Location: Imperial Palace, Arcadia
Date: Praeda 25, 4 ABY

Ithea showed up at the palace late in the afternoon. She knew Tarkin would be expecting a report and his little mole would have been keeping him updated on her movements. She wore her home garb, knowing that few if any would recognize her from the party girl who had gone out the night before. She waited impatiently. She hated waiting more than anything. She glared at the red guard who was close by. Okay, maybe she disliked them more.

The red guard took Ithea Tass to the Admiral. He was glaring at a window, looking towards the outside of the palace, towards the gardens. He turned slightly as she walked in. "Well... What news do you bring me?"

"Not even a greeting Admiral? My, but you must be having a bad day." Ithea smiled at him warmly. "I have made friends with Zale's girlfriends and even went out with them. He is not very trusting. It will take some time for me to gain his trust. In that effort, I need you to send a visible force that can be reported back to Zale to a place called Freskadri. It will lend credence to the trust I am building with him. I have also started inquiries as to your princess and I believe I can deliver her to you. But, I will need maps of the area. I have heard there have been rebel outbreaks. I will need to know the location of each of these if I am to track her back to her lair."

"Are you implying that you come back to me, and offer no results but ask me for more than what I have asked from you? My dearest, I am not at all glad from things I have heard about your latest developments... And your presence here without results confirms only what I had already been told."

He took a few paces and faced her. "I do not sustain or have you run free so that you may have parties and sex! That is for the weak minded who are not able to concentrate! Now tell me, what is this Freskadri place and, please, no more games..."

"I was not playing games," Ithea retorted angrily. "You asked me to get Zale to tell me things. If you want him to trust me, he has to believe that you will buy what disinformation he gives me for now. If he is going to trust me, you have to have men check this position out. If you do not, then I am done. For I cannot build trust with this man who knows that I have lived under your influence unless he believes he can also feed you information that is false. You want the good, you must react to the bad." Ithea's voice had gone to a deadly cold tone.

Admiral Tarkin held up a hand and pointed at Ithea. "I will do what you ask of me this time, but I expect the results to be of my liking. Let us hope for your sake that they are..." he warned her. He was not a man to be crossed or backstabbed. "Now, let us not be too harsh. I said I would provide you with granting your needs. This I shall do. Anything else you might be wanting? Anything else I should know of?"

"I am concentrating on the Princess. I think I can find her for you. I need some things. I need something that was hers. I also need a map of the area and a list of recent uprisings," Ithea said, unbristling a little.

"Very well then," Tarkin said. He then called one of the Red Guards. "You, escort Miss Ithea to the former High Princess' chambers!" he ordered. He turned back to Ithea and nodded. "You shall find there her former belongings. Clothings mostly. And I will have ready for you the most recent reports of uprisings from that area that have been registered as well as a map. They will be delivered to you before departure."

Ithea nodded. "Thank you Admiral." She followed the man without a backward glance. Once in the princess' room, she wandered about, touching things, taking note of little items missing and what had been left behind. She finally stopped at her dressing table. She picked up a small brush and held it for a moment and then smiled. She put it in a pouch at her waist. She wandered about the room for awhile longer before finally exiting. The half hour had been well worth her time. She had learned quite a few things about the princess if not too much had been altered. She nodded to the Red Gaurd. "I am ready to leave." She was unsure if he would escort her to the door or back to Tarkin. She knew, either way, she would have what she needed. She sensed that Tarkin wanted this princess very badly.

The Red Guard escorted Ithea back to the outer palace where a transport was waiting to get her back to town in New Plouton. An officer approached. "Ma'am, I was told to grant you these," he said before he left. It was two electronic padds, one containing the map Ithea had asked for and the other with the reports of the most recent uprisings in the area.

"Gifts of Vengeance, Part 2"
by Elisia Melouet
and Dargus Kandran
Location: Tae'Remok System
Date: Praeda 25, 4ABY

***

As consciousness slowly returned to Elisia, she found herself in a small room with spare furnishings. She was on a bed with silken sheets and a terrible headache.

Elisia immediately reached out for Kylas, trying to call him to her as she had done numerous times before. She panicked momentarily as she felt cut off from him. She forced herself to sit up and looked around. The room spun and she almost lost the contents of her stomach. She laid back down, focusing healing energy as she had been taught. She was also trying to hang onto the reason and calm Kylas had been desperately trying to instill in her.

It wasn't long after that the sound of locks being disengaged clanged through the room, and then the door slid open. A guard stood in the doorway and stepped forward. "Come with me," he said. "My Master wishes to see you."

"If he wishes to see me, he can come here," Elisia answered defiantly. "I am quite comfortable where I am at, but thank you for your concern."

The man's eyes narrowed and he stepped forward. "Get off that bed now, or I'll drag you there myself." He pulled his blaster from its holster and leveled it at her. "Are you going to cooperate, or do you wish to make this difficult?"

Elisia stood up slowly. "Well if you are going to get all testy about it." She shrugged as if he did not bother her. What bothered her most was that she did not have the saber that Kylas had helped her build. She preceded him from the room and waited to see which way he wished her to go.

He led her through a series of twisting corridors, indicating which direction she should turn. At last, the corridor opened into a much larger chamber. It was dark, a single shaft of light illuminating a dais in the room's center. A large seat was placed atop it, but it was turned so that the single occupant faced away from the entrance.

Elisia was led to a point between the door and dais, and once she was in place, another spear of light came down from the ceiling to illuminate her space.

The guard stepped away, leaving her alone in her island of light.

Slowly, from the dais, laughter started, a deep, menacing sound that struck to the bone and sent shivers enough to rattle teeth loose. "It is good to see you again, Elisia," the voice said. It was a deep, rich voice, and one very familiar.

The dais spun slowly around until the throne's occupant faced her. He smiled down upon her, though it appeared as more of a sneer. "It is truly good to see you again, my dear." How was it possible that he stood there before her? Dargus Kandran was supposed to be dead.

Elisia stood stunned and then hope filled her. "Evie...is Evie alive too?" It did not dawn on her that previously, Dargus would never have sent someone to abduct her.

Dargus made a gesture of dismissal with a hand and then shook his head. "That bastard Mordin and his woman killed her when they destroyed my ship," he said. "I barely escaped with my life, and now I slowly rebuild my empire. They will die slowly this time, and that bitch Kovan along with them. However, it is good to see you again, dear, sweet Elisia."

"Kace... Kace killed Evie?" Elisia fought the building anger that had worried Kylas so. "Why have you brought me here? Why not just ask?"

"You've never willingly associated with me in the time that I've known you, Elisia," he said. "And, besides, I'm starting a collection." He dropped a hand to the naked young woman chained near his foot. Her face was downturned, and blond hair fell to cover her features but she unmistakably wore not a stitch of clothing. "Don't worry, if you wish to join my side willingly, this will not happen to you. Besides, this pretty one has another use besides her considerable bedroom talents."

Elisia's breath caught in her throat. She didn't want to know what the woman's use was. "Join your side willingly? Explain." Elisia knew she had to buy herself time, time to think and time for Kylas to find her. She only hoped some clue of what had happened to her had been left.

Dargus stood and left Maeren where she was on the dais. He stepped down toward Elisia, his dark eyes smouldering with the hate that raged inside. He pushed his cloak back and saw her eyes flick to the double-bladed lightsaber hanging there, bringing a smile to his lips. "Join with me willingly, commit yourself to me and in helping to rid this universe of Kace Mordin and Yelara Neerou, and you will have a place at my side as Empress when I overthrow Palpatine and rebuild this galaxy under my control. Stand with me and taste the sweet revenge as we strike against those who murdered your sister."

Elisia's eyes met his for brief moment and her heart lurched. She had known that Dargus was not a good man, but something was changed here. She looked at the woman chained on the dais; to refuse him at the moment would only end her in the same position. "I don't know, I mean you are asking me to take my sister's place in your life. That seems as if it would dishonor her memory," Elisia said calmly her eyes returning to his. "Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against punishing those who killed Evie."

"Delaying will buy you little time," Dargus said. "And, if Kylas tries to follow you here, we have surprises for him. He was holding you back, Elisia. You know he would only keep you from that which you crave. I can feel the need for justice for the death of your sister burning without you. You need me now; you need what I can offer you that he never could."

"I doubt you know very much about my needs, Dargus. However, I am listening." She stood, arms crossed, watching him. She now was guarding her thoughts since she was fairly sure he had just read her.

"Kace and Yelara have moved back to Tae'Karada and they're living in New Plouton. I have a plan in the works that will soon put them within my grasp, and vengeance will be slow and painful for them."

Her eyes narrowed at the sound of Kace and Yelara together. "And I figure into your plan how? I know you didn't kidnap me just to say hello," she added carefully.

Dargus smiled. "They killed your sister," he said. "Is that not enough reason to think that you might wish to be in on this?"

"I do wish to see whoever killed Evie punished. Do you have proof it was Kace and Yelara?" She glanced at the woman on the dais and frowned. Her heart went out to the woman but it would do Elisia no good to try to help her and end up in the same position.

"I have all the proof I need," Dargus said. "One of the crimelords operating in the area worked with them to attack and destroy my ship. It seems Kace and Yelara managed to put a tracking device on my ship, and they led the crimelord and her ships directly to me. I have enough proof."

"Then I definitely wish to see justice due," Elisia answered evenly. She smiled and took a casual step backwards. "How do you plan to serve it?"

"Before I trust you with my grand plan," Dargus said with a smile. "You will have to earn my trust. My question to you is how you intend to earn that trust."

"Well, since I know you fairly well, I know that nothing I could do in a single task would earn your trust, for you don't ever trust anyone," she said with a frown. "Just as I would never totally trust that you have told me the truth." Her eyes held honest regard. She knew him for what he was.

"You have two choices, Elisia," Dargus said. "You help me take down Kace and Yelara, lending your power with the Force as I need it. Or, you join Maeren as one of my slaves."

Elisia shrugged. "Not much choice to make. I want justice done and I am not much into slavery. But let me ask you this, how come you need me?" She forced the fear she felt back down, control taking its toll on her. She knew that Kylas had said that the dark force drew on anger and fear so she had to make sure she controlled those two emotions.

"I don't need you, Elisia," he said with a wolfish smile. "You make what I plan to do easier. Your skill with the Force and your thirst for vengeance will be an asset against Kace and Yelara. I would not put myself in a position where I had to rely on a single person to accomplish my goals. That would require me too surrender power, and I will never put myself into a situation where I have that sort of need."

"Well, then we are agreed. I will help you seek retribution." She thought about their conversations under the stars and looked at him with concern. He did not seem the same to her. "You are different. It is more than the loss of Evie. What has changed?"

Dargus smiled. "Everything has changed," he said. "Almost dying will change a man, and tapping into hidden power, power that can propel him all the way to the top even more so. If you stay with me, you will find yourself a powerful woman, Elisia. Very powerful."

"I like the sounds of that," Elisia said with an answering smile. Her eyes dropped to the woman. "But I am not sure I care for your choice of decor."

Dargus glanced down at Maeren and smiled. "I don't care," he said. "She's very important to my plans. She'll be the key that allows us to get very close to Kace and Yelara. For the time being, she's just a nice toy. She has a voracious sexual appetite as well."

Elisia shrugged but inside part of her cringed. She felt sorry for the woman but now was not the time to try and help her. "Your toys." She smiled at him. "I don't suppose you have food?" Elisia had never gotten over the constant hunger of the streets and she knew it had always amused him.

Dargus shrugged. "Food is this way," he said. "Come along, Maeren." He retrieved the chain and handed it to the girl who quickly fell into step behind him. She followed behind, head bowed, carrying her own chain. Standing, she was taller than Elisia, and now that she was close enough, probably a few years older as well. She was an attractive young woman, but her eyes showed signs of some drug at work on her system.

Dargus smiled as he glanced to Elisia. "She's very pleasant, and knows how to handle herself in bed. She's been with me here about a week. Poor little darling almost lost her ship to some pirates, but I rescued her. She was so grateful that she agreed to be my slave. You can join us in my bed tonight, Elisia. Maeren is partial to women."

Elisia paled. "I don't remember that being part of the revenge pact. And I told you before, I don't share." Her tone held a bravery she did not really feel at the moment. His words implied that he had become Force trained, something he had said he had not been able to accomplish. Kylas said she was strong but she wasn't sure she was ready to test it so completely. "I would also like my saber returned." She wanted to reassure the slave woman but knew right now, she did not dare.

"Then, I'll give Maeren the night off," Dargus said with a smile. "I imagine she needs it. Being my only slave, I've kept her quite busy. She's been good about it though. Hasn't complained once. But, I'll give her the night off, and you will join me in my bed."

They had reached a table where food was laid out but for once Elisia suddenly wasn't hungry. "Well that wasn't quite what I had in mind," she said with a short uncomfortable laugh. "So tell me Dargus, am I a prisoner or your partner? If I am your prisoner, I doubt you will find me very cooperative. And if I am your partner in this endeavor, ordering me to your bed just isn't going to happen."

"Make yourself amenable to my desires," Dargus said with a smile, "and I'll consider not making you a prisoner. You are a partner if you wish it, and a prisoner if you don't. Though, perhaps partner is too equal a term. You will be an agent under my control, working to help me to achieve a goal that will benefit us both, and satisfy your thirst for vengeance for your sister. And, I do believe there are other reasons why you might enjoy destroying the lives of Kace and Yelara." Dargus smiled, and decided that a show of strength was necessary. He reached out a hand toward a table across the room, and unseen tendrils wrapped themselves around a wine-filled goblet resting there. He drew it to himself and, with a satisfied smile, drank down the sweet contents within. "A good vintage."

"And when the goal is complete?" she asked noticing his use of force. She looked at him with keen understanding. He had not forgotten her forceful rejection and he was now showing it wouldn't be so easy a second time. Her mind was racing as to her options which seemed damned limited at the moment. She sat down and picked up a glass and drank sparingly.

"When that goal is complete, we move on to the next goal," Dargus said with a smile. "The galaxy is a big place, and I intend to rule all of it."

"I see." She drank deeply to quelch the growing pit of fear in her stomach. She glanced over at the slave woman and frowned. "Well I guess that means I have come to stay." She sat the cup down. Her eyes returned once more to Dargus. "I think I would like to take some time to refresh and mediatate. I am still feeling the effects of your invitation." She was worried. She would not be able to hide her pregnancy from him if they were intimate and she had no desire to be intimate with him in the first place. She was in a corner and she didn't know how to come out fighting and still survive.

Dargus nodded. "Very well," he said. "I will walk you back to your room. I have taken the liberty of providing clothing as well. A refresher adjoins your room, so you may bathe if you'd like. And, I will have Maeren come by later with some food if you'd like."

"I would like that," Elisia said with a smile. "Thank you." She picked up a roll to nibble on as she would need her strength and her wits. "How did you escape?" she asked as she rose to let him escort her back to her rooms.

"I was able to get free in a working escape pod from the bridge of my ship," Dargus said. "I was picked up by...by a friend, and nursed back to health. Bacta is a wonderful thing."

She looked up at him and he saw true pain in her eyes. "And Evie?" she whispered. "Was it at least quick?"

"It was," Dargus said, though he only suspected it was. Evie had been in another part of the ship, and he hadn't been able to get her away before the ship went down. "She felt no pain."

Elisia nodded. "I had hoped that it was so." She sighed, the pain of losing the only thing she was connected to rushing up once again. She forced the emotions away with a deep sigh. She said nothing more as he walked her back to her rooms.

"I'll return your weapon to you later," Dargus said, "after you've rested. If you need anything let me know. Maeren will bring something for you to eat later, and then perhaps we can share the dinner meal together. Until then, sleep well, you'll need it."

Elisia nodded, knowing full well what he meant. But right now, there was absolutely nothing she could do and fighting against him would just make things harder on her. She needed time to find out where she was. There was also a part of her that wanted exactly what he was offering her; to make Kace and Yelara pay for the hurt they had inserted into her life.

"Paths to Vengeance"
By: Elisia Melouet
Maeren Shivral
Dargus Kandran

Location: Dargus Kandran's Hidden Sanctum, Tae'Remok System
Date: Praeda 25, 4ABY

***

Elisia managed to meditate for awhile and then sleep. Neither activity had brought her any answers. If she did not concede to his wishes, she would end up like his slave. Better a slave with freedom than naked and chained. She thought about what he was offering her. She really did want to make them pay if they had indeed killed Evie. But how could she be sure he was being honest?

Finally she drifted off to sleep a little while longer.

When she awoke she bathed. She looked through the assortment of clothing Dargus had left for her. It was all beautiful though most was more revealing than she cared to wear. She finally found a silken, long shirt that would hide her thickening waistline and a loose black skirt.

She pulled on her boots and looked in the mirror. Her hair was down to her shoulders now and she considered cutting it back off. It was in her face and still too short to pull back.

She looked more feminine than she had when she had last saw him and she wasn't sure that was a good thing. Time and good food had filled out her face and her skin had a healthy glow to it. She thought about ripping off the outfit and finding something less appealing, but looking about the clothes she had rifled through, she doubted that she would find anything. She heard the door open and turned to face it apprehensively.

The young woman Dargus had been holding on a chain stood there holding a tray of food. She stepped forward with her eyes cast toward the floor. "My Master asked me to bring you this food, and find out if there was anything else you required." The girl's blonde hair hung loose, though it didn't fall low enough to cover her exposed breasts. As she moved closer to Elisia with the tray, it was obvious that on her neck, a scar that appeared more like the kind of brand used to mark livestock could easily be seen. As she turned to set the food on the table, the tattoo on her hip became visible. It appeared to be a raptor in flight, though it bore the mark that the girl had on her neck as well. "I am sorry for disturbing you."

"No, I have everything I need," Elisia said softly. She moved to the girl and looked at her with concern. "What is your name? How long have you been here? Where is here?" Elisia asked, hoping the girl would answer at least some of the questions.

The girl glanced back toward the door, and then to Elisia. "My name is Maeren, but most people call me Shiv. I think it's been a couple weeks since I was brought here, maybe less. I've sort of lost track of time. I haven't been allowed to look outside since I was caught, and when I am taken out, I'm blindfolded. That and my Master's schedule is erratic. When the urge strikes him, he takes me. I haven't been able to put any sort of schedule to it. I think we're on a planet, but I can't be sure. It could be a moon. It's not a ship, I know that. I think we're still in the same system as Tae'Karada, but I don't think we're on the planet. I was unconscious when they brought me here. I think we're probably on one of the moons on the outer ring of planets."

Elisia's face fell. If she was not on Tae'Karada, how would Kylas even know to look for her? It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. "I am Elisia," she said as she fought down the waves of panic. "I am sorry for your plight." Elisia apologized because she knew at the moment she was powerless to assist the girl. She sank down onto a chair at the table and buried her face in her hands. She was being left no choice but to go along with Dargus' wishes.

"At least he's mostly decent in bed," Maeren said. "Not like the other people he sends me to. I just wish I could get out of here and go back to Kaysa and Merrick." She put a hand on Elisia's shoulder. "At least we can talk to each other. Maybe it won't seem so bad that way. And, he doesn't seem all that interested in forcing you into his bed. If you help him with his revenge thing, maybe you can get out of here alright."

Elisia nodded. "I don't know. He has always been interested in having me in his bed for some reason. I will do what I can to help you but I don't know that it will be much," Elisia promised. She did not know the names the girl mentioned but she committed them to memory just in case she could help in some way.

Maeren nodded. "Thank you," she said. "And, if you have any doubts why he wants you in his bed, then you should look in the mirror." She offered a slight smile, then glanced toward the door. "I should go before he misses me. If you require anything else, I'll get it for you at once."

"I am fine, thank you. What I require, I know you cannot get for me," Elisia said with a sad smile. "I do not wish to get you into trouble." Elisia sat down to eat, knowing she would need her strength. She smiled as Shiv left, hoping that at least she had a moment's respite. After eating, she sat down on the floor and meditated till Dargus sent for her. Her primary task was to ease fear and hide away the hurt and anger she still felt.

It was an hour later when Dargus sent a guard for her. The man led Elisia, as before back to the darkened throne room. This time, Dargus sat on the steps below the throne, apparently comforting Maeren who was leaning against him as he gently ran his fingers through her hair.

Elisia stopped a few feet from him. It was actually a tender scene so she said nothing so as not to interrupt. She doubted that Dargus showed much kindness and was not about to interrupt what little the girl might receive. She waited patiently before him, saying nothing.

Dargus looked up after a moment. "I hope you rested well," he said. "We have things to plan."

"Yes I did. Your accommodations were wonderful," she answered politely. "As it seems I have no where else to be, my time is yours," she said with a sarcastic grin.

"Thank you," Dargus said with a smile. "I was just telling Maeren that she will be fine with General Draydge tonight, while you and I get re-acquainted. She doesn't like him very much. Would you believe she says I am a better master?"

"Perhaps you should keep her closer to you then. A slave who is happy always serves better than one who is distraught and fears the night," she answered, hoping to help Shiv in some small way. "I thought you were going to let her rest tonight?"

Dargus looked at Shiv and smiled. "Perhaps I will let her have the night off," he said. "Though, I doubt you will want to share a bed with me tonight. I will need to do something about that. I have found that she's a wonderful gift. If you'd like, I will lend her to you for the evening. She is quite an adept lover, and I'm certain she could put a smile on those lips of yours. I have a few more like her coming in from the planet, and I think tonight I will need to break them in."

Elisia couldn't believe her good fortune. She was sure it would not last but for tonight she could gain a reprieve if she was careful. She looked at Shiv and smiled. "I have never been with a woman, perhaps now is the time to experiment since you are so generously offering." This would give Shiv a reprieve as well from this general.

Dargus nodded. "Very well," he said with a smile. "I hear she is quite accomplished at pleasing women as well. You should be in for quite a treat. Now, let us go discuss my plans for Yelara Neerou and Kace Mordin."

"Now you have my complete attention," Elisia said more coldly. She was trying to keep the anger at bay but to find out that Kace had killed Evie only deepened the betrayal he had done.

"The whole story is quite complex, but Maeren is going to be the key to our getting a foothold on Tae'Karada. And, that foothold will put us directly in the heart of New Plouton. Currently, Kace Mordin's ship, the Vengeance of Corellia, is docked at the starport there. It now goes by a new name, as does he, but it is the same, and visual records prove that out. When we have our foothold, it will put us exactly where we need to be. And, both Yelara and Kace will be sitting unaware that we're about to swoop in and make them pay for their actions." He pulled her lightsaber out of an inner pocket of his coat and handed it to her. "You will need that when the time comes. At the moment, I am merely waiting for events to transpire that will open the door to Tae'Karada. Our first actions will be to disable their ship, the one responsible for the attack on my ship and Evie's death."

"I know the ship well. I helped repair it. I know its systems intimately," Elisia said evenly, taking her saber. "I don't understand what key your slave plays though?"

"She is part of a bigger plan," Dargus said. "And, through her, I will be able to acquire the starport where that ship is docked. How would you like the Vengeance of Corellia as your very own ship, Elisia? Once I assume control of the starport, I will impound that ship and it can be yours if you'd like. And, once I have a place on Tae'Karada, and Kace and Yelara are taken care of, I will move to eliminate the Imperial presence, and then the planet will serve as my base as I rebuild the Empire with my own designs in mind."

"I would like that," Elisia answered. "What happened to your holdings on Tae'Karada?" She moved closer to him with concern. "I mean, when I left, you had so much. If you are not dead, then is it not all still yours?"

"Most of what I owned on the planet was confiscated by the high prince," Dargus said. "When I was dead, they figured I really had no use for it. And, the Shipyards are now the property of the overly ambitious witch who had been managing it for me. But, don't worry, I will soon take back all that was taken from me. And, for those that cannot be retrieved, a healthy price will still be paid."

Elisia now understood why he was so focused and angry. Everything he had built up had been taken from him. "What do you need me to do now?" she asked carefully. He had so far, been very ambiguous as to the part he wished her to play.

"For now we bide our time until events place themselves so that my dear, sweet Maeren can serve her other purpose. And, then once we have what we need on the surface, you and I will make Kace and Yelara pay for the pain and suffereing they've caused. Perhaps you and I can do some training together. It will be good for me to know how skillful you are when we reach the planet's surface. And, it will be good to spar against an opponent who is not a combat droid. We can do our first session in the morning. For now, perhaps I will leave you to get acquainted with Maeren and I will begin the training of my new slaves. It will be difficult to replace such a beautiful slave as Maeren."

