I wrapped my arms around her midsection, spreading both hands across her stomach. I could feel the movement inside and I laughed delightedly. She was radiant in her condition. There was a glow to her perfect red skin. Her sleepy expression was endearing. I pressed my lips to the top of her head. “A girl,” I muttered into her hair, “can you imagine? I don’t think anyone even remembers the last time there was a girl in my family. Poor thing, she’ll never have a date. Five older brothers, all Sith.”

She laughed. “And an over protective father with an army at his back.”

I turned her to face me and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “Let’s get some rest. You look exhausted. Why don’t I take the boys with me tomorrow? You can have a day to relax, no children involved. AJ can spend the day training with the guys, he loves that. Tikh can look after the twins and I’ll keep an eye on Aydiin and Aldryc at my office.”

When she laid her head against my chest I melted. It had been ten years since I married her and every day I loved her more.   “You spoil me.” She accused.

“No! Spoiling you would be if food and flowers mysteriously appeared here tomorrow. Or if you were carried off to a spa for a massage, or if while you were being carried off for a massage a beautiful – way too big – bath with jets was installed in the refresher downstairs… which are not at all things I already have set up for you of course, not at all.” I grinned at her.

“You,” she pressed her lips to my chest, “have gone mad,” another kiss, “with power.”

I shrugged, “What is the use in being one of the most powerful men in the Empire if you can’t spoil your wonderful wife?”

I took her hand and we went to bed together, both exhausted.

I woke screaming with pain. My hands and lips burned and from them the burning spread through my veins. Instinctively, I reached out for Salomi but drew my hands back wet with blood. Panic overcame me, dulling the pain. I drew back our blankets to find our bed soaked in her blood, a hole through her round stomach. Choking back tears I gazed up at the figure standing over us. It was cloaked in shadow and wielded a lightsaber such a deep red it was nearly black. I snatched my own red saber from the bedside table and lunged, the pain in my body made even more vivid now by my anger and heartache.

I passed through the figure. When I looked back it was gone.

From down the hall came a cry. The children.

It was to A.J’s room I ran. It had been his voice I heard, I was sure of it. I reached the door but could not pass through it. Some invisible barrier kept me from my oldest son. I threw my body and my rage against it but could not pass. I watched in horror. Inside the room I saw him, his training saber in hand; all calculated fury and disciplined style. He was my young warrior. He would conquer worlds one day. He had all the strength I hadn’t had when I was young, the strength I hoped I showed now. His battle with the shadow figure was brutal. Had it been anything else I would have been so proud. But it was no training. My son faced death and I could not reach him. My body burned and my mind screamed. “Alyxss!” I cried out, “A.J!”

The figure carried a deadly weapon. My son fought him only with a training blade. Still he fought the figure nearly to a standstill. I watched him raise the blade to strike what I knew would be a damaging, if not fatal, blow. I nearly cheered. He had done it. Then I saw his eyes widen. His fingers loosened around the hilt of the blade and it tumbled to the floor. A burning hole, as if from a blaster, emerged in the center of his forehead. After a long silent moment he fell limp to the floor.

I screamed, tearing at the barrier with my hands, wild with fury and pain. But it was useless. He was dead and still I could not reach him. I could not save him. But maybe I could help the other children, before the shadow beast reached them.

I met another barrier at the room Arin and Aleksandr shared. They insisted on keeping their rooms together, their twin-bond in the force was so strong they rarely liked to be separated. My mischievous boys. They were naturally powerful and easy going. They were my wild children. There was no battle to see this time. The twins stood in the center of the room, their small hands grasping each other. Flames licked their bodies. Lightning flashed from them. I could hear them shouting. They did not look afraid or in pain. Anger was on their faces. Still, they burned. I beat at the barrier. I swung my lightsaber at it. I threw the force against it. Nothing broke through. Eventually I fell to my knees and cried, unable to tear my eyes away. Until all that was left of my twins were ashes.

I knew without knowing why that it was Aydiin who was next. It took all my will to drag my weakening body from the floor. The pain was nearly overwhelming now. My veins burned. My chest burned.

