Broken Chains

[Krux Mullarus]

​

The Ragoon VI sun slowly began to touch the top of the mountains on the horizon visible from the windows of Mullarus Manor, where the interior of the enormous mansion would start to grow an orange tint from the light outside.

It has been only a couple of days since [member="Darth Azurea"] and Knight Mullarus were successful in defeating and slaying Krux's grandfather on Rakata Prime. Aside from the obvious threat to the Sith couple, they may find some time in peace to celebrate the love they found in one another. After leaving his preferred naval officer, Captain Jones, in charge of The Paladin in his absence, Krux and Setzi set off alone in Mullarus' assault freighter away from the life of powerful Sith for a while. Finally, Mullarus could live out the farfetched daydream of his to share a romantic evening with a woman, and this time, he even had a big manor full of servants to do so in.

Krux docked Patriot on the landing pad behind his manor, standing up in the cockpit. Today, he actually was not wearing anything to make him look like a Sith. His lightsaber still hung from his belt, but other than that, he wore the simple, army fatigue-like clothing he normally wore beneath his Sith Robe with a leatharis jacket zipped up over it. His hair remained hanging loose over his shoulders, kinking up a bit when they entered the humid atmosphere of Ragoon VI. It was funny to him. He remembered not too long ago when this patch of land here where Mullarus Manor now stood was a construction ground, a mere thought project of him, a Sith Apprentice at the time, when he heard screams of pain coming from the woods that belonged to none other than Azurea herself, now his beloved partner here to share this time of bliss with him.

Krux made his way down the corridor of Patriot. He didn't know exactly where Setzi would have waited on board his starship, but he could feel her soothing aura through the Force, and would have no trouble finding her. He poked his head into the room she was in, "We've arrived. I don't recall you've ever actually seen my manor yet, have you?" he asked, his voice sounding so much more calm after the toppling of the Masquerading Demon and the removal of the Lord from his life for good. The most notable scar from his battle with the Sith Lord, a fresh, long scab running across the young man's right cheek from the bottom of his jaw, was still fresh on his face. Thankfully, it no longer bled so profusely, after having it treated by the medics aboard The Paladin after the battle was over.

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

When Krux entered Setzi's quarters, she was sitting on the bed. At the sight of him, she rose and went to inspect the scar on his face, not too close. She didn't want to dote on my like a nursemaid, but she wanted to make sure he was getting better. "I have not seen your mansion. I had no idea you'd even built one on Ragoon." Like Krux, she also wore more casual clothing, a black dress which hugged her curves, the material criss-crossing in the front.

Spoiler

After debarking the shuttle, Setzi marveled at the Sith Knight's large estate, situated on the base of a cold mountain, surrounded by a fragrant pine forest. This was a much nicer environment than the last time she was on Ragoon VI. The Sith Lord still had a small scar on her calf from being shot in the woods by a sniper's bullet while attempting to rid the area of dangerous canine animals called Malia. She had actually taken a couple Malia puppies, and they were currently on Glee Anselm being trained for guard dog duty. It would be good to bring them here at some point.

The brunette Sith Lord thought she would be used to the humidity, living on Glee Anselm, but the thick air surrounding the mansion also made her hair curl, and her clothes stick to her body in an uncomfortable way. But unlike the planet of Nautolans, she would not be underwater and be able to appreciate the glowing orange sunset as it lit up the sky in iridescent shades of lavender and pink. The fog and lowering sun cast the mountains in a purple hue.

"The view is spectacular from here," said Setzi. The mansion was indeed, perfect, and even better, it was just the two of them alone on this trip. They could get to know each other slowly without the intruding eyes of those around them who may try to capitalize on the taboo nature of their relationship somehow. There were some issues to still discuss with Krux, primarily the fact that Setzi had no income. She was paid by Kazarak Slave Company, but she would not be able to rely on that for long, once Darth Pyrrhus realized she was gone and not returning to him. He would likely choke her finances and sell anything of value to her, which wasn't that much in the first place.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

As soon as Krux saw the dress Setzi had suddenly change into, he felt a bit underdressed. He had to keep himself from staring for too long. He stepped out of the threshold of the door to absorb how gorgeous she looked. "Woah...Setzi, you look...amazing" he said rather shy-like. Krux usually wasn't a very shy person, quite outspoken really, but the sight of Setzi in that dress he had never seen before humbled him.