Elisia inclined her head. "As you wish. Come Maeren!" Elisia ordered curtly not bothering to give the girl even a glance. "I will see you in the morning then?" she asked, not withdrawing without his permission. Elisia knew she had to step very carefully and so far he had been amicable. She planned to do everything she could to keep him that way.

"In the morning," Dargus said. "I'll have my servants prepare breakfast for us. Tonight, if you require anything, Maeren can serve you." He nodded, and then turned toward one of the other doors.

Once he was gone, Maeren turned to Elisia. She kept her eyes on the floor in front of her. As Elisia headed toward the exit that would take her to her room, Maeren followed dutifully behind her.

Elisia did not breathe with relief till they were safely in her room. Once the door was shut behind them she practically deflated. "Put on something," Elisia directed the slave girl. She didn't feel comfortable leaving her naked.

Maeren glanced at the door and then back to Elisia. "I would not wish to anger my Master," she said. "But, I would not wish to upset my Mistress either." She looked around for clothing, and then at the clothes that were hung in the closet for Elisia. She rifled through the clothes and finally turned back. "There is nothing here that will fit me. I am comfortable in my condition. I grew up on a planet where the climate made clothing a hindrance."

"I am not your mistress and I am NOT comfortable," Elisia snapped. She tossed Maeren a robe that tied in the front. She sat down wearily. She looked over at the woman and thought about apologizing but decided not to. She wondered if she could trust her. Wondered if she would just tell Dargus anything that was said between them.

Maeren slipped into the robe. It was a somewhat tight fit, but it covered her nakedness. "I am sorry for making you feel uncomfortable," she said. "All of my Master's slaves are forbidden to wear clothing other than their collars. Even though I am currently his only trained slave. The others he has, he had his men grab them from the planet. He gave me to you tonight so that he could train them. Otherwise I would have had to go to Vrax and his men. I am grateful that you took me in tonight." She watched Elisia for a moment, and then smiled. "You don't want to...to do anything with me, do you?"

"Not really," Elisia answered. "Like you, I was kidnapped from my home so I am a little upset." Elisia was afraid to say anything too revealing for fear that Dargus would command the slave to tell him. "I agreed to take you for this evening so you would not have to go to this Vrax."

"Thank you," Maeren said. "He's really a monster, and I'd prefer to be with my Master any night over him. Though it is nice to have the night free." She looked around the room, and then at Elisia again. "Is there anything I can do for you? I can give pretty good massages. A friend back on Tae'Karada has...has a slave, and he's great at giving massages. I learned some tricks from him."

"You sound as if you have always been a slave but yet I do not sense that. Why do you so willingly serve him?" Elisia asked not understanding why the girl was so complacent to her position. She would have fought it tooth and nail.

"I think it's the collar," Maeren said. "And, he does things...with the Force, I think. At first, I fought against him, but then he put this on me. I can still think as myself...but when I'm commanded, it's like I respond without thinking. If I don't serve willingly, he'll hurt me. But, with the collar, I really don't have any choice. I want to go back to Kaysa and Merrick, but I can't do that if he kills me for being disobedient. I'll be good until he does whatever he does, and then I can go back to them. But if I was defiant...he'd probably kill me, or hurt me...and then I'd never get back."

Elisia nodded. In a way, it was no different than what she too was doing. "I think I understand." She looked around the room and frowned. "Have you eaten?" She still had food on the ample tray that was good to eat. She indicated that Shiv should sit down. "Tell me more about this Kaysa and Merrik."

Without hesitation, Shiv took a seat and started nibbling from the food on the tray. Between bites, she told Elisia about Merrick and Kaysa and the unique relationship they shared. She looked around the room, and then finally back to Elisia. "I hope he'll let me go soon," she said. "I just want to go back to them. I think one of the first things I'm going to do is pin Kaysa down and make love to her like never before. Things just got so messed up...and...and I just want to make love to her and...and to just hold her again."

Elisia had heard of same sex relationships but she had never seen one. It was very clear that this woman cared deeply for this Kaysa. Elisia smiled at her. "I am sure that you will see her again, since in effect, you are being ransomed. Come, if you are finished we can go to bed and you can rest," Elisia said gently.

Shiv nodded. "Thanks," she said. "And, I hope everything goes okay for you too. It'll be nice to sleep the whole night through. I haven't exactly done that for awhile."

Elisia changed into a nightgown and climbed into bed. "You can take off the robe to sleep," Elisia volunteered. She smiled not wanting to command, but she knew the gown she had tossed the girl was too tight. She laid down and thought of Kylas. He had no way to find her and she was alone again. Tears filled her eyes but she said nothing.

"Thank you," Shiv said as she slipped out of the robe and set it next to the bed. Then she slid into the bed next to Elisia and stretched out under the covers. It was nice to be able to fall asleep without Dargus' hands all over her. Though, as she lay there, she realized she actually miss having the hands on her. She closed her eyes and let herself relax into the soft confines of the silk. "Thank you for tonight, Elisia. It-- it is nice to be able to spend time with you."

"I have to warn you, I may not always be able to be nice." Elisia knew what role she had chosen to play and that role was beginning to appeal to her. She shoved the thought away and rolled over to look at Shiv.

"I understand," Shiv said. "If you're not nice, I can handle it though. I don't mind being a slave so much...I mean, it feels comfortable to me to be told what to do and to have to obey. I like being my own person, but I do think I have a fairly strong, um, submissive personality. Though, if you ever want to save me from Vrax again, I'd gladly repay you however you like." Shiv smiled at Elisia; the gratitude for a night away from Dargus and Vrax clear in her eyes.

"I will see what I can do about saving you from this Vrax permanently," Elisia said firmly. She reached out and squeezed Shiv's hand. "I don't think anyone should be used so."

Shiv smiled again and felt her cheeks flush. "Thank you," she said. "Just don't get yourself in trouble with my...with Dargus. He can have a nasty temper sometimes, and I'd hate to see him direct it at you, especially after you've been so nice to me."

"If I do what he wishes, I do not think he will direct it at me. Since I have a mutual stake in what he wants, that will not be so hard," Elisia said with a smile. "He has always been nice to me for some reason. I don't intend to do anything to make him change that."

"That's good," Shiv said with a smile. "You don't want him upset at you. He hasn't really ever been upset at me, but I can tell when he's upset about something because he's...he's fairly...rough in bed." She was quiet a moment before she decided to ask the question she'd been debating. "Do you have someone...special? I mean, that's going to miss you?"

Elisia nodded. "Yes, I do. I was supposed to get married in a couple of days. He will be looking for me." Elisia frowned. "I am worried for him because he is not the type to give up and Dargus said he had something waiting for him."

Shiv nodded. "I'm sorry," she said. "I hope that Dargus doesn't hurt him. Dargus is a very powerful man, and wouldn't sit still while someone tried to get you back. If Dargus wants you, I don't see him giving you up easily." She reached out and brushed a hand against Elisia's cheek, hoping the gesture would comfort her.

Elisia's eyes filled with tears. "I don't know what I am going to do. If he finds out that I..." Elisa bit her lip. She couldn't let go of her emotions, it would just lead to her destruction. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

The emotion in Elisia's eyes sent a pang through Shiv, and she quickly moved to put her arms around the other girl. "It's going to be okay, Elisia," she whispered. "It'll all be okay. You'll get out of this, Elisia. You'll get your revenge on those people, and then maybe Dargus will let you go. And, then you can get married. It'll be okay."

Elisia shook her head. "You don't understand. I am pregnant. I don't think I can keep that from him for long! Not with his new powers in the force." Elisia looked at Shiv. "I don't think he will like this very much and I am afraid of what he will choose to do."

Shiv nodded slowly. "Why would Dargus not like you pregnant? You're not his wife or anything like that, so it doesn't matter if you and...and your fiancé are going to have a baby."

"It gives him power over me," Elisia tried to explain. "He will know I will do much to protect it from him. There was a time when he was preoccupied with a Force strong heir. That is why he married my sister. I don't know if he still wishes this as well."

"I think I understand," Shiv said. "Hopefully he's over you then. That way you can go back to your love, and be happy. I don't think he'll want to make me have a baby. But, I'm protected. Kaysa made sure after she and I and Merrick got together."

Elisia smiled. "That is good. Come, let us sleep, you must be exhausted." Elisia snuggled close to Shiv, taking comfort in the presence of another and closed her eyes.

"It's nice to be close like this with someone who's not going to wake up in the middle of the night to ravage my body," Shiv said with a grin. "Thank you for tonight, Elisia. It's nice to be here with you, and not with them." With that, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to yearn for Merrick and Kaysa's touch. She hoped she could go back to them soon. She needed to be with people who loved her. She needed to love.

Elisia murmured something unintelligible and the two fell asleep. Two souls cast adrift, taking comfort in the presence of each other. Elisia slept deeply, gaining much needed rest for what was to come.

"Caught in the Middle, Part 1"
by Kael Selrid
Nieme Yaresh (Selrid)
Dani
Liam Zaneth
Yelara Zaneth
Jae Dyn (Kallia) Brael

Location: Jedi Temple, Tae'Karada
Date: Praeda 25, ABY

***

The starlight of the night had been replaced by the sun as it beamed into Dani's window, casting its warm glow on the two figures sleeping peacefully. They were still entwined and each looked content and happy in each other's arms.

Kael had managed to get his rage under control though. He'd managed to keep from wrapping his hands around the purple witch's throat and strangling the life out of her. He was quite astounded with how calm he felt at the moment as he watched them curled together like a pair of riesacats. Beneath the surface of his mind, he could feel the anger, the fear, the paranoia and jealousy. He could feel it all burning as hot as the Thanatos sun. But, outwardly he was very calm. He'd take care of Nieme's nymph, and then she'd be all his again. She'd only long to sleep in his bed, only long to be in his arms, and the thought of being naked around anyone else but him would still frighten her into needing him to comfort her. He needed his Nieme back.

He bent down and kissed Nieme gently. "Wake up my love," he said softly into her ear. "You don't want to miss training today. Master Liam says it's going to be a very important day for us. Wake up, my arozeil."

"Is it morning already?" Nieme muttered sleepily. She pulled herself tighter against the form she thought was Kael's, and brushed her lips lightly against those she thought belonged to her husband. The taste that lingered upon her mouth was strange to her, one that didn't belong to Kael. Sweet...just like her purple flower. The silky skin under her fingertips, and the soft mounds of flesh pressing against her were not Kael's either. But his voice... With a slowly rising panic, Nieme opened her eyes and stared at the face of a still-sleeping Dani, but over her shoulder she felt someone peering down at them.

Their emotions gently wafted towards her and sent a chill up her spine - cold, tightly wound emotions they were desperately trying to contain. Nieme slowly turned away from Dani, fearing even to look upon the face she knew would be staring back at her, and as she did, a gasp escaped her lips and her arms flew to her bare chest, desperately trying to conceal the nakedness. "Oh gods... Oh Kael. Please...I'm so sorry. We weren't...we were just sleeping. I swear...nothing happened. Please Kael, don't be mad. Oh please..."

Kael grabbed a handful of the covers that had been draped over their bodies and flung them back, startling Dani awake. She sat up and winced as she looked at him, but made no move to cover her body. She blinked slowly as if still half-asleep, but he could see the raw emotions churning in her eyes. "Oh, mad? Me? Why ever would I be mad to find the two of you curled up in bed together? Why would I have any problems with the two of you clinging to each other in sleep, both of you completely naked? Why would I be mad at all about that? Why should I be mad that you slipped out of our room, our bed, to sleep in here with this slut?"

"Kael...please..." Nieme's lips trembled with the sudden surge of anguish and fear. She reached up to smooth her hands over Kael's chest, but the strength of his anger repelled her away. "I just...I came here to talk to her last night and then...we were talking... We only fell asleep, Kael. We did nothing, my love, I promise."

Kael leaned close to Nieme, his smile leering. "Only fell asleep? And, the clothing fairies came in the middle of the night and undressed both of you? I know you, Nieme. I know how scared you get about taking your clothes off to even get into the shower. You do realize you're completely naked and you had your body as close as possible to hers. And, when you woke up...you kissed her! On the lips! Nieme...something happened. Something had to have. You slept in her bed naked, and you kissed her!"

Dani made a sound partway between a sigh and a sob. "It's not like that, Kael. I care for her. She's my friend. We were just...she was in here, it was late. We were both really tired, and I said she could sleep here if she didn't want to wake you. Nothing happened between us...nothing..."

Kael glared at her, and Dani winced. "Shut up," he said. "I'm talking to my...to my arozeil. When I want to hear what you have to say, I'll ask you. Until then, just keep your mouth closed and your hands off my woman." He turned back to Nieme. "I love you, Nieme. More than anything in life...but to see you with her like that... You were naked holding her... Why?"

"I...I don't know. It felt...it was comfortable. I...please, Kael, don't be mad at her. I-I came here. She didn't do anything...we didn't do anything." Nieme hesitantly slipped off the bed and lightly pressed her hands to Kael's chest, despite the sickening emotions permeating her through the touch. "Let's just...let's just go to our room and we can talk, Kael. Please don't be mad. I'm yours, Kael, only yours. Please believe me."

Kael glanced past her to Dani and then back to Nieme. He took her into his arms and kissed her, making sure that Dani saw their love there. Saw that Nieme was his and she couldn't have her. In the kiss, he felt his anger loosen and his true love for her flare again. Once the kiss broke, he brushed his hands over her breasts and then slipped his hand into hers. "Let's go into our room and talk," he said. "I think we really need to talk. I love you, Nieme."

"I-I love you too, Kael." With a trembling smile, she slipped past Kael and pulled him along gently. "We should talk. Then I'll make you some Hojet. Would you like some Hojet, Kael? I'll show you that everything's fine...everything's okay." Her gaze momentarily shifted to Dani, one filled with sorrow and rue, but she also attempted to convey, in her large, brown pools, a reassurance that she would be alright.

Dani watched with worry as Nieme led Kael from the room. With her eyes, she tried to pass on as much comfort and support as she could. She slid to the edge of the bed, following as much as she dared. When Kael pulled the door closed behind him, she allowed herself to shed the tears the pain Kael's emotions had caused, and mixed with them were the tears of fear for what would happen to Nieme.

In the other room, Kael closed the door after he and Nieme had entered. "I'm sorry," he whispered softly. "I didn't mean to get upset... I didn't mean it, Nieme. It was just seeing you there with her. I lost my mind! I'm sorry. I love you. I just thought as I saw the two of you there so content... I thought I'd lost you..."

"No, Kael..." Nieme cradled his face in her hands and kissed his lips tenderly. "You'll never lose me. Why can't you believe me about that? It's just... You hurt me last night and I needed someone to talk to. I didn't understand why you did it, but she was helping me. She was helping me understand." She pressed her still naked body to his and again kissed him deeply. "I know now, Kael," she whispered, "I know you did it because you love me. Please...you don't have to worry. I'm yours, Kael. I'll only ever be yours."

"She's trying to steal you from me," Kael said softly as he put his arms around her. "It's in her eyes. And, all these situations where you and she are naked together. She's trying to pull you from me. I think...I think if you and she stay friends, it's just going to pull you and me apart. She got you into her bed once. Next time the nothing that happens may be something. I'm so afraid, Nieme. I'm so afraid. You have to stop seeing her. She's going to tear us apart otherwise. Please Nieme... For us..."

"Kael...I..." Confusion and hopelessness wracked Nieme as she looked up into Kael's imploring gaze. She knew she would give up everything for him, but Dani was one thing she couldn't bear to part with. "She...she's my friend. Why can't I be just friends with her, Kael? Oh please...please don't make me do this, Kael." She kissed him desperately on the lips and face, hoping to hit some sensitive spot that would trigger his compliance with her pleas. "I won't sleep with her anymore. I promise. I'll be in your arms always. Just please don't make me give up my friend. I'll do anything else...just please not that."

Kael's eyes softened. "Okay," he said with a smile, and then kissed her. "As long as you two are just friends, that's okay. But anything else like yesterday at the lake, or this morning...and I don't think we'll make it with her around." He kissed her again. "I think it'll be okay for you to be around her as long as I'm there with you. I don't think she'll try to seduce you with me around. Will you promise me not to be around her when I'm not there too?"

"But..." Nieme desperately searched for something that would assuage Kael's fears, but she submitted to his wishes and slumped against him with a whimper. "We weren't doing anything," she whispered helplessly. "But for you, Kael... I promise. As long as she and I can be friends... I want us all to be friends. Maybe if you talk to her and see that she isn't bad like you think she is...we can all be happy."

"I'll only be happy when she stops looking at you the way she does," Kael said. "But with me there, it'll be fine. I'm sure it'll be fine. I just don't trust that if she's alone with you that she won't try to make you love her, to take you away from me. But you can be friends with her with me there. It'll all be better...with the three of us as friends." Kael kissed Nieme deeply and then grinned. "Oh my dear love. My dear sweet Nieme. It'll all be okay from now on. We'll all be wonderful friends." He reached down and unfastened the front of his pants. "But for now, I want to be with my wife, to show her how much I love her, for her to show me how much she loves me."

Nieme looked down at that which had caused her so much pain only the night before. She shrank back for a moment, but she wanted to make their arrangement work and if being with Kael was the only way to lessen his anxieties and doubts about her love for him, then she would force herself to do what needed to be done. Trepidly, she reached down and brushed her hand along his shaft, trying desperately not to tremble. "Kael...p-please be gentle this time. Just...be gentle."

"I'm sorry for that yesterday," Kael said as he kissed her. "I was still a little upset. I'm not upset now, though. I just want to make love to you. I just want to let you know how much I love you, how much we are together." He slowly started removing his clothing, casting it onto the floor at their feet.

He took her hand and led her toward the bed, trailing kisses over her neck and shoulders as they moved. He helped her onto the bed, and as she started to lie down for him, he stopped her. He positioned her until she was on her hands and knees, and then moved around behind her,. "It's okay, my love. It's just something new; a new position to make love in. It'll be okay."

Nieme looked back at him, then down at her body in a position that seemed far too awkward for sex. "Like this? But...how... Are you sure, Kael? How will we..."

"Yes," Kael said gently, "just like this." He caressed her back and backside, and reached around to fondle her breasts while he traced kisses along her spine. When she seemed to calm slightly, he slid himself inside her. He moaned as he started gentle thrusts deep inside her. "Just like this, Nieme. We can try more positions if you want, but this one is my favourite. We move so well together, Nieme. We're so beautiful together."

Nieme closed her eyes and accompanied Kael's moans with her own. The same pleasure as always was elicited through the act, but the tingling warmth, and the elation she remembered from their first time together was missing. The intimacy was gone and the longer he thrust inside of her without her being able to look into his eyes and see the love for her burning within them, the more empty the act became. She wanted to touch his face with her hands, to kiss his lips and whisper her affections to him, but his mouth and ears were nowhere near hers. If he weren't penetrating her and if he weren't grunting so audibly, she would not have even known he was still in the room.

She gripped the sheets of the bed and silently wept. There was no physical pain this time, but the yearning to connect with Kael on the emotional level through their lovemaking made her heart ache. She was merely a vessel through which he could achieve sexual gratification. As Dani had said, she was his droid, obeying his every command and there only to fulfill his wishes and desires. She didn't want to be his droid, she wanted to be his wife. But the longer she knelt upon the bed, being jerked forward with his every thrust, the less human she felt and the more like the automaton she was becoming.

It wasn't much longer before Kael cried out and filled her with his seed. Once he finished, he pulled out of her and then moved to hold her in his arms. "Oh, my sweet love," he whispered into her ear. "Hey...why the tears? What's wrong, Nieme? What happened? I tried to be very gentle. I didn't hurt you again, did I?"

"Oh...oh no, Kael," she said quietly. "You didn't hurt me. I was...I'm just so h-happy that you're being so kind to me. I want to be friends with Dani and I'm so glad you're letting me. I want you to see that I love you so much, Kael. That's why I'm doing this for you." She looked down to hide her teary eyes from Kael, as well as to hide the sudden discomfort she found in being in his arms. "I-I love you, Kael. Believe me...please."

"And, I love you, my precious one," Kael said and kissed her tenderly. "Let's go have breakfast, and afterwards maybe we can come back here and make love again...just like the first time. Then after that we can go train, and maybe we can make love again. Oh, and maybe we can spend some time with Dani too."

Nieme nodded her head slowly and choked back the rest of her tears. "I want it always to be like the first time, Kael. We'll be happy like before. I-I'll make you Hojet, just the way you like it. Then we...all three of us can go and have fun. We can...we can run through the forest and just feel the sun on our faces. I want that...I want that so very badly, Kael."

Kael kissed Nieme and then pulled back with a smile. "Then that's what we'll do," he said. "It will be great, Nieme. It'll be just like when we first met, when we first fell in love. And, you can still be Dani's friend too. It will be wonderful!"

"Truly wonderful, Kael. Truly." She tried to find truth and comfort in her words, but found little there, even less than she found in Kael's embrace. She berated herself for being so cold to Kael's touch - her husband, her arozeil. She knew she was being an ungrateful wife, which saddened her most of all. All he wanted was to love her without feeling threatened that she would betray him with another, and all she'd done was give credence to his fears. She was to blame for all the discord in their relationship, and all the sadness Dani was feeling because of Kael's anger was her doing as well.

"It'll all be better," she whispered. "I'll make it all better now." And she would, or she knew she would never be worthy of the love Kael was offering her, and in good conscience, she knew she would no longer be able to accept it if she couldn't change her ways. For him, she would, and to be able to include Dani in her life, she would strive desperately to appease Kael's fears. Anything and everything for him. That's all that mattered now: him.

***

The breakfast had gone well. During the entire time, Kael was quite cheerful and talkative. That he gave attention to all there save Dani was hardly noticeable to all but the most observant. Jae Dyn Brael noticed it, and figured it was just apprehension at being around another very beautiful young woman while trying to woo Nieme to him. He already had the girl, her utter devotion was obvious. And, rather cute, she told herself. The undercurrent of tension at the table though, that bothered Jae Dyn. She would have to figure out where it came from and see if the problem could be solved.

Dani was still wearing the skimpy leather outfit she'd arrived in the day before, and Jae Dyn offered a browse through her closet for some extra clothes until Dani could make it into town to buy some of her own. She smiled to herself when she looked over the girl's selections. All leather, except for the workout clothing. For the workout clothes she selected a pair of syrcra pants and a close-fitting tanktop. The syrcra was perfect for exercise and would offer the girl a wide range of movement.

When Dani returned wearing her new workout clothes before the first training session began, Jae Dyn found herself playfully jealous as she noted that she could have never made the clothes look as good as Dani did. Yelara said as much, earning a playful glare from Jae Dyn, and a promise to make her pay later.

Liam and Jae Dyn agreed to work with Nieme and Dani later; with Nieme to make sure she could identify a Force-gifted person, and to teach the skill to Dani. For now though, Liam decided to start their training off with a more physical assessment of their gifts. He'd crafted a pair of practice blades that were weighted like lightsabers, but were just metallic rods with blunted edges.

The three Padawans sat before him looking up in anticipation. "For the first series of tests, I want to see Nieme and Kael spar. Just to see how you act and react now, and to determine what we will need to teach you about working with lightsabers. You may get your blades from Master Jae Dyn, and then enter the circle."

"B-But Master Liam Zaneth...I don't think..." Nieme looked at the blades Jae Dyn was holding in each of her hands and quickly, Nieme shook her head. "I wouldn't know how. I mean...I've never... Do I have to be first, Master? Can't I...can't I just watch then try?"

"Very well," Liam said with a smile. "Dani and Kael will be first." From where she sat, Dani nodded dutifully. Unseen by all, Kael smiled. Dani stood and went to Jae Dyn who handed her the practice blade; Kael already held his and tested it with a practice lunge.

Both fighters moved into the large circle marked into the stone, Kael on one side and Dani on the other. At Liam's signal, they started forward. It was immediately obvious that Kael knew what he was doing with a sword and Dani did not. As she parried one of his thrusts, Liam frowned as the girl seemed distracted.

"Concentrate on the moment, Dani," Liam called. "Keep your thoughts on the here and now."

Dani nodded and raised her blade, holding it in a two-handed grip. She found concentrating difficult as her senses were assaulted by the anger emanating from her opponent. Kael came at her again, and she parried away his attacks. Her reflexes were fast, and she seemed to be reacting with Jedi enhanced speed and intuitiveness. Then the unexpected happened. Kael closed in with a barrage of attacks which pushed Dani back as she defended...and then he thrust out a foot between hers, making sure to bring a boot down on one of her bare feet, and then surged up, sending her off balance. As she struggled to right herself, Kael swung around and smacked his blade against her thigh. Dani cried out in pain.

