Surrender

Sensing that Aittera was alone in the rebuilt cockpit of the Devious Hope, Ragious appeared sitting beside her in the new co-pilots chair, his force projected self once more in the simple, neutral black outfit he so often wore in their shared dreams.  "You know, for a while there you were enjoying our conversations.  Then he shows back up and all of a sudden you're treating me like your enemy again."

As soon as he spoke, a shadow of guilt dimmed her expression briefly as she kept her deep blue gaze fixed determinedly on the panel in front of her, programming in further diagnostics. For several moments, it seemed as though she was going to ignore him entirely, but she finally responded without looking over at him, her tone quiet but with a hardened and distant edge. "I've had my hands full with repairs to the ship you tried to destroy."

"If I wanted this ship destroyed it would not have been salvageable.  And anyway, we both know when you're lying."  He put his feet up on the console in front of him, and since he wasn't really there physically, they almost seemed to sink into it.  "You haven't even been speaking to me in our dreams. You seem to enjoy the pleasure, but then you pull back and withdraw as soon as you know it's a dream."

Aittera bristled and punched the last button of the sequence she was finishing with far more pressure than necessary, directing her gaze out of the viewport. "What else is there to say? They're just dreams, Ko--Ragious. Once I know it's a dream, I choose to be faithful to the man I'm actually sleeping with."

"Only, you're thinking about me when you do." He looked over at her - not for confirmation, because he already knew what he was saying was true - he wanted to see her reaction to him knowing.

She shot a murderous look at the image of his face, shame keeping her from denying or confirming his claim. Of course it was true. She could barely look at Selus because of it.

"I'm not sure why you continue the charade.  You know that you feel the same pull I do.  Sure, you may not consciously want that uniform from our dream, but a part of you does.  And I'm not even asking that of you.  I don't need it, but for some reason I seem to need you."

He could've said anything else, and Aittera would have been able to keep her resolve. Hell, she wished he had said anything aside from how he needed her. Instead, stubbornness gave way, leaving a stricken look in her eyes as the breath went out of her. The wall she was trying to secure herself behind crumbled as she searched for any evidence in his expression or body language that he was manipulating her or lying. "It's not...yes...there is something, but that doesn't mean we have to act on it."

"Who are you trying to convince?"  Nothing in his body language suggested anything but honesty as he crossed his arms and met her gaze. "What do you think is going to happen if we continue to fight it as hard as we have been?  Hell, when I realized that a part of me needed you, I was half ready to jump my ship to Coruscant and see how many ships and how much of the planet I could burn before I went down.  As much love as is there, even Kiabe and I have never needed each other."

The mention of his wife made her wince. "That moment - the one that seems to happen in every damn dream where I just...melt into you. It's not something I do. Not since---"

Self-consciously, she got to her feet, two fingers rubbing the center of her forehead as she began to pace the tiny bit of floor space in the cockpit. "You don't understand. I'm not a cheater. I don't cheat. I realize that you have some kind of--well, whatever arrangement this is that you have with your wife. It's just not in me."

"It's something you seem to want to do with me."  He swung his legs down, and even though he was not really there, when he moved to swivel the chair, it swiveled with him, showing just how much control he could exert on the environment.  "And I did say I don't know why you keep up the charade.  You could end it with him at any time.  You've already been cleared for travel to Kaas."

Aittera stopped pacing to turn to him with an incredulous look. "What makes you think I want to end it with him? Especially for someone who stands for everything I'm--- You can't possibly--"

"I know you."

"If you knew me at all, you couldn't possibly imagine me coming to Kaas to become one of your women."

"I don't think you'll come to Kaas and be one of my women, no.  I think you'll come to Kaas because you want to be close to me.  Not to live, but to visit. You have your own ship again.  You have your freedom back.  I didn't want anyone to interfere, so I cleared the Hope for travel throughout Imperial space."

"Because I want to put myself in the epicenter of the Empire where I can't be rescued when you decide you want to lock me in a room again?"

Ragious gave her an incredulous look of his own.  "Do you really think that is going to happen?"

"Just because I'm attracted to you doesn't for one minute mean I trust you, and you shouldn't trust me either. I give you credit for being at least that smart."

"The next time I tie you up in a room in reality, it will be at your request.  After all, you've experienced that in one of our dreams, and you enjoyed it,"  he challenged as he stood and crossed his arms again. "He is coming, and as much as I want to let him see me, I wouldn't hurt you like that."

Aittera flushed at the suggestive statement and the reminder of one of the several dreams they'd shared in the weeks since that first night she spent back on the Wanderer after Selus's return. She glanced back toward the door, then to him again, torn, the next words that came slipping from her lips surprising her. "Come to Nar."

Ragious's face showed no surprise in response as he nodded before fading from view.

(( Added to The Next Chapter ))