Chapter 1: Prologue
Chapter Text
24 BBY, Lower Coruscant
The red lights of the bustling Coruscanti bar shined down on the tables at which many high-class citizens sat among themselves, drinking and laughing. One of the men, a suited humanoid, beckoned the red-dressed waitress to his side while he dealt another round of cards to the three men across from him. Her clawed hand ran along his shoulders slowly as she lowered her face to his, her eyes dark. "Can I help you sir?" She asks, her voice smooth and sultry, as if trying to seduce him on the spot. He looks at her up and down before returning to his card game. "Bring me another drink. Any kind." The man orders, placing a card on the table before glaring at the men he played with.
"Yes, sir." She replies, rising and heading back towards the kitchen, weaving in and out of the crowd. She pours a fresh drink into one of the fancy glasses they serve their alcohol in. Placing it on the platter in front of her, she pauses for a moment, before reaching into her dress while looking around. She pulls out a small vile of red liquid, dropping half into the alcohol. She tucks it away quickly and retreats out onto the floor where she approaches the man again. He was alone now, counting the money he must have won from his card game.
"Here you go sir." She says softly, placing it in front of him. His hand comes up to rest on her waist as he takes a shot of the drink. "Get me a room ready, will you darling?" He asks, his voice slurred and slow. "Of course, would you like a companion?" She asks routinely, running her hand up his arm slowly. "Are you offering?" The man replies, hunger growing in his eyes as he looks at her up and down again. When she nods, his hand tightens on her waist. "What's your name?" Batting her eyes, she lowers her head so it's level with his, a long silence following his question. "Ko'ra." He smirks and stands, his hand resting on her upper back, where it slides into the open back of her dress. "Well, Ko'ra, shall we?" She nods again, pulling him along towards the stairs where they kept the rooms for more intimate experiences with their customers.
Unlocking a door, she pulls him in and locks the door behind her, standing against it. The man sits on the edge of the mattress with his legs spread in an attempt to be seductive. She smirks, walking towards him slowly and brushing his jacket off his shoulders before moving behind him. Hearing him yawn, she smirks to herself, rubbing her hand across his chest. "What would you like me to do?" He shakes his head and rubs his eyes. "Anything." She hums, lowering her lips to his ear. "Anything, hm?" Before he can speak, he feels his body quiver with sickness. He looks behind himself at her, suspicion rising in his voice. "What did you put in my drink?" She rises and grabs his jacket off the floor, reaching into one of the inner pockets and pulling out a small box. Opening it reveals a blood red cyber crystal. Her gaze flickers back to his as she tosses the box up and down in her hands.
"Nothing to worry about darling, I only numbed you." She tucks the box firmly into her dress and approaches him again. "My Master will be quite pleased with my work, I'm sure. I only wonder how a low life like you got a hold of this." He glares at her, trying to gain back his strength to no avail. "Now I get to clean up the mess I made…" She winks, leaning in as if to kiss him before igniting one red blade through his stomach, watching the man fall back limply onto the bed. Stepping back, she takes in the sight before her. "Well, that was pathetically easy. Disgusting pervert…" She murmurs to herself before digging through the rest of his clothes for anything of note, coming up empty handed. Deciding to leave the body where it was, she heads to the window, unlocking it quickly and kicking the screen out. Just as she is about to move, she hears a knock behind her on the door, signaling she has to leave right away.
Jumping out onto the slanted rooftop, she dashes quickly to a reserved parking area where her stolen speeder rests. Before she can get in however, the pathetic Republic spies that had been tracking her moves appear, shooting wildly towards her. Her reflexes are quick as she reflects the blaster fire with her saber, moving quickly across the rooftop and slashing at them. Before the other can reach her, she kicks out her foot, the heel of her shoe stabbing his abdomen as he falls over with a cry of pain. Knocking the blaster out of the assassin's hand, she uses her newly acquired force choke, strangling the man in the air. "Whoever you work for, you better scurry back and tell them you stand no chance against me or the rising Confederacy." Dropping one of the men with a thud, she turned to the other who was still lying on the broken tiles of the rooftop.
Leaning down, she lifts his chin with her finger, her claw digging into the skin of his neck. "And before you even try it, your precious little Jedi order won't help you either." She sneers, dropping his head and rising to her full height. Turning away, she sheaths her saber and straightens her sequined dress. "Pathetic assassins, getting my new clothes dirty." She mutters under her breath as she returns to the parking area, checking herself to assure herself she still has the Kyber Crystal before approaching her speeder again.
She hurries into the vehicle and quickly turns it on, adjusting the controls. Picking up her comlink, she contacts her superior. "Master? I got the crystal; I'm heading back to the docking bay now." Her hands grip the controls anxiously as she speeds through the city, checking her surroundings to make sure no one was following her. Once she arrives, she moves towards the Droid-protected ship, climbing up the ramp very swiftly. It seems this time; she has no pursuit to fight off. With a sigh, she sits in her quarters, reaching back into her pocket to look at the Kyber Crystal more closely. She wonders why her Master would want such a worthless crystal. Illum had plenty of the things to go around. Placing it on the desk in front of her, she lay back on the thin mattress. Perhaps this time, she's done well enough to prove herself.
----
Nimph dreams of a familiar woman, ones he has not seen in a long, long time. Her long wavy hair still fell down her back the way Nimph remembered it did. The woman's body no longer seemed scarred or weak, finally relaxed and at ease. When she approaches the woman, she reaches out her hand to her back. Instead, her hand slides right through her, as if she's a ghost. The woman starts to walk away. She is saying something, but Nimph cannot comprehend what it is. She runs after her until she no longer can, sinking to her knees and crying out. Panic rises in her throat.
"Sir? We've arrived." Nimph sits up startled, looking around until her eyes land on the B-1 in front of her. "O-oh, thank you." She mutters, rubbing her face with her hands. This was a dream she had before. It was very consistent, and she didn't understand it at all. Looking down at her hand, her thumb brushes over the long-scarred slash in the center of her hand from her marriage ritual. "Maybe Qymaen will know…" She mumbles incoherently before standing up and making herself presentable.
--
"Excellent work as always, Vízesés," Sidious remarks, turning the red crystal over in his hands. "Thank you, Lord Sidious." Nimph replies, looking up at him from where she kneeled on the floor. "This crystal was of the upmost importance, belonging to a long-dead Sith Lord." He explains, eyes glowing an intense yellow through the darkness of his hooded face. "Now then, I believe you are free to return to Geonosis and relieve Lord Tyranus of his training with Grievous…" He continues, watching her closely as she stands, smoothing out her outfit. "As you wish, Lord Sidious." She replies simply before turning on her heels and walking out of the blast protector doors. Upon entering her temporary living quarters, she gathers her belongings before heading to the docking bay. It had been 3 months since she left Geonosis again. It seemed that Sidious just kept wanting to test her constantly, dragging her away from…him.
She nods to the two battle droids who are escorting her back to Geonosis, a small smile peeking out of her face when they greet her. Nimph had grown fond of the droids, finding them cute and amusing, but the same couldn't be said about Qymaen. He hated them. Poor things. "Good evening Mrs. Grievous!" Nimph waves her hand to them as she approaches them with a chuckle at the name. "Good evening, you two. Sidious told you our destination I assume?" Taking a seat in the captain's chair, she watches the droids get to work. "Yes, Sir!" The ship exits the larger one and begins its descent to Geonosis. It was only a short way away, and Sidious' ship was already pretty close, so Nimph simply relaxed for a moment. She let herself slip into quiet meditation for a few moments, preparing herself mentally for what lay ahead.
As the ship begins to dock, she feels the familiar warmth of the bond between her and Qymaen, running through her like a drug and bringing her down. As she exits the ship, she secures her cloak around her figure, bidding farewell to the droids. The halls of the Droid factory were surprisingly empty, as she only passed a few droids and Geonossians despite her long walk to the training center. Just as she figured, through the window she spied her husband, training with Dooku. She pauses in front of the window to watch, her hand resting on the glass. Dooku looks up first, halting his movements. Qymaen follows, his golden eyes widening at the sight of her.
Dooku motions for her to join them, so she obliges, heading into the dank training area. "Welcome back Vízesés, I didn't think you'd be back so soon." Her eyes wander to Qymaen who seems to be holding himself back from pouncing on her. "Lord Sidious gave me a pretty easy quest this go round." She chuckles, her eyes remaining fixated on her husband. Although he no longer looked as he did when they met, she had long become used to his new form. She loved his new body nearly as much as she did his last, even worshipped it. "General…" Nimph says softly, the corner of her mouth curving up. "Would you mind walking me to our- I mean… my quarters?" Grievous nods almost too eagerly, bowing to Dooku, who shakes his head knowingly. Grievous clankers over to the door, holding it open for her.
The nature of their relationship was not well known to the public. It would be dangerous if it got out. So, the two of them walked side-by-side, as professionally as possible. Grievous unlocks the door to their quarters, letting her through first before shutting the door. She barely has time to take her cloak off before he sweeps her into his arms, spinning her around as if she was light as a feather. "My Nimph…oh how I missed you." Nimph laughs, wrapping her arms around his neck before pressing soft kisses onto his face plate. "My dear Qymaen…" She purrs, feeling his masked face brush against her cheek.
This was how he greeted her every return, enjoying his pure affection for her as he acted as if she was the only thing in the world that mattered. "Are you alright? No battle wounds?" The cyborg asks, brushing his skeletal-like fingers against her cheek gently. "I'm fine, though I'm a bit disgusted mentally." She chuckles, resting her small hand on top of his. "I was forced to seduce an old man to get the crystal." Grievous shakes his head, his ear fins moving in annoyance. "He didn't touch you, did he?" His voice was nearly a growl. "Not any more than a hand on my back; he's long gone now, dear." Lowering his head to match her height, his eyes glow in the dim light. "I don't care if he's dead or not, he touched you." She gives him a sly smirk, her hand moving to the zipper of her high-necked dress and pulling it down under her chest.
"You're jealous." He growls again; his eyes focused on the zipper she pulls down. "Do I need to reassure you that I'm yours?" Grievous nods, pushing her dress off completely and running his fingers down her sides, running them over her curves and scars. "Mine…" He groans before sweeping her off her feet once more, heading to their bedroom while Nimph giggles, feeling content at last.
-----
After a trip to the 'fresher, Nimph returns to the bedroom with a towel around her neck. Grievous sits reclined in his adjustment chair, messing with a circuit in his arm. "Hey…have you had any weird dreams lately?" She asks, sitting down at the vanity and retrieving her hairbrush. "…Weird how?" He replies, cursing in Kaleesh as he shocks himself accidentally. "I keep dreaming about Ronderu." His head lifts when she says that, his eyes closing as he digs mentally for his memories of the woman. "I can see her so clearly…but every time I reach for her, my hand goes right through her. She speaks but I can't hear her." He hums in thought, tapping his fingers on the armrest.
"I still haven't had any dreams since the accident." Nimph felt her heart ache for him. The process of rebuilding his body was shady at the least. Despite his pleas for nothing to be done to his brain, they disregarded his request and messed with it anyways. When he first was getting used to his body, he often got frustrated at his lack of memory, forgetting his time on Kalee, His friends, His wives…His children. It was painful to watch, Nimph growing increasingly more upset every time she would have to remind him of what they were even fighting for in the first place. He had even forgotten her name once, which set it all in place. Since that, she began working with his personal doctor droid to locate the area of his brain they messed with, determined to restore his prior mentality.
Waving his hand in front of her face, she snaps out of her thoughts, shaking her head. "You should lay down; you've had a long trip." Grievous encourages, closing the panel on his arm. "Not unless you sleep with me." She says, taking his robotic hand and pulling it towards the large bed. "You know I don't sleep much anymore." He argues, referring to his 'sleep mode' he enters every so often. "Come on, you need sleep. Don't argue with me." Crawling onto the bed, she holds out her arms. Grievous sighs and slides in next to her, the bed creaking under his weight.
Nimph pulls herself against him, ignoring the coldness of his metal plating and focusing on his warm breath on her head. His arms wrap securely around her, a rumbling purr starting in his chest as she brushes her lips against his face plate. "I love you," she whispers, looking up to meet his golden eyes. Ever since the accident, they had become duller, more pained. But regardless, they were still the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. "I wish I didn't have to keep leaving you behind." He hums in agreement, his clawed fingers combing through her long hair. "Dooku says I'm nearly ready, just a little more training." Her hand slides up his arm, tracing the indents in it. Resting his forehead against hers, he sighs. "I only hope this will all be worth it…for Kalee." She doesn't reply, an unnerving feeling in her heart growing.
She wasn't sure they were even fighting for Kalee anymore. The state of the planet had not grown any better. In fact, as of recent, she heard that the Yam'rii on Oben had been wiped out and most of the Kaleesh moved there, leaving Kalee behind. It pained her greatly, not even telling Qymaen what had happened. All she knew was that someone had taken charge in his absence and finally cleared Oben. She feels Qymaen shudder against her, indicating he had entered sleep mode and so she sighs and tries to get some sleep herself.
---
Waking in a meadow of soft grass and flowers, Nimph stared up at the tall trees. The air smelled sweet and the breeze whistled through her hair. She knew right away where she was, home. It was almost like she had walked back in time 10 years, she even felt younger, the lust for life she had lost returning to her. Shielding her face from the sun, she walks through the meadow until another familiar scent hits her. Her eyes flutter open as Ronderu stands before her, lifting her mask to smile at her, her hand reaching out to grab Nimph's.
Her lips move, but once again, Nimph cannot hear her. "Ronderu, I can't hear you." She says, squeezing her hand but finding her hand empty. Ronderu stares at her in confusion before scowling at her, barring her teeth. The world goes dark around her, feeling the ground tremble beneath her feet. Nimph looks down in fear, her claws digging into the ground. "This is your fault, you did this." Nimph looks up in shock at the sound of Ronderu's voice, but not meeting her face. Instead, she meets the gaze of her old Master, Avera., her eyes black.
"You've become beyond evil, and you dragged him with you." Avera glares down at her, a shock running through Nimph at the sight of her master again after so long. Why was she lecturing her? "No- stop it." Nimph grunts, covering her ears. "I'm doing this for him- to bring the ones that wronged us to justice!" Avera shakes her head, backing up slowly. "You have lost yourself, and in the end, you will lose everything."
The sound of the world breaking apart makes her cry out before Nimph sits straight up in bed, sweat rolling down her body. Grievous is sitting next to her, holding her shoulder firmly. "Nim? You with me?" He asks as gently as possible, moving his hand to stroke it up and down her back. "Gods-" She chokes, rubbing her temples tearfully. "I saw her again, Ronderu. But Avera was there too. They were telling me all these things…" Qymaen sighs, pressing his cold body against hers, soothing her. "They're just dreams, they mean nothing."
She sighs tearfully and combs her fingers through her sweaty hair before peaking up at him. "Aren't you one to talk 'dreamer’?" He chuckles a bit at that, pressing his cold forehead against hers. "Touché" Nimph just groans, letting her head hang. "I can't keep doing this, Qymaen. These dreams are killing me." He sighs again, pulling her closer to him. "Do you ever think…we're doing the wrong thing?" She asks, lifting her head to his once more. "Wrong thing?" His head cocked to the side. "Like we didn't make the right choice…in joining the Separatists." His voice grew low, his hand gripping her waist securely. "Don't let Dooku hear you say that."