Liam called a stop to the sparring, but Kael didn't hear him. Dani still tried to defend herself from his assault, until his blade came down on her wrist and knocked her weapon away. When she looked up, she didn't need to see his blazing eyes to know his fury; she felt it through every fibre of her being. Tears poured down her cheeks as she scrambled to get away. She cried out again as the blade flashed against shoulder, arm, and then side. Kael rose up above her with blade raised high and poised to come crashing down on her head, but the panic within had reached a critical point. Calling on untapped reserves from deep within herself, she flung her hands out and thick tendrils of pure Force slammed into Kael and threw him back ten meters. He landed and tried to surge back to his feet. Before he could regain his footing, Liam was there and quickly put the youth down onto the ground again.

"Get Dani out of here," he called out as he fought against Kael trying to get up. "Get her out now!"

Nieme had been watching the entire scene, frozen in terror. Through it all, she could see Kael's light dimming and an ominous glow made of pure darkness suddenly surround him. That sight and the sudden sense that she was losing him frightened her even more. When Liam's voice rang through the training room, Nieme's attention was diverted to Dani, lying on the ground as her body shook with tears. With a quiet whimper of her own, she rushed forth and wrapped her arms around Dani. "My flower...oh my dear, sweet flower. Come on, Dani. Let's get out of here...please."

"Oh gods, Nieme," Dani sobbed as she clung to her friend.

From across the room, Kael saw Nieme rush to Dani and he felt his shatter. "Nieme," he cried out. "Please, Nieme. Oh gods, my love...my arozeil!"

Nieme clenched her eyes shut against Kael's pleas and tried to focus her attentions on pulling the weeping Dani from the stone floor. She slung her friend's arm over her shoulder and helped ease the weight from Dani's injured leg. "L-Let's go. We have to...we have to leave, Dani." She fought back her own tears as the struggle between Liam and Kael continued. It was all her fault. If she'd loved him more... With as much strength as she could manage, she pulled Dani to her feet and helped her along towards the doors of the training area.

Dani limped along out into the hallway with Nieme's help. "Where are we going," Dani asked while trying to ignore the pain wracking her body. "Oh gods, what happened? He was upset, I know. But, why did he do that? He's going to get himself kicked out of here..."

Nieme shook her head slowly and was surprised to feel fresh tears burning her cheeks. "He...he feels threatened by you, Dani. I just...I didn't think he was capable of something like that...something so...evil." A shudder ran through her as she recalled the look in Kael's eyes, the one that conveyed his hunger for blood and revenge. "He's...he'll get better. He just...he needs some time to relax and calm down. He'll be just fine..."

"Dani! Nieme!" Yelara hurried up beside the two and helped support Dani as they moved towards the makeshift infirmary. "Are you okay? Looks like Kael got a bit carried away. You'll be alright though. Don't worry."

Dani smiled at Yelara. "I'll be alright," she said. "Just a few bruises, but I've always healed quickly. You'll probably hardly know anything happened to me by tomorrow morning." She looked at Nieme, and then back to Yelara. "Is he calming down? Maybe you should go to him, Nieme. I think he...he probably needs you right now. I'll be alright with Yelara."

Nieme tensed at the thought of having to peer into Kael's darkness again and held onto Dani tighter for her own comfort. "I don't know if I should. I'm... He was scary, Dani. He was so horrible to you and so frightening... I'll go if you think I should, but I don't want to leave you right now."

Dani kissed Nieme's forehead and swallowed back a sob. "I know I want you with me right now," she said. "Maybe you can go to him later after Master Liam has finished talking to him. For now, I like knowing that you'll be with me. H-he felt like that guy you saved me from yesterday...except Kael didn't want to have sex with me before he hurt me."

Nieme frowned and shook her head in a silent denial of Dani's words. Kael wasn't like that, he wasn't like the bad man she'd tackled and pummelled in a blind rage. She could never hate Kael like she hated that man. She loved him...but she couldn't help thinking whether he truly was the person she'd fallen in love with. He felt different and even his touch was changed - cold and lacking comfort. She needed to be with Dani, now, to seek comfort where she could find none from Kael.

"Look, Nieme, I'm sure Liam will be alright talking to him alone. Once he's done, and once Kael's cooled off, you can see him, okay?" Yelara smiled warmly at Nieme, who only nodded her head dejectedly and stared fixedly at the ground below their feet.

Once they entered the infirmary, they helped Dani onto the examination bed and started in on assessing her wounds. Yelara could tell a jealous rivalry when she saw one, and Kael's jealousy seemed to be almost as destructive and violent as Dargus'. She saw some of herself in Nieme, but the only difference was, Nieme had it worse off. She loved Kael, which would make it all the more difficult to turn her back on him if that's what she wanted. Kael's possessiveness would only end up hurting her in the end, and Dani would be making alot more trips to the infirmary.

If Liam couldn't talk some sense into him, the strife with Dani would only intensify, and instead of banding together to rebuild the Jedi Order, the first two new students would be locked in a bitter struggle, with Nieme caught in the middle.

"Caught in the Middle, Part 2"
by Kael Selrid
Nieme Yaresh (Selrid)
Dani
Liam Zaneth
Yelara Zaneth
Jae Dyn (Kallia) Brael

Location: Jedi Temple, Tae'Karada
Date: Praeda 25, ABY

***

Once Dani was out of the room, Liam finally let Kael up from the floor, but had to stop him from rushing off after them. He was glad Kael hadn't pressed the issue any farther, because despite whatever survival instincts Kael may have acquired on the streets of Thanatos, they'd be no match for a former Dark Jedi.

"What were you thinking," Liam asked calmly.

"I wasn't," Kael said, his eyes flashing with defiance. "It just happened. It was an accident. Don't tell me you've never lost control of your temper, and done things you shouldn't have."

Liam's eyes narrowed as his mind went back to the times before his and Yelara's marriage. He nodded slowly. "So, you thought you'd use the training exercise to kill Dani in front of all of us."

Kael shrugged. "I wasn't trying to kill her."

"Weren't you?" Jae Dyn asked from where she stood across the room. "Did you know that when a person wants another dead, you can see it in their eyes? What we saw in yours was death, and more. You wanted to destroy that girl, for no other reason than that her affections could compromise your hold over Nieme."

"It's not like that," Kael snapped with annoyance. "She's beautiful, and Nieme's already falling under her spell. I had to make Nieme see what's happening!"

"By killing her?" Liam asked. "Or severely maiming her?"

"What you did, Kael, was very wrong," Jae Dyn said, stepping forward. "You tried to hurt, and take the life of another being, and the friend of your arozeil. You walk a path half in shadow and half in light. If you do not make an effort to step fully into the light, we will have to cast you out from the Temple. We can't have the darkness influencing the rest of those here. You must make a choice."

Kael growled in annoyance. "How I behave with my-- arozeil is my own business and none of yours."

"But your behaviour threatened the life of someone not your arozeil!"

"But that bitch was trying to steal Nieme away from me."

Liam stepped forward until he loomed over Kael. "You have to make a decision now," he said. "Stay with us or leave. The choice is yours."

"If I leave," Kael said with defiance, "Nieme will come with me."

Liam nodded and shrugged. "Perhaps, and that would be a blow to what we're trying to do here. But, we cannot allow you to drag everyone down with your petty jealousy. It's enough that you threaten Nieme, but we can't allow that with Dani too."

Kael's eyes widened. "Threaten Nieme?"

"You don't think your fall into darkness is going to drag along the person closest to you in all of the galaxy, do you? If you fall, she'll go with you. Is that what you want? To take Nieme with you into your darkness?"

Kael looked away. "I can't do that," he said.

"Then you need to change your ways," Jae Dyn said. "You need to be mindful of your actions and how they affect others."

Kael nodded slowly. "I'm sorry," he said with a sigh. "I just thought--"

"Dani loves Nieme, but Nieme is completely yours. But you have to understand, Dani is Zeltron. She's empathic and thrives on love and pleasure. Give her enough time and reason, and she'd fall in love with you too."

"I just want Nieme," Kael said.

"Too much more of this," Liam said, indicating the training area where the fight had occured, "and you may lose her."

Kael sighed, and then gave a single resolute nod. "I want to stay here, and I don't want to lose Nieme. Just tell me what I can do."

Liam smiled. "Well, you stay here with Jae Dyn, and I'll go check on Dani and Nieme."

"Thank you," Kael said. "I know I deserve to be kicked out, but...thank you."

Liam turned before leaving. "And, I think later, you'll have to apologize to Dani for what happened today."

Kael blanched. "I--I will," he said. "It's just-- Don't worry, I'll apologize. I'm so...I didn't mean for it to happen."

"I know," Liam said, and then he was gone.

***

Liam stepped into the infirmary and found Dani and Nieme sitting together. Dani had Nieme's hand pressed to her forehead while Nieme played with the fingers on Dani's other hand. Nieme looked up first, and then Dani. As he looked at the two of them sitting there, so comfortable in touching each other and just being together, he could see the bond between them, one that couldn't be broken; and in that bond he could see the source of Kael's jealousy. It was going to be a long difficult road, and Kael would need to learn to control his emotions. Despite the assurances, he could see the trouble still ahead of them.

"I've got him calmed down," he told them. "He says he got carried away, and apologizes. He said it won't ever happen again. I told him that he'd have to come by later to apologize to Dani for what he did. He agreed and feels very bad for hurting you. But for now, I think he should probably see Nieme. Are you up to talking to him, Nieme? I think he needs to talk to you, to make sure you don't hate him now...as he put it."

Nieme looked at Liam with sudden confusion and reluctance, then shifted her gaze to Dani, and all her anxieties slipped away. She squeezed her friend's hand gently and lightly brushed a loose strand of violet hair from Dani's forehead. "I'll only go if you want me to. I-I don't want to leave your side, my Dani."

Dani pulled Nieme into an embrace. "I'll be alright here for a little while," she said. "Just don't leave me for too long. I want to tell you about my trip to Eriado, that's where I had my first Mintaran Sunflower." She pressed her lips to Nieme's. "It'll be okay. He needs to talk to you now, but if you need to, you can always come right back here to me. I'll be waiting."

"You go ahead, Nieme," Yelara called out softly as she moved to Liam's side. "I'll take care of her for you. Don't worry about her."

Nieme looked up at Yelara with a wan smile, then quickly embraced Dani again. "I won't be gone long." She pulled away gently and with a soft laugh, she whispered into her ear, "You taste delicious, my purple flower." With a light kiss upon the cheek, Nieme got to her feet and brushed a hand along Dani's arm. Smiling for Dani, she reluctantly headed past Liam and to the door of the infirmary, disappearing into the hallway but leaving behind her beaming smile to give Dani further comfort and reassurance.

Dani fought back a sob at the sudden detachment, but as Nieme's words echoed in her mind, she smiled. "I love her," she said softly. "And, that's the problem with Kael. He knows I love her, but he thinks I'm trying to steal her away." She looked up at Yelara and Liam. "He doesn't understand."

Liam shook his head. "No," he said, "he only is understanding that you have come into her life and made his role there, in his feeling, less important. Before you, he was her love and her friend, solely in both respects. But, now he has to share the friendship with you, and he's afraid he'll also have to share the love. He fears that your relationship will turn out like ours." Liam took Yelara's hand. "Hopefully she can get through to him."

***

Kael paced like a caged animal out on one of the back terraces. He could feel Jae Dyn watching him and he looked up in her direction and frowned. Why were they treating him like this? He got carried away. At least he didn't kill anyone. It could have been much worse. He just wished Dani would go away so he could have his Nieme back.

His Nieme who chose Dani over him. He tried to not get angry over that, but the pain went too deep.

When he saw her emerge through one of the doorways, his anger fled and he took a step forward. When she was close enough, he bowed his head. "I'm so sorry for what I did, Nieme," he said. "I...I just got carried away."

Nieme looked up at Jae Dyn and silently begged to be left alone with Kael. There were things she needed to say that she wasn't ready for her Master to hear yet, words she herself was not prepared for.

Jae Dyn nodded and then walked away. She paused long enough to give Nieme a look of encouragement, and then she was gone.

He stepped forward with his arms outstretched, seeking to fold her to him and give her the comfort he knew she needed now.

Nieme stepped back quickly and shook her head as she narrowed her eyes at Kael. "What's happening to you?" she said in a frightened whisper. "You tried to kill her. You tried to kill Dani! What is wrong with you?!"

"I wasn't trying to kill her," Kael said. "I was just sparring. That's what we were supposed to do. She was doing really well at the beginning. I misjudged her level of skill, I guess. She's your friend, I wouldn't try to kill her. Why would I try to kill her?"

Nieme shook her head slowly and watched him with a gaping mouth. "What? Why are you lying to me? Your...your colours! They were all dark, Kael. You were mad and you were trying to hurt her! Y-You don't like her because she loves me. But I love you. Why isn't that enough?"

Kael looked away. "Because I'm afraid you'll love her back. I don't want you to fall in love with her, Nieme. I want to be the only one in your heart. It has to be me, not anyone else. I want to be the only one for you, Nieme. I don't want to share you with anyone. I need you to be mine completely, Nieme. I'm your husband now! You can't love anyone else. Just me. You can't. And, I can only love you. And, I'm afraid that because she loves you, you'll love her back."

"I told you, there's only you, Kael! You didn't hurt her because you were afraid, you did it because you're jealous." Nieme took a step closer, despite how fearful she was of Kael. She knew his explanations were lies and excuses, but she found herself desperately wanting to believe them. "If I choose to love her back as a friend, you'll j-just have to accept that. If I end up in her arms, in her bed...it's your own fault, Kael. You're mean to her and when you are, I'm the only one there who can comfort her. And I will continue to comfort her, Kael, so if you want me to stop, then you better stop hurting her."

Kael sighed. "So if I completely ignore her, she won't hug you anymore? And, you won't hug her back? So I stop hurting her, and you won't fall in love with her and she won't hug you anymore. Deal."

"No..." Nieme shook her head slowly and gazed up at Kael with a furrowed brow. "No, that's not what I mean. She'll hug me if she wants, and I will hug her when I want. And you stop hurting her because you realize it's wrong, Kael! Can't you see how wrong it is? You can't just hurt people like that!" Tears trickled slowly from Nieme's eyes as she thought more and more about losing Kael to the darkness she promised to keep him from. He was slipping through her fingers and she didn't know how to make him understand that what he was doing was only bringing him closer to the abyss.

"Kael...when you fought with her today... You used the darkness, Kael. I thought...I thought we left Thanatos so you could keep the darkness away. You left your gang because you knew that what they were doing was wrong. Why can't you see that what you did to Dani was wrong?! What's wrong with you, Kael!? My arozeil...I'm losing you!"

Kael backed a couple steps away from Nieme, his face twisting in silent anguish as the realization of her words felt like they were going to crush him. He shook his head as he tried to deny her words. He knew the difference between right and wrong. He was walking the right path now. He wanted the light; he didn't want the darkness anymore. He needed the light. He needed Nieme, his light. His body trembled with emotion and he brought his hands up to cover his face. He was stopped by the wall, but his legs gave out beneath him. From the ground, he heard a cry of torment escape his lips as his body continued to convulse with the guilt and pain he'd brought onto himself.

"No...no, Kael!" Nieme dropped to her knees and crawled over to Kael quickly. "It's okay...please, my arozeil." Hesitantly at first, she reached out and placed a hand upon Kael's head. Then feeling the sudden torment and anguish wracking his soul, she threw her arms around him and pressed her lips to his forehead. "You're going to be okay, my love. Oh, Kael...don't you see you're doing it all wrong? Don't you see you're going to lose me - lose yourself? Why do you have to do this, Kael? Please, stop doing this!"

"I don't want to lose you," Kael said, his voice an emotion-laden whisper. "I need you, but I don't know... I just saw that...saw the two of you...and I couldn't control myself. I'm so afraid, Nieme. I don't want to lose you, but I don't know if I can not be jealous...especially if I see you with her... I don't want to though... I want us to be okay."

"We were...until you got so possessive. I don't love her like I love you, Kael. I'm your wife, your arozeil...but I don't want to be those things if it means Dani has to suffer just because she can't help but love me." Nieme cradled Kael's face in her hands, and looking into his remorseful gaze, she knew she could never leave him, not when he was suffering like he was. "Can't you see that when she gets hurt, or when anyone gets hurt because of me, I hurt just as much? Do you want me to hurt, Kael? I love you, but if you can't stop this..." Nieme forced back a sob and pulled back from Kael. She raised the arm that wore the bracelet Kael had given her and with her other hand, she clutched it tightly, threatening to rip it free of her wrist. "If you can't stop being jealous, Kael...I'm afraid we can't be married anymore. If you can't stop hurting Dani, or me, or yourself, then...I'm going to have to leave you, Kael. I will tell Liam Zaneth to take me up on his ship, and take me far away from here, and I will never see you again. Do you want that?"

"Oh gods no! Nieme, please! I'll stop being jealous. I'll do everything I can to not be jealous anymore. I won't hurt you anymore, Nieme. I won't ever hurt you again. Ever! I promise, Nieme! I'll be good. Please, I still want to be married to you. I need you."

Nieme tried to appear unaffected by Kael's pleas, and gazed down at him with an implacable, cold stare. "And you won't hurt Dani? And you won't hurt me like you did last night? I...I don't think you should stick your penis in me for a while, Kael. Not until...not until I can trust you again."

Kael looked up at her, shock evident on his face mixed with fleeting outrage. "Please, Nieme...I didn't mean to. I was upset because of what happened. I was wrong. Please don't do that to us...not like that. We love each other, and we need to express that love. I'll be good. I promise, Nieme. I won't hurt you ever again. Please don't do that to us..."

"That...that wasn't love, Kael." Nieme shuddered at the cold chill that accompanied memories of their last two times together. Definitely not love. "I didn't like that thing...that thing we did. I felt like an animal, Kael. It was...disgusting. And you made me hurt. I can forgive you for that, but I think..." Nieme sighed and looked away. "I should sleep in one of the spare rooms for a while, just until I'm sure you're not lying to me. You're bigger than me and if you wanted to--" Nieme stopped herself before she completed her thought, but it was one that had crossed her mind, and unfortunately something she thought Kael capable of. "Just...please. We need some time, Kael. I have to be sure you won't hurt Dani anymore and that you won't fall into the darkness. I-I don't want to lose you to the darkness, Kael."

"I told you I won't hurt you anymore," Kael said. "I can't deal with this, Nieme. You're my wife. We belong together. I won't hurt you. I won't...I won't do anything unless you want me to. Please, don't do this to us." He looked away, and then back in her direction. "Just please make it a spare room, and not Dani's bed..."

Nieme tempered her anger with some sympathy for Kael's situation, and slowly nodded her head. "Not Dani's bed... But...you're going to apologize to her, Kael. Right now. We're going to go to the infirmary, and you're going to beg her forgiveness. Will you do that, Kael? Will you please do that, and not just for me, but because you want to?"

"I won't beg," Kael said, his features suddenly hard. "I'll apologize to her, but I won't beg for anything. I shouldn't have tried to hurt her, and I'll apologize for that; I won't beg though."

With a gentle, resigned sigh, Nieme nodded her head. "As long as you're truly sorry, then that's all I can ask of you." Finally worn out by the control she'd been forced to take of the situation, Nieme sobbed and sank into Kael's arms. "Gods...I love you so much, Kael. I was so afraid I was losing you. Please don't do that again. I want us to always be together, but I want us to be happy too. We...we should take a trip, Kael. We should go away somewhere for a while. Like...like home. Even for a day, just so we can get away from here and find happiness again. Something, Kael...anything!"

Kael nodded as he held Nieme close. "I want to go back," he said. "We can go to the Rhack, and try to find our love again, make it like it was there. And, maybe we can sleep under the stars there, and find our happiness. I want that, Nieme. And, you'd be able to see Orn again. And, maybe do some cooking."

"We should, Kael," she whispered desperately. "We should very soon. We need to make things better. We...we should bring Dani too, just so you can see she's not bad. Please, Kael. You need to see that she's our friend. Can we, Kael? Can we please do that?"

Kael's face showed the pain of her suggestion and he looked away. The debate in his mind was clear in the way he held his body. "Okay," he finally said. "Even though she doesn't belong in the desert. For you, okay. It'll be alright, Nieme. We'll be alright."

Nieme sighed deeply and allowed herself to relax in Kael's embrace. "I'm glad to have my arozeil back, Kael. Please don't ever leave me again. I never want to stop loving you. Please...don't give me a reason to."

Kael smiled and kissed Nieme's forehead. "I never want to go away again," he said. "You will sleep with me, though; won't you? I mean, you don't really want to sleep in one of the spare rooms...right?"

"Kael...I-I'm not sure..." Nieme pulled back and gazed down at the chain on her wrist. She knew she was bound to Kael, but she couldn't bring herself to be with him fully. "We should...we should try it for one night...I think. I think we need to. Do you understand?"

With a sigh, Kael nodded. "I guess," he said. "But things are feeling better already. And...and who'll hold you all alone in another bed?" With another sigh, he shook his head. "If I have to do this to prove that everything is alright, then I will. I'll be your arozeil again. Everything will be good again, Nieme. You'll see. Everything will be perfect."

"No," Nieme said softly as she looked up at Kael. "It'll be perfect once you apologize to Dani." With a gentle smile, she pushed herself to her feet and held out a hand to Kael. "Come on. We can go together."

Kael looked at Nieme's hand for a moment, and then he sighed and put his into hers. He stood and only nodded. As they started toward the hallway that would lead to the infirmary, he finally looked at her. "I'm sorry I caused all this," he said. "I won't be jealous anymore, Nieme. I won't do anything that will lose you. I need you, and I hate seeing you hurt. I'll never do anything that will hurt you again."

Nieme looked up at him with a gentle smile and squeezed his hand. "I know, Kael. I-I believe you. You made a mistake, but you're going to get better now. We'll make you better together." As she gazed up at him with hope beaming in her eyes, they turned into the infirmary and slowly came to a stop at a distance from Dani. "You can do this, my love," she said softly. "Do this for us."

When Kael looked up and saw Dani sitting there, he felt his body stiffen. The grip he had on Nieme's hand tightened, and his insides twisted into a knot. He looked down at Nieme hoping that she would provide him with the strength to do this thing he did not want to do. But for Nieme, he would. If she wanted him to apologize to the girl, he would.

Dani looked between Nieme and Kael. For Kael's benefit, she tried not to brighten too much when her eyes met Nieme's, but she knew she didn't succeed very well. She couldn't hide her joy at even spending time in the same room as her friend.

Kael stepped forward and took a deep breath. "Dani, I--" He looked down at Nieme who was encouraging him with her eyes. "I'm sorry for what I did. It was wrong, and you didn't deserve that. I'm sorry." With a sigh, he looked down at Nieme again and searched her eyes to see if everything was alright now.

She looked up into his eyes and smiled at him warmly. She could do nothing to hide the pride and relief she felt that Dani and Kael would finally be able to have friendship. "Oh," she whispered to Kael. "Tell her about the desert trip. Invite her."

Kael nodded. "Nieme and I are going to be taking a trip to the desert," he said. "And, she-- we'd like you to come with us. We could show you where we grew up, and you could meet Orn." He glanced at Nieme again and sighed. "And, the stars in the desert are beautiful at night. We have a secret place where you can see them clearly. If you'd like to come with us...you can."

Dani smiled and looked at Nieme. "I'd love to come with you," she said. "Nieme was telling me about the desert while we were in Master Liam's ship. Oh, I'd love to see it."

Kael tried to hide his disappointment that Dani would come with them behind a smile. He looked at Nieme and nodded. "I guess we should talk to Liam and Jae Dyn..."

Nieme turned her back to Dani and faced Kael with a joy-filled smile. "Oh, Kael! I'm so proud of you. You make me so happy, Kael. Let's go talk to Liam Zaneth and Jae Dyn Brael. You can thank them for letting you stay at the temple with me. I'll cook a special dinner for you tonight, with all your favourite things. Would you like that?"

"I'd like that very much," Kael said with a smile as he pulled Nieme into an embrace. "And, maybe after dinner, we can have some dessert."

"Oh, yes! I'll make some pie. We have fresh fruit! I've never worked with it, but I can't wait to try and make something with it." Nieme gazed up at Kael, and with the lust prevalent in his eyes, she soon realized he had a different idea for dessert in mind. Trying to hide her apprehensions, Nieme laughed softly and turned back to Dani. "W-We're going to talk to Liam Zaneth and Jae Dyn Brael. Do you want to come with us? You can stay here if you're still hurt, then we can come by and help you to your room."