No barrier stood in the doorway to Aydiin’s room. I didn’t consider why that might be before I plunged into the room to find him. The shadowed figure was already there. He stood far from Aydiin. The boy stood calmly, wreathed in white light. He watched the dark figure without fear, but also without anger. His face was serene. When the figure tried to approaching him it was repelled. It could not touch the light that surrounded him without being thrown back. The shadow made no sound but I could see that it was howling with rage. I moved to grab Aydiin, to get him far from the beast that had killed his brothers and mother. But I could get no closer than the shadow had. As soon as I reached the light around him I was thrown back away. The boy turned his attention from the enemy to me and shook his head, his face still an emotionless mask. Then he was gone.

I knew that my family was lost. I knew they would all be taken from me. And still I moved towards Aldryc’s room. My youngest boy I knew was lost to me. But I had to try to do something. I had to try to stop the force destroying my family.

I had been prepared for death, as much as one could be. I was not prepared for what I saw. The black figure held Aldryc’s small form. The boy squirmed in its grasp. I raised my blade and went into the room. Then in a swirl of shadow they were both gone.

The screaming began as soon as they were out of my sight. Screaming such as I had never heard before. My child’s voice was shrill with absolute terror. Pain such as I could not imagine rang out around me. The room echoed with his cries. It wouldn’t stop. I heard his small voice sobbing, begging. I collapsed to the floor, pressing my hands over my ears.  I could not bear the screams. I could not hear that kind of pain. I was Sith. I had fought wars. I had killed countless men and watched many more die. And this pain, this sound, I could not bear.

I pressed my hands tighter over my ears. I could feel my mouth move, begging, “No more. Please, no more.”

“Alyxss?” Salomi’s voice broke through, “Alyxss! Wake up, Alyxss! Please.”

I didn’t expect that the devaronian would be difficult to crack but he had certainly been difficult to track down. Paper trails decades old tended to end up at trash heaps and memories were notoriously selective. My contacts network was now large enough that the search for him had finally produced a name. After that things were easy.

His lip was split and blood poured from his nose. He no longer struggled against the ties binding him to the chair in my ship’s cargo hold. I took the images I had found in his belongings and fanned them out in front of his face. Three women, a wife and two teenage daughters. “You’ll answer my questions. If you do, these three women live. If you do not, they die.”

“I don’t know what you want!”

“You were a slaver. Your kind are disgusting but that isn’t the point. I want to know about some slaves you sold.”

“That was years ago,” he looked terrified, “I can’t remember specific slaves.”

“I think you will remember these. Two boys, purebloods. Identical twins. Incredibly Force sensitive, you probably had to find special restraints for them. Does that sound familiar?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about!”

I let myself smile like Lhur had smiled. “Which of these girls is your favorite? I want to tell her she gets to die first because daddy liked her best.”

“No. Stay away from them. Please. I remember, I do! We bought them from some pirates. They cost a small fortune. I remember cause we thought we’d get big money for them but we took a loss on them when a buyer recognized them and we realized how screwed we were if we got caught with them.”

“Oh?” I prompted, so whoever had bought them knew who they were.

“Yeah, they were some dead Darth’s sons. They recognized one of our regular customers, a Darth Sith guy. He bought them from us discounted in return for not turning us in as having them cause he said we’d probably take the fall for the dead Darth. The kids seemed happy to go with him, they did I swear! They weren’t scared of him at all. I thought he might have been a friend of their dad.”

“Did this Sith have a name?” I felt certain I already knew.

“Yeah, yeah. Um… Darth uh… M! It started with an M. Its been years please just… Maarvolo! That was it. Darth Maarvolo.”

“Thank you for your time.” I drew my lightsaber and quickly removed his head. I had promised that his family would live if he talked, I’d never promised that he would.

I spent a long time sitting in my ship considering the best course of action. I was angry and hurt at the idea that Perkele may have lied to me to protect her mad scientist. I was angry that someone who had known Alyxss, my father, had killed my brothers or at least allowed them to die, instead of bringing them to the attention of the Empire they had a place in. At last I came to what I thought would be the best way to handle the situation. My brothers were nothing to me, Aydiin had proven that to me. And I still loved Perkele and owed her a large debt. I would not go after Maleeq. But I wouldn’t stay silent either. I picked up my comlink and called a number I never thought I would call.

