Evelyn was pacing on the balcony. She hasn’t had a date in a long time and she forgot the nerves that it brings. Her eyes constantly glance at the clock. She crossed her arms and looked out to enjoy the view. Of course, she got the one with the best view and most private hot springs. Meanwhile, she tried to ignore her rising anxiety and kept an ear out for sounds of transportation.
Unable to stay still outside, she stepped away from the balcony and entered into the cabin to check the food again. There was a plate that looked like two kinds of fishes and various freshly cut and sliced vegetables around it. Two wine bottles rested on the table and Anders may know what they are. They came from the Kasiya Estates Distillers and Vinterns. The bottle on the left was Alabaster which was their Diamond Wine and the one on the right was Viridian which was their Emerald Wine. There was a brief sound of Anders transportation and she felt her heart leap. Her stomach was in knots and the ‘butterflies’ flapped around furiously.
Then silence.
Then the knock. Thirteen beeped excitedly and inquired Evelyn about something as she started to walk towards the door.
“No. Leave the doors open.”
The door slid open to reveal Evelyn in her attire was a mixture of classy and yet subtle sexy. The gown she wore was open backed and made of shimmering dreamsilk. The halter strap hugged her neck, presenting herself to advantage. Her slender leg was exposed to the elements with the slit that went up to her upper thigh. Her lustrous white hair was braided over her left shoulder with the other side have few playful and free strands to tease her slender neck and exposed shoulders. She had a rare smile on her face, which disappeared rather rapidly when she saw how bruised and injured he was.
Without taking her eyes off of him, “Thirteen, go get the medipack.” Thirteen beeped as it rolled on the floor to fetch the medi kit. The bacta should help with the bruises.
“Are you okay,” Evelyn asked, concern in her voice, as she stepped back for Anders to enter. Once he does, he would see there’s food on the table along the two bottles of wine, the fireplace roaring with life, and the balcony doors wide open to let in the cool air.
Anders had thought he had comedy prepared. Of course, he was aware of how bad his face might have looked. His lips were cut, his cheeks and forehead were lightly bruised into a distinct purple and he sported a singular black eye which had swollen slightly. He did have access to mirrors, after all, and could inspect the damage himself, but he had rather hoped the dashing suit he had tailor-made for his rendezvous with his wife would serve as a distraction.
It was an expensive black suit, adorned with a lilac waistcoat and a white undershirt. Golden pins held the cuffs of his sleeves in place and muted flowers in a navy blue decorated the jacket and trousers.
Of course it didn’t work. Evelyn was far from stupid and oblivious. She was intelligent and perceptive. It was part of what attracted him to her in the first place. Still, her concern for him was touching. In the space of a single second, Anders had felt through the Force her worry, then her elation at his arrival, then concern for his well-being.
It was… odd. He scarcely remembered someone caring about him so conditionally.
“I am fine, Evelyn,” Anders attempted to wave away her concern. He was her husband. Tradition dictated that he should lessen her worry. “I see you are prepared. I approve of the selection.”
He summoned one of the bottles of wine to his hand with the Force. “I see our esteemed Emissary has not let her duties interfere with her corporate ambitions?”
The attempt to change the subject was there. Whether Evelyn bought it was another matter.
Evelyn heard the remark of him being fine. While he was walking, she checked his balance quickly, and he seems to be coherent. Yet, she was still going to keep an eye on him and try to convivence him to tolerate the bacta when Thirteen returns. The door closed behind them as she walked to his side when he used the Force to summon one of the wine to his hands.
That.. was going to take some time getting used to.
“At the moment, It does seem like Ms. Ténama have a good balance for her duties so I am glad it has not. I rather like her wines.” She then turned to look up at Anders with a smile. “You look really handsome.” She reached out and touched the trim of the jacket before tracing the dark hidden designs on his waistcoat. Thirteen beeped to announce it’s arrival with the medi pack.
“Tell you what, have a seat, let me put on the bacta, then we can enjoy our dinner, hmm?”
“A medipack will not…” Anders was about to wave away her concerns again.
He did not want the injuries he’d sustained on his last mission as the Taldryan Vice-Chancellor to get in the way of their time together. Though, one look into Evelyn’s emerald orbs and he could immediately tell, even without the Force, that she was not willing to negotiate on the matter.
