"I do not see the point of this exercise," Jori says irritably.

"Nobody does at first," Loneva tells her, "I had a rather cheeky way of putting it as a Padawan. 'There is no emotion, there is boredom. There is no ignorance, there is endless repetition.'"

"And what changed your mind?"

Loneva clasps Jori's hands. "I simply reminded myself that giving up was the only failure."

"I do not give up. I simply refuse to learn something I already know. And I don't enjoy being this close to you, for the same reason I don't think you enjoy being this close to me." She turns her head away from Loneva.

"First of all," the Jedi says sternly, "You do NOT know how to use a lightsaber properly. Don't get me wrong, your mastery of the Force is quite impressive, but you need to diversify your knowledge. Combining disparate principles can produce interesting and insightful results."

Jori moves her lightsaber up and down once. "And secondly?"

Loneva steps away from Jori. "You're right. We should find a better way to keep clean. The power reserves on our ships won't last forever, and we need to at least have enough left for takeoff."

"The river we found is drinkable, but not at all deep enough for bathing. There's bound to be plenty of hot springs on a planet this geologically active. I've been sponging myself for a month, and it's getting tiresome."

"Alright, let's go." They start off into the vegetation, and Loneva adjusts her cortical implant to enable her to see in infrared. She looks in the direction of the nearest volcano. "Looks like there's a floe in there leading from it. Let's look along that path."

"I'm surprised you can see it. Given how hot it is, I'd think there would be quite a bit of interference."

"Oh, it doesn't all melt into one color at one point. At least, not at any temperature that humans can survive."

Jori smirks. "Careful then. People have been known to die in hot springs"

"My implant can measure external temperatures. We'll be fine."

A few minutes of silence, then Jori pipes up. "So how did you get your implant, anyway? Were you injured? Did you have a disease?"

"No. I just figured it would come in useful with all the slicing I do. The model I bought came standard with environmental probes. I just need a few software upgrades every now and then, and I'm good to go."

"I see," Jori says, "And has it had any sort of impact on your Jedi training?"

Loneva shakes her head, walking along the likely path for a hot spring. "The Force gives me all the advantage I need in terms of reflex. I can interface with any machine that has a holonet connection, but the Force doesn't cross over with that. I can't persuade a droid with the Force like I can an organic. I can reprogram them, but that takes far longer."

"I'm not sure I could do that. I've never relished the idea of surgery." Jori shudders. "Having my kidney repositioned was intimidating enough."

"It's not for everyone," Loneva says, then speeds up her walking. She taps her implant, sending it back to normal vision. "There we are! One hot spring. Internal temperature...forty-five degrees centigrade. No traces of basalt or sulfur. Yes, I'd say this is safe." All of a sudden, she rips her clothes off and tosses them aside as if Jori isn't even there. "Last one in's bantha fodder!"

Jori stares at Loneva all this time, then puts up a weak Force wall to shield herself from the splash. "Loneva...you're naked."

The Jedi tilts her head to the side inquisitively. "Of course I am. How else am I supposed to get clean?"

"Still, it's…"

She laughs. "Don't tell me you've never seen a naked woman before. Do you not have mirrors on your ship?"

"I do, but…"

"You wear a towel right after getting out of the 'fresher?"

"No, I use a sonic dryer. And I actually have seen a naked woman before. Myself and...others."

Loneva laughs. "Then what are you afraid of? You're the one who's wanted to take a real bath so badly. Come on in. The water is lovely."

"Alright then…" she puts her hands to her belt, then looks at Loneva. "Do you mind?"

The Jedi rolls her eyes and turns around. "If you insist."

Jori pulls off her clothes slowly and methodically, setting them in a neat pile on the rock before stepping into the water. "Alright, you can look now."

Loneva turns back around. Jori is submerged up to her neck, her arms covering her breasts even under the water. She simply shakes her head and sits down on a nearby rock, running water over her body. The Sith scrubs herself underneath the water. Loneva reaches out of the spring, grabbing a small rag out of a patch from her belt and soaks it in the water. "Jori?"

"Yes?"

She holds the cloth up. "Would you like me to wash your back for you?"

Jori feels her face grow warmer. From being in the spring, of course. Thins the blood, so naturally more is running to her face. "B-by all means." She faces away and feels a tingle shoot through her body as Loneva's rag-clad hand touches her back

"What's wrong? Too rough?"