"Well, uh...y-yes, I sure did." he explained the upbringing of his estate as he escorted her, taking a gentle hold of her arm, to the loading dock of his starship. "Construction had actually begun the day I heard you being attacked by that mandalorian sniper in the woods." Krux suddenly remembered his battle against the mandalorian, recalling how lucky he was to have walked away from it alive. Moments like that, where he had stood up for Setzi while clearly outmatched like that were what made his heart feel as if he had fallen for the perfect woman. "It originally was just a humble little three-room vacation home for myself, but I recieved a...considerable sum of credits from donations to the Sith war effort after helping the Imperial military during the battles of Balmorra and Contruum. It was enough to hire some freelance construction workers to turn the project into a manor, instead."

Finally, they stepped outside. Setzi sounded stunned at the beautiful scenery of the manor at the base of a snow-capped mountain and the edge of a cliff overlooking the rest of the mountain range a few dozen yards away. The Ragoon sun was just beginning to touch the top of the mountains now. "It sure is...

"Well, if you'd like to come inside, we can. It is a bit chilly out here." he tried to make it sound more like an option than a suggestion. Already, he could tell Setzi was a bit of a romantic, so perhaps she would have liked to sit outside and watch the sunset. The manor did have a rather big porch with chairs and even a small loveseat to sit on overlooking the mountain range, if that were the case. Whatever she would choose, he reached a hand over to take her, interlacing his fingers with hers as he looked down at her with a smile. A part of him worried that his new scar had made him look less desireable to her, so he felt a bit self-conscious about it and seemed to turn his head at an angle that hid it as much as he could from her.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

"Thank you," said Setzi at Krux's compliment. His gaze spoke volumes more than his words conveyed, and she enjoyed the way his eyes lingered over her form. It was quite flattering for her to be so adored, but it wasn't the leering glances that some of the male Sith Lords gave her in training or out on the battlefield. Krux had proved that he would die for her time and time again. She knew that his affinity for her was truly genuine and did not come from a place of lust. Not that they wouldn't experience that together.

When he took her arm, she placed her delicate, pale hand onto his sleeve. "Oh? How generous," she remarked over his payment from the Imperial military. Perhaps she and Pyrrhus had gotten similar stipends, but with the Togruta in charge of the finances, she did not know. "Yes, let's go inside."

Setzi was curious to see his home. Was it warm and inviting? Or was it cold and full of Sith relics, tomes and other artifacts? Krux took her hand, which made her smile at him immediately. She felt as though she were on an actual date - perhaps the first one the Sith Lord had ever really been on. As a Force sensitive farm girl plucked from Aduba-3 by AgriCorps, and then trained to be a padawan for the Silver Jedi, she rarely had an opportunity for whimsical courtship. This was all new to her, and like Krux, her heart pounded in her chest from sudden nerves. It had been so long since she'd felt pure joy and happiness, but that's what the dark-haired Krux made her feel. Was it wrong to experience this? Did it make her weak?

She barely noticed the scar on his handsome face. As he led her inside, Setzi asked, "The cybernetics in your body. Tell me about them. Where are they and how did they come to be?"

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Krux could feel her heart beating as quickly as his. It was comforting to know the intense passion she brought to him was shared in her. Feeling her hand on hers brought him a feeling of tranquility, like her presence drove away the anxiety of everyday life for him.

If Krux had known, he would have questioned how feeling an intense connection with someone, like the passionate love he felt for Setzi, would have made a Sith weaker. He would have expected such concealment of one's emotion from a Jedi, but if he had been told by one such as Darth Pyrrhus, that woule have been a surprise. In fact, such 'teachings' were never given to the Knight. Not once did Pyrrhus ever tell Krux that such attatchements made a Sith weaker. On the contrary, the Sith Code would embrace such passion. If Krux had only known, he would know this was likely the togruta Lord trying to get the gorgeous, young Sith Apprentice of his to submit to him lustfully. Such thoughts would bring copious amounts of hatred to Krux, which was probably good. Tonight was a night of joy, love, and building up his relationship with what was appearing to be the girl of Krux's dreams.

"My cybernetics? Oh!" he laughed. Krux found it easy to forget that he was technically a cyborg. His body felt perfectly fine, but that was only because of the implants across his body keeping his internally scarred organs from failing. "Yes. I remember showing that part of me off to you on Lorrd. It's quite convenient to be a walking storage device." he chuckled.

At this point, the couple had reached the tall doors of Mullarus Manor. Before them, they opened, two familiar-looking Amarans being the ones opening it for them. Surely, Setzi would recognize them. Krux was present when she was taking Amarans captive for reasons he did not know. Amar was the day this project of his popped into his mind, when he saw some free labor standing before him. The dozen Amarans he persuaded to work for him, rather than threaten to slay them all if they didn't comply, to start this project for him. The entryway to the manor opened up to them. This was not the first time Krux had strolled through the front door of his manor, so his reaction was just as tame as normal. Setzi, however, might notice how the large entrance was mostly candlelit and more warm and inviting. Sure, there may have been a Sith Sword or some old relics on display around, but Krux was a human at heart, not a monster who wished to spread fear. He wouldn't want to live in a home he felt uncomfortable staying in.

