Chapter 7: Relinquishing Control

  Dantooine was decided on to be their destination. It was mostly ignored by both the Republic and the Empire, at least for the time being, and it was also home to swoop gangs and other assorted pirate groups. If nothing else, the rash of illicit activity would help obfuscate any digging Lana would be doing. After they'd relayed the decision to Mako, the young cyborg plotted the course and initiated the jump to hyperspace. They'd all split up as the stars streaked by at impossible speeds: Mako had gone down to the workbench on the lower level, Vera had retreated to her quarters, and Lana had gone back to her set up in the lounge, intent on coming up with a preliminary plan of action before they got to their destination.

  About two hours had passed, and Lana had made a decent amount of progress. Not quite as much as she'd hoped, but there were a handful of individuals she had added to her priority list, hoping that at least one of them would have some useful information to provide them. The Cult of Revan had been around for years, but nobody had ever really taken it seriously, since they didn't usually do much. Apparently, they'd been doing a lot more than everyone realized, Lana thought with a tinge of irritation. Running through the list she'd compiled one more time, she decided to take a break. They still had probably another two hours before reaching Dantooine, and she really wanted to address the other reason she hadn't been as productive as she'd wanted to be.

  The other reason, of course, was Vera. She still was coming to terms with the fact that Vera openly stated she'd go against the Sith Empire, without any hesitation, because of Lana. Standing from her chair, the Sith turned around and leaned against the desk, gazing across the room and down the narrow metal catwalk that connected it to the captain's quarters, where Vera was currently residing. Though she wasn't one to fully buy into stereotypes, Lana still expected someone who had been finding such success as a bounty hunter to be a bit more cautious in potentially blacklisting themselves to one of the main galactic powers. Maybe Vera didn't understand the implications, or just thought she was respected enough that this choice wouldn't affect her standing, but Lana didn't think the Chiss was that naïve.

  No, she was certain Vera was one hundred percent aware of the path she was taking. Which only came back to the question: did she really think Lana was worth it? After all, they'd only known each other for a short time. Pushing herself off of the edge of the cold desk, Lana strode across the catwalk with purpose, stopping in front of the heavy metal door that led to Vera. If they were going to try this, Lana wanted to make sure there were no misconceptions. She lifted her hand and rapped her knuckles twice on the metal, hearing the knock reverberate into the room beyond.

  The door disappeared with a whoosh, and revealed the figure of Vera, who Lana was seeing out of her armor for the first time. The Chiss was dressed in a loose pink tank top and a pair of white shorts that stopped just above the knee. Her hair was out of its standard bun, and hung down Vera's back a couple of inches below her shoulders. She was barefoot, which made Lana cold just looking at them. With the armor off, Lana was able to see how muscular the bounty hunter really was. She was fairly short, but her body was built like a weightlifter, and the definition of her biceps showed that she could back up that assessment. It would be a lie for Lana to say that the sight wasn't incredibly sexy, and somehow the pink and white casual clothing combo just amplified it to another level.

  "Did you want something, or were you just hoping to see me in a lighter state of dress?" Vera's flirty inquiry pulled Lana out of her daydreams.

  "Just a couple things to discuss. May I come in?" Vera shrugged nonchalantly and walked over to a small table in the corner, going back to work on presumably whatever she had been doing before Lana knocked. Lana took several steps into the space, hearing the door hiss closed behind her. A brief appraisal of the room showed that it mostly matched up with what she knew about Vera already. One wall housed Vera's weapons, as well as several other pieces of gear that Lana hadn't seen before. A small bookshelf held an amalgamation of different books, ranging from technical handbooks to meditation guides. A modest bed was centered on the back wall, and a small shelf above it held a random assortment of trinkets. Her eyes tracked back to the Mandalorian, who was writing something into a journal.

  Clearing her throat, Lana dove right in. "I wanted to make sure you were still certain about the choice you made." At Vera's silence, Lana elaborated. "The choice to defy the orders of the Sith Empire and aid me in my fugitive status."

