Awwww. I love that name. Congratulations!

Hey, it's the same Blindluck92 as always, but because Fanfiction's new login system hates my phone, I have to leave my review as a "guest" instead.

First of all, in response to all the things that you listed doing since your last update: major congrats!

Now regarding the chapter itself, there is a very painfully clear lesson here, and nobody seems capable of learning it, so I'm spelling it out: never, ever, EVER try to play "who flinches first" with Nine. Yes she would dare, no she's not bluffing.

It's so much more than that, however. So, very, much more. Consider how she spent the majority of her ImpINT career under the microscope of the Sith, and that was punishment for being too competent. Now consider Trant, or anyone in SIS, politics, military upper echelon, etc. They've spent their whole careers pretending they're squeaky clean and shutting up all evidence to the contrary.

So, honestly, who's going to flinch first? The spy who calls bad publicity a lateral move at this point? Or the bureaucrats (even those who *used* to be soldiers), who chafe at the idea of looking less tan spotless.

And while Trant held out for an impressive while, the fact that they were engaging in the first place spoke volumes about his mistake. "Got her hooks into Theron," indeed. I mean, really? I'm not sure if he's trying to insult Nine, but it's an insult to Theron and the Republic forces in general. Does Trant actually believe that Theron would just up and defect because Nine, ahem... "ignited his lightsaber" on Rihi? The very fact that Trant implies as much about Theron is despicable.

Not that Theron OR Nine would consider sitting Trant and those who make the same assumption down and explaining the true extent of complicated emotions involved in Theron's departure (or how Theron, like Lana, fully believes that Nine's the galaxy's best shot). Because they have enough problems already (and always more to come) without giving anyone looking to hurt them or the Alliance that kind of ammunition.

And of course when both partners in a relationship say "I don't want you to be in danger" to the other, it's simultaneously adorable and utterly infuriating. Because *someone* needs to be in danger, and they're both in danger all the time anyway, so really, what is the point beyond sweet sentiment and unspoken "feelings that shall not be named."

Finally, spies are great liars, but I've come to the conclusion that they are so scared of honesty, and the vulnerability that goes with it, that when words are hard, they kriff instead because kriffing is easy.

Oh, and I guess someone had the bad idea to ambush Nine there at the end. Ten credits says Trant's getting that one back in a bag.

Great chapter! Until next time!
Blindluck92 out!

Most fics portray the romance between the Alliance Commander and their love interest in one of two ways. It's either out in the open with no real effort put into hiding it because the almighty strength of love and plot armor makes the couple and their relationship actually incapable of failing... or it's the worst-kept secret in the galaxy and everyone just rolls with it anyway. But this isn't that. It's not that kind of puppy love and sunshine romance. They're SPIES, for kriff's sake. They don't trust the ground they walk on, and even their secrets have their own secrets.

Nine's offer to let Theron move into her quarters on-base and make it "their quarters" more or less officially? That's a huge step to even consider, let alone a step to actually make. Especially after... well, just "after" (because there is quite simply no way to briefly reference the constant and continued infliction of every Corellian Hell all at once, and all for so very, very long, only to then turn around and have *that* in your head).

Moving on, Kaliyo may only say that they're "immortal" because her adrenaline-tinted view of the world doesn't ever come down from the rush long enough to contemplate mortality, morality, or the simple fact that actions have consequences. That being said, she's not wrong to call Nine immortal. No, no, not because of any Force-based interlopers. The truth is much more simple. The best spies never really die ;)

Okay, A for the Mass Effect reference. Whatever else Nine is about to do to send Trant into a crying, rocking, fetal-position on the floor of his office, the reference wins the fight already. And seriously? I want to be surprised that Trant (and so many others apparently) can't comphrehend that Theron is joining the Alliance to fight Zakuul. I want to be surprised that they think this isn't much, MUCH bigger than Theron being "seduced by the Dark Side" like his 300-year-old ancestor (and technically Revan was seduced to the Light, and that was done BY a Shan, so the Jedi hypocrisy strikes again). I want to be surprised by their short-sightedness and utter inability to view the big picture. And yet...

It's the bloody Republic. The only time they get things done with genuine competence is when Sith infighting gives them time to catch their breath and the drive to kick the Empire in the teeth. That pendulum is literally never going to stop swinging back and forth, and it's people like Theron and Nine who hurt the most for it.

Good chapter. I can't wait to see the results of Nine pressing play. :)

Ah, family. Next to spectacularly illogical AI, it's BioWare's most common theme. The Revan arc, KotFE, and KotET took it to a whole new level though. First, Theron's awkward position. We'd like to believe that our parents would trust us, support us, or at least not declare us and everything we "like" (because more than like goes unspoken) to be pure evil, but reality isn't always so kind. Jace Malcolm is a radical, and Satele is the head of a religious organization where even the children are all emotionless psychokinetic killers with laser swords. Their son... is just a guy. He doesn't *do* the whole "cult-like zeal" thing (which honestly gave him away more than "missing" that shot and "conveniently" blowing open the window for Lana and the Commander to jump). He's got some issues with the chain of command, but that's because the Republic's chain is tied in knots more than anything on Theron's end. But nooo, because he believes in this wonderful thing called "compromise" he's got a death mark on his head. And the punch line is, even if Trant officially ordered it, I don't think either of his parents will lose more than a night's sleep (if they lose any at all) over their son being murdered by their government for doing the intelligent thing and attempting to save the bloody galaxy.