Needless to say, when he turned his head, he couldn't help but notice how much the candlelight made Setzi's features glow. Her golden eyes looked like invaluable treasures found in an ancient vault worth enough to make a man's fortune go from ten to billions. Her smooth skin looked like soft sand on the beach, which made it impossible for him to keep his hands off of her. He couldnt help but reach his free hand over and absentmindedly stroked her glowing cheek tenderly. After a moment, he realized he had ceased answering her question. He didn't stop feeling her her soft skin on his fingertips, but he did speak, "Sorry...you just look so...stunning in the candlelight...where was I?"

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Two diminutive Amarans opened the door, and the sight of them deposited Setzi right back to that day on Ragoon VI. That Krux did not slaughter the creatures outright and provided them with work - whether they were servants or slaves she didn't know - was a testament to just how different he was from the other Sith she encountered. Even though they were both vessels of the Dark Lord, there was a clear balance to life and death in the Sith Lord's eyes. While darksiders tipped the scales towards the death column, life in its various forms, be it one-celled or a complex AI, deserved respect, did it not?

Right away, Setzi liked the atmosphere of the mansion. She saw a dimly lit entrance, long, tapered candles flickering, the light casting subtle shadows along the corridor walls. This is where the Krux relaxes at the end of the day, she thought. Had he come here at times to escape the punitive training of his Master? Did he lay in the bath, healing his wounds with salts and salves?

"How I'd like to curl up in front of a fire!" said Setzi in a fairly enthusiastic voice. It gave him a glimpse of the woman she was before Darth Azurea - curious, good-natured, appreciative... all of these things would represent her personality before the darkside of the Force consumed her. He stroked her warm cheek with his long fingers, and she closed her eyes at his touch. At the compliment, she rewarded him, not with words, but a passionate kiss, standing on tiptoes to reach his face.

"Wouldn't that be nice? If we spread out a fur and lay by the fire?" she asked. "But I'm forgetting my manners. I am a guest in your home after all. Perhaps you are hungry, and we should eat first?"

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

No matter how many times Setzi would surprise him with a kiss, it would leave him breathless every time. He smiled, "You being my guest is precisely why I was going to ask you. Are you hungry?" Within a moment, a rather unique-looking amaran approached the couple. He had dark, steel-blue fur with a single white stripe across his left shoulder. Flicking his tail nervously when his gaze stopped on Setzi, he appeared to shiver with fear. He and many of Krux's servants would recognize the woman as being one of the Sith to invade their homeworld and forcefully herd them together like cattle into their big, scary starships. Stripe personally saw this woman doing so before Krux had offered him a way off that wouldnt require him to be tormented for their pleasure. "Y-y-yes s-sir?" Stripe asked.

Krux noticed his fear. It was an emotion so familiar to him, it almost had it's own taste in his mouth. Most of his amaran servants were quite easy to frighten as it was. That didn't mean he was going to chase Setzi off for their sake, but rather, they would have to see that they had nothing to fear from her. "Stripe, you remember that ridiculously expensive Sarlacc tentacle I had imported from Felucia? Saved for a special day?" The blue amaran nodded quickly. "I-it will take a while to prepare properly, sir..." The amaraan sounded just as afraid to admit that to Krux, who simply glanced at Setzi, hoping that she wouldn't mind a wait, "That's alright. Today is that day. Prepare it, please."

With that, the amarans all scurried away. Krux chuckled slightly. "That was Stripe. I think he watched you...taking away his family on Amar. All of these amarans here are from that same area you got most of yours from. I got them to come willingly by offering them a comfortable place to live for free after they finished building it. A couple have ran off, but most stayed because there's air conditioning here and i'm not around all the time to make them slave over me." Krux never understood using excessive force and cruelty, even against such weak-minded, weak-willed creatures creatures who were scared of their own shadows. Fear was a good motivator, but Krux always felt that one who serves you because they trust and respect you is always better than one who will take the first chance they can get to run away.

Krux gently took Setzi's arm again and led her down the western part of the manor. "You ever had Sarlacc roast before? Their skin and meat is a bit tough. Only very skilled, experienced cooks know the correct methods, temperatures, and spices to use to make Sarlacc taste good. Believe me, a good Sarlacc roast is far better than the best Bantha steak you've ever tasted. That amaran you just saw, Stripe? He knows his way around a grill." Krux led his lover down some hallways until they reached a dimly lit room with a holodesk near the wall and, on the opposite end, a fireplace with a rug in front. The rug looked like any ordinary one, nothing too fancy about it, but it was clean. "You said something about a fireplace, dear?" In front of the fireplace was also a loveseat. A few doors led away from this particular room, as well, which happened to be the master lounge room. The master bedroom was also connected, as well as a couple of guest bedrooms nearby.