"I'm being serious. If I never let you go on that ship I-" Grievous cuts her off with a growl. "I thought we got over this, you are not responsible for the shuttle crash." She flinches slightly, like she does every time he growls, the volume of his mechanical voice always managing to startle her. "I know…it's just…" He caresses her cheek softly, the growl minimizing into a rumbling purr. "You overthink, my dear. It'll all be fine." She knows he's right; he always is. But deep down, she felt the force pulling her again, making her head spin. Things were going to change again, as they always do.
Chapter 2: Chapter 1
Summary:
Sorry for the delayed update, school has been busy and I had to put my dog to sleep this past weekend so I'm not doing too great. This chapter was prewritten for the most part though so this may be the last one for awhile while I work on the next.
Chapter Text
29 BBY, Droid Factory, Geonosis
The same mechanical whirling sound is heard over and over, driving her mad. Nimph sits on the side lines as Grievous tests out the abilities of his new body, his eyes glazed over as he struggles to grasp onto the inner workings. Her head hangs low, dark circles growing under her eyes as she watches every movement he makes. Splitting his arms into four, back into two, over and over. She hadn't slept for more than 3 hours in weeks, and it was very clear based on her sloppy appearance. "Qymaen, are you done?" she asks eventually, wanting to do literally anything else than watch him struggle. "No, not until I can do it perfectly!" He barks angrily, clearly frustrated. Standing up, she walks over to him, pressing herself against his back, feeling him slowly relax as much as he can within a metal shell.
"You still need rest, you're still a living being." Grievous growls low in his chest, claws clenching. "I hate this- I hate all of this. I wish you had just let me die." She tenses and tightens her hold around his waist. "Stop it. Stop talking like that." He turns around, glaring down at her with those sharp gold eyes of his. "You don't understand. You're not a monster like I am. You're perfect." She winces a little bit at his words, not believing a single thing he said. "Have you forgotten that I've killed my own master? Or even that I joined the Sith for you?" He growls louder, losing his temper once again. "I never asked you to do that!" Nimph steps back and grabs at her hair. Arguing had become more and more common for them ever since the accident.
He points a clawed finger at her angrily. "You always think that what you're doing is the right thing, but you end up making things worse." She feels tears welling up in her eyes, but deep down knows he's right. When he sees her tearing up, he pauses before sighing and turning away for a moment to try and calm himself. "I'm sorry, that came out harsher than I intended." Nimph shakes her head, wiping her eyes. "No, you're right. I was selfish to revive you after all that you endured." Turning around, he gently reaches out to cradle her cheek, being careful not to scratch her with his claws. "I suppose we can't change the past, so let's just drop it." Leaning into his touch, she nods, not wanting to argue any further.
As they walk back to their new quarters, she stays pretty quiet, focusing on the sound of his metal feet clanking across the floor. Since being rebuilt, he has gained at least a foot in height, leaving him towering over her even more than before. Because of the height and the newly added weight of metal, he was nearly hunched over as he walked, wheezing slightly as his body struggled to conform to these new enhancements, if you could even call them that. The only part of him that stayed the same were his eyes, though they no longer shone with the same golden light they once did, now appearing dull and sad.
It had only been about three months since the accident but everything had changed so much. They both missed Kalee but weren't permitted to leave. He never got to say goodbye to his wives or even his children, so to everyone's knowledge, they were probably dead along with the rest of the Izvoshra. Most of all though, she missed him.The real him. She missed his laugh, his snarky comments, the feeling of his body against hers. When they rebuilt him, they took away most of what made him Qymaen.
As they head inside their quarters, they head to the fresher like usual. Nimph strips before grabbing a washcloth to clean the dirt off Grievous' body. She starts by cleaning his arm and leg panels and moves up his body, making sure to scrub every spot. It was clear he could still feel pleasure somewhat by the way his eyes fluttered closed and his breath grew heavy as she worked around his groin. Once she begins cleaning his face plate, his eyes open slowly to meet hers. Leaning in, she presses her lips against the skin under his eyes, the only remaining organic part of him. "Nimph," He whispers, his hands coming up to grasp her waist gently. "How do you still find me attractive? Loveable?"
"Because you're you," she whispers, pulling back to look at him. "You're still my Qymaen." His eyes scan her up and down, almost puzzled by her response. "Even when I look so different? So disgusting?" Her heart hurts at his words, the fact that he thought so low of himself now. "Qymaen, even though you look different, doesn't mean you're disgusting. If anything…I find this new body attractive, just as I did the last." His eyes widen at her, his breath catching. "…you do?" Grievous' voice is extremely quiet, the softest she's heard him speak since before the accident. "I do," Her hands reach out to run across his ear fins, watching them wiggle under her fingers. "So pretty, and strong. I could stare at you for hours." It's obvious her words have an effect on him, his pupils expanding as he watches her hands move across his body.
When her hands move down around his waist, he lets out a shaky groan. "There's something I didn't tell you," He whispers, his hand sliding down to his pelvic plates and pressing something behind it until they part. There's a panel that opens, revealing a very familiar looking part of him, albeit synthetic. "Q-Qymaen? How did you…?" He can't help but chuckle. "I was able to make some improvements you didn't know about. It's completely functional." Her face flushes. She thought for sure they could never truly be intimate again, but he still manages to surprise her. After catching her breath, she looks back up at him nervously before smiling softly. "Can I touch you?" He asks when she doesn't reply, his hand sliding up her inner thigh gently. Nimph nods before grabbing his hand and pulling him up and into their bedroom where she lies back, letting him climb atop her.
"I don't understand how someone as beautiful as you…would settle for someone like me." He whispers, echoing the words she once thought about herself so long ago. "Qymaen…you're beautiful too…" She replies softly, rubbing her hand up his arm. "How? Why? I'm just a machine now." His voice is almost a whimper as his face buries itself in the crook of her neck. "Like I said before, this body is attractive to me, it doesn't matter what anybody else says. Now lay down." Grievous looks at her curiously before awkwardly lying down while she sits on her knees beside him. Every move she makes, he keeps his eyes glued on her, even as she settles on the edge of the bed, taking his ankle in her hand.
"I love the sharp claws on your feet, how they can so easily tear through anything…" She starts, kissing the metal of one of his clawed toes before moving up to his foot and doing the same thing. Her fingers dance across the junction of his ankle and calves, rubbing her thumb against the screw that holds his leg panels to the metal of his leg. "I love how perfectly carved the panels of your legs are, and how smooth the metal is." Leaning down, she slowly kisses up his leg while her hand slides up the other. She can hear his breath picking up from what she's doing, making her smile against his leg. Running her tongue through the grooves of his knee caps, she kisses his thighs slowly. Her tongue occasionally runs through the indents of his legs while her fingers trace the pieces in the back. "Your thighs look so strong, you're so pleasing to look at."
Next she runs her hand over his hips and pelvic plates but doesn't linger on them yet, instead moving to grip his thin waist. "N-Nimph-" She shakes her head, silencing him before speaking once more. "I adore your thin waist and how I can still grip it like this." She kisses directly above where his organ sac remains behind his ribcage before licking up his chest plates and neck. Her hands take his as she runs her fingers through the grooves and gaps of his arms. "You are…so pretty…so handsome…" Whispering next to his ear fin, he audibly moans, making her blush a bit. He shakingly lifts a hand to her face to stroke her cheek before she playfully takes one of his fingers into her warm mouth, sucking on it gently. His eyes are wide and focused on her as she runs her tongue over the pad of his finger.
~
"Gods, you're so beautiful…such a tease…I need you…" Grievous whispers, pulling his finger out slowly. With a smirk, she returns between his legs before reaching behind his pelvic plates to find the button. When she presses it, the plates pop outwards to reveal a rhombus-shaped button. Pressing that, a flap lifts up and the sight of his girth makes her smile. "I can't believe you managed to do this…" His hand combs through her hair as she experimentally strokes it, testing the feel. "I didn't want you running off to someone else when you're in the mood…" He groans, rocking his hips gently while she teases him. "As if I would do something like that, I'm no cheater."
Her thumb swipes over the tip of his cock, shivering when she hears the familiar sound of his whimper. "Well, let's test it out properly, shall we?" Leaning in, she kisses his length teasingly before slowly letting him enter her mouth. "It feels…good…but not like before." He grunts, locking his legs in place so he doesn't buck up and cause major damage to the inside of her mouth. She hums, closing her eyes and focusing on the task. Her force powers quietly prod at his brain, sharing her thoughts with him for a moment. You still taste the same, though I can tell you gave yourself a few extra inches didn't you? Grievous can't help but chuckle when he hears her thoughts, running his hand through her hair. "I figured you wouldn't mind." He replies, letting out a shaky grunt when she grips his base and licks up his length.
I don't mind one bit, though it might be a tight fit. Her eyes flick up to meet his as she takes his full length into her mouth, her hands running up and down his robotic thighs. "Alright then, if you're so sure." He growls, pulling her off him by her hair gently. "Sit" He orders, patting his lap. She eagerly places herself against his girth, grinding gently against him. It had been so long since they had done this. Everything felt exciting to her as she felt his length slide against her gently before slowly slipping inside. The added girth certainly was a change, making her grunt as he passed her entrance. "Tight- hurts-" She grunts, feeling him pause, his hand moving to stroke up and down her back comfortingly.
"You're taking me so well, just breathe." Nodding, she begins to slide further down slower, gripping his shoulders roughly until his length is completely buried inside of her. It felt odd. He didn't feel like he used to but it was in no way unpleasant. Despite his body being cold metal, this part of him pulsed hotly, warming her insides as they grind slowly. "There we go…forgot how tight you really are…" His hands grip her waist carefully as he begins to move, helping her up and down his length while she gasps in pleasure. "O-oh it-it feels good now…" It seemed like he was able to reach every spot inside of her. The feeling of being filled completely felt too good. "Good girl, take all of it." He groans, making her blush just from his words. He had never been this vocal before.
They move together as one quickly, desperation growing between them the longer they move. "You look so pretty taking my cock like this, I'm already so close." Grievous grunts, his fingers digging into her hips so hard she's sure it'll leave bruises. "Gods Qymaen, ngh- please…" His eyes sparkle mischievously when he hears her cries, his movements rocking her faster. "That's right, beg for me Nim, beg for release." Her face blushes deeply as he stares hungrily into her eyes, waiting for her reply. "Please Qymaen…please let me come..." The words roll off her tongue awkwardly as she has never really said anything like that before, but they seem to please him. "Go ahead, let it all out." His voice is nearly a growl as he thrusts up harder and faster than before. It only takes a few more thrusts until she's writhing and trembling against him, nearly seeing stars in her vision.
Once her body goes semi-limp, Grievous growls, moving her down onto her back and bending her in two as he takes full control, ravishing her oversensitive body. Her legs wrap around his waist to the best of her ability and whine. It seems his stamina has also been enhanced. His eyes stay focused on her before looking down at the place they're joined, watching himself slide in and out of her. "Gods yes, you feel so good around me. Tell me you're mine." She shivers at his rough voice, gripping the sheets for dear life. "I-I'm yours, Qymaen. I'll always be yours." He lets out an even louder growl, lowering his face till it's right above hers. "You're mine, my little wife. You're such a perfect slut." Her eyes widen when he calls her that. She can't help but feel her stomach burn more. He had never dared to use such a name before, but she liked it. She agreed, nodding her head frantically. She wanted to be his little slut.
With a few more rough thrusts, she feels him lock himself in place within her depths, emptying everything that had been built up for months. He wheezes against her neck as he finishes, his hands trembling around her waist while he pulls out. His fingers gently brush against her sensitive spots, spreading her a bit to watch their combined juices slowly leak out. "I wish I had a mouth now more than ever," He whispers, lowering himself to rub his cheek against her thigh. "You look absolutely delicious." She can feel him purring against her and it gives her an idea, reaching out to cup his cheek. "Qymaen…when you purr…it vibrates…maybe you could…" He understands immediately, burying his face completely between her legs, purring softly. Grinding herself against his mask, she moans and writhes louder, seeing colors she's never seen before out of sheer pleasure. When his purr grows to an amused growl, she nearly screams, shaking wildly.
~
He pulls away and stares down at her in a mix of awe and amusement, stroking her thighs gently. "My goodness, that was the hardest I've ever seen your little body shake." She smiles lazily, still feeling herself twitch occasionally. At the moment, she knew that despite the changes, he was still Qymaen deep down. The way he stared at her adoringly, the way he held her against him as she calmed down, was so familiar it nearly made her cry in relief. He wasn't completely gone after all.
~~~~
Nimph spins her saber in her hand quickly, the other moving around above her as she blocks blaster shots. "Just keep twirling the blade. It'll block any straight forward attacks and leaves your other hand open for ariel hits." Grievous watches with interest as his wife moves, deflecting blaster shots back at the little training droid. "Since you have four hands, that makes things even easier. If you use two hands to spin, it leaves you two more to strike with." The little droid ceases fire and she lowers her blade, panting a bit at the exertion. "Got all that?" He shrugs, stepping forward and taking her two sabers she holds out to him. Igniting Nimph's two green blades and his own blue one, moving his limbs into a similar position she held them in before. "Oh yeah, Dooku gave me this." She murmurs, reaching into her back pouch and pulling out one more saber, tossing it to him. When he ignites it, it shines a very pigmented red.
"He figured I'd want a Sith lightsaber, but I'd prefer to use my own." Grievous chuckles, testing out the blade a bit before resuming his position. "We've got quite a collection starting don't we?" She shakes her head playfully and motions for him to start moving. He does as she directs him to, spinning the blades his lower set of arms hold while his other two move into a defensive position. His hands rotate quickly, an odd feeling according to him. "Good, make sure to keep your arms further apart and your feet securely on the ground." He grunts, doing as she asks until she motions for the droid to begin attacking. Right away he blocks the blaster shots with his twirling sabers and slashes through the droid in one clean swipe. "Qymaen, did you need to break it?" His ear fins twitch in amusement, clearly not concerned.
Nimph sighs and picks up the broken pieces of the droid, shaking her head. He un-ignites his blades and hands three of them back to her. Clipping them to her belt, she smooths her outfit and hands him back his newly adopted cloak, helping to secure it over his shoulders. "You're doing very well, don't let Dooku tell you any different. "Her hand lingers on his shoulder for a moment before stepping back. Of course, he pulls her back in, nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck, purring. "Not here…" She whispers, begrudgingly pulling away. "It's best if no one knows. It could be a weakness." He sighs, following behind her as she heads to the door. "I know, you're just irresistible." Nimph snorts, holding the door open for him, watching him as he bends down to pass through.
"Whatever you say, darling." She purrs, following and watching his long white cloak gracefully flow after him. When they arrive back at their quarters, Nimph notices a pop-up on her commlink, something about an assignment. Using the force, she motions her holo-pad over to her to display the message. She blinks at it for a moment before sighing, pushing the pad away. "Looks like I've gotten my first major off-planet assignment." Grievous clanks over and rumbles in his chest, annoyed by this news. "Already? I thought you'd be here a little longer." She shrugs, heading to the bedroom to retrieve some clothes to wear out. "We knew this was coming. Sidious doesn't really trust me yet, you know?"