As if to make her thoughts clear to him, she folded her arms across her chest, her dress hugging her figure all the more clearly.
Anders sighed. That did not seem fair. Then again, marriage was supposedly a compromise, after all. He removed his jacket and took his seat upright at the foot of the double bed. Whilst Evelyn grabbed the supplies, he took more of an opportunity to inspect his wife’s choice of attire.
“You look…” he took a moment to find the right word. “Beautiful.”
Evelyn felt her cheeks flushed at Anders compliment but she maintain a steady expression.
“Thank you. As for medipack, there is more to me than meets the eye.” Evelyn opened a small glass container that had yellow and green powder in it.
“This is arnica. It is a herb that helps with wounds, soothes muscle aches, and reduces inflammation.” She sprinkled some of the powder into banta cannister and started stir in the powder with tongue decompressor.
Carefully and gently as she could, she started to apply a very thin layer on his injuries so he won’t feel the gel for the rest of the night.
“So, what happened?” Evelyn inquired.
Where should he start? With his most recent endeavour into the realm of the enemy?
“I suppose I should start with the most recent news. I have been forced to resign as Vice-Chancellor of the Taldryan Republic. I have resumed my responsibilities as Director for the Office of Secret Intelligence. There were circumstances on our most recent adventure which led to these circumstances.”
The gel touched his skin. The coolness of it didn’t bother him. He was a Chiss, and Csilla was bitter even in what you could call the planet’s summer months. Still, he could feel the aches in his face begin to numb.
“You are a woman of many talents, Mrs. Anderson. Where did you learn such medicinal skills?”
He flashed her a coy smile.
Evelyn’s thumb froze over the last bruise as she looked to Anders in shock. He was forced to resign? Certain circumstances… she was going to ask questions but then he put on the charm.
She smiled, her cheeks uplifted slightly.
“Mr. Anderson, if I did not know any better, I would say you like calling me that.” Evelyn started to put things away. While she does, she avoided eye contact and her smile faded as she continued, “I… had a teacher. He was a Sith. I had found out to get him to stop or slow down was using poison, considering I do not have the Force. So I learned everything I could that involved with botany toxins and medicine.” The kit closed with a small snap as she leaned down and gave it to Thirteen. It rolled off while she stood up and held out her hand for him to grasp so she can lead him to the dinner table.
“Come, we can talk more over dinner.”
A Sith? If Anders understood anything, it was that the effects of mental trauma were woefully underestimated. You could often break someone mentally without so much as lifting a finger and their entire being would collapse.
He would know. He’d done it several times before. He’d taken the strongest physical specimens and turned them into blubbering simpletons.
“The fact that you chose to fight in the face of intense adversity is a testament to your willpower,” he took her hand and allowed her to guide him over to the dinner table. “I am interested to know more, if you will indulge me? This is a perfect opportunity to further understand one another, would you not agree?”
Willpower? Or that I was scared and just wanted find ways to make it all stop? Anders pulled the chair out for her as she smiled, “Thank you,” once she started to get settled at the table, Anders pulled out his own chair-
“Of course I agree, but there is a catch.” She smiled as she watched Anders pause midway when he was about to sit down, a small smirk played on his lips as he knew that there was going to be a catch.
Knowledge was never free after all. He made his seat.
“Go on,” Anders grabbed the handkerchief and placed it on his lap as he waited for Evelyn to continue.
“I will answer any questions you have about this specific topic. Afterwards, I get to ask you questions as well. As you said,” She leaned over with a pair of sleek black metal chopsticks and moved some fresh salmon and vegetables to her plate.
“A perfect opportunity.” She didn’t need to finish the sentence as he would know what she meant.
He expected this. If their marriage was ever going to work, he needed to reveal information on himself. He did, however, notice the slightest hesitation in Evelyn when he mentioned the word willpower.
Clearly, she had her own thoughts on the matter. That would perhaps be his first question. He grabbed a nearby bottle of wine, red in colour and rather sweet if the aroma was anything to go by. He poured them both a glass each.
“Of course. In fact, how about I answer first, or I can reveal something about myself that I have rarely ever told anyone?”
