Justice never Learns

[James Justice]

Location: Soceras Wastelands

The Forgotten King Landed with a slow, graceful arc in what was an otherwise graceless landscape. James had taken the liberty of showing some of the most beautiful parts of Soceras to his redhead lover; the icy poles, the rolling hills and plains, the nightlife of Dal'Bor, but now it was time to show her what few ever saw; its underbelly.

The barren land was cracked, shattered, and the atmosphere was hazed with toxic fumes. A few ponds of glowing liquid could been seen not too far away. Mountains, massive valleys and destructive wasteland permeated the entire ground. A glowing band of purple light cut through the haze of the sky above, created by the radioactive ring around the planet. In the distance to the east could be seen the volcanic moon of Verga. What would appear to be ships or massive airspeeders were following under the satellite. It was beautiful, cruel, and destructive all at once. While the northern hemisphere could be felt with a general hum of debachery and goodness, this part of the air hummed with a general suffering and spartan nature in the Force.

James stood at the base of the King's loading platform and spread his arms wide, "Welcome to the Wastelands! Savagery abounds. The locals are cannibals, superstitious, and mutants. They dun't exactly hold it out for hospitality, but they could be worse I suppose. Best to kill everything ye see on sight," he pointed to Vega, "A rare site in the galaxy, Vega's gravitational pull be so strong she actually creates a vacuum on the opposite side of the planet and carries debris along her orbit. Messes with the gravity, almost tears the planet apart sometimes during her runs," he waved his hand at the mountains and valleys around them, "This time a week from now this whole landscape could be completely different."

Excited as a child in a candy store, the spacer pointed to one of the glowing pools not too far away, "Most of the radiation on this portion of the planet gets absorbed into the water. Best to not drink it. Highly lethal."

Taking a step back, James looked at Anara, a smile on his face, "What do ye think? A good place to practice?"

[member="Anara Valnor"]

 

[Anara Valnor]

Amber orbs surveyed the area critically and for a moment it seemed as though she was displeased, but a smile found its way to be lips and she nodded eagerly. "It's perfect," she laughed, stealing a kiss before moving out of reach of James' hands. He seemed incapable of keeping his hands to himself, but Anara didn't mind. In fact, she lived it, but just to aggravate him she was constantly forcing him to chase her.

It was their game and they both loved it.

"I can't really believe you agreed to this...since you think it's all a bunch of nonsense anyway," she teased, turning to walk backward a few paces before stopping and pulling her saber from her back pocket.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

Oh she was the devil, and she knew it. James narrowed his eyes, looking at her with the expression that said just that. He took a few bounds towards her and snuck a squeeze in on her--er, chest.

"Well, sweetheart, I think it is," James said playfully as he fished out the lightsaber he had bought days ago on the black market. "But if it gives me an excuse to touch ye body, I'll take it."

It was double sided, but for now he would limit himself to just using one side. Even with the setting on the lowest, he wasn't interested in lobbing his own or her arm off on accident. He activated the blade, its yellow blade emerged with a hiss and he held it in his hand in a clumsy manner. He just had to see it as a club, he kept reminding himself. A lead pipe, not a lightsaber. Swing hard, swing fast, aim for what you know is going to hurt. He set himself in a loose, limber stance, "Alright, let's do this, sweetheart."

[member="Anara Valnor"]

 

[Anara Valnor]

She laughed and rolled her eyes at his antics, shaking her head at his stance. "You'll get yourself killed that way," she chided, but made no move to correct him; Anara was not in the habit of babying him. If he was going to learn, it was going to be the way life taught them all; harsh and fast. "This," she held up her lightsaber, the pink glow of her blade illuminating her face, "is an extension of myself. Just like your blaster is another part of you. It's the same principal...Grasp that and I shouldn't have to worry about cutting off a hand to much."

Smirking she twirled her blade lazily in her hand before shooting forward without warning. She brought her blade upward in a slashing arc that was aimed to cut him across the chest. While she didn't intend on babying him, Anara wasn't prepared to give him everything she had; he'd die if she didn't hold back.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James nodded, letting the thought sink in. He mulled it over in his head a few times; an extension of his body. An extension of his--

Then Anara moved on him. Years of dogfights in space had honed his reflexes to a razor-edged point, even if many would think the drinking would dull them, he drew off the Force to make himself faster than the average pilot. It had saved his skin many times.