I could go on. I could talk about that creature that Arcann and Vaylin call a father is borderline picket-fence household material compared to my own mother (and she didn't even have Sith rituals to use on me or my sister), but instead, Lokin.

He lies. A lot. We know it, we expect it. But to lie about X? There are lines Nine won't cross, and this was one of them. So "for her safety" of course (not safety, survival, because "safety" would imply she's not constantly and actively putting herself in danger for a galaxy that honestly won't care once it's been saved AGAIN), Lokin pulled her across that line without her consent (likely at some time while she was unconscious).

It's not like this would even strike him a wrong. What was it he says under the right conditions in the original 3-act SWTOR release so long ago? "I've done worse to family." If he can be so cavalier about torture, then what harm does he see in using a monster to increase Nine's odds of survival when days like this happen where Exarchs drop consoles on her?

He did the wrong (very, very wrong) thing, but for the right (right-ish) reason. If Nine stops and thinks back far enough to the "old days" (not calling them good, just old), then she probably remembers that was the premise of Imperial Intelligence in a nutshell.

And honestly, she never stopped playing that particular game. She's about to blackmail Trant, after all.

(The fact that she has selfish reasons and "right" reasons that happily coincide is not a matter to be discussed, of course. Not at all, and certainly not so soon after telling Theron that he can have closet space on top of the toothbrush AND that she wants him there even after the death mark matter has been settled. Nope. The "emotional intimacy cap" has been reached until the next weekly reset... so to speak.)

Yes, that bit at the end was dorky, but I'm fairly certain you got my point. They're spies, killers, liars, and much more. Being fully open with another sentient being, especially another sentient being who shares that same occupation, skillset, and mentality? It's just not what they DO. They're trying though, and doing adorably well so far, and that's what matters.

Because I'm not going to contemplate what matters after the aforementioned train from which Lana and Nine eventually jump. No way, no how. Just gonna cut my ramblings here, say this was a nice emotional chapter (and funny because Theron's wardrobe needs desperate expansion and Lana needs a drink to finish the conversation, poor Sith), and end with the following:

*bows* See you next time.

Okay, before I say anything remotely deep, I want to thank you for your attention to detail. Personally, I'm horrible at lemons, smut, whatever you want to call it, but I'm a big fan of these things called facts, and almost every writer seems to forget this one: whether sprinting or marathoning, sex against surfaces other than a soft bed (and often even then) leaves those involved quite sore. Both parties will, in fact, feel it in the morning, and while players can brush off Force-empowered nukes to the face, the actual *characters* cannot. Even something as, ahem, mundane as screwing in a tub can leave bruises. So thank you for being attentive enough to the small things to make this feel like a story about *people* and not MMO demi-gods with endgame gear.

Okay, now back to my irregularly scheduled psychoanalysis. Topic of choice: Lana Beniko. A walking contradiction and, out of all these crazy lunatics, one of few who can be called a true friend. Yes, she saved you because she needed you to save the galaxy, but this chapter makes it painfully clear (pun originally not intended, sorry) that she cares as much for the Alliance Commander as she does for the Alliance, if not the galaxy as a whole. Sadly, the preservation of one requires constantly risking the other. Nine must live in order for the Alliance to stop Zakuul, yet in order for the Alliance to stop Zakuul, Nine's life must constantly be risked. This is the duality that Lana struggles with more than any other, even Theron.

Why? Because even after all that Nine had done, and all that had been done to her, Lana still woke her up, put a gun in her hand, and put her back to work. If that doesn't say "You may neither sleep nor die until you save the galaxy," then I don't know what does. Hardly any different from how ImpINT would have used her, except Lana at least cares for Nine's phsyical and mental well-being, as both a ranking member of the Alliance, and a friend..

As if the vocal concern over Nine's lack of sleep and subsequent injuries wasn't proof enough, this woman comes from a psychokinetic Darwinian subculture, yet aside from the rare slip-up owing to simply existing in constant connection to something far greater than herself, she's barely "proper Sith" at all. The fact that Nine can take a dig at her relationship with Koth, hells, the fact that there's a relationship with Koth that Nine CAN take a dig at, shows you how set apart she is from the "old ways" of just about any other Force-sensitive in the Empire (either of them).

Honestly, you used a *sleepover* as a framing device for the Revanite retelling story arc. You don't *get* any less proper Sith than that, yet Lana was right there, almost completely in-character from start to finish.