The beep of the comlink brought me quickly out of sleep. Why would Tikh be calling this late at night? He was the only one anymore who knew how to get in touch with us and still bothered to. I picked up the device and stared at it for a second. “Its Aldryc,” I whispered to Salomi when I felt her stirring beside me.

I answered it and looked into a face I hadn’t thought I would see again. “Sorry, we were sleeping. Can I help you with anything?” Anything at all, anything you ever want, anything within my power for the only the son I really had left.

I reached behind me to nudge Salomi in case she wasn’t fully awake. She’d be upset if she missed the only communication we had had from him since he’d walked away from us.

“I’ll keep this short. I have information that may be of interest to you. I won’t be doing anything about it, I’m staying out of it due to conflicts of interest, but I thought it might be something you would want to know,” I hesitated, “I found out who the scientist was that bought Arin and Aleksandr. I don’t know how they died, I don’t have any more information. Just a name.”

My breath caught. The person who had kept my boys as slaves. The person who had somehow let them die. Aldryc had taken the revenge against Tafarii Lhur that I could not. But this was someone tangible, someone revenge could be taken from. “Who?”

“Darth Maleeq Maarvolo. Do what you will with that information. Goodbye, Alyxss.” I turned the comlink off before I could see anything else. I sighed and lifted the comlink again, this time only for a message in text. I would break if I spoke to her, I'd give in and give up fighting about it, I always did. I typed my message out carefully.

1. The color of their eyes: red 

2. How old they are: again, depends on where we are in the RP timeline. 

3. One strange thing/quirk/defining characteristic of their body or physical appearance: His jewelry. Rather than the lavish gold jewelry a lot of purebloods favor, he has a more industrial look. He thinks it better suits his personality as someone who believe the Empire is about more than the Sith and their lavishness. 

4. One strange thing/quirk/defining characteristic of their personality: Alyxss is the nicest, kindest, sweetest person you could hope to meet. Except in battle. He's almost an entirely different person when it comes to fighting, he's vicious, ruthless, and honestly enjoys fighting. 

5. How their parents met: Alyxss' parents had an arranged marriage. 

6. Who their first love was, and why they loved them: His first love was Salomi Oboa. Before her he was kind of a player. He loved her progressive ideas, her beauty - yes he's a bit shallow-, and how she didn't treat him like he was special because of his last name. 

7. How/why I came up with the concept for them: He, like a ton of my other characters at this point, came straight out of Aldryc's backstory. He's Aldryc's father. He was supposed to be dead but I loved him so much in Aldryc's history that I decided to find an excuse to bring him back. 

8. Who they eventually end up with: Salomi, he comes back from the dead to be with her after all. 

Abendroth Family writing. Warnings: ummm... cute nice things that you already know will be ripped apart cause all the bad things happen. 

Settling: Abendroth family before all the shit. 

 - Small one shot writings for my ships - 

- warnings: relationship stuff - 

“What are you doing, silly?”

I tugged on her hand, pulling her along behind me towards the cantina door. “Taking you away from all these people so I can have you all to myself.”

“Aren’t we supposed to be out for Tikh’s birthday?”

I cast a glance back towards the bar. Tikh had a blue skinned woman in his lap. “Somehow, I don’t think he’ll notice if we slip away for a little while.”

I almost tripped down the cantina steps on our way out the door, I was too busy looking at her. She laughed. “You are the most graceful warrior I’ve ever seen.”

I stumbled into my office. As much as I hated it, there was work to be done today. It seemed like there was always work to be done. Papers to be filed, reports to be made, plans to be drawn up so that those who had no idea how the military was run could understand them anyway. On days like this training had to come in stolen pre-dawn hours with military men just as fanatic as myself, Tikh damn sure wouldn't be out of bed this early. I'd left Salomi and the boys sleeping at around 4am to squeeze some training in before work began, now it was time to buckle down and finish these reports. 

As if that wasn't enough, I still had to work on building the case for the child slavery reform Salomi and I were trying to push through. It wouldn't go as far as she wanted but small steps in the right direction were better than no steps at all. 

