Elegy for Young Lovers (Sanya Tagge)

[Miranda Tarkin]

Imperial Center, Galaxies Opera House

It was the event of the year - the Blonsha Duet being performed before the Empire's elite. Mangusson's newest masterpiece had been a hit throughout the Core Worlds but tonight, only those that could afford the 1000 credit price tag could attend. It was almost triple the current rate for the show, but this night was about the children of the Empire. Raising funds for the Sub-Adult group and expanding their numbers in the recruitment dinner that was to take place at the Palace once the show was over.

The venue had sold out due to one of the biggest proponents of tonight's festivities being advertised by the Empress herself. She, along with her childhood friend Sanya Tagge, had made this their little side project since both of them had their starts in the Sub-Adult organization. Being part of the structure had given them opportunities to lay the foundation of their education that began within their respected families.

Yet, this night was not perfect. Not in the least for the Empress, despite the air of pleasure she had plastered across her face. Sanya was noticeably absent, as the Empress fought a glare at her friend's empty seat two boxes away from Miranda's own. Such indignation would not be tolerated, despite their friendship. Nor would her numerous calls to Bespin, which had thus far been ignored, remain unchecked. Sanya had much to answer for when she decided to show up.

Despite how foul of a mood she was in, the Empress appeared to be enjoying the Opera immensely for those that glanced at her private box that was guarded by two Crimson Guards. It was only fifteen minutes into the show after Miranda's internal brooding had switched off and she attempted to immerse herself into the show. She did not want to be completely distracted and kept her senses alert, as always. The Inquisitors would scold her for allowing her mental defenses to wane when in public.

Relaxing into her chair, a black gloved hand came close to her chin as fingers lightly stroked in before settling. Her hair was pinned up, allowing her neck to show with only two trails of curled locks to lay against her back. As with all of her dresses, they defined her curves while being tasteful and she always looked amazing in black.

[Sanya Tagge]

There were no guests permitted into the auditorium of the Galaxies Opera House once the performance had begun. Until an interval or intermission was called, any later-comers were directed to a bar and lounge where the sounds of the evening performance could be heard, muted, through the walls around them. At least, such was the fate of the average guest. A scion of House Tagge, however, would not be denied the pleasure of viewing the performance directly; the family had donated too much to the resident company to be herded along with the rest of the crowd, regardless of how late they might arrive.

The journey from Vjun to the Core had taken longer than Sanya had expected and although she owed no apologies to the staff of the Opera House for her untimely arrival, she made them nonetheless, shaking her head and bemoaning the ion storm that was to blame for her tardiness. The staff merely smiled and remarked how beautiful the pale shimmer-silk gown and shawl she wore were.

“You are too kind, but you must excuse me,” she said with a smile. “It would be dreadful to miss any more of the performance than I have already.”

As she rode the turbo-lift to the upper levels of the Opera House, Sanya prepared herself for a performance of her own. It had been some time since she had met with the Empress, in a professional or personal capacity, but she knew that her absence thus far would not please Miranda. The guardsmen standing outside of the royal box gave the Minister a solemn nod and stood aside for her. Inside the royal box, the Empress sat alone.

The music that filled the hall below swelled for an instant then subsided into delicate strings as Sanya wordlessly took a seat beside Empress Tarkin.

[Miranda Tarkin]

The galaxy had a sick sense of humor because the presence that was coming towards her, one that caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on edge, should simply not be. One does not simply ignore their Empress' summons, despite the shared familiarity they have as childhood friends, or that her husband happened to be the brother of the woman that so casually sat down next to her as if nothing was wrong.

Miranda did not look upon her missing subject, nor did she remove the hand against her chin that helped to block her view of Sanya. Their was no mistaking their shared silence. It appeared that the blonde next to her was waiting for some indication of her arrival, and the Empress was brooding to remark or allow the moment to pass only of the operatic music between them.

The later was far too petulant for Miranda's taste. They were not schoolgirls anymore. Sanya was not stupid either and realized that the Empress' wrath towards her would be considerable because this was a personal slight. They simply didn't do this to one another. It was almost as if they had fallen into the trap that Sanya and Sorsha once were in - the subtle displeasure soon turning childish because of some nonsense that offended one or the other.

Miranda couldn't help but wonder if the cause of this sudden change was the almost catastrophic incident with the failed public execution of Belargic. Nothing seemed right between them since then.

"At least you're alive," she said, bored. "I suppose that's something. Though if you happened to read my messages, you are to be seated next to the Senator from Illodia and recruiting his son into the Sub-Adult group. Or is this another attempt at ignoring me by dismissing my orders?"

[Sanya Tagge]

Sanya felt a prickle of heat rising into her cheeks and resisted the urge to turn and look into Miranda's eyes, to see if cruelty could be read as plainly in her expression as it rung in her words.

“I would never do anything to intentionally displease you.”

There was no way she could tell Miranda the true reason she had been absent from Cloud City and unable to maintain contact with the Core. What she had transpired on Vjun (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?t=21499) had been tantamount to heresy and the thought of it made her skin crawl, and yet... With an imperceptible frown, Sanya pushed the thought aside.

“I have made arrangements to meet with Senator Fon Destralla and has son tomorrow morning. I will be spending the day at the SAG recruitment and enrichment centre with Destralla and a number of other candidates. They will be enlisted before the day is over.”

