Before - Legends Trying to Forget Her {TOR}

Title: Trying to Forget Her
Author: SabyneAmberle
Genre, AU, Romance, Drama
Characters: Theron Shan, Kybrina (Gammon) Sevrelle, Lana Beniko, a few cameos by other characters.
Era: The Old Republic
Summary: Theron had thought their time together had ended on Yavin 4. Yet a dark and sleepless night allowed him to reminisce about the young woman he had grown so close to.
Notes: There may be mild spoilers for TOR's Shadow of Revan expansion, as well as the Ziost epilogue much later on. I decided to try crafting my own conversation dialogue, since the game's cutscene chatter seemed so stilted at points. Also, will our intrepid heroine stay with her Mandalorian husband, or will the SIS Agent win her affections? (TL;DR: Don't worry, this story doesn't mean Ky and Torian are breaking up in my head. I'll better explain as the story progresses, but in my mind they're still going strong!)

******

The piercing light that filtered through the window caused Theron to squeeze his eyes shut even more tightly. Mentally, he cursed himself for falling asleep yet again without first activating the automatic shutters on the bedroom windows. He often forgot them when he was at his most exhausted, only to regret the omission when Coruscant's glaring morning light shone directly into the room. After working for two or three days straight without rest, all he wanted was to take a full day to do nothing but sleep. But the only thing he was getting at that moment was a splitting headache.

Grumbling to himself, he rolled onto his back, covering his face with one hand in a vain attempt to block out the piercing light. That bought him only slight relief, as the throbbing in his head persisted. Realizing the only way he could relieve this pain was with total darkness, he forced himself out of bed and crossed the room to the small control pad next to the window. Pressing the small silver button on the pad, he barely even noticed the room gradually darkening as he turned back to the warm comfort of the bed. As he laid down again, he folded his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling, studying the various lines and patterns that covered it.

Ziost. SIS intelligence suggested that was the new home of the restored Emperor. The man -if one could still call him that- that would wipe out all life in the galaxy if someone didn't stop him.He smirked, feeling his eyes start to grow heavy again as he mentally tabulated all the willing volunteers who had stepped up not only to stop the Revanites, but now to fight the Emperor. Jedi, Sith, Imperial, Independent...none of that mattered when life across the entire galaxy was at stake. As soon as he combed through more of the data he gleaned from the planet, he would be going.

Until then, work and sleep were all he needed.

He shifted on the narrow ned, trying to settle into a more comfortable sleeping posture. As he did, he elbow bumped the small nightstand that sat next to the bed. Almost immediately, his ears picked up the faintly metallic tinkle of a small object hitting the durasteel floor. Stifling yet another annoyed groan at his stupidity, he leaned over the edge of the bed and fumbled in the low light for the object. When his fingers closed around it, he felt his breath still momentarily. Even before he brought it up to where his eyes could focus on it, he knew what it was. In the dim light, his eyes could tell it was a small identification tag, one often worn by either soldiers or mercenaries. And while it was too dark to see what the tag said, he found he didn't need to read it. He had lookedit over so many times in the recent past that the engraved letters were etched into his memory as well.

“'Brina,” he whispered, rolling back to his back and pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. When he returned to Coruscant, he had promised himself he would forget about her. She might be an independent operator, but she had done more than her share of dirty work for the Empire. In his mind, her loyalties were a noticeable cause for concern, a flag that was thrown up to impede his further curiosity. They had worked well together, yes, and he swore there was more of a connection that the flimsy alliance they had worked under together. But he couldn't forget each of their respective loyalties; his would always be the Republic, hers would be whomever paid her the most. It was for those reasons he refused to let himself dwell on her, in spite of his own feelings.

Yet here he was, laying in bed thinking about her. How long had it been since he had last heard from her? When had their final goodbye on Yavin 4 been? Weeks ago? Longer? He could almost hear that last whispered farewell from her, could see the pain in her eyes as he walked away from her and boarded the Republic transport. He could even still picture how she looked from his perch on the ship's loading ramp; they had shared a long look as the ship rose into the atmosphere, and remembering those pained blue eyes made his chest ache.

