#explodes into rainbow shards forever and ever

[keeps-ache]

hold my heart, hold it gentle

[fatheriimaginedyoutaller]

Two Aliens Walk into the Empire [SWTOR SECRET SANTA]

By: ReneTheStan/fatheriimaginedyoutaller

SWTOR Secret Santa Gift for: @space-unicorn-dot/ @tiredassmage

Fic also avaliable on AO3

Summary: Savosta, a Chiss, The Renagade Sith Chiaros Curo, Half Human Zabrak, Darth Nessight and Dark Lord of the Sith

Two very different embodiments of what it means to be a Force user, have a tense conversation about the paths they chose to take in life.

Special thanks to: @chokit-pyrus

[Fic under cut]

Drommund Kaas looked like an old decolored corpse that had come alive again and regained all of its senses at once.

Aliens of every stripe were outside celebrating in the streets of the sacred city. Dancing and throwing out firecrackers like their lives depended on it. A clash of cultures and colors made the gray walls reflect a rainbow of living organisms that were breathing and experimenting with happiness for the first time ever.

Savosta could see them from his balcony, doing things he would never dare to do in the cities controlled by the Empire, speaking in Tongues that were forbidden until a few minutes ago and eating food from planets far away from here.

The Chiss sighed and relaxed his shoulders as he felt the warm wind coming from the jungle’s south. He let it wrapped him in an embrace and tried to ignore how the happy atmosphere of the event contrasted with his gloomy usual personality and current mood.

A thing he would rarely admit was the fact he did not understand something.

But at least he could admit it to himself, into a dark corner of his head of course, and he could then try and suppress it forever. 

But what was the thing he didn’t understand?

“I knew I would find you here…”

Suddenly the warm breeze stopped and Savosta frowned. He knew what was gonna happen next. But he foolishly believed he had more time.

Savosta sighs and rubs his temple. Of course she would know where to find me. . .I’m the only blue skinned idiot who's not out there celebrating. . .

“Shouldn’t you be out there celebrating?” Chiaros asked with a smirk as if the Force had given her the power to read minds. 

“Shouldn’t you be at a stuffy old party giving a speech?” he replied without turning back to look at his old Academy companion.

Even saying that caused an uneasy feeling inside him. Another thing to suppress forever. He told himself to not be overwhelmed by her presence. 

Because he knew the truth, even before she took out that damn metal helmet and showed her horns and tattoos to the society that would have shunned her if she hadn’t had the power of a goddess practically running through her veins, he knew who Chiaros Curo was.

And he had a feeling she knew that too..

“I was never too much of a fancy party kind of woman,” she shrugged. “My crew will take care of it. . .”

The Chiss rolled his eyes. Who was she trying to fool? Honestly he was surprised it didn’t take this much for her to start treating her own crew like that. The history holocrons would remember her as the Sith Who Ended Slavery. The Breaker of Chains. . .

“Why are you here?” he challenged as he turned around to face her “Only to gloat on your newfound power?”

“Is that what you think of me?”She pressed a hand against her chest pretending to be hurt. “That I’m some sort of madwoman blinded by lust for control?”

It seemed like even the streets knew of the unnerving tension between them as a firecracker suddenly went off and exploded in a  million red colored shards of light above them.

“What I think,” he said as the effect vanished “Is that perhaps there’s more of your father inside of you than you care to admit…”

He knew he crossed the line with that one.

“Why?” She spatted, another firecracker went off, this time blue. “Because I have a lightsaber, an attitude problem and I’ve killed? Is the bar for evil truly that low these days?

Savosta rolled his eyes again, turned around and looked at a group of twi’lek children running through the streets, “Forget it, I knew you wouldn't understand…”

“And I knew you wouldn’t care to explain…”

There was a time where they would’ve died for each other, the Chiss lamented. Because for Savosta, even thinking about it brought him a great amount of pain.

He heard the steps of the new Dark Lord getting farther and farther. At that moment however it seemed like his body and voice were possessed by a Force Ghost that he couldn’t stop from using its power to pronounce words and turn around to face his old ally.

“Is it true what you said up there?” he said.

He witnessed the cloaked figure stopping in her tracks and facing him once more 

“What?” she asked as she crossed her arms.

“That you would eliminate any Jedi who would get in your way?”

Chiaros’ expression turned inquisitive “Well I didn’t say only Jedi…”

“Don’t joke around, not now.”

“Why do you even care?” she shrugged nonchalantly “Since when are you above tormenting a few peaceful flower children of the Force?”