Charming Fon Destralla and his son would not be difficult. The Sub-Adult Group needed scarce little in the way of promotion when it's alumni included the Empress herself and countless other Imperial heroes. Regaining Miranda's favour, however, was going to be a little more difficult.

“I thought it only right that I make my apologies to you in person for my recent... absence.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

There was no indication of Miranda's mood despite Sanya's assurances that her orders would be carried out. The substitution for recruiting the young man from Illodia was acceptable, however there was still the tiny detail that this rearrangement should never have occurred. Sanya was hiding something from her, it was plain as day and one didn't need to have Miranda's unique insight to sense it. Their relationship went as far back as she could remember and Miranda could always read Sanya, Gallus and Sorsha impeccably.

"But why the surprise?" Miranda let her hand fall against the arm of her chair as her head whipped to the side to glare at Sanya. She was clearly hurt by Sanya's silence. "You could have easily communicated that you were on your way but instead you leave me wondering if you are alive or dead."

[Sanya Tagge]

“I will not make excuses for myself. My behaviour has been reprehensible.”

Though her words were humble, Sanya held her head high, still. She had not been brought up to grovel for forgiveness. Likewise, the Empress was not known to be tolerant of sycophants. She folded her hands neatly in her lap and glanced, for the first time, at Miranda.

“My arrival was not noticed by many. If you would prefer, I can leave you to enjoy the performance alone.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

Sanya's answer did little to explain what had happened but she clearly understood that her behavior was intolerable. She managed to apologize and keep her dignity intact before her, but the situation was far from accepting in the Empress' eyes. However, it was Sanya. As their eyes met, there was still that missing piece that the blonde was not telling her but her sincerity was not mistaken.

"No," she said finally after a vocalist began his solo which took Miranda's attention away from her friend. "You may stay. I rather like knowing you're alive for awhile longer."

[Sanya Tagge]

As both women returned their attention to the Blonsha Duet, Sanya suppressed the smile that was curving at one corner of her lips.

The Ministry of Truth did not make its business telling lies, but rather by omitting facts from otherwise truthful statements and although Sanya did not enjoy misleading Miranda, she knew that an economical truth was, in this case, better than the full truth. She had yet to decide what to do about the situation on Vjun, after all, but there was one thing she was willing to admit to.

“I must confess, I did not expect to find you here alone.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

"Really?" she replied with a pensive frown. Despite sibling rivalry, Gallus and Sanya usually kept up with each other whether they were in the same sector of space or not.

"Gallus had things to attend to back in CSA space," she explained, but kept her displeasure of the situation to herself. Since her husband had begun negotiations with the Corporate Sector, it had kept him out of the Core for months on end. "He spends most of his time there unfortunately, but he knows his duty."

[Sanya Tagge]

“Yes.. he would make our father proud.”

Duty was ingrained in the very fabric of their being. Both Sanya and Gallus had been raised to believe that there was no greater commendation or higher virtue than duty. It was what held the Empire together – and what had bound Gallus to Miranda in marriage.

“We have both been so.. preoccupied. I haven't spoken to him for weeks now.”

There were times when Sanya missed her brothers presence – when she wished he could be the rock in the stormy sea that she needed – but when she thought of the last handful of times they had been together, she didn't feel comforted but instead felt a bitterness beginning to churn in the pit of her stomach.

The fluttering rose into her chest as Sanya watched the opera below them. Words were on the tip of her tongue but it took her a long moment to speak them.

“You must miss him terribly.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

"You would both make your father proud," she corrected. "There have been some ... bumps in the road with your new position, but there is no doubt what your worth is to the Empire."

She paused and found Sanya's words a little unsettling and wondered if their new positions had caused the siblings to drift. It was her doing but the Empress had no regrets. The decision to have Gallus as her husband was sound. She trusted him implicitly, was the model Imperial blue-blood to produce an heir, and his business acumen made him the perfect extension to speak on her behalf as an ambassador.

On the other hand, there was Sanya - the mirror image of Miranda in many ways. They were both intelligent, driven women that loved the Empire and would do anything to propagate its cause. There was always that underlying jealously between Sorsha and Sanya, both eager to vie for her attentions - which only became over the years as Sorsha and Miranda grew closer. She would have thought that would have changed since Sorsha had exiled herself, but it seemed to make matters worse. There were times that Miranda believed that there was a deeper, emotional layer, that had been the cause - but to think of where that possibility ended was laughable.

"I do," she admitted. "But I missed you too."

She wanted all three of them to remain close to her: Gallus, Sanya and Sorsha. Now that they had dwindled to two, she secretly clung to the Tagge's because it kept her grounded on where she came from, who she was, and they were the only two left that she had complete trust in.

[Sanya Tagge]

“You honour us both.”

The music beneath them rose, a swell of emotion in the voices of the performers. All eyes in the audience were rapt with the sights and sounds, as the opera players moved about the stage in the throes of some great drama. Sanya watched, heard, but did not listen. A bow skittered across the strings of a violin, teasing out a tremulous high-pitched note. Sanya pursed his lips, gathering her thoughts into words.

“I wanted to talk to you.. about my position. As much as it shames me, I fear that my appointment as Minister of Truth has become.. untenable.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

After their conversation died down, Miranda allowed herself to be momentarily transported away by the music. She closed her eyes, letting the vocalists speak to her and envision what was occurring on stage. It gnawed at her loneliness but it did not consume her.

“I wanted to talk to you.. about my position. As much as it shames me, I fear that my appointment as Minister of Truth has become.. untenable.”