Without thinking he turned and gripped the hilt with both hands. His blade came down in a heavy swing, his golden blade clashed with her pink one, repelling it with all his strength. James was never a methodical soldier. He was reckless, drawing on luck to stay alive. A real warrior would easily beat him in most circumstances--many times his "luck" had been all that kept him alive.

He shoved off his back foot, shifting all his weight in a shoulder-shove aimed at the center of Anara's chest. It wouldn't hurt her, but hopefully it would be unexpected enough to land.

[member="Anara Valnor"]

 

[Anara Valnor]

His hit landed and she took a half step back, her blade sliding along his as she pulled her weapon free. He was certainly strong, but physical strength didn't count for much when fighting against a more experienced opponent. Luck wouldn't always keep him safe. Anara thrust a palm at his chest, intent upon pushing him back a few paces. Following close behind she charged him, blade singing through the air as this time she moved to attack him not once, but twice.

Her first attack was an arching sweep brought from below, sweeping upward to cut him across the abdomen. Then her blade switched directions at the tail end of her attack, moving to slice across him again in a way that would have carved an X into his skin. "Come on babe...Focus. This is no different than a fire fight or piloting..."

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James was never the best at firefights. He was known for more than once running strait into the line of fire. He often missed, only to have his "luck", his latent Force abilities save is life. Piloting--he wasn't that much better. With a bottle in one hand, alcohol in his veins, and a cigarette between his lips, the spacer was the definition of a distracted driver. But somehow, his luck, his unknown reliance on the Force had saved his life.

He parried first attack away with a seemingly, and rightly, reckless swat. James stumbled forward, carried by his own momentum, the blade would have grazed a painful cut across his back, had it been active. Instead it only gave him a nasty swing.

Focus. Right. Focus. He wasn't good at the focusing thing. James reset himself, taking a second to grip the hilt in both hands, holding it off to his side. Unknowingly, he shifted his footing and weight into the classic boxer's stance, holding his weapon at rib-cage level. James took a deep breath and exhaled, eyes narrowed. Focus. Do not act. React.

He could feel what any Jedi would have known as the Force flowing through him. All James knew was it was the tingling, empowering feeling he commonly felt while being drunk. It was the feeling he felt when going hog wild into battle. He didn't know what was happening, exactly, but he liked it. Focus.

His lightsaber swung low in a quick slice, relying on speed this time instead of brute strength. He knew she would block. The moment she did he twisted on his front heel, sliding his weight and bringing his blade back in as he squared her from behind. Focus. Right.

[member="Anara Valnor"]

 

[Anara Valnor]

She caught his attack with ease, pink and yellow clashing again and again. Her own movements were faster than his, but James was getting the hang of things. His skill was improving with every passing second and Anara couldn't keep the smile from her lips as she pressed him to move faster.

Catching his last attack she cast it aside and launched herself over him with little effort. Landing in a crouch she moved to kick him in his lower back, not holding back as she used to Force to make every move faster, stronger. Following close behind him, her blade streaked forward at the back of his knees. Were he a real enemy it was clear her intent was to disable him to make the task of killing him or capturing him far easier.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James could feel either himself getting slower or her getting faster. Perhaps it was both. Then she leaped out of his vision, and James could feel a sense of satisfaction as he switched to seeing her with his Force Sight, a skill he had learned through a month of blindness. It had been a long, hard journey to get his vision back, and it had been a harder fight losing it in the first place.

Her foot planted a firm kick on his spine, James let out a grunt, but didn't move. He had taken more than one hit before. He was used to it, it was just painful.

He traded hands with his blade in a flourish, going from left to right hand. As his right hand touched the hilt, the second blade hummed to life, its tip barely catching Ahara's blade in time. This blade, was a vibrant cyan color, opposed to the golden one on the opposite end. Turning on his heel, James flanked his red head, pivoting his yellow side of the saber came down in a slash at Anara's shoulder. At the tail of the attack, he recoiled, sending the cyan blade in a cross-cut at her opposite side.

