"Corellia: Crossroads"
By: Yelara Neerou - Drogen Shipyard Foreman
and Kace Mordin - Dark Grey Jedi

Location: Corellia
Date: Saris 8, 3 ABY

***

Kace ran through the pre-flight warm up on his ship. He wasn't sure what the trip back was going to bring them, but he was committed to getting Yelara back to Tae'Karada. He wasn't quite sure what she was thinking their trip back would be like, actually he wasn't sure he could guess what it'd be like either. Most likely stressful and quiet. He knew he had to do it. There was a part of him that hoped the trip back would help to heal more of the damage he'd wrought. But, he had a feeling there was nothing he could do that would do that. He wasn't sure if he even deserved to be forgiven.

The system's check came up green across the board, and Kace shut them down. They were ready to go whenever Yelara was set. She was still up at her grandfather's house, he imagined saying her goodbyes. His heart went out to the older man, despite his obvious dislike. After things had exploded with Yelara over his tryst with Elisia, he imagined that Orinth Neerou's views of him had fallen even lower. Kace had avoided contact with him the previous night. Things would not have gone well, or at least he thought they wouldn't have.

With a sigh, Kace locked down the ship and activated the security system. After a quick check of the ship's exterior, he started up the road toward Yelara's grandfather's house. He hoped things went well. He didn't need the trip back to be any more stressful than it was already going to be.

***

"Grandfather?" Yelara called out gently as she rapped lightly on his bedroom door. He had been resting since Yelara came home the night before; the onslaught of emotions during the past two days proved too much for such an old man to bear. Yelara pushed the door slowly open, peaking her head through and furrowing her brow as she saw the vacant bed sitting in the middle of the room. "Grandfather?" she repeated. Her tone rose in timber as a wave of panic swept over her.

Yelara swung the door wide open and frantically scanned the room. Her grandfather had been devastated over the loss of her grandmother, but Yelara had no idea how far the depths of his despair reached. Was he so heartbroken that he would end his own life to join his beloved? Yelara's panic rose as her mind conjured up images of her grandfather hanging from a rope by the neck, or lying on the floor in a puddle of his own blood. "Grandfather!" Yelara shrieked as she rushed into the room. She swung open the bathroom door first and sighed heavily when she saw it was empty.

No, I won't lose you too Grandpa, Yelara thought as she turned out of the bathroom and started towards the bedroom door to search the rest of the house. I should have been there for him, to comfort him, instead of running off yet again, she thought despondently, cursing at herself under her breath for her selfishness and lack of sympathy. She abandoned her grandfather when he needed her most and now...

"Yelara? Is that you making all this raucous out here?" a voice from within the room asked.

Yelara, in a state of confusion, turned her head in all directions. "Grandfather? Where are you?" she asked, breathing a loud sigh of relief as her grandfather appeared from within a closet at the far end of the room. "What are you doing in there? I called for you!" Yelara chided. She rushed towards her grandfather and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him firmly.

"I don't think you've ever been so happy to see me, my child," Orinth quipped as he stroked Yelara's head soothingly. "I'm alright, Yara," he said, grabbing Yelara by the arms and pushing her gently away. "Don't look so despaired, my child. Come with me. There are some things you must see," he added with a comforting smile.

Yelara forced a smile upon her own face as she nodded her head affirmatively. "I'm sorry grandfather. For a moment there, I thought the worst," she confessed as the two of them entered the large walk-in closet. Her eyes fell immediately upon the large scattering of photographs and old momentos on the floor. "What have you been up to, Grandfather?"

"Just reminiscing, Yara," he answered with a rueful grin as he knelt on the floor. "Sit with me," he said as he patted a spot on the floor next to him.

Yelara sat cross-legged on the ground, her leather pants creaking as she did. She laughed quietly as she reached in front of her and picked up a durasheet photograph of a young girl, black ringlets falling upon her shoulders and a mischievous smile on her face. "That's you when you were...I'd say about 6," her grandfather said, looking at the picture and sighing wistfully. "Those were happier times, before you got all those crazy ideas of revenge and rebellion stuck in your head."

