ORIGINS

[Lumi Snow]

I love you too. I will always love you. No matter what.

Her lips curled in a smile as she held on to Zenva like a liferaft in a stormy sea. In some ways, she was Zenva's life-raft. She could feel the blissful whispers of sleep murmuring in her ears. Safe in her new love's arms, she was more than willing to give over to it.

Yes, she was safe. Safer here than she had been in quite a while, she felt. Zenva wouldn't hurt her. She was her protector and in so many different ways, she was Zenva's. She would protect Zenva from herself, from the things she could do and most of all--from her past. Lumi knew that there was good deep inside that Zabrak. She knew. She had seen it, buried under the pain and under the agony of child abuse, and here it was. Alive at last, real love. True love instead of the twisted rage that came form not getting it, or the lust that paraded itself as the counterpart.

And it felt so beautiful to do that for her. Lumi knew in this moment she would gladly spend the rest of her days helping Zenva learn to love and heal her hurt away. One thought echoed through her mind as she at last surrendered to sleep.

I will always love you. I will always love you. Always.

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva lay there for a long time holding Lumi's frail body against her. One hand held the woman's small shoulders firmly, the other stroked her dark auburn locks gently. From time to time she would lean her head forward to kiss her forehead and rest her cheek against the young woman's brow. "I love you Lumi." She whispered again and again until sleep claimed them both.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Zenva awoke in a panic as someone beat on the door of her hotel room. Her hand immediately went to the head board, pulling a heavy pistol from it's hidden holster. Slowly she disentangled herself from her lover. "Stay there." She whispered as she padded silently across the room to press her shoulder against the wall beside the door. "What!" She called.

"Matron. The shuttle is waiting." Came a deep male voice.

Zenva's body visible relaxed, her shoulders slumping in relief. "Thank you Captain." She replied before returning to the bed. "Are you alright sweet meat?" She murmured as she stroked the woman's hair again.

[member="Lumi Snow"]

 

[Lumi Snow]

Panic. Fear. Death.

Lumi felt Zenva's emotions through their touch. It had awoken her, not the noise. The night and day's exertions had made her sleep exceptionally deep.

She heard the brief exchange and felt the relief. It was odd for her to feel telepathic connections this strong after not touching but still she could. Perhaps it was only further evidence how special this relationship was.

The Zabarak came back and began petting her hair. Lumi's lips curled in delight.

"Mmmhmmmm," she murumured, nodding. " 'M ok."

She slowly and delicately rose from the bed, giving her lover a soft kiss before working on getting dressed. It was dark in the room but being blind, it didn't make much of a difference.

"Turn on the lights," she ordered playfully as she slid into her skinny jeans. "I can't see a thing."

The delicate woman giggled at her own joke as she slipped her lace camisole back on, then her jacket, boots and gloves.

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva took the kiss with a smile, the brief touch offering a glimpse into her lover's mind. She seemed fine, tired but happy. The Zabrak's smile broadened, it had been a long time since she had felt happy. Yet another salve her petite doctor had given so willing.

Reflexively she turned to the light switch but stopped with her hand held before the button that would activate the lights. She heard the giggling behind her and shook her head, a small laugh escaping her. She flicked one lacquered nail against the switch without actually turning the lights on before moving back to the bed. "Is that better love?" She asked, humor coloring her tone.

She pulled on her own clothing in short order. The leggings had been demeaned to much hassle, wrinkled as they were from sitting in a soggy pile all night, and were simple left on the floor. Her skirt was zipped in place followed by her riding boots. A small undershirt covered her chest before she pulled her armored corset on, zipping it into place as well. Belts, holsters, a multitude of pistols and knives all returning to her person before she finally stood to pull her trench coat over the lot of it.

She paused to watch Lumi dress in the faint light only once. Telling herself it was to gauge how quickly the girl was able to move after the strain of the previous day. When they were both ready Zenva cupped her lover's face, kissing her fiercely, "Just ignore them as best you can alright? Don't speak to them or acknowledge them and they won't bother you at all. I promise." Zenva took the lead as she stepped into the hallway.

Outside, ten warriors lined the walls. Two stood immediately before the door as the two lovers emerged. The two warriors nodded once and turned to lead the way to the turbo-lift. The others waiting to fall in line behind them. Eventually they would be escorted to a shuttle, and from there they would be ferried to Zenva's flagship.