Dani slipped off the bed and grinned at them both, even though she could still feel Kael's warring emotions. "I'll come with you. I don't like being stuck in here. I think Yelara and Liam went off to have sex." She grinned, and then giggled.

Nieme joined Dani with her own set of giggles and impulsively slipped her hand into her friend's. As she looked up at Kael, she saw his cold, hard gaze drift to their hands, and quickly, she slipped her other hand into his. "I like all of us being friends. It's so much better this way."

Kael nodded with a tight smile, and tensed when Dani kissed Nieme's cheek. With a smile, she stepped closer to Kael and then kissed him on the cheek. He flushed and looked away. "Come on," he said. "We should talk to them before it gets too late."

Walking hand in hand in hand, Nieme suddenly felt optimistic about the future between the three of them. It would take time for Kael to come around, but she was confident he would soon find a friend in Dani. The trip to the desert would bring them closer together, then her dreams truly would become realized. She could be with her arozeil and her purple flower, and neither of them would be denied her love because of jealous rivalries or insecurities. Bringing each of their hands to her lips, she shared her affections among her two loves. As long as her heart beat in her chest, and as long as she had room for both within it, she knew she would never choose one over the other.

"Caught in the Middle, Part 3"
by Kael Selrid
Nieme Yaresh (Selrid)
Dani
Liam Zaneth
Yelara Zaneth
Jae Dyn (Kallia) Brael

Location: Jedi Temple, Tae'Karada
Date: Praeda 25, ABY

***

"Try and find me!" Nieme giggled as she ran through the trees with the sweet dusk dew spraying her face. "Whoever catches me first g-gets their favourite dish for dinner tonight!"

Dani was faster than Kael, and quickly sped out ahead of him as they chased after Nieme. He shook his head and started out toward the side to circle around to catch his wife by surprise. He knew how Nieme thought, and he knew where she'd be hiding. Just like her place back in Thanatos. He strained his ears to listen for her, but could only hear Dani's soft movements as she rushed through the forest. He'd find Nieme. She was his love, and they were drawn together. It wasn't possessiveness or jealousy, it was just that their hearts were tied together.

Despite Kael's assurances that his love would win out in finding Nieme, it was Dani who spotted her first. She squealed with delight and sprinted forward.

Nieme giggled breathlessly as she weaved through the trees. She glanced back to see Dani gaining ground quickly, and with a start and a squeal, she hastened her flight. She was out of her element in the forest and wasn't familiar with her surroundings, but she felt just as home here and let the trees guide her. Nieme spotted a thick grove ahead and with a boisterous giggle, she dodged the draping vines and rushed into it. She took cover between a thick shrub and covered her mouth to keep her laughter from giving her away.

Dani rushed after her but stopped when she couldn't see Nieme anymore. She moved farther on, looking. As Nieme relaxed back thinking that she'd gone, Dani finally sprung behind the shrub. "Found you," she said with a giggle.

Nieme shrieked and jumped to her feet. She spun around quickly and headed away from Dani, but her movements were deterred as her friend's purple, delicate arms wound around her waist. She squealed again and tried to pull away, but as a fit of laughter consumed her, she crumpled to the ground and submitted. "Okay, okay! You won!"

In a fit of giggles, Dani climbed atop Nieme before she could get away again. She straddled her friend, pinning her to the ground as she squirmed to get free. "I won," she giggled. "And, I caught you. And, now you have to cook me my favourite dish!"

Nieme's body shook with wild laughter as she tried to find some way to get free of Dani's trap. With a sigh, she finally gave up her attempt to wriggle away and lay still on the soil with the odd ripple of laughter running through her body. "Okay...what's your favourite dish, my purple flower? I-I can make anything."

Dani leaned down so her face was just above Nieme's. "My favourite dish is...um, well...does it have to be just one? There are so many things that I like, and so many things I haven't even tried that I know I'd love. How about, you make me the things you think are your specialty? Those will be my new favourites for tonight."

"Really? Well, I can make you a dish I created all on my own. It's called Mepat pot pie." She gazed up at Dani with a lazy smile and laughed softly as her eyes focused on Dani's perfectly supple lips lingering near to hers. "When I worked at the Rhack, Orn...he asked me to...to create a dish, something new." Nieme swallowed back the sudden urge she had to kiss her friend's mouth, to taste her sweet flower, and she fought the urge by rambling quickly. "Well...h-he liked the dish so he put it permanently on the menu. Would you like that? I could make that for you? I would really really love to."

Dani nodded slowly. "I'd like that very much," she said. "I love trying new things. I think I drove my parents crazy when I was little because I had just an insatiable curiousity. I've always told myself that I'll try anything at least once. But, I think I'll probably want Mepat pot pie much more than once, especially since it's your specialty."

Nieme smiled nervously, and her breath caught in her throat as she felt herself brushing her hand along Dani's thigh. "I'll make it for you whenever you want it. Anything for my purple flower." She whimpered quietly at the overpowering yearning to press her lips to Dani's, but she knew she couldn't; she couldn't betray Kael. "What...what would you like for dessert?" she asked softly.

"I'd love you," Dani said with a mischievous grin, "but I'll accept whatever you think is the perfect dessert to have after Mepat pot pie. Maybe a fruit pie with fresh fruit."

A blush suffused Nieme's cheeks and she was forced to look away with a bashful smile. "I-I'll make you pie. I promised I'd make one for Kael anyway... I know!" she said with a large grin. "I'll make two! One for you and one for Kael. Then you can both have dessert...with the pies, though. Not...not..." With a shake of her head and a nervous laugh Nieme ended her nervous banter. "We...we should find Kael."

"We should," Dani said with a giggle as she slid off Nieme. "Though, I think you would be a very delicious pie, my solstir'il."

As she helped Nieme to her feet, the heavy trumping mixed with a wet slopping of someone approaching brought both girls around. Kael suddenly broke into the clearing where they were, and Dani nearly laughed. He was wet to the waist and looking both embarrassed and upset at the same time.

Kael's cheeks went red as he looked between them, finally focusing on Nieme. "I, um...I took a wrong turn."

"Oh no!" Nieme laughed uncontrollably and carefully approached Kael as she assessed his soaked clothing. "What...what happened?" She ran her finger through a patch of mud on his cheek. "Did you fall? Kael...what did you do?"

Kael looked at Nieme with bewilderment. "It was just in the middle of the ground. I didn't know they had water...just anywhere. One minute I was running on the ground, and the next I had water up to my hips."

Dani laughed. "You must have run into a stream," she said. "In places like this, you get that. I bet water from the waterfall lake was coming from that. It comes off the hills into that lake, and then it leaves that lake through...the stream that you fell into."

"I didn't fall," Kael said quickly. "I was running, and then it was there. I'm glad the two of you find this so amusing. I should throw both of you in and see how you like it." He grinned mischievously. "So who's first?"

Nieme looked slowly to Dani before the two of them squealed and fled past Kael. "I don't like water!" Nieme cried out before her laughter filled the air. "Dani...she knows how to swim. Get her!"

As Kael's hand just missed her, barely brushing against the bare skin of her back, Dani let out a screech and moved even faster. "Nieme wants your arms around her," she called. "Get her! And, I'll get you for that Nieme! Just you wait!" With another series of giggles, she raced away from Kael who was now sprinting after Nieme.

"Come here, my pretty little desert nymph! All this running around, you need to cool off!"

"No! I-I like the heat!" Nieme giggled exuberantly and yelped as she saw Kael closing in on her. She was desert bred and in the desert, running wasn't the most enjoyable way to the pass the time, not while scorching under the desert sun. She wasn't used to this level of exertion and already her legs were faltering and she was losing speed. Her heart beat furiously in her chest, but with all the excitement, she couldn't stop, no matter how fatigued she was. She looked back again at Kael who was smiling at her hungrily and with a shrill squeal, she veered off the path into a more dense area with many trees behind which to hide.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a purple blur rush past her field of view and a giggle quickly behind it. With a grin, she set into motion behind the purple whirlwind. "Don't think you're faster than me, Dani! When I fill you up with all that pie, you'll never be able to outrun me again!"

"Oh that's your plan, is it?" Dani called as she veered to the left. "It'll never succeed...too much!" She let out another squeal and turned again as a white-haired blur suddenly loomed up in front of her. Powerful strides took her away, and then it was like she had a roped tied around her middle that had snapped tight and held her in place. And, as suddenly as she'd stopped, she lurched forward again and went down headfirst into the stream.

Kael stood on the bank, hand still outstretched where he'd accidentally grabbed the tie holding Dani's shirt in place. He'd managed to stop her by grabbing the shirt, but now he was looking at the skimpy, supple leather top fluttering in his hand and felt a deep blush suddenly suffuse his cheeks. He looked around guiltily, not sure what to do as he stood there. "Um..."

Nieme scampered to a halt by Kael and looked at the purple material hanging loosely in his hand. A thrashing in the water below caught her attention and as she studied the streaming piece of leather in Kael's hand again, she laughed uncontrollably. "I thought I was the only naked woman you liked to look at, Kael!"

"I didn't mean to make her naked," he stammered. "She was running, and I grabbed. Then she was gone...and this was left."

In the water, Dani pulled herself to the edge of the stream, spitting water and laughing. She assumed a pose that gave both Nieme and Kael a clear view of her chest. "If you wanted me naked, Kael," she said, "you just had to ask."

Kael's cheeks darkened another shade of red and he quickly handed the top to Nieme. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to break it. I didn't mean to...oh gods, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to... I didn't mean to... It was an accident!"

Nieme giggled and quickly kissed Kael on the cheek to calm him. "I believe you, but even if you were trying to get her naked, I still don't mind." She moved to the edge of the stream and held out her hand to Dani. "Come, my purple flower. Too much water and you'll wilt."

Dani grinned and put her hand in Nieme's. "Thank you," she said. Then before Nieme could react, quickly pulled her into the water. When they both came up from under the water, Dani quickly made sure Nieme was okay. She knew she was risking much by pulling Nieme in, but she'd made certain to keep her hands on her friend the entire time. She giggled and looked into Nieme's eyes. "Now we match. Well, except for your shirt."

Still overcoming her initial shock, Nieme gasped for air and flailed her arms above the water. "Dani! I still can't swim!" Once her fears settled and she realized Dani had a secure hold on her, she laughed excitedly and looked up at Kael. "Kael, come in!" She cupped her hands and scooped up a handful of water. She threw it towards Kael and did so continuously, giggling and screeching and begging him to join them. "You're already wet. Just come in!"

Kael saw Dani's arms around Nieme and felt a surge within him, but then the rational part of his mind told him what she was doing. Even though she was topless and holding tightly to Nieme, she was only doing it to keep his wife from drowning. With a laugh, he plunged down into the water and started splashing back at the two girls. He had a feeling he was getting the worst of it as handfuls of water kept splashing into his face. Deciding then and there he wasn't going to lose this water fight to a couple girls, he ignored their splashes and started splashing back at them with a vengeance. "Splash me, will you! You and your purple nymph don't have a chance against me! Give up now!"

Nieme squealed then coughed as a mouthful of water sneaked down her windpipe. She'd managed to keep herself from panicking and submerging under the water many times now that Dani's hands were occupied, and she felt her fears of the water that had almost drowned her the other day diminishing. "It's not fair," Nieme shrieked as she attempted to shield herself from the relentless bombardment of water. "Your hands are bigger, Kael! That's not fair!"

"But there are two of you!" he shouted, but kept up his watery assault. "And, don't talk to me about fair! You've got Dani over there half-naked trying to distract me. You're getting what you deserve!"

"You made her half-naked! It's your own fault!" Nieme kept her hands in front of her face as she sloshed forward towards Kael. She was bearing the brunt of Kael's attack now, but when she was finally within reach, she immobilized his arms and smothered his efforts with an embrace. "Now, Dani! Give him all you've got!"

Dani squealed and splashed at Kael again, but her aim wasn't quite as accurate and she ended up hitting both of them repeatedly. Kael was laughing as he tried to get his arms free, but Nieme was clinging to him too tightly.

"Let go of me," he said, "or I'll pull your top off too!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Nieme looked up into Kael's eyes, which were staring intently down at her top. "No!" She yelped and squealed as she released her hold on him and attempted to scramble away through the dense water. "I knew you did it on purpose! Y-You fiend!"

Kael laughed and followed after her. Neither could move very well in all the water, and it didn't help with Dani still splashing them. He caught Nieme's arm and pulled her back to him, bringing another screech from her. With his free hand, he deftly pulled her top up and off. Before she could react, he slipped his arms around her front, and covered her breasts with his hands. "Got you! Now, at the moment, I'm the only thing keeping you all covered up. You're stuck with me now!"

A surprised, astonished gasp caused Nieme's mouth to gape. She stood motionless, staring up at Kael, then slowly down to his hands concealing her breasts...for the moment. Even though the touch was playful, it was much more fulfilling than the less gentle caresses from the past two days. She'd missed the affection from Kael and desperately wanted to bask in it now.

All the torrents of water bearing down upon them seemed a minor distraction to Nieme, and couldn't detract from the moment of pure love and serenity she felt being touched by Kael. With a gentle whimper, Nieme turned around and leapt into Kael's arms, clinging tightly to him. She kissed him fervently on the lips and cheek while whispering professions of love into his ear. "You make me so happy, Kael," she said ardently. "I don't want this moment to end. Please don't let it end."

"I'll never let it end," he whispered back and then kissed her. The water ceased its cascade as he clung to her and lost himself in his desire for her. In that moment, he knew what he'd almost lost earlier and now he vowed to never do anything again that would jeopardize it. He needed her more than anything, and without her he knew he couldn't live. Everything else was forgotten as he expressed all his love to her through their kiss.

Nieme slid her legs slowly up and around Kael's waist, entwining them there and holding herself tightly pressed to Kael. She breathed heavily against his cheek as the kiss broke and she embraced tenderly. "Tonight, for dessert," she whispered to him, "you can have anything you want. You...you can have me, Kael."

"I don't just want you tonight," he said as he walked with her to the bank of the stream, "I want you for always."

From the center of the stream, Dani watched with glazed eyes. The emotions coming from both Nieme and Kael sent her heart pounding in her chest and a tingling warmth between her thighs. She slowly backed to the opposite side of the stream, away from where Nieme and Kael seemed to be lost in their own world together. The beauty of them was wonderful, so pure and focused. She could see the love Nieme held for him, and the love he had for her. It was truly beautiful.

Kael brushed his lips down to Nieme's chin and to her throat, kissing her needfully. "I love you, Nieme."

"I love you too, my arozeil. Please don't ever stop giving me reasons to love you." Nieme worked her hands beneath Kael's water soaked shirt and smoothed them over his chest. She kissed him again, slowly and tenderly, not wanting to rush the moment she feared there would be few of. "I want to be in your arms tonight, Kael, but I'm not sure yet if...if you're ready for more than that. I-I don't want us to go back to what happened today. I don't want it to happen all over again."

At her words, the light in Kael's eyes dimmed and his face seemed to crumble. "But...I don't understand, Nieme. I don't understand at all. All this out here...and you still don't believe I'm ready for us to be back together? I don't want us to go back either...but...but what about where we are now? What about how you were kissing me, and the look in your eyes? I want to make love to you, Nieme. I want to express my love for you with my body...like our first time. Like the time with your beautiful sunset dress." He looked into her eyes, his own pleading. "I only want to love you, nothing else matters."

"It does to me. Dani matters to me." Nieme ran her hand along his wet cheek and said quietly, "If we can do this again, if we can run through the forest laughing, if we can do that without you being jealous for a moment, then I-I can give you more than one night. But until then..." Nieme slowly looked away from Kael, and in the corner of her eye, she saw Dani's purple glow. With a sigh, she glanced back at Kael. "Will there be more happy times, with her, Kael?"

"I want there to be," Kael said softly. "She's your friend, and you deserve to have fun with her...around. You deserve to have fun with her. Your happiness matters to me, Nieme. If you're happy being Dani's friend, then you have to be Dani's friend. I'm not jealous. I'm fine. I haven't been jealous at all. I have no reason to be jealous."

Nieme sighed softly and smiled at Kael with all the love she felt for him in that moment. "You're not jealous anymore?" Nieme laughed and tightened her embrace. "Oh, I love you, Kael. I'm so glad you're not jealous." She looked back to Dani and smiled happily. "He's not jealous, Dani! Now we can all be friends. Isn't that wonderful?"

Dani grinned happily from where she sat watching, and let out a squeal of delight. "It's truly wonderful," she called out.

Kael nodded slowly at Nieme. "Everything is fine now," he said. "Everything will be perfect from now on. Everything."

"And it'll be even more perfect once I make you both my famous Mepat pot pie." Nieme pressed her lips to Kael's, then with a giggle she slid back into the water. "We should go. I have so much preparation to do!" She moved past Kael and crawled out of the water with heavy laughter. "My shirt!" she shrieked. "You haven't lost my shirt, Kael, have you?"

A look of panic crossed Kael's face as he suddenly looked around. "I thought I-- Over there, I thought I put it over there after I pulled it off you. Isn't it on the bank? I put it there! Oh, I'm sorry, Nieme. We'll find it! I'll just...I'll follow the stream down until I see it. It'll be alright!"

"Kael...but what if it gets deep? Kael, you can't swim!" Nieme reached out and tugged on Kael's arm, trying to pull him back and deter him from the futile search. "It's...it's okay...I think. I'll just...I can wear your shirt!"

Kael looked around and then nodded. "Oh...right! You can wear my shirt," he said. He quickly pulled it off and handed it to her. "How silly of me not to think of that. Will you be alright in that? I'm sorry, Nieme. I didn't mean to lose your shirt. I thought it was on the ground up there. I guess in all the excitement...but now you have my shirt to wear."

Nieme smirked at Kael and quickly swiped the shirt from his hand. "Yes...I'm sure it was all an a-accident." She placed the soaked shirt over her head, but despite how uncomfortable wearing a wet shirt was, she was at least grateful it wasn't white. "I-I can get another shirt. But I really liked that one..." she said with a playful pout.

"We can go into the city," Kael said quickly. "I'll get you another one! And, one...one to replace the shirt from yesterday too. I'll get you more than that too. Lots of shirts like that. How does that sound?" He moved closer to her and snaked his arms up and around her. "And, maybe we can take Dani shopping too."

Nieme's face lit up with growing excitement and she quickly wrapped her arms around Kael's neck, squeezing far too tightly. "Shopping! She likes shopping and I like shopping... Dani, did you hear that? Oh, Kael...thank you for this. Thank you, my love."

From the other side of the stream, Dani giggled. "He'll be sorry for that one," she said. "I don't think he knows what he's getting himself into!"

Kael tried to laugh, and when he realized he was having trouble breathing, he made a wheezing sound and croaked Nieme's name. "Air!"

"Oh!" Nieme unlocked her arms from their vice-like grip around Kael's neck, and she fell back on her hands with a giggle. "I'm sorry. You...you just got me all excited, my arozeil." She smiled sweetly at him then crawled farther up the bank and hopped to her feet. With a grin, she glanced back at Kael and Dani, suddenly sensing that things were turning around for them, and that they'd finally come to a peaceful settlement in their relationships. Her trust in Kael would have to slowly be restored, but their time in the forest was turning out to be a good start. "Are you two coming?" Nieme called out as she backed away from the stream. "Or am I going to have to make you chase me again?"

Kael quickly hurried after Nieme while Dani picked her way across the water. She held her water-soaked boots in her hand and there was no sign of her top. Once on the other side, she hurried after them just as Kael was catching up to Nieme. He slipped an arm around her and nuzzled her neck. "This part of the day has been fun," he said. "I didn't expect it to be, but it was."

"And you had fun with Dani too." Nieme smiled as she looked back at her purple friend and held out a hand to her. "Don't want you getting lost, Dani. You can walk up front with us."

Dani hurried forward and slipped her hand into Nieme's. She felt Kael bristle, but he calmed quickly. From the corner of her eye, she could see him glancing over at her breasts and then looking away. She smiled to herself and let herself walk happily at Nieme's side. "I don't want to get lost out here either," she said. "I don't want to miss dinner. That and wandering out here alone doesn't seem like a very nice thing to do...especially without my top. I mean, I don't mind...it's just that I think I'd get pretty cold."

"Well, Kael's good with directions. W-We both grew up in the desert and it helped to know where you were going, especially when you had to evade the gangs." Nieme missed the exchange between Kael and Dani, and seeing Dani's bare chest seemed almost natural to Nieme now. "Kael was in a gang, you know. But not anymore. He's...he's better now."

Kael laughed. "You make it sound like an illness," he said. "I was the leader of the gang, but I decided I'd rather be with Nieme and be a Jedi. So here I am. And, don't worry, I don't think Nieme would be able to sleep if you were lost out here. She'd have both of us out here until you were found."

Nieme laughed and nodded her head enthusiastically. "And I would find you too, Dani. I can see your colours. They're nice and bright again...but not too bright. Not...not dark like today after..." Her smile grew almost somber as she thought back to the training session earlier in the morning. "I-I didn't like your colours today, but it wasn't your fault...it wasn't anyone's fault. But you're nice and purple and wonderful again. And Kael's nice again too. I like it like this."

Dani smiled. "Me too," she said. Kael only walked in silence, content to have Nieme's hand in his once more.

"Caught in the Middle, Part 4"
by Kael Selrid
Nieme Yaresh (Selrid)
Dani
Liam Zaneth
Yelara Zaneth
Jae Dyn (Kallia) Brael

Location: Jedi Temple, Tae'Karada
Date: Praeda 25, ABY

***

It wasn't long before they could see the Temple rising up from the forest. The winding path took them around toward the front to where the speeder sat floating on a cushion of nothingness. Once they were near the door, Dani crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't want to give everyone a peek," she said.

"Oh, don't worry about Liam Zaneth and his girls. They're probably...busy." Nieme glanced at Kael and smiled knowingly. "Probably very very busy."

Dani laughed and then dropped her hands to her sides. "You just want to see my breasts, you nymph," she said. "When we get in there, I should probably get dressed. Maybe a shower first though. Are you going to start making dinner right away? Or did the two of you have plans?"

Nieme looked up at Kael, and shrugged her shoulders. "I-I don't know, Kael. Did we have plans?" She turned to Dani with a smile. "You can go and have your shower. Kael and I will take care of everything. If...if you needed some clothes, you could go borrow some of mine, although they might not fit you very well. You are much...fuller, than I am, but not too full. You're just...just right."

"Thank you," Dani said with a grin. "I borrowed some clothes from Master Jae Dyn. Her chest is a little larger than mine, but otherwise they fit well. And, she loves leather too. But, thank you very much for the offer. I may have to try borrowing one of your shirts sometime. I really like them."

They entered the Temple, and Kael looked down to Nieme. "Did you want to have a little private time alone in our room," he asked with a smile.

Nieme's hand squeezed Dani's tighter upon detecting the underlying subtext in Kael's suggestion. He was her arozeil and his husband, but suddenly the idea of being intimate with him made her as apprehensive as she was their first time. She looked to Dani, not certain if she was searching for an excuse not to be with Kael, or the courage to be. "I...I...guess..." Nieme smiled tightly at Dani, then looked up at Kael and nodded uncertainly. "Okay...p-private time, Kael. But not for too long. I...I have to cook."

Kael pressed his lips to Nieme's throat. "Not too long," he said happily. "When Dani finishes her shower, then we can go to the kitchen and help you cook. How does that sound?" He looked up into her eyes. "Some private time for me and you, and then all three of us in the kitchen to help you make dinner."

Nieme grinned shyly and giggled as she looked away from Kael. "I...I think we could do that..." She gazed at Dani and quickly kissed her on the cheek. "Me and Kael... We'll see you at dinner, Dani. And...and if you did want one of my shirts just...well knock and I'll...I could slip one under the door."

"My thanks to you, my sorstir'il," Dani said and then turned Nieme's hand over and kissed her palm. "I will see you two soon." With that, she skipped off ahead of them singing to herself with a voice that was nearly angelic.

Kael watched for a moment and then laughed. "She's strange," he said. He made himself forget the name Dani had called Nieme. He knew it would only make him upset, so he needed to just put it out of his mind. "Come on, my love. I don't want to waste even a second of time that we could share."

"O-Okay, Kael." As they walked briskly to their room - Kael seemingly in a rush - Nieme found herself trying to lag behind. She didn't know if Kael could keep himself from getting too excited and hurting her again, but with how much she missed being with the gentle Kael, she hoped he would make an appearance this time. "So...private time... What...what are we going to talk about, Kael? Oh, we could talk about... Well, what kind of pie would you like? I've never made pie before but I'm sure with your help, we could think of many different kinds to make."

