Hoth: Blood and Ice

Jan gently rests the crosshairs of her weapon over the target which resembled nothing so much as a large rabbit making its way cautiously across the wastes. Almost perfectly camouflaged against the snow it was only Lucinia's ability to seek creatures through the force that had let them notice it at all.

The sniper slows her breathing, tensing and then relaxing the muscles in her torso as her rifle's barrel continues to track the creature.
"I almost feel bad doing this."
With a loud 'crack' the gun discharges, drilling a neat hole through the rabbit several hundred metres away.
"Almost."
She turns her head to look at the woman beside her.
"Darling, I know I say this every time we go out, but we are really a perfectly matched pair."

"Ooh." Lucinia breathed. Her breath condensed in the cold air... although somewhat less than most people's breath. "Lovely shot, my dear." She gave the other woman a pleased look.

"Almost, indeed." Lucinia smirked. "You know, there are creatures that develop the ability to cloak themselves from powers like mine. Really, we're just performing a very basic form of natural selection on these." She waved a hand at the dead animal. "Let's get a bit closer, and I'll pick it up." Well, so to speak.

"We really are, aren't we?" As they walked together, Luci gave her partner a fond look. "Tell me. What do you think about destiny?"

"Of course, simply the greater predators driving these little creatures to be at their very best...and hopefully tastiest."
Jan brushes some snow from her cold weather gear and keeps her hands on her rifle as the two walk, crunching across the ice towards their target.

"Destiny?"
She looks back, meeting Lucinia's gaze with an amused expression, one eyebrow arching daintily.
"Well, part of me wants to say that life is what we make of it, that nothing is set, all that wonderful stuff. And yet...."
She purses her lips.
"You can only see the force bringing people together or intervening in moments of desperation so many times before you start to wonder. Of course, you've always been much better than me at this sort of thing. Where do you stand on the issue?"

"Oh, it's real, of course." Luci said, giving one of her casual shrugs. "There's no doubt about that. The Force has a certain way of doing things. Whether it has a will or not is somewhat up for debate. In the view of some scholars, that's exactly what destiny is. Or is destiny an exertion of some seperate will? I'll admit, my studies focused elsewhere."

She stopped suddenly, thrusting her arm out, palm extended. Gritting her teeth, she focused, bending those tendrils of life energy she felt. The dead creature lifted suddenly, drifting through the air towards them, until it dropped into the case they'd brought for this purpose. Exhaling heavily, Lucinia lowered her arm.

Smiling, she looked at Jan. "Either way, destiny can be bent to a strong will." She tilted her head, regarding her love almost curiously. "I find myself wondering which way it was with us? Perhaps a little of both?"

Jan nonchalantly taps the case with her boot and it snaps closed as she bends down to pick it up, taking a few moments to ponder that.

"We're both people who have...well, in the republic they would call it goals, I'd say we have ambitions. I was in the middle of clawing myself up a very long and very slippery pole. You were, well, perhaps you were a little frustrated with where you were at the time too."

Straightening and scanning the horizon with a practiced gaze.
"Then remember the beach. Again we both wanted something, and it was so much more fun to want the same thing with someone else. We both wanted so much...I think maybe that's what happened. Not to mention the sheer ambitions of everyone else on Ziost at the time, I imagine destiny was having quite the time sorting it all out."

She smiles, a genuine smile reserved for when she's actually happy, one with less teeth.
"So, I'd say a little of both, right time, right place. Something easier for a powerful seeker and a skilled sniper, no? Although if you'd like to say your immense will brought this stunning specimen of humanity to you, well, I shall hardly object."

"Hmmm..." While her pallor had increased over the years, Lucinia's lips had, if anything, turned more red. She tapped them thoughtfully with one finger, smiling. "Ambitions. Want. Destiny. How interesting. They do all seem to be of a piece, don't they? And yet another way in which we fit well together."

She turned to face Jan, her smile growing wider. "I think I would like to say that." Her teeth flashed white in a smile. "And you could say that your rising ambition brought you together with a stunning Sith luminary. In fact, I rather think you should."

