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rikki-roses · 7 months

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Fluffy February Day 11: Quest

SWTOR

Pairing: Kevra Kallig/Andronikos Revel

Time period: I think during the Oricron stuff - after Makeb and shortly before Forged Alliances part 1.

Also, I may or may not have imagined "Dog Days are Over" by Florence and the Machine as a backdrop for the chase bit lol

CW for involving a pregnant person.

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Andronikos was a man on a mission as he searched the farmers' market in the outer suburbs of the capital City on Iridonia. Normally he wouldn't go this far out of his way for some jogan fruit, but when your eight-months-pregnant Sith wife sends you on a quest for ingredients because she's craving a homemade tart, you don't say no. He'd already purchased all of the other ingredients to make said tart, but was having trouble finding the fruit itself.

It didn't help that neither of them was a good cook, and the sister who was a good cook wasn't due to arrive for another two weeks. Meaning Andronikos had to figure out how to make the damn thing. It also didn't help that it was technically too early in the season for jogan fruit. The recipes he found on the Holonet seemed straightforward enough, at least.

Andronikos was about to give up and find yet another farmer's market when he saw it: at the far end from where he stood, at the last fruit stand, was some fruit that looked promising. He practically ran down, checking each fruit for ripeness, quickly finding enough for the recipe. Luckily or unluckily, the fruit he grabbed was the last "good" jogan fruit the farmer had.

Only for a Zabrak nearly twice his size to appear behind him, looking quite menacing.

The Zabrak man puffed up even more, glaring at Andronikos. Andronikos straightened and squared up.

The man started to grab at the fruit Andronikos was holding.

Andronikos juked left, threw credits at the farmer, and started running hard for his speeder.

He deftly jumped onto his speeder and took off, blowing dust at the other man as he ws left shouting with raised fists.

Only for the big Zabrak to jump on his own speeder and give chase.

It took all of Andronikos's skills as a former pirate to lose the tail, and he was panting and worn out by the time he made it back to their apartment. He walked in to find Kevra and Ashara napping on the couch; he felt a twinge of guilt - Kevra, at this point, was barely able to fit. He snuck through the apartment and set down the ingredients on the counter, pulling up the instructions.

By some miracle, both women slept through his cooking prep, and the tart was in the oven by the time Kevra awoke. Andronikos was by her side quickly, helping her get up; the couch really wasn't made for petite pregnant women. Then she scrunched her nose at him.

"What is that smell?"

"Oh! I found all the ingredients for that tart you wanted while I was out, and went ahead and prepped it while you were asleep. It's in the oven now. Followed a recipe and everything, I think I really pulled off that sour-but-sweet you wanted."

Kevra looked at him for a long moment, sniffing.

Then the sniffing turned into sniffling, her eyes getting wet.

Then Andronikos found himself comforting his wife as she cried into his shoulder, having discovered that her craving had turned into an aversion.

Xalek, Talos, and Ashara ended up splitting the pie on the patio.

#zabrak oc #swtor fanfiction #swtor sith inquisitor #fluffy february #cw: pregnancy

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voidendron · 1 year

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OC Tag Game

tagged by @raven-of-domain-kwaad - thank you, Raven! 💚💜

tagging @teetertottertales and whoever else wants to do this! (bc most of who I'd have tagged are tagged already haha)

I'll be sticking to SWTOR characters for this, just for consistency

Favorite OC: Rediaex'aere'zortiea

This was a difficult one, but I think I've got to go with Xaerez. I've really enjoyed developing him over the last few years, and I always enjoy writing fics for him, answering asks, or just doing Certified Oliver Ramblings about him. The way duty contradicts morals for them (A Lot) makes them a lot of fun; I always enjoy thinking "ok, this is what he Wants to do, but this is what he's Going to do" when it comes to the various situations I shove them into whether they Want those situations or not.

Newest OC: Fower Vek

I believe it's Fower ("Flower"), from the Rediscovery Era crew! Like Farsc, she's a professor - they worked together at a university on Coruscant, so that's how Farsc ended up going to her to get her on the crew and in on a little grand theft auto to steal the Star Hopper from a museum oops. She's an astronomer and cartographer, so makes sure the crew doesn't get lost while they search for where the Alliance disappeared to all those thousands of years ago. I like to think she's an ancestor to Lina and Varrich.