[member="Anara Valnor"]

 

[Anara Valnor]

He was getting better and she grinned, adrenaline flooding her system. There was something insanely sexy about the way he moved and the simple improvements he was making with each passing minute. The whole ordeal was thrilling, but still he couldn't match her, not yet. Pink whirled around her so fast it seemed as though she were encased in the pink glow, her saber catching each of his attacks.

With one hand she thrust it toward his abdomen, intending to shove him backward as she swung her saber at his ankles. She was forcing him back, farther and farther, toward one of the glowing pools of toxic water.

 

[James Justice]

She was so sensual when she used her lightsaber like that. James wasn't sure exactly why, but there was a large level of eroticism in it. For some reason.

"Omph," Her punch to his stomach sent James stumbling back three steps, backwards.

She was a lot stronger than she looked, that was for sure. James quirked a flirtatious grin, the back of his heels teetering on the edge of a toxic pond. He could do it, he thought, giving his double-blades a flourish. There was no need to panic. As he raised his blade high over head, Anara's came in at his ankle, knocking the spacer off balance at last, his flirtatious smile vanished as he fell backwards, towards the pond of toxic sludge.

[member="Anara Valnor"]

 

[Anara Valnor]

All at once the fun they'd been having vanished as the cold daggers of fear pierced her heart. Without a moments hesitation she took hold of James, halting his descent toward the toxic water. Her eyes glowed as she pulled him to safety, her steps quick as she approached him and quickly wrapped her arms around him.

They'd both been too reckless and as she clung to him without a word she was silently berating herself. She'd been pushing him to hard and hadn't been paying any attention to their surroundings.

Some teacher she was.

"James...Gods...You daft pirate," she chided, immediately pulling away to punch him lightly in the stomach. Her lightsaber hung lifeless in her hand as she reached up to pull his lips to her own, her nose brushing against his. "You need to be more careful...I could have killed you."

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James could feel her blow land on his stomach and her lips press against his. She was angry, more with herself than with him, he could feel that too. She was just being a good teacher, there was nothing she needed to be upset about. And she was afraid. Afraid of losing him.

He felt their lips meet and her nose brush against his. Her touch was warming, not just to his body but to the core of his soul. She was so intoxicating, sweet and alluring. The spacer savored it, wrapping an arm around her, drinking her in.

"Its gonna take a lot more than that to kill me, darling," he murmured against her lips. "Don't worry, love."

James pressed his lips against hers once more, letting the moment linger before gently tugging her along with him into the ship. He landed on the couch, pulling her onto his lap, a mischievous twinkle in his dark brown eyes. His left hand caressed her cheek. James allowed his fingertips to trail up her cheek, along her temple, through her crimson hair in a loving motion.

"I didn't just bring ye here just for saber tapping," he said playfully. "Ye know that?"

[member="Anara Valnor"]

 

[Anara Valnor]

There was no where in the worlds that she truly felt safe, except for in his arms. James soothed her, but at the same time he made that fire in her soul burn brighter. He was the missing piece she'd never known she needed; the piece she still didn't quite understand that she needed.

Nuzzling against him, she allowed him to lead her into the ship and easily fell into his lap. She spent more time in his lap than actually sitting on any of the furniture. Smiling, love evident in her gaze and the way her lips curled upward at his sweet touch, she gave him a questioning look. "Oh? We could have had sex at home ya know...You didn't have to drag me all the way out here just for that," she teased. Leaning into his touch she let her eyes flutter shut for a moment before meeting his gaze once more, her arms looped lazily about his neck as she straddled him.

"So...what are we doing out here Pirate?"

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James gave her a sly smile at her remark. She was such a devil--and he was ok with that. His fingers reached around behind her head and began to trace lines along the back of her neck, gently massaging and caressing her. Her touch once more was like a drug and he was her addict.

"Sex will come later," he promised with a wink, "For now I can behave meself," which was a statement they both knew was a lie.

