The Lies that Bind

[Byl Laprovik]

Byl nodded. That was likely all he would be able to buy from her.

"Alright."

He glanced again at the house, and smirked.

"Bit roomy for three, isn't it?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Four," she corrected.

"The Colonel is with us as well."

Despite the nature of their discussion and the southward turn it'd taken, she repeated her offer.

"If you wish to stay for a few days you are welcome to do so."

[Byl Laprovik]

"Ah, the good Colonel."

Byl never really approved of s'Il's silly little hobby project, and thought the notion of using him as a private bookworm was a colossal waste.

He paused, and smiled.

"On second thought, I'll accept your hospitality. Maybe I'll find a book to curl up into while I wait."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A funny look was sent his way, but s'Il only gestured towards her home.

"Then let us find you a satisfactory enough room."

She would not approach the subject of what Byl had brought with him right away; instead she would wait until later in the evening, when all had gone to be. It pained her to have to sully this wonderful first day of her new life in such a way, but she supposed that it would be best to sate Laprovik's perverted curiosities.

Starting for the manor, she kept an easy pace alongside the rebel.

She imagined Dan to be down in the cellars, checking on the wine barrels that they'd installed the last time they'd been on Schwartzweld. Teagan had no doubt run off to find Karrnage. The elder Lupine found herself endlessly amused by the fact that her daughter had quickly attached herself to the Imperial in such a way. The fact that the little girl had quite recently asked to have a charm made for the Colonel was telling enough. s'Il had agreed to do so out of her sheer amusement at the request.

As they grew closer to the building, she let her hands brush through overgrown fauna.

"It is not quite so up to date as most places, but what Dan and I have been able to renovate throughout the years is sufficient enough. I apologize in advance if it is not to your tastes."

[Byl Laprovik]

"I'm easy to please."

Byl's own quarters consisted of little else than a cot, a computer terminal, and a chin-up bar. He never paid much mind to anything extra.

As they approached the manor, the Rebel unconciously dissected the building from his vantage, and considered angles of approach, entrances, exits, and anything of that sort that might be useful later. s'Ilancy was imprudently gracious with her hospitality, and Byl was going to take whatever advantage he could get.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Showing Byl to what would be his room for the next few days was a simple task, and after a short minute to answer any other questions he might have, the Lupine excused herself. She was adamant about enjoying the rest of this day, though before anything else she would need to find Dan. He'd been so adamant at arriving more or less alone to begin the next chapter in their lives, that she was almost hesitant to tell him that Byl had followed them.

And not only that, but was going to be staying for a few days.

As she made her way down to the cellars, s'Il blew out a short breath. The wooden door to the underground winery was slightly ajar, and with a knowing smirk the Lupine carefully eased it wider, stepping quietly inside.

[General Dan]

Dan was standing adjacent to the small wooden table set aside in the cellar, with a lightly dusty bottle already waiting on her.

"I was beginning to think you got lost."

He smiled, the skin at the corners of his eyes pinching into crows feet.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She returned his smile with one of her own, and took in the scent of the aged woods and general mustiness about the place. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, and in many ways the scents that she could pick apart were soothing. Like home.

"Not lost."

She closed the distance between them easily, and gave a look to the bottle he'd placed on the table. Reaching a hand out, she lightly picked it up, eye going over the contents.

Still staring, the Lupine wound an arm around his middle, pulling herself close to him.

"One of these days your daughter is going to catch on to your hiding spots."

Kind eyes were turned upward to his face.

"Or shall we forego all of that and I tell her where her father goes during 'hide and seek'?"

[General Dan]

"Under pain of torture, you'd best keep that to yourself."

Dan smiled, and embraced her closely, kissing her forehead as he poured a glass for her.

"Here's the first of many little excursions."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Accepting the glass, s'Il took a tentative first sip. Full bodied and flavorful, she relished the taste on her tongue for a moment before swallowing.

"Indeed."

