Witness Protection Program

[Sage Bane]

Sage was surprised by Bael's announcement that he didn't have a mate, but he definitely couldn't complain. The half-Chiss wasn't usually the type to get attached but, he was starting to fall for the Epicanthrix man, and he had to remind himself to steel his heart. Although his twin sister had recently come back into his life, Sage was no stranger to abandonment. He all but expected it in most situations. This one would probably be no different, although there was a glimmer of hope there that he couldn't deny. He quickly brushed those thoughts aside as they'd only tug at his addictions.

At the feeling of the other man's fingers brushing against his cheek, Sage closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. He placed his hand over Bael's and let their fingers intertwine. Playing with Bael's fingers with one hand, he let the other one absently trail down the other man's chest. "If you're happy being a famous intergalactic playboy, well why buy the cow and all that," he said with a smirk. "But I have to say, Mr. Lenasin, anyone who would willingly break up with you is a blasted fool."

[member="The Cartographer"]

 

[The Cartographer]

"I used to think that I didn't need to settle. That my work and a little fun on the side was enough to keep me happy for the rest of my life. But... You never truly know how lonely you really are until you've lived 83 years in a pattern. Nothing was different. Nothing was changing. I love my life, but I want there to be something more to it. Before I met your brother my life was perfectly transparent. No mysteries. Totally predictable. But now, with a bounty on my head and a beautiful man letting me share his bed, everything is finally turning pleasantly opaque." ​

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Bael had never fully explained himself like that before. Normally, he preferred to keep everything a mystery for others to try and unravel. But he felt that he should start telling the truth. After all, he may not be around for too much longer. No one was going to be able to figure him out if he was dead.​

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[member="Sage Bane"]​

 

[Sage Bane]

Sage ran his fingers through Bael's soft black hair, letting his eyes slowly linger all over the other man's frame. "I can't imagine living for 83 years," he mused aloud. "I've had a hard enough time staying alive for 22," he said with a sardonic laugh. At Bael's mention of Cryax. "Ugh. My brother." Sage said, rolling his eyes at the thought of the Chiss. "That blue bastard definitely has a way of karking up people's lives." There was obviously no love lost between Sage and his half-brother. One had made it all the way to the top of a criminal organization, while one had continued to be a bottom feeder, so it was natural that there would be some resentment on the younger brother's part.

"We'll do something about that bounty," he said with a furrowed brow, looking directly into the Epicanthrix's eyes with a dead serious demeanor. "I don't have much in this world, but whatever I little I have, I'll use to protect you Bael." Sage looked down, avoiding Bael's gaze for a moment. "However I'd understand if you wanted to call in some favors and go to a place where someone with more, ah, means can put you up."

[member="The Cartographer"]

 

[The Cartographer]

Bael laughed, ruffling Sage's hair. "Don't worry, Sage. I don't plan on leaving here any time soon. I'll see if I can contact others to help, yes. But I'm not going to just up and leave you here. Playboy or not, I tend to be very unpersuasive once I've made up my mind. I'm going to stay here, and manage what I can in order to help Cryax and keep that Vong off my front porch. But I'll need your help as well as the help of your fellow Jedi. I'm just one man, after all." He placed a hand underneath Sage's chin and lifted his head so that they were looking at each other's eyes again. "I can sense your anxiousness you know. Believe me when I tell you that I'm not going anywhere."​

[member="Sage Bane"]​

 

[Sage Bane]

Sage's face lit up at The Cartographer's reassurance that he would be sticking around. He wasn't about to give up the intoxicating pleasure of Bael's special talents anytime soon. Like a siren's song, the gorgeous creature's eyes and lips had Sage completely mesmerized. "Correction. You're just one incredibly attractive man," he said with a devilish grin. When Bael lifted his chin, in almost a dominant gesture, Sage smiled and met his gaze with a raised brow. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling for Sage, to belong to someone, but with Bael things were different. Ironically he rather liked the feeling of being the man's possession. Perhaps he had been a slave for so long, it was simply ingrained in him.

