Live In My House, I'll Be Your Shelter

[Ashin Varanin]

Mimban

First had come Nar Shaddaa, when Ashin had underestimated glitterstim, and barriers had come down. Amid thunderstorms and the fear of Omni, she and Spencer Jacobs had become more to each other than either had intended.

Then she had helped Spencer return to the Jedi, and Darron Wraith -- the Grandmaster, a man Ashin called friend -- had threatened to expel Spencer from the Order if she refused to inform on her time with Ashin. They knew they should have expected it, but they hadn't seen it coming. Not from Darron.

And now they retreated to find refuge on the safest world in the universe. Oh, Mimban wasn't much -- no orbital defenses, no resources worth the name, poorly positioned and out of the way -- but it had a quirk which Ashin had exploited. Long ago, she had come here, to the Temple of Pomojema, with a man named Darth Kharonos who wanted to be her lover. It was here that she had met Linna Beorht, the profligate genius, and Kayla Masi, the inimitable spacer Jedi. It was here that she had leaped down a bottomless Thrella well after the Kaiburr Crystal -- accelerated her fall to catch it -- used its phenomenal power to heal herself from the heat of the world's mantle --- and levitated back up to the surface.

The Kaiburr Crystal, stuff of legends. Stolen from her once, but regained. Here, in this ancient temple, it magnified the wielder's Force connection a hundredfold. Anywhere else in the universe, it was useless.

A starship rested under a sensor-reflective camo net, right inside the ruins of the Temple of Pomojema. The ship was ancient, a Consular-class vessel named Sojourn, with an honorable history. The salon pod had been stripped of diplomatic trappings and turned into something infinitely comfortable. Elsewhere on the ship, alchemical laboratories and furnaces churned. Ashin worked in the labs, tireless and focused.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer followed the secret coordinates given to her and the necklace she wore helped her slip by both of the large factions. It was a difficult task but she had to make it here. The small jedi fighter touched down near the temple, Spencer knew how and where to get on board the ship.

Entering a passcode foe the entrance she went through. Taking a moment she closed her eyes and zoned in on where her bloodtrail was. It was easy to find the Empress especially with both the blood and her empathy. Spencer moved through the corridors until she arrived at the beautiful sight her lover was.

She slipped into the door and lowered the hood that covered her blonde head.

"Mita'wa what are you doing?"

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin took a moment to stabilize a beaker or two. The alchemy lab was half medical and half magical, legacy of her disparate teachers.

"I'm preparing options for you," she said. "Between you and me, we've made you the center of attention everywhere, and not all of those forces have your best interests at heart." She turned and folded her bare arms over her belly, offering Spencer a tired grin. "Thanks for calling and telling me how it went. I never thought he would be the type to ask you to go against your conscience like that.

"And because you gave me your trust like that, well, I've pulled out all the stops. One of these options is almost ready; here's the other." She reached between bubbling pots and snatched a fist-sized lump of red crystal. The Force boiled through her, granting her stunning, almost overwhelming clarity of perception. "This is the Kaiburr Crystal. Maybe it's the real one, maybe it's just a huge fragment, I don't know. It was certainly enshrined here when I came here last, about a year ago. It gives immense power in the Force, so long as you're right here in the Temple of Pomojema.

"But it also gives huge clarity of perception. This is why I gave you glitterstim -- so you could control this."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer examined the stone she had never seen anything like it before. She grasped it and felt its weight by raising her hand up and down slightly. Looking back towards her tired lover, she offered a smile and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"so was this what you were talking about on Nar Shaddaa? And I can feel it opening my mind...it feels exactly like the glitterstim...just a bit stronger."

Looking at the beakers and other things she raised an eyebrow.

"What are the other options and what abput yourself?"

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Me? Oh, I'm fine. I've got Contempt -- my armor. That's always been enough for me. But you...well, if I can keep you safe, I will." She belied the seriousness of her words with a grin. "Safe from all kinds of things. I never thought of myself as a gift-giver before you. Guess I never had anyone to gift. All right, here's your other option."