Grievous makes another unimpressed noise, slouching over himself further in annoyance. "You better come back in one piece." Nimph smiles softly, standing on her toes to kiss his masked cheek gently. "I promise I will, I always do don't I?" He huffs, shaking his head but reaching out to caress her cheek with the back of one claw. "I'll hold you to that." After gathering her stuff they headed out to the docking area where a small private shuttle was waiting with two battle droids assigned to pilot for her. "General Vízesés, safe travels." Grievous purrs one last time, subtly brushing his fingers against hers before stepping back "Thank you, General." She replies softly, stepping back onto the ship and giving him one last longing look before the door slides shut.
After getting situated and taking off, Nimph read through her assignment more in depth. It seemed that Sidious was keen on using her as a spy more so than her actual title of General, but she didn't really mind. All she wanted was to prove herself and to get his eyes off her back. She was in charge of looking after someone from the banking clan, a detail she intentionally kept from Grievous, in case it would cause some sort of traumatic memory. Her leg bounced restlessly as she continued reading. She was nervous that it would be San Hill she had to look after. Deep down she'd rather just stab him in the back while he wasn't looking, but that would certainly not help her and Grievous' situation. She takes a deep breath and sits back, trying to ignore the anxious feeling in her chest.
~~~~
Senate Building, Coruscant
"You've got to be kidding." Nimph growls under her breath as she walks into the Senate building in Coruscant, a building she had not been in for a long time. Of course, she was assigned to San Hill but he hadn't seemed to notice her yet as she approaches until he feels her glare against his neck. Turning around he stares at her hooded figure for a moment before she holds up her badge, displaying the logo of the CIS.
"Vízesés?" He asks under his breath. She nods and removes her hood, her hair pulled back into a kaleesh-styled braid with earrings, in an attempt to look more professional in such a place. "Nimph!? It's been quite a while hasn't it?" Hill says, making the hair on her neck bristle. "I have nothing to say to you." She growls lowly, nodding her head towards the seating area. "I'm just doing my job." He just smirks and heads over with his employees to the pod they were assigned. She stands behind everyone awkwardly, keeping her head high but slipping her hood back on. She was still wanted by the Republic after all.
She has no interest in what the meeting is about. The Chancellor goes on and on about various boring topics. Once the meeting is dismissed, she has the honor of walking the banking clan back to their staying quarters. The feeling of Hill's stare makes her blood run cold, making her walk faster just to get rid of them. Upon arrival, Hill turns to her, attempting to show dominance over her that he did not have. "How is Grievous? Adjusting to his newform well, I hope?" She can't help but bare her teeth, a sight that just makes his smirk grow.
"Get his name out of your mouth, pathetic scum." She retaliates, her claws flexing beneath her cloak. "I can report you for saying such things, you know," He says, leaning over further to meet her eyes. "Wouldn't want to make things worse for your dear husband, would you?" She physically has to hold herself back from pouncing on him, digging her claws into her thighs with a wince. "Get the fuck inside." She spits, making his eyes widen in surprise before he smirks again and steps back into the room, slamming the door in her face.
Turning away she rushes to her own quarters, locking the door and throwing herself on the bed and screaming into the pillow. She hated that man with her entire being. Just the thought of looking at him made her blood boil with a level of rage she could not describe. She couldn't help but feel guilty. If she had been the one working for the Banking Clan rather than Qymaen, she wouldn't be working for the CIS at all, and Qymaen would still be in one piece. Hot tears prick in her eyes as they did nearly every night as darkness sets in, only illuminated by the lights of Coruscant, a sight she wished she'd never see again. All this place did was bring back bad memories, so she tried to get some sleep, hoping for a future that wasn't so grim for her and her Qymaen.
Chapter 3: Chapter 2
Summary:
Flashing forward...the Clone Wars begin
Notes:
IM SO SORRY THIS HAS BEEN DONE FOR LIKE A MONTH AND I THOUGHT I UPLOADED IT!!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Geonosis, 22 BBY
Seven years, it had been seven years of restless training, arguments, and preparation. The droid factory of Geonosis was full of buzz and conversation about how they had seemingly just caught a Jedi. Nimph tries to ignore the whispers but she feels herself growing curious. Pulling on a clean black tunic with burgundy tabards and pulling her hair back into two buns, letting the rest fall down her back, she makes her way into the main area of her living quarters. She feels a sharp gaze on her neck, making her shiver before a sharp-clawed hand gently rests on her shoulder.
"You are tense," Grievous notes, taking her suitcase out of her hand. "We do not have to leave for Vassek 3 yet, the ship can wait." Her shoulders relax in his grip and she sighs. "That's not what I'm tense about, you've heard the rumors haven't you?" The cyborg blinks at her, tapping one of his clawed toes on the cold tile floor. "About the Jedi? I have." He leans a little closer and meets her gaze. "Why is it a worry to you? They should be no more very soon." His words make her shutter a bit.
"I have a bad feeling that’s all." She replies, wanting to move away from the topic. "Any word on the Roggwart?" She asks. Grievous' eyes light up at the mention of the creature. "I have, he shall be waiting for us when we arrive, along with my personal doctor droid." He says, walking past her to fetch his cloak from the rack. Nimph had only once seen a Roggwart, as they weren't native to Kalee. However, the Kaleesh tended to choose them as pets and more often, trophies. Nimph had discussed adopting such a creature awhile back but only now had they gotten the chance after Grievous' promotion, to which he was given his own personal base, and by extension, her own.
She could tell he was excited, a bit of his compressed boyish spirit coming out at the excitement of a pet. Remembering back, Qymaen had always spoken of his love for those creatures and how he one day would like to own one. However, she had noticed in the last few years, he had begun to…deteriorate in a way. Bringing up anything about his past usually resulted in a shrug, an outburst, or an 'I don't remember' from him, which concerned her.
Ever since being rebuilt, she had felt the inhibitor chips in his brain but it seemed like the longer they remained inside, the more damage they were causing. She had done some studying on them but there was nothing she can do about it on her own, and the Geonossians were the ones that put them there in the first place. "Nimph." Grievous says, shaking her shoulder as gently as he can, snapping her out of her deep thinking. "You think too much, it's giving you wrinkles." She knows he's joking but she can't help but scowl silently. She had become hyper aware lately of the wrinkles appearing on her face and how deep the bags under her eyes had become, reminding her of just how old she really was getting.
"Don't worry too much." Grievous continues, lifting her chin with one claw so she meets his eyes. "I still find you beautiful." The words seem hollow, like something inside of him is forcing him to say it without really meaning it. She smiles in response before pulling away to get her own cloak.
They wander down the long halls of the factory a little bit later, both of them hiding beneath their robes. In a small docking area, the meet Dooku, who requested they meet him there. "There you two are." He grumbles, crossing his arms. "General, you are to hide in the catacombs." Dooku demands to which Grievous bows. "Yes, my lord." Nimph is still disturbed by how easily Grievous just listened to him, Qymaen would have not taken orders from someone like him. "As for you," Dooku continues, turning back to her. "Come with me for now, I will release you if something happens." She nods and gives one last look to Grievous before following after the Count, feeling the uncomfortable stares of other separatists and Geonossians.
The colosseum is quite a sight, the bright light making her squint as she steps out into the stands. She immediately senses a force signature she hadn't felt in a long time, making her glare down into the arena. Her eyes widen at the sight of Obi-Wan Kenobi, tied up, in preparation to be either eaten or mauled. The dark part of her is amused by this, only fitting for a brat such as him to end up sticking his nose into someone else's business, resulting in his end. Another part of her is slightly disappointed she didn't get to personally rub it in his face.
She sits down by the entrance to the stands, standing guard for Dooku and whoever it was beside him, people she didn't care about. Her attention is peaked when she notices another set of people being dragged out into the arena, a man and a woman. She can immediately tell the man is of Jedi origin, not just from his signature, but also his ridiculous haircut, making Nimph snort. She didn't miss that braid on her neck one bit.
She notices the woman sneakily climbing up the wall she's chained to before the monsters are released to the prisoners, hunting them down immediately. She watches closely as Obi-Wan and the Padawan begin to fight back, alerting Dooku seemingly, as he turns to look at her, giving her a wave. Nimph nods in return and slips back into the dark hallways of the colosseum, hurrying towards the entrance to the catacombs.
~~~
They sit in silence, listening to the battle above them. Nimph's hands felt clammy and weak, unsure if she was really able to face this part of her past again, having to face Jedi. Before she can overthink though, the sound of footsteps echoing in the hallway towards the escape shuttles is heard, immediately capturing Grievous' attention. "Time for your test." She says, patting him on the shoulder before resuming her position behind him to watch. A Jedi appears in the dim light, followed by a caravan of clone troopers. They freeze at the sight of Grievous, his labored breathing and glowing yellow eyes completely stunning them.
As he pounces, Nimph watches silently, blocking any stray blaster shots that were aimed at her. Grievous immediately begins swinging at the Jedi, blocking her attacks with ease. Nimph decides to take care of the troopers, jumping on top of some storage boxes before flipping down onto them, blades sinking into the body of one clone. The others continue to shoot at her, but she's too fast for them, running zig zag to make it even harder. She thrusts one blade out at the nearest clone while kicking her leg out at another, the sharp claws of her feet digging into the leather of his belt.
Once her claws are secure, she uses the force to flip backwards, bringing the clone with her part way before releasing her hold on him, letting him fly back into the hard stone wall of the catacombs. Only a few clones remained and Grievous was still working on the Jedi, so she decides that it’s the perfect time for a distraction. There's various poles and architecture on the ceiling, so she uses the force to propel herself up to it, grabbing onto it and quickly crawling above where Grievous and the Jedi are fighting, all while avoiding blaster fire. She hangs from the ceiling quickly before swinging one blade down behind the Jedi's head, making the woman jump and look over her shoulder.
With the opening available, grievous stabs his lightsaber directly into her stomach, the Jedi crying out in pain as she's shoved against the wall, a blood trail appearing beneath her. "How does it feel to be my first kill, pathetic Jedi?" Grievous growls, amused by how the woman tried to hold her grip on her saber, but failing. He rips it from her hand easily and attaches it to his waist with a deep chuckle before raising his saber again to cut her neck clean off. The remaining two clone troopers are slightly panicked now as Nimph lands back on the floor of the catacombs, still reflecting blaster fire as she approaches them before finally swinging her arms out and decapitating both, their heads rolling across the floor.
Grievous is panting as he walks past her, gripping the back of her tunic and pulling her towards the exit. "we need to go." He hurries. She nods and quickly follows after him into the emergency docking area where various Separatist members were also escaping. They pick a pod and get inside, finding it was a one seater, meaning now Nimph had to sit in his lap for the time being.
The smell of her sweat and the blood of the enemies they just killed fills the air as she leans back against his chest, letting him pilot. "That was…exhilarating…" Grievous pants, his body trembling a bit. "Finally the revenge I've wanted for so long…for what they did to me…" She feels a chill run up her spine from his voice, an uncomfortable pulling beginning in her head again. It felt so wrong but so right to kill them, and it disturbed her. "Come, we have much to do." Grievous growls in her ear as they steer the pod towards a ship waiting for them.
~~~
Vassek 3 was a plain moon, Nimph notes as they arrive at Grievous' newly constructed lair. Stepping out, they are met by an EV-A4-D droid, the one assigned to take care of her husband's repairs. Grievous helps her out of the ship and gently sets her down on the floor, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. "Greetings, Master. And…" A4 starts, turning his attention to her. Nimph is initially annoyed before remembering that her and Grievous' relationship was secret. "This is Nimph." Grievous grumbles, placing his hand on her hip possessively ."Mistress Nimph," A4 repeats.
The Droid took them through the halls of the newly constructed building, going to the various rooms, most of which were empty. Grievous would occasionally comment on what he wanted in each room while Nimph stayed quiet for the most part. One of the last rooms they enter, Grievous turns to her, his grip tightening on her waist. "You can have this one." He grumbles, his ear fins wiggling. She glances around the room and nods, confirming what she's thinking. "A bedroom, unlike Grievous, I still need sleep." She says, earning a small chuckle from A4. "I'll order the necessary parts immediately, mistress." She nods and crosses her arms.
She missed the simplicity of her old Kaleesh home, despite its small size. It felt comfortable and homely, but this place just felt like Geonosis did, cold and clammy. They head out of the room into the sizeable living area, where Grievous retreats to mess around with some electronics. She sits on the couch with a sigh, watching A4, curious about his odd personality. "Doctor, may I ask you something?" She asks casually, beckoning him with one of her clawed fingers. He waddles over, his multiple arms retracting back into his body. "Where exactly did you come from?" Nimph asks, leaning in.
A4 makes an annoyed noise. "I worked in a hospital on Tauber." Raising an eyebrow, she crosses her legs. "That sounds important…did they transfer you?" He shakes his head, shuffling a little closer. "No, I got in trouble and they fired me, but it seems the CIS had interest." She hums, sitting back a bit and nodding in interest. "I thought droids were programmed to do jobs without fail; you must have done something awfully terrible." A4 nods, letting out another chuckle. "I got caught not using pain meds. Not all droids have correct programming, Mistress." Blinking in surprise and a bit of discomfort she just nods, biting one of her claws nervously. She certainly did not want her wounds to be patched by him. "I'm...going to lay down now." She murmurs, lying back on the couch and closing her eyes, letting her sleep take her into a false sense of comfort.
-
"He seriously never told you about his parents?" Gnerovu asks curiously, her yellow eyes wide in surprise. "No? Is it bad? I know his father was the Chieftain before him but that’s it." Nevi shares a glance with Gnerovu as they lean in towards Nimph, speaking in hushed voices. "He was born during the beginning of the war, when the Huk began taking hostages," The ladder speaks, tapping her claw on the ground as she tries to remember. "I think his mother had just laid her eggs when those bugs came into the village." Gnerovu leans in a little more, whispering now. "They took her as one of the first hostages. I think they took one of her eggs too." Nevi nods in confirmation, making Nimph's eyes widen." He had a sibling then?" Nevi shrugs, a sad look on her face. "No one knows, his father never got her or the egg back.
"Qymaen only survived because his father was in the process of hiding the eggs in the underground shelter when they came." Nimph's ears drooped. She hadn't realized how much Qymaen had gone through before he was even born. Nevi sits up a little, playing with her hair. "My mother was pregnant at the same time as his, so she took care of him for a while." Gnerovu throws an arm around Nevi, leaning in to affectionately rub their foreheads together. "You did too, Nevi. You kept him in check until Ronderu came around." Nimph smiles softly, but still feels weird, resting her cheek in her hand. "I never realized how much he really lost…I feel bad for being so stuck up when we first met." Nevi gives her a sympathetic look, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. "Oh Nimph, you didn't know. Plus, he can be a jerk sometimes anyway, he deserves it." She laughed, Gnerovu also chuckling.
