"Corellia, Part 4"
By: Kace Mordin
Elisia Melouet
Yelara Neerou

Location: Vengeance of Corellia in space
Date: Saris 3, 3 ABY

***Day 3***

Yelara stumbled down the corridor, still clutching her stomach after an entire night of torment. She cursed under her breath as she pictured the satisfied grin on Elisia's face. She would most likely be smiling with that mischievous grin on her face, savoring the knowledge that she had made Yelara's entire evening a living hell. I knew I shouldn't have touched a morsel of that meal, Yelara thought to herself, angry that she had trusted Elisia enough to eat something that had touched her fingers. She was out to get Yelara. She was certain of that.

Elisia had spent the day studying, reading, and writing. She had mediated and practiced picking up a drawing pencil with her mind. She was tired of her cabin and decided to go up to the cockpit and watch the stars go by. She stepped into the main living area as Yelara entered. "Good Evening, Ma'am. I hope your trip has been pleasant so far," she said politely.

Yelara narrowed her eyes at Elisia and gave her a curt smile. "Yes, quite pleasant...you little snake," Yelara said under her breath. "I'm sure you're enjoying yourself immensely." Yelara walked over to the couch, plopping down on it with a grunt and a gentle moan as the room began to spin. "What did you put in that food anyway? I was sick all night...which you were probably hoping for."

"I am sorry. I will be sure to cook only bland things the rest of the trip. It was only a Corellian spice stew," Elisia said wide-eyed.

"Yes, I've had it before. I am from Corellia, after all," Yelara shot back rather sharply. "It's just heavier than any I've had before."

"I guess I might have spiced it heavy. I...I didn't know you couldn't handle rich foods. I guess it is hazards of a hard life," she said quietly. Her eyes maintained that wide-eyed child being scolded look.

Yelara glared at Elisia. She was quite the little actress and no doubt had Kace completely fooled into thinking she was some innocent, naive child. Yelara wasn't fooled at all. "Look, from now on, I'll cook my own dishes. Got it?"

Elisia bowed. "Yes Ma'am. May I get you anything else?" She was hard pressed to keep from smiling.

Yelara stood up abruptly, gritting her teeth as she approached Elisia. "I have tried to be civil with you, for Kace's sake, but I'm tired of this charade. You hate me, and right now, I'm not too pleased with you." Yelara walked up to Elisia and stared down at her with a stern expression on her face. "Stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours. OK?"

Elisia looked up, her face losing its soft innocent expression. "And if I don't?" she hissed quietly.

"Ahh, there she is!" Yelara said, a grin spreading across her face. "I knew the real Elisia would show up sooner or later." Yelara grabbed Elisia by the arm and pulled her close, their faces almost touching. "Now listen to me, you little brat! I know what you're up to and I won't sit by and watch as you pull the wool over Kace's eyes, making him think you're the perfect, well behaved little girl he thinks you are. I know the game you're playing, and you know what? I can play it too and ten times better! So back off!"

"I am not backing off for Kandran's whore," Elisia hissed. "You will just use him and then run back to Dargus when you need more money or a better job or ship," Elisia said. "I love him and you can't have him."

Yelara raised her hand, meaning to send it across Elisia's cheek, but cried out in frustration and merely pushed Elisia away. "So this is all about a little crush you have on Kace?" Yelara began laughing, a loud insulting laugh that made her head reel. "You may act spiteful and with scorn just as a grown woman would, but you're nothing but a child, Elisia. Grow up!"

Pure cold fury washed over Elisia. She felt the strange cold fury she had felt once before coil inside her. "I would rather be a child than a two timing bitch." There was no emotion to Elisia's words. Her eyes had not left Yelara since she had found her footing from the shove.

"Did I miss something?" Kace stood in the doorway, wearing only a towel and wet hair dripping down onto his shoulders.

Yelara didn't turn around to acknowledge Kace. She merely stared at Elisia, finally realizing that this bitter feud was more about pure jealousy than an innocent infatuation. "You missed nothing, Kace. Elisia and I were just trading some Corellian recipes. She's quite good at cooking things up, you know," Yelara answered, her gaze locked onto Elisia.

Elisia said nothing. Her anger was swirling inside her and she was taking deep breaths trying to get it into check. Kace would never agree to let her stay around if she did something to his girlfriend.

He could see Elisia's aura mottled and confused. She was angry; he could tell. He stepped into the room. You knew it would come to this, he told himself. You knew they wouldn't get along. "Okay," he said. "Corellian recipes are appropriate for a trip to Corellia, I guess." He sighed.

"Well, it is a moot point," Elisia said. "Since Yelara doesn't like my cooking, she will be cooking from now on. After all, she has far more experience than I have. She has made it quite clear that it makes all the difference," Elisia said, her voice controlled. Neither woman had broken eye contact yet.