A good way to build trust was to offer something up first, after all.
Evelyn thanked Anders while he poured the wine and waited for him to get his food on the plate. It would be rude for her to eat before him. Her eyebrow rose at his offer to reveal something about him that he rarely told anyone.
It certainly got her attention.
“Hm. You made it rather difficult right off the bat. Well, now I am curious. Pray tell, what is it?”
Anders filled his plate with an assortment of foods that were presented in front of him. He pursed his lips. The first thing that came to mind made him hesitate. It was a part of him he scarcely ever wanted anyone to know.
No. Evelyn was not just anyone.
He took a deep breath.
“Zenod'ande'rson.”
There was a wave of shock and then appreciation. Followed by admiration. He trusted her enough for her to know his Chiss name. She didn’t even know how to respond or to say. Would it be safe for her to call his name in private? Or did he despite it for some reason?
One thing for sure, she knew it took a lot for him with that deep breath and he waited this long to tell her. Her hand reached out to touch his hand as she gave it a soft squeeze.
“No one will ever know from me,” Evelyn promised, her eyes were strong and true as her voice didn’t waver. She doesn’t remove her hand, she wanted to wait for him to remove first because she was trying to show affection, as awkward it is for her. She stayed quiet, her green hues closely watched his crimson eyes, waiting patiently.
“In truth, there are two individuals now within the confines of the Brotherhood who know my birth name with you being one of them. I am sure you can guess who is the other.”
Of course, there were others throughout his life. There was him immediate family, though he had nothing to do with them since his father threw him out onto the streets. Then there was his Master, long may she burn in hell for everything she did.
Speaking of righteous justice, something Evelyn said had piqued his interest.
“You mentioned a Sith before.”
He gestured for her to continue that story.
Evelyn gave him a small nod and it was her turn. She carefully picked out food that was very small so there won’t be much gap between the pauses.
“Perhaps it is best to start from the beginning. Mother and father were both Force Users so I was already a disappointment. On top of teaching me politics, dance lessons, different cultures, and how to be a good wife, they determined that I must know how to keep a Force User out of my mind.” She let out a deep sigh.
“So they hired a Sith that was-” Evelyn’s jaw tightened, “-very well skilled in invasion of the mind and controlling them. As long the credits falls onto his lap, he abided the contract to not break me entirely. He had what he wanted which was to strengthen his abilities, credits, and a seat of power. He taught me well. It is not an easy feat to invade my mind now.” Evelyn was no longer hungry as she placed her chopsticks down on the plate. Then her anger rose, even self-hate but she didn’t show it. There was however, a bit of fire in her eyes.
“His name is Darth Dol and up till a few days ago, I thought of him dead,” her stomach twisted at that knowledge.
“That is what happened at The Flitz.”
“His name was Darth Dol”
Inquisitorius Headquarters 33 ABY
A man, a Nagai, tall and slender with a pale complexion watched over the recruits with a scrutiny that Anders hadn’t experienced since he was Lenora’s apprentice. He stood there along with several fellow prospective recruits.
The Nagai stretched out his hand and summoned an attendee to his side. “Is this the best you could do? You find ne nothing but riff-raff and weaklings!”
“No… please…”
Their throats were crushed with a gesture as simple as closing his fist, the crunch audible in the empty chamber. It caused shudders from some of the recruits.
Anders resisted the urge to scowl. That was not justice. Whoever this man was, he was little more than a murderer.
“Did that shock you? A pity. By the time I am done, you will all feel nothing but apathy for the galaxy around you,” the Nagai marched down the stairs with his hands behind his back. “I will break you all down. You will never know pain like it. You will cease to be the people you once were and will become tools of the Inquisitorius. Our pointed knives towards our enemies. Speaking of…”
He stopped in front of Anders, looking the taller Chiss up and down. “You hate me already? Good. Your hate will make you strong.”
The Nagai dropped a dagger in front of Anders’ feet and scowled at the white-haired woman standing beside him.
“Your first objective, should you wish to live, you must all kill the recruit standing to your left. How you do it is entirely up to you. I will not tolerate hesitation or weakness.”
“Tall, pale-skinned, long black hair, Nagai?” Anders asked.
