Private On the Rocks

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora had been in the club for a grand total of ten minutes, and already the establishment had managed to offend her aristocratic sensibilities several times over.

Everything was constantly in motion; the people, the lights, the music. Nothing was static or stationary. It was difficult for her to get a grasp on her surroundings when they were constantly changing.

That wasn't the worst part, though; the guests here were dressed loudly, provocatively, completely unabashed and unashamed. In a way, Cora was envious of their freedom and ability to conduct themselves without rules or regard for those around them. As she wormed her way through the writhing crowd—seriously, this was more than likely a fire code violation—she was constantly averting her gaze away from someone or something. A pair that seemed more interested in the inside of eachother's mouths than dancing. A few young men passing around a plastoid bag full of white powder. An almost topless woman wearing an obscene amount of glitter.

Cora managed to slip through to the bar and order a single glass of wine. While she waited, her fingers started to pick at the sleeve of her dress. It was vaguely appropriate club-wear, even if the black dress was more on the conservative end. Which was precisely why Cora had chosen it to begin with. No sparkles or exposed midriffs here. Even still, she wasn't particularly comfortable wearing such a garment, and the confidence of the girls around her only made the blonde shrink in on herself further.

Cora had never actually been to a place like this, and she prayed that Hex's intel was correct. This particular club was owned by the Fractal State, the Denon gang Makko belonged to before he'd joined the Order. They were loosely connected to Darkwire, and had been expanding their territory with the aid of a trained force user. The lightsaber burns that had been left in their wake told a story.

"Hey, can I buy you a drink?"

Cora turned sharply to her left, startled, to find that a man had sidled into her personal space. It would be hard not to, given how packed the room was.

"Oh, I-"

He was tall, with spiked blonde hair and unfocused, glazed ocer eyes. At that moment, the bartender slid a glass of house white across the counter.

"I already have one, thank you." She responded curtly, then disappeared into the sea of people.

Cora was here for one person only. To yell at him for being stupid and leaving what she presumed to be a better life on Coruscant behind. As she took a sip from her glass, her heart thudded once in her chest.

He was here. She could feel it.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Feee-eth..."

Makko's eyes rolled back as he collapsed back into the leather sofa. His world span as the initial hit of the spice lifted him.

He did not sense Cora in return. When he wasn't imbibing on his own, his minders were adding chemicals to his foods to keep him docile.

A serious dose of stimulants roused him for a job, but Makko would be back under before he could ask too many questions.

Those same minders kept their private corner of the club relatively quiet. A tangle of bodies on the couch around Makko, three minders keeping the riff-raff away.

His situation wasn't entire of their manufacture. Makko had given up. Cora's situation had slowly ground down his resolve. The brief tryst in the garden had made him decide to take drastic action.

Part of him had known he wouldn't come back from Denon. Just as long as they held up their end of the bargain, but Makko hadn't thought to ask for weeks.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora had kept to the periphery of the dance floor for now. It was a strange thing for her, to be at a party and not participate—perhaps the wings of this social butterfly were too delicate for a club in district three of Denon.

It was difficult to concentrate in a place like this. The horribly staccato beat of techno music was beginning to give her a headache, but it flowed nicely into the next song. Something loud and angry. Cora found herself enjoying the music, a sway to her step as she meandered around the perimeter of the room. There were less people here, which made it easier for her to adjust to the venue .

It reminded her of the underground concert she'd attended with Makko on Coruscant. Aside from a few bumps, it had been an enjoyable night and her first foray into how the other half live. Until they'd been thrown out for fighting, bur that seemed to be part of the lesson.

The fond memory brought a smile to her lips and a tug at the corner of her mind. She glanced upward, to the second floor. Familiar. There was something familiar there. It felt like Makko, but also it didn't.

Cora found herself following that feeling as if being pulled by a string, until she was stopped by a large man in a suit at the foot of the stairs. He held one hand out to stop the girl, sweeping his gaze over her form.

"VIP only."

Cora blinked, startled. She was not used to being halted.

"Oh." She said softly, but she didn't move. Her free hand raised, sweeping out in front of her in a slow gesture.

Here goes nothing.

"I have business upstairs. You'll let me through."

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Makko, time to go."

"Oh fuck off."