Standing with him, she closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. No Empire, no Rebellion, nothing.

"From now on it's just us," she whispered.

[General Dan]

"So the good Colonel will be leaving then?"

Dan smiled, knowing she'd steered herself into a trap. He knew what she meant, nonetheless.

"I'm ready to put the war behind us."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Well, not entirely.

He is here in the capacity of a scholar; nothing more and nothing less."

She was quiet for a moment, lost in thought.

"And what will you do without the war... spend your time down here in the cellars, watching your wine age?"

[General Dan]

"I suppose."

Dan poured his own drink, studying the glass a bit as he pondered it over.

"Don't figure I'll return to teaching any time soon. We're a bit off the beaten path for that."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It made sense, though she had a hunch that it wouldn't be long before he was filling Teagan's ears with history lessons and anything else he could think of.

But, there still remained the unpleasant business of Byl, and the Lupine frowned a bit.

She would not dance around the issue with any sort of vague beginnings, and keeping her eye on Dan's face, went on. She cut to the very heart of the matter.

"Byl Laprovik is here."

[General Dan]

The cordial smile on his face melted away.

"Why?"

The Rebel hatchet man was barely welcome news in the best of times. Dan respected his effectiveness, but not his ability to be controlled.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il bit her lip at that, and stalled any sort of answer by taking another drink from her glass. She moved to rest herself slightly on the table, and it creaked beneath her weight.

"He... "

She'd meant to discus the finer points of Byl's visit later in the evening, but she suspected that this privacy they now shared was the best time.

"... he's been watching you."

A frown, and she looked to the ground.

"Has it in his mind that you're planning something against the Rebellion."

[General Dan]

And here it was. Dan had always suspected that Byl kept tabs on most of the major Rebels with enough leverage to burn them if he needed to. It was ruthless, and no less than what an intel man should probably do.

"What do you think?"

Dan took a drink.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"I think he's looking too hard for something that simply isn't there."

A rather unimpressed stare was given to Dan.

"And I refuse to allow you to be drawn back into all of that. We're done. Out. We've put in our time."

Reaching up, the Lupine placed a soothing hand on his cheek.

"You especially."

[General Dan]

"What is he looking for?"

Obviously he'd made his presence known to s'Il, so Dan decided to find out what he could of this unpleasant encounter.

"I can't imagine Coruscant is so uninteresting for him to make it out this far."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Anything that might damage you, he wants."

Pulling the data slip Byl had given her, she held it out to Dan.

"Apparently he's suspected you're up to something for a long time."

Now came the hardest part.

"He mentioned Sith artifacts."

[General Dan]

"What, the Urns? What of it? The mission went south, we all know that."

Dan was starting to get an idea about Byl's angle, but didn't like any of it.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"The way he talked it seemed as though there were more than just the Urns."

Somewhat flustered, s'Il looked away, scratching at the base of her neck before once more looking to Dan.

"Dan, were there more?"

[General Dan]

Dan nodded.

"There were. The notion of at least controlling Sith artifacts was an appealing one. If we have a chance to capture something the Empire wants, it's a chance worth taking."

He took a drink.

"And if there's a chance of finding a way to use an edge that presents itself to defeat the enemy, then why not?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She stared at him, disbelief in her eye. After what seemed like an eternity she shook her head as if to dispel the admission.

"Why not?"

It felt almost as if he'd slapped her in the face, but she remained calm.

"Dan, they can't be controlled. You should know better than to go searching for things like that."

Her wine was forgotten, and the Lupine set her glass back on the table.

"Would you like to know what happens to those who encounter anything related to the Sith?"

Taking his free hand, she lifted it up to her face so that his palm fell over her sightless eye, and she pressed his fingertips along the edges of her scar.

"This. This is what happens."

[General Dan]

Dan leaned forward.

"But doesn't that make you curious? I'm a teacher by nature. I study. I learn. I don't believe anything is so taboo as to simply eschew learning it. If you can gain an advantage, especially in desperate times like this, isn't that worthwhile?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"It is never worthwhile; not to tempt fate with the Sith."