  Lana could see a smile creeping across Vera's face, though she didn't stop writing. "That's what you're so worried about?"

  "I'm not worried, per say, I just want to ensure you are fully aware of what you are getting yourself into," Lana clarified. Even though she was certain Vera did know, she wouldn't allow her to suffer the wrath of the Empire on a poor assumption.

  This time Vera did stop writing. She closed the notebook and placed the pen on the cover, before straightening up and turning to look at Vera, those crimson eyes inscrutable as to her intention, though the small smile still present giving a small indication of her current thoughts. "I know full well what I’m getting myself into, darling," Vera stated, crossing her arms loosely in front of her. "As well as what I'd like to get myself into." A pink tongue poked out from between her lips and ran along the bottom one. Lana watched with rapt attention as the tongue disappeared again, leaving Vera's bottom lip glistening.

  This was not how she intended this meeting to go. Not that she was against it, but she did come in here with the best intentions. Lana felt herself losing control of the situation, but in a pleasant way, as she watched Vera take several steps toward her.

  "You don't need to worry about me," Vera assured her. "I'm a woman of many talents, and a good number of those talents help keep me alive, no matter who is gunning for me." She took a step closer. "However, I am also a woman who goes after what she wants. If that happens to make some people mad along the way, that's their problem." Another step. "And getting to know you is something that I want. I'm not going to promise that we're meant to be together, but I will promise that we will thoroughly enjoy the time it takes to answer that question." Now she was directly in front of Lana, who still wasn't certain how to respond. She couldn't deny that it was exhilarating to have somebody be so direct with their intentions.

  "Of course, that's only if you are interested." Vera took a step back, and Lana physically felt the loss of closeness. She willed herself to speak up, if only for the fact to not leave Vera in a state of uncertainty.

  "I am interested," she said, her voice slightly raspy. "Very interested."

  The smirk that Lana had begun to associate with the Chiss woman appeared on her face. "Very interested, huh sweetheart?" Moving closer again, she entered into the space she'd only so recently vacated, and it made Lana tingle with anticipation. "Given with how you've responded to my flirting thus far, I'd like to test out a theory." Her eyebrows raised slightly as she locked their gazes. "If that's alright with you."

  "Of course." Lana gave a quick nod with her affirmation, watching Vera with an overwhelming anticipation. Vera reached out with her right hand, trailing her fingertips up Lana's sleeve. They ran up her bicep and across her shoulder, settling on her sternum.

  "I think that you desire to let go," Vera said, her voice soft. "Everywhere else in your life, you need to have control. The Sith, the Empire, it all demands that you show your strength, your tenacity, your unwillingness to submit." Lana began to shiver as she felt Vera's hand creep higher, each finger deliberately wrapping around her neck. "There isn't a lot of trust in your line of work." Lana swallowed, feeling Vera's thumb gently rubbing against her skin. "But you can't let go if you don't trust."

  Vera was right. She was absolutely right and it was all at once both terrifying and liberating. Lana always had to be on, she always had to be proving her power, showing that she wasn't weak. Even the sexual partners that she'd had in the past (she wouldn't classify any of them as romantic) were from within Sith culture, raised by the same people, with the same rules. She knew that she was always being evaluated, judged, tested for weak points, even by her lovers, even while they were in the throes of passion. Lana had always yearned for the ability to let go, just for a brief time, and let somebody else make the decisions, but she had resigned herself to the fact that she'd never have that.

  And now suddenly it felt like it was more in reach than it ever was. She'd felt a connection through the Force with Vera on their first meeting, and she always trusted those feelings. Opening herself up to somebody, giving them that trust, could be the biggest mistake she ever made.

  "Do you trust me?"

  Even just those words sent a burst of heat through Lana's body, simple as they were. She heard all of her teachers, her mentors, screaming in the back of her head that you could never succeed if you relied on others, that trust was just a weapon that your enemy could use against you. And yet, the woman in front of her had willingly spat in the face of the entire Sith Empire, for the mere chance at getting to explore their relationship. If that wasn't trust, Lana didn't know what was. She let out a shuddering breath before replying.