He should have gotten rid of the tag when he returned to Coruscant. There was no future for the two of them, after all. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. He shifted back to his elbow, placing the tag back on the nightstand before returning to his back, folding his arms once again behind his head. No, the chances of them ever working out were incredibly slim. Not only were they on opposite sides of the larger galactic picture, but she was also married. If he knew anything about married folks, it was that they remained generally loyal to one another, even during times of trouble. He hoped to find someone like that...when he wasn't busy playing Supreme Chancellor Saresh's spymaster.

He felt his eyes grow heavy, and he let sleep claim him. As he drifted off, he found his mind again wandering back to her, back to the first time he ever laid eyes on her. Thanks to Lana Beniko, it had promised to be an interesting alliance.

 

Continuing a bit more. Theron and Lana are both interesting characters, so how could I not start writing about them?

****

“So, are we in agreement then?” Lana's voice, tinged with its cool Imperial tones, shook Theron from his thoughts. He looked up from his leaning post against a nearby wall and watched the Sith before him with a mix of caution and curiosity. They shared a common concern and common goals, that much was true. And Lana herself didn't appear to act as most Sith he had crossed paths with did. But his nerves were still on edge around her. One didn't have to be a Jedi -or even an SIS agent, for that matter- to know that treachery shared space with the Force as the backbone of the Sith. They would do anything to shape events to their benefit, even disposing of those whom they claimed 'alliances' with.

Sensing his hesitation, Lana frowned at him. “I know that you are reluctant to trust me,” she began. “And if I may be perfectly honest, the feeling is mutual. Our respective factions have been at each others' throats for centuries, squabbling over power and resources like children squaable over toys. But this is so much bigger than either the Republic or the Empire. I truly feel there is something very wrong here, and there won't be a Republic or Empire to fight for if that feeling is right.”

Theron sighed and shook his head. She was right, this was bigger than any squabbling between their respective sides. “You've got a point there, Lana,” he replied. “All the war and posturing won't mean a damn thing if this conspiracy is the real thing. So count me in.”

The smile she gave him wasn't nearly as cold as he thought it would be. “Excellent,” she said. “Your contributions to this mission will be most helpful, Theron.”

“I'm sure.” He crossed the room, standing in front of the large computer console that dominated one wall. For all its peaceful beauty and endless oceans, Manaan was the same as any other world, full of gadgets and tech he could slice. “Are we getting any other help with this 'mission', or is it just going to be the two of us sticking our necks out?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact.” He could hear Lana's self-satisfied tone. That was another thing he hated about Sith; they had that smug, arrogant tone that told you they thought they knew all the answers. No matter how superficially different she might seem to be, Lana was just like any other Sith in some ways. “As a matter of fact, they are down in the research facility as we speak. “

“Already? You don't waste any time, do you?” Theron replied, slightly impressed at her efficiency.

She shook her head. “Not when the stakes are as high as this,” she said simply. “Any waste of time could mean the difference between victory and death...” She trailed off, holding a hand to her forehead. “I...It appears I still maintain some link to Arkous. If I can sense him this strongly, then maybe I can pinpoint his location in the facility. I should meditate, find any clues that can help our associates.”

As she left the room, Theron returned his full attention to the computer terminal in front of him. Carefully, he began slicing his way through the security systems protecting the underwater facility's computer network. After only a few minutes, he found caution was largely unnecessary; someone had installed computer spikes into key points in the network, spikes that worked to make his system slicing much easier. He was able to tap into the facility's security cameras just as a battle was coming to an end.

Initially, the holocams didn't show much, a few blurry figures surrounded by bright lights and loud noises. Gradually, the lights and noise began to fade, until all thares. One he could clearly tell was a wookiee; no one would ever mistake those tall walking carpets for any other species. The other two appeared to be human, though he could see little beyond their heavy armor. He would have to ask Lana for a formal introduction when they returned to the surface. For now, a bit of friendly chatter couldn't hurt.