Krux's comlink beeped briefly. "Ah- pardon me, Setzi, I think that's..." he checked it. Stripe's voice chirped through it. "Anything else for you and your...l-lady f-friend?" Krux glanced at Setzi once more before answering, "Yeah. Bring us a couple of drinks. I'll take a glass of that Ithorian Wine i've been saying. Anything for you, darling?" he asked Setzi.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

"I'm actually not hungry at the moment, but I probably should eat," Setzi answered.

She assessed the small, fur-covered Amaran who approached. Sadly, the creature seemed to be shaking in fear of her. The Sith Lord wasn't sure why this bothered her so much. Normally, she would relish that sort of intimidation, but in the intimate confines of Krux's mansion, it just felt wrong for a being to be so afraid. Of her! The farm girl from Aduba-3.

Setzi nodded and said, "I understand." at Krux's explanation of why the Amaran was nervous. With a bitter taste in her mouth, she swallowed down a little bit of shame, but there wasn't a need to dwell on it. What was done, was done. On Amar, the Sith Lord was only following orders herself - who was she to defy them? Defiance in the One Sith meant treachery, and for a former-Jedi, she already had a blazing scarlet letter branded atop her chest. Setzi was independent but up to a point. She was not, however, suicidal.

Her worries disappeared at Krux's gentle touch leading her further into the estate. "I have not had Saarlac before," she said with a soft laugh. "I can't say it sounds very appetizing, but I trust your chef's skills." Once they made their way into the room with the fireplace, the Sith Lord felt that she was at home. She got a vivid flashback to the very first time, she entered the Jedi temple on Arkania to meet her first teacher. There was a fireplace, and she'd sat down next to it and almost fell asleep.

This time the roaring fire was no less inviting, but she was wide awake with the promise of spending more intimate moments with her new lover.

Setzi immediately curled up on the loveseat, kicking off her black flats and tucking her feet underneath her. At the question of beverages, she answered, "I'll have one glass of red wine and then water after that." With her slender hand, she patted the seat beside her.

"You never did answer my question about the cybernetics. Or maybe you told me on Lorrd and I've forgotten. How did you get them? Or is that too difficult for you to talk about?"

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Krux finished his comlink chat with Stripe off, "You heard the lady, Stripe."

After tucking away his comlink, Krux got comfortable with Setzi, kicking his boots off and even setting his jacket on the back of the loveseat before sitting down beside her, leaving little room between them. He wrapped an arm around her as he continued talking about the only thing making him less human.

"I don't recall explaining all about them on Lorrd, no. I just showed them off for the pretty Sith Knight I had met that day." He smiled, "Well, its...I have them because of my master before Darth Pyrrhus. You know him. The old man we just slew the other day, Jekyll. Like our master, he wasn't much of a teacher as much a tormentor. He thought it was more important to educate me on enduring pain than learning the very basics of being Sith. Sure, he got around to those, but not before...breaking me." Krux took a deep breath. It was clear he hadn't discussed such things with anyone else before. It was beginning to make him uncomfortable. But he continued for Setzi. "Most of the time spent with him was me being moody because my parents were dead and I didn't even want to live any longer, and then he would find a reason to punish me by sending thousands of volts through my young, teenage body. Force Lightning has become a sensitive thing to me thanks to him. My body can't handle it like it used to. I got so much pumped into me as a student, I had almost perished on multiple occasions. Jekyll, being the wealthy old Lord he was, had to have me branded with cybernetic implants after some of my vital organs stopped working like they used to. I couldn't digest food properly, my heart didn't pump blood as fast as it used to, my lungs shrunk up and I couldn't breathe in as much air..."

He sighed, "It was a mess. A big, bloody mess. The cybernetics monitor my vital organs, making sure they work properly, and if they don't, they help them work correctly. That's how i've survived this past decade or so. I'm practically a walking corpse without them." By the end of his explanation, Krux's voice had gotten quieter and softer. "They're supposed to be resistant to electric jolts. I guess compared to most tech, they are. It only takes about ten to fifteen seconds after being struck by something like that before they reboot and I can function properly. That...was one thing that made me most nervous about fighting the old bastard. He knows my weakness. And...so does..." His voice drifted off. He didn't want to say it and ruin the positive vibe going through the two of them. He kept himself anchored by holding Setzi close, feeling her warmth which kept him comfortable.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi quietly listened to Krux recount the abuse he suffered as a child, trying to keep her outrage over it at bay. To say it was heartbreaking was an understatement. After she heard all of this, she was quite certain she could kill Lord Jeyll a thousand times over if it could heal the Knight, or at least take away the psychological scarring. As he continued speaking, she gently put her hands on his chest as if to feel where the cybernetic organs were, but mostly to reassure him that she was here now and would never hurt him. Ever.