Heading out of the crowded hut and back into the cold, she heads back home, smiling when she sees him in the window next to the fire. "I'm back." She calls as she ducks into the hut, removing her shoes and seating herself beside him on the rug. "Where were you? I thought you were just returning that fabric to Li 'Zulu?" Nimph shrugs and leans into his shoulder, earning a kiss on her forehead. "Your wives like to talk." He chuckles, his arm winding around her waist. "Well I'm glad you're here now, my dear." She smiles and presses their lips together. Besides the war all is right, they are in love and she has never felt more cherished.
-
"Wake up, Nimph." She wakes up from her memory with a start, Grievous' cold hand on her shoulder. "You've slept enough, we have work to do." His voice is cold, his eyes dark, nothing like the man she saw in her dream. Her faith in Qymaen still residing within that metal husk was beginning to fade rapidly, and this time she didn't think there was anything she could do about it.
Notes:
Sorry for the short chapters, theres only so much you can write about when there's like constant clone wars events happening
Chapter 4: Chapter 3
Summary:
Midst the Clone Wars, Grievous' mental state begins to deteriorate....
Notes:
(A few dates and events are a bit altered to fit the narrative btw!!)
TW:THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES SA!!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
21 BBY
Nimph listens to the intercom transmission, waiting on any word about what's happening on Kamino. Grievous was planning to attack the planet but she hadn't heard anything since the initial announcement that the separatist ships were in place. Ventress was also working with him, giving Nimph an odd pang of jealousy. She disliked the assassin and the way she playfully flirted with her husband, even if it was just teasing and her own relationship with the cyborg wasn't too great at the moment. She was planning to head out on her own mission in a few days, but for now she was stuck at the castle, taking care of Gor, their adopted Roggwart.
Grievous, of course, had fitted the poor thing with cybernetics and now it was her problem to make sure he would heal. She reaches out to gently stroke the nose of the creature, leaning her head against his as she sets the comm aside. Gor makes a soft noise. His initial excited behavior is all but gone after going through such a procedure, she feels bad for him. "Want a lava eel?" She asks softly, making the creatures' tail wag against the floor. Retrieving a few parts of the gross creatures from the hot box they were stored in after being cut apart, she sets it in front of him, Gor immediately going to town on it. She can't help but imagine what it could have been like if they had adopted Gor back on Kalee, where Kaleesh warriors had adopted their own Roggwarts. Qymaen had always planned on going to Mustafar to get one himself, but unfortunately, that never happened.
Chuckling softly, she sits back down against the wall, staring at the comm on the floor again, hoping she would hear something soon. Finally, she hears a robotic voice, probably a droid commander speaking about the DNA Ventress was after being lost, and that she had retreated. Nimph scoffs, crossing her arms. I knew she didn't have the power to escape with something so important, maybe next time Dooku will pick me instead. She thought in annoyance. Dooku had always favored the assassin over her, despite Nimph's prior Jedi teachings and war knowledge. This will show him, she thinks smugly.
When her husband's annoyed voice chimes in over the comm, she jumps, feeling the anger and irritation, knowing she'll be hearing him grumble and whine about it when he gets back. It seemed like with every passing battle his anger grew worse and worse. It was even frightening her a bit now. He was getting physical a lot more often. She petted Gor one last time before heading back into the castle, settling in the dark main room, tapping her claws on the chair armrest nervously, her heart racing. She couldn't help but wonder if when they messed with his brain all those years ago, they had implanted more than what she initially thought. After hearing rumors about the Clone Troopers having strange control chips in their heads, it made her wonder further. She shuddered to think what they may have done to him. She had to find out. She needed answers.
Upon Grievous' return, instant arguing ensued, growling and hurling curses at the Republic, at Ventress, and at her. "If you were listening, why didn’t you come in and help!?" Nimph shrugs, trying to stand her ground. "I wasn't assigned to-" "Bantha shit." He growls, cursing to himself in Kaleesh. He takes a few loud steps towards her, eyes narrowing. "Come on Nimph, I told you, you needed to go instead of Ventress. She lost the damned DNA!" Grievous growls, pointing his dried bloody clawed finger at her. "You should have tried harder to help instead of sitting around like worthless scum!" She shrinks back. He had never gotten this verbal about something like this before. Seeing her reel back, he laughed manically, grabbing her arm and pulling her against him, chest to chest. "What's wrong? Are you afraid, Nimph?"
She whimpers, trying to pull herself out of his grip. "Qymaen! Stop it!" Her voice is desperate and shaky, despite her attempt to remain calm, shrinking back as his face lowers to her. "Beg me," he growls, tightening his grip. "Beg me to let you go." Her eyes widen before twitching in pain in his grip, her claws scratching the metal of his arm plates. "Please…" She gasps, hissing at the burning feeling in her wrist. "Please what?" He snaps, his eyes sharp and cruel, his grasp drawing blood now. "Please let me go Grievous, please." Giving up she finally feels him release her wrist as she falls to her knees, gripping her now bleeding wrist. "Truly pathetic." He spits, walking towards his adjustment chair as A4 walks in to take care of him. It was clear he got off to dominance now more than ever, not even caring about her wellbeing anymore. She holds her wrist and hurries to her room to disinfect her wound.
He had been getting progressively more assaultive over the past few weeks, and she couldn't bring herself to question him why. They hadn't been alone together, touched one another, or even kissed in the last few months. She sits on the side of her bed, looking over her wound, six sharp gashes in her wrist, one for each sharp clawed finger, everything else around it black and blue. She reaches into her nightstand to retrieve her first aid kit, which was beginning to run out of supplies from how often she had to use it. She pours some bacta onto the wound, hissing as it takes care of any potential infection. Running a hand through her hair, she sighs, next grabbing the bandages and wrapping them around her poor wrist, which was beginning to swell, painfully.
After kicking off her shoes, she lay back on her bed, rubbing her temples with a groan. She knew she looked terrible, deep bags under her eyes, getting more wrinkles than someone her age should, and growing thinner, all from a mixture of war, abuse, and self-negligence. This was the first time she actually got a break in a few months so she let her eyes fall shut, her body slowly relaxing against the comforter, hoping sleep could ease her mind for a while.
Her dreams are her only escape from her current horrid reality, until they become twisted and monstrous like her waking life. One thing she no longer felt, was the old pulling feeling from the force, which seemed to fade ever since Grievous was rebuilt. She wasn't quite sure why it had begun to fade, but she figured it had something to do with their crumbling bond. Hardly ever feeling the once familiar warmth that would flow through her when she sensed his presence, it had turned cold and unkind. This continued in her dreams. Even when she saw him there, he would give off a pulsing cold that made her no longer want to sleep, but she forced herself anyways.
~~~
She hears the clanking of his feet and sleepily sits up to see him entering the doorway to her bedroom, a dark and lustful look in his eyes. "Nimph, I require some...assistance." She raises an eyebrow, clenching her wrapped wrist. "I'm not in the mood for whatever you're asking for." she says, her voice laced with tired bitterness. His eyes narrow and he steps forward, a growl coming from his chest. "I'm not asking." Her eyes widen as he grabs her wrists and holds them above her head, fear and pain coursing through her as he squeezes her bruised wrists. "You've given me enough annoyance for today, Nimph. I think you need to be reminded of who is in control here."
Her heart skips a beat and she feels confused tears in her eyes. Before she can say anything, he's on top of her completely, that familiar noise of metal coming from his torso as his pelvic plates part and he spreads her legs apart, roughly ripping her underwear to shreds. She reaches out to grab his arm in an attempt to stop him when one of his hands moves from her wrists, but he just splits his arms and holds her down against the mattress harder, a dark groan coming from him as he positions himself between her legs. Trying desperately to use the force to get him off her, she can't, her fear is too much. She squeezes her eyes shut, attempting to retreat into a dream-like trance.
She's home, on Kalee, with Qymaen, and Ronderu, and their friends. Things almost feel perfect. Her arms are around his neck and her face against his, one hand sliding into his hair, still able to feel the soft strands between her fingers. The dream she has created almost feels too good to be true. The world around them is bright and misty, like a light rain she used to see in the jungle. Qymaen's hand slides down her back, kissing her neck gently. "I'm sorry." He murmurs, burying his face in her shoulder, making her eyes widen. "What?" She whispers, pulling back to look down at him, his messy dark brown hair running down his shoulders. "I can't stop it."
"What are you talking about?" She asks again, confusion beginning to disrupt her dream state. "I'm hurting you, I can't stop it. He's too powerful." The sound of his voice breaking alarms her. Looking around she noticed everyone else had disappeared and the sky had grown dark. And then when she looks back down, the cold metal face of Grievous stares back at her, making her yelp in surprise, pushing herself away from him. His skeletal like hand reaches out to grab her leg, digging his claws into the muscle of her ankles. Her panic rises when she hears another voice, one she hasn't heard in more than a decade. "I told you."
Snapping her head up, she sees Avera standing there with a sinister, un-Jedi-like smile on her face, her stomach still bleeding from where Nimph had stabbed her over and over in her frenzied state all those years ago. Despite her being dead for so long, her voice still sounds the same as she steps closer. "I told you this would happen, and you didn't believe me." Tears run down Nimph's cheeks as she tries to find the strength to say anything, but she knows her former master is right. "You deserve this." Avera growls, grabbing her chin roughly. "You don't deserve love."
Her dream slips away with the sound of a long drawn out groan of pleasure from Grievous and an uncomfortable sting between her legs, making her hiss in pain. His heavy body looms over hers, wheezing for air and coughing before roughly pulling out. She shakily looks down and sees a bit of her blood covering his pelvic plates, sending another pang of pain through her as she squeezes her legs back together. "I see you finally came back to me," He grumbles, fixing his armor back in place while watching her tremble on the bed. "Wasn't that great? Did it feel good?" He hisses, gripping her chin with his sharp fingers, her bottom lip trembling. "Say it did, say you liked it." More tears flow from her eyes as his hand tightens. "I-I liked i-it." She says weakly, earning a dark chuckle. "Good girl, now go clean up. You look disgusting."
~~~
After violently throwing up in the bathroom, she sobs against the toilet seat, feeling disgusting and violated. Her crotch hurt badly, one of the worst pains she's ever experienced. Reaching towards the cabinet door beside her, she opens it and retrieves a mirror, sitting back against the bathtub and bringing it between her legs. No lubrication had caused tearing and she was bleeding quite a lot, but it felt different than when she got her period. It stung badly. She nearly threw up again at the sight, clenching the mirror so hard she almost broke the handle.
She decides to take a bath and then just retires to bed, hardly even able to walk without crying at the feeling. Taking a few pain medications, a few more than necessary, she lay back in bed, under the covers, feeling more alone than she ever was, even when she was a lonely Padawan. All she could think about were the words that came out of her husband's mouth, how they stung worse than any other pain, even what she's feeling now. Not even Avera's words from her nightmare hurt as bad. Crying herself to sleep had become much more common now, and tonight was no different.
She surprisingly wakes up to a hand on her face, a cold metal one. Her eyes open slowly and she groans, her head pounding and her skin burning. "Don't try to get up. A4 is bringing medicine." Her eyes widen at the sound of Grievous' voice, more soft and gentler than she's heard it in months. "You have a fever, you need to rest." He murmurs, a bit of guilt in his voice. "Why…are you here?" She whispers, unable to speak any louder with the pounding in her skull. "I came…to apologize for earlier." She raises her eyebrows in surprise, not expecting that. "I shouldn't have done that. I felt like I lost control of myself." His hand rests on her stomach, gently stroking it slowly. "Lately I've…been feeling bad." Nodding, her hand shakily slides onto his, despite her brain screaming at her to push him away.
"I know." She murmurs, her ears pricking up as A4 comes waddling in with a tray of medicine. Sitting up to the best of her ability, she reaches out to take a few of the pills and drinks a generous amount of water before sliding back down, where Grievous places a cold washcloth on her head to help with the fever. "Do you need any heat between your legs?" He asks. "No, maybe some bacta though." Nodding, he grabs it from A4's medical supplies, pulling the blanket back and pushing her nightgown up. In his eyes, she sees more guilt at the sight of her injured privates and generously applies bacta, despite her squirming and cursing at the sting. Afterwards, A4 is dismissed and Grievous rests his head on her lap, his breathing slow and his eyes shut. She can't resist the urge to reach out and stroke the top of his head, watching his ear fins wiggle in pleasure.
"I'm sorry Nimph, I really am." He murmurs, the most sincerity she's heard from him in a long time. "It's…" She starts, swallowing thickly. It wasn't ok, it wasn't fine, he raped her. She couldn't respond. His eyes flick to hers, almost a glimmer of Qymaen's concerned nature still there when they meet before she bursts into tears again, sobbing uncontrollably. "I hate you Grievous, so much." She sobs, whimpering into her hands. "But I can't let you go, I still love you, you're still my Qymaen deep down. I know you are." This time, he doesn't correct her, just stares at her with a mixed expression on his face. He doesn't say anything, just lowers his head back into her lap, one arm over her body in an attempt at comfort that she can't help but accept. Both of them stay like that for the rest of the night.
~~~~
"What exactly are you researching, Mistress?" A4 asks, watching from a distance as she scans through various Geonossian documents, looking for anything about the procedure done on Grievous almost ten years ago. "I'm looking for what they did to his brain." A4 waddles over to her desk, picking up one of the documents and scanning through it as well. Her eyes catch a small insert at the bottom of a page, about inhibitor chips, something used in the Republic's clones. "Wait, this might…" She murmurs, looking closer and reading the small blurb about whatever it was they did. "A4, I want you to look for more texts about these," she requests, handing him the text. "It is of the utmost importance." A4 simply nods, taking the text and wandering away to find similar ones.
It had to be the chips doing it. There was no other reasonable explanation. She tried to probe his mind in an attempt to geta better understanding of them but it was like there was a forcefield around them, blocking her from getting to them. After initially believing maybe she could turn them off with the force, she now had to find another way. A4 returns with a few more documents about the chips, but finds nothing like what Grievous was experiencing, frustrating her further. "I wish I could get a better look…if I could look inside his head myself…" She murmurs, catching A4's attention.
"When Master returns from battle with damaged armor, sometimes I need to remove his mask, which is attached to his skull." He starts, making Nimph turn to look over her shoulder at him, urging him to continue. "The next time it happens, I'll take notes." She blinks in surprise, not expecting a droid to go out of its way like that for her. "You would do that? Thank you." Nodding, she scribbles some notes down for him and hands them over. "If it's not an inhibitor chip, it's some kind of manipulative implant. I can feel it inside in various spots." She grabs a pen and attempts to draw a visual of his brain from what she can feel, adding small spots where the chips were, along with some other odd things tucked in there.
"Don't tell him about this," She whispers sternly, her claws flexing against the table nervously. "If he finds out we're messing around in his head, we'll both be thrown into the garbage compactor…probably." A4 muscles a robotic laugh and agrees, making Nimph sigh in relief. For once now she had to hope he got hurt in just the right spot. She needed to find out as fast as possible what was wrong…before she lost Qymaen forever.
Notes:
This hurt to write :( But this should be the last of the short chapters as shit begins to hit the fan
Chapter 5: Chapter 4
Summary:
Nimph has a little accident, her and Grievous share one more intimate moment, and the future is unknowingly set in stone.