  "I do."

  The hand around her neck squeezed, only slightly, but enough to make breathing a touch more difficult. Instantaneously Lana's arousal ratcheted up several degrees, and she let out a wavering moan as Vera pulled her down, kissing her fiercely. Just as before, Vera dominated the kiss, but not in an aggressive way. She dictated the pace and movement, but Lana could feel the awareness present, and knew that if she ever wished to stop, Vera would cease her actions with no hesitation. The pressure around her throat meant that she reached the point of breathlessness faster, and was forced to disengage from the kiss to gulp down some air. Vera wasted no time in shifting her attention, lips and teeth and tongue finding purchase on Lana's jaw and cheek, making their way up to her ear. Continuing to suck in oxygen, she felt Vera bite down on her earlobe, pulling it gently, as her other hand made its way into Lana's robes. Although she couldn't deny that she desperately wanted a repeat of the encounter in the lounge, there was something else Lana wanted more.

  "Let me pleasure you," she gasped, partly from the hand around her throat and partly from the blue fingers running across her breast. The fingers stilled, and she found herself staring into Vera's smirking face, only inches away from her own. For a moment, she lost herself in those red eyes, mesmerized by the lack of features. "You took care of me before, but I didn't have time to reciprocate."

  The smirk grew larger on Vera's face, and her grip loosened before both hands removed themselves from Lana's body. She took a deep breath, pushing away the brief feeling of lightheadedness that had begun to creep in. "Alright, darling, since you asked so nicely. Take off your clothes. Slooowly."

  What began as a mad rush screeched to a halt as Vera dragged out that last word. Feeling those crimson eyes on her, Lana untied the slim piece of cloth that held her robes closed, and pulled the end, feeling the robes loosen as the belt came away. Opening her hand, the cloth fluttered to the floor like a discarded feather. Shrugging her shoulders, Lana shimmied until the robes slipped off and slid down her arms, exposing her torso, where she had a simple band covering her breasts. Letting her robes slide down to her wrists, she then let them fall to the ground, puddling at her feet. Left in only her chest wrap, her underwear, and her boots, Lana finally looked back to the other woman in the room.

  Even with the lack of pupils, Lana could see the lust in Vera's gaze. The Chiss had moved to lean up against the wall, and her eyes raked up and down Lana's body in obvious appreciation. A flick of her eyes downward and Lana could see a trace of wetness at the crotch of Vera's shorts, mirroring Lana's own state of arousal.

  "Keep going," the Mandalorian said, her voice low with a sultry edge to it. Quickly popping off her boots and stepping out of them, Lana brought her hands to the wrap around her breasts, reaching back to unclasp the fastener. The faint snap was succeeded by the wrap falling loosely into her outstretched hands, and then being tossed to the side. As she slipped her fingers into the elastic of her panties, she saw Vera's tongue emerge, running a circuit around her lips. Though Lana had certainly been desired before, nobody had drank in the sight of her like Vera was, as if she was dying of thirst and Lana's body was a mountain spring.

  Slowly, she peels her underwear down, exposing the patch of trimmed blonde hair between her legs. Once past her thighs, she lets gravity do the work, the damp garment falling unceremoniously to the floor. Standing entirely bare in front of Vera, who still has yet to remove a stitch of clothing, Lana can't help but feel that this relationship was already satisfying her in ways that she had never been able to achieve before.

  "On your knees," Vera commanded, though her tone was far more playful than demanding. Still, Lana sank to her knees, the cool metal of the floor biting against her skin. For a brief moment she wondered if she could rearrange her robes to kneel on, help provide a barrier against the hard chill, but was then distracted by Vera's crooked finger, beckoning her closer. Shuffling toward the other woman, she watched with bated breath as Vera pushed her white shorts down, revealing nothing but bare skin and a mess of dark blue curls beneath them. Lana's mouth watered at the sight, and she looked up, uncertain if she'll be able to hold back if Vera demanded it. However, given the energy she could feel pulsing through the Force from the other woman, such a request may have been more punishing to the giver.