Brows narrowed but eyes did not open.

"Explain."

Sanya could not tell the Empress' mood with that singular word. She was good at hiding her emotions but knowing Miranda as she did, disappointment was certainly felt on some level.

[Sanya Tagge]

Sanya could not afford to hesitate now. She had taken her time to consider and prepare her words.

“The role is dependent on ministerial command of public opinion and although my absence from the capitol has cooled some of the.. understandable anger directed towards my person... public opinion is no longer in my favour.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

"Since when do you accept failure?" Miranda challenged. Sanya had been adamant that she would return honor to herself, despite the odds against her, and the Empress knew that her friend would find a way to overcome the obstacles regardless of the point she had just made.

"This has to do with your absence. What happened?" she said, finally allowing her eyes to open and look directly upon her friend.

[Sanya Tagge]

What had happened was something that Sanya couldn't speak of – could hardly bring herself to think of. She drew in a slow breath and with it, pushed her shoulders back, the near-flawless mask of Imperial hauteur beginning to slip comfortably back into place over her features. She turned to meet Miranda's gaze.

“My time away gave me some much needed perspective and clarity. It was arrogant of me to think that I could do what I did and go on as if nothing had happened.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

Miranda had that familiar sense in the back of her mind when someone wasn't telling her the complete truth. What Sanya had said was true on some level, but there was something she still wasn't telling her.

There was a part of her that almost wanted to challenge her as her Empress but regardless of titles between them, Miranda knew that they needed to be friends right now, albeit professional in the face of the public.

"This does not please me. I had every confidence in you. This was a position you were born to perform and you are absolutely certain you want to walk away without attempting to clear your name?"

[Sanya Tagge]

Every part of her baulked at the thought of admitting defeat. Failure was not part of the Imperial lexicon and yet it was not her own failure that Sanya feared. It was the disappointment of others, the knowledge that their illusions of her had been shattered. She looked back out across the auditorium, her features somehow noble and proud in profile, even now.

“I am a servant of this Empire. Your.. servant. I will do as you command.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

This distressed the Empress greatly because Sanya only fell back on what she said when she wished to avoid answering a question. Perhaps they weren't as past what happened with Belargic's escape as she had thought, but Miranda still believed in her friend, her fellow patriot of the glorious Empire.

"Perhaps you would be more willing to speak freely after the opera?" Miranda said, her eyes returning to the performance down below. "Back at the palace."

It was posed as a question, but it was definitely to be considered an invitation best not to be turned down.

[Sanya Tagge]

It was little over two hours later when Sanya found herself standing on a balcony overlooking the Palace District of Coruscant. The sun had vanished beneath the skyscrapers on the horizon and though the stars were not visible in the sky above, what lay beneath the palace looked like an endlessly shifting constellation. The lights of hundreds of speeder cars zipped amongst the towers and pedways. In the distance she could make out the neon glow of Calocour Heights, building-sized holograms flickering from one image to another, advertising the latest technology.

Sanya took a deep breath of the night air. Soft footsteps approached her from behind. “I never get tired of this view. It's beautiful, isn't it?”

[Miranda Tarkin]

A flicker of a smile threatened to overtake the Empress' face as she watched Sanya enjoying the view. It was a wise decision to bring her back here, allowing her friend to noticeably relax though Miranda could sense the underlying dread of the conversation they were to have sooner or later.

"Positively beautiful," she said, agreeing and circled around Sanya with two wine glasses in her hand before presenting one to the blonde. It was a decadent drink considering how rare the vintage was, but the palace had several bottles of it stored away in the cellars. Tipping her glass towards Sanya, Miranda smiled. "It's nice to have someone to share it with once again."

[Sanya Tagge]

Sanya raised her glass in a wordless toast, taking a long sip as she let her gaze wander a moment longer across the horizon. Then, turning her back on the city, her eyes settled instead on the woman whose ruled over it and so much more. A small smile touched her lips.

“I've missed this place.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

Miranda savored the taste of Alderaan wine that splashed against her tongue. The sweet nectar of a long dead world never tasted bitter for a Tarkin. Licking her lips, she looked upon the courtyard - quiet at this time of night except the patrols in the middle of changing shifts.

Sanya's voice caught Miranda's attention away from the mundane duty below and was pleased with the sight. It was the first real smile that Sanya had given her tonight. "I meant what I said at the opera. I've missed you."

[Sanya Tagge]

“I'm sorry that I've been so.. distant these past months.”

She dipped her head, her gaze falling demurely to the glass in her hands. An image had passed across her minds eye of her time on Vjun, a flash of obscenity that for an implausible instant she thought that Miranda might see in her eyes. She trailed one fingertip around the rim of her wine glass. If there was anyone she could confide in about what she had suffered through, it ought to have been Miranda and yet when she thought of telling her friend – her Empress – what had happened... her throat tightened, the words paralysed before they'd even formed on her lips.

[Miranda Tarkin]

The words lingered in the air with a promise of more, but nothing came - only the sound of engines and repulsors passing between them.

"Sanya," Miranda said, the gentleness she had sounded all evening. Though she was not skilled enough to understand the cause, the pain searing through her friend was as palpable as the taste of wine still lingering in her mouth.

She did not hesitate as her free hand came to rest against Sanya's cheek, nudging her friend to look upon her face. "Talk to me. What has happened that leaves you to close up like this with me?"