“I’m not like that anymore and you know it…” Savosta defended himself.

“And that’s your curse to bear,” She added and seemed about to joke again until her expression morphed into a knowing one. “You…you have acquaintanced with one of them, haven’t you?...

“You’re friends with a jedi now?”

“I would appreciate it if you stopped using your Force Intuition on me, thank you very much.”

“Don’t joke around, not now.” she parroted him. 

“So what if I did?” he shrugged as if imitating her too. “Aren’t I on my right to do so? I mean, stranger things have happened, right? Like a certain Zabrak falling in love with an Empire Capt–

Another firecracker went off at the same time his oxygen was taken away by the Force and he started levitating off the ground. He coughed as he was dragged by Chiaros’ pulse via her raising her arm. 

She used the force to drag him in front of her .

“Do.Not.Talk.About.My.Husband.Or my crew.Ever.” she warned menacingly.

He kept coughing and nodded but the new Dark Lord didn’t seem satisfied with the answer. She kept her eyes locked on Savosta. That gave him an opportunity to sneakily pull out a dagger from his pocket and shove into her ribs.

She winced as another firecracker went off and both aliens fell into the ground with their faces illuminated by a purple light.

They both laid on the ground for a while 

“Alright… then… do not talk about my… acquaintances again, how is  that for a fair deal?” he managed to say between gasps for air. Savosta looked at his former friend as she used the force to heal her wound and regained composure. 

“It’s all a contest of who can swing a sword better, you know that right?” Savosta continued. “We’ve both had our reasons to choose our side on it and we won’t apologize for it…

Another pause amongst them.

“No,” Chiaros Curo, Darth Nessight, Dark Lord of the Sith said. “I suppose we won’t…”

[galfridus1]

Forever Frozen - Love & Salvation: An Alternative Ending

A year ago today, @thestarrynightgazer started publishing her masterpiece, Love & Salvation. Please do check it out if you haven’t already. Kat is a genius.

Kat, you are a wonderful artist, an amazing story teller and one of the best friends anyone could ever have. This is for you. Thanks for doing the art to go with it. 💜

Bodies. Everywhere.

Elaine gasps as she rounds over the crest of a hill, the verdant grass that sparkles with dew in the early morning light suddenly crunching under her feet. The blades are dusted with frost, like a coating of sugar that reflects rainbows across the ground. It would be beautiful, if it were not for the sight that stretches before her, a macabre landscape filled with gore and death.

The earth is stained a dark red, limbs sprawling out at odd angles, pale skin and snow-white feathers splattered with mud. Elaine has never seen so many people all in one place, let alone so much carnage. The Fairy King’s forest is a place of sanctuary, a calm retreat from Britannia’s woes where a few fairies flit between the trees. This is the first time she has travelled beyond the borders of her home and she is already regretting her decision. Ban had promised their lives in the human world would be good; not perfect of course, but happy enough. Times would be hard and money scarce but they would have each other and that was what mattered. Elaine had consented, excitement running through her as she said a curt farewell to her brother before heading beyond the reach of the Sacred Tree.

But at their agreed meeting place, Ban is not there. She waits for what feels an age but is no more than an hour, before stretching out her powers to scour the area. She has vowed to eschew her magic, to blend in with the society she would be joining. What human would want to consort with a stranger who could read hearts as easily as breathing? But worry gnaws at her insides and she can hold out no longer, her need to find Ban overriding every other concern. She searches for his signature, the spiky energy which is strong if a little crude, Ban’s magic having developed without formal instruction.

The trace is faint but distinctive. Elaine picks up a slight tremor on the breeze, a weak suggestion, nothing more. Heart full of misgiving, Elaine paces forward, following the hint of power she locks her senses onto. Unthinking she launches herself into the air, soaring through the breeze until she comes upon the slope of the hill. Touching down lightly, senses on full alert as she feels an ominous shiver on the wind, she takes the few steps over the top to look down, bile rising in her throat as she beholds the scale of the death, her powers telling her than Ban lies in the middle of it.

She will have to go on.

