Glitter and Gold
Chapter 36
34 ABY – The Supremacy
The Force felt like fire ants marching in Vex's veins, filling her with a rage, a strength she didn't know how to control. She let Creel pull her along in the halls, dumbfounded by the sudden return of her power.
Kylo had switched something off in the collar. He hadn't been able to save her, and the agony of that had been in his eyes. But he'd helped her.
Before, with the collar working, Vex had felt nothing. Nothing but fear and pain. But without it inhibiting her abilities, all her power had returned. And she felt everything.
Pain. Fear. Love, for Anakin. Poe. Kylo. But that was pushed back, behind everything. Behind a veil. What Vex felt most strongly was rage. She wanted to hurt someone. Kill, like she'd never felt before.
She craved to feel bones break and skin split beneath her fingers. To choke the very life out of the man who'd done this to her.
The darkness had Vex now, more powerfully than it'd ever had before.
Vex followed Creel dumbly, stumbling behind him as she tried to make sense of it all. Her vision was blurred and hazy, seeing nothing but red. Until a Stormtrooper outfitted in black passed her.
Vex's head spun, tracking the soldier. Her eyes cleared just enough to catch her insignia on his shoulder.
A Killtrooper. Her Killtrooper.
Vex only wondered if they were still encoded to follow her commands alone. "Stop!" she shouted hoarsely. Creel ignored her, but the soldier had frozen. A smile spread over her lips as Vex was towed onwards.
x
34 ABY – D'Qar
"I don't know if I reached him." Han said quietly, hands hanging limply by his knees. Leia sat opposite him, expression severe. "I truly thought he would kill me, Leia,"
"But he didn't," she said, relief crossing her features. She leaned forward to take her husband's hands. "Vex told me once how Snoke had forced her to confront her own parents. She broke with them, so it only makes sense that he'd want Ben to too-"
Han lifted his head. "And by not breaking with us, he's failed Snoke's task. There is still light in him," he said with great hope.
Leia smiled, tightening her hold on Han's hands. "You must go, Han. Take Rey to Luke. Convince him to return. We need him. Vex needs him," she instructed.
"And you think he'll come? That he'll listen to me?"
Leia sighed, tensing in her seat. "If not for us, he will for Vex. He took her on as a student, helped her heal after escaping Snoke. He delivered our grandson, Han," she murmured. "He must care for her. Hopefully enough to come out of hiding,"
"But not for you, his sister? Or me? Or Ben?" Han said with no small amount of bitterness. Leia didn't bother to hide the hurt in her expression. Han exhaled, smoothing a hand along her cheek. "I'm sorry,"
She shook her head. "You're not wrong, Han. But it's the only card we have to play. If Luke didn't care to help us, we must try and see if he'll care to help Vex," she said.
Han nodded slowly, leaning forward to press his lips to hers. "I'll bring him back. One way or another, the little shit,"
x
34 ABY – The Supremacy
The moment they entered her quarters, Vex yanked out of Creel's grasp. "It's over, Creel," she growled, hands clenching into fists.
He sighed without turning to look at her. "Vex, I thought you understood. I thought you'd remembered your place," Creel said.
"My place is not your victim. Not your sex toy,"
Creel sighed again, mournfully. "As long as Snoke leaves you in my care… you are. My toy, anyway,"
Her fists trembled with ill-contained rage. The urge to hurt – to destroy – was growing ever more powerful beneath Vex's skin, like lava beneath the surface. Burning and consuming all it touched. Breath was escaping her in starved gasps as Creel turned to finally face her.
She focused all her power on the collar around her neck, willing its destruction. Almost instantly, its heavy weight disappeared from her skin, turning to dust and ash, falling to the floor at her feet.
All the blood drained from Creel's face, hand itching towards that band on his wrist, useless as it was now. Vex jerked her hand to the side, watching with fascination as he mirrored the movement, arm cracking audibly.
Creel howled out in pain, falling to his knees as he cradled his broken wrist. Vex took a step closer, hazy eyes fixed on him with a dark curiosity, a pleasure taken from hurting him. "How very…weak you are, Creel," she said.
"How?" he questioned in disbelief. Vex only smiled. "Ren…" Creel growled after a moment in realization.
"Oh yes… he may not have been able to save me from you, but he could help me destroy you…" Vex murmured, gesturing with a hand. Creel was dragged up from the floor, held in the air by his collar. "As I should have done when I was a child. As Snoke should have done,"
Creel let out a bitter laugh. "He knew he could use me against you in the future, as he has done! It is the only reason he let me liv-" Vex threw out her hand, cutting off his words. He choked in mid-air, hands scrabbling at something that was not truly there.
