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commander-krios · 1 year

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My submission for SWTOR Secret Santa Exchange for @jaxifye. I hope you enjoy this little fic I wrote for you. Happy Holidays!

Title: No Matter What Comes

Summary:

Gloria was like a goddess in her power, in her fury: a true Imperial who was now Sith. The might of the Force was beautiful on her. But with that power, with that fury, came the new dangers of her life. The infighting, the politics, the Jedi.

If he lost her, Malavai was certain he would lose himself.

Words: 2262

Rating: T

Relationship: Malavai Quinn/Female Sith Warrior

Additional Tags: Blood, Injury, Assassination Attempts, Minor Violence, Corellia

~~~~

It was the pivotal battle for control of Corellia, that’s how Darth Vowrawn explained the situation. Malavai Quinn understood the role that the planet held in galactic politics, it was a Core planet after all. But they weren’t there for the war. While Corellia was important to the Empire and the Emperor’s Wrath did what she could to make sure they had a distinct advantage, something more personal occupied the majority of her time.

Darth Baras.

The Sith Lord was a menace in the best of circumstances, but his current grab for power was a threat to the Empire. That was not something that Gloria was willing to let go, no matter what her duties as the Wrath were. Baras needed to be dealt with and then she could return to the war… if there was a war to return to.

The Wrath (it was still strange to see her in a position such as that) had left him in charge of keeping Darth Vowrawn safe from Baras’ assassins, and he took his assignment seriously. No one would harm the Dark Councillor while he still breathed. But his thoughts were a distraction while he waited. He desperately hoped that Gloria was successful and returned to him in one piece.

It was difficult when it came to their relationship. Their history was long and painful, filled with more than a small amount of regret. Even now, he was trying to make up for the things he should’ve said… and those he shouldn’t have. But he was an Imperial first and foremost. No matter what he felt while Gloria was gone without him, a Sith needed to be protected and he would do it.

Or he would die. It was his duty and Gloria wouldn’t expect anything less.

“You look tense.” Pierce was standing beside him, the black ops soldier towering over him with his superior height.

Malavai ignored the comment for what it was, an attempt to get a rise from him. The lieutenant wouldn’t get the pleasure of seeing him undone. “We have our orders.”

“Sure. But you’ll have an aneurysm if you get any more stressed, Capt’n.”

He couldn’t tell if Pierce was mocking him, but he bit his tongue anyway. No reason to start an argument when they had other things to worry about. The Wrath enjoyed having Pierce on her team, eccentricities and all. He would bear the insufferable man as long as she wanted him around.

Darth Vowrawn was speaking with his apprentice, paying little attention to the people who were assigned to protect him. Malavai knew his place in the Imperial hierarchy as a non-force sensitive. He did his job and he did it well. His life might not be expendable to Gloria, but he was little more than a stranger to the Dark Councillor.

Which was why when Vowrawn called his name, he glanced up in surprise.

Vowrawn smiled, his expression conveying a kind and easy going Sith who’d lend you a sympathetic ear and a cup of excellent Kaasian tea. But the Sith didn’t become a Dark Councillor by accident, and in no uncertain terms would Malavai relax his guard when speaking with him.

“My Lord? How may I be of assistance?”

“Ever the professional, Captain. I see why our Lord Wrath relies on your skills.” Vowrawn’s smile didn’t falter when meeting his gaze. “I wonder, how far are you willing to go to save our Empire?”

Ah, there it was. The sharp mind that Vowrawn was well known for. He’d ascended to the Dark Council thanks to that intellect more so than any raw power. He moved pieces before they even realized they’d been manipulated. Malavai had served Sith like him before.

“I assure you my loyalty is absolute, my Lord.”

“Your loyalty is not in question, Captain. I only wonder how far you will go to make sure that Baras, and others like him, don’t destroy what we intend to build.” Vowrawn’s crimson gaze almost glowed as he waited for Malavai’s response.

He pondered the question briefly, realizing that giving an answer that a Sith didn’t approve of could not only end his career (and his life), but also reflect poorly on the woman he served with… the woman he loved. Malavai wasn’t worried about his own life as much as he worried about what would happen to Gloria after.

On top of everything else he was dealing with, Malavai felt uneasy, the shadows of the landing pad creating enemies out of the tiniest things. He wished not for the first time that Gloria had left the Talz with them. While he wasn’t keen on the creature, Broonmark’s stealth field generator would’ve been a great asset in protecting the Sith and finding this assassin.

Too late for second thoughts, he chided himself. The decision was made and now they had to follow through.

“My loyalty belongs to the Empire, Darth Vowrawn, and I will do anything I must to see that it is preserved and protected.”

Vowrawn appeared amused by his words, but he didn’t for the life of him know why. He’d served the Empire his entire life. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he felt so deeply about his role in it.

A shimmer appeared at the entrance of the landing area, near the protocol droid that took care of the landing and take off procedures. His gaze honed in on the area, but there was no other movement. It didn’t stop the hair on the back of his neck from standing at attention, however.

“Did you see that?” Pierce said, voice dropping to a whisper.

If Vowrawn heard Pierce, he didn’t appear to notice the interruption. “Preserved and protected? Perhaps that’s the problem with the Empire, Captain. Parts of it should be protected, of course, but there are some parts that could change.”

Pierce raised an eyebrow in Malavai’s direction, but didn’t speak again. Instead, he pulled his rifle from where it’d been resting at his back and began a patrol of the area. Malavai took the hint and rested his hand on one of his own blasters, ready to pull it if need be.