Elaine holds her breath as she carefully picks her way through the bodies, unable to stop herself looking down to the gruesome sight at her feet. These are goddesses and demons, of that she is sure. There are several enormous cadavers in red and grey, the feel of darkness still clinging to their forms. Many of the more human-looking specimens have wings; some only a single pair on their back in downy grey while others are broad with feathers pure as the driven snow, save for the grime of battle. She gasps as she passes the corpse of a large goddess with three heads, eyes closed as if in sleep. She scrunches up her nose, remembering the stories of her childhood and the four archangels who led the Supreme Deity’s army until the two opposing armies vanished to nothing. This goddess must have been the one they called Tarmiel. And in that case…

Elaine sucks in an audible breath when she sees the wings, still iridescent even after all these centuries. They reflect the sunlight, sparkling rainbows over the large body of the giant lying alongside the corpse the appendages adhere to. Only one being had been blessed with wings like these: the first fairy king, the Lord Gloxinia. The body slumped next to him must be that of King Drole. The four-armed Goliath is covered in cuts, slashes which have criss-crossed his blue skin. But Elaine is puzzled, and she examines the giant and the fairy who lies protectively beside him. There is no damage which can explain their deaths; the wounds are nasty but merely superficial.

Elaine shivers, the hairs on her arms standing to attention. Her breath ghosts through the air, trails of steam floating like gossamer before her, as is she were a dragon. It is freezing cold, colder than she has ever felt in the shelter of the forest where the fountain of youth maintains a permanent spring. But here, in the midst of all the death, the ice on the ground shines obsidian, sucking in the rays of the sun to leave a darkness soft as velvet. All is still, completely quiet, not even the sound of an insect rustling through the frozen grass. All she can hear is the sound of her blood as it pounds in her ears.

Her instinct is to flee, but Elaine grits her teeth. She is the Holy Maiden, and she will not be deterred. Has she not guarded the secrets of her home for centuries, sending humans flying off the cliff before her? She pushes out her powers, feeling the crackle of magic on the air. Somehow Ban has got himself into the middle of this morass of a battlefield and she must follow him.

The ring in her ears grows to an uncomfortable thrum as she presses forwards. Her limbs ache, the pressure in the air almost enough to make her head explode, but still she keeps going, rising above the ground to float through the air. Elaine forces herself forwards as she approaches the centre where a violet haze sparkles and glows. The air is fresh here and, hard as it is to keep pushing on, Elaine feels the refreshing fire of the cold burning her lungs.

A sudden groan attracts her attention. “Ban!” cries the fairy as she redoubles her efforts, fighting towards the centre of the field. It is as if the very earth is trying to keep her away and she wonders how Ban made it quite this far. She passes misshapen corpses, encased in ice, their twisted expressions of fear and anger preserved for eternity. There is a tall demon with a long moustache, arrows shooting down from his eye. He looks in horror towards the purple mass which now dominates the space, his face a picture of desperation and sorrow.

When she researches the object her heart skips a beat. The mulberry ice rises in terrible shards, fingers pointing cruelly at the sky. She cannot breathe, cannot think as terror drips down the back of her neck. Then she looks into the centre of the glimmering structure, the sight enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Within the iceberg stands a demon, anguish etched on his features, a lithe goddess held close in his arms. The angel he carries is pierced through the heart, a spear of darkness jutting from his chest. Tears are frozen mid-fall, and Elaine can feel the pull on her heart, the demon’s emotions so strong they can be read even now. She feels love, pain, despair, the agony of loss which tears the demon to pieces. He has unleashed his power, unable to control the surge of emotion, freezing himself and the goddess he adored with everything that he had and ending the war in a blanket of black snow.

A painful lump forms in her throat and a tear of her own slides down her cheek. She sinks to the floor, breathing heavily, unable to stem the overwhelming sadness which has penetrated her soul. She falls, swallowed by sorrow, the warmth of the terrible ice and snow folding over her like a blanket. She will lie here forever, bound by the pain of the demon and goddess who suffered till death.

“Elaine!” The yell brings her back to her senses and she struggles to breath, suddenly overwhelmed with the cold. “Must… escape!” She feels arms wrap around her, pulling her into a close embrace as her rescuer hauls her away from the pain, away from the sadness and back into the light. The tears fall in earnest as they reach the top of the hill, the warmth of the sun sinking through to her bones.

She melts into her love’s embrace. “Ban,” murmurs Elaine softly as she rests her head on his chest. “What happened? Why were you in that terrible place?”

She feels the human stiffen as he holds her. “What were you doing?” she asks a little more sharply, and she twists so that she can see the human’s expression. He is looking decidedly shifty, his crimson eyes darting everywhere but in her direction.

Her stony silences releases his tongue. “I was… looking for treasure,” Ban admits with a little laugh. “It looked so pretty and I thought… I thought it would give us enough to start our lives together.”