In fact, Setzi felt so strongly about not wanting to cause him any pain, she vowed on the spot to never spar with him. Unlike her endless sessions with Darth Pyrrhus, both dueling with blades, swords and staffs until they were sliced and bruised, she did not feel the desire to lay a violent hand on him.

"Is there anything we can do... with alchemy? With healing... to help with your insides? It's a vulnerability..."

Setzi stopped. She wasn't trying to be insulting, but she realized that just pointing out this weakness could be construed as unnecessary. Of course Krux knew that he had to be careful of lightning attacks, but still...

"I suppose there's something inside both of us that makes us weaker to some extent."

Of course, Azurea would give birth in seven months, and then she could get back into fighting shape. But perhaps there was something they could research to sturdy him up somehow. In the meantime, she would not judge, and to show him, she moved closer and nestled into his strong arms. With a smile, she looked up at him and said, "From the outside you could never tell, Krux. Same with the scar. It doesn't matter. You are still beautiful to me."

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

[SIZE=10.5pt]It was reassuring to hear her say that. It really was. He smiled back at her, sighing, [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]"I really don't deserve you."[/SIZE] [SIZE=10.5pt]He started to point at different sections of his body. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]"I have one here in my chest. The biggest one, it monitors my heart and lungs. There's another in each of my arms fairly close to the base of my shoulder. This one here-" [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]he said, pointing to his right shoulder, [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]"Still has that starship schematic we found on Lorrd. Maybe one day I can build one for myself" [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]he chuckled. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]"There's another one in each of my legs, around the thigh muscles which monitor the blood flow going to my legs, and the last one is up here by my brain. I...guess i'm fortunate I didn't suffer any permanent brain damage."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]At the mention of using Sith Alchemy to heal Krux, his eyebrow perked up. It sounded like it would be painful, but to eliminate this terrible crippling weakness of his, would it be worth it? Sith Alchemy was something Krux never delved too deep in to. It sounded interesting, sure, but also risky. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]"That...doesn't sound too bad, but I know nothing of Alchemy. Perhaps someday, I may consider it."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]He nodded, [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]"So yeah. That's me. The walking, cyborg zombie." [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]He waited for a moment, wondering if he could think of anything to ask Setzi. Before he could answer, another amaran servant appeared in the room and brought the two their beverages. Krux took his goblet of the blueish-purple Ithorian wine, while Setzi's red wine sat beside it. The aluminum pan the amaran carried had the bottles of each of the beverages, as well, mostly full still. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]"Thank you, Red, just set the bottles on the table over there." [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]The amaran nodded nervously, his eyes glancing frighteningly at Setzi before setting the pan down and scurrying away.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Krux couldn't help but wonder why the amarans were so afraid of Setzi. He could name at least a dozen other Sith from Amar that did far worse to their people. He turned his head back over to Setzi and leaned down to give her a tender kiss on her cheek, [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]"So...tell me...before you became Darth Azurea, when your name was just Setzi Lunelle...who were you?" [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]As of right now, Krux didn't know that Setzi used to be a Jedi, nor a farm girl. All he knew of her past was that she served under Darth Pyrrhus and had a few flings with their old master, which secretly did bother him a lot considering how different himself and Pyrrhus were. What did she [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]ever[/SIZE] [SIZE=10.5pt]see in that cruel son of a bantha that made her want to raise his child?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Of course, he wouldn't ask that. Not now. Now he just wanted to hear who she was before the Dark Side consumed her, just as it did to him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt][member="Darth Azurea"][/SIZE]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Krux had more implants than Setzi realized. She was naturally prone to worry, and now that she knew this information, it would be hard to put it to rest, especially when they were in battle. Either that, or it would have the unintended effect of making her fight even more ferociously, just to make sure neither of them were left too vulnerable.

"I know a little Sith alchemy," the Sith Lord said, idly tracing a pattern on his thigh as she spoke. "It might be painful, and it could do more harm than good. I will research it some at least to see if there are options for organ replacement." She looked up at him, and her yellow eyes flashed with amusement. "The ship designs! I can't believe you still have those. I gave those to an informant and deleted my copy. This is very good news, indeed."

Setzi graciously took the wine from the skittish Amaran. She also had no idea why they were so afraid of her, but it wasn't a good feeling. She wondered what it could be that frightened them so. She certainly wasn't going to hurt any of them. She sipped the wine slowly and considered Krux's question. Some of her background would be difficult to recount, only because she was so radically different now, but Krux made her feel comfortable enough to begin.