“Problem, Captain?” Vowrawn asked, raising an eyebrow-stalk at the sudden movement.

Behind the Sith, a stealth field generator dropped away, revealing the would be assassin: a Rodian with a pair of blasters on his hip and a vibroblade in his hands. Reacting instantly, Malavai pushed Vowrawn out of the blade’s path, situating himself between the assassin and the Sith, blaster in his hand.

The Rodian lifted the blade, aiming for his center mass. He managed to back away, the vibroblade hissing in the air in front of him. Malavai let off a round of blaster fire, but the assassin was quicker, dodging at the same time he lunged.

This time, Malavai couldn’t get out of the way fast enough.

Before the vibroblade could connect with his body, the Rodian collapsed to the ground, a hole burning red through his chest. In place of where the assassin had stood was the woman he’d been thinking of nonstop since she left earlier that morning. She held a lightsaber in one hand, the red of the blade tinting her skin crimson in its glow.

Except when he actually looked at her, he realized it wasn’t the lightsaber that made her skin appear red.

She was bleeding.

He reached a hand out to steady her when she stumbled. “My lord? What happened?”

Gloria’s golden eyes met his and he could see the pain that she tried to hide. “Nothing to worry about, Captain. I’ll be fine.”

Malavai knew better than to challenge her in front of Vowrawn. “May I look at it at least?”

He noticed the flash of irritation that crossed her face before she nodded, resigned to her fate. She knew him well enough to realize he wouldn’t let the issue drop until he was certain she was alright. He took the chance to lead her away from the others, affording them some privacy that they wouldn’t have otherwise.

The wound wasn’t bad, but the sight of Gloria covered in her own blood had sent terror through him like he’d never felt before. Malavai was the type of Imperial who didn’t let his emotions dictate his actions and he usually prided himself on being unflappable in the face of some of the greatest atrocities. But this was not something he was prepared to face.

And on top of all that, she was the Emperor’s Wrath, a weapon against his enemies.

If he lost her, Malavai was certain he would lose himself.

Gloria hissed as he pressed a kolto patch against the wound.

“I apologize. I must clean it before I can properly bandage it.”

He hated seeing her in pain, but he especially hated it when he was the cause of it. Physical, emotional, didn’t matter. He had too many regrets over that part of his life as well.

“I know, Malavai.” She said, turning to him as he set about his work. His neck burned at the feel of her eyes on him. With just her gaze, he was left feeling like he had all of those years ago when they first began a relationship. “Please, do what you can for it. I have to pay a visit to my old Master.”

Malavai held back a grimace, focusing on the injury beneath his practiced fingers. He didn’t want to think about when she had to face Baras, alone if she had her way. There were too many unknown variables when it came to the Sith, but he’d served Baras for years. The man was intelligent and prone to overpreparing. He had spies embedded in the highest parts of the Republic.

He was a formidable enemy.

She must’ve noticed because she glanced at Lieutenant Pierce briefly. He was busy keeping Vowrawn distracted so that Malavai could attend to her wound. Not that the Dark Councillor needed much help in the distraction department. He was always glad to hear himself speak.

When she faced him once more, her expression had softened considerably. “Quinn. You know I value your honesty. Don’t hold back if you have something to say.”

He couldn’t meet her gaze, his pale blue eyes dropping to where his hands hovered in the air above her wounds, skin stained with her blood. “Do you even know what it does to me?”

Malavai paused, a shaky breath passing his lips. He never had an issue with speaking his mind in the past, why now of all days?

Gloria waited for him to find his words, lost somewhere in his swirling thoughts.

“Any time you’re hurt, even if it’s superficial, I am worried that I’ll lose you.” Glancing up into eyes gold and copper, he felt a twinge in his chest, as if his heart twisted at the sight of her alive and close enough to touch. “Do you realize how deeply you’ve embedded yourself into my heart?”

She reached for him, covering his hands with her own. The wound was patched now, any pain she felt was an obvious issue now in the past. An expression of resigned sadness crossed her face. “I can’t promise you that nothing bad will happen to me, or to us, not with the war and Dark Council and this target painted on my back.” She hesitated, which wasn’t like her at all. Her confidence was one of the things he admired, always had, but to see her in this state bothered him.

“My lord-”

“But I will fight with every ounce of my soul to come back to you, Malavai. I will not let them take me from you.” Her fingers brushed the soft skin of his cheek before dropping back into her lap. “We don’t have much time, but once this is over, once Baras is dead and we can finally breathe-”

Gloria paused, letting the implications of her words dangle in the air.

Malavai smiled, but he resisted the urge to reach out for her. Vowrawn and the rest of their crew were nearby. “I’ll hold you to that… my love.”

She couldn’t fight the responding grin. It lit her face up, only making her beauty shine through in ways only he could. It helped the ache in his heart to know that no matter what happened, he was the reason for her happiness. “Not even death could keep me from you, Malavai Quinn.”

After everything they’d been through, he could with a degree of certainty believe her and know, without a doubt, he’d never let anything keep him from her either. He would scour the entire galaxy to make sure she returned to him safe. Time was running short for them, but he was relieved to know that she wouldn’t disappear after this battle with Baras.

She was his until the end.

“You have to leave.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement of fact. Vowrawn and Pierce were waiting for her at the ship. They would be heading for Dromund Kaas soon and Malavai had to prepare for what came after. No matter what came.

Gloria nodded, her smile disappearing as she became the Emperor’s Wrath. “When this is finished.”

“I’ll be here… waiting.”

And Malavai was a patient man.