[member="Lumi Snow"]

 

[Lumi Snow]

She giggled again, "Oh yes, so much better."

Then she gave a soft murmur of surprise when her love kissed her. She had heard and felt the footsteps getting closer but didn't realize she had a kiss of that magnitude in her crosshairs. She melted into it, standing on her toes, wrapping an arm around her love's waist and holding her tightly through it.

Easy tiger, easy.

Licking the remnant of her sweetheart's lipstick off her lips she nodded. She could hear soft buzzing of others in the next room, but she couldn't feel specifics. "Mmmk, I can do that."

She followed her love into the hall and was met by a myriad of emotions and thoughts that she--frankly wasn't ready for.

Fear. Anxiety. Rage. Anger. Hostility.

She slipped her hand into Zenva's for consolation. I'll follow you to the ends of the world, she thought. Through the ends of everything.

That brought her a lot of comfort as she heard the murmuring around her.

She looked to one of the blurs beside her and smiled consolingly, "Don't worry your daughter will be ok. She will recover."

The being balked for a moment, "M-ma'am?"

Lumi smiled warmly, "She will be ok. Send her to me. I know you can't afford the bills, I won't charge you. I will find a cure for the leukemia."

She felt a wave of emotions. Relief, graditude, hope. She couldn't see it but he was holding back tears of thankfulness.

"Thank you so much," was all he could manage.

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva paused as her hand was taken, the influx of thoughts and emotions was nearly staggering. That's never going to be easy. She thought fleetingly. She listened, silent and still, as Lumi spoke with one of her elites. The linked hands left vague impressions of her warriors' emotions swirling through her skull. These were her men, her clan, her family. They thought it an honor to put their lives in harm's way in service of her. And one of them was suffering. Worse still he had never spoken up about it, never called attention to his ailing child. Was she really so unapproachable that even her own soldiers were fearful of speaking to her?

Zenva continued down the hall, wounded and silent, Lumi's hand gripped tightly as though that alone were all that kept her rising ire in check. Four elites joined the Matron and her lover on the turbo-lift, the others would ride a separate one down. The moment the doors closed Zenva turned on one of her men spitting venom, "Captain Irons, if I ever find out one of my men or their families is suffering from someone other then you, Kil'kae will replace you as Captain of my guard. Tragon is to be put on paid leave the second his boots are on The Hammer. His family is to be retrieved from Iridonia and sent to The Quarry for medical treatment at once. Am I in any way unclear Captain?"

"Understood Matron." The warrior replied bowing his head.

The remainder of the ride to the lobby was silent and tense. On the street outside a trio of hover cars stood waiting. Zenva took one look at them and turned on her Captain again, "Lumi and I will walk Captain. Take the convoy around Butcher Block, not through, around. We don't need to strain our relationship with the Baroness." She didn't wait for the man to reply, simply turning away, Lumi's hand still gripped firmly.

[member="Lumi Snow"]

 

[Lumi Snow]

Oh dear. She had done it again.

Lumi knew it wasn't nice to prowl in other's minds, she didn't mean to, honest, it just happened. She pursed her lips. She would try harder to be more polite and not go fishing in other's minds. It was the least she could do to help them, of course. And that was all she ever wanted to do.

She could feel Zenva's anger around her like a thick shroud. And yes, it was very strong and made her quiet. But under it, she could also feel the hurt. Oh, dear. She hurt her Zenva already, and it was already only the second day in their relationship. She nodded and bit her lip slightly. She didn't think that the scarlet beauty would be upset, honest. She didn't mean to. It just happened.

"I am sorry," she said softly, bowing her head slightly, "I shouldn't have talked to them. You said not to and I did, I-I'm sorry, Zenva, I just thought that I could help him. I didn't think it would bother anything."

She puckered her lips to the side, nervously. She chanced brushing the woman's arm with her fingers in a reconciliatory gesture. "I didn't think it would bother you."

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Anger radiated from the Blood Matron in scalding waves. Such furry that her vision blurred with red. She registered the sound of Lumi's voice but not the words she spoke. It wasn't until those fragile fingers brushed her arm that Zenva's scowl and anger turned to her lover. Fear, rage, sorrow, spite, self loathing. Above all there was pain. And they all fight a war inside the Zabrak's mind, each struggling to take presidence over the others. The inability to separate which emotions belonged to whom only serving to intensify Zenva's anger.