Oldest OC: Synnda V'ehsz

I have many OCs much older than Synnda, but in keeping it to SWTOR, he was my very first. ...Probably not surprising, considering my legacy name haha - although he was named after my legacy, instead of the other way around. I did (and still kinda do) self-project a lot onto him, but I've developed him a lot over the years and he's very dear to me. I've got a Synnda clone on just about every server if that says anything - including 2 versions of him on Star Forge alone.

Meanest OC: Ehna'dissen

Ehna, hands down. (Commander!Varrich comes in close, however) She's an interrogator, and enjoys holding power over others. It's because of her that Xaerez's Castellan restraints get re-triggered. Because of her Synnda eventually loses his life. Because of her that the Cadera siblings nearly tear each other apart as she watched on. She's absolutely horrible, she knows she's horrible, and she thinks it's all just a fun game that she's winning.

Softest OC: Parrakh Djal

He just wants to be a healer, help others when he can. His life had an unfortunate start, but he finds his place as one of Synnda's students.

Most Aloof/Standoffish OC: Anaehr Cadera

The youngest of Terrin and Torian's kids, Anaehr was already distant from his older siblings who were less than a year apart. He distances himself from his family as he grows jealous and angry of his siblings' success, makes terrible mistakes for it, but stands his ground and refuses to feel guilt for the actions that make him Dar'manda. He doesn't let anyone get close to him; his anger becomes numbness, and he becomes a cold and hateful man.

Dumbest (Affectionate) OC: Jen Sept

My Voidhound. Need I say more? ajksl;djaskld Jen is. A lot. He can walk into a trap, know he's walking into a trap, and continue to walk in with zero plan anyway. It's....a good thing he has Risha and Kitty to steer him in the right direction, or this cat man probably would have gotten himself killed a long time ago.

Smartest OC: Kitty

While Synnda and Qizulth are both extremely intelligent, their knowledge is a lot more limited to their interests. Kitty? He learned to survive during over a decade on the run after sneaking out of the academy on Korriban. Medicine, cultures, languages, mechanics, history--chances are if you ask him something, he can at the very least point you in the direction of getting the right answer even if he doesn't know it himself. Good thing, too: Marrying the Voidhound means someone needs to have the braincell or they're doomed.

Horniest OC: Jen Sept

Jen again! He kinda just. Slept his way through the galaxy until he met Kitty. And now that they're together, Jen likes to experiment in bed, and sometimes they'll bring in a third for the night, too. With Jen having so much power in the underworld, it works Mighty Well for getting other bosses to cooperate with him.

OC You'd Bang: Aaz'n Tarnak or Lina Tophrik

I like strong women OKAY don't look at me

OC You'd be Friends With IRL: Kidak Hess

He's just a very gentle person, and the thing about him is he Knows How To Be Friends With Introverts Without Being Overwhelming. He's totally chill to just be in someone's company without needing to be Doing Things. He's happy to talk about his own interests for hours, but at the same time he'd be happy to listen to someone else ramble about theirs while he he just soaked up everything they said. He'd just be really nice company, and the exact type of person I'd love to hang out with.

#swtor #oc tag game #voids ocs #oc: rediaex'aere'zortiea #oc: flower vek #oc: synnda v'ehsz #oc: ehna'dissen #oc: parrakh djal #oc: anaehr cadera #oc: jen sept #oc: k'hedif #oc: aaz'n tarnak #oc: lina tophrik #oc: kidak hess #v'ehsz rediscovery era #long post

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swtorpadawan · 1 year

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Misplaced

Author’s Notes: The following story is Part III of my Shadow Games series and takes place at Vaiken Spacedock in my Halcyon Legacy a few weeks before the Forged Alliances story arc.

“What do you mean you’ve lost an experimental dreadnaught?”

Darth Arkous glared across his desk towards his chief advisor, Lana Beniko. The younger Sith was standing before him, having just delivered a report that had made his blood boil.

Beniko cooly maintained eye contact, impassively holding her ground. Despite her lack of a formal title – apparently by her own choice – she was unflappable as usual.

“With all due respect, my lord, I played no role in maintaining the security of the Undying.” The human female’s voice was clearly unphased by Arkous’ rising anger. He found himself simultaneously impressed and infuriated by her poise. Most of his underlings would have been cowering by this point, some of them on their knees.

Arkous finally turned away in dark contemplation. The implications of this news would impact his plans on multiple fronts.

Taking his motion as assent, Lana continued her report.

“The Sphere of Military Offense only just received this report - as a courtesy from our counterparts in Military Defense - that the ship had gone missing from where it had been posted stationed.”

She paused.

