I apologize, but I won't be updating again until Monday (April 16th). Sorry! But don't worry, there's plenty to more story to go ^_^

Liri dropped to the floor and started sifting through the bag.

"There's quite a few syringes in here. Where do you store that kind of thing?"

"Lir... We don't take prisoners. No need for stuff like that."

Liri gave him a skeptical look. "I'm sure some of your crew enjoys adrenals behind closed doors."

"Well, of course, but we don't have a place for them."

"We're going to need one. I generally keep military grade truth serum around just in case a long with a few other choice mixtures." She approached him and put her hand gently on his cheek, "Rev, you're in a lot more danger now that I'm here; do you understand that?"

"Of course I do. But I'd rather be in trouble with you than bored without you."

"You're always in trouble with me," she said, her eyes glinting.

Xalek cleared his throat, "Is this like the old days where I should just leave, Master?"

"No," Liri grinned, "But Rev, we're going to need to stock some stuff you might not have. Keep a room for things like this."

"Whatever you need."

Liri went back through the bag, "Nothing. She really gave into her assignment." She sighed. "Should I just kill her now? Do you think there's anything else we're going to figure out?"

She eyed Andronikos, "How do you feel about coming on to her to see if there's anything she's keeping from us?"

"I feel pretty good about it."

"Not too good, I hope."

He wrapped his arms around her, "Made yourself jealous, did we?"

She sighed, "A little, but we need to know if they have a clue we're out here or not."

Xalek cleared his throat again, "Whenever you two start touching, it's a good idea for me to leave the room."

Liri turned and glared, but Andronikos grinned at the Kaleesh.

He tightened his hands around her, "So how do we do this?"

"We keep her out for a bit and then have you come into the room. Do whatever you need to, pretend you were turned on by her. I'll mask myself."

"How long do we keep her out?"

"Not long enough for that," she said looking down between them for an amused moment. Behind her Xalek snorted. "Just a few more minutes. Do you want to prep?"

"Liri, I'm a master at pretending other women are you." She let go with a scowl and he just shrugged, "It's about to work in our favor, don't be mad."

Nodding, Liri turned back to Vel and a whisper of the dark side echoed through the room briefly. Liri went and stood beside Xalek. Vel moaned again and raised her head.

"Hey, there, Vel."

"Andronikos? You survived?"

"Yeah, your information helped Liri figure out how to cure it."

He approached her, "Oh Andronikos, I'm so sorry."

"Shhh, baby, it's okay. I'm fine." He reached up and released her wrists, letting her body sink down to the ground. "It'll be okay now." He helped her sit up.

"You don't hate me?" she whispered.

"No," he snickered, "I almost wish you'd gotten me with the other adrenal."

She slid her arms around him and he schooled himself to not flinch. "Oh I do too, but she still would have caught us."

"I can handle Liri." He tilted her face up to him, "I'm doing what I can to get you out of this. Is there anything I can use to help you?" Vel sunk against him, and he stroked her lekku, "Please Vel, I don't want Liri to kill you."

"Kiss me, Andronikos." He bent his head to kiss her, catching Liri's eyes up behind Vel. Liri's face was resigned, but unhappy. When he pulled back, Vel sighed in joy, "You're a wonderful kisser."

"How do I save you, Vel?"

"You don't. This was always a one way trip, but I just wanted to touch you..." Her hand went weakly up to his cheek. "I failed my mission. The Republic will send someone else or they'll set up an ambush at the next likely target planet."

"Vel, there has to be something you didn't tell them."

"They had a plan for you. Some use they were going to put you to, pardon your war crimes and trade you something. They weren't clear, but I was to try to seduce you. They didn't expect her to be back in your life. But someone knows how much you mean to her."

"I was to be a pawn?"

"Yes, but we could have been together until then... Kiss me again."

Andronikos felt Vel slump against him and he pushed her off with some disgust.

"Well."

Liri spoke, her voice full of tightly held fury. "They were going to use you to get to me."

"That seems to..." he caught sight of her face and got to his feet slowly, moving toward the door. When he passed Xalek, he grabbed him by the hood and hauled him out the door too.

The very darkest side of the force rolled past them and through the room behind them just as Andronikos got the door shut.

Lightning flickered around the cracks. Xalek looked at Andronikos, "You have seen her this angry?"

"Once or twice, yeah."

The door opened and Andronikos caught sight of Vel's rapidly decaying corpse in the room beyond.

"Feel better, Lir?"

She smiled tightly and rolled her shoulders. "I do, actually."

"So what now?"

"We fill in Decimus when he and Pella are done and figure out our next move."

Andronikos raised an eyebrow, "And how long do you think that'll be?"

"Oh, hours."

"Xalek, that's your queue to leave."

Xalek rolled his eyes and headed down the hallway.

"Back to your room, Rev."

"I don't know that I want to get that far."

"I think I want some time to pass before your crew finds us going at it in every corner."