“Hi.” He began, keeping his tone as neutral as he could manage. When he spoke, he noticed the one figure jumped a bit. Clearly, they weren't expecting a friendly voice to suddenly blast into their helmet. “You don't know me, but I'm here with Lana.”

“Is that right?” A female voice, slightly distorted by both helmet and comm, answered him. “She told me she had secured yet another ally in our mission. Would that be you?”

“Yeah, that's me,” he replied, ignoring the surprise he felt at hearing the hunter's voice. “Lana's meditating, using her connection to Darth Arkous to pinpoint his location.”

“Even my own personal locator can't find him, he's that slippery.” The voice coming through the comm sounded almost indignant. Theron listened with great curiosity, unsure what to make of the voice he was hearing. Without seeing the person beneath the armor, it was all a moot point, so he pushed aside those distracting thoughts before continuing.

“She wanted you to know if I found anything, and I did,” he continued, his voice as even as ever. “Energy readings from Gorma's lab. Rakata technology's firing up like crazy in there.”

“Well, it looks like my work's cut out for me, then,” The reply was confident, almost arrogant in tone. “If there's Rakata tech firing up, then it's my job to shut it down. Any hints?”

Theron shook his head. “None,” he answered. “Don't know for sure what's going on, but I can pretty much guarantee you it's got to be stopped. I'll monitor things from here as best as I can, and intervene if things get too hot. Good luck down there.”

 

The constantly shifting and almost balanced state of competition between the Republic and Sith in this time period makes for some really odd alliances -- as we see with Lana and Theron working together to stop a common threat. Looks interesting. And I'm curious how his feelings about Kybrina will come into play. It seems even he knows it's not meant to be -- but maybe it's reminding him of something he feels is missing in his life rather than Kybrina in particular. From what I can see in his canon bio, he certainly seems to have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to emotional connections in his life.

Lana is interesting in her unusual detachment for a Sith. Seems very much the chessmaster rather than a lightsaber-brawler, but I suspect you wouldn't want to tick her off. Always the quiet ones.

 

Theron is a very interesting bird. I think that's why I was really drawn to both him and Lana. What I hope to do is not only show his POV of any relationship building, but to flesh it out beyond what is seen in the game proper. As I often do with these.

Anyway, I couldn't resist more writing on this one. Next part.

**********

It didn't take long before trouble cropped up down in the facility. Theron, from his place monitoring the facility's interior, knew it never did. When one was dealing with loose cannons like Arkous and Darok, it was only a matter of time before things went sideways. And in this case, they not only went sideways in a hurry, but also badly. As they left the facility in a sub, the pair had detonated a charge close to the lab tower. The building was balancing precariously, and Theron knew he only had a short time to get the team to an escape pod and get them out.

It was rough going. Arkous and Davok had been smart; as they left, they were in the process of jettisoning the escape pods to block any attempt at pursuit. Theron bit back a curse as he scanned the facility, looking for anything he could commandeer remotely. It took several precious moments, but he found one. The craft had barely launched, so its tether to the facility's internal computer system was still intact. He managed to slice into the pod's systems, setting its destination for the doomed building. Once it was on its way, he straightened up and released the breath he had been holding.

“Getting them out of there alive is going to take a damned miracle,” he muttered to himself. “If we pull it off, it's gonna be close.”

Quickly, he pushed a button on the terminal, connecting to the group inside the facility. “Me again. Darok and Arkous ejected all the emergency pods. No going back the way you came.”

“Well that's just wonderful,” the slightly-irritated voice replied. “Don't get me wrong, I enjoy swimming. But this armor isn't exactly good for crushing ocean depths. Please tell me you have a plan.”

“I think I do,” Theron replied. “The good news is I slaved one of the pods. Got it on remote pilot, headed for a docking hatch nearby.” He tapped a few keys, sending the coordinates for the hatch. If this worked, they wouldn't have to search for more allies. If it didn't? He hated to think of the result. “You should have the coordinates by now. Get moving.”