Evelyn looked at Anders in shock then fear crept up her spine. Anders was a Sith so was Dol and she doesn’t know how Siths usually work out. History show they don’t work out very well but there has been cases of teaming up and working well. Her hand gently slid down to underneath the table. Defense.
Didn’t help that she knows Dol was part of the Brotherhood.
“How?” Evelyn asked as she hid her emotions from her face but the Force would tell him that she was fearful of Anders.
“Evelyn,” Anders put both hands on the table and did something he rarely did; he refused to allow himself to use the Force further. He was defenceless. “I mean no harm. Darth Dol was the Chief Inquisitor in charge of new recruits when I joined the Inquisitorius. He oversaw my initial few months.”
Evelyn softly winced and pulled her eyes away for a moment.
“Of course, he would be an Inquisitor.” She looked back to him, her green hues peering into his calm crimson ones.
“I am also responsible for the hand he lost.” She calmed down as she took in a deep inhale before a chuckle.
“Such a small galaxy and the irony, both of us having been trained under him,” Evelyn paused for a moment before her brows furrowed in concern.
“Are you alright?” Having been trained by Dol for over a decade, she knew what it was like.
“It is nothing that my former Master had not prepared me for.”
May Lenora burn in whatever wretched circle of Hell had been reserved specially for her. Dol’s training was hellish and brutal, though. It was not something he’d ever want to repeat.
“Darth Dol is a Grand Inquisitor now. With enough time and preparation, I will be too. Judging by your reaction, I would say he has a vested interest in you?”
Evelyn didn’t answer for a moment but could feel humiliation and shame from her past had started to rise in her. It was changed over to anger. What has his former master done to him? She took solace in knowing that he said former which meant, hopefully, dead and gone.
She grabbed her wine glass and knocked it back. The look on her face as she winced, it was obvious she had never done that before but she needed a bit of a kick.
“He had his chance to kill me at the hotel. I am not certain what he wants with me.” She reached over and started to pour more wine into her glass.
“There is, possibly, revenge. I am not sure if he still feels abhorrent towards me for cutting off his hand, among other things I may have angered him on.” She could feel her heart pounding in fear of the unknown when it came with Darth Dol.
“I have no doubts you will become a Grand Inquisitor,” Evelyn gave Anders a reassuring smile. She had heard of his skills and it wouldn’t surprise her if he gets it tomorrow.
Anders allowed himself a small chuckle, a reprieve from the sudden tension that had formed between them. The universe truly wasn’t as grand as it appeared. Perhaps it was the Force that brought them both together like this and in such a manner?
“From what I know of Darth Dol, he is not the type to forsake a grudge in happenstance,” Anders swirled the glass in his hand as he disappeared into the world of his thoughts and schemes. Dol had hurt his wife. His wife. He was searching for a valid excuse to destroy that disgusting wretch of a Grand Inquisitor.
Now he had a reason that fuelled his anger more bitterly than any torture he had suffered under him or Lenora.
“Destroying Dol will not be simple. Eliminating a Grand Inquisitor would draw too much attention, unless, of course, I myself am a Grand Inquisitor along with the privileges it grants. There is a tournament coming up in which I have a chance to display my skills. I hope to achieve my goals there. I can promise you this, Evelyn. I will make dealing with Dol my utmost priority.”
Evelyn knew he wasn’t wrong. Of course, Dol would not set aside grudges. So what exactly was Dol planning? Her head snapped to Anders, eyes slightly widened in surprise.
She was trying to keep her knee-jerk reaction down.
“Anders, no,” Evelyn leaned back in her seat as she shuddered for a moment. And it wasn’t the cold from the opened balcony.
“I- Anders, that is murder and possibly, treason within the Brotherhood. He is very high-ranking. No. It is okay. I can handle him.” She got up from the chair and started to pace a little bit. She couldn’t just sit down when she had so may emotions running through her. How was it that she can keep calm and buried down around others, but when it came to him?
It was as if he opened the jar and left it. She found herself looking out at the balcony near by their table. There was a mixture of shame and worry in her body language. Then it clicked.
“A… tournament? The one in Arx?” She turned to look at him, her teeth nibbled at her lower lip for a moment before, “I had signed up as well.”