“As it was nominally considered a defensive asset, that placed it under Darth Marr’s purview.”

Despite his dark mood, Arkous had to bite back a smirk at the mention of his fellow Councilor. Nominally, Arkous was a fully-fledged member of the Sith Empire’s feared Dark Council as the Councilor of the Sphere of Military Offense, a position that should have made him the better or equal to any other Sith Lord in the galaxy save for the Emperor himself. Further, he was now well entrenched in his position, having held this role since shortly after the death of his predecessor, Darth Arho, on Ilum nearly two years ago.

In practice, Darth Marr, his counterpart as Councilor of the Sphere of Military Defense and one of the longest serving Sith on the Council, had taken advantage of the Emperor’s absence and the Empire’s many internal conflicts over the last few years, consolidating a significant power base for himself. Arkous, along with many of the other Councilors, were finding it increasingly difficult to act on their own authority without consulting him.

Indeed, some had even dared to whisper that Marr would eventually attempt to lay claim to the dark throne of the Sith Emperor for himself.

He is a symbol of everything wrong with the Dark Council. Arkous privately reflected.

He could only hope that the loss of such an infamous weapon under Darth Marr’s watch would take his esteemed colleague down a peg or two. When a new Empire eventually emerged from the fires to come, Sith like Marr would be tossed aside.

Beniko might well have been sensing – or perhaps anticipating – his thoughts.

“I am told that Lord Marr is… less than pleased.” The Sith advisor, the face of professionalism, confirmed dryly. Arkous fully understood the implied understatement.

Heads would no doubt be rolling at the Sphere of Military Defense over such a catastrophic failure. Quite literally.

Reluctantly putting aside his personal satisfaction at Marr’s plight, Arkous decided to press on.

“Fine. Fine.” The Pureblooded Sith Lord waved his hand dismissively. “What else do we know?”

Beniko turned back to her datapad.

“The Undying was stationed at the far end of the Dromund system outside of standard sensor range.” Beniko continued. “It was hoped that it would serve as the Empire’s ultimate fallback weapon if the Republic ever attempted another strike against the capital. With its advanced capabilities and the advantage of surprise, it could have devastated an opposing fleet…”

“I am well aware of its tactical potential.” Arkous interrupted, irritably. The Republic’s raid on Dromund Kaas two years prior, an attack that had led to the destruction of the ancient Dark Temple, had been a blight on the reputation of the entire Empire. It had made the Sith appear weak to the galaxy, encouraging dissent and rebellion throughout the Empire’s own ‘sphere of influence’. Revolts had arisen on several planets in light of the setbacks they had suffered during the Second Galactic War, and even the supply of Isotope-5 that Marr had claimed from Makeb prior to that planet’s destruction had not been enough to completely reverse that momentum. Indeed, Arkous recalled that it had been that these events had set him on the path of reconsidering his own loyalties…

He stopped himself. Beniko was perceptive. It would not do for him to dwell too long on those considerations in her presence.

“And I understand why it was there.” He stated firmly. “Pray, continue, Lana.”

Arkous had researched the specifications of the prototype vessel extensively after coming into power. Knowledge of the superweapon – much less details of its full capabilities – had been severely restricted. It had been an impressive ship, indeed.

“As you say, my lord.” The advisor moved on, apparently unrattled by his interruption as she looked down again.

“Every effort was taken to conceal the ship’s presence, including maintaining only a carefully selected skeleton crew and employing a communications embargo. Space traffic in that zone was restricted, and supply runs were carried out by droid-controlled transport ships.”

Beniko looked up.

“This is why it took them nearly a week to realize it had gone missing.” Lana was clearly allowing some of her dry contempt at the oversight by her counterparts at Military Defense to bleed into her report, even while maintaining her professional detachment.

“And thus we’ve managed to lose the last of Mekhis’ toys.” Arkous sighed in aggravation, sitting back in his chair.

Darth Mekhis, the late Councilor of the Empire’s Sphere of Technology, had been an engineering genius without peer. But she had also been a decrepit and insane crone; far too obsessed with the artistry of her own creations to effectively deploy them properly. Some rumors even claimed that she’d come to regard her weapons as her ‘children’. Arkous had no doubt those distractions had helped lead to her demise, along with the destruction of the Sun Razer some years ago.

Since then, both the Gauntlet and the Ascendant Spear, arguably the two most promising of Mekhis’ creations, had both been destroyed during ill-considered operations against the Republic.