Her words were whispered, and she looked helplessly up to him.

"They're dangerous.

"And I'm reminded - every time that I look in the mirror - of what my own foolishness cost me."

[General Dan]

"What do you have to fear? I'm no Jedi."

Dan gave a reassuring smile.

"I can approach the subject dispassionately and maybe even find a way to protect you."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

He had his mind set on it; apparently so for a while now, and s'Il gave him a nod. She would not forbid it, but she would also not take chances.

"Do what you feel must be done then. I won't stop you.

"But. Please, be careful. I'm not the only one who depends on you anymore, and if anything happened to my baby girl I don't know what I'd do."

[General Dan]

"Don't worry about that. It's put behind me. Like I said, I'm here with you now."

He reached over, squeezing her forearm as he met her eyes knowingly.

"I won't let anything come between me and my family. Not the Empire, not the Sith, not Byl Laprovik. Nothing."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Reassured, s'Il once more plucked her glass from the tabletop, and took a long drink.

"That being said then, what will you do about our guest?"

[General Dan]

Dan contemplated it, then tilted back another drink.

"I'll talk to him."

He smiled at s'Il with reassurance.

"He's barking up the wrong tree, and I won't tolerate it. You don't need the hassle."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

His smile assuaged any doubts or fears that might have lingered, and s'Il finished the rest of her wine without effort. Reaching for the bottle, she gave herself a refill before moving to fill Dan's glass as well.

Bottle still in hand, she settled herself comfortable on the table, legs hanging over the edge as she sat.

Reaching out with her free hand, the Lupine drew him close, winding her arm up around his neck and placing a light kiss to his cheek.

"Before you do that though, let's sit and watch your wine grow older for a while."

[General Dan]

Dan raised his glass to her suggestion, clinking it with a sense of self-assuredness.

"I have all the time in the world to wait with you."

Inwardly, his mind was elsewhere, on an annoying fly.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

* * *

The following day had brought with it renewal. A fresh beginning that had just started the previous day. It was a wonderful feeling, to be able to know that the rest of your days were to be spent in such a way that far too few had the chance to pursue.

The evening before had been spent in relative peace, as Byl had it seemed sequestered himself in the room s'Il had allowed him to use. Which was most likely for the better. She did not fathom the thought of having her day spoiled by the unpleasant business the Rebel had brought with him. That Dan said he would take care of the matter was relief enough for her, and she expected that it would not be long before Byl was sent away.

Dawn had crept up slowly, the sun spreading its' warmth over the deserted landscape and timeless ruins that dotted the horizon and beyond. It was a quiet morning, much like things had been on Cathar.

Unlike Cathar however, s'Il was no longer alone. Dan was with her; would be with her from now on. It warmed her heart.

Slowly she woke, breathing out a wistful breath while sitting up. There was a third body in the bed, nestled between herself and Dan, and the Lupine found herself smiling gently down at the peaceful look on Teagan's slumbering features. The girl must have come in during the night while both parents had been fast asleep, and now, looking at both Dan and Teagan, s'Il found herself marveling at just how alike the two looked.

Slowly she pushed the thick comforter to the side, sliding her legs over the edge of the bed.

[General Dan]

Dan rose from where he lay, and immediately fetched his robe as he kissed his companion.

"Morning."

He smiled, found his slippers, and headed for the door.

"Let me go tend to our visitor."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il gave a nod, slowly rising from bed herself. It would be best to tend to the situation of Byl as soon as possible; to have it hang over them for much longer would taint her daily comings and goings.

She would entertain Teagan while Dan dealt with the Rebel; it was as simple as that.

But for now, she'd let the girl sleep away the morning. It would provide a small amount of morning peace at the very least. s'Il watched lazily as Dan opened the door to the bedroom and stepped out.