There she went, trying to change the subject. Anders well we’ll versed in the tells of body language. It often spoke more than words ever could. Evelyn’s pacing spike of a story of fear, hate, and worry.
He rose from his seat and maintained a slow, steady pace towards her.
“Do not change the subject, Evelyn. I know you are concerned,” he took her hand, wrapping his fingers around hers. “I will confront him after the tournament. If you are a participant, then for the moment you will be safe. I do not believe he is foolish enough to attack a competitor when eyes are everywhere watching everything.”
Evelyn let out a slow exhale and felt the butterflies returned when he took ahold of her hand. Her heart was beating fast against her chest. She was not expecting him to be affectionate.
It was… nice.
“Anders…” She looked up to him, emeralds meeting crimson. She had so many questions but one at a time. Her fingers squeezed his. “Confront him, how?” She didn’t want him to kill Dol and get in trouble for it later.
“And you are okay with me signing up?” Part of her was surprised with Anderson seemingly fine with her signing up for the tournament, since combat was her biggest glaring weakness.
Honesty was often hard to come by, but it was somethingAnders was determined to be with Evelyn as much as circumstances allowed
“No. If I am honest, I am not. However, if I am in the tournament and you are not, Dol would have free reign to strike again. Of course, I could have Draca watch over things to be sure. What inspired you to sign up for the tournament in the first place?”
Evelyn’s grip on his hands had loosened before she removed them to place her arms at her side. The emotions she had been feeling came back and it took all she had to keep her anger and humiliation down.
Anders was her husband and he was trying to think of ways to protect her.
Which meant, he may have think that she was helpless and unable of taking care of herself by having Draca watch over her if Anderson was gone for an extended period of time.
“When an enemy is between you and the door, there are over fifty ways to escape. When you get grappled by the enemy from behind, it reduces down to a bit over ten, but still could get out.” It was typical for Evelyn to think logically and beat herself over many times with math.
“I froze,” Evelyn hissed, every rage at herself she had came out at that one word, “Anders. I froze. I do not know why and it cannot happen again. So I signed up to remind myself I am a soldier, I was trained to be equipped to take care of myself. I cannot have my emotions impede my actions again.”
Then she exhaled sharply and crossed her arms. “And the fact that you may think I am incapable of taking care of myself, added salt to the wounds.”
“Excuse me, but at what precise moment did I say that you were incapable?” Anders’ eyes hardened, his tone perhaps coming off a little harsher than intended. “Do not put words that I did not speak. I did not infer that you could not defend yourself, but thos is a Sith Lord we are referring to. Not only is he a Grand Inquisitor, not only is he a Sith, but he has been bestowed the title of a Dark Lord. There are very few who can stand up to his power and prestige. You froze because seeing him again reawakened past traumatic experiences. They flooded you all at once and paralysed you because you were unprepared. Next time can be different. That increases the number of escape possibilities up to at least twenty-five, but I will not sit idly by whilst my wife haphazardly throws her life into harms way when steps can be taken to mitigate the risk. Why stop at twenty-five? Why not have one-hundred?”
Anders took a deep breath from his impassioned speech. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
Evelyn’s eyes hardened the moment his did as her way of defense. The longer he talked, the more her eyes softened.
For a while she didn’t say anything. She started to remember memories of Aketa and her constant arguments when it came to wanting to take care of things themselves without asking the other for help. She would get furious when Aketa would pull the same stunt that she, herself, would pull.
It didn’t help that Evelyn’s last memory with Aketa was an argument before Aketa walked out of their lives and died the next day.
She cannot have that happen again. Her heart couldn’t take another loss.
“Okay,” Evelyn whispered, her hand reached out to gently grasp Anders’ wrist to pull his hand away from his face.
“I am sorry. Anders, please look at me.” He lowered his hand as her fingers slid from his wrist to interlocking his fingers. Their eyes met again.
“I am not good at asking for help or even accepting help. But I will- am,” she corrected herself, “trying. I spent decades taking care of myself. This is a new territory for me.”
It appeared that they had some work to do. Of course they did. All good things required effort to maintain.
How long had she been without her previous partner? That was, perhaps, a discussion for another time. Anders could see Evelyn felt sheepish and vulnerable. Not was not the time.