"Anything you make is perfect," Kael said to her. "What kinds of things do you have to make into a pie? I think just picking one of those and using it would be good." As they entered their room, he closed the door behind them. He smiled at her and approached. "I think the only thing I'm interested in right now is arozeil pie." He caught her in his arms and pulled her to him. Before she could say anything, he kissed her.

She'd known pie was the last thing on Kael's mind, but it was the only thing she could think of to try and divert his attention from the one thing she wanted more than anything, but also the thing she was dreading. Nieme moaned quietly as Kael's hands roamed across the flesh beneath the shirt she wore. She wanted to be with her husband, to caress his face while they slowly made love for the sole purpose of expressing their affection for one another. She wanted to be his Kir'Thanan sunset, and let the light shine upon their union again and help her find the happiness they'd shared for so short a time. "Kael..." she whispered. "You...you won't... Can we do it like the first time? Can we just do it like we used to?"

Kael lifted Nieme into his arms and carried her to their bed. He lay her down in the center of it, and then followed her up onto it. His hands slowly worked to get her pants free while his lips found hers. Once he had her pants open, he pushed her shirt up and over her head and then tossed it aside. While he worked to remove her pants, he moved his lips to her breasts, bringing out a moan from Nieme. "I love you," he whispered. "I'm going to show you everything's fine now, Nieme. I'm going to show you how much I love you."

"But...I know how much you love me, Kael." She whimpered quietly and sighed as his hands smoothed over her bare flesh. "I...you don't have to show me, Kael. I want you to...but you don't have to..." She kissed Kael deeply and despite her feeble attempts at distracting Kael from proceeding, she moved her hands to his pants and tried feverishly to pry them open. "I...I want it to be like it was in the desert. Wasn't that nice, Kael? Oh...it was so nice. You sang to me, and we...we just held eachother. I liked that..."

Kael started singing softly as he helped Nieme with his pants. He kept his eyes on hers, interrupting the song every once in awhile to brush his lips against hers. Finally, he gazed at her for a long moment before shifting his body until it pressed against hers. "My arozeil."

"Kael..." Nieme closed her eyes and smiled as she hummed along with the familiar song he'd first wooed her with. "I'll always be your arozeil..." She moaned and pressed her hips into Kael's while her fingers lightly traced out the contours of his face. "I'll always love you...no matter what, Kael." She entwined her legs with his and let her moans coax him into entering her. "Please... I...I don't want to sleep in the spare room, Kael. Please don't make me sleep there. I-I want to be here with you...only you, Kael."

With a moan of his own, Kael entered Nieme slowly. He gazed down into her eyes, full of love for him and he knew his love was reflected back to her. "I want you with me," he whispered into her ear. "I want you with me always, Nieme. I don't want to spend even one night away from you, never again. I'll never give you another reason to be afraid, to doubt our love. It will be like it was, Nieme. No more jealousy, no more anger!"

"I believe you." Nieme kissed Kael's neck and shoulder with her trembling lips, and smoothed her hands over his strong back. "You'll only be bright...so bright. But...but not too bright..." She cried out quietly, then whimpered as she and Kael shared in their lovemaking, instead of he taking and she being left feeling empty, and cold. "Not so bright like Liam Zaneth," she said with a sigh, "but just bright enough."

"Just bright enough," Kael said. Then he covered her lips with his own, partially because he wanted to kiss her and partially because she did have a tendency to ramble on and on. He smiled to himself and realized he liked this way of stopping Nieme from rambling. He could feel her body trembling beneath him and he knew she was getting nearer to her climax.

Nieme found herself still talking into Kael's mouth, but the words transformed into a shrill moan as his tender dance against her body filled her with the ecstasy that had been missing. Her chest heaved against Kael's and she found her hips swaying desperately against his. She understood now the haste with which he'd taken her the other night, she understood the overwhelming yearning to truly meld with the one person that held your heart and warmed your soul. She loved Kael and vowed to try and understand him better so she could continue to love him despite all he did.

Nieme pulled her lips from Kael's and let out a choked cry as the emptiness she'd been feeling was suddenly filled by Kael's seed. Beneath his weight, she managed to arch off the bed, wrapping her arms tightly around him to stop her body's shuddering. Her body relaxed against the bed and with a breathless laugh she kissed Kael ravenously. "I love you...I love you so much. I want to be with you tonight and always. I need you...I need this, Kael."

Kael held Nieme for a long time after, just content to have her in his arms and to feel her so close. He couldn't imagine life without her in it, and knew he would do whatever it took to make sure she was always with him, and he her. He finally gazed down into her eyes, kissed her softly, and said, "I love you, Nieme. I am so sorry for what I did before. I promise I'll never do anything like that again, because I couldn't live without you as my arozeil, my wife, or my happiness. I love you."

Before Nieme could say anything, there was a gentle knocking at the door.

Nieme looked up at Kael nervously. Thoughts of Jae Dyn Brael or Liam Zaneth finding them together made her stiffen and surge up out of the bed, knocking Kael to the side. "W-Who is it? Uh...we were...we'll just be a minute!" Nieme whimpered and hurried to find her divested clothing. "Oh no, oh no," she whispered fearfully. "They're...they're going to find us!"

There was a giggle from the other side of the door. "It's me," came Dani's voice. "I finished with my shower, and you guys weren't out." She giggled again, and sang softly, "I know what you were doing..."

Nieme looked at Kael, and with a giggle, she dropped the clothes she had gathered and ran lightly to the door. She opened it to reveal Dani still wrapped in a towel from her shower, and in Nieme's excitement and relief, she grabbed Dani's hand and pulled her into the room. "I thought...I'm glad it's you and not Liam Zaneth or Jae Dyn Brael. They know...but I don't want them to see."

Dani glanced between Nieme and Kael and grinned. "I think you two are all made up now," she said. "And, don't worry, I don't think either of them are over here. I thought I heard voices out toward the dining place. From what I've seen so far, Yelara is the one you have to watch for. She likes to snoop, I think. When I was with her in the infirmary earlier, you should have heard the questions she was asking me. I like her." She glanced over at Kael trying not to be too embarrassed, and trying to fight the urge to quickly cover himself from her view. "It felt like you two were...it felt beautiful."

Nieme's eyes drifted to Kael and with a dreamy smile she said, "It was beautiful." She giggled excitedly and pulled Dani deeper into the room. "He sang to me," she whispered. "Oh...he's really wonderful, Dani. That person he was today...it wasn't the real Kael. He was gentle and loving...this is the real Kael, Dani."

Dani grinned and looked over at Kael on the bed who was now looking more comfortable with her presence in the room, but less comfortable with Nieme's praise. "It's very nice to meet you Real Kael," she said. She turned back to Nieme and excitedly took her hands. "When I came out of the shower and was going to my room, I felt you guys in here. Oh wow, it nearly knocked me over. The amount of love mixed with desire was almost overpowering. I'm so happy to see you two happy. I felt you in here after I first got here, when I was in my room-- in my room...but this time was more beautiful than that."

Nieme sighed softly and mused about how much more beautiful their lovemaking would be now that she'd gotten her Kael back. With a laugh, she moved with Dani to the edge of the bed and sat down upon it. "Did you come in here to...to see what we were doing? Or-- Oh!" Nieme jumped to her feet again and rushed towards the clothing cabinet with Dani in tow. "You wanted a shirt. I don't have many, but any you like are yours to borrow. When we go shopping tomorrow, we can buy so many more!"

Dani fumbled to keep her towel in place, though with both Nieme and Kael completely naked she didn't think they'd mind if she were. She was about to tell Nieme that she had shirts to wear, but then decided to accept the offer. She didn't know if Nieme would be offended if she refused, but she had a strong feeling that she'd be delighted if she accepted. "I didn't really come in here to borrow a shirt," she said. "I just came by to see how long you were going to be, but then you pulled me inside. So, now that I'm here, I'd love to borrow one of your shirts." She grinned. "But you have to pick it for me."

"Me?" Nieme looked confused for a moment, then smiled and pushed Dani back towards the bed. She placed her hands on Dani's shoulder, then gently sat her down upon the edge. With a giggle, she skipped along towards the cabinet and began humming Kael's song as she rifled through it. "Oh, I think you would look wonderful in yellow. Yellow and purple...oh what wonderful colours." Nieme weeded out the shirt and turned around with it held over her chest. "What do you think? Kael?"

Kael smiled at the shirt. "I think it's a very pretty shirt," he said. "But, I think to be certain, I'd have to see it on Dani...or at least with her holding it."

"Oh...you're probably right." Nieme held out the shirt in front of her as she approached Dani. "I hope it fits. It's pretty stretchy..."

Dani nodded as she took the shirt from Nieme. She glanced between both her friends and giggled. She set the shirt on the bed and stood up. As she did, she untucked her towel and let it fall to the floor. She pulled the shirt on. It was a tight fight and left little to the imagination, but it did fit and the colour seemed to glow and come alive on Dani's body. She turned to them and grinned. "Well?"

Nieme took in a deep breath and smiled with approval. "I love it! It...it's bright, but not too bright. It brings out the purple. Doesn't it match perfectly, Kael? Oh, it just lights up your face!"

On the bed, Kael grinned and nodded. "It looks very good," he said. "If you go out wearing it though, I highly recommend pants or a skirt...or at least a conveniently placed leaf." He laughed, and tried to surreptitiously cover himself with some of the bedding. "It...you...um, it definitely makes you look beautiful."

Nieme laughed and rushed up to Dani with her arms outstretched. "It's going to be a wonderful evening tonight," she said as she embraced Dani. "I'm going to make a delicious meal and then after we can play games and have dessert and just have so much fun!"

Kael winced slightly as Nieme threw herself into Dani's arms. Dani on the other hand was quite delighted to have her there. "It'll be so much fun. I'm going to like it here after all. I think everything's going to work out just perfectly. And, we'll all be friends. And, we'll visit the desert together. And, we can go running in the woods every day! Hopefully we won't fall in the water every day though. But, I'll teach both of you to swim. That'll be so fun and wonderful. We're going to love it here!"

Nieme was so overjoyed, she wanted to kiss Dani on the lips, but despite her excitement, she was still quite aware of Kael in the room, watching them closely. She casually slipped from Dani's embrace and laughed as she picked up her towel. She handed it to Dani with a grin. "And you're going to love my Mepat pot pie too. You can go finish changing and...and Kael and I will change too and then we can all go start dinner together! You can...you can help chop things!"

Dani giggled and wrapped the towel around herself again. "I'll see you in a couple minutes then," she said. "I'll wait in the hall for you." With that she hugged Nieme once more, kissed her on the lips, and then skipped from the room vaguely aware of the tense silence she'd left behind her.

Nieme moved slowly to the door and closed it. She turned back hesitantly towards Kael, afraid of seeing the anger that might be consuming him, and smiled nervously. "My arozeil...we...we should get ready. I bet Yelara Zaneth is craving her carbosyrup by now." Nieme lowered her head and moved to the cabinet to select her clothing for dinner, and giving her an excuse to avert her gaze from Kael.

Kael hopped out of the bed and moved quickly to retrieve some clean clothes. As he did, he brushed his fingers over Nieme's shoulders, and paused to kiss one shoulder blade. "I never thought there could be a person out there that could be that happy," he said. "I wonder if she ever really gets upset. I mean, even after today...she...she hardly seems affected. Did you notice that? I was so mean to her, but she was out there running with us like...like nothing happened."

Nieme gave a relieved sigh and turned around to hug Kael. "She's not like us," she said softly. "Her people like being happy, not angry or sad. That's why she's so affectionate and her colours are nice all the time." She gazed up into Kael's eyes and smiled gently. "She wants you to be happy too, Kael. She likes it when you're happy and I'm happy because it makes her happy too. That's all she wants."

Kael slipped his arms around Nieme. "It's so strange," he said. "Someone like that almost seems... If I didn't know you, having grown up in Thanatos, I wouldn't have thought it possible for someone like that to exist. It seems like so much of my life has been surrounded by hate. But you thrive on love and happiness, trying to find the best in everything...and she seems the same way." He grinned. "It's no wonder the two of you have worked so well as friends."

"And I want you to be friends too. Knowing the two of you don't hate eachother is what will make me the happiest, Kael. I know I can't choose between either of you...and I don't think I'd want to have to." Nieme kissed Kael lightly upon the lips, then gave him a warm smile. "Before I-I met you, I'd never known what having a real friend was like. I guess it was a very good thing that we found eachother."

Kael nodded and returned Nieme's kiss. His heart was pounding in his chest and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer to the question on the tip of his tongue. Her words sent a shiver of dread through him, but in her eyes he saw her unquestionable, unconditional love for him. He took a breath. "Do you...um...do you love her, Nieme?"

Nieme's breath caught in her throat, both at the abruptness of the question and because of the sudden inability she had in finding the answer. Knowing she could never lie to her arozeil, Nieme lowered her eyes to the ground and shook her head slowly. "Kael...I don't know. I mean, I don't think I could ever love her like I love you, but as a friend, I care for her so much. But love her? Love her as more than a friend?" She slowly gazed up at him again and smiled wanly. "I don't know that."

Kael nodded slowly, and then kissed Nieme, savouring her taste on his lips. "I understand," he said. "And, it's alright. She's your friend, and she's a very good friend for you. And, I really don't think I could stop you from loving her if I wanted to...and it'd probably only drive you further to her if I tried. I don't want to do that ever again. I know you are my heart, and I'm yours...and it's wrong of me to try to control your feelings like that. Whatever happens, happens."

"You...you mean that?" Nieme laughed happily as she tightened her embrace. "I'll never let you push me away, Kael. I know you don't mean to be mean, but I won't leave, not if I can make you good again." She kissed him tenderly upon the cheek, then pulled back to look up into his eyes. "You get two pies tonight. And if you're really very good during dinner, you'll get a third." With a gentle giggle, she brought her hand down and brushed it along his shaft. "How would you like that arozeil pie again tonight?"

Kael gave a contented sigh and nodded languidly. "I think I would like that very much," he said. "And, I think I want to try another position...but one I think you'll enjoy very much."

"Really? Not...not like the other one where I couldn't touch you or kiss you. I didn't like that one at all."

"Me neither," Kael said softly. "When we make love, you're so beautiful...and I couldn't see that. This time, this next one, will be very different. It'll let us look into each other's eyes and touch each other...and it'll be perfect. I think you'll like this way a lot."

Nieme giggled excitedly and hopped about in Kael's arms. "I wish we could try now!" She groaned playfully and pouted as she stopped jumping about wildly. "We have to go now though. It's not nice to get me all excited, Kael, when I'll have to wait so very long to see what I'm excited about."

Kael quickly pulled Nieme over to the bed with him. "Really quick," he said. "A hint of what's to come later on."

"But...but Dani will be waiting...and Yelara Zaneth and Masters..." Nieme's curiousity overshadowed any protests she raised and soon she was willingly letting Kael lead her towards the bed. "Quick? You promise?"

Kael looked into her eyes and sighed. "Do you think you can hold out until after dinner? I really don't know about the quick part. I would rather take our time than hurry to get it done. Do you think you can wait? I think I can, but I may need to touch to get me through..."

"I like touching," Nieme said with a shy smile. "You can touch all you w-want during dinner. Just don't make me squeal or they'll...they'll know. And I promise not to make you all blushy and smiley."

Kael laughed and then kissed Nieme again. "Let's get dressed quick before Dani thinks we're having sex again. And, then we'll go make your masterpiece of a meal."

"Dani thinks we're always having sex." Nieme giggled and moved back to the cabinet. "She...she can feel us. I think that's why she likes having private time too sometimes. We make her...excited."

Kael laughed. "Well, I'll bet we'll really get her going tonight," he said. "And, when she came in she did look a little flushed. I wonder if she had to find a little relief before getting dressed." He smirked and moved over to start gathering his clothes. "Maybe next time we're in the city we can get her a little present. I've heard they make these things for women who don't have men to use down there, and they actually vibrate and stuff. I wonder if she'd like something like that."

Nieme paused for a moment and her eyes widened as Dani's words from their first day in the city suddenly made more sense than they ever could have before. "Oh! Oh...that's what she meant when she said she needed to go shopping for things because she couldn't be celibate." Nieme's face felt warm and she pressed her hands to her cheeks as she giggled bashfully. "I think she'd like that very much. Very much indeed."

Kael laughed. "Well, I guess it'll be a gift put to good use," he said as he pulled on his pants. "At least until she can find someone to have sex with."

Nieme grinned and nodded quickly. "That means we'll have to start looking for other p-padawans for the temple." Her smile suddenly grew and she bounced excitedly again. "That means more people to cook for!"

Kael grinned. "Just as long as you have time left over for us," he said. "We do have our own cooking to do in private. You do make quite the feast, my love." He took her hand into his. "Are you ready, my arozeil?"

Nieme nodded quickly and in her excitement, practically dragged Kael to the door. "I'm always ready for cooking!" With a sly grin she glanced back at Kael and, surprising even herself, she said silkily, "And I'm always ready for feasting on my arozeil."

As Nieme pulled him out into the hall where Dani was waiting, Kael had no response other than to gape. As the three of them walked through the halls of the temple together, he could only hope the dinner would be a short one and he and Nieme could find some private time in their room with Dani on the other side of the wall. He grinned at the thought that his and Nieme's appetites would be driving their purple friend crazy. As long as she didn't try to satisfy her urges with Nieme, he was perfectly happy being her friend.

***

"Remember, Kael," Nieme hollered above the sound of sizzling grease, "don't cook the Hojet too long or you'll burn it." She smiled at Kael, then moved to Dani's side and quickly gave her a refresher demonstration on how to chop the Binda fruit for the pie. With a yelp, she ran over to the oven to check on the Mepat pot pie she'd almost forgotten about. "Has Yelara Zaneth stopped complaining yet about being hungry? I keep telling her we're almost d-done but she keeps complaining about her stomach hurting."

Dani giggled. "I've only been here for a day," she said, "and that's been long enough to realize that Yelara Zaneth will complain about being hungry only if she isn't shoveling the food into her face at the time. I think if she didn't have to chew, she'd complain then too!"

Kael laughed as he remembered the first time he'd watched Yelara eating Hojet. He wondered what sort of treat in wetter manners she'd give them tonight. It didn't seem to bother anyone, especially not Yelara. Though, Liam Zaneth did appear a little flustered by his wife's lack of concern for anything resembling table etiquette. "Just make sure you don't get your hand near her mouth at the table."

Nieme laughed, despite the throbbing headache she'd had since they'd gotten into the kitchen. She was glad Kael and Dani were getting along so well and hoped it wasn't merely a display to spare her feelings and lure her into the false illusion that they truly were friends. It made her smile despite the discomfort, and she smiled even more as Kael and Dani continued their discussion on Yelara's eating habits. "Since we're talking about Yelara Zaneth, don't forget to make another batch for her with carbosyrup glaze, Kael."

"I've already got the carbosyrup ready," Kael said. "And, I've got two batches, one with, one without. I figure we've got the kitchen for it, so I figured why not just go crazy with the dinner?"

Dani laughed. "Thank you," she said. "It's too sweet. I had some when I got to the shipyards, and haven't been able to stomach the stuff since. And, she puts it on everything! Did you see that taza apple? It was dripping!"

Nieme joined in with the laughter, but she no longer had any idea what the conversation was about and could barely concentrate on what they were discussing let alone continue cooking. Their voices were muffled by the loud throbbing in her ears and with the pain that accompanied it, the kitchen began to shift and sway in her field of vision. She knew the familiar signs, and also knew what was coming next, but it didn't deter her from trying to stop it.

Nieme clenched her eyes shut and placed her hands firmly on the edge of the range to steady herself. When the darkness consumed her vision, two orbs, more black than the darkness itself, stood out like two frightening beacons. "No," she whispered fearfully. "G-Go away."

The joke Kael had been telling stopped dead in the middle as both his and Dani's attention was suddenly drawn to Nieme. Panic hit both at the same time, and they abandoned their tasks and raced toward her. Dani caught Nieme around the waist while Kael took her hands as he frantically tried to gain her attention.

As the two spheres drew nearer, they seemed filled with pools of liquid darkness, that soon surrounded her, threatening to drown her. "I-I can't swim," she shrieked. "No! I don't know how to swim!" Nieme flailed her limbs and thrashed to try and keep her head above the rising abyss, but the more she fought, the faster it rose. The sludge began taking form around her, and tendrils of it shot out and wrapped themselves around her waist and arms. "No!" She tried to break free of their hold, but their grip tightened the more she struggled. She finally managed to get her arms free and began desperately clawing at the vice still constricting her waist.

Kael tried frantically to catch the hands Nieme had ripped from his grip with strength that belied her small frame. It took everything Dani had to keep herself from being thrown off Nieme as well.

"Get her away from the range," Kael cried and Dani immediately started dragging her away from objects that would injure.

Nieme's panic was making it hard to think, and the other emotions coming from her twisted Dani's stomach. Too much more of this and she'd be sick. Without thinking, her body reacted to the assault and released pheromones in the air hoping to calm her friend and reduce the painful forces of emotion reaching out in waves.

She kicked and writhed to free herself from the constraints she felt still trying to hold her in place, when before her, the pool began to bubble and ripple. Steam began rising and the sludge grew warmer to the touch. Nieme tried to draw back, but all around her was the darkness, never ending and providing no route of escape. "It...it burns!" Nieme shrieked and desperately tried to wipe the hot, black liquid from her arms slowly eating away at her flesh. She whimpered piteously and shook her head quickly to try and drive away the vision, to beg it to free her mind, but it only took on a frightening new turn.

With a sudden upsurge of black liquid, a form made entirely of orange and red faceted flames surfaced. Another terrified cry spilled from Nieme's lips as the hulking, burning figure peered down at her with the same black eyes that had consumed her. Its shape was that of a man, but one being absorbed by a giant conflagration.

"Stay away! No!" He drew nearer to her, and she tried to repel it by splashing the black water at it. Instead of dousing the flames, they grew brighter and more intense. The ball of fire was almost on top of her when a sudden wave of serenity washed over her. Her tense, wildly thrashing body began to relax as the sweet aroma of flowers filled the air. The black eyes boring flaming holes into her began to fade and the fire began slowly dying. As it did, a face began to penetrate through the flames. The malignant smile on it caught Nieme's gaze first, then the pitch black eyes seemingly devouring her. "No..." she whispered weakly. "Not you... The dead don't...they don't walk."

A deep, menacing laugh rose in his throat and echoed fiercely around her. Slowly, the entire scene dimmed and Nieme felt her legs crumpling beneath her. "The dead don't...they don't laugh..." With a sigh, the vision released its hold on Nieme, but in her ears, the cold, evil laughter still rang through.

Dani was senseless as she held Nieme upright, and it was only Kael holding them both now that kept all three on their feet. When Nieme's legs came out from under her, Dani followed quickly after and the awkward embrace was too much for Kael. His hold helped keep the two girls from hurting themselves as they collapsed to the ground. Dani was sobbing as she clung to Nieme and Nieme was seemingly delirious mumbling something about the dead laughing. He knew it was a vision and something much worse than her vision of Dani.

He quickly shifted them so they were both lying side by side on the floor instead of in a heap, like he'd found them that morning. "At least you're both dressed this time," he mumbled as he quickly rushed to get wet rags. He put one across Nieme's brow and tried to coax her back to consciousness. As she was moaning, he placed the other across Dani's brow. At least she had her eyes open, but he could tell by the tightness around her eyes she was fighting off a terrible headache or something like it.

The one thing he couldn't understand as he tried once more to coax Nieme back to coherency was why he had an erection and a part of his mind wanted to jump both girls right then and there. He shook the thoughts away and kissed Nieme's forehead. "It's alright, my arozeil," he whispered. "It's all alright now."

"No..." she mumbled weakly. "He's laughing... Why is he laughing..." Nieme opened her eyes wider and with a startled gasp, she shot upright and gripped Kael's shirt. "The fire didn't burn him! H-He was the fire. The water doused the flames but he still burns! He rages and burns!" Nieme shook her head wildly and clung even more desperately to Kael. "He burns...he's going to burn us all!"

Kael folded Nieme into his embrace. "It's alright, Nieme," he said. "I'm here. I'll keep you safe. I won't let him hurt you, not any of us. Nieme, it's Kael. Come back to me, Nieme. It was just a vision. You're safe. You're safe now."