The Silencer, a mega-laser that could be attached to a capital ship with the capability of destroying entire fleets, had shown great potential initially under the direction of Darth Nox. But the Republic had proven to be incredibly resourceful in refitting their capital ships to defend against the weapon. What’s more, it was terribly power-restrictive. Already there had been at least one incident where an Imperial dreadnaught had crippled itself in a failed attack on the Republic, leading to its capture. Without Mekhis to make corrective alterations, her mega-laser was now obsolete.

Finally, the Emperor’s Shadow, with its advanced cloaking capabilities, had been lost during Darth Malgus’ coupe attempt, its incredible technologies squandered on another Sith’s delusions of grandeur.

The Undying was now the only remaining superweapon from Sun Razer project, and now it had apparently been lost as well.

Arkous drummed his fingertips along the surface of his desk.

“Could the Republic be responsible?” he finally offered.

Beniko paused at length.

“Our intelligence apparatus has been somewhat… disorganized since the dissolution of Imperial Intelligence, my lord.” Her disapproval of the present state of affairs was obvious. Academically, Arkous was forced to agree. Whatever its faults might have been, the absence of the Empire’s Intelligence service had left a major gap in their capabilities, forcing them to rely more and more on the private networks of individual Sith.

Then again, that same ‘gap’ had allowed an opportunistic Sith Lord like Arkous to engage in his own machinations unimpeded.

“But our current analysis is that direct Republic involvement seems unlikely.” Beniko continued. “Such an operation would require the involvement of too many assets to have gone completely unnoticed. I believe our remaining operatives would have reported on such a bold plan.”

Suspicions of treachery creeped into the Sith Lords mind.

“Could the crew have mutinied?”

Beniko paused at that, gathering her thoughts.

“Not impossible, but both the officers and the crew were carefully selected for their loyalty to the Empire. Collective treason without warning signs seems implausible in the extreme.”

Arkous turned away in consideration.

“So we have nothing.” He concluded.

“I’m told that Lord Marr has already asked the former Cipher Nine to investigate.” Beniko quickly responded. “Despite their… semi-independence, they have the most impressive track record of our surviving field agents.”

Arkous imagined that Marr hadn’t quite phrased it in the form of a ‘request’, independent agent or not. He also knew he could not allow anything to interfere in the Order’s goals. Not when they were so close to finally putting their plans in motion.

I’ll have to make certain that this Cipher agent finds no compromising breadcrumb trails leading back to me. He mused.

Not for the first time, he considered revealing his true allegiances to Beniko; her talents and acumen could be a great asset to the Master.

No. Not yet. Too many variables at this point. Beniko was a pragmatist. She might certainly come to recognize the danger that Vitiate represented, both to the Empire and to the galaxy as a whole. But it would be unwise to overplay that hand just yet. Perhaps later, she would be ready to see the situation clearly as he did and be ready to understand the desperate measures necessary to stop him.

With that decision made it became vital that he continue to keep her in the dark to his dealings, at least for the present.

“Very well.” He finally assented. “Keep me informed and order a full audit of our own Sphere’s assets in case other vessels or equipment are targeted. It would not do for us to repeat Marr’s mistake.”

He steepled his fingers together.

“You alone are capable of overseeing such efficiency, Lana.” The Dark Councilor then regarded his fellow Sith, their yellow eyes meeting. “I do hope my confidence in you has not been… misplaced.”

He allowed the unspoken threat to linger in the hope that it would convey enough urgency that she’d be distracted from his true intentions.

If she were at all intimidated by the warning, Beniko didn’t give it away.

“No, my lord.” She answered with a deference he strongly suspected his advisor didn’t feel. “I assure you I remain fully capable of carrying out your instructions.”

Crisp. Professional. Dedicated. Confident.

Were the situation otherwise, Arkous would have been enormously pleased with such a servant.

“Good.” He nodded, feigning satisfaction.

As he started to reconsider the webs of his plans, a stray strand caught his attention.

“One last thing. Inform Lord Goh to get that report to me as soon as possible. He’ll know the one.”

Beniko nodded in assent.

“Of course, my lord.”

“Then that will be all, Lana.” He said in dismissal, his chair rotating until he had turned away from his advisor.

“My lord.” She bowed and turned away, heading for the exit. He heard the door seal itself shut behind her a moment later.

Finally alone, Arkous fumed at the lost opportunity of the Undying. He had planned to steal the ship himself with the assistance of the Order, and now he had to consider the possibility of yet another player on the board, putting the Master’s plans at risk.