"Grandfather, what did you expect?" Yelara asked, tossing the picture aside. "I was a child who saw her parents murdered. It was only natural that I'd be a little out of my head and deranged."

"No, not deranged, Yelara, but you were far too young to have such hate in your heart. It, I'm afraid, turned you cold inside. You let it consume you, Yara, but it's not too late to just let it go -"

"I won't let go!" Yelara snapped. She instantly took a deep breath as she realized she was yelling at the wrong person. She always seemed to get testy upon mention of her parents, but she knew now that it was caused only by guilt and regret. She regretted not being old enough to defend her parents that day, even though if she had, she would most likely be dead alongside them.

Her parents were kind people with gentle souls and warm hearts. Everyone loved them and always spoke highly of them. Yelara was the opposite. She had always been a handful and never once did what was asked of her. She always considered herself to be one big disappointment to her grandparents, and she wished now, with all her heart, that her parents could have been sitting in that closet with her, looking through old memories and smiling at the remembrance of days passed.

If she had been the one to die, her grandparents would have had a lot less grief in their lives, and her grandfather wouldn't have had to see his own son die a young man and far before his time. That was the guilt that had always weighed so heavily upon her: that she had lived while her parents were dead.

"Do you think," Yelara began quietly, looking at the picture she had tossed across the small room. "Do you think I would have been much different if they had lived? Would this person I am never have existed if they had, or has she always been there, hiding in the shadows and waiting for a trauma such as that day's to force her into the light?"

Orinth sighed and placed his arm around Yelara's shoulders. "My child, whoever you would have ended up being, I would still have loved as much as I do now. That has never changed, even in your more obstinent hours." Orinth smiled and leaned over to place a kiss on Yelara's cheek. She turned her head suddenly, her eyes wide with shock as she felt her grandfather's warm lips touch her face.

He had never shown such affection towards her in all her life, and she was utterly surprised by it. She was more surprised when she felt her eyes begin to sting and tears run down her face. "Oh child! What is it?" her grandfather asked, holding her tighter and stroking her hair.

"Nothing, grandfather," she said as her voice choked with emotion. "It's just...I've always let you down and it saddens me because I so want you to be proud of me."

"I am proud of you, Yelara. I am proud that no matter how far away from home you've gone, no matter who you've met or what you've been through, you are still the same Yelara I knew. I am proud that you haven't let that harsh universe out there destroy who you have set out to be. You are Yelara Neerou, and for that, I will always be proud."

Yelara's body shook as the tears rushed forth. She took in stuttering deep breaths as she lay her head upon her grandfather's shoulder and cried, for herself, for her parents and her grandmother, as well as for the fear of not knowing what was to come next. She had lost Kallia, she was losing Kace, and she was falling for Dargus.

She knew that if she let herself fall in love with Dargus, she would lose forever that girl in the picture. To be with Dargus, she would have to compromise everything she was in order to find happiness with him. He wouldn't tolerate her defiant nature for much longer, even though he told her he loved her. She would have to hold back and put on a new mask just for him so that they could live with almost the semblance of happiness.

Yelara gripped the sleeve of Orinth's shirt and clenched her eyes shut. "I don't want her to die, grandfather," she said in a hoarse whisper. "If I go back there, I may lose her."

"Lose who, Yelara. Who?" he asked gently, still running his fingers through her hair.

"Yelara," she whispered back. "She'll be tormented and beaten down until she has no choice but to retreat. I don't want to lose her," she said desperately.

Orinth smiled as he reached over and picked up the photograph Yelara had thrown aside. "Then take this, my child," he said, placing the picture in Yelara's trembling hands. "Take this and when you feel that you've forgotten yourself, and that the familiar voice of that girl inside gets drowned out by all the racket of the world around you, look at it and cling to it tightly. Do that, and she will find her way back soon enough. Trust me."