Making her way to the trunk that held the clothes she'd not yet unpacked, the Lupine carefully opened the lid and began sorting through the neatly folded garments.

[General Dan]

Leaving the quarters behind, Dan followed the main hallway down a few meters, then took the corner where it turned, heading for the quarters s'Il said Byl was ensconced in.

Byl was already waiting on him. Dan stopped in his tracks.

"This visit was a mistake, you know. You've upset my family."

[Byl Laprovik]

"I take my work seriously, General."

Byl shifted his feet, lacking the room to actively pace about. He gestured further down the hall, toward his quarters.

"Coming to see me and tell me off, is it? Let's walk."

He gestured for Dan to come with him.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It wasn't long before she was dressed, and the Lupine cast a stare over her shoulder to where Teagan still lay asleep. Closing the trunk that held her clothes, s'Il moved toward a low dresser that ran along a far wall. She'd set out a few meager pieces of jewelry the night before; pieces that she had taken from House Aulflendte. When she and Zem had first come to Schwartzweld.

A thin necklace of braided leather and gold, and a polished metal wrist cuff. A small ring that had been a gift from Dan was also placed on her finger; she'd had it for so long that she could no longer remember where he'd gotten it or when he'd given it to her. It seemed as though she'd had it ever since Zem first left; at least, that was as far back as she could recall first wearing it.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror atop the dresser, the Lupine took in the face that she had been forced to wear; the scar, the sightless eye. There were lines of age that had slowly crept up during her years. Oh, they might not have been noticeable to most, but she could see them plain as day.

Yet despite all of that, she smiled.

[General Dan]

"Exactly what do you think it is that you know I've done?"

Dan walked with Byl, not sure exactly what it was that the Rebel agent had in mind. His hand slipped into his robe's pocket, feeling the weight of a small palm blaster. He wasn't sure if he'd have to use it.

"I've put in far more years than you have to the cause. Don't doubt for a second where my allegiance lies."

[Byl Laprovik]

Byl walked along, heading to his quarters.

"If I thought you would sell us out to the Empire, I would've killed you a long time ago."

His icy blues cast in Dan's direction at his purposeful choice of words.

"I need you alive."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Teagan stirred in her sleep, but did not wake. Looking over her shoulder at her daughter, s'Il stepped away from the dresser. Would the rest of her morning be spent o peacefully? So serenely? If they were, she would find no fault in that. After so many years of solitude and constant worry, she felt nothing. Even Byl's arrival - while a touch aggravating - was temporary. The Rebel would be gone by the day's end.

[General Dan]

"Excuse me?"

Now the threats were overt. Dan's grip tightened on the blaster in his pocket.

[Byl Laprovik]

"You're working with a Sith Lord to usurp control of the Alliance. I need his name."

Byl saw Dan's face tighten, and he pulled him forward by the robe, drawing the right side of it snugly over Dan's arm and keeping him from drawing the pistol in his pocket. The weapon nevertheless discharged, creating a blackened circle on the robe and sputtering sparks onto the wooden floor.

Byl pulled the robe back further, and kicked Dan in the kidney, disrobing him and sending him tumbling into his quarters. Byl quickly slammed the door behind him and threw the bolt, before running up to kick Dan under his jaw, up-ending him.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The sound of a blaster going off was unmistakable. It was thankfully muffled by distance and the closed bedroom door, but s'Il's head still snapped around in its' direction. A panicked curse, and the Lupine dropped the brush she'd been running through her hair.

Her heart very nearly stopped, and without thought she bolted for the door. Throwing it open, she surged down the corridor.

It had been a mistake to allow Dan to go to Byl alone; she should've gone with him, and fear began to spread through her. So close... she had tasted of the life that she'd so desperately longed for, and now it was being snatched away. Panic spurred her onward, around a corner, and she silently chastised herself.

She should've gone with Dan.

[Byl Laprovik]

Dan writhed on the floor and moaned, and Byl recovered the man's blaster. He grabbed a handful of the rebel commander's gray hair and hoisted him up on his knees.