Notes:
SMUT WARNING!!!
Also happy May the 4th!!!
Chapter Text
"Mistress, I performed the task you requested of me." A4 chimes, coming into her room unannounced. "I turned three of the chips off, but he hasn't woken yet." Nimph gives him a smile, grateful for his help. "Thank you so much A4, I won't forget this."
----
The battle of Dathomir had been a huge success for the Separatist movement, proving once again how much power they, especially Grievous, held. Nimph was not present for the event, off doing assassin work again. She was sent out to try and cut off a republic attack on Muunilist, a place she didn't really want to go again. Her mission was simple, kill anyone that gets close to the banking clan center. Apparently this was just going to be a small mission, only involving maybe one Jedi and a few clones, making her confident that she could handle this.
Standing on the rooftop near the hidden entrance to the building, she watches, looking for any signs of Republic ships. Spotting a rather small battle ship, her eyes narrowed, watching it grow closer and closer. They landed near her on the landing platform, clearly looking for an entrance. At the lead is the Jedi she had not expected to see, Skywalker. He wanders away from the group, growing closer to her spot as she prepares to confront him. Once close enough, she makes her presence known, stepping out from behind a structure with a single green blade ignited. He immediately draws his lightsaber, holding it towards her.
"Vízesés," He says angrily, moving into a fighting position. "Obi-Wan figured it would be you." She rolls her eyes at the mention of Kenobi, her fist tightening around the hilt of her blade. "If he knew, he should have come here himself." They begin circling each other, sabers buzzing softly. "He told me about you, you're a Jedi dropout." Her eyes narrow again, twirling her blade in warning. "Those are such bold words coming from such a young boy." Her voice is a growl, her claws scraping the metal rooftop with each step. "I will have no problem defeating you." He spits.
"Please Skywalker, if you're so sure, I doubt this will be much of a challenge for you." She smirks, approaching him slowly as the wind flies around her. "I sense great darkness within you, just give in." The young man scowls, raising his saber before striking first. She blocks it easily, parrying the move and igniting her other saber as they move across the rooftop. He was fast and calculated. Nimph could give him that. Hearing the sounds of blasters drawing closer, she begins to back him up towards the edge of the roof, spinning her sabers menacingly so they spark against the floor.
"I believe this is the end for you, young Skywalker. What a shame." He smirks in a way she can't help but feel is more sadistic than mischievous. "I don't think so, Vízesés." Behind her she feels a grappling hook wrap around her foot, locking her in place. Clone troopers fill in behind her but she cuts the rope loose, kicking her heels at them. Now fighting Skywalker and the oncoming troopers, she's constantly moving. Suddenly she feels a sharp pain in her back as a blaster shot nails her, giving Skywalker the opportunity to kick her ankle, sending her stumbling and sliding down the rooftop face first. Digging her claws into the roof she swings herself on her feet, trying to ignore the burning in her back and her nose as she knocks back the rest of the troopers.
"Oh- you're a brat, how annoying." She spits, some blood trickling from her nose and mouth from the fall onto her face. They strike at each other again but she feels weak from her injuries. He thrusts a hand outwards and sends her flying backwards before he slices his blade. Stabbing pain flows through her leg, her mouth dropping open in a bloody scream of pain. Skywalker stands over her, sweat rolling down his forehead, lifting his saber as if to stab her before calming himself and simply walking away, the anger in him running off him thickly. She continues to cry out in agony, trying to reach for the pain spot but pauses when she feels no calf. She looks down to find her entire left leg missing. He had somehow sliced it. Her eyes roll back and she promptly faints, unable to deal with the shock.
An unknown amount of time passed with her coming in and out of consciousness. She isn't sure how but fortunately the Separatists found her and sent an emergency medical vessel for her. She can hear them talking but is unable to make out anything they're saying. When the pain from her wound begins scorching, she subconsciously cries out in agony, feeling parts being shoved into her leg, wiring and metal. It felt like she was in a void after death, serving her sentence for being such a disappointment of a person.
She awakens in a pure white room an undetermined amount of time after, feeling her pupils dilating and shrinking to adjust to the bright light. The chair she's in rises and she groans in exhaustion as the doctor droid checks her vitals. "The surgery went well, Vízesés." She blinks slowly before looking down, finding twisted metal rods and cybernetics replacing her once slim leg. She stares at it in silence, not quite believing what she was looking at. She whispers softly to the doctor. "I want to speak to General Grievous."
~~~~~
"What happened!?" Grievous growls as he stomps in, his eyes wide and angry as he sees her newly constructed metal cybernetics. "Who did this!?" He demands. The desperation in his eyes startles her. "S-Skywalker." She grunts, her head falling back against the pillow as she reaches up to rub her definitely broken nose. Grievous growls low in his throat, sitting at her side with a scowl on his face. "I'll kill that brat." Nimph chuckles, reaching out to gently stroke his cheek, seeing him relax a bit from her touch.
"Have you tried moving?" She shakes her head, looking down at her robotic foot. "I can barely feel my toes." Only one of her now three clawed toes is moving, and hardly at all. "It feels so weird." He gives a sympathetic look, resting his cheek against his palm. "You'll get used to it." He lets out a small cough before chuckling. "It’s a shame your pretty leg is gone though." His comment took her off guard, almost sounding like a joke Qymaen would have used in an attempt to woo her. Maybe what A4 did worked? She thought, her heart racing slightly.
"You're blushing." He chuckles proudly, not realizing her cheeks had warmed until she reaches up to touch them. She couldn't remember the last time that happened. "I…guess I am..." she murmurs to herself before watching him stand as the doctor droid returns, releasing her into Grievous' care with a few hushed words.
She attempts to walk to her ship quarters but ends up having to have Grievous carry her the rest of the way, her face still aflame as she nuzzles against his cape-covered chest, imagining it was Qymaen carrying her like he used to so long ago. He sits her down on her bed and fluffs a pillow for her, lifting her leg up to remove the cybernetic. "It's a bother I have to clean this once every two hours." She sighs, disliking the weird feeling of taking it off. "I think you mean Me cleaning it." He corrects, making Nimph purr, trying to hide the sting as he applies bacta to the wound.
-
She didn't know why she let him, but he kept stroking her fur after long having completed his task, his clawed fingertips wandering up her thigh. Her eyes slipped shut at the feeling, admitting to herself that it did feel good. It's been so long since she's been touched like this. His other hand lifted her hospital gown up, chuckling at the fact that she wasn't wearing anything beneath it. "How bold."
She rolls her eyes, shifting her legs to get into a more comfortable position. "They had to strip me for surgery, you know that." His hand moves further up her thigh to her hipbone, running a thumb over it. "I'm only teasing." Leaning in further, she feels his warm breath against her neck, sending a chill up her spine. "Besides, I always appreciate easy access." That was true, remembering back to their first time on Muunilist with a soft smile, her mind filled with nostalgia.
Suddenly his hand is between her legs, stroking her as gently as possible, her mouth falling open in a moan. He watches her face with wide pupils, a purr emanating from his chest. "Such pretty sounds you make." Her face grew hotter, making his purr grow louder. The way his palm moved against her while his thumb rubbed her sensitive spots was almost hypnotic. "I suppose I should check if your insides are still working, hm?" He hums, earning him an annoyed look. Now almost too much Qymaen was coming out of him. "Alright, I get it." He purrs, pressing his face against her neck, the vibrations making her moan.
When his finger slips in, she doesn't realize how excited she genuinely was. The quick motion immediately worked her towards a needed release. A second finger joins the first, thrusting in and out at an unhuman speed, due to the flexibility of his hands. Her hand shakily comes up to stroke his cheek, her moans growing more high pitched and whiney while he simply chuckles and thrusts faster. "I want to feel you lose yourself." He growls hotly, making her cry out as he brings her to the edge, turning her vision white from the intensity of it.
When her eyes open again, she's still panting. He's watching her with dark eyes, his hand having descended between his own legs before motioning for her to turn over. Forcing herself onto her knees, she turns away from him, raising her behind towards him. He growls appreciatively, reaching out to grip one of her cheeks. Lining himself up, he slides in deep with one long stroke, making her let out a shuddering moan as she's filled with him. "That's it, Nimph." He groans, his claws digging roughly into her behind as his hips begin to roll forward.
"Such a good girl for me, aren't you?" He praises into her ear, making her face grow even hotter each time he pulls her back against him. When his clawed hand wraps around her throat gently, she doesn't stop moving, discovering that the lack of oxygen makes her head spin. It had been so long since they had been intimate like this, in this position. She knew what this was, the long-used Kaleesh breeding position. Her and Qymaen did it many times like this, with no results of course. But the fact that he wanted to claim her again so intimately gave her hope that maybe he did still love her like before.
One of his other hands comes down to her breast, squeezing it as his grunts become louder and his thrusts more potent, knocking her off her knees. He simply lifts up her hips and continues slamming deep inside, purring loudly at the feeling. "So close…that’s it…" She moans into the pillow below her, feeling her own release coming quickly before he leans down, his breath hot against her ear. "I'm going to give you my pups, you will carry them." He growls, making her eyes roll back as she spasms around him, feeling him lock himself in place as he releases within her, growling in pleasure.
She gasps as he shoves deep a few more times, driving his release deeper inside her. She wasn't sure why he was trying so hard. It was almost impossible for them to breed, but he seemed determined. Once he finally pulled out, he observed his essence inside of her, his fingers spreading her open. "There we go, all filled." He says confidently, backing up and setting his pelvic plates back in place with a snap. She shakily turns over onto her back, rubbing her stomach which was throbbing slightly from how hard he was thrusting.
-
"Feeling any better?" He snickers, making her grunt in annoyance. "A little, now my stomach is sore." Shrugging, he gently combs a claw through her messy hair. "I have a feeling this time will be the one." He murmurs lowly, his other hand moving to her abdomen. "What we always wanted." His tone almost disturbed her a bit, making her feel uneasy. "Maybe." She says simply, kind of zoning out while he rambles a bit before heading out of the room to get a wash cloth to clean them up, leaving her there alone with her thoughts.
----
"T-thirty!?" Nimph stutters in surprise, unable to believe the number Qymaen had just given her. "Yeah, thirty." He shrugs, as if it wasn't an impressive feat. "An average of three pups for each wife. It's not as ridiculous as you think." He laughs, assuring her with a hand on her shoulder. "Plus, we lay eggs, remember? Most of my pups are twins or triplets." Nimph shakes her head in disbelief, letting out a sigh. "That’s…a lot."
"Yeah well," Qymaen hums, sitting back against the shaded tree. "They bring me a light I thought I'd lost…I love all of them." Nimph smiles softly, fully aware of how dead inside he had felt upon the death of Ronderu. Hardly anything made him happy. "My wives are close friends too. I just wish I didn't have to take their chance at true love away." She hummed in understanding. Most Kaleesh were polyamorous mainly because of the fact that their population had been wiped out. They needed to rebuild it. It was clear Qymaen had only eyes for his deceased lover now. It made her heart hurt.
"What about you?" He asks, turning to her. "What about me?" She questions, raising an eyebrow. "Do you want pups?" Her face blossoms into a deep pink, coughing awkwardly. "erm well…maybe if I meet the right person…" She murmurs, shifting awkwardly in her seat. His pupils expand in amusement, making her heart skip a beat. "I'm sure you'd make a wonderful mother." Her eyes widen and her face grows even hotter. Coughing into her fist and stuttering. "O-oh I don't know, I mean…I'm not really good around kids." He laughed, calling her bluff immediately. "Nonsense, I see you play with the local pups all the time." She knew he was right but she wasn't sure about one day having her own kids. She could barely keep herself alive let alone another being.
"I'm surprised you and Ronderu never had any kids." She says without thinking, watching his face fall and immediately regretting speaking. "We…tried." He murmured. "Rather, I wanted pups with her but…she wanted to focus on the war, not raising pups." Nimph nodded in understanding. Ronderu never was the motherly type. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." He shrugs, giving a small smile that makes her heart skip. "It's alright, I still have another chance." She cocks her head and raises an eyebrow, but he just laughs and looks away, leaving her wondering.
----
Her eyes open slowly as she feels a warm cloth on her face, making her eyes flutter. "Time to wake up sleepyhead, it's past your medication time." Grievous grumbles, unscrewing the orange pill bottle and dropping some of the pills into his hand for her. She reaches for the water glass on the nightstand and takes the pills from him, swallowing them after some struggling to get them down. He sits down on the bed and grabs the bacta again, lathering some of it onto the connector on her thigh.
She watched him with tired eyes, still surprised that he was being so kind and gentle with her. "There have been more rumors lately," Grievous said suddenly, making her head raise. "Seems more of the higher ups have discovered our little secret." Nimph's head gently lay back on the pillow, not surprised by the sparked rumors at all. It seems Dooku couldn't keep his mouth shut.
Between calling both of them slurs and laughing at Grievous' many failures, they were both exhausted by it. "They have no right to make comments when they know nothing." She grumbles, reaching down to help Grievous screw her leg back into place, flexing her toes to make sure it was properly connected. "They like bringing up our failure on Kamino, though it was Ventress' fault, not mine." He growls, resting his head back on her lap with a grunt. "Well, hopefully when the news about your success at Dathomir comes out, they'll shut their mouths." Nimph says, her fingers gently running over his head. "Even if they know, it doesn't change that they think I'm a waste of resources and a failure."
Nimph frowns and sighs, rubbing one of his ear fins between her fingers till he's purring softly. "You're beautiful." She murmurs without really thinking, making his breathing catch for a moment before looking up at her in confusion. Her eyes lock with his and she smiles softly. "Nimph…I…you…." He struggles to express what he feels, a mix of disgust, confusion, and love before turning into anger. "You…don't" He says suddenly, catching her off guard as he rises from her lap, his eyes narrowing. "I won't forget what you said that night, you hate me, don't you?" She cowers slightly, guilt running through her.
"I-I… I didn't mean that….it was just spur of the moment…" She argues, sitting up further. "I doubt that." He spits, his clawed feet scratching the ground as he stands, towering over her. "I'm sure you can handle yourself from now on." He turns and angrily clanks out the door, leaving her sitting there puzzled. It seemed now he was acting more bipolar than before. A4's operation must not have worked after all. Dropping her head into her hands, she groans, fighting back tears. She was losing faith in him rapidly. There wasn't much else she could do. But maybe, just maybe something could change his mind.
Chapter 6: Chapter 5
Summary:
Nimph gets some news, there's a trip to Nelvaan, and her marriage falls apart
TW SA Attempt at the end of chapter!!!!!
Chapter Text
20 BBY
She had imagined the meeting would be the usual, regarding additional stations being built on various Separatist allied planets, however she was not expecting what she heard. "We are currently in the process of funding a laboratory for the Techno Union on the planet Nelvaan." Nimph's head immediately shoots up, her neck cracking painfully in the process, making her curse. "Vízesés? Are you quite alright?" One of the Banking Clan leaders asks, in an almost smug tone. "I-I'm fine." She coughs, glancing over at Grievous who was looking off somewhere else. He always seemed to be annoyed during these briefings. She scowls to herself, typical he didn't catch that concerning statement.