“You don't have to tell me twice. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can breathe the nice surface air again.” The hint of humor in the feminine voice caused a small smile to tug at his lips. If she was in the mood to crack small jokes like those, they might be just fine. He would still be monitoring things, but ever so slightly he felt his posture relax.

That smile was quickly replaced by a frown as he watched the terminal. There was a new set of readings coming in, one he had had a hint of previously. Whatever cybernetic horror Arkous and Davok had the Selkath working on, it was awake. And judging by the direction the readings were going, it was on an intercept course. If that thing caught them off-guard, then they could kiss freedom goodbye.

He quickly got on the comm again. “Getting readings from their alpha cyborg,” he said. “That thing's serious, and it's coming right for you! Stay sharp!”

“Appreciate the heads-up. If it crosses our path, we'll deal with it.”

Silently, he kept watch, his fingers working furiosly to try and keep the cyborg at bay. But the building's systems had sustained heavy damage from both the explosion and the ensuing water leakage. Just at the small team was nearing the docking hatch, a door on the opposite side of the room burst open, and the creature staggered into the room. Watching as best as he could through the sliced security feed, Theron saw the hunter grab the blasters from her belt.

“Take that thing out, quick!” he almost shouted into the comm. “You got five minutes to kill it before you're all breathing water!”

“Five minutes, huh? I'll kill it in three.”

Watching the fight as best as he could from the security feed, Theron could see why Lana had recruited this hunter. She was not only good with blasters, she was observant and quick thinking. When she saw an advantage that would help burn her enemy down quicker, she leapt at it. In this case, their advantage came from a jet of fire that periodically broke out from pipes in the facility's ceiling. The creature appeared to weaken when exposed to the tongue of flame, and the small group lured around the room as the flame changed location. Before long, they had succeeded, and the cyborg lay dead at their feet.

“Not bad,” he muttered. Turning his focus from the security cams, he checked the status of the inbound pod. It had docked, but needed a few adjustments before it would be safe to board. He could see there was a communications terminal next to the docking hatch, and he quickly sliced it. It would be easier to give directions if they knew who was talking to them.

“Hang on,” he said. “Emergency pod's almost secure, but not quite.”

“You're...with the Republic, aren't you?” He could hear the tinge of surprise in her voice. What, was she expecting someone else? A Sith or someone from Imperial Intelligence? It annoyed him a little, but didn't really surprise him. She probably hadn't worked with anyone from the Republic, let alone an agency like the SIS.

“That's right. I'm also saving your lives,” he answered, keeping his voice neutral as he worked. “You got a problem with that?”

“I didn't say I did. And I won't, so long as you get us out of here in one piece. So just get us out of here.”

“Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do.” Damn hunter. While she had every reason to be impatient with him, he wished she hadn't voiced her impatience in quite that manner. The droid and the wookiee each chimed in with their worries about the crushing depths, but he ignored them. Their contributions really didn't help secure that pod any faster.

After a few more moments, it was secure. He pressed one more button and the hatch doors slid open. “Okay, all set. Climb in and enjoy the ride.” He terminated the transmission as the group ran toward the open hatch. Looking around, he found a chair and sank into it, wiping his forehead with one hand. That had been way too close for his liking; they had almost lost some very vital allies. But they had all been saved, and their investigating had uncovered what was really going on with both Davok and Arkous. The data they had helped uncover would take a bit more time to analyze, but by the time they were back on the surface it would be ready to debrief them with.

He listened to the soft pings the pod made as it headed toward the surface. One more small crisis averted.

 

Liked this look into how Theron thinks during a mission. Nice balance of urgency and being practical.

What plan? Who ever has a plan?

Interesting to see the first meeting here!

 

Good quality start.

Like the attentions to descriptive detail. Get a hold of the typos (eg. the narrow ned he is laying on) and that first chapter would be perfect.

Felt very natural the dealing with the blinds to darken the room, and go back to bed, though the colour of the button to press did feel like a detail too far.