"I come from a maize-stalk and nuna farm on Aduba-III. My sister Chastity and I were discovered by the Aduba branch of AgriCorps who came to help my parents with their farm during a particularly bad season. Our Force sensitivity was deemed strong enough that we were recruited by the Jedi, both the Republic and the Silver Sanctum. I trained on Arkania for a little bit, had a couple Masters. Then I was deployed to Ruusan when the Sith invaded. It was there that I met Darth Pyrrhus."

He had likely seen the scar Pyrrhus had given her as he'd studied the most intimate parts of her body as of late. "You know the mark on my right hip, that faint scar? Our Master thrust his saber into my side, and I crumpled to my knees before him, begging for mercy. I was saved by Jedi Master Taeli Raaf before he could kill me. But I do believe that Darth Pyrrhus would have executed me there and then. It's hard to conceive of it, but I was a lowly padawan, and he was a Sith Knight. It would have been appropriate at least."

There was more to the story, but Setzi took another sip of wine instead and watched the fire dance in the elegant fireplace. He could feel her softly breathing next to him. "Should I continue?" she asked.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

The thought of Setzi with Pyrrhus’ lightsaber through her begging for her life irritated Krux, and she could probably tell. The Dark Side boiled in Krux’s blood for a moment, nothing but flaming-hot rage filling his mind, until he took a deep breath and suppressed it. Especially as of late, Krux almost welcomed the idea of confronting the Sith Lord. He wanted to make certain that togruta wouldn’t come after her. “That’s a disturbing image, I’ll give you that…there isn’t a doubt in my mind he would have slain you then if not for the Jedi Master. This is something that bothers me sometimes. When I side more with Jedi than I do Sith, and it’s not just because it was you begging for your life, it’s that the bastard probably wanted nothing more than to kill you as your begged.”

On top of that, he got much more out of Setzi than the satisfaction of killing her. Probably many times. This also agitated Krux. Jealousy wasn’t something he felt often, if ever. It made no sense that he felt jealous. Setzi had declared her love to him now and denounced Pyrrhus, and even submitted herself to him. Yet, the thoughts of what Pyrrhus had done to her in the past…infuriated him. Why, he wondered, would she ever submit to a man so evil? A woman so kind at heart? What ever did she see in that snake?
“Yes.” He smiled, continuing to suppress the rage that built inside of him for the moment. It was a relief he had overcome that old weakness of his. “It’s no wonder you’re such a wonderful person. You have a base of morality, like me. Please,” he said, taking a sip from his Ithorian wine and gently stroking her hair with his free hand, “Continue if you wish, love.”

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi could definitely feel the anger emanating off of Krux, though none of it bothered or perturbed her. Using her hands, she wrapped his arms around her tighter as she noticed his breathing slowed again, and then his aura was back to normal. The brunette Sith Lord understood the uncomfortable pin pricks of envy extremely well. She once got rid of a beautiful slave of Darth Pyrrhus's over her jealousy and mistrust, banishing the girl to Csilla as a present to House Chaf.

"He would have, but he didn't. And yes, he was younger. He probably took some pleasure in seeing me beg."

After Ruusan, a Rogue Jedi she trained with healed her lightsaber wound with Sith Magic. Unbeknownst to her, the ritual and magic residue had tainted her blood and had attracted her unknowingly to the darkside. She knew something was happening to her, and she was determined to find out why. As Krux stroked her hair, she continued: "I encountered Darth Pyrrhus on Selvaris again just by chance. I fell into a mud puddle and lost my map and tracker. I wandered for a bit, until I ran into him. And he made it clear he was going to capture me, so I traded information with him. I wanted to know about this Sith Magic I'd come across and he agreed to help me find out about it. We developed a bond then..."

Setzi stopped talking momentarily. She wasn't sure how much detail that Krux wanted and would leave him to fill in the blanks. "He did not kill me that night, and I escaped the ship, taking an escape pod down to Selvaris and finding my AgriCorp crew."

The Sith Lord shifted uncomfortably all of a sudden. It was painful recounting the memories, and she hoped it wasn't painful for him to hear them. Setzi lay back into his arms and rested her head on his chest. "In the months to follow I became obsessed with the Darkside of the Force, desperate to find out what magic was used on me, and if it had infected me in some way. And yes, I'll admit, obsessed with Darth Pyrrhus, and his inexplicable hold on my mind and thoughts. My sister, Chastity and I were deployed to Ziost and again, as the Force would have it, I encountered the Togruta. We exchanged some words, and when I could no longer locate my sister on the battlefield, I assumed she had died. I was filled with an unimaginable grief... I was so broken and vulnerable..."