  Rotating so that her back was against the wall, Vera spread her legs, enabling Lana to see her dark blue lips, almost black in color, glistening with moisture. Lana began to move forward, drawn toward the arousal that she needed to taste, only to be stopped by a single raised finger. "You can't use your hands," Vera stated, and as Lana dutifully clasped her hands together behind her back, added, "or the Force." Her lip twitched briefly. "This time." The finger disappeared and Lana practically dove forward, planting the flat of her tongue onto the damp folds.

  Whether it was because of her attraction or something else, Vera's juices were heavenly on Lana's tongue. A little bit salty, but with a strong flavor that was indescribably Vera. Lapping voraciously, Lana was only vaguely aware of the noises coming out of the woman above her, but enough to know that her actions were being well appreciated. Alternating her movements, she switched from up and down to left and right, slow to fast, sometimes twirling the tip in circles. A hand came down and tangled in her hair, then pulled her upward, guiding her toward the small bundle of nerves that peeked out of the top of Vera's folds. Running her tongue around it, Lana listened to the labored breathing of the hunter, then she pulled it between her lips, sucking hard. Vera's legs shuddered and a string of expletives poured from her mouth as Lana continued to apply suction to her lover's clit, her nose buried in the dark blue hair. The hand on her head pushed her downward again, and as she started in on the slit, she could sense Vera getting close. Pressing forward, Lana could barely breathe as Vera ground her core against her face, but refused to let up, running her tongue up and around, occasionally sucking and slurping at the arousal that was now coating her lips and chin.

  After what could have been minutes or hours, Vera's legs clamped around Lana's ears, pinning her head in place. Barely having time to tilt her head back to free her nose, Lana took a single sustaining breath before she slid her tongue up Vera's slit and, unable to help herself, pinched the woman's clit with the Force. A long extended curse flew from Vera's lips as her orgasm hit her like a turbolaser, and Lana opened her mouth and pressed it to Vera's core, attempting to collect as much flowing out that she could. Eventually the sheer flood of arousal overwhelmed her, but given she was pinned, she coughed and sputtered, swallowing as best as she was able. Finally, the pressure around her head lessened as Vera's orgasm subsided, and Lana was able to lean backward, coughing several more times as she attempted to clear her airways.

  Before she was fully able to, she was pulled to her feet and into a crushing kiss, Vera messily licking all over the Sith's face in the process. Biting Lana's lip, she squeezed a hand around her neck, just tight enough to send a tingle of arousal. "I thought I said no using the Force this time," Vera chastised, her voice husky and lips mere millimeters from Lana's own.

  "Even though you enjoyed it?" Lana countered. The pressure around her throat increased ever so slightly, and Vera snuck another kiss before spinning Lana around and pushing her toward the bed.

  "On your hands and knees. Get that ass up in the air," Vera ordered, stripping out of her top and shucking it to the side. As much as Lana wanted to admire the generous blue breasts that had just been revealed, she did as she was told, crawling onto the bed and presenting her backside to the Chiss. Sneaking a peak over her shoulder, she saw Vera advancing toward her, hips swaying seductively. "Move forward." Obeying, Lana felt the mattress dip even further as her partner climbed up behind her. Her center was practically aching with anticipation, arousal dripping down the inside of her thighs. "If anything is too much, your safeword is 'kyber'. Do you understand?"

  "I understand." The hunter's calloused fingers grabbed Lana's cheeks and spread her wide, exposing herself even more, the cool air tickling her taint. She felt a thumb stretch out and lightly brush across her core, a barely there touch that still had her twitching.

