The New Empire

Chapter 14 - Warm Darkness

It's been three weeks since Liv told Plato that he must earn her trust slowly. Now she was sitting in the cafeteria enjoying her breakfast and the buzz of excitement loud in the hall. This was probably the closest she'll ever get to a joyous and friendly environment. She listened into some of the ongoing chatting with a subtle smile. The officers seemed glad about not having to work for hours stretching into the night and the safety that Lord Ren would not snap any of their necks if the operation didn't work out as planned. The troopers were more than excited, as the promise that their work wouldn't lessen was kept. Every day there were at least a dozen operations starting from the Luxe to fight off warlords who were a threat to their hard earned peace.

As the heavy steps of the armoured subsided Liv glanced around, looking for the familiar figure. Her waiting wasn't irrational and she couldn't help, but crack a half-smile when the dark cloaked form crept into her view. He sat down at the neighbouring table, closer than yesterday. And further than tomorrow.

Their eyes locked and he dared to send a gentle smile as a morning's gift. Liv didn't open her mouth, but sent back an equally sweet look and with a last bite finished her breakfast and stood up, heading to the exit.

Plato watched as she stood with grace, overseeing the place with a queen's finesse and strength before she padded out with the only sound being her lightsaber clinking on her belt. Plato had a vague guess why she was doing this. She was waiting for his blazing love to be put out, to wither into ashes. Well, she can wait as much as she wants, Plato murmured to himself, but this won't ever change or end. He sighed and following Liv's example stood up and prepared himself for the day, that might be different than the previous. She might talk, she might take his hand. She might even hug him.

For the untrained eye their day seemed like a never ending cat and mouse play. It was first him, who followed her around in his early spare hour, before he said her a silent goodbye and was forced to return to his duties.

And then it was Liv's turn to dig up some information about him. The first secrets she peered into were the records of his missions. He visited hundreds of planets. Small and big, important and close to nothing. She heard about some of them. They were colourful worlds, all unique in their own way. He painted all of them red with the innocent's blood. He burned up the villages, not leaving a single soul behind. He was more than successful, the reports said, he was proficient and quick. He had Snoke's praise and more.

While reading through the abandoned data, disgust and pity twisted her guts. Then she felt guilt when she realised that the question if she could truly forgive him was already answered. She wanted to take his hand and guide him towards the Light. She left the archive room with shaking hands and a ragged breath.

She already went around and talked with all of the officers who knew him. They all said the same. He studied at Luke's Academy, he was lured to the Dark Side by Snoke and became one of the Knights of Ren, etcetera, etcetera. They were useless. No one of them could answer the important question. They had no idea why he really turned and all they gave to Liv was a funny look when she asked why he came back to the light. Not even Navicius, the only Knight Liv dared to ask, could give a reasonable explanation, just muttered some words about redemption and left, leaving Liv with the realisation that only one could answer her burning questions. Plato himself.

She was striding along the corridors and nibbling on thoughts like these when she came to a sudden halt, and the two officers walking behind her were from a hair's breath from bumping into her. Standing in the middle of the long space Liv realised something. There was nothing more she could do. She uncovered every information she could. Things from now on could only get more personal.

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Plato just had to drink something. The operations weren't going in the way they expected. And he was afraid he might have to join the fighting troops as a reinforcement or leader. No, he'd probably be both. He just had to soothe his nerves. And knowing that hugging Liv sadly wasn't an option for him, a drink was his best solution to the problem. His doors swung open and he stormed through the room to the counter. He got out a glass and was about to pour the golden coloured nectar into it, when he froze. He listened. Faint breaths, coming from the corner near his bed. He turned with widened eyes, despite the fact that he shouldn't have been surprised the least.

It was Liv, sitting on the black floor, cheeks flushed as she was grasping onto one of his secrets stolen from his cupboards, like it was life or death. She seemed to shrink in her embarrassment. He's caught her.

