DOOM!

Here we go again. Already. XD

Also, I finished the soundtrack to this story -- you can download it and read about it here. The descriptions for each song... they're pretty much lifted from the story. Some are more "bare bones" than others because those parts are only in rough draft right now. AND I don't want to give too much away. ;D



part VIII: THE INTRODUCTION

The rays of sun spilled across the pale back of the man as he sat on the ledge of the fountain, a painted canvas sitting colorfully beside him. He was slowly moving his fingertips across the strokes of paint, the raised edges where the paint had dried -- it wasn't finished. It needed something else. It was a painting of a woman, the smooth shape of her head and shoulders filling the canvas. Her eyes were closed, and a sly smile crossed her face -- Synje gently ran his ring finger over the painted lips. After a moment's hesitation, he reached behind him and felt around for the rough walls of the center of the fountain. Once he found the jagged stone, he scraped his pointer finger over it as hard as he could, setting his chin and gritting his teeth as a couple layers of skin seemed to drag off. He could feel a warm pearl of blood trickling down his finger now, and that's when he brought it to his lips, kissed his finger and then let his hand fall to the painting, where he let a drop fall to the women's smiling face.

Fumbling a bit, Synje pushed the picture a few feet away from him so it could continue drying in the sun. He stretched his arms out to his sides and his legs out in front of him, the loose black pants unwrinkling as the bottoms fell over his feet again. Running his right hand out across the ledge, it came to his robe, which was stuffed in a lazy ball of silk. He grabbed it and shook it out, casually throwing it on and leaving the front open. The deep blue color of it matched the fabric he had tied around his eyes.

With a slap of his barefeet on the crooked flagstone, he timidly put his hands in his lap, the bleeding from his finger slowing. He could hear people approaching -- and he could tell they were attempting to be quiet. But the quicker than normal breathing and the soft patter of their boots on the courtyard's stone gave them away.

"Good Morning," he casually began, a genuine smile crossing his face. "I apologize in advance for any visual mistakes I might make." He pointed a finger towards his face. "I lost my sight when I was younger."

There were two of them, four feet in all -- he could discern that as they came to a halt.

"Good morning to you as well." A male voice, fairly deep. Quite nervous as well. "And I'm sorry about that -- although, you must have some sort of mindsight. Those paintings in there are gorgeous."

"Thank you very much," he dropped in a light bow.

"Greetings," came the second voice, female, a twinge of Hapan. It was the woman who had come to his quarters late last night. It was her.

"Ah, my lady. I trust you slept well?" He tilted his head towards the direction where her voice had come from.

"I did, thank you. And please call me Te---"

The man interrupted his companion. "Teneve." Synje could hear him step forward. "This is Teneve. She's a handmaiden to the Queen Mother of Hapes." Pausing, the man continued. "She resembles her quite well and was used as a ploy to trick bounty hunters into thinking the Queen Mother had left the planet."

"Mmmm, the Hapans and their schemes." A sly smile crossed Synje's visage.

"And I'm Jacen Solo."

Extending his hand in front of him, Synje felt the other man take it and deliver a firm shake. Synje returned it just as strong, the smile still spreading on his face. "And the Queen even sent her most trusted and faithful knight."

Synje couldn't see it, but Jacen Solo was blushing profusely and avoiding "Teneve's" appraising gaze. Even on this abandoned, forsaken far side of Fondor, people knew of Jacen's visits to Hapes and his time with the Queen Mother.

Without warning, Synje stepped towards Jacen, reaching out blindly for the older mans shoulders. He had forgotten about the blood that still smeared across his finger and left a smudge of deep crimson on the shoulder of Jacen's jumpsuit. He obviously didn't notice it.

Jacen Solo did.

"What happened to your finger?"

"Oh! Sorry 'bout that." Pulling one of his hands back, Synje wiped the few drops of excess blood onto his pants, replacing the palm on Jacen's shoulder. "I cut my finger on the stone of the fountain when I came out here. I usually sit over in the grove on the other side of the courtyard, so I had forgotten how rough the surfaces were on these." He motioned with his head towards the shaped slabs of stone.