There was still time to revise his plans around this setback. Perhaps he would even have the opportunity to see Darok again.

For now, he would have to watch his back – and his chief advisor – carefully.

Author’s Notes: The Undying makes its sole appearance in the Star Wars: The Old Republic - The Lost Suns limited series and graphic novel. Its one of several superweapon prototypes Theron Shan discovers before the destruction of the Sun Razer. The Gauntlet and the Silencer both later appear in the SWTOR class stories, while the Ascendant Spear is featured in the Annihilation novel. The Emperor’s Shadow and the Undying are not mentioned outside of the comic, and those absences are loose ends in my mind. I try to tie those off here.

The connection to the previous two chapters may not be obvious at this point, but I hope it becomes clear in time.

Makeb was destroyed in my storyline’s canon; more on that another time.

Lord Goh appears in the Forged Alliances story and is the end-boss in the Republic-sided Assault on Tython flashpoint. He’s most notable for almost never talking in the cutscenes.

The Darth Arkous / Colonel Darok ‘ship is one that’s been going through the fandom for a while, now. I touch on it here.

Thanks for reading, and may the Force be with you.

Tagging interested parties - @a-master-procrastinator @anchanted-one @grandninjamasterren @kartaylirsden @kemendin @kgoblin @magicallulu7 @mysterious-cuchulainn-x @space-unicorn-dot @the-raven-of-highever @thefrostflower @tishinada

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sullustangin · 2 years

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Forged Alliances, Part 4: On the Run

I started this over the spring/summer when Forged Alliances itself started (and the 8th anniversary of Theron Shan and Lana Beniko being in game). Forged Alliances ended in early September 2014 with Lana, Theron, and Jakarro and D4 leaving the player. Early in December, Shadow of Revan launched, with Rishi and Yavin. So we’ll just consider this finishing up with a few questions.

To start, upon departing Rakata Prime, the player character is with Jakarro and D4. Everyone has been put to flight due to the arrival of Revan’s fleet, so Lana and Theron are flying on Jakarro’s seemingly unnamed ship.

Upon arriving back at Vaiken/Carrick, the player goes to the ops room to find it’s been either rifled through or partially blown up (the latter is more obvious on the Pub side). There is the implication that Revanites have infiltrated the respective space docks and want to wipe out the work that Lana and Theron have done. This is backed up by A7′s statement that he is ‘terrified!’

In contrast T3′s statement is business as usual -- no signs of terror here. In part, that’s partially why I spun this in my fic as Theron blowing up the op center to protect the data and the op (and the playable character) from the Revanites. That said, the Revanites infiltrating the docks remains the most likely intended explanation by devs.

Either way, the droids convey to the player to get to Manaan -- a neutral planet where Pub/Imperial jurisdiction is a sticky matter. Conveniently, we’ve just been there as part of Forged Alliances... but this does work as neutral ground, not unlike Nar Shaddaa way later in Onslaught when there’s talk of being a loyalist/saboteur.

Lana and Theron are profoundly relieved to see the player after Revan’s aerial assault on the Rakata Prime temple. The player arrives with Jakarro, who’s been part of your crew since, well, Lana and Theron ran off with his ship.

Now, if you’re an Imp romancing Theron, you can flirt with him right off the jump and get him all bashful here. One of the key differences between the Pub and the Imperial romance is that Theron is on much surer footing with the Republic operative; he comes off as the consummate spy who isn’t rattled easily. With the Imperial, here on Manaan, he protests, a LOT when it’s teasingly suggested that SIS is keeping an eye on the Imperial player. For the Imp player, romancing Theron is like trying to pet a scalded cat; he escapes quickly, and that’s the last the Imperial player sees of him. He never does respond positive in a romantic way to the Imperial in Forged Alliances.

Meanwhile, Pub side or Imperial side, Lana is very affectionate; Imps get a hug from her and promises of pining, while Pubs also get yearning, though no hug. Overall, Lana is a very agreeable Sith who isn’t opposed to a workplace romance.

Theron might get a little frazzled with the Imperial, but he’s been cool and professional with the Republic player to this point...And then there’s this one moment:

“No contact? No even a little bit?”

“If we had more time. (SIGNIFICANT PAUSE) But we don’t.”

Theron takes the time to think about “contact” with the Republic operative before he declines and leaves -- and that is the first big sign that he’s interested in the player, the first lapse of professionalism, with hand gestures and everything. The Imperial player gets the steady relationship development with Lana all throughout....and the Pub player gets “...there’s a desk over there, now that I think about it.”