Once everyone has been dismissed, she hurries out into the hallway to catch her breath. She wasn't sure why she was so worked up about what they said. Even though Nelvaan was her birth planet, it meant nothing to her….didn't it? She groans softly, her long-lasting headache pounding more aggressively as the days go on. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Grievous glancing at her before walking away. They still hadn't spoken since their argument and it had already been almost two months. It doesn't help that ever since that night she's felt a weird kind of sickness she can't explain.
Wandering back to her quarters, she repeated her habit of downing a few pain killers for her head and stomach before proceeding to the fresher' to clean herself up. She noticed she had been sweating a lot more, and surprisingly had gained weight rather than losing it. She weighed herself again, a little concerned by how fast her size had fluctuated. Maybe she wasn't training as hard as usual? She hadn't been eating more, if anything she had been eating less due to missions. Probably just stress, what else could it be?
As she stepped out of the fresher, she felt overwhelmed by fatigue from the heat, groaning softly as she made her way to the bedroom, dragging her feet. To her surprise, Grievous is there, albeit in his adjustments seat messing with some wires in his hand. He watches her silently as she collapses on the bed, rubbing her temples. Of course, she hears him scoff. "What are you so tired for? All you've done today is sit around." She doesn't feel like arguing with him, all the pain in her body making her almost immediately drift off in search of relief. "I don't….feel…" She mumbles before passing out cold for the next few hours.
She wakes up to the sound of Grievous responding loudly to a comm call beside her before he stands up and looks down at her. "Oh, you're awake you-" He stops suddenly, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he looks down at her. "Wha?" She mumbles, still half asleep. "You're…leaking?" His finger points to her chest and low and behold, she was indeed leaking. Her eyes widen and she sits up sharply, rushing to get on her feet before another weird feeling hits her. "Move." She says desperately. He steps aside before she bolts to the bathroom, immediately hunching over the toilet and emptying her stomach.
"What is happening?" Grievous asks with a defeated sigh, not comforting her despite her state. "I don't know." She whimpers, resting her head back against the wall with a grunt before looking back down at the wet spots on her shirt. She quickly undoes the buttons and finds the source, hearing Grievous make an intrigued noise. "Look at that, turns out they can get bigger." He comments smugly, forcing her to bite back an insult at him in return. She was swollen and evidently, leaking a substance that was most likely milk. "I didn't know they got any bigger." He continues, poking one of her swollen breasts with his finger, making her yelp at the feeling.
"What the hell else would they be used for?" She growls. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?" With a mock laugh, he stands up. "Alright then, you can deal with this weird problem yourself." He snaps back, dropping the hand he held on her shoulder. her heart breaks more when he doesn’t even offer to help her stand back up. After the door closes to their quarters, she lets tears flow. She was scared, didn't know what was happening, and was so, so tired. Was she pregnant? That wasn't possible. She was nearing her late 30s, it was a very low chance, it couldn't be. "Must be stressed, has to be it." Her own explanation didn't even make sense but she didn't want to accept pregnancy as the answer. The last thing she wanted was to bring an innocent baby into this war.
~~~~
"Mrs. Nimph, we have schematics that show you are not the only living being on board." Nimph cocks her head, looking over her shoulder at the cramped ship she's on. "Impossible, this ship only fits me, it must be an error." She adjusts the pod's controls as she lands, a weird feeling taking over. "Regardless, we must search for the ship. You may proceed to the medical room, Mrs. Nimph." She had just returned from a simple fetch mission. What could have changed since the last time she was here? Stepping out of the pod, she joins two magnaguards before walking down the unfamiliar passageways of the command ship. Upon entering the infirmary, the doctor droid does the usual check-up, the area where her cybernetics attach to her thigh, her scars, and checking for bruising or broken claws.
"I must do a scan of your body Mrs. Nimph, your old one has expired." The droid insists, much to her displeasure. After undressing and lying in the awkwardly shaped device, she lay as still as possible, watching as the droid analyzes her report. "Mrs. Nimph, it appears you are supporting another lifeform. Congratulations." Nimph freezes, looking up at the doctor in confusion. "What? I'm not pregnant?" The doctor turns the monitor to her, pointing to a rough outline of her womb. Sure enough there was a small dot forming inside. "No…that’s not…I don't understand." The droid doesn't seem to understand her confusion. "I will have to proceed with the standard pregnancy testing, please remain lying down." It pushes up some foot rests for her as she uncomfortably spreads her legs, trying to process everything she was just told.
Once the tests were completed, the droid reported back to her. "You are roughly 2 months pregnant. The embryo is healthy, you will be dismissed for maternity leave in approximately 4 weeks." She gulps, asking the question she was pondering. "The baby…what species is it?" The droid cocks his head again before responding. "Kaleesh, like the father I assume?" She freezes, it doesn't make sense. Her and Qymaen couldn't have children, they were two different classifications... And he was mostly cybernetic now? But regardless of her lack of understanding, she couldn't help the smile that bloomed across her face. "Yes…like the father…" A few tears ran down her cheeks out of happiness. They had been married for nearly 15 years and it took this long to get even a sign of pregnancy. She could hardly contain herself when she contacted Grievous, informing him that she had to have an urgent meeting with him upon his return.
Right away she began planning what to do. She knew they couldn't stay here. It was far too dangerous for an infant to crawl around. But also they had to stay long enough to ensure the baby was healthy with no complications, since she wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen. Kaleesh lay eggs, her species gave live birth. Anything was possible for this baby when it began to emerge. She initially thought of returning to Kalee, but the recent news from the planet made her rethink. Kalee was now pretty much abandoned in favor of Oben's rich resources, surprisingly led by an Izvoshra she remembered quite well, Sk'ar. But she wouldn't trust him with keeping her and the baby safe, he wasn't very comfortable with children. Or women for that matter.
Wild space was still dangerous, and she didn't want to hurl herself back into conflict that she no longer had any knowledge of. Then suddenly it comes to her, the meeting from before, Nelvaan , it could work. It was far enough away from where most of the conflict was and there was really no reason for anyone to stop there. Stepping back from the crib she was putting together, she grabs her Holo Comm, ringing Dooku, who was in charge of the techno union's plans. A small blue hologram appears in front of her of her master, to which she bows awkwardly. "Is this important Vízesés?" He asks in a defeated tone.
"Hello Master, uh…" She starts, trying to figure out how exactly she should ask. "Regarding the Laboratory being built on Nelvaan we discussed…Is it possible for me to oversee its construction? Or something?" Dooku raises an eyebrow before thinking for a moment. "I've already put General Grievous in charge of overseeing…but perhaps you can join him, just in case. His recent failures have been disappointing." She bites her tongue at his harsh comment while nodding respectfully. "Thank you Master, I'll make sure he stays in line." He nods before the hologram fades out, making the room dark once again. "Prick." She grumbles, tossing the comm link aside and returning to the crib she's building, running her hand along the rail as she imagines what it will be like to be a mother. It both excites and scares her. She can only pray this mission goes well, and secures them a place to run away to.
~~~~
Grievous stomps down the ramp of his shuttle, looking around before spotting Nimph waiting on the catwalk, a sigh leaving him. He walks up the stairs before waving his Magnaguards away, stepping back. "What is it? Is this about your mess of a sickness you had the other week?" She rolls her eyes before centering herself with a deep breath. "About that…it wasn't a sickness…" He raises an eyebrow and leans in a little closer. "Continue." He urges with a grumble. "When I arrived back here a few days ago…I got some news." She takes a deep breath and looks up at him, fiddling with her cloak clasp. "They alerted me that…well…somehow I'm pregnant…"
He holds a blank look for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "That is not something to joke about." She blinks at him before shaking her head. "I'm dead serious, Qymaen. I have the pictures." Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out her Holo comm, pressing a few buttons before a blue hologram of her ultrasound appears. His breathing hitched for a moment, his pupils widening at the sight. "…Nimph…how?" She hands him the device so he can examine it closer, lowering her face slightly. "I don't know…I don't understand either. I'm not sure what to do." Grievous shakes his head, handing her the Holo link back before gripping her shoulders.
"Perhaps the Gods are listening after all… Nimph this is unbelievable…" His voice sounds tearful and makes her relax a bit, placing her small hands on top of his. "So…you're happy?" Grievous makes a sputtering noise before cackling. "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" She can't help but laugh too, feeling his hands combing through her hair lovingly as he pulls her close to him. "This is the happiest news you could have given me." He whispers, pressing his faceplate against her head in a mock kiss. She couldn't believe they had conceived after all this time. It had to be some work of the Force. And now as long as she was pregnant, he would have to be kind to her, no more fighting or arguing, at least she hoped.
"Oh yeah." She says, pulling back but still remaining in his arms. "Dooku wants me to go with you to Nelvaan, so tomorrow we're leaving together." His eyes shine with renewed excitement. "We have not travelled together in quite a while, I look forward to it." He purrs, resting his face back on top of her head as she hugs him tighter, relishing in the attention she hasn't received in so long. She hopes it'll last.
~~~
"Approaching planet Nelvaan, Savareen sector, Koobi system." The commander droid announces as the ship begins to descend into the atmosphere of the planet. Grievous crosses his arms, observing the planet from above while Nimph sits back, nervously fiddling with her fingers in her lap. "Why did Dooku ask you to come along?" Grievous asks curiously, trying to create conversation. "Don't know, didn't say." She lies, folding her hands in her lap. Their conversation had been dry when they weren't talking about her pregnancy. Before they could laugh and talk for hours, but now it felt like talking to a coworker. "Have you felt the baby kick yet?" He continues, placing his hand on her barely showing stomach. "No, too early" she sighs, starting to get slightly annoyed. He was oddly obsessed with the baby despite hardly any milestones being made yet, the baby was hardly even a baby yet. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if he was only being this kind and gentle with her because he wanted her to be his walking womb, the thought makes her grimace. The ship lands somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. Nimph immediately slips on ice when they exit the ship, cursing. "I thought it was supposed to be winter? Not an ice age." Nimph grumbles, pulling her cloak tight around her shoulders. Grievous huffs in response, a cloud constantly appearing from the grill of his face plate.
They began their trek to the eighth sector, where the Techno Union was building, but had to pass through a village first. As they enter, Nimph notices no locals out and about. It looks virtually deserted. "Where is everyone?" She murmurs, using her force powers to feel for any heat signatures. "Besides the men, all the women and children should be here somewhere, probably hiding." Grievous replies, making Nimph's head snap around. "What do you mean? Where are the men?" He gives her an annoyed look. "The Union has been experimenting with them." Her eyes bulge in horror. "Why didn't you tell me!?" He shrugs. "Why would I? It doesn't matter to you." "This is my home planet, Qymaen." He leans forward with a warning look in his eye. "Watch your mouth, Nimph. I'm in charge here." She bites her lip in anger, but as they both turn around, they are greeted with the sight of a few Nelvaanian women peeking their heads out at them.
"Oh!" Nimph calls, making their heads instantly duck back. Despite Grievous' grumbling, she begins walking over to where she saw them. A few of them are huddled together by a fire, cowering as she approaches. "Erm…it's ok." Nimph says, raising her hands before lowering her hood. It was almost like gazing into a mirror. Nelvaanian's looked very similar in her books but she had no idea they were really this identical. At the sight of Nimph's face, they relax, murmuring and smiling. "Megmentő? (Savior?)" One responds clasping her hands together. Nimph's mind scrambles to remember her basic Nelvaanian words, finding them mixed with similar Kaleesh ones. "uh..uh…mit? (What?)" The Nelvaanian women look at each other nervously before trying again. "Azért jöttél hogy megmentsen minket? (Did you come to save us?)" Nimph squints her eyes, translating manually in her head before she feels it click.
"Oh! Er…Sajnálom, nem. (I am sorry, but no)" Their faces drop and they look down. Nimph looks behind her and sees Grievous still glaring at her impatiently, but she ignores him. "Mi történt? Hol vannak a férfiak? (What happened? Where are the men?)" One woman points to her left, motioning outside their small hut. "A droidok! Elvitték őket tőlük minket! (The Droids! They took them from us!)" Nimph's eyes narrow before turning sharply back to Grievous. "We're releasing those men, Qymaen." His eyes widen in surprise before narrowing. "They are just useless creatures, they do not matter." She bites her cheek angrily. "You're saying I'm a useless creature then too! I'm one of them!" His hand reaches out and grabs the front of her cloak roughly, pulling her closer. "You're sure acting like one." He hisses. "Now, let's go before I make you." Dropping her onto her knees in the snow, Grievous and the droids continue moving towards the laboratory. Wiping her forming tears and giving one last look to the women with a sorry expression, she follows.
She's silent for the rest of the walk and into the lab. They tour around the massive building with one of the Techno Union men explaining the horrible things they have done to the planet, using a Siphon Generator to harvest thermal energy from the planet, hence explaining the ice age. Nimph is left speechless, but Grievous doesn't seem phased at all. If it was 10 years earlier, he would have been just as upset as her, as these people's plight was similar to Kalee's. But now his eyes were dark, more so than just a few months ago.
When they get a few moments alone, Nimph decides to finally confront him. "Grievous." She says softly, earning only a hum of acknowledgement. "You don't see what's wrong with this, do you?" He grumbles in his chest. "We're doing our job Nimph." She's already feeling tears in her eyes. "Doesn't this remind you of Kalee?" He pauses for a moment before shaking his head, sending anger and sadness through her. "Kalee? I am more powerful now than I ever was back there." She audibly makes a choking sound, feeling almost sick at his confession. "We did all this for Kalee! Y-you can't be serious." He whips around and approaches her briskly, backing her against the wall, his hand reaching out to wrap around her neck threateningly. "Do not anger me, small one." He growls, squeezing tight but not enough to actually choke her.
"I don't need anyone or anything but myself and a blade." His voice is cold and she feels almost all hope drain out of her. "I mean nothing to you anymore then?" He laughed lowly, moving his hand to grip her chin, running one of his thumbs along her trembling bottom lip. "Oh darling, you're still mine. More importantly you're bearing my pups. You'll always belong to me." She lets out an almost pathetic whimper, his grip tightening on her chin. "You are nothing but a tool for me now, my dear. I ensure that we'll have many more pups together" He whispers before roughly shoving her towards the wall, letting her fall onto the cold tile floor as she sits there speechless, gross sobs forming in her throat as tears cascade down her cheeks. "You're a monster." She whimpers weakly, sobbing into her hands. He chuckles darkly, almost purring. "Oh darling," Turning back to her, she no longer sees any light in his eyes. "I always have been." He was gone.
~~~~
She lay in the quarters of the ship, alone and still sobbing. Her heart felt like it was shattered in her chest and her neck was throbbing from where she grabbed him. She couldn't bring herself to stay in that laboratory any longer. As much as she wanted to help the Nelvaanian people, she knew she couldn't, not in this state. Even when the doors to her quarters slid open, she didn't look up, hearing the menacing metallic steps of her former lover. He scoffs when he sees her curled up on the bed, facing away from him. "You are still throwing a fit? How pathetic, Nimph." Her hand fists subconsciously, more tears forming in her eyes.