“If it will ease your mind, I will keep you informed of what I intend to do.”
“I would very much like that.” Evelyn tilted her head towards the couch.
“We should sit down,” she poured herself another glass of wine and topped Anders’ drink. Evelyn grabbed them both and headed back to the couch and handed Anders’ his glass.
“You know a lot about my childhood. Care to tell me about yours?” She asked as she sat down by him on the couch and placed her glass onto the coffee table in front of them.
Memories. They were such fickle things. Before he joined the Brotherhood, before he met Lenora he was…
“I was simply another Chiss from the Ascendancy,” Anders took a sip of his wine. Dry and sweet. What an unusual combination. He saw the look of dissatisfaction in Evelyn’s eyes and continued. “I was born the youngest of three brothers. However, I was tbe only member of our unit to be gifted in the Force. In particular, what the Chiss call Second and Third Sight, which are the abilities of Telepathy and precognition respectively. Unfortunately, my family, especially my father, loathed me for my talents. I was thrown out onto the streets to fend for myself. I was five-years old at the time.”
Evelyn started to unbraid her hair while she listened. She slightly knew about the Ascendancy from Aketa. She had lost friends and siblings alike. Evelyn was halfway done with freeing her hair when she looked at him in awe.
And she hoped that family was already dead.
“Five?” Evelyn whispered, her brows furrowed.
“Anders, how did you survive?” It was one thing to be thrown at the streets while old enough to slightly understand how the world and people worked instead of a toddler.
“I had the Force,” it was a blunt answer, but a correct one nonetheless. “Of course, I had no inkling as to what I was doing, nor how. I survived three days with little sustenance or sleep. This, naturally, caught the eyes of Ascendancy officials who took me in for examination. I was confirmed gifted with the Force and was taken I to what they dubbed the Seekers Program.”
“Well, go on,” Evelyn’s voice was soft while her eyes remained on him. Her arm was propped up on the back of the couch so her body could be faced towards him for her undivided attention.
“Unless you need a moment of respite? You could ask me a small question.”
Actually, yes. He had droned on for a bit. He took his seat on the sofa close by to Wvelyn, unbuttoning his waistcoat and tossing it to a side. He proceeded to unbutton the top buttons of his shirt. If Evelyn could be comfortable, then why could he not too?
A small question…
“How did Thirteen come to be in your possession?”
Yeah. That seemed about the correct course for a querie.
Evelyn reached over him to grab his tie, her finger tips slightly tracing the beautiful purple details of the flora while he was unbuttoning the top of his shirt.
“Hm.” Evelyn glanced over to where Thirteen was resting off in a corner.
“I did not want a droid. But Aketa-” Evelyn sighed as she placed the tie back on the waistcoat before leaning back on the couch.
“She was the one that brought the BB-Unit home. It was the thirteenth droid she had tried to bring home. I was very annoyed while she pestered me to named it. So, out of anger I told her to name it Thirteen. Well…” Evelyn trailed off and chuckled for a moment before she glanced down at her lap.
“It took her death for me to realize how… unreasonable I was being.” Evelyn shook her head softly to forget the memory. It was one of the things she was trying better herself.
“I do not know if anyone had told you, but you are very alluring, Anders.” Evelyn was being honest but she also wanted to see how he would react to a sudden compliment out of the blue.
The gentle shake of her head told Anders everything he needed to know. It suggested to him that Evyn was attempted to push past her memories by repressing them. An interesting strategy. One doomed to fail, if previous experience with interrogations had taught him anything. It was something Darth Dol could exploit if given the chance.
“Of course I am. Look at me. Custom-made suits are becoming woefully rare these days,” Anders acknowledged the compliment with a sly curve to his lips, bit then his features straightened again.
“Aketa was… is… important to you.”
It was not so much a question, but a statement.
Evelyn playfully rose her eyebrow, “Well, it was a good thing you went ahead and took them off then,” her head tilted to where his waistcoat and tie was to show him what he meant. Her hands went to reach Anders’ arm that was between them and looked at the cufflinks. Not too long after, she unbuttoned it and started to roll it up to mid of his arm. If he wanted to be comfortable, she wanted to show him that he could around her.
A hint of confusion crossed her face when he brought up Aketa.