She'll put Nine in danger for the good of the galaxy, but she'll just as quickly back Nine to the hilt for the good of her friend... whether Nine accepts the help or has to be dragged kicking and screaming to admit she actually isn't fine at the present moment is another matter entirely.

A matter I look forward to seeing more of in the next chapter. This one was good. If the outcome of that final Nar Shaddaa assault op is the new "day at the office" though, the Alliance leaders may all want to consider group therapy (like they haven't all needed it for years now).

Good chapter, like I said. See you next time.

A lot of things are complcated, and that's just for people in general. The "complicated" factor goes through the bloody roof when you throw a life of perpetual betrayal, paranoia, and general ImpINT espionage into the mix. Yeah, lots and lots of complicated to go around there.

You wanna know what's not complicated? Hate. Hate's easy as balls, especially when elicited by its counterpart (which shall not be named because that's something reeeaaallly complicated). Sounds like a contradiction, right? Nope. Something comes after you or yours, it doesn't matter who you are. If there's a heart beating in your chest, then it's already pumping liquid fire through your veins by now, because of that utterly unacceptable transgression:

They came after what was yours, and you hate them down to your bones, down to that soul you've already damned, to your teeth now achng to sink into something and bite until there's blood. Whether anything comes of their efforts or not, you hate them so much you can barely *breathe* simply for having the suicidal madness to even consider trying.

That is the ferocity, the simplicity of hate, born from an emotion generally associated with a more positive attributes. "Love is simple, love is kind" they say. Whoever said it first never took into account the protective, possessive, instinctive fury of someone whose love is threatened.

Nine isn't simple. Her life isn't simple. But she has a simple rule when it comes to things she knows are real and important to her as an individual during the rare moments she's allowed to let her guard down and behave as such. That rule is literally "Don't."

And the consequences for ignoring this rule are severe. How do I know? Well, the Star Cabal and the Revanites both took their shots at what mattered to Nine, and look how they're getting along these days. Anyone else want to join them? The mountain of corpses should speak for itself, but the Eternal Empire probably can't see it past all the family issues in their throne room. That just means they're next when they inevitably cross the line, eh?

So glad your writing again ! I've been on pins and needles waiting for the story to continue. Also glad your feeling well again. Interesting how you handled Balker was a nice segway to the action and ties up a relationship kinda let dangling in game.

Depression, I know it quite well. If I had anything to offer beyond the generic "we're there for you," I'd give it. But I don't, so "we're there for you" will have to do.

This was a good chapter. And Jonas' skepticism, however unfortunate, is also a sad reality. War, after war, after war. The "us vs them" doctrine is too ingrained for some to accept an alternative.

But the job's done, day's saved, and there's time for relatively brief R&R before the next catastrophe, right?

There was once a time where Nine could take solace in that. Now? Now it's not remotely as simple.

Until next time... *attempts to beat Solo's time on the Kessel Run* see ya!

Great chapter and happy birth day!

Jobs never (ever!) quite go according to plan do they? But seriously, we're going to hear the story behind Jonas' little nickname, right? Because when *Lana* gets in on the ribbing, you know it's probably true...

Also, yeah, it sucks to be a hero with publicity instead of a ghost who can disappear. The former is meant to do good and look good. Meanwhile, the latter, which has been Nine's occupation for literally as long as she can remember, is meant to be disavowed the bloody second she doesn't look good. And Nine was okay with that, more or less (of course the old conditioning may have helped her to *be* okay with that). Compared to chafing in the spotlight, I'd imagine she preferred the way it used to be, in a weird spy way I guess.

Anyway, good chapter. I always enjoy them.

So excited for the next chapter! :) Please don't stop updating!

Ah, good old Jonas. That's literally all I've got to say for this one because, well, it's JONAS. The guy is just that much fun.

Well, well, the show hasn't even started yet and it's already turning out to be quite the... performance.

Ba-dum tss.

Sorry, couldn't resist, lol. Nor can I resist saying that I can't wait for Nine to blow the roof off the joint.

Okay, I'll stop before my puns get worse than the smuggler's in the original release. Seriously, between Lana's continued discomfort (flustered is such an adorable look on that Sith), Theron's attempts at suave (the boy tried), and Kaliyo (jut Kaliyo) it was so much fun.

Vandalism: they really liked that moon.

Also, Theron and Lana dressed to go to a nightclub? Yes please.

Umbrella Corporation? Tell me that's your own personal shout out to Resident Evil (only slightly in bad taste given what Lokin's going through, but still funny), and not an actual in-game reference that I somehow completely missed all this time.

Hilarious either way.

Also, the fact that this is a relatively "slow day" compared to all that's happened and all that's still coming makes me want to tear up a little. Nine's no saint, but she's done more for the galaxy than a lot of actual saints at this point. We'd all like to think that "ride off into the sunset" is coming someday, some *year* eventually...

But it isn't, is it? Galaxy's just gonna keep taking, poor girl. When you finally say, "enough," and decide to start taking back, try not to lose even more in the process.

As Lana says, may the Force serve you well.