"N-no. Just fine." She forces herself to straighten up and enjoy the treatment. Had she told herself a month earlier that she would make herself this vulnerable in a Jedi's presence, she'd have laughed. Yet here she is. And the strangest part is, she doesn't feel the slightest bit unsafe with Loneva around. The backstabbing ways of her fellow Sith should have made her wary, but despite this, and despite Loneva's all but taking her prisoner a month ago, she feels nothing of the sort. There is a story told of a bank robber in Coronet who took thirty people hostage for a week. He was later apprehended, but his captives petitioned the Corellian government for leniency, and according to rumor some even corresponded with him while he was in prison. "Coronet Syndrome", Republic psychologists called it. Jori doubts she has it since her captivity lasted mere hours, and she could have left anytime.

"There. All clean," Loneva announces.

Jori turns around. "Is it...would you like me to do yours now?"

"Sure, go ahead." Loneva faces away. Had this been a month earlier, she would have been surprised at Jori's gentleness. Now, she knows that her Sith exterior doesn't go further than her skin. Jori is a caring person who's just been told she can't show it. That's why Loneva doesn't tease her anymore. She wants to see Jori express that part of herself more, and will do what it takes to coax it out. While plotting this, she barely notices that the water's surface has become very disturbed or that Jori's breathing has gotten faster. She does hear a small grunt. "Everything okay?"

"Yes! Yes, I'm fine. Have I gotten all the spots you wanted done?"

Loneva nods, then stands up. She notices Jori take a look at her breasts, then look away. Not surprising, since most everybody stares at first. "I'm gonna head back to camp now," she says, bundling up her clothes and carrying them under her arm back through the jungle, as if walking around naked were perfectly ordinary to her.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Jori replies. She would add that she'll be fully dressed, too, but Loneva's backside is just too entrancing. When she realizes what she's doing, she slaps herself in the face and gets out of the water, drying off. Did Loneva realize what she'd done while scrubbing her back? Probably not, considering her reaction, or rather lack thereof. "Let's hope it stays that way," she says out loud, mostly to herself.

She rises out of the water and dresses herself. When she arrives back at camp, Loneva is already there and fully dressed. Well, as fully as she ever dresses, and meditating. She paces for a few moments, debating whether or not to disturb the Jedi. The decision is made for her when Loneva opens her eyes and looks at her. "Hello, Jori. Is there something you need?"

The Sith looks at her. "You said your cybernetic enhancements interface with the Holonet?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Could you look up a few individuals for me?"

Loneva nods. "Establishing a secure connection now. What are their names?"

"The first one is a Mandalorian named Malgin Wardack."

It takes a few moments. "Alright, let's see...ah, here. It looks like Clan Wardack ran into the Eternal Fleet above Dantooine. They were completely destroyed, but managed to take two ships with them."

Jori nods. "I see. Could you also look up Darth Acina of the Dark Council?"

This search goes much faster. "Two Dark Council members, Darth Marr and Darth Imperius, made an incursion into Wild Space to investigate the disappearance of several Imperial outposts. They were captured. Marr was killed and his corpse was returned to Dromund Kaas an hour ahead of the Eternal Fleet's arrival. Imperius was not heard from and is missing, presumed dead. The remaining Council members ruthlessly fought the Eternal Empire's invasion, but all were killed save Acina, who declared herself Empress of the Sith. Her claim has yet to be challenged." She looks up at Jori. "Who were these people to you?"

Jori sits, staring at the ground. "If you really must know, they were my lovers. For a time."

Loneva gives a lewd grin. "You had a whole Mandalorian clan? I think I've really misjudged you."

The Sith gives her an icy glare. "Don't be ridiculous. I only had Malgin, and he was the second in command."

"Oh, and how was he?"

Jori lets out a small laugh. "For someone so large and muscular, he was rather poorly-endowed."

Loneva joins in the laughing. "But did he know how to use it?"

"No," Jori says, and her laughing grows louder.

"Let me guess...he had a big ego, binge drank tihaar, and carried the largest weapon he could find."

"How did you know?"

"I know the type. They're a credit a dozen in this galaxy."

Jori laughs again. "That was a rhetorical question."

"So, what were you doing with him? I'm sure there's an interesting story there."

"Oh, not particularly. I'd accepted a commission from Darth Imperius to write a piece on the overlaps between Sith and Mandalorian culture. So, I went to their Enclave in Kaas City and sought his clan out. They agreed to take me aboard if I did my part in battle. Malgin expressed sexual interest in me, and I thought getting involved with him would give me an even greater insight into their culture."

"Did it?"

Jori shakes her head. "Not terribly. All that really happened was that when the mood struck him, he would take me aside, lift my robe, and have his way with me. It wasn't unenjoyable, but it was hardly memorable. It got to the point that I would do my writing on my datapad while he went at me. I doubt if he ever even noticed. I was only with his clan for a month before I got all the information I needed."

Loneva raises an eyebrow. "You don't call that an interesting story?"

"Well, I'm used to people tuning me out in mid-conversation. That's all."