“She was.” Evelyn wasn’t going to deny that as she shook her head. “I had loved her to what I believed I was capable of-” She leaned to the side, grabbed her glass, and took a sip before setting it back down.
I hate you, Eve.
Evelyn ignored the twist of her heart, “-back then and I have mourned for her. I do think of her in passing but not of grief, anymore. More so… of a lost lover and friend.” She then held out her hand for his other wrist.
“What about you? Anyone important in your life, past and present, besides young Mr. Zul?”
The hands around his throat squeezed, slowly and first, but then rapidly tightening. It got uncomfortable quickly, and he tapped a hand against her arm as a gesture for her to loosen her grip.
She didn’t.
Panic struck him like a stray thunderbolt, made all the more worse when he glanced into Jamila’s eyes. Gone were the clear, cerulean blue that attracted him to her. They were replaced by amber rings of pure malice, the mark of darkness. She bared her teeth, elongated and sharp like fangs as she cackled with menace.
Anders had never forgotten her. She was a big reason of why he grew distrustful towards others. Why gain anyone’s affection when they would likely stab you in the back when it suited them most?
“There was one. She went by the name of Jamila Utagua. Perhaps you may recognise the name? She was apart of the Lenora Operatic Society for several months and co-starred in several productions beside me.”
“Oh, wow,” there was a hint of shock and admiration in her voice. Evelyn had heard of Ms. Utagua and her beauty was told throughout the galaxy.
“She was beautiful and her voice matched. It is a shame they had never found out who killed her. Anders, I am sorry, I did not know you also suffered some loss.” Yet, something was not adding up. Anders was a Sith and usually they have a common drive to find answers. Anderson’s main drive was jusice.
“Are you seeking Ms. Utagua’s murderer on the side?” Evelyn asked out of curosity.
“No. She attempted to murder me on my Master’s orders and I retaliated. She deceived me for months, made me feel a connection that was built on a foundation of lies and subterfuge,” Anders’ grip had tofhtened around the arm of the sofa before suddenly relaxing.
“I will agree with you, she had a wonderful singing voice. We did compliment each other for the few months we performed together.”
Evelyn froze for a moment as she processed everything he had said. She turned to look at the fire in the fireplace.
Retaliation… Evelyn exhaled sharply as she closed her eyes and tried to focus.
Anderson should be brought in. But that process would take too long and who knew how cold that case was?
How many murders had happened in the galaxy that was never brought to light?
Too many.
Not to mention, Jamila Utagua was killed on Coruscant. Their laws can be easily bought or hidden by power or money. Maybe even both. Evelyn had some realization that there was no point anymore. Ms. Utagua may had already been long forgotten by now.
She opened her eyes and was watching the flames danced and licked the burning log. And there was Anders. He had fallen for her only to be hurt like that. No one should ever go through that. He did and it angered her.
How long had she been quiet? She turned to look at Anders who was watching her. She let out a soft sigh and ran her fingers through her hair.
Finally, she slid off the couch and went to the dining table to grab the bottle of wine.
“Would you like me to top yours off?”
With a gesture, Anders held out his glass, never taking his eyes off of the woman that was his wife. That had been quite the revelation. Yet, if this dynamic of theirs was going to work, she needed to understand the truth about him. He could see the unease in her shoulders, the worry in her furrowed brows, the attempt to deflect in her offer for a drink.
“I believe I stated before that I am not a good man. That situation in particular, however, was out of my control. What I did, I did in the name of defence and self-preservation. My Master was a horrid piece of work.”
Evelyn went back around and stood between his legs while she poured the wine into both of their glasses before setting the bottle down onto the coffee table by her glass.
She hated that Anders was dealt with a bad hand throughout his life.
“No.” She cleared her throat and glanced back down at him. She hovered over his face, her white hair spilled over her shoulders, and pressed her lips softly against his before she pulled away. She was trying to reassure him that she understood it was self-defense.
“You are not.” Evelyn admitted, “but I would not stay married to someone who is purely cold-blooded.” Evelyn pointed out. He didn’t kill Jamila, someone who was once important in his life, for fun.
He had to survive. And it was something Evelyn can resonate with. He had been nothing but honest since they met.