"What is going on in here?" Yelara watched the trio from the doorway of the kitchen, Nieme in Kael's arms and Dani laying on the floor and moaning gently. "Nieme? Dani? Gods...what happened?" She turned her head towards the dining area and called out to Jae Dyn, then moved sluggishly into the kitchen. "There was screaming... Was there another fight, Kael?"

Kael didn't take his eyes from Nieme, but shook his head. "No fight," he said. "She had a vision, and I think Dani got caught in it or something. I've been trying to get her out of it, but she's just mumbling something about the dead laughing."

Dani tried to sit up but just sank right back to the floor with a groan that descended into a sob.

Jae Dyn rushed into the kitchen. One look at three Padawans on the floor snapped her mind into focus, and she quickly moved to help Kael with Nieme while Yelara moved to help Dani. She listened attentively as Kael explained what had happened and what Nieme had said.

"Nieme," she said softly. "It's Jae Dyn. Everything's going to be alright. We won't let anything happen to you. Everything will be alright. You're safe in the Temple. The Spirits protect us here, Nieme. It's alright."

Nieme squealed and shook her head wildly. The numbing calm that had pulled her from the vision was still sweeping through her, but she fought, just as she'd fought the vision. "It's not alright! The dead walk! The...the dead are laughing... He's laughing at us all because he knows...he knows he can hurt us." Nieme looked up at Jae Dyn and released her hold on Kael only to grip Jae Dyn's arms desperately. "He lives," she said in a fearful whisper. "Don't you see? He lives!"

Jae Dyn felt like her blood had been replaced with ice water. She looked into Nieme's eyes, and slowly asked, "Who lives?"

As if possessed by the cold, malevolent bellowing from her vision, Nieme cackled and reeled with laughter. "The demon," she whispered. "His soul burns with a rekindled fire. He's coming and no one's safe. You've seen him and he's coming. Dar--"

Before Nieme's confession could be fulfilled, the clattering of dishes hitting the floor resounded through the room, and a pain-stricken groan soon followed. All eyes quickly shifted to the source of the commotion, one caused by Yelara, who was now sitting against the range with a pool of transparent liquid beneath her and pots and kitchen utensils littering the floor around her. She was clutching her stomach and breathing sharply as obvious pain wracked her body. She looked up at the other occupants of the kitchen with a look of stark terror and confusion. As she glanced down at her distended belly, then back up at Kallia, her face displayed clearly comprehension of what was happening to her. "Kallia? Oh, gods...no..."

"Newborn Freedom, Part 1"
by Kallia Brael
Nieme Yaresh
Yelara Zaneth
Liam Zaneth
Kael Selrid
and Dani

Location: Jedi Temple, Tae'Karada
Date: Praeda 25, 4ABY

***

Kallia turned from Nieme and stared at Yelara. "Oh gods," she murmured. "Kael...go find Liam! Now! Dani, can you move?" The girl, slightly more coherent now, nodded. "Good. Help Yelara out to the speeder. We have to get into the city." She turned back to Nieme. "Do you think you can stand and walk, Nieme? We need to go into the city now. Yelara's having her baby, and we need to get to a hospital." She glanced at Dani who appeared to be struggling with her task, but had managed to get Yelara moving toward the door. Kallia shook her head slowly and found herself thinking of juggling. With a wry smile, she tried to help Nieme to her feet.

"Hell is upon us," she muttered as she was pulled from the ground. She gazed dazedly around the kitchen, unaware of the commotion around her and lost in the confusion of her mind. "We're walking into hell..."

"Kallia!" The pain shooting through her body was almost too much, so much so that Yelara wanted to curl up into a ball on the kitchen floor. She groaned and hastened her breathing to try and cleanse away the pain, but it only seemed to heighten it. "It's too soon, Kal. The baby...it's too soon..."

In the span of a heartbeat, Kallia had reassessed the situation. "Dani," she said quickly, "you help, Nieme. See if you can get her out of the aftereffects of her vision, I'll take Yelara." She hurried over and took the burden from Dani who stumbled toward the still moaning Nieme.

She left the two girls in the kitchen and hurried with Yelara toward the speeder. "I know it's too early, my love," she said. "But I dare you to try to reason this out with your baby and convince him to stay in there." She kissed the side of Yelara's head, using the contact as an opportunity to ease her pain through the Force. "Once they decide they want out, you can't stop them."

Before leaving the dining room, Kallia sent out a tendril of the Force and wrapped it around the carrier where Yara was burbling. As she hurried along with Yel, the baby was pulled along after. "We'll get you there, my love."

Yelara clung to Kallia, using their forward momentum to keep herself moving. Lifting even a foot had suddenly become cumbersome and although the pain had numbed somewhat, the pressure in her stomach kept increasing. The baby was coming and fast, which meant the moment she and Liam had dreaded and awaited anxiously was about to come. "Kal... Liam...find him, Kal. He...he needs to be there..."

"Kael's finding him," Kallia said gently. "He'll be here soon. He'll be here before we leave. Keep breathing. I'll use my abilities to help as I can. I know what you're feeling, my love."

Yelara's pain-stricken expression turned grave and she shook her head slowly. "No, Kal, I don't think you do. You knew your child was Dargus'...but instead of being able to enjoy the birth of my child, I fear it...fear that if it is that bastard's, I'll hate it." She winced as a gentle spike of pain shot into her limbs and slowed her sluggish pace even more. Her breathing grew sharp and shallow and she continued to struggle towards the speeder.

"So you have the hope that your child may have been conceived with a man you love," Kallia said. "You know that there's a chance your fears are for nothing. I knew that the child I carried came from that beast and I didn't know if I could love her. There was no doubt who Yara's father was, at least you have that hope."

She nodded her head slowly, then whimpered and sobbed against Kallia's arm as the anxieties and discomfort began taking its toll. "Gods...how much more of this? I...I can't have a baby! I'm too young! I-I won't know what to do or what to feed it." She looked up at Kallia with an expression of sudden terror as she said, "I don't even have a name! Kal...what are we gonna name it!"

Kallia smiled gently and kissed Yelara on the cheek. "I think you and Liam will have to decide that one, my love," she said as they stepped out of the temple and into the sun. "And, he'll be here soon. Just a little farther and we'll be at the speeder, and Liam will be here in just a few minutes." Suddenly ripples through the Force surrounding her told her exactly what she needed. I'm coming, the message had been. Kallia smiled. "Kael's found him, and they're both running back here. It'll be alright, my love. It'll all be alright."

"I'm wet and it hurts..." Yelara looked up at Kallia with a frown and said, "I don't think I should have had all that carbosyrup before dinner. My stomach...it kinda--" Yelara gasped and stopped suddenly. With a loud gag, a surge of half-digested carbosyrup appetizers spilled from her mouth and onto the soil below. As she watched the contents settle into the ground, Yelara sobbed and wailed piteously. "I hate having babies!"

Kallia moved to Yel's side and touched her with more soothing flows from the Force. "Once we get this one out of you," she said, "you don't have to have anymore. It'll all be okay, my love. Just think though, you'll be able to fit back into your leather soon. When that happens, Dani can borrow clothes from both of us."

Yelara stopped sobbing and looked up at Kallia with almost a smile. "My leather? Oh I would give anything to wear my leather again. The way it used to feel on my skin..." As Kallia's touch calmed her, Yelara's smile became dreamy and she sighed wistfully as they hurried along towards the speeder. "I hope Liam gets here soon. I really have this overwhelming urge to hurt him...even if the baby might not be his. Still...he did this to me, and he must pay." Yelara sighed again and laughed gently as she rested her head upon Kallia's shoulder. "It...it doesn't hurt so much anymore. I'm thinking this labour thing might be a breeze."

It was only a matter of meters to the speeder, but the going was slow. It seemed like an eternity as they crossed the relatively short distance made great by Yelara's pain. With Kallia's help, it was lessened, but walking was still difficult. As they reached the sleek craft, a sudden crashing through the wood to their right brought their attention around. A moment later, Liam burst into the clearing. His face, as he vaulted the speeder, was a mixture of many emotions, fear and joy the two predominant ones. "Yelara," he cried out as he rushed to her. "Oh gods... In! We've gotta get you into the city. We've gotta... Um...Kallia...uh...you drive!"

Yelara giggled at Liam's utter disarray, then winced as Kallia's touch left her and the pain she'd been suppressing slowly began again. "Liam...help me." She held out her arms to him for support as her legs became nothing but extensions of the pain in her stomach. "It hurts, my love..."

As Liam moved to help Yelara, he opened the door of the speeder with a thought. He took one of her arms and let her use him to support herself. "Come on, love," he said. "We'll have you to the city in no time. And, I promise not to pass out. I'll be there the entire time."

"Good," she said with a mischievous smile. "I plan on making you pay for putting this thing in me." The momentary flash of dark emotions that Yelara saw in Liam's eyes was all too familiar to her, and in the bond they shared, she could sense precisely where his dismay was stemming from. She took his hand in hers, and gently placed it upon her swollen belly. "We should get going. I can't wait to see our child's beautiful blue eyes...just like his father's."

Liam smiled. "And, hopefully he'll have his mother's charm," he said as he helped her settle into the seat.

As he climbed into the speeder behind Jae Dyn, Kael came crashing into the clearing. The youth was barely winded, but stared in amazement at Liam who, it was obvious, had impressed him with his speed in getting here.

"Nieme and Dani are still inside," Kallia said quickly as she finished securing Yara in the front passenger seat. "Stay with them. They're still disoriented. I'll contact you through the comlink as soon as we have information." With that, she slid into the seat, and started the speeder.

Kael backed toward the entrance to the Temple and waved once. "We'll be alright here. Good luck!"

With only a wave of acknowledgement, Kallia swung the speeder around and throttled it up to top speed. She and the craft seemed to be one entity as she used Jedi honed reflexes to weave her way through the forest. She smiled at the thought of coming out here one day with a speeder bike. "We'll be there soon," she said to Yelara who was still breathing heavy with the pain of her labour. Even with Liam's touch, the pain was bleeding through the cloud of serenity his hands made.

"Kallia...I-I don't know what to do. How am I gonna get it out?" Yelara massaged her stomach to try and lessen the pain radiating from it, but it seemed only to encourage more to ravage her body. "It's so big," she whimpered. "How...I can't do this... Oh gods, I don't wanna do this!"

"It's alright, love," Kallia said. "I went through the same thing. Trust me, the baby will fit. For now, just try to stay calm. When we get to the hospital, they'll take care of you. Women have been having babies for a little while now, Yelara," Kallia added with a grin. "You'll be fine."

Yelara's only reply was a sob followed by a gasp as an uncomfortable pressure began building up in her stomach and bearing down between her legs. "Oh gods..." A spike of pain replaced the sudden immense pressure and Yelara cried out. She gripped Liam's hand tightly, and dug in her fingernails as the pain suddenly reached a peak. "Ow!" She groaned and continued to take out her suffering on Liam's hand. Beads of sweat rolled down from her forehead and her breathing hastened to a pace that made her lungs burn. "Why is this happening?" she said breathlessly between wheezing gasps. "All I wanted was to have sex. I...I didn't think I'd get pregnant!"

Yelara's moans slowly transformed into ironic, loud laughter as she thought back to the time she and Liam had conceived their child. "I...I help Liam lose his virginity, give him the best and the only hour of lovemaking he'd ever experienced, and now I have to suffer?" She gripped his hand even more tightly, and looked at him with a seething glare. "That hardly seems fair, my love," she said between clenched teeth.

Liam would have laughed, but he didn't know if that would really be a good idea. He winced as her grip tightened again. "Possibly not fair," he said. "But I want you to remember all this when you're holding our child in your arms." Around the edges of his eyes, and in the set of his jaw, the pain he was feeling was evident. He tried to soothe her further with the Force, to ease her pain, but he wasn't sure how much more he could do before he knocked her out.

Yelara's breathing began slowing and she sighed deeply as the pain began to dissipate. Her grip on Liam's hand loosened and with a whimper, she relaxed against the seat of the speeder. "I hate this," she muttered with a pout. "How much more of this do I have to go through, Kal? I feel like just going in there myself and pulling the baby out..." She pushed herself up and poked her head through the seats to look up at Kallia. "Do you think I can do that? Do you think I can just go in there and tear it out!" Yelara gritted her teeth clawed at the seats angrily. "I've got good clawing nails. If I can just build up my strength enough I can just...claw my way in there and pull it out!" Yelara sobbed and wailed as she beat her hands against the passenger seat of the speeder with the petulance of a child. "This is your fault, Liam! I'll never forgive you!"

As Yelara battered the passenger seat, Yara's wailing started. Liam closed his eyes and shook his head. "You seemed perfectly willing when we were making the baby," he said, trying to sound calm. "Please, Yel, it'll all be over soon. The way Kallia's driving the speeder, we should be able to cross that fifty kilometers in only another minute or so. And, then it's just a matter of getting to the hospital. Hopefully traffic won't be too bad in the city."

"If there's traffic," Kallia said, "I'm going over them. They didn't put repulsors on this thing for nothing. We'll hit the outer edge of the forest in around thirty seconds. Two more minutes to the hospital. We're getting close, love. Just a little longer." She cast a worried glance at her daughter and knew she didn't dare divert her concentration from getting Yelara to the hospital. She'd comfort Yara when they were there.

In another bout of tempermentality, Yelara's irritation soon died down and she calmed. She stopped her pummelling of the passenger's seat and began whimpering. Then with a groan, she wept quietly and sank back into the seat. She looked up at Liam and gently placed her hand in his. "Liam...we don't even know what to name it. Our child...he doesn't even have a name."

Liam took her hands into his and looked into her eyes. "What about Va'Lesh?"

The tears and whimpers stopped instantly as Yelara mouthed the word. A sudden warmth filled her and she smiled serenely. She recognized the word from her grandfather's instructions on the old Corellian tongue, and even after all those years, the meaning of the word was still vivid. "Do you...do you think, Liam?" Thoughts of Dargus and fears of the child she was about to deliver being his returned, and the name now seemed less appropriate. "What if... It wouldn't be right if it was...if it's his child."

"No matter which of us conceived this child with you, it's going to be yours and mine," Liam said. "And, that in itself will be a freedom in itself. The baby is ours, and will be no part of his. No matter what, Yelara, this baby is ours...and he or she'll be the sign of our freedom from all that's been in our way before."

"Our little baby Va'Lesh," Yelara mused softly. "Do you think a mere baby could be so significant? A little, fragile baby, the key to the one thing we've sought for so long?" She smiled anxiously at Liam and asked, "Do you think he can do that for us? Could he really be the instrument of our salvation?"

Liam looked into her eyes, and he felt all their shared pain slip away to be replaced by their overwhelming love for each other. "I think he can," he said. "I definitely think he can in ways that nothing else ever could. We love each other more than anything, but our child will be raised with that love. Through him, we will definitely leave our pasts behind and he'll be our future."

Yelara nodded her head slowly and her smile became less filled with worry and more with hope. "Our freedom...our little baby Va'Lesh." The moment of happiness didn't last for long before a sharp spike of pain speared itself into her stomach. She cried out and gripped Liam's hand again. She expected the pain to linger for a moment then die away as it had before, but it only grew in intensity and refused to be assuaged even by Liam's touch. "What...what's happening?" Her breathing came sharp again and she writhed in the seat to try and escape the pain. "Kal! Is...is it coming? I-I don't know what's happening!"

"Just keep breathing," Kallia said as she threw the speeder through traffic. Other speeders went twisting out of her way, but Kallia was unphased. Her senses were attuned to everything around her, and her one goal was to get Yelara to the hospital. She flung them across the lanes of other speeders racing along the New Ploutonian streets, and angled her descent toward the hospital suddenly looming above them. With expert reflexes, she brought them to a stop directly in front of the emergency exit. "We're here, Yelara," she called and then flung herself out of the speeder to call over an orderly.

"Liam! Don't leave me. Please don't leave me." Yelara's pain-tinged scream rang through the speeder and was accompanied by Yara's loud weeping. She clung to Liam's hand and with her other hand, she tried vainly to massage her stomach and soothe the pain. "Make it stop! Oh gods...oh gods why does it have to hurt so much!"

"You really don't want that conversation right now," Liam said as he took her hands. He glanced out the window as one of the orderlies brought over a hoverchair. Kallia quickly removed Yara from the front seat, and stepped out of the way while calming her baby. The orderly, along with Liam's help, assisted Yelara into the hoverchair. "I won't leave your side, Yel. I'll be with you the entire time."

As they started inside, Kallia followed along with Yara and instructed one of the hospital security members to move the speeder.

Yelara was wheeled into a large room with a number of people already wearing the scrubs they'd be wearing during the birth. "Get her up," one of the doctors said, and then turned his attention fully to Yelara. "You're doing fine, Mrs. Zaneth. We just need to check a few things, and then we'll get that baby out of you."

"What?" Yelara was helped out of the chair and into the bed. As the doctor neared her and with another extreme swing of her mood, Yelara clutched his scrubs and pulled him close to her face. "Now... You will get this thing out of me now!" She cried out again and fell back against the bed. "Just get it out! I don't care how...just do it, dammit!"

The doctor smiled. "Trust me," he said. "You do care how. Now, we need to check these things, or there will be no baby when we get done. Now, please try to breathe deeply, Mrs. Zaneth. If you let us do our jobs, this will all be over that much quicker."

Yelara nodded quickly and kindly released her hold on the doctor's scrubs. She moaned pitiably and tried to use her breathing to quell the pain. As the doctors and nurses worked around her, Yelara held out her hand to Liam and brushed it along his cheek. "You...you won't faint, will you? I-I need you, Liam. I need you here." She looked around suddenly and frantically searched for Kallia. "Where is she? Why isn't she here? She said she'd be here!"

"She's just outside the door convincing one of the nurses to watch Yara for her," Liam said as he slipped his hand into Yel's. "Do you really think you could keep her out of here at a time like this?" With a smile, he looked up as Kallia moved to Yelara's other side. "See?"

"You thought I wasn't going to make it, did you?" Kallia kissed Yel's brow. "I wouldn't miss this moment for anything, my love. Yara would love to be here to witness the birth of her future husband or girlfriend, but they felt she was a little too young. One of the nurses is going to watch her for me though." She took Yel's other hand and looked up at Liam. "This is how it should be."

The moment Yelara settled into the comfort of having the two people in all the world she loved the most by her side, the child within her thrashed and rebelled again. She tightened her hold on both Kallia and Liam's hands and screamed curses that made even Kallia blush. Once her screams cut out, she narrowed her eyes at Kallia and muttered sardonically, "Yes, my love, this is how it should be: me in immense pain. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Kallia kissed Yelara's forehead again and smiled. "If you're a good girl through this, Liam and I will make up for whatever pain you experience a thousand fold," she said. "Oh hell, we'll do it anyway. It'll be over soon, my love. And, through it all Liam and I will be right here with you. Now...push!"

"Newborn Freedom, Part 2"
by Nieme Yaresh
Kael Selrid
and Dani

Location: Jedi Temple, Tae'Karada
Date: Praeda 25, 4ABY

***

Nieme tossed in bed as the exhaustion-induced sleep gave her no escape from the frightening vision that had plagued her. Perspiration dampened her hair and chills ran through her body as the black orbs haunted her and the deafening laughter pierced her soul. "He laughs...and laughs..." She mumbled incoherently, seemingly speaking in tongues, but the fear in her voice still bled through. She unconsciously tried to force herself from sleep, but her efforts only translated themselves into violent thrashing and horrified screams that delivered no escape from her dream.

Kael had just started dozing when Nieme's screaming started again, and was instantly upright and awake. It didn't help that in the next room Dani was in a nearly similar condition, her voice practically perfectly pitched with Nieme's. It was the oddest thing, when one screamed so did the other. "Nieme," he said, trying to wake his wife once more. "Nieme, I'm here with you. You're safe with me, Nieme."

Nieme's eyes flickered open and in her screams she cried out, "No! No one's safe anymore. We...we're all doomed." She sat up quickly in bed, still somewhat possessed by the dream, and sought comfort in the arms encircled around her. Once the dream's hold had severed, echoes of what had been her screams came through the walls and Nieme pulled away quickly. "Dani!" She scrambled off the bed and started towards the door, but she faltered and her still-fatigued body fell to the ground. "Kael...help me to her. Please!"

Kael rushed from the bed, and once again put his arms around Nieme as he helped her up. Once she was standing, albeit with much help from him, he opened the door, and together they entered Dani's room. Their purple friend was sprawled on her bed with the covers in a shambles from the dream-induced thrashing. She seemed nearly calm now, but her face showed signs of the strain she still felt from being caught in Nieme's nightmares.

Together, Kael and Nieme moved to the side of the bed. As they drew nearer, Dani's face seemed to brighten a little and the lines of fatigue softened. Kael helped Nieme to sit on the edge of the bed, but kept an arm around her waist.

"Are you okay, my purple flower?" Nieme smiled gently and brushed a strand of sweat matted hair from Dani's brow. "Were you dreaming too?"

"I don't think so," Dani said softly as she opened her eyes. "It was all just colours and emotions. Darkness with bits of orange and red, like fire. But it's gone now." She brushed a hand over Nieme's and tried to smile. "I'm okay now though. How are you doing?"

Nieme swallowed back a whimper and shook her head slowly. "I-I think I'm better. As long as I don't close my eyes or fall asleep, I'm fine. But when I do..." She shuddered and took in a staggering breath as the laughter rang through her mind again, just as frightening as the first time she'd heard it. "I just...I wish these visions would go away. I don't want you or Kael to suffer...not like I have to. It...it isn't fair."

"We're here with you," Dani said. "And, we can keep you awake until the vision fades." She looked between Nieme and Kael and then smiled. "Would you like to go to the waterfall?"

"But...now?" Nieme looked to Kael with tired, black ringed eyes. "Do you think we could, Kael? I...I don't want to sleep tonight. I really don't want to close my eyes anymore."

Kael nodded. "I think a trip to the waterfall would be good. Maybe a slow walk there. And, then we can just sit and talk or look up into the sky. It should be dark soon, and the stars will be up. Maybe you can tell us about the stars."

Dani grinned. "The stars." She slipped a hand into Nieme's. As she sat there, another thought occured to her. "I hope Yelara's okay."

"Oh me too! I've never known anyone who's gone into labour before." She gave Dani an uncertain smile and squeezed her hand gently. "I'm sure she'll be fine. I mean...I hope she is. I also really hope it wasn't our fault. I mean...maybe we scared her and it was too stressful and then it made her have the baby." She looked worriedly to Kael. "Do you think, Kael? Do you think it was my fault?"

Kael chuckled softly. "No," he said with a grin, "I do not think it was your fault. It's your fault the way it's my fault that...that Ferrig has sex with his sister." He frowned at the thought, not that Ferrig and Raeila were intimate, but that he really didn't want the memories of Raeila right now. "It was just her time, that's all. It just happened to be when you were having your vision. I imagine she would have had the same thing happen if she were eating Hojet. It just happened, and it's no one's fault."

"Well...I still hope she's alright. I'm going to make her a special meal when she comes back. And I can't wait to see the baby. I hope he or she's as cute as Yara, but even if he or she isn't, I think I'll still like the baby... Whoever's baby it is." Nieme sighed and let her mouth begin to ramble while her mind drifted to anything that would keep her thoughts away from the vision. "Did you know the baby might not even be Master Liam Zaneth's? Yelara Zaneth was with another man. It makes Liam Zaneth sad, I think. I hope the baby's his. I don't want anyone to be sad."

"Me either!" Dani said with a giggle. "He's a good man, so he deserves the baby to be his. I just wish he...wasn't so attached to Yelara and Master Jae Dyn. He's very sexy, especially in those leather pants he was wearing when he rescued me." She sighed. "Oh, I need a man," she added as she flopped back onto the bed. Then she patted Kael on the back. "No offense, but you're Nieme's."

Kael felt his cheeks go red. "That's right I am," he said. "And, she's mine. So don't you get any funny ideas." He noticed Dani tense. "Well, as long as Nieme doesn't mind, that is." He grinned. "You can hug her if you want. I'll allow that. But you can't kiss her...unless she kisses you first. But, no sex. We've got other plans for that, but that's a surprise. So, for now, I'm afraid you're on your own for that. But, you can be her friend...I'm glad you're her friend."

"I'm glad you're my friend too, Dani. But...you can still kiss me on the cheek...I think." She looked to Kael inquisitively and asked with an apprehensive smile, "Can't she, Kael? I mean it's only on the cheek. I...I like how she tastes, Kael. You should try! Just like flowers... It's so wonderful."

