[SpringsSong]

"Are you going to make a cheesy metaphor about wanting to be like the Wookiees and sticking it out forever?" Xyshari asked, and Lana shook her head as she laughed.

"I don't think I could ever be that cheesy, my love," Lana said.  "That aside, we don't know what tomorrow might bring.  'Forever' could only be until tomorrow, for all we know."

[SpringsSong]

"It wouldn't matter what 'forever' was for us.  Not to me," Xyshari said, putting a hand on Lana's knee.  "I feel like I could take on the entire Eternal Empire a thousand times over with you by my side, Lana.  And I'm not just saying that because you're my most trusted advisor."

"Have I ever told you about... what went through my mind when I saw Arcann stab you?" Lana asked.

[SpringsSong]

"I don't know that we've had the time before," Xyshari said.  "However, I think that it's... probably only fair, since I told you what went through my mind--what I felt--when I saw you jump between me and Theron," she said.

"I was scared--no, I was terrified," Lana said.  "I don't know if you remember... but when I saw you fly into his lightsaber, I called out."

[SpringsSong]

The pain from the lightsaber going through her was like the fire of a thousand suns.  She had cried out in shock when the lightsaber impaled her.

"Feel that, Father?" Arcann had growled.

"No!"

"I... do remember, actually," Xyshari said.  "Barely, but I did remember hearing you say, 'No!', and then..."

[SpringsSong]

"I looked for something--anything--I could do to get him away from you, to try and see if I could save you," Lana said.  "I knew I couldn't just fire my lightning at him--we both would have ended up dead if I'd have done that--so... I did the next best thing."

"The needle from the ceiling," Xyshari said.

[SpringsSong]

"For an instant, I wondered if that was the wrong choice to make--when you lunged forward to swing at Arcann.  I was worried that it would hit both of you, and that you, too, would fall..." Lana said.

"But I didn't," Xyshari said.  "And the next thing I know, you were at my side..."

[SpringsSong]

"I thought I had lost you--was losing you," Lana said, finally looking at Xyshari.  "Most people who take a lightsaber to the stomach don't live very long--if at all.  I couldn't help but hold you as tightly as I could during that brief kiss--it was selfish of me, but there was no way I could lose you again."

[SpringsSong]

"You love me," Xyshari said.  "Even if you didn't want to admit it then, for whatever reason, you knew it was true.  From how you've talked about it, you'd never felt that way about anyone before.  If nothing else, I'd have to guess that you at least wanted to tell me how you felt before I slipped away."

[SpringsSong]

"Well, if I'd wanted to do that, I'd have done that before we left Ziost--regardless of our differences over how Master Surro's condition should've been," Lana said.  "But... you're not wrong.  You were my first real friend--the life of a Sith is one where you're always waiting for the next person in line to come along and steal everything out from under you."

[SpringsSong]

"I've never... felt the way I felt about you before, with... anyone," Lana said.  "But I could never have imagined my life if it were any different.  You are right, however--I do love you, Xyshari," she said finally.  "I want us to be able to have some sort of happiness in this world, even if it's just in stolen moments here and there."

[SpringsSong]

"If this is just a 'stolen moment', then I guess we need to get to work on ending this war," Xyshari said, leaning forward and kissing Lana gently.  The kiss began chaste, but deepened slowly as Xyshari pulled the Sith closer to her.  This kiss was not as desperate as some of their other kisses--perhaps because of the fact that neither of them had almost died, or were near death--and the need to remind themselves that they were both very much alive was not there.

[SpringsSong]

The kiss was reverent, but soon, Lana pulled away from the kiss, although she ran her hand down Xyshari's face gently as she pressed her forehead to Xyshari's.

"I can't wait until we don't have to steal these moments," Lana said.  "When I can steal you away whenever I want--whenever you need to be stolen away--and have you all to myself... even if only for a few hours."

[SpringsSong]

"Well, until then, we'll just have to steal all of the moments that we can, now, won't we?" Xyshari asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lip.  Lana nodded as she moved a little closer to the Jedi, resting her head on her shoulder.

"Did you ever do anything like this before the Eternal Empire?" she asked.  "Just... run off for a few hours or a few days?"

[SpringsSong]

"A time or two," Xyshari admitted.  "Well... mostly it was kicking everyone else off of the ship and spend some time with Doc, back before we'd met.  We'd make it quick, and try to be presentable before everyone got back.  My Padawan was the worst..."

"You had an apprentice?" Lana asked.

[SpringsSong]

"Surrogate Padawan, at first," Xyshari said.  "Our respective Masters had to go to Tattooine and Alderaan to track down these superweapons that the Republic had been developing, that the Sith lord we'd come across had stolen and sent to his father, Darth Angral.  Kira was Master Kiwiiks' Padawan, but Masters Kiwiiks and Orgus both agreed that it would be best if she came with me."