As noted elsewhere everywhere in fandom, Theron’s got issues. But that’s why we love him.

So that’s my Forged Alliances series, all done (finally).

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

#swtor #forged alliances #theron shan #lana beniko #theron shan x smuggler #theron thursday #oc: eva corolastor

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greyias · 2 years

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FIC: Smoke and Mirrors - Chapter 19

Title: Smoke and Mirrors Fandom: SWTOR Pairing: Theron Shan/f!Jedi Knight Rating: T Genre: Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn Synopsis: Something’s rotten on Carrick Station, and Theron won’t rest until he finds out what. But picking at the frayed threads of suspicion quickly unravels a conspiracy much larger than even the Republic’s top spy can handle on his own. (A mostly canon-compliant retelling of the Forged Alliances storyline, as seen through the eyes of Theron Shan.) Author’s Notes and Spoilers: See Chapter 1.

Chapter Index: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Crossposted to AO3

Sense memory was a funny thing — a sound, or a smell, or even a humid sea breeze could rewind time. Theron didn’t consider himself to be overly nostalgic or sentimental, but the moment he stepped off the shuttle, and the salty, humid sea breeze on Manaan took him back. He hadn’t set foot on this planet in over a decade, but for a moment, it felt like he had never truly left.

Nostalgia probably wasn’t the right word — his time on Manaan hadn’t exactly been the high point of his life. He’d made his way here after he’d left Haashimut and the Order (or they had left him—details details). It was before he’d even been recruited into the SIS. Just him and his teenage angst against the galaxy. It hadn’t all been bad, though. Even in the darkest moments, he still had some fond memories. Like the exhilarating rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins the very first time he raced through the swoop tracks, or those times he and one of his few friends from the minor league circuit would sneak out to the docks so they could watch the sun set over the endlessly crashing waves.

He blinked away the past, taking in his current surroundings. Things had chanced in his absence; time had a way of always marching on. Everything looked a little different at this height, less grand and imposing, and more… mundane. He didn’t remember any of the storefronts lining the Mercantile Plaza, nor recognize any of the faces milling about. The pristine fountains still sparkled radiantly in the sunlight, but even their beauty didn’t seem to match up with his memory. Perhaps it was because despite the pleasant weather and the tang of the sea in the air, he could still feel the oppressive weight of the local government in every interaction he spied upon. From the signs boldly declaring the many rules of off-world visitors, to the wariness lining the faces of the non-Selkath citizens milling about. Ahh, the telltale signs of a xenophobic and isolationist state. He’d definitely not missed that part about this place.

He slipped into the crowd milling about the Mercantile Plaza with practiced ease. It was a trick he’d employed many a time back in his first time here, but now he had over a decade of fieldwork under his belt. While humans were an abundant species on most planets, here on Manaan they were a bit more of a novelty, one of those weird, hairy, land-dwelling aliens. In his experience, a lot of Selkath had difficulty distinguishing between humans. Most of the population lived happily under the waters below, and saw little the outside galaxy by the design of their controlling government. In that way, being a human both drew attention, yet also provided cover. Something an experienced spy could use to their advantage.

The trick was to blend in by standing out. Act a bit like a lost tourist refusing to ask for directions, walk with confidence as if he knew where he was going (which he did), but also pausing occasionally as if looking for landmarks. It worked, and no one gave him a second look. He had got through customs almost laughably easy, the documents he’d forged for his cover identity passing with flying colors. It had also been almost too easy to guide the conversation with the customs officer so that Theron could obtain information on Darok. Just a lot of wide, toothy smiles, vapid blinking, and incessant babbling about his work and vacation plans. That was just the kind of guy that Tev Fith was.

He couldn’t check the grin at the name he’d chosen, part of the reason for his many toothy smiles with the customs officer. If she’d been around, he was fairly certain that Teff’ith would have threatened to shoot him over it. Or maybe just taken a shot on principle alone. And wasn’t imitation supposed to be one of the greatest forms of flattery? She should be more appreciative of his attempts to include her in his undercover work. In a way, she was helping him save the Republic again.

He could just hear the “Stupid Theron” being muttered in the back of his head. It nearly made him laugh again.

The intel was good, though. Darok had arrived only two days prior, so while a little behind, Theron was on the right trail. The Colonel had also put in a request for him and another individual for deep subsurface travel starting tomorrow. Odds were good that Darok’s travel buddy was Darth Arkous. If Theron stuck around the Plaza, it was possible he might even catch the two of them out in the open — of course; the opposite was also true.