Her throne had come with a cost and as the months into years started to go by, it was her friends, her family that seemed to be made to suffer.

[Sanya Tagge]

The hand on her cheek. She felt echoes of the Ghost touching her in the same way, only a short while ago. (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showpost.php?p=377079&postcount=20) She caught herself turning into the touch, eager to be comforted but quickly placed her hand over Miranda's to lower it, to remove the temptation.

“I've been.. investigating something. It's nothing really. Just.. something frivolous that I became far too invested in.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

She felt slighted, briefly, and it only crossed her features for a fraction of a second.

"Frivolous? You?" her voice had lost some of its gentleness as she looked away. "I find that difficult to believe. Ambitious, of course, but never frivolous."

Sipping her wine again, Miranda decided to let Sanya lead this conversation and, hopefully, open up as the night progressed. She just didn't like the distance between them, and it appeared it only grew with the months apart.

[Sanya Tagge]

Sanya turned back towards the cityscape, curling the fingertips of one hand around the balcony railing. Even looking out over such a magnificent view, she frowned.

“It's.. my family. My birth family.”

With her resources and access to Imperial historical census and adoption records, it hadn't taken much to uncover where her true ancestry lay: Vjun with the Malreaux family. As for the matter of what else she had discovered on her ancestral home-world... no. She couldn't reveal that to Miranda. Not now, or ever.

“I know it shouldn't matter to me who they were but it does. I thought it might offend Gallus if he found out,” she turned side-on to regard the Empress once more. “Or worse still, make you doubt my strength of character.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

Pieces fell into place and Sanya's attitude and distance made perfect sense. To have been adopted into the prestigious Tagge family and treated as if she had been born of the blood status, to research whom had given birth to her could be seen as an affront. Miranda understood her friend's fear perfectly.

Setting down her glass on top of the ledge of the balcony, she leaned against the barrier and shook her head. "I find it difficult to believe that your brother would be offended. You have reason to be curious. To know where you come from. That's nothing to be ashamed of."

Miranda looked down at the seemingly endless drop over the balcony as she debated with herself on revealing something to Sanya. Something that not even her husband knew, though it happened prior to marriage - when she was Moff of Doldur. Yet, if you went back even further there was a secret that no one knew. Sure there were speculations about her close friendship with Sorsha Kasajian but they were considered tabloid headlines - never realizing their truth.

"We all have secrets." She paused, saddened by what truths had been revealed the day she learned about her twin sister, later confirmed by her mother. "Even me."

[Sanya Tagge]

Her head tilting to one side, Sanya studied Miranda with her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Without either of them consciously willing it, their postures and positions had reversed: Miranda's eyes dipped in unspoken shame, Sanya's expression softening with concern.

“When we were children, I don't think there was anything that we kept from one-another.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

She smiled sadly, "When we were children, we didn't have to worry about the troubles that adulthood brings. Such a simpler time when all we did was play. All three of us torturing Gallus ..."

She remembered one day in particular when Sorsha lured Gallus into the gardens at the Tarkin residence and both Sanya and Miranda timed the sprinklers so the poor boy was all wet - that being one of their tamer moments.

Chuckling to herself at the memory, she regained her composure and sighed. Gallus was the center of their intricate galaxy that kept the girls from growing apart and in the case of Sorsha and Sanya, out right fighting at times. If not for her marriage, she wondered if the distance between them would be so palpable. Duties kept him away, and the fact that she had to marry him and pushed both Sanya and Sorsha away.

"I have a sister."

The admittance was followed by a deep breath.

"A twin sister..."

[Sanya Tagge]

“But... that can't be possible.”

Sanya hastily set her wine glass aside and steadied herself with both hands against the balcony railing.

“I don't understand. How has your mother kept this hidden for so many years? And why?”

[Miranda Tarkin]

"It is possible." Her head was completely turned away now as she was still too ashamed to admit this, but it was Sanya. She had the clearance if she knew what to look for, but it had been buried by Inquisitor red tape. The only person she had ever trusted with this information outside the circle of Imperial control was Sorsha, and that did her little good in the long run.

"The Jedi that were present at my failed assassination attempt? It ... was her." Unconsciously she ground her teeth together because Sanya was smart. She could put the meaning of this together. Why her mother kept Navaria's existence a secret. "She came to stop the assassin because she foresaw it."

[Sanya Tagge]

It had never been clear why a Jedi had intervened during the assassination attempt on Miranda's life, yet now the pieces began to fall into place. By all accounts, the conflict had taken place on Imperial property where there must have been hundreds of holo-cams able to capture images of the misguided Jedi – and yet not one image had ever been leaked to the Holonet. No hunt for either of the Force Users had ever been formally pronounced and now Sanya understood why.

“I can't begin to imagine...”

Acting on emotional impulse, Sanya found herself crossing the distance between them. Reaching out, her hand fell onto Miranda's shoulder. She wanted to say more but she had no idea what. Though she felt shaken, a loathsome part of her was delighted – thrilled to know that she was not alone in the knowledge that the Force was in her blood.

[Miranda Tarkin]

Her views towards Force Users was just as strongly opinionated as Sanya's were. They had grown up to detest the unnatural -but look at the indomitable Miranda now. Not only did she have an affair with a woman, but she was tainted by the Force.

The touch against her shoulder made her flinch but she relaxed immediately. The show of compassion was not expected and before Sanya took her reaction incorrectly, she put a hand over hers.