He was still reeling from the initial hit and was feeling in no shape to move from his position on the couch.

"Now."

Strong hands grasped him by the shoulders and drew him to his feet. Makko was wearing a jacket with a holographic outer material. Colourful swirls of deep purples and greens moved across its surface like an oil spill as he walked.

"Fine, fine, fine."

A few more members of the entourage, confused by the turn of events, stumbled to their feet to follow along. The communicator in the enforcer's ear buzzed continuously.

How did she get on world?

Not logged her ID at ports.

How the fuck did she find us?

I don't care just get Makko out of there!

Don't let her up to the floor!


"I'll let you through," said the enforcer in front of Cora. Despite the fact that the security camera's had marked her and the conversation was continuing loudly in his left ear, he stepped out of her way.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora smiled her thanks, then made her way up the stairs briskly. She did not want to linger long enough for the security guard to change his mind and question her—who knew if she'd get lucky twice.

She had no idea that she'd been sighted and tracked by the Fractal State, and that they were clambering to get Makko out of the building and away from her.

Once she'd ascended the staircase, Cora's eyes caught a flash of something multicolored and metallic. It was moving away from her, at the opposite end of the room, but it caused her senses to flare uncomfortably. The familiar feeling, scrambled and strange as it was, felt stronger here.

Makko liked bright, eye-catching clothing. Even if her senses were lying to her or she was seeing what she wanted to see, it felt worth the risk.

Low kitten heels thudded against the carpet as she picked up her pace, limited by the balance she needed to stay upright in her heels.

"Wait!" She called out, extending an arm. Her eyes flared wide, and for a moment she called out to him, attempting to reinvigorate the fractured bond between them.

It didn't go exactly as planned. An expensive bottle of liquor fell from the top shelf of the bar as the entourage moved, shattering to the ground directly in front of the enforcer who'd manhandled Makko earlier.

Panic surged through her and Cora drew her arm back.

Oh…oh no.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

Walking was unpleasant. Makko would usually lounge around after the first hit. He would have lost his balance in the first few steps if someone hadn't been holding his upper arm so firmly.

"Wait!"

Her voice cut straight through the haze. Makko's eyes opened wide. He felt the ripple through the Force, but couldn't gather his concentration to reach back.

Makko stopped and looked over his shoulder. Glass shattered in front of him. He jumped and was given another shove to keep walking.

In that brief moment, all doubt would be washed away. Cora would have recognised his profile.

"You!"

A finger was pointed square at Cora, the man's other hand on a blaster under his jacket.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

The stumble in his step was telling. As he reeled back and was pushed forward again, Cora's breath caught hard in her throat.

It was Makko. He wasn't responding to her, though. His gait was unsteady.

Is he…?

Cora had no exposure to spice beyond holofilms, so she chalked it up to an overindulgence in alcohol. She stalked forward but abruptly stopped as the security guard pointed towards her, his other hand rifling under his jacket for a gun. Her hands went up, raising in a gesture of defense.

"I-I-" She stuttered, eyes shifting rapidly between the blaster and Makko as he was being lead away. She couldn't let him slip from her fingers, not as she'd once done to him.

"I need to talk to Makko. It's important!"

Gathering her focus, Cora attempted to sway his mind.

Time to see if she'd be lucky twice in one day.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"It's important?" the guard murmured. He looked confused, rather than bought into her mind trick.

"Cora?"

Makko stopped and turned slowly. A myriad of expressions crossed his face.

How could she be here?

He was thinking through treacle, but he knew there was a reason to be shocked. She was supposed to be on Utakis until her monster of a husband was assassinated.

If Horace was alive and she was here then she could be linked to what was supposed to happen.

If Horace was dead, then why hadn't they told him?

Shouldn't that have been done by now?

A small entourage of gang members had gathered around Makko. Men and women paid for by Fractal State to keep them company as well as low level gang members who hung around Makko and hoped that he might go somewhere in the hierarchy and take them with him.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora stood completely still. She looked from the enforcer to the people who had gathered around Makko. Some of them were women in tight fitting clothes, and that sparked a feeling like fire in the back of her throat.

Jealousy. She was jealous. Jealous and concerned and scared and angry and determined. But she didn't know what her next move was. Cora usually thought ahead further than this, and if she had a plan, it evaporated from her head the moment she laid eyes on Makko.