That would just be embarrassing if he was spotted. Best to be careful and observe, wait for his backup to arrive. Speaking of… he needed to double-check the whereabouts of the Defender. If Darok was heading down under the surface tomorrow, it meant that something was about to go down, and Theron fully intended to be there. It’d be nice if his asset was there too, just in case her fancy lightsaber skills were called for.

While forging his identity documents, Theron had also taken care to rent out a little office space in Tev Fith’s name. Just a little space off the primary thoroughfare of the Mercantile Plaza, but still on the main network. A good op always needed a proper base of operations. Preferably one with better climate control than deep in the bowels of a Force enhanced Sith alchemical warship. As “fun” as it was to save the Republic in nothing more than his skivvies again, he really ought to be more properly dressed if he was going to have company. Something told him that his current Jedi operative would be a little less nonplussed about it than Gnost-Dural had been.

It took Theron most of the morning to slice into Manaan’s mainframe without tripping any security protocols. He’d been able to confirm Darok’s lodgings, which were thankfully far enough away from Theron’s little base so they wouldn’t accidentally bump into each other on a caf break. But still close enough for the spy to monitor him.

The government here liked to keep a very close eye on outsiders, meaning there were security cameras almost everywhere. It was both a blessing and a curse in this situation — in that it restricted Theron’s movements outside of his little office, but also allowed him to keep a digital eye on his targets. It was tedious work, especially as he had to more or less track the security feeds, since he didn’t want to risk installing any code on the mainframe that might give away his presence in the system. But that was the job sometimes — for every pulse pounding minute of action, there were several hours of monotony leading up to it.

So Theron watched the feeds, following both Darok and Arkous around the Mercantile Plaza with his many digital eyes. Their permits to head down to the underwater facility weren’t until the next day, so he was fairly confident that they wouldn’t disappear on him completely. However, Theron wanted to be sure he knew all the players in whatever game they were playing. They were likely killing time, and seemed to have dropped the pretense of not knowing each other, as they apparently didn’t think they were being observed.

(Heh.)

With one eye, he watched them go about their day and make preparations for whatever they were up to beneath the ocean’s surface, while he tried to pull what information he could on the facility they were heading to. Documentation on Genetics Laboratory G-1 was sparse, and there was almost no public information available on the mainframe. Its actual purpose and speciality beyond “genetics” wasn’t listed anywhere. Not even Darok and Arkous’s clearance papers seemed to list what they were doing. Curious.

There was more traffic in and out of its surface level office, and didn’t seem to be much in the way of passengers or visitors, so that must have meant freight. Slicing into the customs database took more time, and didn’t exactly yield any jackpots of information, but from the amount of equipment and supplies, it seemed to be a research facility of some sort.

Although what stolen Rakatan artifacts, secret labs, and traitors to both the Republic and Empire added up to, he still wasn’t sure.

That same funny feeling was still nagging at him — that he was missing some small, but key piece of information that would tie all these pieces together. If he only had more solid information about Arkous, how he had even crossed paths with a Republic SpecOps officer, just find that intangible something—he was sure all the puzzle pieces would click into place.

His camera snooping finally failed him near the end of the day, as both Darok and Arkous settled in a place that was practically in a blind spot to the cameras, a far corner of a cafe in a busy section of the plaza. It was impossible to tell if the action had been deliberate, but considering they had been in plain sight of the cameras for the rest of the day, it was probably just dumb luck. Either way, it still meant he had to abandon the anonymity of the office if he were to continue his surveillance.

Sunsets on Manaan always had an air of mystique about them. A briny tang carried on a soft ocean breeze. The gentle lapping of waves against the plaza’s platform had a calming and almost hypnotic effect that seemed to draw the surface dwellers out in droves. Large crowds packed the plaza, taking to the cafes and outdoor restaurants as they tried to sneak in one last meal and the peaceful atmosphere before dusk set in. There was basically no nightlife to speak of, at least up on the surface. Rowdy revelry from off-worlders wasn’t exactly something the government wanted to encourage, so most everyone wrapped up their business by dark and headed back to their rooms.

Theron picked a table where he couldn’t immediately be spotted by his quarry, but could still make them out. Luckily, this cafe had its menu on a ridiculously large datapad that he could hide behind if it seemed like they were looking in his direction, but so far, he hadn’t had to deploy that flimsy excuse for a disguise.