Yelara opened her eyes and looked down at the picture, her tears splattering onto it and drowning the face of the girl in it. She knew she was losing touch with the person she once was. Her grandmother had momentarily helped her find the little girl again, but Yelara had allowed herself to push the girl astray again. She knew the only way she could be happy again was if she returned to a time when she could still smile without feeling a sadness looming within her, when she could return to the day she had posed for that picture.

Yelara ran her finger across the picture, wiping away the tears that had fallen upon it. No more crying, she told herself, speaking as well to the little girl. Only smiles, no matter what they do to you. They can't know they've beaten you if you're smiling.

Yelara turned to her grandfather and kissed him on the cheek before pulling away from him. "I have to go now, Grandfather. It's time."

Orinth smiled ruefully and nodded his head slowly. "I understand. I also understand this will be the last time we see eachother."

Yelara smiled and rose from the floor, the picture still in her hand. "We will see eachother again, and grandmother, and father and mother will be there too. But if you get there first, Grandfather," Yelara said, placing her hand on Orinth's cheek, "tell them I love them and I'll see them soon enough." Yelara walked slowly out of the closet while letting her fingers trail across her grandfather's cheek before they slipped away. The grin on her grandfather's face was peaceful and he looked fulfilled, somehow. Yes, remember him like that, she thought to herself, remember him happy.

Yelara gave her grandfather a final wave as she moved out of the bedroom, forever leaving him behind. She knew now how to triumph despite what the cruel universe would subject her to. She wouldn't conform to the ruthlessness one needed to get by in a universe full of Dargus Kandrans. Dargus... She could no longer submit to him and play the meek, obediant concubine; it wasn't who she was. She was stubborn and strong-willed, and enjoyed letting the fire within her burn freely.

Her thoughts had been so clouded by a yearning to close her fingers around the Empire's throat, that she had allowed her heart to blacken. The cold that was emanating from her heart had begun to consume the rest of her being, but she still had time to stop it. She almost convinced herself that she could kill if she had to, kill the Imps, but she knew now that only souless monsters killed.

She had lived by following the morals her parents had instilled in her. They had told her once that everyone could be redeemed and deserved forgiveness, even in spite of all they had done in their past. She wanted to believe that, most of all about herself. She realized that she would welcome death, rather than become a person her parents would have been ashamed of, a person like Dargus. She was heading down that path the longer she was with Dargus, the longer she lusted the Empire's blood, and the longer she held her grudge against Kace.

She wouldn't succumb to hate or vengeance, but she still wouldn't give those up at the expense of losing herself. She knew she wouldn't be fulfilled if she didn't do something to avenge her parents, but she couldn't let those emotions alone drive her. Rather, she would temper them with the things that made her the person her grandfather was proud of: kindness, sensibility, patience, and the ability to love.

"Don't worry little one," Yelara said, smiling down at her picture, "we're gonna be alright now. No more tears, no more sadness or pain, just the way things used to be." Yelara gave a contented sigh as she looked ahead towards the door of the cottage. She would return to herself and never lose touch again.

Yelara ran a hand through her short hair and shrugged her shoulders as she thought about growing it out long again, even though it would be completely unmanageable. As she reached the door and began to pull the latch, she thought of one more thing she would definitely have to do as soon as possible: she would have to give Kace that second chance he wished for.

***

Kace approached the walkway leading to Orinth Neerou's house, his mood forcibly neutral. He felt resigned, resigned to whatever hand he had been dealt in this round of universal sabaac. His cloak billowed around him against the wind that had picked up. How fitting, he thought.

He turned up the path and stepped closer to the door. He didn't know how he was going to handle this. He didn't know how he could handle not having Yelara now, not after everything. He'd committed himself completely to loving her, but now...? How would he be able to deal with the distance?

Best not to think about it, he told himself. Just deal with it as you have everything else in your life.

He reached out to knock on the door when it swung away from his hand. On the other side of the door, he saw Yelara standing there. He forced a smile to his face. "Ready I see," he said. "Everything's set to go when you are."