Vex watched his struggle for air for several long moments in thoughtful consideration. "I would not have you die without witnesses," she said suddenly, throwing one hand behind her, the doors to her quarters sliding open. Then she flung the hand holding Creel up back, sending him hurtling through the air to slam into the wall outside her quarters.
Vex stormed out into the corridor, finding Creel crumpled against the wall. The people in the halls – several officers and Phasma, even, had paused at the commotion. "You will all bear witness!" she declared, throwing up a hand to freeze them in their tracks before they had a chance to move.
"Bear witness to what, Lady Reaper?" Phasma asked bravely, voice strangled from inside her Chrome armor.
Vex did not lift her gaze from Creel's terrified eyes. "The death of a cockroach – a coward," she answered.
"You cannot kill me! Snoke-" Creel cried out, only for an audible crack to force his head to the side. The lines of a red handprint slowly raised on his pale cheek.
Vex advanced on him, not sparing a glance at the others as she stood over Creel. "Snoke will rejoice when I kill you, vermin," she hissed. "And if you truly think otherwise… he has tricked you, too,"
The surprise that crossed his features was palpable, a balm to Vex's growing rage. A moment that brought clarity. Doubt.
Vex, you do not want to do this. A voice in her mind said suddenly, a voice she knew well. Forgive, my child…
You do not know what he has done to me! Vex thought in response, extending her arm. Her assault on Creel began again, pulled into the air by the Force, gasping for air. He deserves this!
The response came as swift and as loud as thunder – this is not who you are anymore, Vex! Stop!
Her rage only grew in response to his words. No! Vex screamed, sweeping the presence from her mind. Vex used the Force to slam Creel back into the wall, his eyes rolling in his skull from the impact and then he dropped to the floor.
He coughed and gasped on the floor, slowly rising to his knees. "I knew you couldn't do it, Vex…" Creel growled, a sick look in his eye. "You'll always be my girl," he taunted.
Vex let out a shriek of anger, extending her arm and clenching her fingers into a fist. Creel screamed, hands slamming to his face as agony erupted in his head. "You want me to spare you, Creel?" she said after a moment, letting her hand fall to her side and the torment end. He nodded wildly, blood beginning to leak from his eyes and ears.
"Then tell me you will never use that collar again. That you will never lay your hands on another girl again," Vex demanded. She could feel the eyes on her, especially those of Phasma. She could feel the other woman's outrage growing. Vex fed off of it, off of her approval.
Creel turned a derisive look towards her, mouth set in a scowl. "You can't, can you? Tell me, Creel. How many girls did you molest after me?" she demanded.
He drew away, mouth forced into a thin line, huddling against the wall. "TELL ME!" Vex screamed.
"THIRTEEN!" the number flew from his mouth before he could stop it. Creel slapped his uninjured hand to his mouth, cowering on the floor.
Vex reeled back, suddenly assaulted by the guilt of her past failure. Thirteen more girls had suffered because she had failed to snuff his life out when she had a chance. "I will not fail again," she hissed. "Phasma, your blade," she called, the instrument flying into her hand before Phasma had had a chance to give it over herself.
"No!" Creel cried.
Vex stepped forward, her expression blank. "I am avenging them, Creel. Avenging me. And saving any other little children you may violate in the future," she said, raising the blade over her head.
Creel's screams filled the room as the blade fell, time and time again. The corridor was otherwise silent, except for Vex's heaving breaths.
When finally, finally, Creel fell silent, Vex stepped back, blade clattering to the floor beside her. She panted loudly, spattered with blood from head to toe. Her grip fell from the others in the room, bodies relaxing from her tight hold.
"Phasma," she breathed, the chrome woman approaching her. She bent to pick up her bloodied blade before answering.
"Yes, Lady Reaper," Phasma said, voice filled with a certain awe.
"Take me to my father," Vex ordered.
"Yes, Lady Reaper," she repeated, offering her arm. Vex exhale heavily, taking the other woman's offered support. She limped off, leaning most of her weight on the other woman.
The rage inside of her had been snuffed out, as quickly a Creel's life had bled out of him. Vex was suddenly empty again, body sore and aching. The pain of that procedure still burned under her skin's surface. Whatever had overtaken her and made her feel so strong was gone.
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Much love, Suz Singer.