Now, with room to pace, Byl did just that.

"Who is the Sith Lord? Four missions for sith artifacts and they all turn up missing? What have you been promised?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Skidding to a halt at the door to Byl's room, s'Il stared at it for only a moment, her eye wild. Tinges of tawny yellow could be seen threading into the blue of her iris, and she breathed in deep, quick breaths. She could hear muted words coming from the other side, Byl's voice easily recognizable. It made her bare her teeth.

Anger and rage welled up within her soul. Anger at the Rebel's actions, and rage at being so threatened. Her family, so new, was now being torn asunder by one man's ignorance. She felt a darkness spread through her, a righteous anger coiling itself all throughout.

In that moment she lunged outward with the Force, and the locked door flew open, the bolt broken in half through the sheer power of her action.

[Byl Laprovik]

"Hold!"

Byl's icy blues momentarily shifted to s'Il, but he held Dan fast by the hair, his own blaster pointing into the base of the commander's neck.

"Don't interfere, s'Ilancy. He's betrayed us all!"

[General Dan]

"Don't let him kill me! Lok, please!"

Bloodied and beaten, Dan looked up at her, chafing under the pressure of the blaster he could feel at his neck.

"Whatever I have done, it's for the greater good, and for you!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine paused only momentarily at Byl's words, her teeth grinding together as an unnatural growl began deep in her throat. Her fingers dug into her palms, knuckles white. The sight before her pushed her beyond the plateau of fear and anger, and onward to something else. Something unable to be adequately named. Yet in the midst of her roiling emotions, that part of her that still clung to her teachings begged to prevail; begged her to remain calm.

She ignored it.

A snarl, and she swept a hand out. The gun Byl held at the base of Dan's neck was wrenched away to fly through the air. It hit the far wall with a crack, then clattered to the ground.

The Lupine took a step inside the room then, her eye now a tawny yellow as she glared madly at the Rebel.

[Byl Laprovik]

"He's working with a Sith Lord!"

Disarmed, and faced with a situation where he had to act quickly, Byl did what he knew he had to do.

He drew his own concealer blaster, and fired as Dan whirled about. In a flourish, the Rebel Commander pitched forward and fell to the ground.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Horror flitted across her features, and s'Il took a stuttered step closer to Byl. Her eye briefly followed Dan as he fell, but any remorse she felt was pushed away. In its' stead was a seething hatred. It consumed her in its' entirety, and she felt her body draw upon the Force. A barked command, and she lashed out at Byl in terrible retribution.

He was thrown up into the air to slam into the wall. She held him there, one arm outstretched as she held him up by an invisible tether.

And ever so slowly, her fingers began to curl inward.

[Byl Laprovik]

Muscles strained in vain against the invisible hold of the Force, and Byl thrashed about.

"He's a traitor, s'Ilancy!"

[Darth Decepis]

Groggily, the figure sprawled on the ground began to move. Eyes blinked. Open, then closed, then open again. Yellow eyes, on a face that seemed older, and aging still before the naked eye.

"The only way our family can be safe, is to kill him!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

What was this?!

The Lupine blinked in confusion, still holding Byl aloft. But now, her eye tracked to the form on the ground, and she sucked in a horrified breath.

"No... "

Her unbelieving whisper held revulsion and betrayal, and in that instant Byl was forgotten. s'Il cast him aside like a rag doll as she backed away from the Sith. The madness was still in her gaze, and she felt her legs grow weak.

"What have you done... ?"

How long had he been masquerading as Dan? She felt sick to her stomach.

"Where is Dan."

[Darth Decepis]

"I am Dan."

Decepis hobbled, the grazing blaster shot still very much painful as he offered a weak smile.

"I am your everything. Don't you remember? I've been with you all this time. I am the only one you can count on."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her first instinct was to deny him, to brush away his words. But in the next instant the Lupine crumbled. Her determination and will were suddenly sapped dry. What the Sith spoke was true, she knew now looking at him. He had taken her completely without her knowledge, and she had let him.