“I do apologize for how long I was quiet. I needed to process to what you said to me.”
“There is more than a probable chance that you will need to process the events of my life. They are, ultimately, what made the man you see before you,” Anders took a sip of his wine.
In truth, he hadn’t taken the time to analyse his life in full. He preferred not to talk about himself whenever given the opportunity. It was information that could inevitably be used against him. The injustice he suffered through multiple hands was what manifested in his desire for a good and just galaxy.
Many had possessed the opportunity to do so and had failed.
“I remember you mentioning a cousin, I believe? What is your relationship with her?”
Evelyn sat back down next to Anders as she silently scoffed and took a sip of her wine. She understood where Anders was coming from. The events from her past had made her who she was now.
“Skylar. Her parents would go travel when her school was out so my parents would take her in during that time. I loved those days because it was the only time I do not get trained. It was a respite I desperately needed. When Skylar was of age to no longer need to come over, she still did. She was smart and she figured out what was going on. She still kept coming to give me the time I needed to heal and separation from Dol and my parents. When I gave birth to-”
She stopped as she felt her throat tightened as she remembered holding her baby in her arms for a few minutes. She couldn’t speak for awhile, her eyes glanced away to watch the flames.
She took in a deep inhale before continuing, “When I gave birth to Myla, I gave her to Skylar and her husband and cut off all contact for the safety of my- her daughter.” Bitterness rose when she realized she was going have to do that again now knowing that Darth Dol was alive, it was a risk she cannot take and she would have to inform Cole that he cannot make any attempts either.
She was so close to meeting Myla to have it taken away, her grip around the glass had tightened.
Maybe it is for the best I never meet her.
Anders responded with a light nod. Painful memories were always difficult to talk about, unless you were sociopathic and psychotic. May whatever Gods exist exist in this galaxy have mercy on whatever poor souls get in the way of people like them.
Eradication was the only answer.
Speaking of eradication, Anders recalled the trail he discovered that led to his discovery of Myla in the first place. He could see how Evelyn tensed, worry adorning her features. It was not as pleasant a look as when she smiled, it gazed at him longingly.
Just a little more.
Information was key.
“I ask this only because the safety of your daughter is also my priority. Would Darth Dol know of her existence?”
“No.” Evelyn said quickly.
“He would not be bothered to dig that deep and I am cutting off contact again to be safe. I will make sure Mr. Farrow does as well.” She took in another sip of the wine.
“He does not go after others unless they happen to get in the way of his target.” She glanced over to him, worry still creased on her face.
If she’s not careful, Dol would see Anders and Draca as ones in the way.
“No more of this conversation, for now.”
It appeared Evelyn had come to the same conclusion as he had. Once Dol discovered their marriage, it would be likely he would be targeted as a means of getting to her.
Good.
Let him try.
But as Evyn said, that was enough of that conversation for the moment.
“Indeed,” he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Shall we get cozy, my dear?”
“Mm.” Evelyn felt chills go down her body when his arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her close. She had a small smile on her face.
“I was worried for a moment there that you were not attracted to me when I kissed you earlier,” she attempted to tease but she never was good at that.
“Depends what you had in mind for cozy, darling. We can stay here in front of fireplace and put on some music. There is also the hot springs.”
The urge to roll his eyes was strong. Not attracted to her? He would have to do something to prove tbe contrary.
He cupped her chin with his hand and lifted her head to meet his. He leaned down and planted a passionate kiss upon her lips.
After a few moments, he lifted his head a coy smile on his face. “Mrs. Anderson, are you attempting to tease me?”
Evelyn felt her heart raced wildly against her chest as she returned the kiss.
She let out a small content sigh when he pulled away, a smile formed as she playfully winced. Her fingertips played with the buttons on his shirt.
“I have a confession to make, Mr. Anderson. I never had been good with verbal teasing…”
“I found your effort perfectly adequate,” he smiled again and kissed her. Again.
Here they were, in an Elysian hot spring facility, spending their time indoors as opposed to taking advantage of the nature of the moon that was adjacent to their room. Each room at the high-end had a private hot spring attatched to it, completely closed off and private.
“My dear, I have a suggestion. Shall we take advantage of this room and its facilities?”
.
.