Yelara looked up at Kace, not able to contain her own smile, yet still holding back from wrapping her arms around him. "I'm ready to go now." She stepped out of the cottage and closed the door behind her, still keeping her eyes on Kace. She held the picture of herself close to her chest as if protecting it, not even wanting the rays of the sun to touch it. "Shall we get going then?"

Kace watched Yelara for a moment, trying to gauge her mood. She definitely seemed happy, at least that's what the smile indicated. Perhaps things had gone well with her grandfather. "Yeah," he said. "I've already filed our flight path with the Corellian Transit Authority. So, as soon as we get to the ship, we can be out of here." He thought about offering to carry her duffel, but decided against it. Instead, he gave her a warm smile and turned down the road.

Yelara couldn't help but stare at Kace. She knew he was still uneasy around her, uncertain where exactly he stood with her after what happened. She still wasn't certain herself whether she forgave him, but she knew she couldn't live without him. Even the little time they had spent apart was torture for her and probably more so for Kace, for he had to suffer with the guilt of knowing he had driven them apart this time. "You know, Kace, I think now, I know how you feel every time I go to Dargus' bed. I'm sorry for making you feel that way. I know how much it hurts now," Yelara said with a tight smile.

Kace nodded. "It's not a pain I would have ever wished upon you," he said softly. "I've never stopped loving you. I've never stopped wanting to be with you. I hate myself for causing you the pain I have; you don't deserve it." He took a deep breath and let it out. He wanted to be angry with himself, but he no longer had the energy.

"Don't worry, Kace, I did deserve it. It was exactly what I needed to realize how truly wonderful you are. If it had been any other man, he would have left me long ago. Having a lover who is also another man's whore can't be an easy thing to get one's head around," Yelara said as she struggled with the duffel bag in her hand. She was surprised at how heavy a few articles of clothing could be, but then remembered she had also packed the long velvet dress she had bought for the funeral.

She knew first hand how heavy the dress was after her incident with the Imps. As if it weren't bad enough that she had Imps shooting at her, she also had to try and make a getaway with the dress weighing her down. She almost lost her life that day and it wasn't because of the dress, it was because she had only focused on what she truly wanted to achieve and lost sight of how to get there. "I've been doing it all wrong, Kace," she said quietly as she shook her head dejectedly.

Kace stopped, his eyes on Yelara and his concern evident. He reached out and took the duffel from her, hefting it over a shoulder. He couldn't believe how much he loved her, how powerful his feelings for her were. "What've you been doing wrong?" he asked.

"Thanks," Yelara said with a smile as Kace relieved her of the heavy bag. "Well, everything I've done up to this day has been with one goal in mind: avenging my parents, but what I didn't think of was how disappointed they would be if they knew what I was doing to achieve that goal. Look at what I've become, Kace," she whispered, looking at the ground and shaking her head. "I've given possession of my body to a scoundrel like Dargus, I've almost gotten myself killed on more than one occasion, I pushed away someone I loved dearly and almost lost you too..."

Yelara sighed and looked back up at Kace. "They raised me to be someone who respected herself and wouldn't let her life be dictated by anyone. If I continue on this path, I will lose that person. I will push myself farther away from succeeding in my endeavour to make the empire pay. The only way to truly seek revenge is to remain true to myself despite everything they have done and will do to me. That is what my parents would have wanted, and that is what will make their deaths worthwhile."

Yelara paused, taking the picture away from her chest and looking at it again. The face of the happy girl in it forged within Yelara a fierce determination. "I won't let the Empire turn me into a monster, not like they have done to so many others before me. My parents left behind a part of themselves in me, and if that part is overshadowed by what I will become if I give into the rage, they truly will have died that day. If the person I am can survive through all that's been thrown at me, then my parents can rest; they can be proud of me. I realize now, that's all I've ever wanted." Yelara gazed into Kace's eyes as she placed her hand upon his arm and squeezed it gently. "Well, that and you, Kace, if you'll have me again."

