The woman who had lately been the Commander of the Eternal Alliance and started her life as a slave, yet still considered herself by the intermediary title of Darth Nox stepped off the Alliance shuttle and took a deep breath of Dromund Kaas's muggy air. The Force was strong on this world, twisted by the dark, and the planet felt like it was revelling in the blood of its vanquished enemies. Home, at long last.
Oh, she'd visited briefly to talk with Acina, which had ended with them running through Dromund Kaas's jungles with the GenoHaradan on their tail, but that had been a visit. Now she was here to stay – not for good, Odessen still demanded her attention, but for at least a week.
She would have to check on Ashara's management of her estates, and see if Khem and Andronikos had kept in touch with her even if they hadn't with Talos or Xalek, and see about claiming back her seat on the Dark Council, but before that, she had a personal invitation from Acina herself. So she sent Talos to the city apartment with most of her luggage and boarded a smaller shuttle captained by a member of the new Imperial Guard.
Dromund Kaas's green expanses passed beneath her. They were headed to the west of Kaas City, towards one of Dromund Kaas's chains of active volcanoes. The Kheran Krote chain was the shorter chain and slightly less active, though it too boasted volcanic mud and hot springs like the Kheran Aegit.
As the shuttle descended, Nox caught glimpse of a force field among the trees. A section blinked out momentarily to admit the shuttle as it dipped beneath the great green canopy.
Nox stepped back from the windows as the shuttle touched down. As a result, her first glance of the compound came when the shuttle door opened.
She could see a few red-clad Imperial Guards, but mostly the service staff seemed to be droids – all in keeping with an off the radar property for discreetly entertaining guests. No doubt Acina had at least one more actually secret one, plus the required apartment in Kaas City. Nox let a protocol droid take her luggage and followed another droid along the tiled paths that connected the low, wooden buildings with one another. If she had to guess, the first one on the right would be the guards' quarters and the large one on the left maintenance or a hangar. Acina's rooms and any guest quarters would be deeper into the estate.
The protocol droid led Nox to a low building that didn't have the feeling of a living space. The screen door slid open to a training hall that had holographic opponents converge upon a single figure.
Acina had shed her armor and circlet, and also her shirt. She was in her trousers and underwear, purple saberstaff a blur of light.
Nox knew when she was being shown off for. She leaned on the edge of the door and watched.
The attire would be no accident, even if the region was muggier than Dromund Kaas. Nox's gaze lingered on the muscle of Acina's shoulders and arms, then the line of her back. None of the holographic opponents got closer than necessary to stab with a lightsaber; Acina was in full control of the encounter, even when the training simulation's opponents rose to a deluge.
Finally, Acina executed a spinning strike that had the last five enemies flicker out of existence. She breathed heavily, sweat dripping down her back. After a moment she turned off her lightsaber.
"Impressive," Nox said, speaking of more than Acina's prowess with her saberstaff.
"I do aim to be." Acina stretched out. "Come. You must be stiff from your journey, and I am in need of a shower." Acina didn't grab any sort of shirt or covering as she walked out the door. Nox greatly enjoyed the view.
The tiled path led down a hill. A slightly sulphuric scent hit Nox's nose moments before the steaming water itself came to view. "Your own private hot springs?" Nox said. "You do know how to make a woman feel like she's important."
Acina gave Nox a smug little smile. "I did tell you that when I want someone alone, it will be in more pleasing circumstances." They arrived at the edge of the pool. "Get comfortable. I'll be back once I've washed off the worst of the sweat."
Nox made a noise of acknowledgement and watched Acina go. The black trousers weren't skin tight, but clingy enough that ogling was heavily rewarded.
Once Acina had disappeared into another building, Nox took stock of the amenities. A small rack to hold clothes and steps cut into the pool's edge.
Given Acina's display earlier, Nox knew exactly what the agenda was. She shrugged out of her robes and tossed them on the rack – she would not be surprised if a droid came and confiscated them – and stepped into the water.
The water was warm and seemed to suck every worry out of Nox's body. She waded in and knelt so the top of her head was submerged, then found a ledge for seating and leaned back against the edge of the pool. A bit of squirming saw her submerged down to her chin.
Had she been in a state to think about things, she might have pondered installing a hot tub or two at Odessen. As it was, she closed her eyes and luxuriated.
Then Acina emerged from the shower and Nox turned to look. The Empress of the Sith was wholly naked, waist-length hair released from its bun and sopping wet, as was all of Acina's skin. Her breasts jiggled as she walked. Rivulets of water ran down her hips to her cunt. Nox felt her own blood rise up as Acina came closer.
"Enjoying your bath?" Acina asked.
"The view is excellent," Nox replied, raking her eyes over Acina as she sank into the volcanic waters.
"There are a great many benefits to a suitably private location." Acina settled on the same ledge, propped up so that her the water only barely covered her nipples. She stretched out her arms across the edge. "I do hope you can come around to my position on this."
"I most definitely could," Nox said and turned to Acina.
She leaned to kiss Acina's collar bone, then trailed down to her breast as Acina pushed her chest forward, and finally claimed a nipple from beneath the surface. Acina's legs opened as she pushed her chest toward Nox's mouth.
What could Nox do but oblige? She took all that was offered and pressed fingers against Acina's clit. Even in the water, she could feel some of Acina's natural slick on her fingertips.
"Oh, Force," Acina groaned. Her head tipped back, baring her throat, and Nox wanted to bite, but not yet.
Instead, she brought her hips to Acina's knee and ground down, relishing in the pressure against her clit. She felt static dance down her nerves and the echo of the same from Acina.
She left her thumb on Acina's clit as she slid the rest of the fingers to the entrance of her cunt. Her middle finger she dipped inside, not thrusting – she was too far gone for that – but just inside.
Acina shifted, cunt clenching on Nox's fingers. "My other breast as well, please."
Nox moved her mouth to Acina's other breast and bit the smooth expanse of skin, drawing a gasp from Acina, then found the nipple and sucked. Her free hand she brought to the breast she'd vacated and she groped flesh, felt how it was large enough to bulge between her fingers. She thought of Acina, Empress, laid out for her to devour, imagined all the things she might do in this week-
Acina's knee hit Nox's clit just right, and an orgasm ran down her spine, twitching her fingers and curling her toes. She rode the high, rocking herself against Acina, as she redoubled her efforts to bring Acina to climax.
A poke of Nox's thumb against Acina's clit had Acina twitching, and another brought her to a shuddering orgasm. Nox kept at it until the shuddering died down, then drew back slightly and waited.
"You certainly know how to make someone feel welcome," Nox said after Acina looked to have regained some composure.
Acina looked at Nox with hooded lids. Her acid-yellow eyes glowed with the power of the Dark Side. "I do not intend to stop," she said. It sounded like a warning.
Nox leaned forward. "I would not let you," she whispered into Acina's ear.
"Good." Acina ran a hand from Nox's slick cunt to her abs and breasts. "Very good."
Nox grinned. The upcoming week would more than compensate for all the stresses she'd experienced as the Alliance Commander.