They were perfectly frozen, surprise written clearly on their faces. At last Plato's glass landed on the counter with a loud clack. He was slow to approach Liv. His every movement was followed by a pair of curious eyes. He stopped a few paces from her small figure and sighed.

"Hi, Liv." He greeted in a soft voice, one stripped from all accusation and anger. It was impossible to get angry at her. Her face was too innocent and Plato knew well that she intended no harm.

"Hi, Plato." She knew she didn't say the name she's given him nearly enough. And now the word left a weird feeling on her lips. It was strange and unknown, but in the best way possible.

"How are you?" He asked with a subtle smile, trying to deny the enjoyment of the questioning he had every reason to make.

"I'm fine, thanks." Liv answered in a fragile voice, while trying her best to hide what she's snatched.

"What did you find?"

Liv slowly drew back her hands, revealing a single burnt piece of wood holding onto it's form by sheer miracle under a glass globe.

Liv stared at it for a long moment, before finding her voice. "What is this?"

Plato gave out something resembling a scoff and settled on the ground, right next to Liv. He could smell the familiar mountain air as soon as he stepped into her aura, and his heart started hammering in his chest just at the realisation that this was the closest he got to her in the past three weeks. "Now be careful, you don't want to break that." He gently took the treasure from Liv and hold it up in the light, inspecting it with a wondering look, as if he hadn't seen it in a millennia. "It's funny." He said in a bitterly sarcastic tone. "I don't remember snatching it out of the rubble. I only remember one day finding it at the bottom of my drawer. And I remember what a trouble it was to get a glass globe and then to create a perfect vacuum for it, as if that would save it." Liv found a note of unhappiness in his otherwise calm voice.

"What is it?" She asked again, now a bit more firmly.

Plato closed his eyes for a second and a deep sigh emerged from the depth of his lungs. "It's the only last remaining piece of your uncle's Jedi Academy."

Liv gazed at the blackened wood then right into Plato's eyes. And Plato once again saw what he fell in love with at the first sight. Her unstoppable determination burning in her dark iris.

"I'm going to rebuild the Academy." It was a rock hard statement, not an idea. For a fraction of a second she glanced away and bit her lips, as if in doubt or just gathering up some courage. At last she leaned closer, their eyes locked and none of them dared to blink, not wanting to break the magic of the moment. "And I'm going to rebuild it with you."

At first their fingers intertwined followed by their trembling breaths, then Liv pulled Plato into a close hug, letting them feel each other. Plato didn't need a second call, and he was quick to embrace her like a treasure, stroking her hair and feeling her heartbeat, oh that precious heartbeat that was now pounding just as fast as his. He could feel her again, but now with the thought that his love was returned. That now she wanted him too. And the thought sent him into a blissful haze that was dangerously addictive.

"With you." Liv whispered in a silken voice again and leaned into him even more, letting herself to be lost in his aura. "I can do it."

"I know. You're strong. Stronger than anyone I know. Stronger than me." He planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "You're unstoppable. That is what I love about you the most." He said, hoping she'd say something just as equally kind.

Liv ran a hand through Plato's hair, sending shivers down his spine. "You're loyal. That is what I love about you the most." She pulled away and blinked a few like she's just woken up from a dream. Plato waited tensely for her next move, searching for her tell-tale blink of an eye, but it did not come. Liv leaned so close their noses touched and sent a look filled to the brim with soft love before bringing their lips to a meet.

The kiss was warm, kind, full of affection and the best of all, it was long. It was sweet as honey and so they savoured it, cherishing every second they could. The act of kissing shocked Liv at first and after that she was afraid she'd mess up, but the moment their lips touched all her fears vapoured away. It was divine and her heart filled with the golden flow of joy and happiness when she realised her partner was Plato, the man she forgave and loved with the purest of love possible. She knew she wanted him by her side until the end of the Galaxy and beyond. And she knew that their lives have been sewn together at that very moment.

None of them wanted to be the first to pull away, and so they were locked in their beautiful position, not caring about the hard floor beneath them.