  "Somebody is eager." She could hear the smugness in Vera's voice. "Maybe I should make you wait, since you did disobey me before." An unexpected whimper of disappointment spilled from Lana's lips, surprising even herself. She was so turned on it was almost painful, and the thought of Vera dragging it out was wildly unpleasant. "But you did make me come rather hard, so I think I'll let it slide this time." A sigh of relief quickly turned into a moan as a single digit ran through Lana's folds, one hand still spreading her cheek open. The mattress shifted as the finger disappeared, only to appear in Lana's peripheral vision.

  "Wet my fingers," Vera said, wiggling them in Lana's face. The Sith dutifully opened her mouth and leaned forward, closing her lips around each finger in turn, starting with the pinky. She licked and sucked on them, swirling her tongue around and getting them good and lathered up with her saliva. As she was finishing up on the thumb, her attention was yanked away as a dexterous tongue dragged itself up through her folds. Lana's mouth popped open and the hand disappeared, returning to spread her other cheek as Vera started to eat her out.

  Lewd sounds poured out of Lana, matching the wet noises coming from where Vera was attending to the Sith's most intimate area. Falling onto her forearms, Lana's legs twitched as Vera worked her tongue masterfully, swirling around Lana's slit, changing direction and speed without warning. Though she'd been with other women before, none had given her even a modicum of the pleasure that the Chiss was doling out. The tip of Vera's tongue flicked against Lana's clit, drawing out a gasp. Much to her dismay, the tongue withdrew from her exposed bud, tucking back into her lower lips, leaving her wanting more attention directed back to her clit.

  The fingers that she had wetted shifted against her cheek, and the spit left in their wake made her wonder for a brief moment what Vera was going to do with them. That question was answered nearly as soon as it was asked, as Lana felt Vera's thumb gently circling her asshole, the saliva adequately coating her puckered anus with moisture. The anticipation coiling inside Lana was growing, teetering between exhilarating and excruciating. Vera sucked on one of Lana's folds as her thumb continued its lazy path, the short nail dragging across the sensitive skin. The torture continued, Lana trying desperately not to cry out in frustration as her hand flexed and grasped at the soft sheets beneath her. Just when she thought she couldn't take any more, Vera struck.

  Her tongue quickly swiped up Lana's slit before reaching her bud, which immediately was enveloped by Vera's soft lips. She sucked hard, and at the same time pressed her thumb against Lana's asshole, which resisted briefly before allowing access, clamping around the slick digit that entered. The combination of these brought Lana's orgasm bursting through with a vengeance. A scream of pleasure tore from her lips as Lana fell forward, pressing her face into the mattress, legs shaking wildly as her core spasmed, the pleasure continuing to ramp up as the suction on her clit increased and the thumb pressed farther into her ass.

  Stars exploded across Lana's vision, and she felt a wave of Force energy ripple out of her. The world faded away as she heard various items in the room being impacted by the wave she had just sent out, then everything went silent.

  Lana wasn't sure how long she was out, though it couldn't have been very long, but as her senses began to filter back in, she noticed that she was now lying on her side, with her head in Vera's naked lap. Blue fingers combed gently through her hair, as the hunter's other hand was draped protectively across her torso. Blinking slowly, Lana turned her head to look up at the other woman, mindful of how muscular yet comfortable the thighs she was laying on were.

  "Hey, sweetheart." Vera smiled down at her, dipping down to give her a lingering peck on the lips. "How're you doing?"

  "That was incredible." Glancing around the room, Lana noticed several things on the floor or otherwise in disarray. A wave of embarrassment washed over her before a finger on her chin turned her gaze back to Vera.

  "You didn't break anything, don't worry." The Chiss apparently could read her mind, Lana thought, and let out a small huff of amusement. "We're almost to Dantooine, but we've still got some time. You can use the refresher in here to get cleaned up."

  "Can we stay here for a few more minutes?"

  "Of course."

  Lana let her head fall back down, focusing on the soothing sensation of her hair being groomed. Aftercare was also certainly not something she got to experience at the Sith Academy, so she intended to take full advantage. Hopefully this was only one time of many that she got to indulge.