Jacen nodded, then quickly remembered Synje couldn't see him. "I see." He quickly stated. For a fleeting moment, Jacen's mind told him to be a bit afraid -- but then Synje spoke up and quelled any worries he had.

"May I?" Synje had his hands up now, near Jacen's face.

"Oh, of course." Jacen realized Synje probably had no idea what he looked like... well, now anyways.

He placed his hands on Jacen face, his fingers resting across the man's cheekbones. He softly began feeling around, his fingertips running across slight creases at the corners of Jacen's eyes and at the corners of his mouth. The tips of his shaggy hair brushed the back of Synje's hands as they moved. Up over the bridge of his nose, Synje then traced fingertips over Jacen's lips, nodding slightly.

"You're strong. It's like I remember you on the holos."

Jacen exhaled, waiting to see if Synje would explain.

"I was five. I remember the war with the Yuuzhan Vong starting. I saw you on the holonews all the time. Saving this, questioning that." Synje paused, crossing his arms over his chest. "Jacen Solo was my hero."

Solo could feel the flush creeping back up his neck.

"I was depressed when he didn't come save Fondor from the Yuuzhan Vong."

About to apologize and argue as to why it could've never happened -- Jacen was cut off by Synje's hand. The blind man had heard the inhale of argument as he stood in front of Jacen. "I'm only kidding. I know it wasn't possible for you to save everyone."

Releasing a slightly nervous chuckle, Jacen took this moment to peer over to Tenel Ka, who was watching the whole scene unfold with a look that was half between awe and amusement. She stepped into the conversation as she noticed the red spread into Jacen's cheeks.

"Do you live here, Synje?"

He turned towards her, his hands seeking out her face. She felt them land on her neck gently and move up towards her jawline. His touch was almost non-existent, it was airy, almost comforting. Tenel Ka closed her eyes under his light fingertips, which ran along her eyebrows then down her high cheekbones. His right pointer finger lingered on her pursed lips for a few moments before he pulled away.

It was her turn for an embarrassed flush to creep into her skin -- his touch was soothing, calm. It had made her skin prickle slightly. When she opened her eyes, they instantly went past Synje's broad shoulders to Jacen, who was scowling openly.

She quickly looked away from him and peered back to Synje, whose head was tilted down towards her. "Hapans are always so breathtaking." It seemed more like a mumble to himself than a statement towards Tenel Ka... well, Teneve.

But she agreed humbly, "Thank you."

His hands ran back down to her shoulders, threatening to go further down -- where one of her arms abruptly stopped. That would give her away most definitely as the Queen Mother and whatever plan Jacen had for hiding her identity would be ruined. She let her gaze flick back to Jacen, who was watching Synje's hands intently -- more likely jealous of him than worried about his plan. Nudging him with the Force, Tenel Ka motioned with her eyes down to her left arm.

Jacen caught on in no time at all. "So! So you live here?" He repeated Tenel Ka's previous unanswered question, sighing with relief as Synje let go of her and moved away. It was as if he broke out of a trance...

"I do." He realized something he had forgotten, chuckling to himself. "I apologize, I never really introduced myself. I'm Synje Raoull. My father worked as part-owner of the shipyards. My parents owned this place for a bit... until the war started."

The Raoull Manor.

Jacen was afraid to ask. "What happened?"

"The Yuuzhan Vong came and wrecked most of the shipyards. They killed my parents. I hid in the locked wing of the building, they didn't bother to go through the whole place, lucky for me." With a weak chuckle, Synje felt around for the ledge of the fountain again and sat down, crossing his legs up on the edge in front of him. "After they left I went to town. Everyone was missing, gone or dead. I took what provision I could and came up here to live out the rest of the war."