"That's how it happens isn't it? Surrendering to the Dark Side of the Force?" She caressed Krux’s strong leg again to reassure him that she was with him now. No one else was going to occupy her thoughts in that way from this day forward.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Surrendering to the Dark Side of the Force…

The way Krux had been taught by Lord Jekyll, surrender was not what you had to do to master the Dark Side. To surrender is to let it control you. To let go of your own will and trust it to your foe. Surrender is not how a Sith becomes powerful, surrender is what Jedi do when they fall to the Dark Side. Sith grasp the Dark Side and learn to make it surrender to them.

What Krux didn’t realize is that he had accidentally murmured this. His eyes met Setzi’s once again as he cleared his throat, “Er…that’s what my grandfather always said. I can understand that you feel that way, being an ex-jedi…but now that you’re a full blown Sith Lord, does it not bother you if you let the Dark Side control-“

Krux stopped, “On second thought…let’s discuss that another time. I want tonight to just be about Krux and Setzi, not Mullarus and Azurea…is that alright?” he asked. Sure, while he understood that Darth Pyrrhus did have a signifigant impact on Setzi’s fall to the Dark Side, he was a bit surprised himself to see himself get so…worked up over envy. He’d never felt this way about a woman before. Before she could answer, he felt himself leaning down to kiss her lips. She was his now, and Krux didn’t care if he had to kill the togruta to make sure it stayed that way.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

"But I did surrender," she responded. "I was a Jedi once, so as an Acolyte, I had to start over. There wasn't much I could salvage from my prior training, except some melee weapons training. I had to basically re-learn everything I knew."

He redirected the conversation elsewhere, so she didn't continue, but thinking upon it, she felt she did control the Darkside of the Force now. What she felt with Krux - this momentary pleasure and unbridled passion - would be set aside in battle, so that both of them could channel their dark emotions into power they both could control. As a Jedi she never felt passion the way she had serving under the Sith. Setzi was quite sure she could not go back to the Order and give up this sublime surrender to her baser instincts at any time she wanted to - anger, rage, envy, despair and yes, sexual desires.

But there was more to her relationship with Krux than just sex. They had built a friendship first, and that type of bond was not easy to construct within the One Sith. Setzi kissed him back, quite ardenly. She didn't need to tell him how much she loved and admired him, she would show him. The wine was causing her to feel coquettish, and she turned to face him now, running her hands down his chest. She then reached to the back of her dress and began to undo the zipper. As the material fell away, she let the fire warm the soft skin of her back as she further entangled her limbs with his.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Setzi explained why she had surrendered. He didn’t fault her for it, he understood. All Sith must surrender themselves to the Dark Side’s power at some point to feel the kind of ecstasy-like feeling it helps you obtain. Even Krux, as a broken young man on Anaxes after the death of his family, succumbed to the Dark Side through the influence of his grandfather. Just as the old Sith Lord had brought to Krux’s attention during their dramatic confrontation on Rakata Prime, if not for him, Krux would not even be Sith. Without the intense emotional trauma and the undying persuasion of the old Lord, Krux likely would never have unearthed his deep, passionate connection to the Dark Side. Like Setzi, he had fallen, but at this point in Krux’s life, he could comfortably say he could control it more than it could control him.

Many of the desires Sith can comfortably explore were lost on Krux during his training. Growing up under the wing of the Masquerading Demon, Krux was turned to the attention of the Sith Code and the endurance of pain, then to turn that pain into passion to fuel his rage, which was then turned to the Republic and the Jedi. Before Krux had met Setzi, he had not had much interest in such childish banter. Of course, much younger and early on during his training under Pyrrhus, there was a theowei woman he had met in the slums of Coruscant for whom he felt mild passionate feelings for. Though, he saw her less and less and eventually, he had lost interest in her as he began to work more with the most beautiful, kind Sith Knight he had met, who had really been the one to show him those desires he had never felt before.

Now, sitting in front of the fire, he felt his face run hot again as Setzi began to elegantly disrobe before him. His mind suddenly forgot about the anxious things he had been thinking of before and could only focus on Setzi. "Oh?” he asked rhetorically, starting to follow her down the path that led to no clothing, “Well…we may have a few hours before dinner is ready…” he smirked, starting to, once again, ‘explore’ his darkest desires with the woman of his wildest dreams.

--/--Fade to black --/--

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi lay with her head on Krux's chest, listening to his heartbeat again. It sounded like a normal internal organ from her vantage point; she could hear nothing that made it sound cybernetic in any way. After their lovemaking, she had retrieved a fur blanket and draped it over the two of them. Now all that could be heard in the room was the crackle of the fire, the far-off sounds of the Amarans cooking, and the faint noise of the wind as it howled outside through the cold mountains of Ragoon VI.