"You do not detest me?" It was the most vulnerable she had been since Sorsha had left her because it was this moment she could loose her friend for good.

[Sanya Tagge]

“Oh, Miranda. How could I possibly?”

I ought to, she thought. Just as you ought to detest me. There was a reason that the public at large had no knowledge of the Inquisitors existence: the Force was anathema. It was a power that the Imperial aristocracy could not control - could not hold back from their lessers - and as such it could not be tolerated. How bitter it was, that she should feel so close to Miranda now, precisely because they were both liable to be demonised in the eyes of their peers and public.

“You would not shun me, were our circumstances reversed,” she went on, and although the words were not framed as a question, Sanya watched Miranda's reaction to them closely.

[Miranda Tarkin]

She sensed the truth of Sanya's words. The smile that came was bittersweet for their relationship was salvageable. Far more then Miranda had thought because with this revelation, her old friend could have easily shunned her and not one bit of Miranda would have blamed Sanya.

"Of course not," she confirmed, turning around to face Sanya with renewed dignity now that one secret had not turned her friend away. The intensity of the blonde's eyes burrowing into her was peculiar. As if the weight of the galaxy was hanging on Miranda's response before it could take its next breath.

"I could never push you away from my side if that were true."

[Sanya Tagge]

And there it was.

A license from the Empress herself to disobey.

Their hands clasped together, Sanya fought the warring impulses inside of her. Her deep-seated sense of loyalty to the Imperial cause – the Imperial way of life – baulked at the notion that the Empress herself might embrace someone who was touched by the Force, someone deviant. In the same breath, she felt elation in the knowledge that the flaws she had uncovered within herself would not be her undoing. To confess that she had touched the Force ought to have earned her time in a 're-education' facility at best or signed her death warrant at worst – but she would not confess. Not even now. The cold hand of fear was still at her throat.

Overwhelmed by a conflicting wave of emotion, Sanya took a step forward and embraced Miranda, enveloping her in a tight hug.

[Miranda Tarkin]

It was peculiar, the silence between them, yet it wasn't uncomfortable. Standing their together, it was clear that Sanya was still in a deep state of conflict. Miranda's concerns were on the verge of resurfacing because as much as she meant those words, they both were fiercely loyal to the ideals of Imperial rule. Granted, as Empress as the Emperor before her, the use of the Force was kept secret. Kept under control through fear.

It was that same fear that rolled off of Sanya in waves and for a brief second, Miranda felt like a fool in being so open. This was supposed to be a night to help mend the rift between her and Sanya, but perhaps such intimate details of her life were prematurely revealed.

Just recently, the woman that had shied away from her touch now had stepped into her arms and held her tightly. Miranda's surprise could not be hidden from her face - eyes widened by the turn of events or the cascading emotions that were difficult to lock onto, but it was clear that this conversation had stirred a personal conflict within. Unfortunately, she was not trained enough to truly know the source of that conflict but Miranda could guess several possibilities.

That wasn't important though, at least not right now. Miranda was relieved that she was not loosing Sanya and returned the hug, keeping the blonde tightly in place within her arms.

[Sanya Tagge]

As she withdrew from the embrace, Sanya's hands came to rest at Miranda's waist. She could feel the warmth of the Empress's body through the fabric of her gown. Their eyes met and Sanya saw her emotions – her uncertainty – reflected in Miranda's gaze. The air between them felt charged, as if the threads of the Force itself had bound them closer together in their secrecy. It was too much for Sanya. She kissed Miranda before she could stop herself and realise what a terrible mistake she was almost certainly making.

[Miranda Tarkin]

Hesitation was still present but the embrace appeared to not only close the physical gap between them, but the emotional one that had steadily widened for over the past year. A sense of relief flooded the Empress as she felt Sanya pull away, yet they remained together - Sanya's hands lingering upon her waist while one of her own found a place to rest on the blonde's shoulder.

When their eyes met, Miranda barely titled her head in curiosity as something changed in that precise moment. Vulnerability. That was what she saw in Sanya's eyes and she realized that in this second that was about to tick away, Sanya - the true Sanya that was not masked by the duty to the Empire - stood in her arms for the first time since they were children.

The hand upon Sanya's shoulder tightened in surprise when lips brushed against each other and something stirred inside the Empress, something long buried that she wanted to forget.

But this kiss, this spark, reawakened that need and Miranda fell into the moment instead of denying it. Before Sanya lost her nerve, Miranda's hand rose to the blonde's cheek and returned the kiss, hopefully relieving the doubt that the Empress felt coming from her.

[Sanya Tagge]

Blood pounded inside Sanya's head as her body pressed against Miranda's, hands running up the other woman's sides, revelling in the unexpected and overpowering freedom of the moment. She could taste the wine on Miranda's lips and in some darkened corner of her mind, hear the voices of Dalethria and Milivikal urging her to claim what she desired, to be ruthless no matter what the cost or consequences. She pulled Miranda closer, catching her lower lip between her teeth for an instant.

[Miranda Tarkin]

She caught the beginnings of a moan before it could escape as Sanya's hands had lost their inhibition. It appeared that Miranda had easily silenced the blonde's nerves and relished in the response. The aggressive response which was delightful. Now there was no mistaking the heat between them as she was pulled closer, Sanya's mouth encouraging Miranda to make the next move.