She pulled out a tray containing several vials.

"You and I share a friend and a problem. Neither one of us likes being in thrall to her pheromones, and really I think if we were free from them we'd be better friends to her. She'd get to feel something a little more genuine." Ashin grimaced. "Also, I'm pretty sure she wants you, either for herself or for Hylo. And you are mine. If she doses you and, I don't know, has her way with you or something...Force alone knows what goes through her head...anyway, I think I've figured out how to use Sith alchemy to alter us so pheromones won't affect us. I've got Falleen and Zeltron pheromones here, and some interesting possibilities.

"I know we just finished with the Blood Trail. Are you up to it? Or is it something you want to try? I'll go first, of course."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer knew all too well about Sirella and Hylo's pheromones. Spencer had been the lucky one to have experienced both. She looked at the vials, of course she was nervous because Ashin hadnt done it yet. Running her hand against her cheek, Spencer looked from the vials to Ashin.

"You know this is going to make Sirella highly upset. The woman strikes me as someone who always gets what she wants."

Chuckling softly she leaned against door frame of the laboratory of sorts. There was a little bit of maturity in her body movements, Spencer was slowly growing up.

"I think we should do it. Doesn't hurt to try and be as prepares as we can be..."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin snorted. "I'd be lying if I said a little bit of this wasn't meant simply to push her buttons. But then again, most of it is just me hating it when she pushes mine." She held up a murky vial to the light. "I had a friend once, named Rave, who was pheromone-immune thanks to an alchemical creature that lived inside her. But I've had the benefit of, well, learning from a lot of people who thought much smaller-scale. Bees. Viruses. Bacteria -- all changed by Sith alchemy's genetic engineering and magic. I'm no specialist, but I know what I'm doing. This bacterial strain will metabolize pheromones of several kinds."

She uncorked the vial, then hesitated. "If it goes bad, use the Crystal. It doesn't just amplify your power a hundredfold or so, it's associated with healing."

She attached the vial to a needle and stuck it into her elbow vein. "Ahhh, that burns. It seems we're destined to have fires inside us, honey." Placing the empty vial on her alchemy bench, she began to shiver.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer watched the vial bubble and such, she spoke about Sirella and the young girl nodded. The Plant woman was interesting; she seemed to depend on the pheromones to keep people around her. In all actuality she understood that Ashin would stick around either way. There was an understanding between the two from what Spencer saw.

The mentions of the crystal made Spencer look back down at it and nodded. It was probably wiser that Spencer watches Ashin go through the procedure and heal her if needed. Ashin injected herself and Spencer watched for a moment as she waited to see what would happen. Then at that moment Ashin mentioned the burning and Spencer gulped…the last thing she wanted was to feel her entire body on fire again. Though it couldn’t be helped Spencer started to feel the shivering and the pain the procedure was creating.

“If we are destined to feel the burn in our bodies then I can at least help make it a little smoother…”

Spencer removed the cloak she wore and held the crystal; she could feel the surge of power in her it was something she had never felt before. Spencer wondered how it would feel once she’s fully developed as a Jedi…or something else at this moment and time she didn’t know where she was going. Reaching out Spencer wrapped herself around Ashin, her body started to glow as she focused on the force and healing. She wanted to just ease the pain from Ashin as the alchemy did its work.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"These are...heh...the most aggressive bacteria around. Infection, replication, everything's accelerated. And if you're pushing it with the crystal..."

Ashin's eyes opened wide as the pain died. "That is...surprisingly relaxing. I'm not sure alchemical assimilation is supposed to be free of pain. Fortunately, I'm not superstitious enough to consider pain essential, and anything symbolic only has power in accordance with...heh." She wiped a cold sweat from her forehead and forced a grin. "All right, I actually think this fever has broken. Impossible, I know. Power of miracles. You and that crystal -- I don't know which did it. That's...fascinating. I suppose I just channelled Velok."

