Ben made a slight hint of a shrug. “I just hope that someone will finish you on the way out.”
She glided toward him. “I doubt that.”
When he failed to answer, she continued.
“It's pathetic, Ben. Hoping that if someone will kill me, it won't be you.” She was now drawing closer two him, now with barely two meters between them. “Pathetic, but sweet.”
“Just vanish before I will change my mind and rip your head off.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “You were always a tough guy, Ben. But you can't fool me. I'm a Sith, remember?”
His face didn't even jerk. “Better than you would realize,” he said.
“But it was exciting to spend my time with you,” she said, bowing her head just slightly in appreciation. “It was a pleasure to fight by your side, Ben Skywalker.”
Ben didn't reply to her courtesy. “We both know it wasn't.”
“Ah, but that was just a matter of the circumstances. And, after all, I enjoyed it. And that is all that matters to me.”
She reached out, felt Ben tighten as he expected her to attack him, and caught his hands, pulling them slightly to the sides, till their hands didn’t made a little ring. She tried to lower his defenses and for once stop analyzing her every word.
His brow slightly furrowed as he tried to find out her intentions. She squeezed his hands in reassurance.
“Since that may be our last meeting,” she said and tried her voice not to flutter. She was – well, she would be sad if this didn't work. She moved closer to him. “I have a parting gift for you, Ben.”
As she spoke, she closed in until their noses almost touched and leant her head a little. Her eyes narrowed as she moved forward to kiss him. She held the kiss for a while, expecting Ben to soften, hug her, or just push his lips against hers. He did nothing except letting her to do it. But she felt his Force aura ripple a bit. When she drew back, just enough to look into his eyes, she didn't find any sign of the ripple in his face, except a soft blush coming to his cheeks. She raised her chin, pouting a bit, giving him a hint of what he should do now.
He failed to react again.
“You are a very dull boy, Ben,” Vestara said, disappointed.
“I've heard that before.”
Her eyes narrowed, this time with chafe. “That's because-“  her face suddenly cleared and she drew more away, as she realized she was falling for his trap. “Ben Skywalker,” she said, shaking his head, “I am very disappointed by you. Not that you're just hindering, you are trying to provoke me!”
Ben moved his head. “Do I?”
She saw he was struggling very, very hardly not to give her a smile. He was struggling all the time. But according to what Vestara heard about Jedi Knighting Trials, he was trained to sustain everything. And last few weeks made him sustain even a teasing of a Sith teen. She just had to press more hardly to get the last smile from him.
She suddenly got a silly idea. She squeezed his hands, drawing their arms together to Ben's chest, pressing against him.
“So this is a goodbye, Ben,” she said theatrically, her eyes fixed on their linked hands. Then she glanced up, eyes big, genuine and tender. “Die, Jedi Skywalker,” she whispered and forced the chuckle what tried to escape her lips to ease.
Corner of Ben's mouth jerked to a quick grin, then he squeezed her hands, too. She had felt a relieved wave run through her, followed by a ripple of guilt. The relief was caused by the softness that appeared in his eyes. “Goodbye, Vestara Khai,” he replied, adding a frighteningly genuine claim: “I hope your kin to die slowly in a lava pool.”
She knew just by the expression in his eyes that it was a pure mocking.
She let his hands go, letting now-stony-again Ben to assume his guarding position again. She stepped back and eyed him from tip to toe, like she tried to keep every freckle on his face in mind.
“Ves?” he sounded when few second passed.
She knew that when she looked up, her face had to be hopeful and soft, but right now she didn't mind.
“Yes, Ben?”
It was clear that hoping he will follow her and join the Sith is a stupidity. But she still hoped. For her heart's sake.
“You'd really better go before my trigger finger becomes itchy.”
She nodded. She stepped forward again, laid a hand on his chest and touched him in the Force. It was like a good-bye wave. Then she circled around him and disappeared.
Ben stayed on one place, unmoving, until he knew Vestara is long gone. Then his face twisted to a broad grin and he chuckled.