She closed her eyes a few moments. "Another one, that way." Lucinia pointed. "Perhaps 500 meters."

"Quite stunning, with a brilliant mind too, and she's even a good hunter."
Jan turns and brings up her rifle, scanning through the numerous scopes for a few moments as she follows Lucinia's outstretched finger.
"Where are you...where...theeeeeere we go."
She slowly zeros in on another rabbit, this one just hesitantly poking its head out of a burrow.

"Found you. Hmmm."
Jan keeps slowly fiddling with the weapon, slowly calculating the shot.

"I've been thinking about the future, actually. So long as we don't die on this rather unpleasant rock. About legacy, really."
The rabbit's cute face now fills her entire scope.

"Oh?" Lucinia's voice was softer. "Legacy is on every Sith's mind. Our first choice is to live forever, of course." A quiet titter at that, one gloved hand coming up to her mouth; not the corner, thankfully. "But we do often have to settle for our second choice."

She looked at Jan, her expression curious. "Will you share your thoughts with me, my dear?" She asked softly. Even as she waited, Luci tensed, feeling the anticipation of the shot.

For a few moments there's just the wind blowing relentlessly across the ice until finally Jan sighs and lower her weapon.

"I feel it would be...well remiss of us to not leave something behind, maybe even someone?
Jan chews her lips for a moment.
"I don't want my name to just be nothing after I'm gone, I've come too far for nothing. I've sacrificed too much for nothing. This whole plan, it's to get us the seed money to form our own corporation, your beloved sister might help.

Jan pauses for a moment, searching for the words, before adding. "But, if we don't live forever. Someone needs to run it, when we're gone. Someone with our names. And maybe that could be...a person we raised, together? Not from birth, obviously, we're far too busy. But maybe a promising youngster with the requisite skills? Someone who can carry on the legacy. Who can tell their children about Lucinia Malveaux, maiven of the force and Jan Melmoar, venture capitalist. An then they tell their children, and so on."

Lucinia's expression grew stranger as she watched Jan lower the rifle, but she didn't say anything.

"Oh." She said, partway through Jan's words. But then her eyes grew wider. "Oh." She said again, her voice softer. "I see." She was silent a few moments, the same strange expression on her face.

A smile flickered on, then back off. Her stance shifted a little, as though she wasn't quite sure where to step. "I... I don't quite know what to say. Sith... do not make good parents, typically. Just ask, well, me. And my sister. My sister..." Lucinia blinked, shaking her head.

"Luci...we wouldn't be good parents."
Jan takes a few steps forward, crunching the snow beneath her until she's face to face with her partner.
"We'd be great parents."

She reaches out to gently cup Lucinia's cheek in her hand.
"You had a ghastly upbringing in a ghastly house. Everything was stacked against you, your sister as well. And yet despite all that you became a powerful woman, a brilliant woman, a dangerous woman, the woman I love."

Gaining confidence.
"And our child, they wouldn't have to worry about that sort of thing. Not about where the next credit comes from, or batting away dangerous family members. They could have a good life. We're both ambitious, we both want, and when we both want the same thing, it happens. I think we'd want our kid to succeed."

Lucinia looked up, blinking, her expression softening further as Jan touched her cheek. "Jan... my dear..." Slowly, she closed her eyes just for a moment, then opened them, smiling. "My love." Her face seemed almost bright, some healthy color returning to her cheeks.

"That means... a lot, actually. Thank you." She sighed, wistful. "I suppose... it is a good reminder that one can be strong, but still be loved. And feel love. Hmmm." She was silent for a few moments, her expression still soft.

Then, tilting her head, she looked at Jan, still smiling. "It seems you've thought about it a lot. How long have you been thinking about it?"

"Oh you know....a month...a year, maybe a couple of years. I...did not want to rush something like this. The timing had to be right for both of us."
Jan grins, having the good grace to look at least a little embarrassed.

"There's no need for an answer today. We still have much to do. But, will you think on it?"