Kael's eyes widened and looked between Dani and Nieme. "I don't know," he said. "I--You can kiss her. That's okay. Even on the lips if you want, but I don't think... You can kiss each other, but I think I should just kiss Nieme."

Nieme's smile beamed and with a giggle, she kissed Kael. "I'm the only one?" She blushed and hugged Kael tightly. "I like being the only one. But...if ever you want to kiss Dani...you can. If it makes you happy, then I want you to be happy...and Dani too."

"You're the only one," Kael said softly and brushed his lips against Nieme's. "Ever and always. If you want me to kiss Dani, I will. But, as beautiful as she is, I could never do more than that with her. I just want you to know that. Only you."

Nieme giggled and looked away demurely. "I...I'm glad, Kael. I'm really really glad I'm your wife and arozeil. I like being both." She caught Dani's mesmerized gaze upon them out of the corner of her eye, and with a laugh, she transferred her embrace to Dani and kissed her tenderly upon the cheek. "I think this night is going to turn out better than it started. And I'm going to show you the stars, my flower." She looked back to Kael and laughed. "I'm going to show both of you and then...and then we're going to fall asleep under them. Maybe with their light shining upon us...the dreams will go away."

Dani smiled and pressed her lips to Nieme's. "It'll be a beautiful night," she said. "Especially with the three of us there. We should probably bring some blankets with us, just in case. It could get cold out there."

"We'll keep each other warm." Nieme smiled and slipped from Dani's embrace and off the bed. She held out her hand to Dani to help her out of bed too. "Blankets and the stars...and the two people in this world I care for the most. We'll have a wonderful evening."

Dani took Nieme's hand and climbed out of the bed. With a large grin, she turned and held out a hand to Kael. He looked down at her hand, and then up at both her and Nieme, and with a grin of his own, he put his hand in Dani's. With a giggle, she pulled him to his feet, and then pulled harder until she nearly flung him into Nieme. Once he was in between them, she proceeded to pull both him and Nieme into a hug.

Nieme caressed Dani's back soothingly and whispered into her ear, "Thank you for pulling me out of the vision. I-I was so scared, I thought I was going to die. I'm glad you helped me out when you did."

Dani smiled as she glanced at Nieme. She wished then that she could project her emotions to others as easily as she could feel theirs. Words could not convey the feelings she felt, but she hoped the smile she gave Nieme was enough. With Kael caught in the middle of their embrace, Dani couldn't help noticing that the darkness he'd projected before was nearly completely absent. She sighed and then decided to risk more affection, and kissed Nieme with what she hoped would let her friend know that she too was glad she acted as she had, and that she was very happy that Nieme was alright.

She was trying to be sensitive to Kael's feelings and although she knew kissing Dani back would not be the most considerate course of action, Nieme couldn't help but bring her hand to Dani's cheek and cradle it as she returned the passionate embrace of Dani's lips. Even the taste of Dani's mouth sent a wave of serenity through her, and Nieme began to wonder what sort of magic she was capable of if it could affect her so. Kael was right to call her a witch, for she had entranced Nieme in her spell, but it couldn't be denied that she was a most beautiful witch and had nothing near the bad temperament of one. Nieme finally pulled away with a soft giggle, then glanced at Kael and quickly kissed him as well. "I didn't want you to feel left out," she whispered.

Before Kael could react, Dani grinned, and added, "Me either." With that, she kissed him as well. At first he was startled, but after a moment he slipped an arm around Dani and returned the kiss.

When the kiss finally broke, his face had taken on a reddish colour and he glanced between Nieme and Dani. Finally he grinned. "Like flowers."

"I told you." Nieme grinned and excitedly pulled the dazed Kael, and the still giggling Dani along. "And you said you didn't want to kiss her..."

Kael laughed. "Well, maybe just once," he said. "I mean, just to see if you were right about the flowers." As Nieme pulled them out into the failing light of the outside, Kael laughed. "And, you were. I don't know if purple has a taste, but I'd swear..."

Nieme's laughter cut out and a gasp filled the thick, night air. She halted suddenly and stared up at the bright lights shining down. Their light was so vivid and penetrating that Nieme reached up involuntarily and attempted to dab her finger into the glistening balls and catch some of their radiant glow. "Oh...look how... Oh...they're so wonderful..."

Kael slipped his arms around both Nieme and Dani as the three of them just gazed into the sky. He knew he'd be able to care for Dani, but he wouldn't love her. At least not the way he loved Nieme. And as desirable as Dani was, Nieme would be the only woman he made love to for the rest of his life. He lowered his lips to Nieme's throat and kissed gently while keeping his eyes toward the sky. As what was left of the daylight faded, the light of the stars seemed to brighten. Mixed in it all were little flashes trailing across the sky. After several long moments of just gazing, he looked around and realized all light had gone except for the stars.

"Stay right here," he said. "I'll be right back." With that, he kissed Nieme and rushed back into the temple.

Nieme followed Kael with her eyes as he quickly disappeared from sight. She looked back to Dani and grinned. "Maybe...maybe he's in the refresher." She laughed softly and with only she and Dani out among the stars, she pulled her friend close and embraced her. "I'm sorry if I scared you today. I didn't mean for the vision to come."

Dani allowed herself to melt into Nieme's arms. "It's alright," she said. "I was more worried about you than myself, and I know you don't have any control over when they come. But Master Liam and Master Jae Dyn will help you with that." She looked back toward the temple and then at Nieme. "I think he's accepting me now, and I think he'd accepted me before I kissed him."

"So...I guess that means you can...well, you can kiss me and he won't mind that much." Nieme smiled allusively at Dani, then with a shy laugh, she looked away. "But...I think he still wants me in his bed and only his bed...I think."

"Maybe given time," Dani said softly, "he'll be okay if you spend some time in my bed. If that's what you want to do." She shifted so that her arms were around Nieme and her eyes could see into her friend's. "For now, this is very nice...even though I'm going to go crazy if I don't have some real sex soon. Masturbation will only work so far." She smiled and then glanced away with a slight blush to her cheeks.

"Well--" Nieme laughed and shook her head. "No...I don't want to ruin the surprise. But...all I'll say is you w-won't have to masturbate anymore...well, until we find another padawan for the temple, one who isn't married already."

Dani rested her forehead against Nieme's and smiled. "Since Kael and I are now practically friends, maybe the three of us will be able to sneak into the city some night. That was fun last night, and I want to do it again. And, the three of us can dance together." She kissed Nieme slowly, and sensuously. She felt Nieme's tongue brush against hers and she smiled before their tongues started mingling together.

As they stood kissing, they were suddenly bathed in light. When they turned and looked, both startled, Kael shifted away the hand-light he'd found and laughed. "I leave the two of you alone for just a minute, and you're out here inspecting the insides of each other's mouth." He laughed and stepped closer. In his hands, he had a couple blankets and some more hand-lights. "It could be dark out there, so I wanted to have a little light, especially if one of us needs to sneak out into the woods for a little refreshing. And, I left a note for them in case one of them comes back while we're out here. Now, do the two of you think you can stop sucking on each other's faces long enough for us to get to the waterfall?"

"Uh...well we..." Nieme looked to the ground to hide her utter embarrassment, and finally managed to nod her head. "Waterfall...right. We...we should go to the waterfall... I think it would be a good way to cool off...and just relax and..." Nieme laughed nervously and with a whimper and an audible gulp, she headed quickly into the forest.

Dani cast a sheepish grin at Kael who only laughed. She stepped close to Kael, and gave him a kiss before rushing off after Nieme. He stood there for a moment and finally shook his head. He knew he didn't hate Dani, in fact he knew that he could easily come to care for her. Probably as fast as it took Nieme to care for her, he thought to himself. But it was still hard to see the two of them kissing, especially like they were. Though, he realized that there was a part of him that actually enjoyed seeing their display. As long as it's just kissing, he told himself. As long as it just stays at kissing, everything will be fine.

As he started after them, he realized he didn't just mean for Nieme either. He knew just how powerful Dani's gift was in how easily she'd won over Nieme, and then him. With another shake of his head, he moved on after them.

He descended down toward the lake near the waterfall with the help of the lights, and saw Nieme and Dani over near the water. "I don't think we'll need the lights down here," he said. "The stars are enough for now."

"Good. I don't want anything to drown out their light. Just the stars tonight..." Nieme moved towards Kael and took the blankets from him. She lay one down along the edge of the lake and set the others aside. "Come on. If we lay down, we can see them all better and it'll be easier to point them all out." Nieme took a seat upon the blanket then reclined back until her eyes were staring straight up at the stars. "Oh there are so many of them! I think I can see more than I could see in the desert!"

Dani and Kael each laid down on the blanket next to Nieme. Dani snuggled close on one side with her head tilted so she could see up into the blazing night sky. "They're so beautiful. I don't think they're ever as beautiful when you're up amongst them as they are when you're looking up from the ground." She pointed at a large swirl of stars straight above them. "What's that one?"

"That...that's Canacia's Frenzy. I would tell you the story of Canacia, but I think it's too sad." Nieme sighed wistfully as she rested her head against Dani's and slipped her hand into Kael's. "With as much love as I feel now, I don't think I want to curse it by telling that story. Poor Canacia..."

"Maybe another time," Dani said, and sighed softly. "You know what's really strange? Seeing the sky on one world when you're used to another. It's so beautiful here, but it's so different from Zeltros. I like it though. And, I have better friends here."

"You didn't have many friends on Zeltros? I didn't have any in the desert until I met Kael. Well...Orn was a friend, but he was more a father to me than anything, so I guess he wasn't a friend after all in that sense. Kael had friends too, but they were bad friends. They let him do bad things..."

"Well, at the time I wanted to do them," Kael said. "But I was misguided and stupid. Nieme snapped me out of that though. And, except for earlier today, I think I've done pretty good at being where I should be. At least I hope so."

Nieme turned her head towards Kael and smiled at him warmly. "Of course you're doing well. Don't you feel it? Even your colours are happier. Almost as bright as the stars, my love. But not too bright, of course. Too bright is bad. It hurts and it hides too much. Hiding is good when the rape gangs are after you, but it's not so good when you're trying to hide from the people you love. Liam Zaneth hides a lot but that's only because he's done very bad things. Very very bad things..."

Dani looked up at Nieme. "Do you know what things? He seems so nice. And, both Jae Dyn and Yelara seem to really like him. And, then there's that whole cuteness thing he's got going. And, have you really looked at his eyes? When I look into his eyes, oh wow. And, the way his--" She giggled. "Oh if only he weren't married. I don't think you'd be able to pry me off him."

"Dani!" Nieme giggled bashfully. "I thought he was very handsome when I first met him at the Rhack. He's very shy and he likes to keep secrets. He keeps a lot of them, but I know." She looked pensively up at the stars, then hesitantly: "If you promise not to tell...if you swear not to tell Jae Dyn Brael or Liam Zaneth or Yelara Zaneth, I'll tell you a secret about him."

"Promise," Dani said quickly. "I won't say a word to anyone, well other than you and Kael. And only when we're alone."

"Well..." Nieme laughed and quickly sat up. She turned herself around until she was looking down upon both Kael and Dani. "Do you know why he really started this Temple thing? He's only training us because he feels...he's guilty. He wants to make up for something horrible he did, and he thinks by training us, he can redeem himself." The expressions of intrigue and curiousity were apparent on Dani and Kael's faces. Nieme giggled again and intentionally withheld the secret until they hungered to know, until the suspense became almost painful. With a mischievous smile, Nieme leaned forward and whispered, "He murdered his Master. He killed him and now he's using us to make up for it so he can feel better. Isn't that the strangest thing? I would never have thought Liam Zaneth was a killer...but he was."

Dani was staring up at Nieme with wide eyes and Kael was lost in his own thoughts as he tried to get his mind to accept what Nieme had just revealed. Dani finally sat up, looking like she was about to say something. Finally, when she did speak, it was with a hesitant voice. "If he did do that, I guess this would be a good way to make up for what happened. He--he's not still dangerous is he? He wouldn't--wouldn't try to hurt any of us, would he? I mean, when Kael...when things got bad earlier, he could have. But he didn't. So, we're all safe here, right?"

"He...he feels nice. I mean...his colours - they're not dark and he's never once been mean really." Nieme looked at the almost horror stricken expression on Dani's face, and the tensing of Kael's jaw muscles, which all indicated she'd once again said something she shouldn't have. "I...I'm sorry. It was wrong of me... I mean...Liam Zaneth is a good man. He...he's having a baby and he has a wife. Bad people wouldn't have those things... Right?"

Dani nodded. "Not a wife like Yelara," she said with a giggle. "She's funny. I want to get to know her better, I think. She seems like she has a joyous spirit. And, even if Liam did do something bad in his past, he's better now." She glanced next to her. "Just like Kael. And, I must say they're both very sexy." Then she pouted playfully. "And taken!"

Nieme laughed and lay back down beside her two loves. "That's not why I became friends with Kael, though. I liked how he smelled." She glanced at Kael timidly, then looked away quickly with a flush running through her cheeks. "And he tasted good too."

As Kael blushed at Nieme's comment, Dani was giggling. "Well, I've only had a couple tastes so far, but you're right. You two have no idea how tempting it is for me to walk those fifty kilometers into the city to find myself a man for the night, or a woman. Though, laying here with you two tonight would probably be much better than anything I could do with a stranger. And, I won't be able to take a starlit swim in the city either."

"You're going swimming?" Nieme looked towards the lake, petrified as memories of the drowning incident returned. "Are you sure you should do that? I mean...what if...what if you get into trouble? Kael and I wouldn't be able to help you." Nieme turned back to Dani with a whimper and hugged her tightly. "D-Don't go. I won't let you. If I hold you all night, you won't be able to go anywhere."

Dani laughed and returned Nieme's hug. "I won't go," she said softly. "Though maybe later I'll just go down to the edge. It won't be so bad if I don't go out far, will it? The three of us could go down there together, at the water with the stars reflecting down on us. I imagine it will be quite beautiful at the water."

"Well...I guess that would be okay. But Kael and I are going to hold your hands just in case." Nieme giggled as she released her hold on Dani and stretched out across the blanket again. She sighed dreamily as the stars continued to brighten with the quickly darkening sky. With a gasp, she shot upright and pointed excitedly as a streak of iridescent, nacreous light shot across the heavens. "Look! That...that's Gorla's Tear! Oh..."

"Newborn Freedom, Part 3"
by Kallia Brael
Nieme Yaresh
Yelara Zaneth
Liam Zaneth
Kael Selrid
and Dani
Location: Jedi Temple, Tae'Karada
Date: Praeda 25, 4ABY

***

"Oh!"

"Yelara love," Kallia said, trying to keep her voice soothing, "if you don't loosen your grip, both Liam and I will need prosthetic replacements. And, I'm sure that Liam's mother wasn't really as bad as you claim. Besides, isn't he an orphan?"

"Can we not talk about you and Liam right now? I'm in pain here! Doesn't anyone care that I'm in-- Ow!" Yelara cried out again to expel the pain, then sank back against the bed with a whimper. "Why couldn't Liam be the one to have the baby? All he had to do was stick his tool in me. I'm the one who has to go through all the hard work and pain!"

"If you'd pop that kid out of you," Kallia said with a grin, "the pain will go away. Come on, push, my love. You're almost there."

Liam winced again as Yelara's grip tightened more. "Next time, you can stick your tool in me, and I'll have the baby."

Yelara glared at Liam and raised her hand to strike him in the arm when a particularly intense spike of pain shot through her. She clutched her stomach with her free hand and emitted a piercing cry. She took in quick, shallow breaths to gather her strength, then looked to Kallia for encouragement. "Push now?"

"Yes," the doctor and Kallia said in unison.

"You're doing good, Yelara," the doctor said. "Just a little more. Not much longer now."

Kallia smiled. "I can feel your baby's strength, Yelara," she said. "I can feel that you'll be a mother very, very soon. Just a little bit more, love. Just a little more."

Yelara's body tensed with the force of the applied pressure she was trying to bear down on her stomach. She desperately wanted the child out, both to end the pain, and to answer the question that had been plaguing Liam and herself since the baby was conceived. She was reluctant to find out in a way whose baby it truly was, but she knew she could no longer stand the anticipation, and was ready to face the answer whatever it was.

Kallia and the doctor continued to voice their encouragement, and from the corner of her eye, she could see Liam's concern and excitement. She hoped he could love the child, whoever's it was, for if he couldn't, she wasn't certain if she could. "Kal! Oh gods...how much more?"

"I see the head!"

The doctor's cry brought all heads around to look at him. Kallia felt Yelara's hands tighten as she bore down and tried to expel the child from her body. "Almost there, love," she whispered. It was finally the moment of truth.

Her fingers dug deeper into Liam and Kallia's hands, and she felt her lungs about to burst with the exertion as she pushed with a newfound determination. She could feel the child slowly slipping out, taking with it the bond they'd shared for seven months. A part of her didn't want to let it go, and the harder she pushed, the more detached the child felt from her.

She heard herself crying out, pleading with the doctor to stop stealing her child from her, then a sudden emptiness filled her, followed by the shrill, crisp cries of the little extension of her soul. Murmurs of joy and excited laughter erupted from around her as the child's physical link to her was cut and fully severed. Her body relaxed and she fell against the bed with an exhausted sigh, but she couldn't bear to look and closed her eyes tightly. The sweat stung her flesh and her lungs ached, but it was the fear of what was to come next that plagued her most. "Kallia," she whispered breathlessly. "Kallia...what...what is it? What does it look like?"

Kallia moved toward the doctor where he and several nurses worked at cleaning the small form. "Doctor?"

The doctor turned to Kallia with a wide grin. "It's a boy, Yelara. You and Liam have a son."

"But the eyes, Doctor," Kallia said. "What colour are the eyes?"

The man frowned for a moment, but then shrugged and turned back. "Well, let's see now," he said. "It looks like they're dark."

Yelara gasped and shook her head slowly. She felt the anguish and dejection she knew would come if the baby turned out to be Dargus', and combined with the same emotions coming from Liam through their bond, Yelara groaned and let the bitter tears fall. "No," she said in a horrified whisper. "No...oh gods, no. It...it can't be." She looked up to Liam and with a despondent sigh, she sank into his arms.

The nurse shifted the baby a little more into the light, and the doctor exclaimed, "No, no, they're blue. Now that they're in the light, the damn bluest eyes I've ever seen with little flecks of purple."

With renewed energy, Yelara sat up quickly and looked towards the baby, being held up to the light and burbling gently. "Liam... Blue eyes? Oh gods..." Yelara laughed with elation and attempted to climb off the bed and pull her baby free of the doctor's arms. "My baby...our baby. Give me our child!"

Before Yelara could get off the bed, two nurses moved to keep her from injuring herself. "We can bring the baby to you, Mrs. Zaneth, but you shouldn't be moving around. You just had a baby; your body needs to recuperate. Now please lie down, and we can bring you your son."

Yelara heeded the nurse's suggestion reluctantly and anxiously awaited the moment when the doctor would finish his examination and hand her their child. Her eyes beamed with excitement and the smile she wore consumed her entire face. "Liam...oh gods, Liam." She looked up at him and tried to determine what the expression on his face was conveying. "Liam...he's ours. He's your child, Liam. Don't you feel it? He's got your blue eyes, just like I said he would."

Liam laughed and quickly wiped the tears suddenly appearing in his eyes away. Without preamble, he took Yelara into his arms and kissed her. "Our child," he whispered. "Oh gods, Yel, he's so beautiful. He's us."

"Truly, in every way." Yelara's eyes caught the nurse carefully approaching them with a bundle in her arms. Yelara gasped quietly then looked up at Liam. "You hold him first. Hold your son, Liam."

Liam smiled and stepped forward toward the nurse. He held out his arms, and the woman gave him a large smile as she placed his son into them. His eyes lit up with wonder as he looked down into the face of his child, the small being he and Yelara had feared would tear them apart. But, the infant would draw them together and make them stronger. He felt the tears welling in his eyes as he held him. Their Va'Lesh. He wanted to speak, but he found the only sound he could make was laughter. He looked down to Yelara and laughed again. "He's beautiful." With that, he held their child out toward his wife, and placed him into her arms.

"More than beautiful," she whispered as she stared in awe at their child. "He's everything to us." Yelara gazed into the clear blue eyes of their child and couldn't help but share in Liam's tears and laughter. Holding him and seeing herself and Liam in his eyes, Yelara knew everything was complete. They'd escaped Dargus for good and were now able to start their lives anew, as they had always planned. "You're our Va'Lesh," Yelara whispered. She gently kissed him on the brow and laughed softly. "You're a special little boy, you know? Our little Va'Lesh. Thank you, my child. Thank you for our freedom."

As Yelara and Liam marveled at the small wonder they'd created, Kallia watched with a large smile on her face. That she'd been so completely alone when Yara was born was more than made up for by the moment here with Yelara and Liam. She couldn't help but feel the love and joy of the moment, and knew that even though their attention was focused on their child, she was included in that happiness. She moved close to Yel, who looked up at her with a large smile. "Va'Lesh is a perfect name," she said. "And, it suits him."

A nurse approached. "We're going to have to move you to one of the private rooms now, Mrs. Zaneth. Your son will be fine with you for awhile, but the doctor will need to check him out soon. He looks like a very strong, healthy boy, but we just need to make sure. That, and his vitals need to be recorded for official records."

"Oh...alright." Yelara looked between Liam and Kallia, and although she was still feeling her excitement and joy, the fatigue was setting in. "Are you two going back to the...home? Won't you stay? I mean...I'm sure the kids will be alright, right?"

"Not even the Emp--" He glanced around and smiled. "Nothing could drag me away from here right now," he said. "And, the kids were doing well with each other according to Kallia, so I'm sure they'll be fine. It'll be the three of us here." He glanced at Kallia with a raised eyebrow.

"I've got my little girl here, and you two...so I'm perfectly happy. I couldn't leave now."

Yelara sighed happily then smiled at the nurse. "I think I'd like to rest now. Should the baby sleep? Do I have to feed him or... What do I do next?"

The nurse smiled. "The baby should probably sleep," she said. "And, I can come in to help you get acclimated to feeding when he lets us know he's hungry. For now though, Yelara, you should probably get some rest. Your body has just gone through a lot, it'll need some time to get over the shock of childbirth."

"But I feel fine. I feel as if I could get up and walk out of here right now. I have so much to do. I have to get the baby a carrier, he's going to need new clothes and other baby...things." Yelara kissed Va'Lesh's brow tenderly and had to remind herself not to squeeze the delicate child too hard. She felt the sudden need to protect her child, to cling tightly to him in case anyone dared pull him from her arms. "I promise, Leshie," she whispered softly, "I won't let anyone hurt you. Me and your daddy and even auntie Kallia will do everything we can to protect you. I promise to try and be a good mother, but it looks like we're both new at this mother-son game. We both have a lot of growing up to do, but I promise I'll grow up fast enough to take care of you how you deserve. I promise, little one... I promise."

"You may feel fine," the nurse said, "but I think that's the euphoria of your little one's birth. That mixed in with a healthy dose of adrenaline, and I bet you feel like you could take on anything right now. Well, even if you don't sleep, we need to move you to a room. And, Kallia and Liam can stay with you for awhile." The nurse smiled. "If you're really good, we might even be able to arrange for them to stay in the room with you tonight."

"Can...can the baby stay? I mean, can I sleep with him for a while? I just...I don't want him to think he's alone. I want him to know that I'm still here...that his daddy's still here and his auntie and--" Yelara smiled at Kallia and said excitedly, "Yara! We have to show Yara her new friend."

"He can stay with you," the nurse said. "Now, I'll be right back to take you to your room."

Kallia was smiling as she looked out toward the door where her daughter was. "Her new best friend. They're going to be perfect with each other, just like their mommies." She laughed. "It'll be all of us in there with you. And, you and Va'Lesh will know that you're loved more than anything."

"I already do...and I think he does too." Yelara gazed down at her new child and saw there joy and hope, and none of the fear or anguish she felt during labour. "Everything's right," she said quietly. "Everything's so right now. It can only get happier from now on. And I might even be able to squeeze back into my leather in a few weeks."

Kallia made a low moaning sound as she gave Yelara a playfully lustful look. "You're just trying to get me all hot and bothered in here, aren't you? I think some night we should sneak out after the kids are asleep, and have ourselves a wonderful night on the town. And, Liam can babysit."

Liam's eyes widened. "Hey!" he said with a laugh.