She washed her face in a sink, splashed cold water on her shoulders, and turned to face Spencer. "Heh. Impossible. I swear, I felt nothing." Screwing a vial into a syringe, she went to trade it for the Kaiburr. "Here -- you still want to try it? It's not science, it's not medicine, it's not good procedure, but this crystal, I tell ya..."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer smiled as she watched Ashin wash her face. She knew that the healing helped ease her pain, but Spencer knew her attempt would be a bit different. Sighing softly, she rubbed the back of her neck, her eyes never leaving Ashin. Something intrigued her about the Sith Empress and it made her smile as she watched her talk in amazement of the crystal.

“It is pretty strong I felt something I’ve never felt before…well the closest thing is how I felt when I give you my power just the opposite…I don’t know it’s hard to explain”

She waited for the Empress to return to her, the exchange was made; thecrystal for the syringe. Spencer pressed her lips together and looked at it, she had never done anything like this before, but it should be easy after watching. Her hand held the syringe tightly as she hesitated over her arm, then finally plunged the syringe in. Her face showed the pain as she injected the liquid which was now burning hot in her veins.

“Seems I did it right…you weren’t kidding about the burning…”

Her lungs started to burn and she dropped the syringe and held where she had injected herself. Spencer closed her eyes tightly as they started to tear up, the drops that leaked from her eyes sizzled against her fevered skin.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

The unnaturally rapid fever swept through Spencer's body, and the last traces of her aid vanished from Ashin's body. She gritted her teeth against the pain, drawing strength from it with Sith arts. She poured that strength into and through the Kaiburr Crystal, which distorted her efforts in ways she still didn't understand after owning it for over a year. Once she had been a half-decent healer, as good as any run-of-the-mill Jedi. Those powers had long since waned, for obvious reasons, but the Kaiburr was associated with the healer's arts to the point where she could still manage-

Well, in the end, unlimited power was unlimited power. With something approaching expertise, she eased Spencer's pain, soothed it away. Then she accelerated the integration of the bacteria.

Miracles. Not as strong, coming from her. Dark Lord of the Sith she might be, but something about Spencer's unique gifts resonated well with the Kaiburr, and with Ashin's body.

But miracles nonetheless.

Spencer's fever broke, and the glow dimmed around the crystal as Ashin ceased to command the Force. "We just used a Death Star as a band-aid," she said, sagging against the alchemy lab bench. "I think you and I deserve a rest. It's been a long few hours. But...I would rather know."

She cracked two vials, one Falleen pheromones, one Zeltron pheromones.

"Honey, if you jump me now, it better be out of free will...I want to know if you feel these at all, or if the alchemy metabolizes the pheromones."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer wiped her forehead with her tunic, it was getting hot from the fever and soon she removed it. She laid the tunic on one of the stools that were nearby; she looked towards Ashin afterwards as the woman spoke. A slight nod expressed her mutual feelings, but as the woman leaned against the bench Spencer couldn’t help but bite her lower lip. There had been some time since the last time she had seen her and there were things that had been building up within her.

Crack.

The vials released the pheromones; Spencer picked up on the scent it started…though after a minute it faded and Spencer was clear headed. Fingers poked her nose while she tried to figure out if everything was alright with her nose in the first place. With a shrug she looked towards Ashin who was hinting at something else they could do to help relax. The young blonde smirked as she moved towards her lover, hips swaying with a new confidence she had recently received.

Pinning the Empress with her body against the bench, Spencer leaned forward and nuzzled against Ashin’s neck – her favorite place to start with. Spencer spoke quietly her voice barely above a whisper…

“Empress, everything I’ve done with you has been out of my free will – just the first time needed a little help.”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

There was a difference of eye and sound and angle between the states of Spencer's being, and Ashin was starting to recognize that difference. Although she was taken aback a little by the straightforwardness of Spencer's approach, so soon after the vials had been cracked, she realized now that Spencer knew what she was about. There was none of the glassy-eyed desire of a pheromone victim.