"They died when you were five?" Tenel Ka inquired, getting a nod as a response. "And you knew to do all that?"

Synje leaned back, gently setting his hands on the stone behind him. "It's what felt right. Something told me to do that."

"What about once the war ended?"

"I was eleven then. I was used to having a whole place to myself, used to life this way. I just stayed here."

"You haven't left at all?" Jacen placed his hands on his hips.

Synje just shook his head. "I've had no reason." Shaking his head harder after that he sat up straight again, he began waving them away. "Go on you two, you came here to explore, not talk to me."

Tenel Ka and Jacen exchanged glances before letting their eyes land back on Synje -- as if he felt their gaze, he added. "You two should join me for dinner tonight in the Dining Hall."

"We'd be honored," Jacen replied.

"No no, I'd be honored. My childhood hero, a gorgeous Hapan and myself at a dinner table? Who would ever thought..." Synje laughed lightly, the breeze that found its way over the walls and into the courtyard picked up the sound and danced with it. He motioned towards where Tenel Ka was still standing. "You might only be a handmaiden, dear. But here we'll treat you like a Queen."

Tenel Ka shuddered at his words, surprised at herself for reacting that way. Something about them though stirred feelings inside of her.

We'll? Who is we?

"I thank you... sir." She added the formality to the end, on a whim and continued speaking. "Jedi Solo and I shall be on our way now. Thank you for your time."

"Yes, thank you. We'll see you tonight, s--"

"Call me Synje, please."

"Of course," Jacen responded pleasantly, "We'll see you tonight, Synje."

"Thank you. I look forward to it." His hand skittered out to the side of the ledge, his hand searching most likely for the canvas that was feet away from his grasp.

Jacen reached out and picked it up gently, taking a glance at it before handing it to Synje.

"Thank you again." Synje nodded humbly, smiling. And Jacen grinned in response, even though Synje couldn't see him.

As he stalked beside Tenel Ka down the empty corridors back towards their room, Jacen could feel the scowl returning to his face. She noticed it instantly and stopped her forward motion. "What?"

Halting feet ahead of her, Jacen spun back towards her, arms hanging down by his sides.

"What...?"

"Why do you have that look on your face?"

"What look?"

"This one." Tenel Ka distorted her visage into a exaggerated mock of Jacen's scowl.

"No reason," he replied, stubbornly.

Placing all her weight on her right foot, Tenel Ka rested her right hand on her hip which jutted out, the calm arch of an eyebrow and the smirk letting Jacen know that she wasn't playing around.

Oh yeah? Well neither am I, Tenel Ka.

"What?" He inquired again.

"You are impossible." Pushing past him, she sped down the hall, him snapping on her heels as fast as possible.

"Impossible how?!" Slipping past her, he cut her off, his hands out in front of him as if to not let her pass.

An audible growl sounded from the back of her throat. "What was that scowl for in the courtyard just now, hm?"

"What, you mean when Synje was practically molesting your face?"

"Jacen, he is blind. He did the same to you." Tenel Ka couldn't believe he was bringing this up -- she couldn't believe that he was even thinking it at all.

"Oh yeah, but did I blush when he did it to me?"

Tenel Ka felt herself shrink back against his accusation. What was he saying? And he just continued.

"Did you see the way his fingers ran up your neck?! Oh no wait, you sure felt it 'cause your cheeks got all red. You blushed. Tenel Ka, rock solid Queen Mother flushing red at a boy. Tenel Ka, you had a seventeen year old hitting on you."

What in the Corellian Hells has gotten into him?

"He is seventeen, so what? He is acting a lot more mature than you right now. And you are twenty-eight, Solo."

Twenty-eight. Jacen could see his father in himself, especially now. With a defeated sigh, he turned away from her and continued down the hallway, his arms swinging lazily by his sides. He was twenty-eight. When he looked upon Tenel Ka, he saw thirty years of strength, thirty years of beauty, thirty years of a steely elegance. They were all grown up now.