The hand against Sanya's face snaked around to the back of her head and forced their lips back together. The kiss deepened immediately, invoking old desires that had laid unfulfilled for a long time. She cared deeply for Gallus and he gave her pleasure but there was no denying what her body craved - what was in her arms right now.

[Sanya Tagge]

She felt more than just the heat of their bodies pressed together. Fire surged through her veins, stoked by desire - by covetous need. From the tips of her fingers to the centre of her being, it burned and ached and made her writhe against Miranda. The Dark Side of the Force sang its sultry song inside of her, rippling through her like the voice of the Milivikal, the Siren. A flash of self-awareness hit Sanya and she pulled away, just enough to break the kiss. Her hands braced against Miranda's shoulders.

“I'm...” she started, breathless. “This isn't..”

[Miranda Tarkin]

It was difficult discerning where arms and hands were leading - snaking and gliding over each others bodies with nothing to stop them. Each of them were loosing themselves in the moment and at one point, Sanya's aggressive assault had knocked the Empress against the balcony and their wine glasses toppled over the side.

Only a moment was stolen away to right herself against the balcony before that arm snaked back around Sanya's waist, and to their credit, the kiss never broke. It only broke because it was forced, and by Sanya no less.

Breathless and confused, Miranda looked at the woman in her arms and that confidence which threw inhibition to the wind was gone. She was afraid that Sanya would leave her arms and tightened the hold she had around the blonde's waist, keeping her snug against her frame.

"This isn't what?" Miranda asked gently, stroking Sanya's face tenderly with the pad of her thumb, trying to push away the fear away.

[Sanya Tagge]

Miranda pulled her closer, held her tighter. Sanya fought the urge to do the same in return but it was a losing battle, that much was clear in the way she squeezed the other woman's shoulders. The evening air was cool but when she shivered it was not because of the oncoming chill.

“It's.. not what's expected of you - of us. It was.. presumptuous, irrational, inappropriate.”

With each word spoken, she was drawn closer to Miranda, though she feared that if she looked the Empress in the eye she would lose her grasp on the tatters remains of her self-control. This was not who she had been brought up to be, what she had been raised to believe in.

[Miranda Tarkin]

Expectations and duty - they were the backbone of Imperial civilization and how both of them were raised. That is what stopped Sanya, that ingrained mentality of appropriate behavior fitting of women of their station. Words had been raised to shield her of the offense, but she failed to back away from Miranda's grasp. The Empress felt fingers dig into her shoulders, keeping them together and very little space had been distanced between their lips.

"No. We haven't. Yet denying who we are is no way to live either," Miranda explained sadly, still caressing Sanya softly.

It had taken her years to accept being considered unnatural in the eyes of the Empire but that was a long time ago. Sanya had clearly struggled with this for awhile and finally broke tonight, acting upon impulse. It gave the Empress more thought to the distance felt between them recently, that it wasn't necessarily related to matters of state.

[Sanya Tagge]

“Gallus...?”

Yet even as she spoke her brothers name, Sanya remembered the vow he had made to Miranda back on Vjun: that he would be a dutiful husband for her, in name only. Theirs was not a bond forged of passion for each other, but passion for the Empire. Was this what she felt too? Were both she and her brother so enamoured with the ideals of the Empire that the woman who lead and embodied the Empire had become the single most desirable thing in the Galaxy? Had she desired Miranda before she rose to power?

Sanya's head swam with uncertainty, her thoughts made all the more muddy by the wine. Unwilling to war with her thoughts any longer, she pulled Miranda close and kissed her again, giving herself over to what impulse was ruling her.

[Miranda Tarkin]

The sound of her husband's, her friend's, name on Sanya's lips did not spark much of a debate within the Empress. Her engagement to Gallus was to help bring hope and security, something to distract the general populace of the failures of the war. That and it was her duty. On the surface, they were the perfect couple representing the Empire, but it was an arrangement that all four of them had discussed - a pact amongst childhood friends. They trusted each other implicitly: Gallus, Miranda, Sanya, and Sorsha. But as much fondness and affection that Miranda was able to feel for her husband, she was not in love with him.

There was a moment when Miranda was about to explain the hanging question, but Sanya had already made up her mind. Just like before, she initiated the kiss. It didn't have as the intensity of reckless abandon as the previous, but Miranda found it just as sensual. She was afraid to let go of Sanya, fearing she might still escape if given a chance.

Working her mouth against Sanya's and deepening the kiss, Miranda was determined to leave a lasting imprint, leaving no doubt that there was no other place that mattered in the galaxy then being in her arms.

[Sanya Tagge]

She pulled Miranda away from the balcony – away from the eyes of the city and the light of evening – into the privacy of the palace towers penthouse. There was hunger in Sanya's kiss as Miranda ran fingers through her white-blonde hair, her other hand meshing with Sanya's only to slip away moments later, running smoothly over her hourglass curves. Not looking where she was going, Sanya backed into the arm of a low couch and made an mmph of surprise against Miranda's lips. Breaking the kiss for just long enough to catch her breath, she stole a glance over her shoulder and braced her hands against the arm of the couch.

[Miranda Tarkin]

Her efforts worked superbly and with Sanya's desire rekindled, they were moving inside out of prying eyes where they could explore one another properly. She allowed the blonde to lead, letting Sanya set the increasingly urgent pace. Hands took their time in exploring the body flushed up against her as the Empress moaned lightly as the kiss lingered with no end in sight.