"Without the glitterstim, I'd never have...well, I'd never have been brave enough. And it wasn't even meant for that -- it was meant to prepare you for the Kaiburr. Happy accidents. That, and finding you at all." She let herself be pressed back, murmuring nothings. After a long moment, Spencer's emotion caught her up, and that delay told her what she had hoped: The alchemical alteration had taken hold. They were now functionally immune to pheromones. A slight increase of body temperature told her that the alchemical strain was metabolizing the airborne chemicals.

Functionally, that meant she was now heating up. And Spencer appeared to be doing the same.


Considerably later, Ashin lay staring up at the ceiling of the very comfortable salon pod, loosely wrapped around Spencer.

"Well, hi," she managed.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer rested her head for a moment on Ashin’s chest as she played with the woman’s hand while she relished in the silence they had between them. Ashin managed to speak finally and Spencer looked up. Moving her body she sat up and pulled Ashin’s head into her lap. It was the moments like this that she valued more than their physical connection. The moment and the peace she had with Ashin was rare, she took the time to enjoy it.

Running her fingers through the woman’s hair she smiled and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

“Hello.”

Looking back up, Spencer looked at the ceiling as well. She wondered if now would be the best time to tell Ashin about her leaving the Order. Defection wasn’t always the sweetest of pillow talks, but Spencer really didn’t know when she would get this time with her. The Empress was a busy woman and their time was always limited.

“I left the Order; I couldn’t do what Darron Wraith wanted of me. Your trust is far more important than the Code and the Order. I wanted to be free from it.”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin twisted her head to the side and kissed Spencer's thigh, the soft edge of muscle right above the knee. Looking up at her lover with a grin, she listened. Just listened. So much of her time was spent giving orders. "You left the Jedi Order...for me. Well, I know, it was for your conscience and your indignation, but I love the little bit of it that was for me. The Code is a good thing, but it's a limited thing. You've outgrown it."

She leaned the other way and kissed Spencer's belly, then sat up and repositioned. She began to give Spencer the mother of all foot massages. "Don't mind me," she said. "I figured you might need a little more stress relief. All that was lovely, but, well...I don't think either of us was in the mood to take our time." Her thumbs worked the hollows of Spencer's feet, top and bottom; her hands ran along the taut edges, or put smooth sideways pressure on the crease beneath the kneecap.

"I have friends; I'm owed favors. I could make the galaxy see you as, well, incredible. Force, I have masks, and you have the necklace. You could go anywhere, learn from anyone, on the strength of my name. Specialists could teach you their secrets."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Tilting her head back, Spencer sighed with relief. The foot massage was amazing and she couldn’t help but smile knowing that lot of her leaving the Order was because of Ashin. Her heart ran what she wanted and the woman who was amazing at foot massages was what she wanted. Spencer looked down at Ashin as she wiggled her toes for a bit, then nodded agreeing with their haste.

“I agree, the Code has its moments were its good but there are so many that follow it to a point that it becomes their lives. I grew up there, but you’re right I’ve out grown it.”

Her nose wrinkled as she thought about the possibilities that were open to her now. She knew Ashin wouldn’t force her to join the Sith so she was left to do whatever she pleased. There was just too much and she didn’t know much about anything. Spencer relaxed her face as she listened to the favors that Ashin spoke of. These people owed her and she would call in the favor to have Spencer taught. Raising an eyebrow Spencer looked at Ashin.

Spencer wasn’t Ashin’s apprentice which the thought of the position made Spencer remember the rather annoying little git that Ashin was forced to train for political reasons. The massage of course made her forget the girl and focus on what was important.

“Favors? Ashin I feel at times you’re the only person that thinks I’m incredible. If the Order thought like you I doubt I’d be allowed to be here with you. I’m sure they’d have me locked up learning what I needed to learn for my Battle Meditation honing it for their own purposes. I’m happy to be free of the code. Mita’wa I want to learn everything – be strong not only for myself, but for you too.”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin continued the massage, focusing on Spencer's ankles and calves. From this angle she could pull back in long slow strokes that dealt with the entire calf muscle. She nodded as she worked. "There's no question they only paid attention to what you could do long after they knew you could do it. That's not how nurturance works. It's not how you work with your peer or your apprentice or your child. It certainly doesn't allow for growth.