Defeat twisted her features then, mixed with such deep sorrow. Her shoulders sagged, and she relinquished her twisted hold on the Force.

There were no words to be spoken that could push away this new nightmare.

[Darth Decepis]

"I have protected you all of these years, and I alone make you strong. Now is the time to use your strength to destroy all who threaten what you've worked so hard to gain."

The yellow-eyed figure hobbled forward to her.

"Only your hatred can finally defeat our enemies. Only your anger can safeguard everything you wish to be!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She was frozen, transfixed by his yellow eyes. The Lupine gave him a pained look, but did not shrink from his approach.

"My daughter," she croaked, purposefully refusing to acknowledge his status in regards to the girl, "... don't hurt her, please."

[Darth Decepis]

"I would never do such a thing. She is our daughter."

The smile widened.

"Ours. And she will achieve true greatness beyond our expectations. You know this to be true."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il bowed her head. What more was there to be done? What more could she do? She had resisted for so long; turned him away each time he had come at her. But this... this was such overwhelming defeat that there were no defenses that could possibly withstand his patience.

The Lupine was slow to her knees, her eye tracking upward to lock with Decepis' yellow, diseased gaze.

[Darth Decepis]

"Let me teach you all I know, and you will achieve greatness for yourself and for us."

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"The Rebel speaks the truth. Our enemies will not wait for us to stay here. Eventually we must fight those who would destroy us, and crush them."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"I belong to you."

She felt a tear form as she closed her eyes tightly.

"I always have."

[Darth Decepis]

"Then let us begin what must be done."

Yellow eyes tracked to a sprawled figure on the ground.

"Destroy Byl Laprovik, and we will reform the Rebel Alliance in our image, as must be done."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She turned to look over her shoulder at Byl. He lay where she'd thrown him, and the Lupine stared blankly at him for a few moments before carefully rising to her feet once more.

Inwardly she very nearly balked at this first order, but her jaw set, the muscles beneath her skin tightening.

Slowly she approached the Rebel, and crouching low, she brushed a deceptively gentle hand over his face before letting her fingers come to rest at his temple.

[Darth Decepis]

Yellow eyes fixated on the disciple and the upcoming deed. Face twisted into hateful grimace. Teeth bared in anticipation.

"Do it!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il heard the Sith's voice as if it was far away. Her attentions solely on Byl, she leaned forward so that their foreheads touched. Her long hair fell forward to cascade over his head.

The tear that had formed fell onto his cheek, and she whispered a pleading apology to the Rebel. He had been right, and she had been wrong. And now she was paying the price for her unwillingness to believe.

She braced herself with a hand to his chest, and sank into his mind.

The Lupine peeled back so many layers of who he was; what he had done; his very identity. Each layer that she stripped away was discarded like some piece of garbage into the ether of his subconscious and buried deep. She laid him bare, and took everything that was 'Byl Laprovik' from him.

He was nobody now. There was nothing for him to call his own. No cause, no ideals, no passions. He was a soulless being and without anything to guide him. When he woke, he would be nothing but a blank canvas; a void.

Even after she'd finished, the Lupine did not move. Presently, she shifted, and she moved to rest her head on his chest in remorse over her actions.

[Darth Decepis]

The smile on Decepis's face fell.

"What have you done?"

She had not killed as he had commanded.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There was a long silence before she chose to answer him, and s'Il used it to return to her feet. She faced the Sith.

"Byl Laprovik is gone."

"He... " a gesture to the Rebel, "... is whoever you now wish him to be."

[Darth Decepis]

Slowly, the smile returned to his face. He reached out with his mind, and found the Rebel spy to be barren.

"Impressive, young apprentice. Good. Your clever work will reap great things."

The hateful glare returned to Byl.

"Dispose of this annoyance in the ship from which he came. Leave nothing to reveal our presence."