Not as familiar with the penthouse layout, Sanya had backed into the side of the couch and unwillingly broke their kiss. She watched as Sanya steadied herself and took the opportunity to move in. Starting at the pulse point, Miranda kissed the warm flesh gently before pressing harder, sucking it once before lightly flicking the spot with her tongue. Her lips moved downwards, teasingly close to where the valley between Sanya's breasts began before they went upwards, achingly slow.

[Sanya Tagge]

Her back arched, her body straining against the hot touch of tongue and teeth trailing across her flesh. Sanya watched Miranda as long as she could - intoxicated by what she saw - before a shiver of pleasure wriggled up her spine and rolled her head backwards. This was it, the heady feeling she had longed for. To be wanted – needed. Not just by anyone, but by the Empress herself. One hand still braced behind her, Sanya ran the other through Miranda's hair, urging her closer with her touch and with a breathy murmur that came from the back of her throat: “Mira..”

[Miranda Tarkin]

Orchestrating the reactions from Sanya's body was pure pleasure for the Empress. Pulled even closer, brunette hair became mussed as fingers ran through the once perfectly pinned hair. Several waves of brown found release and bounced against Miranda's shoulders.

Brown eyes flicked upwards, savoring the sight. Sanya's head rolling back, a perfectly sculpted neck exposed and eager for Miranda's touch, the breathless sound of her own name passing through luscious lips - it stoked the flames of want that had been rekindled moments prior. Hands trailed over curves, burning the landscape within her mind while Miranda's mouth found its mark - biting on Sanya's earlobe, teasing the flesh between teeth before rolling the nub in her mouth.

[Sanya Tagge]

The caresses at her neck and throat were almost overwhelming, simple touches inspiring such a depth of pleasure that Sanya had never felt before. She could scarcely think. Somehow she swayed to her feet. As she claimed the Empress's lips in another savage kiss, footsteps carried her backwards once more, now guiding Miranda towards the master bedroom. She felt like a woman possessed, her eyes heavy-lidded as she dragged her lips away from Miranda's to speak. Just two words, as much a command as they were a request.

“Fuck me.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

They moved together as one, picking up on the subtle gestures to where they wanted to be touched, or how searching lips found Miranda's once more - so thirsty from the deprived contact. Fingers dug into exposed skin before traveling lower until the Empress found the curvature of the Baroness' rear. Seizing Sanya, she pulled the blonde against her body possessively.

Yet the kiss ended almost as abruptly as it began, leaving Miranda breathless and wondering until she recognized the smoldering gaze that was smothering her. The sigh was involuntary as Miranda shifted in the embrace. The depth of want that diffused throughout her body was more intense then anything she had ever experienced. Even with Sorsha.

Sanya's words almost broke her. The edge to them, the challenge, it had been too long since someone was confident to speak to her in such a tone. Something primal sparked and Miranda grabbed Sanya's hips and roughly pushed her against the closed doors to the master bedroom. Hands hitched up the edge of the black dress that Sanya wore, allowing for more intimate contact as the unrestrained need between them was reignited with another scorching kiss.

One hand lingered under the dress, caressing the underside of Sanya's thigh and lifting it to wrap around her waist as the other took hold of the zipper of the dress and tugged it opened with one proficient motion ...

[Sanya Tagge]

An oof of breath escaped Sanya as slammed against the bedroom door. She felt the impact rattle through her - her subconscious thrilling in the brief jolt of pain - though it was the hand on her thigh that caused her to gasp. Unzipped, her dress began to slip from her shoulders and with a little shimmy the sheer, dark fabric slid down over her bare breasts to gather at her hips. One leg curled around Miranda's waist and an arm thrown around her shoulders, Sanya groped blindly for the door handle with her free hand. Seconds later, she was bracing her palm against the wood-grain as Miranda surged against her, hitching both of Sanya's legs up around her waist to pin her harder to the door. Heat burned through Sanya as she ground her hips against Miranda's.

[Miranda Tarkin]

Sanya shifting in her arms to open the door elicited a growl from the Empress. She didn't want the blonde moving from this spot, not one inch at all, thus moving into the bedroom would simply not do. No. Not with bare flesh exposed for her pleasure, pressing against her teasingly as flesh met the bare flesh of Miranda where her dressed allowed.

The legs mate soon was wrapped around the Empress waist with no room between there bodies for escape. They barely had enough room to breathe with the contact, but it was the divine heat against her that was Miranda's reward, though it was her turn to gasp as Sanya began grinding herself against her body. Eyes rolled backwards, soon covered by lids as her head fell back slightly. She relished in the closeness and met friction with friction as warm breaths hissed through clenched teeth.

"Sanya ..."

Her eyes opening, Miranda was transfixed by the sight - the way their bodies moved against one another as if territory well traversed, knowing how to stimulate the other so madly with desire. But her eyes fell across Sanya's bare chest and the pooled dress against her waist, old heartaches fizzled away - leaving a desperate need that Sanya, and only Sanya, could fufill.

The grip against Sanya's rear tightened, forcing her to remain steady against the door as the other claimed a breast. There was a tickle against the blonde's ear as Miranda sighed heavily and managed to choke out one word through the haze of lust that had claimed her.

"Mine..."

[Sanya Tagge]

That word – it was enough to elicit a response from Sanya that was almost more powerful and emotionally charged than any number of kisses and caresses could. All of her life had been devoted to the Empire and by extension to the Empress, but with that one word - spoken with such possessive need - Miranda had made her feel more than just a necessary part of the greater workings of the Empire.