"And I want you to grow, Spencer. I'm not one to feel threatened by my friends when they surpass me. My first proper student was so much more powerful than me -- well, at the time." Ashin let go of Spencer's legs and crawled overtop of her, right up to her face, to look her in the eyes. "When you did your work at Gand, I was a little afraid of you, and I liked it. Loved it." Her eyes blazed. "I want to feel that way about you all the time -- that you're a little bit dangerous, maybe more than a little, and you're mine."

She collapsed against Spencer and rolled off her to lie beside her, then laced her fingers behind her neck. "What do you want to learn? Where to start..."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer blinked quickly when Ashin revealed her fear of her. A part of Spencer relished in the idea of the Dark Lord of the Sith being afraid of her. She was at the time just a Padawan and really unsure of the potential she had. Now though, she was a bit stronger and understood herself a bit better. The more she thought about this, the more she realized it was all because of the woman in her lap.

“I want to learn everything, I need to learn everything to accomplish what I want to accomplish.”

Her legs crossed and her hands held her ankles as she looked at Ashin. Ever since that night at the bar, Spencer has seen a different side of Ashin. Knowing how lucky she was she couldn’t help but smile as she pondered the future now for them. Spencer felt her choice to leave the order was the correct choice.

“I want to learn things that pertain to my gift with empathy. I do plan to search out the former Emperor – if the rumors are true he was gifted with psychometry. Also, I want to learn whatever you can teach me Mita’wa.”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Moridin? You mean to seek out...Moridin." Ashin grinned. "That is frankly brilliant. As egomaniac mass murderers go, he's a fairly reasonable man, and he'll find you fascinating. Beware his hunger, of course. I'm told by reliable sources that he has devoured worlds.

"But I suppose," she added, "that we should start with defense. And probably with Force Drain. I have enemies and manipulators, and all of them favor that technique. It's the oldest of Sith arts, the power to siphon away life and Force strength. The old texts say it can never be taught, only experienced. As if its touch is what teaches you. You'll need to know that hunger, and how to face and resist it, if you're to deal with people like Moridin or Reyven Samoth or Darth Voracitos. But yes, I'll teach you everything I know -- and I'll call in Velok. He isn't as strong as someone like me, not anymore, but he knows everything. If you want obscure techniques for gaining knowledge, he's the one to ask. He can walk his consciousness back in time, maybe even forward. He was a Blackguard, a Sith splinter group that believed power was meant for understanding the universe.

"But, again, he's one who lives by the great hunger. To be safe around any of these people, you need to know how to resist Force Drain, and the only way I know to resist it is to know it. It'll unlock a hunger in you, but I think you're ready to control it."

 

[Allyson Locke]

While Ashin spoke, Spencer removed herself from where they were laying. She pulled on her clothing and wiped her face with the robe and then sat back down. Ashin spoke of the great hunger it was something Spencer had heard before, but never really looked into. It was something the Sith had and was rather taboo in the order. Pressing her lips together, Spencer pondered. Ashin would have to unlock the said hunger from inside of her.

The thought of that scared Spencer, would that hunger end up consuming her?

“Yes, I understand Moridin’s a bit nuts but he’s the only one I’ve researched that knows a lot about psychometry…he’s a Kiffar.”

Pulling on her knee high boots she looked back over at Ashin and nodded her head, understanding the need for the hunger. It was the only way she was going to survive meeting Moridin and Velok…probably all the other Sith that she needed to search for and learn from.

“If you feel that I’m ready to unlock it then I trust you Ashin, please show me how to control this hunger and how to defend myself against Moridin and Velok. I have to know I have to learn what they know – I have to learn what all the powerful Sith know.”

Sitting back up, she looked towards Ashin...she was still young and it showed on her face. No battle touched her skin and she reached over and ran her fingertips gently against Ashin's face. Her hand fell and she smiled towards the woman.

"I really have no where to go, is it alright if I stay here with you? With the clockwork around, I can't really just go exploring for Sith Lords and Masters...I want to fight with you, for you whatever. As long as I get to be with you."