Yelara gave Elisia a feral grin upon hearing her suggestive remark. "Well, you're too young to start cooking Elisia, so maybe you should stick with something you actually have a chance at excelling in. Leave the cooking to me," Yelara said, smiling at Elisia and turning up her nose at the girl. "Besides, you shouldn't be around a hot cooking surface all on your own. Wouldn't want you to get hurt or burned, now would we?"

"Please," Kace said his voice louder than he'd planned. "This is a very small ship, and we've still got three days before we get to our destination." His tone was pleading.

"Don't worry Master, I will stay out of the way. I wouldn't want to interfere in any buffet you care to partake of. " She looked up at Yelara. "I just hope you can keep up with so many stoves. Seems like things might get a little used up and dirty." Elisia turned on her heel and swept from the room.

"You little witch!" Yelara shrieked as she stalked out of the room after Elisia. The charade was no doubt up, for Kace had been able to read between the lines. The two girls' faces were definitely saying more than their cooking metaphors had. "You've no right to talk to me that way! If you think I'm a whore, then come out and say it, you little coward!"

Kace had had enough. He moved into the center of the room. "Stop this now!" he shouted. "Please, both of you just let this drop. Anymore, and I'll probably make another empty threat. Please, for the sake of my sanity, stop fighting."

"I am not fighting," Elisia said, turning to face them both. "I can't help it if your girlfriend doesn't like the truth. " She turned to Yelara. "And I believe I already called you Kandran's whore so I am not a coward!" Her words again were quiet and controlled as Kace had been teaching her. She was forcing the anger down and answering calmly though it was very very hard.

Yelara took sharp breaths in through her nose, keeping her mouth closed tightly and trying to remain calm. She didn't have the Jedi training either of them had, so she was stuck relying on her not wanting to distress Kace any further, to prevent her from throttling the girl. "You're just a naive, stupid child who knows nothing of the workings of this cruel existence we call life," Yelara answered, her voice cold and her eyes growing dark. "I may be a whore," she added, swallowing back tears of rage, "but at least I'm not a bitter little girl who's throwing a tantrum because she can't be the woman she needs to be to lure her Master into loving her." Yelara stared at the girl, almost empathizing with her yearning, her frustration at loving someone who was out of reach, just as Kallia was for her. "If you love Kace, as I do, you will stop this. Now!"

Elisia's rage flared. She saw Kace moving towards them, but it was as if he was slow. "You know nothing of me. I know more about the cruelty of life than you have ever known," she said in a deadly tone. "But you will."

Before Kace could stop her, the force from Elisia wrapped itself around Yelara. Elisia forced her memories upon her in rapid succession. Life on the streets, the rape in the brothel and subsequent beatings and rape again. She played out for her the scene in the warehouse; all her darkest memories were forced upon Yelara in cold fury. A life with no childhood, no love, no mentor, but the harsh realities of the street was played out in emotional detail. She looked up and saw the look on Kace's face. Sheer mortification flooded through her and she abruptly let Yelara go, watching coldly as she dropped to her knees. "Good night," she said politely and entered her room.

Kace rushed forward to where Yelara fell. He checked for a pulse, and let his mind flow into hers. He found confusion and shock, but she was still okay. The sudden intrusion of the new memories hadn't harmed her, but the confusion would take time to get through. Fortunately, he knew ways to speed that up. He shook his head and bit back a curse. Why did it have to happen like this? He stretched out with the Force to calm the turmoil within Yelara's head.

Yelara thrashed about and her hands grasped her head as she clenched her eyes shut. The horrifying visions were still so fresh in her mind. The experiences were so real, she thought she was still there, living them out as Elisia had. She let out terrified whimpers and screams that caught in her throat. As the storm in her mind began to die down, Yelara became more aware of her surroundings and her body lying on the cold floor. She took in deep, choking breaths as tears flooded down her cheeks. All those dark memories had come from Elisia's mind, a mere child who had lived and suffered more than Yelara thought possible for anyone, especially a girl so young. "I'm sorry..." she whispered as she opened her eyes, seeing Kace hovering above her. "I didn't know..."

He nodded. "She's suffered in her life," he said. "More than any ten people ever should." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry you had to find out that way, but it is good you know. Dargus orchestrated the last event she showed you. The other you didn't see was him drugging and then trying to rape her. And, she's got a temper as fiery as your own." He helped her up. "You okay, or do you need to rest after that?"