Seconds ticked by and Cora didn't know what to say or do, she just knew that she couldn't let this moment slip away.

"I’m pregnant." She blurted out. "It's his."

Cora started tearing up, her lower lip quivering.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

It's his? It's mine!?

Makko was too far gone to be floored by the idea, but he wavered on his feet.

The enforcer standing in Cora's path looked bacn and forth between them. The other remained lingering at Makko's shoulder.

Makko took a half-step towards Cora.

"You're here..." he said, voice barely audible over the music.

There was a wave of panic through the Force from the guards wearing earpieces. The message had just reached Nasty Jenu.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora didn't know where she was going with this lie. Out of desperation, she'd said something stupid.

Strangely enough, the tears that stung her eyes felt natural.

I am. I'm here Makko.

He'd always been better at unspoken communication, but she hoped that her sentiment would carry through the tenuous threads that still bound them, through the fog of spice that clouded his mind and slowed his thoughts.

Her watery eyes creased as she tried to search his face for any reaction, good or bad. The panic that swept through the enforcers distracted her from that. She wasn't aware that the Fractal State's boss had just been alerted to her presence, so she figured that their unease was due to her sudden announcement.

Gathering her strength, Cora latched onto the arm of the guard blocking her path.

"Please," She begged desperately. "Can he and I speak in private? A few minutes is all I'm asking."

Hot tears dribbled down flushed cheeks as she peered up at him through her lashes, lips parted slightly.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

He recognised her. It would have been impossible for her to miss that playing out on his face.

He was simply struggling to process her sudden arrival. There had been a plan. He might have lost sight of it, but he was certain this was not how things were supposed to go.

Makko stood a little straighter, shrugging off his guard.

"Leave us to talk," Makko said. There was an edge to his voice. His little group of followers clearly feared him. Even the guards tensed.

Jenu had been using Makko as his personal killer. Kept on a long lease, but leashed nonetheless.

He took a deep breath and a step towards Cora, reaching out towards her.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora held her breath as recognition flashed over Makko's face. No small part of her had been scared that he'd want nothing to do with her after everything that had happened.

The hardness of his voice surprised her, as did the reaction of his group, but she refocused her attention on Makko as he approached.

She mirrored his step forward and laced her fingers into his as he'd reached for her. For a few moments, she simply processed the contact. It was real.

"I…" Her voice faltered. "I missed you."

Still wary of their company and surroundings, she cautiously lifted her other hand to cradle his cheek. Blonde eyebrows furrowed as Cora drank in the intoxicated haze of his features. The longer she looked, the more something about this situation didn't feel right.

"What did they do to you?" She whispered, concern harshening her soft tone.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"I missed you too," he said without missing a beat.

"Who's..." one of the group started to ask, but now Makko's minders were shepparding them away from the VIP area. The young Zeltron man flashed Cora one more confused glance before heading down to the main dance floor.

Makko tightened his grip on Cora's hand.

"They didn't...they looked after me," Makko said to Cora. "You came here. You weren't supposed to come here. I..."

She had endured enough. Makko had never intended to come back to Denon, but with what she had suffered it seemed a small price to pay.

If Cora was here and there was any evidence pointing to Fractal State and Denon when they killed Horace then would draw a link to Cora.

He couldn't tell her what he had done, the deal he had made. She would never forgive him.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

She squeezed his hand back. The ties between them started to solidify, if only a little.

Cora had a lot to say to Makko, but she was hesitant to broach such a difficult subject in public. Through all of the anger, the guilt, and the pain, she was surprised that the simple joy of seeing him seemed to swallow up her more negative feelings l.

They were moving now, guided by the flow of Makko's entourage elsewhere. Cora's anxiety spiked; she didn't think she'd get this far, but she didn't want to leave. Her danger sense had the hairs at the back of her neck standing.

"Well, I'm here now." She informed him stubbornly. Dropping her hand from his face, she was suddenly keenly aware of the eyes on them. "So hurry and sober up, because we have a lot to talk about.”

A forceful tug of his hand had her stepping forward, chin lifting in that authoritative manner that came easily to her.

"We're leaving."