Elaine flies upwards, flinging her arms round his next. He steps backwards with the force of her movement but maintains his ground, holding her close as she sobs into his chest. “We don’t need money, we have each other,” she eventually manages to rasp out. “Is that not enough?”

“Yeah,” Ban replies as he pulls her closer towards him. “Yeah, it is. And it always will be.”

[a-rat-and-a-blob]

Drabble Arch - The Hatching Potion: The First Tribute

The room went silent as the gas began to dissipate. Smoke filled my home as I quickly transformed into my regular form. I groan as I tried to move. I clutch my chest as the poison's heat engulfed me. Twitch really did a number on me.. More than I was expecting. Speaking of.. where was the little sucker? Well.. that didn't matter. That smoke and cask is gonna be a huge problem. I bent down to my folks to my level. They were coughing hysterically in the darkness, but otherwise unfazed.

               "Come on fellas," I said as I bring them on top of my back. "This place isn't any good for you guys. Guess you're staying with me for the night huh?" No response. "Well.. Let's make this quick."

               I slowly walk on the glass shards to bring my parents to the safety of the basement. The gas was rising in the air. It wanted to get out. It wouldn't go down. Just.. gotta make sure they're ok. As I made my steps, I felt a hot metal ring underneath my foot. The pain stung my fragile body as I instinctively lifted my legs. I look down. The lantern, all but shattered on its side. I went around it, making my way to the basement, just a couple of feet away. As I walk, I felt the stream of wet footsteps going to the direction opposite of mine. Twitch left.

               I settle my parents down on my bed underneath the Atomic Man poster. I scan their bodies. No injuries. No scars. Just a lot of coughing. Hopefully that didn't mean blight.. I think there's some medication upstairs for that. "Hey. You guys okay?" I ask. "Hey.. Sorry about that."

               "ZAC.." My mom mumbled her suffering. "You nearly scared me to death. I thought you were going to die. Cough. Cough."

               "Well.. I'm alive aren't I?" I chuckle.

               "That awful rat.. Cough.  Where did he go!?" my dad shouted.

               "He left. Away from here, Dad. No need to worry about him anymore."

               "Good.. If I see him again, I'll blow his brains out! I'll... I'll!"

               "Enough Dad.. Just.. rest. You guys need a breather after today, don't you think? You'll be safe down here. Just stay.  I'm gonna check up with something. "

               "Wait!" my mom called out. "Cough. Cough. Where are you going, young man? You have no reason to go out."

               "I'm.. just gonna check up on Twi-"

               "No! No going out! Especially not to see that madman!"

               "But he let me go.. He let all of us go mom! I just need to talk with him."

               "And blow up? Get killed!?"

               "Mom.. Please.. I have to do this. Listen.."

               "You mother's right son. No going out! I.. I may be sick, but I can still ground you!"

               "Can you guys listen for once! I'm your son!" They stood silent. This was the first time I was ever angry at my parents. My head began to sweat. "His didn't kill you guys because I got in the way. He may come back here again for me.." I grab a golden arrow deep within my body. It could've killed me. He could've added more. I look up at the poster with Atomic Man looking into the skies, prepared to go out in the world. Twitch cared. He cared about me. He wanted me more than anything. He wanted someone to talk to. Someone to help him out. He's crazy, but that can be fixed. Who am I to ignore his call?  "I... just gotta make things right. Make things straight for us. I'll be back."

               "Wait!" my dad shouted. I stopped to look at him. "Cough. Bring.. Bring the rifle with you. And get some meds first! You're.. you're pretty frail with that... If he attacks.. give him hell. Give him all hell!"

               I shudder at the thought, but the thought was a reasonable one. He could kill me. He could make me explode, but to truly see someone's brains get blown by a shotgun. To be responsible of the death of one's life.

               "Life isn't all colorful and rainbows Zac.. Life isn't.." my dad sighs in silence. "Sometimes.. we need to make those actions.."

               "Ok dad.. I won't let you down." I mumble silently as I walk away. I took the pills and feel my body regenerate. I look to the rifle. "Give him hell," he repeated in my mind. "Give him all hell!" I shudder at I grab the metal end of the rifle and swung it across my back. I open the window and went out into the dark streets of Zaun as the gas escaped with me from the constraints of my home. I took a deep breath as I drop into the sewers, hand on the rifle's cold handle.

               Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. Step. Step. Step.

               Were those steps? I don't know!

               Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. Step. Skitter. Step.