The Jedi pats her on the knee. "They're short-sighted fools if they do that." Jori smiles. "How about Darth Acina? That's got to be an equally interesting story. I'm sure not every Imperial can brag they bagged a Dark Council member."

"Oh, there's not much to tell there. I met her at a party my Master hosted. She wasn't a Council member at the time, though she was a Darth. She took interest in me, we spent the night in bed together, she served me breakfast, and I haven't heard from her since."

"And how was she?" Loneva leans forward, clearly interested.

Jori's eyes widen and she nods slowly as she speaks. "Quite good. Not the best I've ever had, but she really knew what she was doing. And for a human, she has a rather long, thick tongue."

Loneva laughs. "Stop it, now you're making me want her!"

"Perhaps not trying to get her comm frequency was a mistake, now that she's Empress."

The Jedi goes serious. "No, that's a good thing. Don't you think the Eternal Empire would love to get so valuable a hostage as the Empress' girlfriend?"

"I was only joking. Nothing could have happened between me and Acina. Even if it had, she would be too busy managing the day-to-day affairs of the Empire to pay me any attention. But that night with her, that was memorable, and knowing that I bedded the Empress herself will always make me proud."

The Jedi nods. "As well it should."

"So, how about you? Have you had any romantic conquests?" Jori raises a brow.

"I'm a Jedi," Loneva says, keeping her face straight.

"But hardly a traditional one. Do you really expect me to believe you've kept your legs closed all these years?"

Loneva sighs. "No. Because I haven't."

"Then tell me."

"Well...first, when I was a teenager, I had a huge crush on my cousin Darya. We kissed once, and one thing led to another. Then her dad walked in, so we pretended we were swapping clothes. That brought us to our senses, and we never went further than kissing after that. Just for practice, mind you. Then I got sent off to the Jedi Academy on Tython. My roommate there was a Twi'lek named Pentri, and one night she decided to teach me how to dance. I was so entranced by the way her hips moved, the way her body seemed to snake around, I couldn't help myself. I pounced on her. She seemed surprised at first, but then decided to go with it. We made love every night for a whole month before one of the Masters walked in on us. He made me meditate underneath a cold waterfall for seven hours, and re-assigned me to solitary quarters."

Jori smiles. "At least you didn't find your whole time on Tython a dreary bore."

"Well, it's like that for a reason. Trying to jump into the 'cool' things is like trying to learn a language without knowing its alphabet."

The Sith shakes her head. Perhaps another time. "Any others?"

"Yes. There was also Viiro. He was a Sith I met on Makeb. The only person ever to catch me slicing, but purely by accident. He walked in on me while I was standing at the terminal and challenged me to a fight. Our skill was roughly even, and he asked me on the spot to marry him. I considered my mission too important to make him suspicious, so I agreed." She looks away, glad that her complexion hides her blushing. "He taught me things I'd never known before. He...whipped me, shocked me, choked me, made me beg for him in me...the most shocking part was when I discovered I liked it. I would have stuck around, but I had a mission to complete, so I faked my death and left. A few months later, I had a fling with a Zabrak soldier named Myhiss. She once invited five of her squadmates-all female-over, and the six of them accosted me at once. I just can't describe how overwhelming it was. And given how sore I was the next day, it was clear that they'd carried on even after I passed out. Myhiss and I didn't last much longer because she wanted me to torture her, and I just wasn't up to it. We parted on good terms."

Now Jori grins. "Who'd have figured? Miss Jedi loves getting beaten. You didn't seem at all the type."

Loneva give a smirk. "Never said I wasn't."

"Anyone else?"

"The only really significant one was Staci. She was cute and petite, and was a woman in every way… except one."

Jori glances sideways. "What do you mean?"

"You really can't guess?"

The Sith's eyes go wide. "I see. How was she?"

"She knew what she was doing...and she was huge."

"How come that didn't last?"

Loneva shrugs her shoulders. "No chemistry. We did sleep together whenever we ran into each other, but I haven't seen her for six months."

"Do you ever miss any of your old lovers?"

"I miss Pentri," Loneva nods. "She was so sweet and kind. But she lost her life defending Tython from the Empire."

Jori nods back. "That was a dark day in our history. We were only there because we allowed ourselves to be manipulated."

Loneva shrugs again. "The past is the past. What can you do?"

"Ensure it stays the past. That's why I'm still here with you."

Loneva leans forward, wrapping her arms around the Sith. "Good to know you have your priorities straight."

Jori hugs back. Any excuse to feel Loneva's breasts against her own. "That's all thanks to you." When the hug finally breaks, she stands up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a dinner for two to cook. Please tell me you're not a vegetarian."

"Nope."

"Then you're in for a real treat."