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

Makko would usually bristle when she used that particular tone of voice. His focus was on trying to force himself sober. The situation was too tense for such petulant behaviour.

Even in his regretful state, he could feel the ripple of tension through the nearby Fractal State enforcers. His little entourage had scattered, but Cora's presence was causing trouble.

He held her hand tightly and was led outside. The cold air was like a slap to the face.

"I have an apartment," he said. His words were slurred together. "But I can't drive."

Through all the confusion, a single ray of warmth reflected back at Cora. The joy at seeing her hear. Nothing in the situation could drown it out completely.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

The sharp burst of cold air made her shiver - or maybe it was the simmering apprehension she felt from the guards behind them as they’d left. Either way, Cora was relieved to be out of building. The atmosphere had been stuffy and oppressive, overlain with loud flashing lights and a hazy cloud of spice.

"Okay." She nodded once, squeezing his hand as they lingered on the walkway. Cora didn't have access to the bottomless funds she'd been accustomed to, which was to say that she didn't have enough on her to hail a cab.

It was an entirely new feeling, to be out-priced by private transport.

"We'll have to take public transit then. Which way?" For all of the confidence she'd exuded in pulling him out of the club, Cora was suddenly lost. Hopefully Makko would be lucid enough to recognize his surroundings.

She tightened her grip on his hand, drawing him a little closer. His mirth was unmistakable, and Cora felt as if she could drawn the feeling into her lungs when she breathed deep. It warmed her from within. She wanted to say something meaningful. A thousand thoughts and emotions whirled through her mind, moving too quickly for her to pin any one of them down.

"I’m not actually pregnant." She blurted out suddenly.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

His feet knew the way home, even if his head didn't. Staggering home after a heavy night - with or without guests - had not been infrequent in the last month.

His stomach rolled into a knot at her admission. Why would she even say that? He didn't know what to think, what to feel.

Makko grabbed her hand and within a hundred yards of the club he tugged her into a small diner.

By contrast to Cora, he had a wallet heavy with credit chits. He could have bailed an air taxi, but this was quicker.

"Two burgers, all the trimmings," he mumbled before taking a seat.

Plastic chairs, sticky plastic tables. Cora's dream venue.

"It's good...its good to see you..." he said, voice breaking just a little. For a long time she had reached out through the Force during her darkest moments and he had reached back.

It had become less and less necessary as her life had become grim routine. Except for one day when Horace had shoved her onto a grand dining room table in the middle of the day and she had needed an escape.

"How did you...why now?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora had no idea why she'd told Makko that she was pregnant, then rescinded her declaration only a few minutes later. The aristocrat in her was always very careful of what she sad and how she said it. Perhaps it was to leverage his attention in a difficult situation, and dissuade his handlers from intercepting her further.

Either way, she was deeply embarrassed about it.

The diner was clearly more casual than she was used to. Cora sat bolt upright, wary of accidentally touching something unpleasant.

She took a long moment to appraise Makko, lingering on his eyes. He was always so expressive, and even his spice-hazed gaze held a distinct note of surprise. The way his voice cracked made her heart lurch. How to explain everything? Cora had come here to yell at him, but she supposed that he was owed an explanation, too.

"Horace is…dead." She murmured quietly. To anyone else it may as seemed as if she were grieving for her lost husband or softening the verbal blow. In reality, it was likely all that Makko had really wanted to hear.

"I ended up back with the Alliance, but why…why did you leave? Why are you back here with them?"

Initially distressed, her tone almost shifted into something accusatory. Almost.

At a loss for what to do, Cora clasped her fidgeting hands together and rested them in her lap.

Makko Vyres

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

It was the question he had never wanted to answer. Here he was, brain addled with spice, Horace dead and Cora on Denon. There was no avoiding it now.

He reached back through time to try and unravel the plan, the place he had started from. Just one job and they would deal woth Horace. Then he would have left Denon. It would not have mattered what happened to him after that, just as long as Cora was safe.

"I owed a favour," he said quietly.

Makko offered a half-hearted smile.

"You look nice..."

He swallowed once. His hands, clasped together, were placed on the table in front of him.

"How did he die?" Makko asked. This time he did not mumble, he did not slut his words. He lifted his chin and met Cora's eye.

Had they killed Horace and chosen not to tell him?