"So, what are our next moves then, Baelfire?" he asked, biting his lip mischeviously. "Besides this?" At his last phrase, Sage tilted his head in for another long, open-mouthed kiss, then gently pulled back, giving Bael's lower lip a tiny bite before he lay back on the bed looking like a satisfied cat.

[member="The Cartographer"]

 

[The Cartographer]

Bael lost his train of thought for a moment after the kiss. Every time Sage had kissed him that way in the previous night, it meant that he was about to something new and exhilarating. The memories brought a toothed smile to Bael's face and a longing in his chest. "Well, my lovely Sage, you will be helping me figure out who could aid us. We, will be mainly focusing on saving the president of the Red Ravens from the clutches of a Vong overlord." He sat up, stretching his arms. "I know that you aren't particularly fond of ol' Red Eyes. But I can't just sit by, knowing that he's a slave to a flesh-eating monster hellbent on destroying everything both he and I love. I promised that I would help him. I keep my promises." He looked back at Sage with a smirk and stood up.​

[member="Sage Bane"]​

 

[Sage Bane]

Sage laughed and put his hands up in a conciliatory gesture. "You got me there. I don't like my brother that much. But he is my brother." he rolled his eyes. "I guess I should help him." Sage scratched his chin, little flecks of fading black nail polish on his nails. "You're quite an admirable man, Bael. Offering your help to him after his own stupid actions caused you to become the most wanted man in the galaxy." He narrowed his eyes slightly. Sage was halfway angry at his brother for getting them into this mess, but on the other hand, it had brought him closer to the beautiful Epicanthrix, and for that, he supposed he should thank the Chiss. "From what I know of my brother, I'm not even sure there's a soul in there to save."

"As for that surge coral whatever that's in his head, I don't have a karking clue how to get that thing out of his brain. Perhaps this is also something the Jedi can help with? A spell or Force power that can shield Cryax's mind from Dredge while you go into his head to get the thing out? I dunno I'm just spit-balling here."

[member="The Cartographer"]

 

[The Cartographer]

Bael considered this for a moment as he slipped on his pants. "Wait, they can do that? Hm. That makes things a bit easier. If we can get a big distraction going, we might be able to get in and take him by surprise. If the Jedi can keep Dredge at bay while I operate on Cryax, I can take out the surge-coral before the Vong has a chance to fight against me." He rubbed the five o'clock shadow on his chin. The Jedi would definitely give them an edge if they could do that. He held out his other hand in the direction of the other side of the room and used to Force to pull his shirt toward him.​

[member="Sage Bane"]​

 

[Sage Bane]

Sage gave Bael a mock frown as started to put on his clothiing, but they couldn't really lie around in bed all day when his hapless brother was a ticking time bomb running around with a destructive Yuuzhan Vong overlord in his head. Sage also stood and making sure he sauntered close enough to Bael to brush up against him in his nakedness, made his way to his dresser. The half Chiss donned some underclothes and a brown student robe, fastening it with a thick rope around his waist.

Then he turned and crossed back to the Epicanthrix and cupped his cheeks with both hands. "I hope the Jedi can do this. I'll have to ask Rexus for sure, but the Knights here have the strongest powers in the galaxy. My Master himself put a whole drug cartel compound to sleep with a flick of his hand. If there's anyone who could help, it would be the Jedi I believe." Sage leaned in and kissed Bael softly on the lips. "Just be careful, babe. This Dredge fellow is a destroyer of worlds. We should avoid contact with him at all costs." Then Sage wrapped his arms around Bael and purred as he pressed his body close.

[member="The Cartographer"]

 

[The Cartographer]

"I couldn't have said it better, my Sage." Bael replied, hugging him and burying his face in the other man's neck.​

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((Should we end it here? Or would you like to add something more? ))​

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[member="Sage Bane"]​