?"
"Nothing. Couldn't get a message out of here if I tried."
"Who got you on board?"
"Faked a history, pretended to be a long time pirate."
Vel's eyes searched the room desperately, sliding past Andronikos like he wasn't there.
"Is he, is he going to be okay?"
"Tell me about the poison."
"Deadly. Painful. I must have fumbled the wrong syringe."
"Why the holoterminal?"
"Trying to get word back, send recordings of you and Decimus on board."
"Give me a reason to keep you alive."
Vel licked her lips, "I can't think... I have information on the SIS."
"Yes, but you also know too much about my husband. I can't risk turning you over to Imperial Intelligence." Liri tapped her finger against her mouth, "How'd they brainwash you into being obsessed with him, anyway?"
"They used a video."
"A video?" Liri's voice was confused and Andronikos stood up from the wall with a start.
"A video of Andronikos. Just a matter of training my brain to flood with endorphins at the sight of him." Vel laughed bitterly.
Andronikos tried to get Liri's attention, but she ignored him.
"Where did they get the video?"
"I don't know."
"How old was the video?"
"I have no idea. Just used his face from it; I never saw the whole thing."
Liri twisted something and Andronikos felt like the world moved sideways for a moment. Vel's head fell to the side. He looked at Liri questioningly.
"She's just unconscious."
"Where could they have gotten a video of you?"
Xalek came through the door then, a bag in his hands. He bowed to Liri and dropped the bag on the floor. "This was everything in her room, Master."