James let his free arm wrap around the base of her hips, keeping her close and coping a feel on her hindermosts. He couldn't help it that she looked just as good coming as she did going, besides that wasn't his fault either--now was it? But it was more than just physical attraction. James was surprised in many ways how far they had come in the time they were together. He knew the rumors; she had tamed him. He was growing weak. He was going soft. He had no idea why they thought whispering would make any difference in keeping secrets from a man known to get information regardless.

James didn't know about tame; he still drank wildly, killed vicariously, smoked prodigiously, and was reckless in every form of the word. But he wasn't about to risk what they had. No, never. If she was any other woman he would have found another. But Anara was too good to let go, he thought as he looked into her gorgeous eyes. He used to believe that the perfect woman didn't exist but now he was more convinced than ever.

"There be a lot of talk about there being a Sith Lord who came out here," James said at last, "Dangerous fella. He was attracted by the darkness within the savages here. He tried to alchemize them, change them, and make them into his cronies. He got tagged, they say, and according to my research his base is just over that mountain," James said pointing to the view port to his right. There was a double-peaked mountain there that looked like the very nature of destruction. "My bet would be that he left some toys for us to play with."

[member="Anara Valnor"]

 

[Anara Valnor]

She snorted in laughter, hardly believing that he would behave for the duration of the little adventure he had in mind. James and the word behave weren't exactly supposed to be in the same sentence together, as far as she was concerned. Oh yes, Anara was well aware of the fact that people thought she'd tamed him or that she was just a passing fancy, but she knew better than that.

What James and she had was far deeper and more complicated than anyone could begin to guess.

James was still the man he'd been upon their first meeting, but she was another woman entirely. She was herself once more, or as much of herself as was possible. She'd never be a Jedi, not like she had been, but that wasn't even a concern or desire for her. None of that mattered. The past was the past; for the first time in a very long time Anara was only concerned with the future.

Leaning back into his touch she sighed happily, totally at ease within his arms. Her eyes had drifted shut at some point as he massaged the back of her neck and only at the mention of a long gone Sith Lord did amber orbs flutter open. "Oh?" Smirking she glanced in the direction he indicated, a mischevious glint settling in her gaze as she met his eyes once more. "Well what are we waiting for then? I could use a few new toys," she teased, moving to steal a kiss. Arching into James in a way that she knew drove him wild she nipped at his bottom lip then quickly escaped his grasp with a giggle, openly taunting him.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James murmured in delight as she taunted him. Her touch electrify his skin, overwhelm his senses, and send a rush of euphoria over him. There was something supernatural about the way she touched him. Something superhuman.

As she moved, he chased her once more. He leaped from the couch, pinning her against the wall behind her with his body. His left leg hooked around her as an impish grin formed on his face. He drank in their bodies touching, savoring not only her captivity but what she did to him. To say he felt like a young man was an obvious statement; he had never stopped acting like a 20 year old, or moving like one. No she made him forget the weight of guilt that had cracked him and the savage things he had done. He knew she wasn't a saint either--but he loved that about her. No, she made him forget the darkness he had inside and the hurt from things he had lost. He never would have guessed his freedom would have come from a Sith--or that someone as amazing as her could ever be treated so badly.

"We are waiting," he growled, letting a finger trail down her cheek, bare neck, then further down her body, " For this," he brought his other hand behind her neck as his lips met her own in a fierce, passionate collision.

His tongue shoved its way into her mouth as he tore into devouring and savoring her every bit of being. Through the Force his aura deeply entrenched itself in her own, basking in her very existence. At last he pulled away, but not willingly. He would finish this when they had gotten what they came for--it would leave them more time for celebrating afterward.

Taking her hand in a much gentler, more tender expression of love, he led her down the loading ramp once more. They went out and began walking across the deathly planes, like a pair of lovers walking through a street instead of the hell it was. In a way it was appropriate; their lives had both been a hell of existence. But somehow, in spite of it all, they had found each other and fallen in love. Love amid the hell. Affection amid the hate. Hope amid the ravaging galaxy that was bent on corrupting all that was good. That was what Anara was to him. James pulled her closer as they made their way along the mountain. His aura basked against her in the Force, loving and gentle.

[member="Anara Valnor"]