Mine.

She could barely summon the presence of mind to speak in reply. Like a fever, passion smothered all rational thoughts. Memories of her lessons on Vjun - in which Milivikal and Dalethria had taught her to embrace that passion and the power it would allow her to control - were dim and distant now, though had she been lucid Sanya would have felt the Dark Side of the Force as, unbidden, it charged the air between her and Miranda, a reciprocal current.

In the end, only one desperate word passed her lips, low and feverish: “Please.”

[Miranda Tarkin]

There was only the briefest moment of hesitation on Miranda's part in acquiescing Sanya's ... No. Their needs. This went beyond underlying attraction and desire that the two of them accepted. The palpable sensation of the Dark Side at work between them made the Empress shiver with fervor. For not only did it accentuate the want that burned within Miranda's eyes, it also meant that Sanya was also a perpetrator in how volatile and forceful Its presence had become.

It would give her Majesty something to deliberate on later - the consequences of this knowledge.

Miranda's arms moved as purposefully as did her lips against Sanya's as answer to the desperate plea. There was a small click of the bedroom door opening of its own accord as the Empress scooped Sanya securely into her arms. Their kisses furthered in desperation, as Miranda crossed the threshold to the master bedroom and with one swipe of her foot, the door closed with a hard slam.

The next morning ...

Though the light of day had illuminated the previous evening away, inside the Empress' chambers the thick curtains contained the bright morning outside, leaving the room dark enough to not rouse the two sleeping forms just yet. It was also fortuitous that her Majesty had no plans this morning, having prepared for a late night due to the dinner social after the opera - though it did not quite go to plan, there were no regrets in how the night ended.

Quite asleep still, Miranda rolled over and pressed herself against the warm body still sleeping next to her. Her arm wrapped possessively around Sanya's waist, and Miranda pulled the blonde's back closer against her.

[Sanya Tagge]

Morning brushed its fingertips against Sanya's eyelids, the muted light gently coaxing her into wakefulness. Warm darkness still enveloped her but with a blink the blurry outlines and shapes of furniture began to come into focus before her sleepy eyes. She began to shift in bed, to turn but felt the resistance of an arm wrapped around her, and hesitated.

Miranda Tarkin's bare chest was pressed against her bare back.

It wasn't a dream. It had felt like it, but it wasn't. Somehow. Even in her drowsy state, Sanya's body responded to that realisation, heat spreading through her. If she turned - pressed her chin to her shoulder - she could see Miranda's face out of the corner of her eye. There was just a fluttering behind the Empress's eyelids, a hint that she was rousing too. Turning away, Sanya wiggled back just a little against Miranda, into the curves that so perfectly matched her own.

[Miranda Tarkin]

There was a soft moan that parted Miranda's lips before the smile came. It appeared that she was not the only one waking up at this hour, and Sanya's way to entice her Majesty awake had the desired effect. Gentle fingers caressed the hair off of her lover's shoulder to be replaced by soft, lingering, kisses.

"Good morning," she said between two kisses, still trailing upwards towards a, now, exposed neck. To wake up like this again, Miranda had thought it futile. Oh she could easily have any woman in her bed, if that was what she desired, but that was not her. What she wanted was the shared passion, not some one night stand. Her needs went beyond the simplistic physical satiation - she wanted a connection. Like she had with Sorsha before jealously had taken root in the Vigo's heart.

Now Miranda had found that want with Sanya last night, unexpectedly, but where this would lead? Even she could not speculate the outcome, nor wish to play the game of what ifs. At least, for now.

[Sanya Tagge]

As Miranda's lips brushed against her neck, Sanya closed her eyes and smiled. With a drowsy lack of urgency, she pushed at the sheets that were wrapped around her chest, pushing them down to her waist. Then, she took a deep breath in and turned onto her back, her eyes opening to the sight of Miranda's sleepy smile. It was a long time since she'd woken up beside someone and not felt regret. It was strange, but a good kind of strange.

“Good morning... did you sleep well?”

[Miranda Tarkin]

Her eyes raked over Sanya's exquisite form as last night's passion flashed in remembrance quite fondly. Miranda snaked a hand around the Baroness' waist before leaning down for a lingering kiss. As she pulled back, the Empress smiled wistfully down towards Sanya.

"Very," she murmured, her lips tickling the blonde's ear before returning the question back. "And you?"

[Sanya Tagge]

“Fantastically. I haven't slept that well since... well, ever.”

Sanya touched a hand to Miranda's cheek, drawing her face closer once more. Though it was leashed for now and far lass fierce than it had been the night before, she could see the desire behind Miranda's eyes. The foggy haze of sleep was all but banished from her mind. Turning further towards her Empress, Sanya brushed fingertips up the length of Miranda's inner thighs.

“I.. wonder why?”

A sly smile curved into her lips as they shared another kiss.

[Miranda Tarkin]

Miranda found herself leaning into the touch, eyes closing while the slight brush of fingertips sent a shiver up her spine. The night had been filled with much fervor and to be touch so intimately this way was just as welcomed. Her mind drifted, taking in the sensations of the warm body against her, the soft touch of lips against her own ... Miranda was finding it exceedingly difficult to reign in her desire. Fingertips dug into soft flesh, pulling Sanya closer as the Empress gently broke their kiss.

"I couldn't possibly fathom why," she purred softly against their barely parted lips.