The Disciples of Exar Kun Prologue
Suggested Theme:
Main Theme- Willow by Jasmine Thompson
Armitage Hux has not been in a Sith temple since he was eight. Back then, he could not see. At least, with his eyes. His hands became his third eye. I was like father; I was so very much like father. I saw in the darkness and kept my mind. Like father. I was alone then, but…I have the Prince with me. He feels the Prince's small hand squeeze his own hand.
They are wholly in the darkness since leaving behind the sixtieth stone step. Even with his free right hand feeling the walls on his side of the staircase, Hux cannot see anything in the walls. He feels no jagged cracks nor bold pictographs like those that lined the outside walls of the temple; the walls inside are as smooth as a polished corusca gem.
Once again, he's blind.
"Are you cold?" The Prince asks him, and Hux turns his head and cannot see the contours of the Prince's face. Not even his handsome nose.
"Kind of. I can't feel the tips of my toes, but my hand is perfectly warm!" Sith temples are naturally cold because of their affiliation with the Dark Side; what use does the darkness have for the warm light? And this coldness isn't a deterrent like in other Sith temples, the cold is more like a single needle pricking the tips of my lightly-clothed body. So the Sith Lord that designed this place wanted people to come, or at least certain people. Still, Hux wishes that he wore thicker socks.
"Well, I'm using the Force to keep our hands warm. It's one of the few Light things that I can do. Well, perfectly that is." Hux can hear the bitter resignation in the Prince's voice and imagines him looking down at his brown boots in this darkness.
"Perfection does not exist. You can strive for it like peace, but, like peace, it's ultimately unattainable." Absolutes are for Sith, or at least that's what Hux gleamed from his readings of The Jedi Path and from the bitter ramblings of Mara Jade.
"I wish my uncle and mom would acknowledge that piece of wisdom…" Hux has to bite down on his tongue from impulsively saying that they're just morons for not knowing something so simple. For all I know, they did try other ways to manage his Force prowess before deciding that being a Jedi was the only way. I doubt that since Skywalker has probably never ventured beyond his Jedi tomes and Senator Organa seems too busy with the Republic, but I could be wrong. Or, Hux hopes he's wrong.
"Maybe you can tell them that after the quest is over." He then hears a snort erupt from the Prince and knows that an eye-roll accompanied that snort.
"Yeah, if we ever reach the bottom. When you were feeling the walls outside, did it give you any indication how many karking steps this place has?" Hux's eyes widen at the Prince's casual, if a little snappish, swear. Woah, he swore! Well, by Republic standards, so either he's comfortable enough around me to swear or he's really annoyed. Most likely both because we've been walking down these steps for maybe twenty minutes. Oh Force…the way back up is going to be such a pain!
"No, it was mostly magic and protection spells. You know typical stuff for Sith temples. Although, I am surprised we haven't sprung a trap." Hux then pauses for dramatic effect to see if the temple would retaliate, but nothing happens.
"How do you know this is a Sith temple?" I'm kind of surprise he didn't ask me sooner, but I doubt Skywalker teaches "Sith Temple Architecture 101" to his students. Hux nearly giggles as he imagines Jedi Master Skywalker with a holoprojector showing holos of Sith temples like vacation holos.
"For one, the walls outside were etched in Ancient Sith, which looks a lot like Modern Sith but with more demonic runes instead of cutting cursive. Sith Lords love pyramids and have fine, dark tastes; this temple is a pyramid and made of expensive black stones. And there is one last thing that all Sith temples have that Jedi temples just don't."
"What is that?"
"Mind fucks. We've been walking across solid ground for nearly a minute now."
Mind fucks. We've been walking across solid ground for nearly a minute now. Ben Solo halts suddenly, while also jerking his Wistie to a stop.
"So Sith temples play tricks on us? To lead us to what? Our deaths!?" Stupid, stupid Ben! You really think that voices in the night would actually help you!? The Maid heard voices and she was burned at the stake for that! Of course, they would lead me to death, and my Wistie—
"Well, decent Sith Lords tend to play around with their victims for a little bit. Kind of why the smart victims tend to get away from them. And between the both of us, we're the smartest people on this kriffing planet!" Ben's little heart melts at Hux's boundless confidence. I can be smart, but clearly not with the Force! And there's a high chance that I just doomed the both of us! Force, maybe we can turn—
"And our way in is most likely sealed by now." Ben furrows his thick, black brows. I didn't hear that half-a-ton stone door go back up! But, of course, that would happen!
"I guess we should continue our 'quest' then….." He sulks, but his Wistie doesn't utter a complaint for his lack of enthusiasm like his dad would. "Kid, would it kill you to smile?" Ben hears his dad's flippant voice for a second.
"Yeah! Oh, um, can you use the Force to possibly feel out this place?"
"For what? Something dark and freezing? Because I can feel that with my body alone." Ben wants to slap himself for sounding so flippant with his Wistie. Kriff! Without my costumes or a plan, I'm reverting into a Solo-Skywalker! But without any of their charms!
"Actually, I was kind of hoping you could locate your new teacher. He or she told you to come here, surely that person must be still in here. Somewhere." Ben again wants to slap himself, but this time at his own lack of creativity. I guess that's all me, Ben Solo! Force…time to see if this will actually work.
He stretches out the Force before him like a glitterstim web. He hopes he'll catch a Force signature from the voice.
And, Force, he can feel the Dark Side.
He exhales a sharp, shaky breath and feels his knees wobble; he's trembling like he's been cornered by a rancor-wolf again. But there's no Chewie to save him.
And he's savaged by the beast.
Author's Comments- No links this time.
Hux and Ben don't really "meet" Exar Kun in this chapter; it happens in the next. This chapter is mostly about the beginnings of separating Ben's carefully-crafted Prince Amidala from himself when he's with Hux because Prince Amidala only makes up a third of his identity; he also has his Solo and Skywalker sides that may go-together at times. This also serves as a bit of a glimpse into my version of Hux's childhood. Plus, Ben Solo actually encounters the real Dark Side because I don't really hold Snoke to the caliber of most Sith Lords and Dark Siders, especially to Exar Kun.
So next chapter: Hux and Ben finally meet Exar Kun.