Despite their unintentional evasion of the cameras, amongst the backdrop of the crowd, they stood out like a sore thumb. Darok’s massive size and pale bald head were immediately recognizable and made an almost hilarious counterpoint to Arkous’s more slim figure and crimson skin. The big man’s wide shoulders seemed like they barely fit the small table the two conspirators had taken for their evening meal, and his massive, beefy hands nearly dwarfed a small cup of tea. Darok seemed distinctly uncomfortable as he tried to drink from the tiny cup without slurping. His Sith co-conspirator meanwhile seemed perfectly at home, somehow taking up more room than his large companion, like he was used to stretching out and taking up as much space as physically possible.

If Theron’d had more time to set up proper surveillance, he could have maybe installed a listening device near their table, so he could make out whatever they were talking about. From this distance, he couldn’t even read their lips without getting close enough to do so could risk tipping them off to his presence. So unfortunately for now, he would have to watch from afar, keeping his attention split between his quarry and his surroundings, and hope they wouldn’t slip his surveillance net again.

Not that either of them could go very far, considering the physical limitations of the plaza, but he wanted to be sure there weren’t any other actors in whatever game these two were playing.

The streetlights were just beginning to click on, and the weight of dusk settling across the sky when something… something felt. Off. Not that nagging missing puzzle piece that had plagued him since this entire thing started — no. This was that uncomfortable itch that would take up residence at the base of his spine, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. It was a feeling that any good operative was well-attuned to.

He was being watched.

Theron made a show of pretending to wipe invisible droplets of sea mist from the screen of the cafe’s giant datapad menu as a cover while he glanced around. Darok and Arkous were finishing whatever amounted to an extravagant meal at this little ocean-side cafe, and the other patrons were just as oblivious to him.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, but his ruse with the menu would be too awkward to keep up to glance in that direction. So he set it down and reached for his cup of caf as if he were settling in to savor the evening ambiance. The sip of hot liquid gave him an excuse to turn his head as he caught the flutter of a cape in the alleyway tucked just to the right of the cafe.

It was only a glance, but that was enough for him to just be able to make out the shape of a caped figure — humanoid, possibly female. A hood obscured the figure's features, but he could just make out a bright flash of blonde hair. That they were skulking in an alleyway automatically gave them an air of suspicion. But the closer that Theron observed them—no, definitely a her, he could see that her focus was on the cafe. Or in fact… the exact same table that he’d been observing.

This woman was also tailing Darok and Arkous too—or worse—was working with them.

The figure straightened, like a marionette on a string, and her head snapped in his direction. For a moment, Theron found himself meeting the unearthly yellow gaze of a Sith, who stared right back at him.

For the space of a breath, neither of them moved, perhaps both of them just as surprised to see the other. Then the bustle of the crowd broke the impromptu staring contest, and Theron seized the moment to melt into an opening in the throng. With almost practiced ease, he let the crowd sweep him away like he was just another wave crashing against the platform of the plaza. Just like the ocean currents, he didn’t fight the motion of the crowd, and let it carry him along until he could circle around to get a better vantage point on the woman in the alleyway.

He ignored the jostling of the strangers, every sense on alert now. He couldn’t afford to risk any confrontation, not without potentially tipping Darok and Arkous off to his presence and risking the entire investigation. A tiny voice in the back of his mind, one that sounded a bit too much like Jonas Balkar, also reminded him that right now, to not wade too far into these unknown waters. He was here with no backup, and the only person who knew where he was or what he was up to wouldn’t even be aware that he needed help until it was too late.

Right now, Theron was alone — just like he always had been.

By the time he reached the alleyway, the Sith was gone. He looked back to where he’d been sitting and spied another flutter of of a cape at the menu and cup of caf he’d abandoned.

A curse slipped loose as he realized that he’d now picked up a tail of his own. Making a split-second decision, as he was always forced to do when he was out on his own like this, and let himself get carried back off into the crowd. Away from Darok, away from Arkous, and most importantly, away from this mysterious new Sith.

#swtor fanfiction #theron shan x jedi knight #Theron Shan #Female Jedi Knight/Hero of Tython #SoR Fic O Doom #smoke and mirrors #oc: greyias highwind #otp: adorkable #swtor #fanfic #greyfic #here you go #surprise chapter update #two years later #when will you see chapter 20?#¯\_(ツ)_/¯#in the meantime enjoy theron and lana's silly mad magazine spy vs spy shenanigans #and my probably wildly inaccurate details about manaan and its government and history #because i throw my arms up in the air at it

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