Kace dropped the duffel to the ground at his feet and turned to fully face Yelara. His features brightened considerably at her words, a smile forming and his eyes glowing a vibrant blue. "I would like nothing more in this life," he said gently. He reached out, his arms seeking to pull her into an embrace. His heart pounded in his chest and his thoughts whirled in his head. "I love you."

Yelara slapped Kace's hands away playfully then, laughing, threw herself into his arms as the picture in her hand floated to the ground. "If you ever do that to me again," she chided with her face buried into his chest, "I swear I'll... Oh, it doesn't matter now. We'll deal with what happens in the future when it happens. All I know is that when it does, I want you there, right beside me."

Kace held Yelara close, his eyes closed tight against the overwhelming emotions coursing through his body. He finally opened them and looked at her. "You don't have to worry about that happening again. I know now, I've known since we got here, that you're the only one I ever want to be with. I love you, Yelara. And, I want to be right beside you in everything." He smiled as he looked into her eyes, then leaned close to kiss her. When their lips touched, he thought he would melt. He gave himself over completely to the feelings within.

Yelara was afraid she was going to pull away from Kace, that the pain and betrayal she felt only the day before would resurface and cause her to push him away, but once her lips touched Kace's, all doubts vanished. She felt her tangled emotions unravelling, the negative ones drifting away and only the ones causing her knees to buckle and her heart to flutter remaining.

Yelara felt her head getting light as her body flooded with warmth and an intensity of emotion she hadn't felt since they first made love. She wrapped her arms tightly around Kace's neck, supporting her full weight on him now as she felt her legs giving way from beneath her. "Don't let me go, Kace," she whispered in his ear as their kiss broke.

Kace shifted his arms to support Yelara's weight. "I'll never let you go," he said. "You're stuck with me now." He kissed her gently, his eyes on hers. "I love you, Yelara, and I'm all yours from now on. I want you to be with me all the time, but if you have to go back to Dargus, I'll understand. But, I won't go to anyone else. You're the one I love, and you're the one I want to be with."

Yelara tensed at mention of Dargus, but hoped Kace wouldn't feel her body suddenly going stiff. She'd almost forgotten that she had to return to Dargus, to the dungeon he called a ship. She was beginning to see no reason to return to him, except for the promise she made upon her departure, a promise to complete her two week term with him. Besides, she had to get him to take out the tracking device he'd implanted or she'd never be able to do what her conscience was urging her to do. Leave him, Yelara. Leave Dargus behind and just run, just you and Kace.

Yelara began to tremble as she kissed Kace. She wanted to run away with him, but Dargus would find them, especially since he was tracking her every movement. She was certain she could find someone to remove the device if it came down to it, but there would still be the ever present fear that one day, he would catch up to them and destroy everything. A part of her didn't care and believed that they could overcome anything together, but the more sensible, realistic Yelara knew that they couldn't just run from Dargus. She knew she didn't need him anymore, she didn't need his money or his power to help her in her plight against the empire, but leaving him now would not be so easy.

"Kace," Yelara breathed as she pulled away. She stared at the ground, yet still clung to him firmly, "Do you think I can ever escape him, Dargus, I mean?"

Kace nodded slowly. "If you want to," he said. "If you need money, I've got plenty. And, I may not have Dargus' syndicate and resources, but I've struck more fear into the heart of the empire than he ever will. And, I've established a network of resources around the Rim. I think you can escape him if that's what you want to do. And, I know I can do a good job of discouraging him from trying to find you." He kept one arm around Yelara, but brought the other to her abdomen, gently brushing against where he was sensing the device. He'd assumed it was Dargus'. Just as the tracking device on his own ship was Dargus'. If Yelara was going to get away, then the tracking device would have to go.

He pressed his fingers against where the device had entered, his touch gentle as he brushed against the area. "That will have to go before we leave," he said. "And, I think I have a plan. I think I can remove it and keep it intact. I've had an operative of Dargus' in the hold of my ship that I think he'll want to find. I think my maintenance droid is getting tired of caring for her."