When he sits down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch her ankle, she jolts her leg out of his grasp, hearing him make an annoyed noise. "Get it together, I simply told you the truth." Biting her lip, she shakes her head. "No…no you used to be kind, caring….loving. You would never say such things to me." Grievous scoffs, tapping his skeletal fingers on his thigh. "I don't love anymore, darling. I have no use for such…organic needs." She sits up angrily, her claws flexing into the bedsheets. "Because they tampered with your head. Grievous! You can't be this stupid!" His eyes widen before he lets out a low growl. "You think I don't know that? Or that unfortunate assassination that made me this way?" She pauses, confusion flooding her features.
"Oh Nimph, you didn't know?" His face looks visibly pained for just a moment before he speaks. "The Jedi didn't bomb that shuttle." Her mouth gapes open in a mix of confusion and surprise. "W-what do you mean? Who did then?" "The Banking Clan, Dooku." His answer is sharp and full of suppressed anger. "You…didn't tell me." She whispers, her head dropping sadly. "Do not be upset, my hatred for the Jedi still stands, but now a new hatred for the Banking Clan and Dooku joins it. It makes me stronger." When she doesn't reply he reaches out and grabs her shoulders, pulling her closer to him in attempt at mock comfort.
"Come here. No need for tears. " He purrs lowly, caressing her cheek with one hand while his other moves to her hip, sliding beneath her trousers. She immediately tenses. "Grievous, n-no… I'm pregnant and we can't-" He cuts her off by tightening a hand around her throat again. "Silence, I will do as I please. I'm sure you won't mind, my slut." "I don't want this anymore, Grievous." She argues, trying to struggle out of his grasp. Grabbing her wrists, he pins her down into the mattress, a growl leaving his chest as his face lowers to hers. "I will do what I want. You know this. " Fear ripples through her body. She can't do this again. She struggles desperately, using her weak force powers to no avail, her mental state having diminished her power.
He growls, squeezing one hand around her neck again and gripping her this time. His claws sink into the delicate skin of her throat, his other hand still holding her arms back as she struggles, silently begging him to let her free. He seems lost in the scene, almost aroused by it. "Struggle all you want, it'll just make me want to hurt you more." She whimpers and chokes as she begins to feel extremely light-headed, her eyes rolling back before suddenly, it all pulls away and she can breathe again, gasping for air desperately. She weakly looks over to see Grievous talking to Dooku on his Comm link, giving her one last loveless glare before walking out of the room.
She quickly runs to the door and locks it, her breathing still laboring as she sits back down, her hands shaking. Looking up at the wall where a mirror is, she sees the deep gashes in her neck from his claws, blood beginning to pour painfully out of them, a wheeze leaving her throat. Hurrying to the bathroom to find a first aid kit, she knows those wounds are going to scar, and she'll be reminded everyday of her life how she failed to save him from the monster he had become, and how much of a failure she is to everyone she ever made a promise to help. Qui-Gon, Ronderu, The Kaleesh, The Nelvaanian's, Qymaen…they were all dead, she was an utter failure with only one last person she had a chance to save. Her baby.
Chapter 7: Chapter 6
Summary:
A baby is born and Nimph is freed
Notes:
Sorry for the month long wait, I was on vacation and then had insane writers block so heres another short chapter.
Chapter Text
19 BBY, Vessek
"Congratulations Zove and Qymaen!" Zomne gushed, the other wives happily adored the baby that Zove was holding. Nimph watches in amazement, wondering how something that small could grow up to be so big. Looking over at Qymaen, she sees a light in his eyes she hadn't seen in a long time. Kissing Zove on the cheek, he takes the baby from her, his pupils widening at the sight of the little bundle. "I think that about does it," Gnerovu chuckles. "Thank you Qymaen and Ladies for all the offspring we've managed to produce!" Qymaen laughs, pressing a kiss on the small cheek of the baby. "It was my pleasure." He purrs, rubbing his cheek to the babies one last time before handing it back to his wife. Looking over his shoulder, he gestures for Nimph to come closer at the same time a horde of little Kaleesh come running in to meet their sibling.
"You certainly have your hands full don't you?" Nimph chuckles, feeling two kids already pulling on her tunic to get her attention, probably to pester her with questions again. "Yes but... It's all worth it." He chuckles, pulling two of his smaller kids up into his arms. One thing she didn't expect to see when she arrived was the usually rough and angry man smiling and laughing at his babies. It was almost absurd. "One day I'd like to have a baby but... Not in war times." Nimph smiles softly back at him and feels her heart race suddenly when their eyes lock again.
"You'll make a great mother." He says, those words forever echoing in her mind.
~
It had been roughly 5 months since the Nelvaan incident, when Nimph took an early maternity leave with no plan of returning. Alone in the dark castle on Vessek she's stayed for months, her only company being A4 and the occasional visit from Grievous to get some part of him fixed. They hadn't spoken at all since that night on Nelvaan and she planned to keep it that way. It was getting closer to her due date now and she could definitely tell. The pain in her back and stomach, along with the pain in her heart and mind, was excruciating. For months now she had sat alone in the dark with her thoughts, occasionally sliding her blade across her arm to feel something, anything. A4 had finally managed to get her out of the room to examine her though.
Looking up at the screen, she watched the unborn baby move around inside of her, both exciting and disgusting her. "Everything looks wonderful, mistress. I'll still get an incubator ready in case somehow you do have an egg. You should be due any day now." A4 speaks, all of his arms pulled back in. "Are the things I ordered for the nursery ready?" She asks weakly, sitting up after some struggling. "Yes, Mistress. I suspect you'd like to set it up now?" Nimph nods, pulling herself to her feet with a sigh. "But I want to move the nursery in here, away from…" A4 nods in understanding before she even finishes her sentence. He was the only being Nimph could manage to speak to about what had happened. Her hand absentmindedly caressed the scars on her neck, mourning silently.
After some struggle they manage to get a crib set up. A4 does most of the work as Nimph struggles to walk. She decorates the crib so it's comfortable, making sure everything's in place. They also set up a changing table before calling it a day, Nimph finding her contractions growing worse. A4 promises to call Grievous much to her displeasure as she senses her pregnancy drawing to a close. She felt like she was just a womb, used as a tool to give Grievous what he wanted. She was afraid he would harm the baby, try to turn him into a cyborg like him. Trying to get some sleep and fight the contractions, she lay back down on the bed in the dark room, presently mourning her and her unborn child's safety.
The subsequent morning, he arrives, nearly making her jump out of her skin when she sees him standing there, his arms crossed. "You….you came." She whispers in surprise, not expecting him to show up before the birth and not after. "I would like to see the birth of my first pup." Her face drops immediately. "Your…31st kid actually." She corrects, making his eyes narrow, but not at her, rather like he was searching his mind for long lost information. "I...apologize." He murmurs, leaning a little closer. "I no longer remember." She blinks back tears and nods. "I know." His hand hesitantly reaches out, hovering over her stomach before their eyes meet. "…May I?" "Go ahead." His cold hand rubs her stomach slowly, his pupils dilating when he feels the little kicks and movements of the baby inside.
"So active." He murmurs, letting his hand stay against her belly for a while longer. "Well, it is almost time." Nodding, he leans in and meets her eyes. "You'll be a great mother." He says, almost making her heart stop. That’s what Qymaen said to her all those years ago. "Mistress, let's check your dilation." A4 interjects, making her jump again at his sudden appearance. With a sigh, she lies back and props her legs up as usual. She feels some uncomfortable prodding as the droid examines her. "My word, you're practically ready. How are your contractions?" Nimph groans softly. "Bad…been for days." A4 nods and begins getting things prepared for the birthing process.
He first injects her with some pain medication as they can tell the baby is inching closer to crowning. Grievous surprisingly offers her his hand for her to grip. Her fingers intertwine with his as she begins to push, groaning painfully. "Oh gods…it hurts." She grunts, her other hand pushing her sweaty hair out of her face. "You're doing well, Mistress. Deep breaths." A4 says, moving things into position to catch the baby. "Fuck… it feels like I'm being split in two!" She growls, barring her teeth as she struggles to handle the pressure. "Breathe, Nimph." Grievous says, squeezing her hand gently while she's on the verge of snapping his hand off.
After a few hours of pushing, screaming, and crying, finally she is able to push the head out, A4 noting the odd leftover membranes of an egg-like substance around the infant. Once the rest of the baby is finally freed, the cord is cut and he takes the newborn away to wash it. "You did very well, Nimph." Grievous says, running a gentle hand across her forehead. The monitor next to her begins beeping and flashing, alerting him. "A4! Something is happening." Grievous growls loudly. A4 rushes back in and tries to stabilize her. "She's losing a lot of blood, Master. She's hemorrhaging." He murmurs. "Well then fix it!" Nimph's chest rises and falls with quick breaths as her bleeding increases, feeling A4 injecting various substances between her legs, though she can't feel much.
For a moment, she thought about just letting herself go. She knows she could if she wanted. But the sounds of her baby's cry stay in her mind. She couldn't keep that little thing alone with a monster like Grievous. She would never forgive herself. Forcing her eyes back open with a groan, she struggled to hold on to whatever life she had left, even if she had no will to live it.
Finally the beeping dies down and the tenseness in the room begins to dissolve. A4 returns with the infant, all clean and wrapped up in a blanket. Nimph's tired eyes open again as he enters. Her heart is racing as she sees the bundle in his arms being handed to her. "It’s a boy, congratulations Mistress, Master." He chimes, Nimph taking the baby from his hands. The bundle is smaller than it felt coming out of her, very light as well. She pulls the blanket back to reveal the tiny face of a little Kaleesh baby, but with a few of her own features tacked onto his face. Right away she felt tears in her eyes. He looked so much like Qymaen.
"He is small," Grievous comments, reaching out to gently touch the baby's head who makes a small whimper. "But he will be strong." Nimph smiles softly, pressing a kiss on the baby's head. "I'm going to name him Poda'roc, Poda' for short." She whispers, stroking her thumb across his cheek. "He'll be strong like his father." She whispers softly, her lips brushing across his forehead as he coos softly, his tiny hands reaching up to pat her face.
~~~
"Utapau?" Nimph murmurs, holding Poda in place as he drinks from her breast. "Yes, that’s where I will be stationed after I kidnap the Chancellor." Grievous says, pacing the room as he strategizes. "And why do I need to be there?" His arms fold behind his back as he turns to look at her. "It'll be the end of the war, I may be stationed there for a while and I would like to see my son." Nimph looks down at Poda who is still drinking hungrily, making soft sounds while his little ears twitch with each gulp. "I don't want to travel with him yet, he's still too small." She murmurs. Grievous makes an annoyed sound, tapping his claws on his arm. "The Republic will come, they know where this castle is. It is safer to come with me."
That didn't stop him from leaving her alone in this castle before, making her bite her tongue in annoyance. "We will not argue about this. Gather your things." Huffing, she stands up, carrying Poda back to his crib and setting him down. He stretches his little limbs and stares up at her with his big dark-yellow eyes, reaching up to her. "I'll be right back." She coos, caressing his small face. Picking up her bag from her closet, she packs her few belongings and gathers Poda's essentials, grumbling under her breath. Grievous stands looming in the doorway, watching her run around and pack, but his eyes seem glazed, as though he's lost in his own thoughts.
Picking Poda back up and holding him against her chest, she approaches him with her head low. "You know," He starts, tapping his claws against the wall again. "I think I had a dream the other night." She looks up in surprise, not expecting such a thing. "When I was in sleep mode…I felt hot, like I was on fire." Nimph shakes her head. "Probably just your subconscious from your accident." He disagrees, tapping his fingers faster. "No, it was different, it was a fire from within." She pauses, holding Poda a little closer. "I see." She murmurs plainly, slipping past him and padding quickly down the hallway, trying to get away.
She can feel his piercing gaze on the back of her neck as she walks, limping slightly as she really shouldn't be walking already after just having a child. Securing Poda into his little harness, Grievous takes them to Utapau, the dusty planet making Nimph's nose itch the moment they step out of the ship, hurrying to a private room. Grievous finishes some virtual meetings about his big plan to kidnap the chancellor, but a weird feeling stays within Nimph, rocking Poda in her arms as she tries to focus on anything else. All she knew was that something bad was about to happen.
~~~
Dreams of fire, pain, and suffering haunt her the night of Grievous' important mission, almost exactly like what he had told her before. She's now in a packed control room on Utapau, watching the screens until it's confirmed the Chancellor has been rescued.
Various creatures stood around watching the monitor showcasing the attack on Corruscant, however just as Nimph expected, something went wrong. She wasn't able to see it, but Grievous got injured and was now coughing his remaining organs up. She paces the hallway, occasionally glancing up at the monitor still covering the Chancellor's recovery. Hearing the sound of an incoming ship, she hurries to the catwalk and watches as her husband drags himself out of his ship, trying to keep up a good pace but failing. She could hear him wheezing with each step before letting out a long string of coughs when he reaches the communication room to speak to Sidious.
She waits patiently by the door for him to finish before hurrying over to him. "You're hurt." He swats her hand away and continues down the hallway towards the infirmary. "I am fine." She follows him nervously, watching him closely as the doctor droids prepare to look at the damage. "How is my son?" He asks, groaning as they pop off his chest plate to reveal the damage to his organ sac. "He's fine…but you…" Coughing again loudly he growls. "Enough, get her out of here." Two of his guards grab her by the shoulders and toss her back out into the hallway, the door shutting on her.
Staring wide-eyed at the door she runs a hand through her hair. Wandering back to the nursery, she pulls Poda' from his crib, seeing him awake and gnawing on one of his toes. "Don't eat that, baby." She coos, earning a long sentence of babbling when she pulls his foot away from his face. She chuckles, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "Cursing me out already hm?"
He tugs on her short hair gently and she holds him close, hearing the familiar sound of Grievous' steps coming down the hallway to the nursery. As he appears in the doorway, he's in new armor but still wheezing.
"They're hunting for me already." She hums in acknowledgement, trying not to meet his gaze. "A shame." She murmurs, standing up to put Poda back in the crib just in case. "I was going to tell you I had the same dream as you, but it seems you don't care about a word I say." His eyes widen for a moment and he takes a few steps closer. "I will make sure that fate does not happen." He says, trying to sound confident. "Your dreams always happen as you dream them." She whispers sadly, remembering all the things he had predicted before his shuttle crash.
"That was then, this is now. I am more powerful-" "Oh please stop it!" Nimph snaps, feeling her self-control beginning to slip away. "All you talk about is power, how powerful you think you are!" His eyes narrow but he says nothing yet. "You're no force user, they're going to kill you and you know it." She laughed bitterly. "I thought maybe, just maybe I could fix what they did to you, to bring Qymaen back. It's clearly a lost cause now." His fists curl at his sides, growling low in his throat. Noticing this she laughed again, forcing herself into his face as he often did to her. "Hit me, go ahead and do it. It makes you feel powerful doesn't it?" He growls louder, wheezing angrily.