She had tried so hard to warn the girl, argued and pleaded with her to flee. She refused. Now she felt the brunt of the Zabrak's prideful anger and the sudden urge to strike the poor, frail girl. It would be so simple, a single blow would likely shatter the delicate bones in her cheek or jaw. That deep hurt in Zenva that drove her to make her pain manifest in the world around her screamed for blood. She ripped her hand free of Lumi's before storming into an alley. The first thing she saw, she hit and a durasteel trashcan tumbled down the alleyway. Pain registered dimly, split knuckles leaving droplets of blood on the duracrete as she continued to walk. A wooden box was kicked, the wood cracked audibly but it wasn't enough. She turned back on the box and drove her heel into it with a fierce forward kick, collapsing the weakened wood as her leg drove into the box. Pain shot up her leg as she pulled herself free in a torrent of anger and frustration. A shard of wood was lodged in her exposed thigh but she paid it no heed as she continued down the alley.

"They are MY people Lumi!" She roared as she strode deeper into the alley. "My kin! My clan! Do you understand me!" Another piece of alleyway debris was sent flying with a kick. "Everything I have done, I have done for them gorram it! I am supposed to provide for them. Supposed to ensure their well-being. And one of them, a fething child! Is suffering. Scare and hurting and it takes you for me to learn of it!" She screamed wordlessly as she punched the duracrete wall of one building that formed the alley. Her hand snapped back to her chest as she shouted in pain. "Chit!"

[member="Lumi Snow"]

 

[Lumi Snow]

Lumi stood watching her lover let her agression out. She bowed her head, wilting in shame. She hadn't meant to mess up. Honest. She was sorry. She--she lowered her head in regret. Lumi made a note not to do this again. She could hear the shattering and the clattering, her limited Force-sight granted her an idea into what was happening; Zenva was having an angry spell. She let her love get her aggression out but Lumi could feel the real reason behind it; she felt betrayed. She felt like she had been wronged.

Chit.

The medic felt the wave of pain and frustration. She carefully made her way to Zenva, like a wounded puppy approaching its master. Her delicate fingers took Zenva's hand and drew it close, "Let me see it," she said gently, "I am a doctor, sweetheart."

Her soothing feelings of care washed around her as Lumi examined the hand with minimal touching, using her Force Sight to determine what was wrong.

"Its fractured, sweetheart," she said softly as she reached into her coat pocket and produced a hypodermic needle, "please be more careful. This is going to sting a little, hold still."

she gently placed the needle along the point of the fracture and let the liquid inside begin to flow around her love's bones. Its concoction was a mixture of Bacta and a self-designed set of medicines that sped bone healing along. With her premature osteperosis, Lumi had to keep many on hand for herself most of the time. She could easily fracture or break a bone on accident without realizing it. More than once she had felt the tell-tale snap and heard it too. To fix the problem, she had invented this. And it worked for her quite well. She had used it a few times on others too, thank goodness.

"Just let it be for a few minutes, it will heal fast," she said warmly before caressing her love's face with leather-gloved fingers, "Sweetheart, its ok. You do your best but you can only do so much. You don't need to be angry, there are somethings that are out of your control. Its ok," she snuggled close to her love, letting her head rest on her sweetheart's shoulder and her arms wrap in a tender hug, "Its ok, sweetheart."

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Pain threw water on the flames that was the Zabrak's anger, drowning the worst of it. Lumi approached, head down and shoulders slumped, and shame tore at Zenva's hearts once more. She had tried to spare the sweet girl from seeing this, feeling it, but Lumi just wouldn't listen. She didn't want to hurt the poor girl. She had done it regardless and the shame she felt, when that frail girl approached as though Zenva had beaten her, was crippling.

Lumi's hands closed on her's, the physical pain hardly registering through the heartache that swirled in her mind as their thoughts and emotions joined together again. "Lumi," She whispered as the girl sank a needle in her hand. "I'm not angry with you sweet meat. You know that right?" Her free hand rose to brush her lover's cheek gently. How do I make you see I'm toxic? What has to happen for you to save yourself this heartbreak?