Yelara looked at Kace in surprise. She hadn't mentioned the tracking device to him, but she realized now it was only a matter of time before he discovered it. She felt almost ashamed that she had underestimated Kace and his abilities. "I'm sorry, Kace. I should have told you Dargus was tracking me." Yelara pulled away and wrapped her arms around her stomach to cover the area in which the device was sitting. "Besides, how do you know you can get it out without killing me? I mean, I'm certain once we return to Tae'Karada, I can ask Dargus to remove it."

So it had been Dargus. "Do you think he will? I assume that by putting that thing in you, he's claimed you as a possession. Do you think he'll be willing to take it out? To let you go wherever you want? To let you come to my bed if that's what you choose?" He sighed and looked away. "I knew it was there. I can sense it in a way. He's also managed to get one on my ship." Kace could feel his anger rising as he thought about Dargus, thought about what Dargus had done. Dargus Kandran had no respect for any life other than his own. "I have never hated another being as completely as I hate him. Not even the Emperor. There are certain things the Emperor wouldn't do that Dargus willingly does." The memories from Elisia's experience flashed through his mind. "He tried to rape Elisia, you know. Tried to get her drunk. Drugged her. But, he waited for her to make a move. He didn't want to initiate. He wanted it to be of her own choice. So he could be clear of blame later. What kind of man does that? The things he's done that I know of--" The rage within was almost overwhelming.

A hand disappeared beneath the cloak and came out with a lightsaber. In a smooth motion his arm extended and the hilt went spinning outward. Ten meters before a tree at the edge of the path, the blade ignited and steadied itself. With a thud of metal on wood, the blade embedded itself into the tree, driving a hole straight through it. "He won't give you up easily."

Yelara stepped back from Kace upon seeing the manifestation of his anger. His eyes carried in them a calm, yet they were cold and emotionless. It almost frightened Yelara to look into them, his actions showing the rage he felt towards Dargus, but his face hiding his true emotions. It unsettled Yelara that she couldn't tell what Kace was truly feeling; he had become unpredictable and untamed. She didn't know if he would next turn on her for wanting to go back to Dargus, but she knew Kace loved her and couldn't imagine him hurting her, or so she hoped he wouldn't.

"I know all about Elisia. She told me herself what Dargus did to her, but it's different with me. He..." Yelara decided not to go down that path with Kace. If she mentioned what Dargus had said about his love for her, she wasn't certain how Kace would react. She looked at the tree again, the lightsaber still protruding from it, and decided now would not be the appropriate time for a revelation such as that. "It's not a matter of him giving me up. He doesn't own me, Kace and even if he did, it would only be my body. He can't have my heart; I've already given it to you and only you."

Kace turned slowly, the rage in his eyes dimming. "So, I've got your heart, but he gets unlimited use of your body however he sees fit. And, if I want any chance to have you, I have to give all of myself to you because if I even think about someone else..." He stopped before he could go any further, but knew he'd already gone far enough. He didn't understand the double-standard. He couldn't understand why it was perfectly fine for her to let Dargus own her body, but he couldn't be with anyone but Yelara. What kind of love was that? "What you think and what Dargus thinks are probably two different things. You've already said you've given him possession of your body. How long before he tries to take possession of your heart? He probably already thinks of you as his. He's probably got you listed among his assets. And your thoughts on the matter as far as he's concerned are irrelevant." He looked around, realizing their making up had just turned very sour. He had a feeling that his thoughts on Dargus and her thoughts on Dargus would drive a wedge between them, had already driven a wedge between them. He wanted to be understanding. He'd told her and himself he would be. But, when it actually came down to it, he knew he couldn't. He knew having to share Yelara with the man he hated most in the universe would destroy him, tear him apart inside and leave nothing behind. "We should get going so we can get you back to Tae'Karada." Kace winced at his words, regretting them immediately. This wasn't going to go well.

Yelara was beginning to realize just how volatile things were between Dargus and Kace. She already lost Kallia because of her relationship with Dargus, but she assumed Kace could better handle it than Kallia had. It as obvious to her, now, that Kace was taking it harder than she ever thought he would. "You're right, we should get going, but don't take that as meaning I'm in any rush to go back there. I wouldn't mind if we never went back there, but if I don't go back, Dargus could detonate the tracking device. I'd be dead, Kace."