Instead of the punch or slap she was expecting, his arm snaps out and his hand wraps around her throat again, just like last time. Her hands hurry to grab his arm, trying to keep calm. "You won't do it." She coughs out, tears forming from her struggle. "Qymaen is in there, and he won't let you kill me." His pupils become slit, his growls sending chills through her body. "You are a wretched woman." He spats, squeezing her tighter. "I should have known from the beginning that you were worthless, so desperate for attention." Turning, he presses her roughly against the wall, the shock making Poda cry in his crib.
"I remember things," He chuckles bitterly. "I don't know why I ever bothered with you. I probably just wanted an easy woman." His words sting her heart but her anger overwhelms her. "You are nothing compared to her, you will never be her. She was the one I always loved." The mention of Ronderu made her heart race. He remembered her. She spotted tears in his eyes, matching her own now. His grip on her neck was trembling before he growls and punches the wall next to her face, making her flinch. Letting go of her neck, she gasps for air before quickly hurrying to the crib to check on Poda.
He's ok, just startled by the noises. Picking him up, she coos to him softly, feeling Grievous staring at her, making noises akin to sniffling. Their eyes meet once more before he speaks. "If I survive, you are going back to Kalee, and you will stay there." He whispers, his gaze low. "So we will not trouble one another again." She says nothing, watching him turn and walk out of the room, tension in the air dissipating. Closing her eyes, she buries her face into Poda's little neck, holding him as closely as possible as she breaks down. She was free, they were free.
Chapter 8: Chapter 7
Summary:
The end of an era, Nimph and Poda' escape from Utapau.
Notes:
Sorry for taking a million years, this year has sucked ass and i've been in a depression hole for months. The last chapter won't take this long I promise.
Chapter Text
19 BBY, Utapau
Blaster fire, constant blaster fire. Nimph scales the ceiling pillars, trying to keep her eyes on Kenobi as he pursues Grievous. Despite their final argument, and knowing that somehow he will succumb to whatever wounds he receives, she wants to avenge what she was about to lose. Taking one last drag of her cigarette, she drops it below, watching as it ignites the gas from a clone vehicle below. She chuckles darkly, though still feeling as though she's in a haze. Jumping across a few more beams quickly, she watches Grievous and Kenobi now dueling it out by the ship dock, not looking too great for either of them.
It actually looks like Grievous is winning, until she hears a single blaster shot, then another.
Her eyes widen as the organ sac within him ignites, sending flames throughout his entire body, successfully killing him. At first, she thinks about how good it is that she's free now…doesn't need to endure his abuse anymore. But then she thinks about how that man was once her loving husband, a man she had no idea would have such an impact on her life. Her hands begin shaking, a sickening vile rising in her throat as she jumps down below, cutting off further contact between Kenobi and her husband's corpse.
Scrambling to the corpse, she grabs him, yelping as the flamed armor burns her hands. Seeing him like this up close was even worse, the charred blood now on her hands. Kenobi stands behind her, unsure of what she's doing, standing in a defensive stance since he still had no saber. She feels her own hatred and malice bubbling over inside of her as her head snaps to look at him, barring her teeth in such a way she appeared more animal than any humanoid. Still on her hands and feet like a creature, she crawls closer before standing shakily, reaching for her sabers and immediately igniting them, her scowl turning into a bitter laugh before speaking.
"I will make sure you suffer the most painful death imaginable. Not even watching you burn in the pits of Mustafar would please me." Just like that, she pounces at him, growling and snarling as he tries to push her back with the force. His force powers were nothing compared to hers however, something she always felt proud of. Flipping towards him, her saber manages to sear part of his tunic before kicking her leg out to dig her claws into his stomach. Wrapping around his obi, she yanks him forward, blade positioned at his throat.
Her eyes glow a dark yellow as he's forced to meet her gaze. "I've waited a long time for this" She growls, pushing him back and onto the ground beneath her feet, blade still burning his throat. "I'll see you in hell, Jedi." She spits before a sudden rush of blaster fire comes towards them, B1's firing at Kenobi and startling her enough that he manages to slip from her grasp. "Stupid droids!" she shouts in anger, watching as Kenobi disappears from her sight. "I demand you to go find him, now!"
The droids awkwardly follow her commands, and she lowers her sabers, still breathing heavy from the adrenaline. Walking back to the crime scene, she lowers herself beside Grievous one last time, brushing her fingers against his hand and closing her eyes. She couldn't mourn here yet, she had to get out of here. Standing back up, she ignites her blade one more time and sears off pieces of her clothing before gently brushing the blade against her wrist just enough that it draws blood. Wincing, she lets it drip onto the floor with the scraps. Finally, reaching down, she removes her third saber and drops it to the ground and walks away, leaving behind this part of herself, hopefully for good. The last thing she does is find the discarded cape of Grievous, folding it and carrying it with her.
The walk back to her quarters is a blur until she notices a change in battle, the clone troopers were no longer fighting the droids, making her raise an eyebrow in suspicion. Walking to a nearby commander B1, she lowers her voice. "What has happened with the Clone Troopers?" The droid turns to her and displays something on a comm link. "Order 66, sir." Her brows furrow softly. "And that means what?" The B1 motions to the clone troopers still aiming their blasters, watching for something. "We are to kill all Jedi. Order from Lord Sidious himself." She breathes out, she should be happy, this was what she wanted after all. But something felt wrong in her gut and her head was beginning to hurt again.
Turning around she walks back towards her quarters on shaky legs, trying to ignore the pounding but each step she took made her feel worse. By the time she opens the door to the nursery, she can barely stand, wheezing as she stumbles to the cradle. Poda seemed to be restless as well, whining in his swaddle before relaxing upon seeing Nimph's face. Gently scooping him up, she sits on the edge of the bed, holding him as she hopes the feeling in her head would fade, the pain growing more intense. Shakily she reaches out to turn on her Separatist radio, to listen to any transmissions about what was happening.
It's mainly silence except for the break in which a trooper leader would announce the death of another Jedi, then another. She feels more sick with each name, most she didn't recognize but still made her feel…guilty. Eventually she forces herself to turn the device off and stands back up, grabbing her small bag of items for Poda and makes her way to the docking station. She is not disturbed at all on the way there, keeping herself hidden in her cloak with Poda strapped to her chest, already asleep from being against her warmth.
Hopping into her personal fighter and lowering the top, she shakily enters the coordinates she had remembered for all this time, and sets out.
-----
Landing in a long dead forest she hops out of her fighter, looking around at the destroyed scenery. She walks the same path she used to nearly every day, no longer feeling the warmth from back then. As she steps into the dusty wasteland she used to call home, she stops. Everything was abandoned and seemingly had been so for quite a while. The only remnants of the town she once called home were the empty stone foundations of homes that had since been swept away. Walking through the main area, she sees the old training grounds, dining hall, and the old planning house.
The memories that ran through her nearly made her weep as she stared out across the dusty old town. Approaching an old barely standing home, she stands before it. Her wrapped hand runs across the weak wood frame before stepping inside, coughing as dust flows into her lungs. It was her home, their home, so long ago. It seemed that a few things were missing, which made sense when the whole planet assumed her and Qymaen had died. The fireplace had since collapsed on itself and the bedroll was in pieces, making her heart ache. Ducking down in the corner, she wipes dust off of one of the back floorboards before lifting a barely noticeable latch and removing the board completely. With a sigh of relief, she finds what she's looking for. Technically the secret space was for emergency resources, but she had used it as a make-shift safe for her most prized possessions.
First she pulls out a small box, her thumb brushing away the dirt and dust to find the long worn paint and chipped wood. It was the box Qymaen had given her pendant to her in, still in one piece. She holds it to her chest before placing it aside. There were a few more things that they had stored in there, mainly food supplies but the thing she was after was the lone bone mask at the bottom. It was uncarved and unpainted, just the way Qymaen had left it over a decade ago. He originally placed it there as a back-up in case something would happen to his own mask, but she knew what to do with it now. Sitting down, she pulls Po out of the sling on her back and placed him on the ground in front of her, He blinks at her as she picks up the mask and holds it up to his face, measuring it. Even though he was half Nelvaanian, he still resembled Qymaen more than her, thus he would grow into the mask perfectly.
She smiled, watching his little fingers reach out to touch the mask curiously, his ears twitching in interest. "This Is yours now." She whispers softly, stroking his cheek with her finger. He makes a noise and wraps his hand around her finger, making her heart swell with emotion. "Your daddy carved that just for you…". Her words are cut off by the sound of a rifle clicking. She looks over her shoulder in surprise to see a Kaleesh woman, aiming it at her. "Who are you?" Nimph asks softly, looking closely to see if she recognized the person, but to her surprise she lowers the gun first. "…Nimph?" The woman lowers the veil over her nose slowly. "I thought you weren't a real person." Nimph can't help but chuckle. "Who told you that?"
The woman steps a little closer in curiosity. "My mother…she knew you." Nimph frowns standing up slowly. "Who was your mother?" The woman smiles softly. "Zove Nomi Qesh." Nimph's eyes widen, her heart skipping a beat. "Oh my gods… Vinkina? I was at your birth." Vinkina's eyes widen in surprise before she laughs softly, holding out her hand to which Nimph firmly shakes it. "We all assumed you had died with my father…how are you here? Whose baby is that?" She asks, motioning towards Poda.
"Well, your father didn't die he…" She trails off, not knowing if she should really tell her what became of him. "He worked to help your planet till the end…this is his last child." Vinkina looks down curiously. "My little brother? Incredible." Looking around, Nimph puts a hand on her shoulder. "Why aren't you on Oben with the others?" She frowns and looks back to her. "I was tasked to look for survivors, almost everyone is back on Oben though." Nimph nods and leans down to place Poda back onto her back and picks up her few belongings. "You can come back with me if you'd like?" The girl offers, giving a soft smile.
As much as Nimph wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to look those people in the face again after her failures. "That's alright, I have a home somewhere else." She reassures, reaching out once more to rub her shoulder. "Say hi to your siblings for me…and your father. We both miss you very much." She whispers before slowly walking past and back out into the dusty ruins, bringing her own veil back up. "I will, good luck." Vinkina says, heading the other direction. Nimph smiles once more before hurrying back to her ship, eager to leave this place behind.
-----
Nelvaan was still dealing with the after effects of their deep freeze, the air was still freezing as Nimph walks back towards that village she visited before. This time, there were signs of life, men and women moving about working. As she enters, she feels the uneasy gaze of the Nelvaanians around her. To her surprise, two women approach her, looking her up and down. She immediately recognized them as the women she spoke to all that time ago.
"Emlékszünk rád! (We remember you!)" One woman says, gently taking her hand with a smile. "Megmentettél minket (You saved us)" Nimph shakes her head, pulling her hand from the woman's grasp. "Nem én mentettelek meg, hanem egy Jedi (I didn't save you, a Jedi did)." The women look at each other curiously, not fully understanding the situation. "Van véned, akivel beszélhetek? (Do you have an elder I can speak to?)" Nimph asks with a sigh, to which they both nod, motioning for her to follow them to a hut carved into the rock of the mountainside.
Inside was an older Nelvaanian man, silently watching over two children nearby. "Helló," Nimph starts, sitting across from him and carefully removing Poda from the pouch on her back. "Tudnál helyet hagyni a fiamnak? Csak egy kis időre? (Could you make room for my son for just a little while?)" The elder looks curiously at Poda, and she's worried he's silently judging him. To her surprise, he nods slowly, motioning to the women behind her. "Nagyon gyengék, adj nekik egy szobát a tartózkodásra (They are very weak, give them a room to stay)" He murmurs, to which Nimph nods gratefully.
All she knew was that she secured Poda comfort for just a little longer, holding him close to her chest to keep him warm. The room they give her of course is cold and small, but she's grateful anyways. They give her some basic materials for a fire and a bed, which was more than enough for them. As long as they were free from the Separatists, they'd be ok.
Chapter 9: Epilogue
Summary:
Nimph and Po get settled.
Notes:
Actual Epilogue length this time. This was one of the first chapters I actually wrote out so its been done for awhile. Thank you for all the support and hopefully see you next year.
Chapter Text
19 BBY, Nelvaan
The planet was still very cold, even as the weeks went by. As Nimph finishes working on the small room she was given upon arrival, she lights a fire in the fireplace before sitting down on the hay bedroll next to Po, who was wrapped securely in warm fabrics. It had already been a month but Nimph felt homesick, but not for a location, for Grievous. Her heart still ached and it felt as though every beat of it was a reminder of her failure, that she couldn't save him. Her fingers tighten around the cape she had begun to use as a blanket, bringing it to her face in a desperate attempt to catch his scent which was barely noticeable now.
She had become so used to crying that she didn't even notice when her tears began to soak the material. Being pushed into hiding like this, made her feel weak and hardly a ghost of her old self. Hearing a noise, she looks down at Po, his little yellow eyes staring up at her with curiosity. "You ok, little one?" She whispers, placing the cape onto her lap before lifting the baby into her arms. Po coos at her, his little hands playing with the pendant on her neck. "Your father made that, isn't it pretty?" Her voice is soft, making him look up at her again, his hands moving up to pat her cheeks, making noises akin to rambling. The motion alone makes Nimph tear up again, her lips trembling as she tries to speak again. "What is it?"
She jumps slightly when she feels something in the force, her head snapping to stare down at the baby in shock, it was comfort. "You…your force…" Bringing Po to her chest, she holds him close, he must have stronger force abilities than prior knowledge expressed. "I was afraid of this…" She whispers, feeling Po pulling on strands of hair running down her back. "I don't want to think about the force anymore…or the Jedi…or the Sith…I'm tired of it all." Po goes quiet, as if actually listening to her plight. "It's brought nothing but pain, I just want to have a normal life for you and me, I can't bare another loss." Her voice breaks at the end, more tears rolling down her face. Pulling Po back to look at him, she smiles weakly.
"But you don't understand all this, and I won't let you carry the same burden I do." Looking towards the window, she watches as the sun sets, filtering an orange glow into the room. "The force blessed us for a reason, so you must do good, Po. Don't make the same mistakes your father and I made…" She whispers, pressing kisses to his cheeks, making him laugh. Her love for her son was the only thing keeping her going, she needed to make a good life for him. No sorrow, no grief, just peace. She was going to have to struggle through her pain alone, but that was ok with her, as long as Po was there. "The force has something planned for you…I know it." She whispers, laying back on the bedroll while holding Po against her. For a moment, she even feels as though she sensed Qymaen's presence, but the feeling doesn't last. "Your daddy will keep us safe, I promise." Her lips brush against the baby's forehead as his breathing slows down, feeling warm and comforted against her chest.
Nimph lets her tears fall silently, pleading into the force to bring Qymaen back to her, but she knows It is of no use. He was probably happy with Ronderu again, wherever he was. He didn't need her to keep him happy anymore, Ronderu deserved to have him back. It was what Nimph deserved after all, helping to tear apart the galaxy, she doesn't deserve happiness, but yet here she was with the only light in her life left, keeping her flame alive but just barely. Her eyes slip shut as her tears continue to fall. She wasn't sure what lay ahead, but whatever it was, it was just her and Po against the world.
lilitrania on Chapter 1 Sat 17 Aug 2024 01:35AM UTC
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lilitrania on Chapter 9 Mon 19 Aug 2024 08:20PM UTC
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