Lucinia grinned back. Her own hand came up to gently brush across her partner's cheek. "I shall think on it. I promise."

Taking a deep breath, she sighed pleasantly. For a few moments, it looked like she was going to move on. But then she spoke. "Have you thought about how we might... you know." She waved a hand. "Sith do sometimes abduct children. But alas, in this new regime, we don't have quite as much power." Her lips twisted wryly. "And, in truth, sometimes it's best not to exercise power."

Jan raises an eyebrow, if Lucinia was working out the mechanics then she might well end up on board.

"Abduction is complicated, no? And I imagine most children would resent such a thing, I personally would have waited to judge my new parents on their own merits, but that hardly seems the way of things."
She takes Luci's hand in hers and gently rubs it as she thinks.

"Surely there are orphans? Children with no family? We simply need to find an intelligent, charismatic and force-sensitive one. We can select the best orphan out there....maybe we'll need to have some kind of standardised test to narrow down a short list."
Eyes twinkling.
"Hypothetically, what qualities would you be looking for in any candidates?"

Lucinia laughed softly, her hand giving Jan's a gentle squeeze. "Oh, yes. Only the best of orphans for the Malveauxs." She pursed her lips, highlighting their red. "It's true, the there are many orphans in the Empire. Some of the more powerful Sith come from them, actually. Most of them, well, don't do so well." She wasn't being gentle, it was just that the bad fates that tended to befall the less fortunate in the Empire were too varied to go over.

Her gaze went distant. "Theoretically, it shouldn't be hard to find a child with any number of qualities. The same powers that allow me to detect these creatures we hunt would allow me to find an individual." That made Lucinia grimace, just a little; after all, they wouldn't be shooting the orphans.

"As to what qualities..." Lucinia's gaze returned, and she blinked, shaking her head, her eyes uncertain. "I scarcely know. It's curious. Somehow I find that harder to think about than the adoption itself. Perhaps it's a question of abstract versus particulars?"

"Well, darling, perhaps I can help?"
Jan runs her eyes up and down Lucinia.

"They have to be brilliant of course, not just smart but curious, someone with an insatiable desire to learn."
Cocking her head.
"And they simply must have charisma, if they can't command a room how will they command an entire company?"
She starts smirking.
"Humour is important as well, wittiness is a must. And ideally they'll grow up tall, although perhaps not quite as tall as me. Those are the characteristics I would be searching for."

Well. That definitely drew a laugh from Lucinia, honestly amused, and not at all mocking. "Oh, Jan. You do have a way with words, you know." She laughed again, brushing one hand across her face.

Smirking playfully, she leaned a little closer. "Why not just a little taller? With a keen business sense, and nerves of steel? Self-reliant and very, very, thoughtful." A little closer. "Those are traits I appreciate."

"I like this sound of this mysterious taller woman."
Jan wraps a long arm around Lucinia's waist and gently pulls her closer still.

"She sounds like my second favourite person in the galaxy. Anyone who could possess the traits of both these ladies would be almost completely perfect, don't you agree?"

Lucinia had a long memory, and this leaning brought something to mind. As the two came closer together, her hand came up...

"Boooop." She said, gently booping Jan's nose. For a few moments, she smirked, but then she completed the lean, tilting her head to bring their lips together.

"Mmmm." Lucinia murmured as they parted, her lips curling up again. "I suppose we both found someone with those traits individually. Finding someone who shared the lot of them seems entirely possible."

But then her brow creased. "I very much like this idea. I'm not fully agreeing yet... but I shall begin research."

Jan's nose wrinkles playfully for a moment but she gets over it when the two finally do meet...Lucinia best watch her back though, there would be future boopage.

"Of course Luci, we don't have to rush now, do we? And it's not as though we're going to find a child on Hoth now?"
She enjoys a few more quiet moments before her grin widens.

"I find myself marvellously happy."
Without breaking her gaze Jan's rifle snaps up and bullseyes the distant rabbit who had crawled a couple more inches out of his burrow.
"Stew tonight?"

((Thanks for the scene! ))