Yelara moved to Kace, placing her hand upon his face and hoping he wouldn't slap it away. She was trembling again, but from the anxiety of not knowing how Kace would react next. "Don't let this get to you Kace. I love you and I want only you. Please believe me. Don't let this eat you up inside. Dargus is nothing. Please, Kace."

"You only want me, but you're perfectly fine giving your body to him whenever he wants it. But me, the man you only want has to wait in line. I suppose I'm supposed to be okay with it when we get back to Tae'Karada and you have to go back to him, while I just sit around waiting for you to return. And, that while I'm alone in my bed, he'll be inside you, with you calling out his name instead of mine. And, my bed will be cold while you warm his. Yes, that will all be fine, and I shouldn't let it eat me up. The other day you tore me apart because of what happened between me and Elisia. Because of what I'd done, you didn't know if you could ever be with me. You didn't know if, because I'd shared myself with you and Elisia in so short a span of time, you didn't know if you could ever be with me again. Will you show me the consideration of waiting a few days between having Dargus before you come to my bed? I don't understand, Yelara. How is what I've done and what you do so different? Tell me why shouldn't it bother me that the woman who says she loves me goes off to have sex with another man."

Yelara felt Kace's once warm flesh turn cold under her touch. She drew her hand away from his cheek, and tried to draw any feeling from his dead eyes. Their moment of happiness had been far too brief, but Yelara refused to let the uneasiness they were now feeling linger. "As you said, Kace, it's sex, just sex. Besides, you knew from the beginning my involvement with Dargus. I never kept any of that a secret from you. You chose to stay with me, be with me, Kace, so I think now is a little late to start expressing your concerns about my relationship with Dargus."

Yelara kept her eyes steadily on Kace, her face showing no more emotion than his, as she bent over and picked up her duffel bag. She took it up as well as the now sullied picture she had let slip out of her hands. "You can stand here and sulk if you like, Kace, but I'm going to the ship." Yelara gripped the handle of the bag. She let the pain and rage she was feeling escape through her fingertips as she tightened her grip on the bag. "And if I were you, I'd get that thing out of that tree. You don't want to leave any trace of you being here," she said sternly as she walked past him and up the path towards the ship.

In the tree, the lightsaber shuddered and then leapt free, flying into Kace's hand before he returned it to his belt. He started down the path toward the ship, easily passing Yelara as she struggled with her bag. Just sex. It hadn't been just sex the other day. Perhaps with Yelara it was just sex, but for anyone else sex was something different. He had to wonder if her times with him had been "just sex."

She certainly seemed quite happy with her arrangement with Dargus Kandran. She offered no apologies, and didn't seem willing to change her ways. She seemed to like being Kandran's whore. And, if she wanted to be Kandran's whore, if she wanted to have just sex with Dargus whenever she wanted, maybe he should let her. He should have realized much earlier that having to share her with Dargus would bother him, would tear him apart. She didn't seem all that concerned that it would though. Maybe she would be far happier with Dargus.

She didn't seem to even care about his feelings on the matter. She planned on going to Dargus when she wanted, when he snapped his fingers, and Kace's feelings on the matter were irrelevant. Perhaps in her eyes he was irrelevant, someone to warm the bed when Dargus was off with one of his other women. Perhaps he was irrelevant. He'd drop her off at the shipyards, and be done with it. If she wanted a relationship with Dargus, she was welcome to it. And, if she wanted to make her relationship with Dargus Kandran a priority, she would have to find someone else. Kace Mordin wasn't about to share with Dargus Kandran, no matter how much he loved Yelara. He didn't need to be eaten alive from the inside by his jealousy and rage.

Kace opened the ship when he got there and moved to the cockpit to begin making preparations for departure. As he worked, he kept an ear open for when Yelara entered the ship. It was going to be a very long trip home.

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