               Who were they? Answer me! I banged on the concrete wall angrily. A roach comes out in response. "You!" I shout, for the 50th time. "Were there any intruders!?" The roach quickly nods no. "Well.. Keep looking!" I shout. "When Twitch hears something, he's sure of it! GO!" The roach quickly ran away as I glared at the crack. I scurry over to my desk and search for new casks. Weapon. Available for use.. The humans will come! They brainwashed him. They brainwashed my subject good! My subject knows where I live. Knows my weakness! Once they have that information.. they'll exterminate Twitch! But Twitch will exterminate them first! He was wrong.. Wrong to let them brainwash the Goopy One! Wrong to now kill them there! He would've sacrificed for the greater good! I could've made another one! Right?

               I open the drawer to find the numerous poisons and casks I use. The very "sentience potions" that failed their task. I grumble as I look through and replace the poison batch on my crossbow. He'll be prepared! Drip. Drop. Step.

               I shoot the arrow. It pierced the walls. Drip. Drop. Step. Step.

               I shoot the arrow again. All it hit was concrete. "Make it stop! Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!"

               Suddenly the familiar skittering of roaches came on my feet as I scan the perimeter. Something moved! I jerk my head. I point my crossbow quickly. Firing the trigger... Chink! It barely missed. It almost hit my roachmen by mere inches. "You.. How dare you sneak up on me! Your king!" I bent down slowly and bitterly. "What do you want!?"

               ".....He's here... Oh.. I knew it! He has those human 'guns' too.. What? With no one else? It's a trap.. I can feel it."

               I quickly grab my crossbow. "But.. I can anticipate him! I know where he is.. Hehe.. He can trick me with his goopyness. He can't trick me with that. I.. I can just make another one! After he's dead.. He's... dead.. " I  dove into the sewers, repeating those words for what seems to be the first time. "He's.. dead.. He's.. dead.."

               I slowly approach the tunnels, looking left and right with my gun safely in my hands. "Sometimes we need to make those actions," my dad said in my mind as I walk silently. My footsteps echoes in the darkness as I went deeper and deeper. I clutch my chest where he attacked. The medicine was enough to heal me somewhat, but not enough to feel whole again. Not sure if I could go through with this again. The thought was always in my mind. Ugh. My skin tingles with fright. Hopefully it doesn't come to that.

               The deeper I went down to the sewers, I begin to hear the small quiet skittering of the roaches and insects in the ambient dark. Twitch. I slowed my walking pace and look around, flashing my flashlight all over the place. "Twitch!?" I call out, the tunnel broadcasting my message through the echoes. "You there? It's me.. The.. Goopy One! I.. I just want to talk! Um.. Thanks for sparing me! Huh? You.. You.."

               Suddenly, the echoing of footsteps was rapid.. and.. loud. Much louder than the last time he killed me. It all came from in front of me. I look to it, rifle in hand, ready to fire at any moment. I anticipated it quietly, unsure of what to do. What did his arrow sound like? What did it sound like? I remember string sounds.. Something with string.. Was it a ping? A boing? A strum? I didn't know. I need to know. "Twitch!" I shout. "They're not here! Please.. answer.."

               "I.. I want to read your stories again. See your sculptures and whatnot. I think they're interesting y'know. I.. wanted to read the one about Twitch and the dragon!"

               An ominous silence filled the room. No more footsteps. No more skittering. slowly bent down and place my rifle down on the ground and place it in the water. The metal clanged on the floor. Bringing it was a mistake. "Look. I don't.. I don't want to hurt you. I just.. want to make sure you're ok. I.. brought something for you." I shove my hand into my chest and took out the flurry of arrows he shot in me. "Thought you would like some arrows. Maybe we can start over, sewer king. Start over with some stories and laughs. The roaches we fed. We can start with that. I can be your subject.. your.. friend! I just.. need for you to agree with something.

               Twitch slowly revealed himself, squinting in the bright white flash of my light with his crossbow leveled to his eyes, pointing directly at me. "Does.. does that mean you'll stay with Twitch forever? protect him? Be his subject?" he asked slowly.

               "I... I'm not yours pal,"

               Twitch grew antsy, unsure of what action to take.

                "But I could be something more pal. I promise I won't hurt you.. I can help you, but I'm not yours. Just.. know that. I'll just place these down and we could be on our way.  No harm done. No foul. Take it as a gift. Tribute. I'll just leave. I hope you're safe pal. I really do. I'll come back. I promise."

               I turn the flashlight away from him and head back. I hear the footsteps one last time before I leave and hear the metal rods of the arrows clang together as he grabbed them. The moment he could lift his head, I was gone.