Lumi's face settled on her shoulder and chest, those thin little arms closing around her as though to protect her from anymore harm. Her own arms folded around her lover like a cloak, and she rested her cheek against Lumi's brow. "This isn't supposed to happen Lumi. I... I just." She gave up trying to voice her pain and disappointment. They were supposed to come to her with problems not hide them from her.

[member="Lumi Snow"]

 

[Lumi Snow]

"Its ok," she said, consolingly. Sometimes there are problems you can't fix, Zenva. Its ok. It doesn't make you less of a person or a leader. "You are a good person, sweetheart, its ok."

She gave her love a sweet kiss on the neck and just held her close. That was all that mattered right now. Love. Care. Acceptance. I know you do the best you can, don't beat yourself up when things don't go the way you planned. You do a good job.

Her hands ran along her love's back, in a warm and comforting back rub. She sent all the kindness she could through it.

"Your not gonna ruin me," she whispered, rising onto her tip-toes to reach Zenva's ear, "I am going to save you."

She knew it was true, and, she believed that deep down inside Zenva did too.

"Come on, sweetheart, we don't need them to think that something happened to us," she said cheerily, "lead the way home."

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

It's easy to forget what simple physical contact can do when you feel broken inside. How knowing you're cared for can heal pain that words could never properly quantify. Love. A miracle drug that cannot be bottled and sold.

Zenva simply basked in the sensations her Lumi projected, drinking in the warmth of her embrace. A small smile played across her lips as warm breath tickled her ear, "I'm glad you think so love." She whispered back, pulling her frail doctor tight against her.

Pain flared through her leg again ruining her tender moment. A sliver of wood the size of Lumi's smallest finger protruded from her bare thigh. There was a snarl of pain from the Zabrak as she took hold of the spiteful shard, pulling free in one quick jerk. She held Lumi against one hip as her finger probed the small wound, enticing new strangled sounds of pain. Satisfied that nothing else was in the cut she started down the alley, Lumi's hand in her's.

She paused when they reached the street and turned back to her lover, "You trust me don't you love?" She knew the answer. Yes, a thousand times yes and with all my heart. She stripped off one of Lumi's gloves and took her hand again. "Let's go home."

[member="Lumi Snow"]

 

[Lumi Snow]

Lumi gasped in surprise. It wasn't that she didn't trust Zenva, it was that she was so used to wearing her comfortable gloves and she didn't want to chance touching anyone else.

But oh it was so worth it to be degloved. The actual physical contact was unbelievably intense, it made her gasp softly. She could hear everything, feel everything, all of it once more. It almost made her trip up as her muscles quivered. Once again having this connection with Zenva was like breathing again for the first time in--hours?--since they last touched. She could almost even faintly see through her love's eyes. She could feel the faintest of "ghost pains" as her love's holsters, weapons, boots, and clothes moved with her steps.


She was in a wonder as their minds were one, it was enough to give her vertigo and almost forget to walk a few times. Her steps stumbled a few times, her boots fumbling along. She had mind-merged more than once before but merging with Zenva was very intense in ways she didn't know existed. Besides, it felt so good to nurture her sweetheart with these sweet feelings of love and kindness. She cared for the Zabrak, and the woman knew it. But to let her feel it all the time was so good for her and so good for Lumi too, she knew it.

The knowledge that she was making a difference in her love's life made her feel so warm and good inside. It was so wonderful when things worked like this, it was amazing to know that she could save someone from themselves and that she was important. The half-Mirlaku smiled as she leaned on her love. She let go of her hand and wrapped her arm around the woman's waist, letting her support her meager weight as they moved along in euphoria. I love you so much. Thank you for being in my life. Thank you.

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Pure bliss. The connection that formed as their skin touched was surreal. She could have stood there for an eternity and been content to have Lumi's hand in her's. But they had to leave.

Walking was a challenge in and of itself. They moved slowly at first, the intensity of their bond making it difficult to focus on actually walking. Lumi's stumbling steps only helped to complicate their efforts. For once the Zabrak wasn't angry about being impeded, instead she laughed, rich and warm with amusement, "Do we have to put your glove back on love?" She chortled as they walked. Lumi's answer was to throw her arms around Zenva's waist. She laughed again, settling an arm across the woman's thin shoulders. "I love you too, sweet meat." She replied, unaware the statement hadn't been said aloud.

