Chapter 6: Out of the Spotlight

  After making a hasty exodus from Rakata Prime, Lana contacted Theron and suggested they meet up for a quick debrief and to plan out their next steps. Briefly they considered going back to Manaan, since they already had a known location there, but decided it would just undo all of their diligence in hiding their presence if they returned. Eventually they decided on Nar Shaddaa, a moon in Hutt space that was well known to be a mecca of criminal activity. If you wanted to disappear, or make someone disappear, Nar Shaddaa was the place. Being controlled by the Hutts meant it also had little Republic or Imperial presence, at least officially, so it was pretty close to being off the grid.

  Unsurprisingly, Vera and Mako had quite a few contacts on Nar Shaddaa and were able to get permission to use a private docking bay that was away from the main spaceport. Theron's shuttle was already present as the Distant Slayer coasted into the hangar, the ship's third engine rotating out of the way for landing. Mako stayed on board as the other two walked down the boarding ramp to meet Theron, who was standing between their two ships.

  Looking rather tired, Theron cut right to the chase. "Lana, I take it you've seen the same sort of chatter that I've seen?"

  Lana let out a noise of irritation. "Yes. Both you and I have been attached to the death of Colonel Darok and Darth Arkous, respectively. At least on my end, the Sith Empire is calling for my immediate arrest and most likely execution."

  "I probably won't get sentenced to death, I'll just have an unfortunate accident on the way to my trial," Theron remarked, grimacing. "This Cult of Revan has penetrated deep into both the Republic and the Empire, and now that we know Revan is somehow the head of it, things are only going to get harder from here on out."

  "I thought Revan was dead." Vera spoke up, her voice sounding slightly unnatural through her helmet. "Wasn't he the Jedi, who then became a Sith, who then became a Jedi again? And didn't he die, like, 200 years ago?"

  "That was what we had understood, yes, but from what you experienced on Rakata Prime, it does indeed seem like he is back," Lana answered.

  "And we're sure it's not just somebody in Revan's robes? A copycat?"

  Lana and Theron shared a look, before shaking their heads. "We both felt his presence. It may not be entirely Revan, but some part of him is present in whoever is leading the cult."

  A distant explosion pulled their focus, until they realized Vera hadn't even flinched. She shrugged. "It's Nar Shaddaa. You get used to it."

  "Kayora didn't get mentioned in connection to the deaths, most likely because she's such a widely celebrated hero there would be no way to portray her as a traitor that would be believable," Theron surmised. "Similarly, Vera is well connected with the Mandalorians, and we know that the Sith Empire generally avoids riling them up if they can help it, so she wasn't called out either. Jakarro and D4 were, but they've been operating on the wrong side of the law for long enough that it doesn't really change how they are going to operate."

  "For us, though, it looks like we're going to need to lay low for a while," Lana said, knowing that it was what Theron was leading into. "We'll need to stay under the radar until we can figure out our next move."

  Theron nodded, his fauxhawk bobbing with the motion. "Agreed. I can take you back to your shuttle on Manaan, or drop you off wherever you need." Before Lana could respond, Vera jumped in.

  "I'll take her." She was met with a surprised look from both of the agents. "Better if you're not both in the same place until it's necessary."

  "Okay," Theron said slowly. He looked to Lana, who simply arched an eyebrow. "I guess I'll be in touch." With that, he retreated back to his shuttle as Lana and Vera made their way to the Distant Slayer, stepping through the still open boarding door. There was a thud as the opening was sealed behind them, and a hiss as Vera broke the seal on her helmet.

  "So where are we going?" Vera inquired, holding her helmet in one hand as she turned to face the Sith.

  Lana chewed her lip. "I do have my shuttle on Manaan, but I still don't think it's a good idea to go back. I could probably reach out to some of my contacts-"

  "We've already got a ship," Vera interrupted, throwing her free hand around as she gestured to the interior of the vessel. "Check that off the list. So where are we going?" She looked at Lana expectantly, drumming her fingers on her thigh plate.

  "Weren't you listening earlier? I'm wanted by the Sith Empire," Lana explained, somewhat surprised that apparently Vera hadn't picked up on that. "Through some stroke of luck they don't have you on their wanted list, but if you stay with me, they're definitely going to come after you as well."

  The Chiss shrugged. "Fuck 'em."

  Agape, Lana stared at the other woman, not quite comprehending. While she wasn't always in alignment with the objectives of her government, she also knew that they were ruthless and dangerous and it was downright insanity that anyone would willingly throw themselves into that danger for no reason. "I'm sorry, did you just say fuck the Sith Empire?"

  "Yep." Vera leveled her gaze at Lana, those crimson eyes difficult to read but nonetheless enthralling. "I don't have any loyalty to them. They already tried to blacklist me once, and have attempted to blame me for their dirty work, so yeah, fuck 'em." A few steps brought her into Lana's personal space, Vera's head tilting back a little to account for her shorter stature. "Obviously not in the same way I want to fuck you, though." Leaning forward, she pressed her lips firmly against Lana's, wrapping her free hand around the back of her head and threading her fingers through the Sith's wavy blonde hair. Aggressively, her tongue pressed against Lana's lips who quickly opened them, letting out a moan as Vera's tongue had its way with her own. Finally getting her mind to catch up with what was happening, Lana grabbed the shorter woman around the waist, holding tight to the strip of bodysuit present between armor panels. Feeling Vera's leg slip in between her thighs, she let out a squeak as it was pressed against her center.

  Everything was starting to feel too warm, but before she could beg Vera to take it farther, the hunter pulled back, licking across Lana's bottom lip as she withdrew. Though she couldn't tell with Vera, Lana was sure her own pupils were dilated, and was certain her panties were damp. The hand that had been behind her head moved to cup her cheek, the cool cloth soothing against her flushed skin.

  "Besides, I'd much rather pursue this relationship than one with the Empire," Vera said softly, with much more sincerity than her usual tone. Lana was at a loss for words; her chest tightened at the notion that this was someone who wanted to try to be with her just for her, no ulterior motives. A little voice still cautioned her to be vigilant because people were deceitful, but she hoped that, with time, she'd be able to prove that voice wrong. She hoped that Vera could prove that voice wrong.

   "Now, I believe you still need to tell me where we're going?"