I looked at my desk and the piles of papers then looked at the small couch and contemplated a nap. What was one more hour when I had so much to do?

I took a spare uniform from the office closet and disappeared into the refresher. The maid would have my head, Sith or not, if I napped on the pristine white couch in my dirty training clothes.  

I sighed as the door clicked closed behind me. Being a member of the Dark Council was becoming a pain in the ass. I'd enjoyed it immensely when I was younger but lately I spent most of my time just wishing I was home with my family. Maybe one day I'd give it all up and retire. But not until the war was won, the war was far too important and, if I was honest with myself, I knew that as long as there was a battle to be fought I would want to fight it. 

Switching on the water in the sink I closed my eyes and splashed it over my sweaty face. It was cool and comforting. I let a smile come to my lips. Maybe a nap was a bad idea. I'd get the work done as quickly as possible and rush home. Maybe I could drag Salomi off for a bath together before dinner. I cupped my hands a took a long drink of the cold water. 

And then the burning began. It was in my hands and around my lips first. Before I knew what was happening my body burned like fire, inside and out. My vision blurred and my heart beat so fast I feared it would give out. I clamped my lips against a scream. 

Desperately I reached my fingers into the faucet and plucked out a small net packet of powder. I was no expert on poisons but I knew that something so powerful that it was intended to kill me by absorbing into my skin would have been hard to come by. 

It hurt. It hurt more than any battlefield wound I'd suffered. The burning was fading now and I gave silent thanks. My heart was slowing. Too slow actually. The burning was replaced with numbness. I was dying, I knew it. The tears staining my cheeks had nothing to do with the pain or with a fear of death. 

My fingers would barely move but still I managed to switch my comlink on. "Tikhon. Tikhon listen..." 

"Alyxss? Alyxss what's happening? What's wrong?"

"Tikhon... tell Salomi.. tell her..." I choked, my tongue to numb to move.

"Tell her what? Alyxss are you there? What is going on?" 

"Tell her... to run. Save them Tikh... please..."

"Tikhon?" 

"Uh-oh. I'm in trouble or its something serious if you are calling me by my whole name." 

He stopped gracefully in the middle of his exercises and turned to face me. It occurred to me how much more graceful Tikhon was than I would probably ever be. I was more powerful, no doubt about it, but he was graceful in the Force.  "Something is on your mind. What is it, Alyxss?" 

I sighed. Tikh was my best friend and I told him everything, so I let the words come spilling out. "Have you ever met a woman who was so beautiful, so absolutely stunning in every way, that she took your breath away? That your head spun and you couldn't focus and you knew you had to have her or it would kill you?" 

He laughed and put an arm around my shoulders. "Of course." 

"Really?" 

"Almost every night... and I'm usually rid of them by morning." 

I couldn't help but laugh too. That was Tikh though, he was passionate and he made the women and men around him feel like queens and kings. But he never kept them more than one night. "I'm serious, Tikh." 

He sat down beside me. "Oh. What's going on, Alyx? What happened while I was away?" 

"I met a girl. At the academy when I went to see Lord tin-man on Korriban. She was finishing her trials. And she was beautiful and powerful and clever and perfect. She came back to Kaas with me. Well, not with me really but alongside me. She wen't out with me last night and there was just this... spark, I don't know what else to call it. I want her Tikh. The thought of being without her makes me feel sick." The words ran out of me and I couldn't stop them. I couldn't think about how crazy they must sound to the man sitting next to me. 

He looked at me with genuine concern. "Alyxss, I can't tell you what to do with your life. But you clearly came to me for advice so here it is. You remember that time I came to wake you because your father was shouting about something and I found you with fifteen naked women scattered across your rooms? And you thought you deserved a medal because you could name them all for me that morning? That's you. That's who you are. You are loyal to your men, loyal to your job, and loyal to the Empire almost to a fault. That's more than enough devotion to spread around without spreading it to your lovers too.  If you are worried about the wedding you father want's to force you into and you are just trying to find someone you like better first, then don't. Refuse him, you're the only son you can do that without fear. Or marry the Maarvolo girl, get her pregnant, and then forget about her. From what I hear she doesn't want you either, she'll be happy with that arrangement."