"I could lay here forever," she said, stretching languidly, feeling the fur on her back and Krux's warm skin at her front. Maybe, just maybe she didn't have to go back to Shili to give the sanctioned Togruta couple her child. Perhaps... while she knew he didn't like it... just maybe it was possible that she could stay at the mansion and see her pregnancy to term on Ragoon. While the Amarans weren't midwives, she could bring one in. They were certainly dutiful creatures.

"What if I stayed here for awhile?" she asked, absentmindedly stroking his torso. "Would you have me? If I wanted to give birth here on Ragoon?"

She meant to go back to Glee Anselm but that seemed like such a far off possibility now. The longer she stayed away from Darth Pyrrhus, the more likely he would suspect her disloyalty. Eventually there would be a point of no return in going back. And maybe the child would be born more human, but from what she had read up on hybrid species, the Togruta genes would likely win out. But if she didn't go to Shili, that meant raising the child on her own. Or together with the Sith Knight.

"But of course, I don't want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable."

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Krux’s hands caressed Setzi’s back gently under the fur blanket. Just as she pointed out earlier, he now more explicitly felt the scar on her hip from where Pyrrhus had plunged his lightsaber into her. His eyes closed, and he absentmindedly held her against his skin, touching his lips to her cheek and neck. At her comment on wishing to stay here forever, Krux would have wished the same. For some reason, it did feel like forever to him. He felt as if he had been laying here in the lounge with Setzi for years already. There was no place he would rather be than here.

“Would you have me? If I gave birth here on Ragoon?”

She implied that she not give the child away. Krux’s heart skipped a beat. On one hand, he was flattered she trusted him so much as to raise a child that wasn’t even his with him, but…it was Darth Pyrrhus’ child. A constant reminder to him about who had Setzi first. The thought stressed Krux, but he knew he’d have to confront it eventually. How would he feel about raising a child that was not only not his, but an alien child of a man who would want nothing more than to tear him into pieces. Was he ready for that? It would be nice, though, that Setzi may not have to leave him again and go to her home on Glee Anselm and fake a love to the father of her child. Krux didn’t have any doubts that she loved him anymore. It was the two students against their master now, their bond of love holding them together now.

“I have a feeling Pyrrhus already suspects your betrayal. He can sense us from worlds away. The fact that you’ve spent so much time with me in your absence already makes him suspicious. I’m afraid of you leaving to return to him again and him not letting you leave again. You’re safe when you’re away from him…and so is the child.” It would take some time, but Krux could eventually get used to it. It wasn’t the child’s fault, after all, that it would be a child of evil. “Setzi…you can stay as long as you like, and I’ll be here with you to make sure nobody tries to take you from me.” His words were sincere. At first, the idea of raising Pyrrhus’ child frightened him, but now, like almost everything in his life had become, he would do it for her. He knew this is what she wanted. If it would give the child a life where it could be raised right, instead of to become a malevolent destroyer of life like it’s father…who was Krux to deny that? Who knew how violent the child would be if it was denied living with it’s real mother? Would it seek vengeance, too? Krux could teach the child to see morality, and still be faithful to the Sith.

Krux looked into Setzi’s eyes, “I know you want it this way. You’re always welcome here. If that’s what you want, I will help you raise the child. We can make sure it is raised properly…not like it’s father.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek tenderly again before murmuring the words burning in the back of his mind.

“I…I lo-….love…”

Yet, he found he could not, for some reason. His heartbeat picked up, he made the motions with his mouth, and yet, the words wouldn’t fall out.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

At Krux's gentle kisses on her cheek and neck, Setzi could only groan appreciatively. And listening to his words she realized he truly felt the same way she did. But his words resonated with her. Togrutas were hunters - it was in their nature to hunt and kill their prey. Setzi had seen Pyrrhus do it numerous times. That exemplified their courtship after all - she was hunted and brought back as a trophy from Ziost. His Jedi trophy.

"You are right, Krux," she said. "Once he finds out, he will come for retribution. If I am left alone with him, I will be too vulnerable. I need to stay here for my own safety."

His touch was so soft and warm, she felt that she couldn't say no to anything right now. Setzi was nearly hypnotized herself with the perfection of the situation, yet, he stumbled upon his words.

"I know this is hard for you," the Sith Lord continued. "I realize you might want a child that's yours and mine..."

They had been close enough that theoretically it could have happened if she wasn't already pregnant. Was he regretful that it hadn’t?

"But we will just see what happens. I will allow you time to adjust.. if you need it.”

[member="Knight Mullarus"]