How long did they stumble and shamble around Nar Shaddaa's Butcher Block District? She couldn't have guessed, but she didn't care either. She had Lumi under her arm and all the emotions that exuded from the small woman. Love, ever present and bone deep. Acceptance of what she was, the monster that dwelt in her subconscious mind. Lumi saw everything. Every flaw, hurt and hatred and yet, she loved the Zabrak with all her heart. They walked, limbs entwined and minds joined as one, enthralled in the sensations of the bond.

She didn't hear the question the first time or the second for that matter. Only when her path was blocked by a large, armored figure did she realise someone had spoken to her.

"Zenva! Are you alright?" Came the oddly musical voice of the armored woman.

Zenva's head shook once before she finally understood what was happening in the world beyond her mental link to Lumi. The large armored figure was the second in command of her personal gaurd, her own blood cousin. "Hmm? Yes, yes I'm fine, Kil'kae." She said, waving a hand dismissively as she guided Lumi towards the waiting Dropship.

The Elite, Kil'kae it seemed, stepped in front of the pair again, "Matron, you're bleeding. What happened?"

Zenva's hand waved through the air once more, "It's a scratch, Priest. Nothing to worry yourself over." Zenva steered her lover around the guard and toward the loading ramp. "Kil'kae is a worrier you know." She whispered, her lips brushing Lumi's hood.

[member="Lumi Snow"]

 

[Lumi Snow]

Lumi let out a soft giggle and patted Kil'Kae on the chestplate. The action elicited a stiffled stir of surprise, shock and--confusion.

"Your parents are very proud of you," Lumi said with a smile. "You have made them so proud. Don't worry anymore."

The young woman followed her lover into the ship and giggled again when she was kissed on the hood. It was a bubbly, rich almost child-like sound, and almost infectious. The woman leaned up onto her tip-toes and kissed Zenva on her nose playfully before retreating back to her love's side. It was a childish thing, but Lumi had a bit of a child in her that could come out when she felt good.

She followed the red Zabrak into the bowls of the ship, more blind than not. She could hear the buzzing of the crew around her in their thoughts. Duty. Work. Things. Thoughts that she had no knowledge of skirted through her mind as the engineering and piloting babble ran along. She could vaguely feel them around her. Her boots felt the hum of the deck underfoot. It was weird, always struck her as strange the way that the ships did that. Then again, she was a very organic girl, having grown up her whole life without ever going off-world until college. My, what a trip that had been. Part of her had wanted to scream in terror at leaving home, the other scream in relief at the chance to get away from the crime. She opted for the third choice and stayed in her bunk trying to sleep most of the time, but the buzzing had been so strange. It still was for her when she traveled.

But she could withstand it, it wasn't too bad just--different. She puckered her lips, had all those thoughts just ferried through to Zenva? How embarrassing. The woman's pale cheeks colored a bright blush at the thought. She didn't know why it made her blush so, but it did. Half the crew's first glimpse of the half-Mirlaku was of her beet red. Ah, she could hear most of them thinking, looks like Zenva finally found someone as red as her. The thought made her blush harder, she buried her face in her love's shoulder, totally embarrassed.

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva flashed a wicked smile and clamped her free hand down on Kil'kae's shoulder as they passed the guard. The moment the two lovers stepped into the shuttle, Zenva lost her composure. Her head rolling to lean against her diminutive doctor's as she started to snicker. Her lips brushed Lumi's hood again as she whispered in the woman's ear, "Love, you're going to start panicking them if you keep that up."

She lost track of what was happening after that. She knew Lumi had kissed her and laughed some more but things started to blur from there. She was acutely embarrassed for a long time and some how very concerned over the hyper drive's condensation recyclers. Her cheeks felt hot, burning from the excess blood flow. Why was she embarrassed of being red? She had always been red. There were too many thoughts, too many emotions and she just couldn't separate them all. Then Lumi's head rest on her shoulder and she forgot to be embarrassed any longer. She had her love under her arm, a contented smile played across her ample lips. "Peace love." She whispered into Lumi's hair. "We'll be home before you know it."

The ship rumbled to life, jostling off the ground once the last of the Elites was aboard. In a matter of minutes they would dock with the Vrotoa Flagship. Until then Zenva set her lips against Lumi's brow and continued to whisper sweet flirtations to the woman that loved her so completely.

>~~< Fade Black as Scene Ends >~~<
>~~< Que Credits >~~<

[member="Lumi Snow"]