I smiled a bit sadly at him. It made sense that he would think that. "This isn't about my father's wedding plans for me. I'd already made my mind up to refuse that arrangement. This isn't about any other woman than Salomi. She's perfect, Tikh. She really is. When you meet her you'll see it."

"When did you meet his girl, Alyxss?"

That was the question I'd been dreading. "Two days ago..." I muttered, embarrassed.

He leaned his head on my shoulder affectionately and sighed. "Oh Alyx, what are we going to do with you? Get her in bed, see if that gets you over it. If it doesn't, do what you feel you have to do. Who is she anyway? Some no name academy girl? Human?"

"Pureblood. Salomi Oboa."

He groaned. "Your father is going to kill you."

"I don't care, I'm marrying her."  

I realized suddenly that I'd made up my mind. I was marrying her and nothing was going to stop me. 

---------------------------------

"You wanted to meet with me? I must admit it was a surprise, Alyxss." 

I bowed before approaching him. "Yes, father. I did."

"You're recent military accomplishments have not escaped my notice, Alyxss. Is it too much to hope you've finished acting like a child and you are finally ready to prove yourself as the heir to our family line?"

I almost withered under his stern gaze.

"Actually, father, I have. That is what I came to discuss with you. I will not say I've seen error in my behavior, I have not. But I have come to the decision that I have passed the time where that lifestyle is what I desire. I'm ready to take the responsibilities required of my position. Including taking a bride."

He smiled. It was easy for me to forget that in moments he would be furious with me again. His approval radiated in the force and I drank it in. It was rare for me to see his affection. "I'm proud of you, Alyxss. You've done well as a Sith. I can excuse the foolishness of the young. But you are not a child anymore. I'll speak with Duncan Maarvolo, I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

"That will not be necessary, father.  I won't be marrying Malyha Maarvolo. She's a fine match and the man who has her will be very fortunate but it will not be me." 

I recoiled at the flash of his eyes. "You would disobey me again, Alyxss?"

I had faced battle, i had cut down soldiers and Jedi alike who stood in my way. Yet I trembled to face my father. "Yes, sir. I would. In this, I would. I have it on good sources that Malyha Maarvolo loves another. I will not risk a wife who will be dishonest or betray me over their love for another. I've taken initiative and chosen my own bride.  I plan to go to her family and ask for her hand myself."

"You have no reason to worry about Malyha, her father will force her submission to you. Who is this girl you've decided to go against my wishes for?"

"Salomi Oboa. Wait, father!" He stood abruptly, anger etched into his face. "She's pureblooded. She's from a powerful, old, rich family. The same as Malyha. She's finished her trials and she is Sith."  

"You won't marry some traitor's child." 

I wondered if he would hit me. He looked like he was considering it. I wondered what I would do if he did. 

"Having liberal beliefs doesn't make someone a traitor..." I paused. I was about to take a leap I'd never dared take before. I'd acted out of line with my father's wishes before but I'd never openly defied him. "I have made my decision. I'll be marrying Salomi Oboa." 

"You do not get to make those decisions, Alyxss. Until I am dead you are still my son and you will do as I command. If you will not submit to my will as your father then you will submit to my will as a Darth of the Sith." 

I'd made my choice. I wouldn't be swayed. Even if it came to a battle between him and I. I knew I could not live without the girl. 

"Then here is the choice you are left with, father. You will consent to my marriage to Salomi Oboa or I will walk out that door and I will choose a cantina girl, an alien one if I must, and I'll marry her. And your family line will end there. You are worried about what others will say about Salomi, but you are an intelligent man. Spin this the right way and you look like a hero, like a man bringing their family back into the fold and keeping the noble lines together in the face of all the changes in the Empire. There is no way to spin the other option. The only choice you will have if I marry some poor alien is to disown me and end our family." 

He growled and raised a hand as if to strike me. "You are fortunate you have no brothers, Alyxss. You would not be so bold if you were not so spoiled. Or if I had any other options left to me. Try to marry your traitor girl. I doubt her mother will even consent to it. We have not endeared ourselves to them any more than they have to us."