Yelara clung tightly to Kace as her body shook uncontrollably and her eyes still stung with tears. "I'm okay...but I don't think I'll sleep well for the next month after seeing what I saw." Yelara wrapped her arms around Kace, burying her head into his chest and shutting her eyes. The visions still flashed before her eyes, but with less intensity. They were still there, though, and no doubt would be for a long while. "She's just a child... The things I said to her...I feel like a fool now, Kace."

"Maybe after things have calmed down a little," he said, "you can talk to her. You understand her a little better now. You have a better perspective on where she's been, and what she's suffered. I think that empathy might help you to talk to her. If that's what you want."

"I can't...I can't look at her. Not after what I did. She can hate me if she wants to. I deserve it," Yelara answered, as she looked up at Kace. "Go to her. You need to be the one to comfort her, Kace. You're her master and she trusts you. Go. Don't worry about me."

"I'll see what I can do," he said. "I don't want you two to hate each other. I'll go talk to her, but I'm always going to worry about you." He smiled and gave her a gentle kiss. "I'll see you soon." Kace stood and started toward Elisia's cabin. He stopped and shook his head. "I'm going to dress first though."

He moved back into the back of the ship and got dressed. Once satisfied he returned to Elisia's cabin and knocked softly.

Elisia had avoided Kace since their last encounter in her cabin. She regretted some of what she had said. She deserved this time, whatever he decided to dish out. She braced herself mentally. "Come in," she said just loud enough for him to hear.

Kace slipped through the door and found Elisia on the bed watching him as he entered. He looked around, sighing and wondering how to handle this. At least Yelara was okay. Some of the confusion had worn off, a hint of clarity peeking through the edges of his mind. He knew he was standing at the crossroads again. It was a difficult place to be. "You doing okay?" he asked, hesitating. He wasn't ready to move to sit next to her yet. It was safer by the door.

"I am fine. I am sorry. I lost my temper, Master. I know you told me to work on that. But I was trying to be nice. She started it," Elisia said defensively. "I will stay out of your way. I won't come out unless the two of you are busy or sleeping." Her words were dejected. The realization that Kace did not love her because she was too much the child was hard to swallow. "I haven't been very good lately. I can't explain my behavior," she said softly.

After a deep breath, Kace crossed to the bed and sat next to Elisia. "You don't have to," he said. "And, I want to be able to put those things behind us. Yelara is okay, but she does understand you a little better now. She's sorry for the things she said. She doesn't think she could face you after the things she said, especially after what you showed to her."

"She deserved it," Elisia muttered angrily. "Do you think I am a child?" she asked with concern. Why would he have not thrust her away when he was making love toYelara if he thought her a child?

Kace shook his head, hesitant at first then more forceful. The full picture seemed to be forming. "No," he said, holding her eyes with his, "I don't. I've never thought of you as a child."

She couldn't help it. She had to know. She leaned across and kissed him, hesitantly at first, and then more like Yelara had kissed him.

At first Kace was startled, but then he realized what was happening. He slipped his arms around Elisia and returned her kiss, releasing the desire he'd been holding inside for so long. Compared to the first half-kiss they'd shared, this was wonderful. He couldn't have imagined it being any more so. Their tongues touched and played gently as they continued the kiss. Elisia in his arms felt so completely right.

Memories of his hands rose unbidden to her mind and she slipped her arms around his neck. She kissed him more passionately, determined despite the flickers of fear to prove she was not the child Yelara had cast her.

His hands moved to her waist, arms encircling her. He pulled her to him as their kiss became dizzying. His mind was filled with a fog, but his hands and lips moved of their own accord. Finally, he had to break the kiss. He pulled back, breathing heavily, sucking in big gulps of air as he looked at Elisia. As his eyes found hers, he smiled.

"I love you. I know you love Yelara and I will try to accept that," she whispered. "I will try not to be in your way." Her words felt strangely out of place considering he was holding her tightly to him. She scooted over to be a little more comfortable. She hoped he knew how hard that was to say.

Kace only stared at her for a moment before her words finally registered. He dropped his gaze down to watch his hands. "I, um, I don't really know how to quite say this," he said. "I do love Yelara. She's a wonderful person, and I care for her very much. But" -- he looked up at her -- "I don't...I don't want to be with her. I love you, Elisia. I love you so much it hurts sometimes. I want to be with you. I want you in my way and in my heart and everywhere with me." He smiled, the love he felt for her showing in his eyes, in his smile, in the way he looked at her, even the way he sat on the bed. "I love you. I know that now. I don't know why I didn't see it before, but I do. I love you."

She stared at him in confusion. "But you... Yelara..." Her eyes filled with tears. "Why did you make love to her? Do you know what it was like knowing that you...that it wasn't me?" she said, trying not to cry. She had been miserable with jealousy since he had made love to Yelara, regardless of the fact that she had been there too. In fact, in some ways, it had been worse.