And here they were, fighting again.

"You are jealous." She called after him, her voice echoing in the corridor, bouncing off the walls and reaching to Jacen's ears.

He stopped and turned again, a lone figure at the end of the hall, chin held high, hands back on his hips. He didn't even have to say anything, his posture said enough.

With a sigh, she sauntered down, preparing to pass him without a word. But as she went to slip past his stone figure, still in the defiant posture, an arm lashed out and a hand wrapped around her upper shoulder, pulling her towards him with more force than she had ever felt him use. As he stopped her in front of him, he clasped her other arm right below the shoulder.

Tenel Ka stared into his chocolate gaze, a visible sneer snaking across her lips. His eyes were narrowed, simmering with the exact feeling Tenel Ka had accused him of. His lips were set into a thin line and his hands held tightly onto her upper arms What did he think he was doing now?

It was the last thing she expected.

Pulling her up towards him, he kissed her. Not like the short pecks he would give her on the cheek when he left Hapes, not the chivalrous little shadowmoth kisses he would lay across her jawline before he left her chambers for the night when he was visiting. No, this was something different. He pushed all of his emotion behind this kiss, letting it pour through their connection -- every single feeling that related to her. His intense passion for her, the twinges of lust that passed through him whenever he saw her trying to avoid his gaze, his normally shielded pangs of jealousy towards her suitors... everything.

Before he realized what he had done, he had her backed up against the narrow corridors east wall, his hands dragging down over the sides of her jumpsuit, his lips trailing down to her neck. He could feel her labored breathing, her chest hitting his as he pressed himself against her -- and that's when he caught himself, his hot breath drifting heavily across her neck. Without looking into her eyes, he shifted his head and breathed into her ear.

"I have nothing to be jealous of," a few heartbeats passed, "m'lady."

Turning away from her, he left her against the wall, a shiver suddenly creeping up her spine. She watched him stalk away, his shoulders set, his hair mussed, his walk still carrying that Solo slink. This just reinforced what she learned watching him sleep the night before. Jacen had actually grown up.

At first maybe she thought something in this dreadful place had been getting to him, as it had her. But for her it was mental, something digging at her soul. For him it was Synje. Jacen was actually jealous. He had never even explained his plan to her, why they were hiding her identity. He was putting his emotions before what they were here casually piecing together.

That was something she loved about him. He wasn't afraid to show his sensitive side. With her heart still drumming madly, Tenel Ka waited for him to vanish around the corner before slowly following him back up to the room.

He arrived a good few minutes before her, shutting himself up in the refresher. Alright, so he was the slightest bit jealous. It was the content look on her face as Synje traced his fingers up her neck that got to him the most. She looked peaceful, she looked calm, she looked different, it was like he was trying to change her. It appeared that way to Jacen somehow, but he figured he was just blinded by a veil of muted rage. Synje was innocent though, like she said.

Jacen had probed the young man a bit with the Force while they were speaking to him. He found a pure soul, someone who meant no wrong. It was the exact opposite of what Jacen felt when he sent his presence through the chateau. He felt darkness, he felt madness -- it felt wrong. And innocence was more often than not quite vulnerable.

Staring at himself in the mirror, Jacen heaved a sigh. He was getting worked up over all the wrong things. He didn't stop to think like he knew he should have. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was a mess, he looked tired. At it was only the middle of the afternoon.

A slightly shaky hand reached out to open the refresher door and as it slid back, he felt the hard exterior he had built up against Tenel Ka -- since that morning in the courtyard -- crumble. She was lying in bed, curled up in a ball, her back towards the refresher. Jacen opened his mouth to say something, but ended up meandering over to the bed instead, sitting on the very edge of his side in complete silence.

If he enhanced his hearing with the Force, he would've heard Tenel Ka's heartbeat, which was still much faster than normal. But he kept his distance and just stared ahead of him, his hands resting in his lap, his eyes threatening to drift shut.


SO YEAH.