Yelara glanced at Liam, then slowly back to Kallia with a sly grin. "Well...I'm sure he'll get used to changing dirty diapers. We'll even have a drink in his honour." Their gentle laughter was interrupted by Leshie's shrill cries. Yelara's heart skipped and sudden panic rose within her as she tried to soothe him. "Oh gods...oh please stop." She looked up at Kallia with utter confusion and fear. "What do I do? I-I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Kal. What's wrong with him?"

Kallia leaned in close, and whispered quiet words to the frantic baby. She looked up at Yelara and smiled. "How do you feel about breastfeeding, my love? Your son wants a nipple."

"What?" Yelara looked down at her child then up at both Liam and Kallia with an uncertain smile. "I...I have to let him... But...my nipples... I thought they were only good for one thing." She looked at Kallia then Liam with a suggestive smile. "He really is your son after all." She sighed softly and shifted the baby's weight to her one arm. With the other, she tugged at the buttons holding her dress closed and pushed it open. "So I just...put him there and he...goes?"

Kallia grinned as she helped Yelara open her dress. "You've seen me do this," she said. "Just do what I did with Yara. And, I think the instincts are there for him." She glanced up at Liam and laughed. "Try not to be jealous, love. You'll still get your time."

Liam laughed. "Well, I know where to go when I want a snack. Hell, I could go to either of you if I wanted."

"Oh really?" Yelara raised an eyebrow at Liam, then gently pressed Leshie's face towards her breast. As his mouth sought her nipple and latched onto it, Yelara gasped quietly. She quickly overcame, however, the initial surprise and realized the strange sensation was in fact familiar from her many encounters with Liam and Kallia. She giggled softly and looked to Liam. "I think, my love, Leshie's claimed my nipples for himself. You'll have to occupy yourself with Kallia's for the time being."

Liam glanced between Yelara and Kallia, and then slowly started approaching Kal. "Fine," he said. "It's been a long day, and I need a little snack." His eyes flashed with mischief and he quickly grabbed Kallia and plunged his face between her breasts. She let out a laugh-filled shriek and tried to pull away. The hospital staff turned and glared. Liam and Kallia, under their scrutinizing gaze, turned red and quickly sought to compose themselves.

"Maybe we should go to that room, now."

Yelara playfully glared at them and covered Leshie's eyes. "My poor child... This is a very impressionable age and frankly, I don't want my boy turning into a sex fiend like his father and aunt." She giggled as the nurse came to push her and Leshie into their room, and did so seemingly hurriedly. "Now, if you two can't behave, you'll have to find yourself a hostel to stay in," she called back.

Liam and Kallia followed after. "Just think of the fun we could have together in our own room," Liam was saying.

Kallia laughed. "Me, you, and Yara," she said. "I'm sure we'll have a grand time. Though, we'll have to stop every so often so she can eat." She gave him a wink. "And, maybe you can have a snack too to keep up your strength."

"Hey! I heard that you two. Plotting your affair while I'm still within earshot... Have you no consideration for your poor, bedridden lover?" Yelara giggled, then yelped as the baby's lips clenched her sensitive nipple too tightly. She looked back to Liam with a gentle glare and muttered, "Just like his father..."

As they all entered the room that would be Yelara's for the next day, Kallia sighed with contentment. Her smile brightened even further when she saw the nurse with Yara approaching from the other side of the room. It was all perfect now, completely perfect.

***

Dani gazed into the sky as she dangled her feet into the water. Things were feeling perfect as she and Nieme sat near the lake with Kael sitting nearby with his baitar. He'd rushed back into the Temple to grab it a little bit ago, and had been serenading them since. Nieme seemed to be happily in another world as she listened to his music. Dani smiled, and slipped her hand into Nieme's and gave her friend a gentle kiss. "This is a wonderful night," she whispered.

"Every night in the desert was like this...except without the water...a-and the trees. There weren't any trees in the desert." Nieme sighed and let her head rest languidly upon Dani's shoulder. "Dani? What...what do you think about babies? I mean...Yelara Zaneth and Liam Zaneth are married and they have a baby... Are all married people supposed to have babies? I mean...is it a rule?"

Dani thought about the question for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. "I think the people who are married decide if they want a baby. I mean, you're not supposed to. You do because you want them, not because of an obligation."

Nieme couldn't help but emit a relieved sigh. "Good. I don't think I'm ready to have Kael's babies yet. I wouldn't know what to do." Flashes of her earlier vision kept surfacing and Nieme shuddered visibly. She knew those eyes and that smile; she knew who had been in her dream, and talking of Yelara's baby, Nieme couldn't help but remember another secret Liam had told her. "Remember when I said that...that Yelara Zaneth's baby might not be Liam Zaneth's? Well, she...she had sex with..." Nieme took a deep breath and clenched her eyes shut. "She let Dargus Kandran stick his penis in her. Liam Zaneth thinks the baby might be Dargus'. Isn't that horrible?"

Dani tried to keep the reaction from her face, but the sudden revulsion at Nieme's revelation was hard to mask. "I saw him once when I was on the shipyards. It was before he died, and...I didn't know who he was at first, but just the feeling I got from him. I have never been physically sick from anyone's emotions before, until him. I couldn't eat for three days after that. He was a vile and disgusting man, and I don't see how Yelara could have...done anything like that with him. But, I imagine he left her no choice."

"I don't know the whole story, but it sounded like he wouldn't let her go. And Liam Zaneth put himself in danger to be with her." Nieme sighed wistfully. "Isn't that romantic?"

Dani smiled dreamily. "It is," she cooed. "They're so perfect together, aren't they? And, so happy. You can tell by looking at them, even though their words may not even show it. You don't have to be empathic to feel their love."

"I bet she'll be even happier when she finally has the baby, but..." Nieme frowned and clenched her eyes shut against the recurring flashes of her vision. "Dani... When you got caught in my vision...did you see what I saw? I mean...the fire and then... He just wouldn't stop laughing..."

Dani looked down at her feet dangling into the water and frowned. "I didn't see," she said, "but I did feel. It was cold and hot at once, and black...the blackest kind of darkness imaginable." She swallowed. "It was him, wasn't it? Dargus? That's who you saw in your vision?"

Nieme's body went rigid and she sat even more upright. The gasp that left her lips drowned out Kael's melody and shattered the calm of the night. "Dani? How...how did you know that?" She wrapped her arms around Dani, needing her heat to warm her suddenly chilled blood. "He was...so dark, Dani. It was as if he wanted to devour me - to devour us all. Dani...could it be?" She looked up fearfully at Dani and asked hesitantly, "Do you think... Is he alive, Dani? Could he have survived? Oh...I really hope not, Dani. I don't want it to be true."

Dani shook her head. "No one could have survived that," she said. "I read all the reports I could get my hands on when I heard what happened. There's no way he could have escaped that, no one could. It was just a walking nightmare. Maybe it was a fear reaction from Yelara. She was afraid it would be Dargus' baby, and maybe your vision went off of that. Maybe that's all it was."

Nieme nodded her head slowly, but derived no comfort from Dani's assurances. "You're probably right. I mean, it was a coincidence - the vision coming to me, then Yelara going into labour." She smiled tightly and slowly slipped from Dani's embrace. "Just a dream...that's all. Nothing as evil as Dargus Kandran could escape the flames that consumed his soul. He's meant to live in them. I just hope he stays there forever."

Dani nodded slowly. The swim she'd been considering now seemed like a less than pleasant idea. The cold water would seem much more frigid now. "Not even that sort of evil could have survived that," Dani said. Finally she smiled and looked at Nieme again. "We're going to sleep out here tonight right? If you and Kael want some private time together, I can go off for a little bit."

"Oh...I don't think that would be a good idea tonight." She looked back to Kael with an apologetic frown. "I'm sorry, Kael. I just...the vision and then the exhaustion and... I just don't feel like it tonight. I mean, I know how you wanted to show me that new position but... We can do it tomorrow, right?"

Kael stopped playing and looked up at Nieme. "Yeah," he said, "that's fine. I think I'd just like to lie with you in my arms tonight...if that's alright. It'll be nice holding you and gazing up at the stars." After a moment, he set the baitar aside and slid himself over near Nieme. "Do you think she's had the baby?"

Nieme snuggled against Kael and sighed softly. "I don't know... Should we comm Liam Zaneth to find out? I wish I knew how to use the Force to sense them and their emotions, just to see how they are. They will comm us, won't they? They wouldn't just not tell us anything...right?"

"They'll get ahold of us," Kael said with a smile. "Though, it may not be right away. I'd think having a baby might make them forget about some things. But, I'm sure they'll tell us."

Nieme glanced at Kael timidly, then laughed nervously. "Kael...do you think... Would you ever want kids? I mean, I don't want them right now or anything, but I just wanted to know in case...well...in case you did. If you do, I'll make myself want them too. Maybe they can be Jedi like us."

"You don't have to make yourself want them," Kael said. "You either do or you don't, but you don't want to force yourself to want something you really don't. I guess kids would be nice someday, but we still have lots of time. I don't think we want to rush it, especially not until we're trained."

"Good," Nieme said, trying not to sound too relieved. "I'm too young for kids...I think. Well...I don't know, really. Yelara Zaneth is young too. I wonder how old she is. I wonder how old Liam Zaneth and Jae Dyn Brael are." She narrowed her eyes inquisitively and looked to Dani. "How old are you, Dani? It doesn't really make any difference how old you are...but...well..." Nieme giggled and shook her head. "Nevermind."

Dani laughed and took Nieme's hand into hers. "It's alright," she said. "I'm seventeen," she said. "But, I'll be eighteen soon. And, it'll be a long time before I have children, if I ever do."

"Seventeen? Wow... I just thought... I thought you were much older than me. I mean, you know so much more than I do. You're so much more experienced too. I guess...I guess age isn't really important. I know I'll always look up to you, Dani, and Kael too. I look up to both of you because you always seem to know more than me...about everything."

Dani grinned. "Except about the stars," she said. "You can teach us. Oh, and cooking, you know more than us. I only know more about some things because of how I grew up. Most girls my age who come from other worlds don't know as much as I do about sex and pleasure, but I come from a culture that's very open about that. But, there are things you know more than us about, and I look up to you too."

Nieme grinned and flustered before finally encircling her arms around Dani. "You do? No one's ever looked up to me before. I want you to look up to me...if you want. I want to teach you about the stars, just like I tried to teach Kael." Nieme giggled and whispered into Dani's ear, "But I think he was too busy trying to kiss me to care."

Dani laughed. "I'll try to pay better attention," she whispered back. She looked longingly up into the sky and sighed. "It's so beautiful." She pulled her feet from the water and turned to face Nieme and Kael. "Are you guys tired at all? Should we snuggle into the blankets and gaze into the sky while Nieme tells us about the stars while we fall asleep?"

Without another word, Nieme giggled and moved toward the blanket, with Dani and Kael quickly following. She sat upon the spread blanket, then lay back upon it. "I think we should fall asleep. I'll name all the stars for you. Well...at least some of them before I put you both to sleep." She placed a hand on both Kael and Dani's shoulder, gently pulling them down onto the blanket. "It's warmer when you two are down here with me."

Dani giggled as she slid close to Nieme on one side, and then Kael on the other. "We'll be lots warmer here together," Dani said as she pulled one of the other blankets over them. "And, you two won't have to worry, I'll keep my clothes on tonight."

"Oh...um...me too." Nieme smiled at Kael innocently, then kissed him lightly upon the tip of his nose. "We promise not to be naked in your presence. We both know how modest you are, my love."

Kael laughed. "Yeah," he said, "sure. I know the two of you would like nothing more than to strip off all your clothes and go running naked through the forest, not to mention snuggling yourself up to me."

"I-I don't want to run naked in the forest..." Nieme caught the glint of jest in Kael's eyes, then laughed shyly. "Oh...well I would like to snuggle myself up to you, and I bet Dani would like to snuggle herself up to Liam Zaneth," Nieme said with a grin.

Dani giggled. "I would love to," she said. "Though, I think his wife wouldn't like that at all. I don't think Yelara would want me naked around her husband for any reason. And, when she gets back, I'll prove it to you."

"Oh really? And how are you going to do that? You do know he'll be training you most of the time, which means you're going to have to show a lot of self-restraint." Nieme giggled. "I don't know if you'll be able to control yourself."

Dani grinned. "Well, when we're all back at the temple, I'll just make sure that sometime when Yelara and Master Liam are together, and not in their own room, I happen to show up in a state of undress, and we'll see how Yelara reacts. I don't think she'll like me naked around her husband at all."

Nieme smiled mischievously and giggled. "Well, I guess she wouldn't like it if I-I told her Liam Zaneth held my hand and that I kissed him on the cheek and hugged him...but I was really excited when I did it and I couldn't control myself, so does that still count?"

Dani laughed. "Oh, I think it does," she said. "I think Yelara's going to have to watch out for both of us. When we go into town to get things, I want to get something really sexy to wear, and I'll wear it around him. We'll see how she reacts, and I bet she tries to get me away from him."

"Oh, I don't think I could do that...but I could help! I don't know how, but I could!" Nieme laughed and was finally able, with their humourous plots and schemes, to shed some of the darkness and fear brought on by the vision. But the eyes still loomed and she could feel the terror she was trying so hard to suppress slowly trying to consume her again. As long as she was laughing, she knew she could keep the fear contained, and plotting a way to pique Yelara's jealousy was certainly inducing many laughs. "Ooh! And Kael can try and make Liam Zaneth jealous by paying extra attention to Yelara Zaneth! Wouldn't that be fun, Kael?"

Kael laughed. "Just as long as I don't make him too jealous," he said. "He knows more about this Jedi stuff than I do. But, if you want me to help with your little plots, I'll do my part to make him jealous."

Nieme emitted a squeal of excitement, and with an arm around both Dani and Kael, she pulled them into an embrace. "See how much fun it is when we're all friends? Together, we can keep be happy... Now everyone can be happy because there won't be anymore fighting. I'm so glad about that. I'm so very glad."

Both Kael and Dani laughed as they suddenly found themselves caught up in Nieme's hug. Kael shifted slightly and then kissed Nieme, a long, slow kiss that would tell her that he was alright with how things were. They would make it, and they'd have Dani as a friend too. It would be perfect.

"You're right," Nieme replied as the kiss broke, "it will be perfect, Kael. Absolutely perfect." Her smile slowly faded as she gazed into Kael's eyes, realizing suddenly that the words she'd thought had come from Kael's lips couldn't have possibly; they'd been bound to hers the entire time, but she'd heard clearly his words, which instead of giving her hope, now unsettled her. "Wh-- What did you say, Kael? What..."

Kael shook his head slowly. "I didn't say anything," he said. "I was just...just kissing you. But...you...you read my thoughts, didn't you?"

Nieme pulled away and shook her head vigourously. "N-N-No, I didn't. I-I didn't, I swear." She edged away from him, as if fearing the unintentional violation of his mind would anger him. "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry, Kael. I didn't...I promise..." She whimpered quietly and quickly turned to Dani where she buried her face into her friend's breast. "I'm...I'm sorry," she sobbed.

Kael sat up, the concern on his face clear. He watched Nieme being consoled by Dani and felt a momentary lance of anger and fear. But, then he hesitantly put a hand on her back hoping that the touch would soothe.

"It's alright," Dani whispered into Nieme's ear. "We're still getting used to what we can do. It was probably just everything else today, mixed in with us being tired. There's nothing wrong with you, Nieme, and nothing wrong with a little accident like that. It's alright, Nieme."

She looked up at Dani, then noticing the salient mixture of emotions coming from behind her, she turned to Kael and attempted a smile. "Are you not mad, Kael? I really didn't mean it. I wasn't even trying to do it. I just...I heard the words and thought... I don't know what I thought. I won't do it again...to either of you. I promise."

"I'm not mad," Kael said. "And, it's alright. I know you didn't do it on purpose." He brushed a hand gently against her cheek. "If it happens again, then it happens. It's alright, Nieme."

"But...I don't want either of you to feel uncomfortable around me. I won't peek again, I swear. When Jae Dyn Brael gets back, I'll ask her to teach me how to stop it. A-And the visions too. She can make them stop too...I hope." Nieme sighed and nestled herself into Kael's embrace, trying desperately to keep her mind from delving into Kael's. "And everything is still going to be perfect...no matter what."

Dani folded her arms around both Nieme and Kael, and whispered, "Absolutely perfect."

Kael grinned and looked past Nieme at Dani and smiled. "Like our friend says, Nieme. Absolutely. Now, I want to know what that big star up there is."

Nieme giggled and with her arms around both her loves, she lay back upon the blanket and gazed up at Orlana's Eye. "She's always watching, they say. Her pristine light shines upon us, and it repels the darkness." Nieme looked to both Dani and Kael, and with the light emanating from them, she didn't think they needed Orlana's Eye to keep the darkness away. Their growing love and happiness would suffice for that.

"Newborn Freedom, Part 4"
by Kallia Brael
Yelara Zaneth
and Liam Zaneth
Location: Jedi Temple, Tae'Karada
Date: Praeda 25, 4ABY

***

As she sat across from Yelara's bed nursing Yara, Kallia could tell that Yel had already bonded with Va'Lesh. With each minute that passed, the love she could feel in Yelara for her son seemed to grow even further, and each time she fell in love with her newborn again, her happiness soared. It was beautiful to see Yelara so free and unburdened. For all the time she'd known her, there was a burden, and the burden had always been Dargus Kandran. But with the birth of Va'Lesh, the burden had evaporated in the clear blue eyes of the baby. And, Kallia could feel it all.

"You are truly beautiful, Yelara," Kallia said. "I don't think I've ever seen you this radiant before."

"I've never felt this happy before. Well...not that I wasn't happy when I married Liam, or when you showed up at our doorstep... This is just a different kind of happiness. I just never thought it would feel this way." Yelara sighed and brushed a hand along her child's forehead. She laughed softly as his tiny mouth opened into a gentle yawn. "I know it hurt like hell, but I know I'd want to have another. Definitely..."

Kallia smiled. "I know what you mean," she said. "I feel the same way. Though, I think it's okay for now. Yara is enough, and I imagine I'll almost be a second mother for Va'Lesh. And, I don't have anyone to have a baby with...so, I guess that settles that point."

Yelara smiled inwardly and looked askance at Kallia with mischief gleaming in her eyes. "Well, I'm sure if you really wanted one, Liam would help you with that."

Liam's eyes widened as he looked between the two women. "What? Oh babies? Sure. Come on over here, Kal. Let's make a baby."

Kallia laughed. "Watch it or I'll make you change Yara's diaper too."

"Now, now, children. The babies are trying to sleep. You can plan the conception of your love-child after we've all had some rest."

With uncanny prescient on Yelara's part, a nurse entered the room and moved to her bedside. "It's time to get Va'Lesh to the nursery. And I think you could do with some rest as well, Mrs. Zaneth."

Yelara smiled at the nurse then looked down upon Va'Lesh. There was a sudden reluctance to part with him - even in sleep - which amazed her. She'd known her child for only an hour, and already there was an unbreakable bond formed. In his face, she saw the physical manifestation of both her soul and Liam's, two souls that were now joined forever. From that union, came Va'Lesh and as much as his soul was his own, she knew a part of each of theirs was there within him as well.

She leaned over and gently kissed her child upon the brow. "Sweet dreams, my little soul. I'll be here when you wake." The nurse smiled and carefully took up Va'Lesh into her arms. "Let his father say goodnight to him, will you?" she asked softly. The nurse nodded congenially and slowly made her way towards Liam.

Liam stood and took Va'Lesh into his arms. As he looked down into the face of his son, he couldn't help smiling. "He's amazing," he said. "Goodnight, my little knight. Your mama and I will come see you in the morning. Until then, don't give the nurses too much grief." With that, he kissed the infant on the forehead and returned him to the arms of the nurse. As the woman left, he moved over to the edge of Yelara's bed and took her hand. He gave her a smile and knew she could feel the joy bursting within him. "We did good, my love."

"We? I was the one who popped the thing outta me." Yelara smiled and kissed Liam tenderly. "We did do alright, didn't we? I can already see a bit of both of us in him. I was so nervous about this parenting thing, but now, I know I want to spend every minute with our child. I don't wanna miss anything."

Liam smiled and kissed her forehead, and then lips. "We'll do whatever we can to make sure that we have every minute we can with our son. It will be perfect, my love. Me, you, and Va'Lesh. And, then Kallia and Yara. We'll have to start sending out the announcements. I think Oot would like to hear about him, and I think that Kambra's just waiting for a chance to babysit."

"Too bad we didn't record the entire birthing. I'm sure he would have loved every minute of that. Oh! And my grandfather Orinth! He would give anything to see his grandson. When the baby's old enough to travel, we have to visit Corellia. You don't know how happy that would make him." Yelara smiled wryly. "Although, the whole happiness thing might be offset by the utter disappointment he'll feel once he finds out we're married."

Liam laughed. "Well, perhaps I've become a little more respectable since we saw him last. And, I'll even hide my tattoo from him." He kissed her and smiled. "I don't think he could feel disappointed for long when he looks into your eyes though. How could any parent or grandparent be upset with such happiness?"

"Or Aunt," she added with a look in Kallia's direction. She motioned her over and took her hand. "This is like a dream... Actually, this has been my dream for a long time - all three of us together, and our child truly ours, Liam. This is all melodramatic, but I think our dreams are coming true...all of them."

Liam smiled as Kallia sat on the bed next to Yelara, after putting a gently burbling Yara into the small carrier. He leaned down and kissed Yel's forehead. "I know my dreams have come true. In my life, I have everything I could ever hope for. Perhaps once we've found some others we can trust with the students, the three of us can go away for a little while, to visit Corellia. I don't want to commit to anything while we're still solely responsible for their education, but after...when there are others to fill that gap."

"Then you'd better start looking. Maybe you can send the kids out to help you. I think we could use a vacation. And you too, Kal. We can all just get away and perhaps Kambra can watch the kids for us." Yelara smiled slyly and kissed both Kallia, then Liam. "Now that I'm better able to move, we have some catching up to do."

Kallia laughed and moved closer to Yel. "I don't think it'll be long before you're fit enough, and then we can try to make Liam blush."

Liam laughed. "I don't blush, especially not at my wife and her lesbian live-in lover."

"Oh, I think you will, my love." She pulled Liam closer and with a giggle, she whispered into his ear. "And I think if I take my tongue and..." The rest of Yelara's suggestion was lost as her words drifted into Liam's ear, only for Liam, but by the blush she hoped was spreading across Liam's cheeks, Kallia would have no doubt about what she was planning. "So, my love," Yelara said as she pulled back, "how does that sound to you?"

"Just make sure that Nieme and Dani don't hear about that," Liam said with a laugh, "or we'll have problems all over again with them."

Yelara laughed, then lay back against her pillow and sighed wearily. "My loves, I think it's time for all of us to get some sleep. I'm beginning to feel the exhaustion now and...gods, am I sore. I think I'll be sleeping for days. If Leshie gets hungry, just pull out one of my breasts and let him suck on it, will you, my loves?"

Liam kissed her goodnight. "What about me," he asked with a grin. "If you've got a self-service operation set up here, might as well get myself a snack when I get hungry too, right?"

Kallia slapped his shoulder. "Just as long as you leave some for the baby," she said. "And, if you get really hungry, I've got some extra. Yara's starting to expand her diet a little, so I've got more than enough for the husband of my lover, who's now my lover too." She kissed Yelara and smiled. "You did really well today, my love. Well, except for those names you kept calling Liam." She grinned. "I love you, Yelara; and you have no idea how happy I am, and how happy I am to see you this happy. It's wonderful."

"Everything will only become filled with more happiness from here on in. There's nothing that could put a damper on that...nothing and no one." Yelara laughed softly and nestled her head into the pillow. "Now, you two go have sex and I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, my loves..." She sighed and let the lethargy of sleep embrace her. She closed her eyes with the sight of Liam and Kallia looming over her, their happy and smiling faces the last thing she saw before the darkness shrouded her.

There was another bed in the room, and Liam moved toward it. He glanced at Kallia, who motioned for a moment while she went and looked in on her daughter. Nothing or no one, she thought as she trailed a finger along Yara's cheek. Nieme's words from earlier wouldn't leave her, and it sent a cold shiver down her spine.

"The demon," Nieme had whispered. "His soul burns with a rekindled fire. He's coming and no one's safe. You've seen him and he's coming. Dar--"

Kallia gazed at Yelara Brael's face and tried to push the fear away, the crack that waited to spread through the happiness until it shattered. The demon was returning.

Dargus Kandran.

Kallia kissed Yara's forehead. "He won't touch you," she whispered. "He won't touch any of us. Not while I still live."