"I'm...I'm sorry," he said, the regret plain. "I didn't know until then. I don't know, it's very complex and confusing. I know now that I love you. I knew it wasn't really you there, but knowing that you were, at least part of you. When you were inside her mind, I knew how much I wanted to be with you, how much I loved you. You seemed curious, and I didn't know if we'd ever...so, I wanted to make love to you, but I didn't know if I would ever be able to. I don't know what I was thinking." He looked away. "I'm sorry."

"But you were making love to her before I connected with you," she pointed out. She didn't understand. "I felt you...do something with the force, it was what drew my attention. I didn't know you were with her, but then, I couldn't... I don't know...I just had to know what it was like to be loved by you," she whispered. "Do you really want to be with me and not Yelara?"

"Yes," he said. "Every day we've been together, I've loved you even more. I didn't see it before, but I do now. I do want to be with you more than anything I've ever wanted in my life."

"But what about Yelara?" she said, nuzzling softly against his neck. Her motions were both unsure and tender.

Kace shrugged. "I'm not sure yet," he said. "I still want to be her friend. I don't know if I should tell her yet. At least until we get back. If she gets upset, it could be a really difficult trip. But, whatever happens with Yelara, I'm yours." He shifted slightly to kiss her, his hand tracing random patterns on her back and shoulders.

She accepted his kiss and lost herself in it for quite some time before her next concern reared its head. "But you won't make love to her again?" She asked, the naked pain in her voice. "Please? I promise, I will be nice to her. I will apologize and try to be pleasant."

He kissed her again. "I promise," he said gently. "It was nice with her, but it wouldn't be right for me to be with you, and then make love to her."

A huge wave of relief swept over Elisia. She kissed him again, releasing all the anxiety and replacing it with the love she felt. She had known she loved him since he had stood between her and Dargus Kandran. His hands felt much better on her own body than received through a third party.

Kace looked into her eyes, seeing the love she felt just as she was seeing his love for her. As he held her, he let his hands explore her body, though keeping to the safe areas. He wondered why it took so long for him to open his eyes. But, he had and what he saw was more wonderful than anything he could have hoped for.

"I - will you stay with me? Just hold me?" she whispered. She wanted to sleep in his arms. To feel his warmth and breath against her. She wanted this moment to never end, for she feared that Yelara would ruin it.

He nodded. "Yes," he said. "I would like that very much." He felt his stomach do a flip as he pulled her close again. "I would love to just hold you until the end of time."

Elisia pulled him down on the bed beside her. She kissed him again, more tenderly with slow and tender exploration. When the kiss ended, she curled up against his chest, listening to his heart beat. Happy for the first time since they had left the shipyards on Tae'Karada.

Kace wrapped an arm around her as she lay against him. He closed his eyes and sighed. With Elisia curled against him, everything felt...right. He opened his eyes and looked down at her. "Can I see your necklace?"

She stiffened. She didn't want to fight now. Not when everything was perfect. She slowly pulled it out of her shirt and from around her neck and handed it to him. Her heart beat rapidly. "I have a bigger rock too," she whispered. "Please don't be mad at me. Once I had touched it, I had to have it. It was the first piece of my home I had ever touched." Her voice begged him to understand. Dargus Kandran had offered her the one thing that he knew she would not refuse.

Kace looked at the necklace intently, while a hand gently brushed up and down Elisia's arm. "It's beautiful," he finally said. He looked down at her, a gentle smile on his face. "Dargus has good taste in jewelry." He helped her put the necklace back on, kissing her neck as he did. "I can't be mad at you for that. I know how much knowing about your home means to you. And, I will help you find out everything you can about Alderaan."

She looked at him with disbelief. He never failed to say just opposite of what she expected. She said nothing and curled back in his arms. Her last thought before she drifted off was that sleeping this way was much better than sleeping alone. For the first time in years, Elisia was not curled in a tight ball. Her body was draped across Kace in a comfortable and relaxed position.

Kace forced himself to stay awake a little longer, to consciously be aware of himself holding Elisia, of her gentle breathing as she slept, of the way it felt where they touched. It still baffled him how long it had taken to realize what he was feeling. He did love Yelara, cared for her deeply. He knew that if Elisia hadn't come into his life, he would have wanted to be with Yelara. But, Elisia had come into his life, and he loved her more than anything. He felt a twinge of pain and guilt as he thought about Yelara, and how hurt she would be. It wasn't the same kind of hurt as her running back to Dargus whenever they got close, but he knew it would be painful. He would keep that moment away as long as he could. The pain ebbed when he looked down at Elisia and felt pure joy fill him again.

As sleep finally came, Kace realized he had not felt this happy and content in his entire life.

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