Chapter Two : A turn of fate
A week had passed since that night.
You woke up in a different room, this one private and not just a curtained off medbay cot. Instead of being restrained again, you'd woken up on a surprisingly soft bed, in a plain white room with a large window looking into space. The sky on Dathomir twinkled on the nights when it was clear, but here it looked like you could just reach out and touch them.
The sound of a door opening broke you away from your thoughts. You turned, making eye contact with an older woman in black clothes and a white coat.
" You're finally awake! You had us worried there for a bit." Her soft blue eyes crinkled at the corners as she flashed you a soft, warm smile. You could feel she was being genuine, but you were still on your guard. " Don't worry, I just want to check your vitals. You lost quite a bit of blood, so I've been treating you the last few days." You nodded and leaned back into the pillows, watching as the woman checked the screens next to your bed. She tentatively typed her findings onto a small datapad in her hands, which after a minute she tucked into the pocket of her coat.
" Alright honey-" she was being cautious, not because she was scared- " I need to do a physical examination. This will only take a minute, okay?" She didn't want to scare you.
It was actually really sweet.
She pulled a small light out of a separate pocket of her coat, turning it on and shining it into your eyes. Her hand gently brushed your chin and she raised her brows in a silent request for you to open your mouth,which you did. She examined your throat for swelling and checked the bruising around your neck, and then moved to your cheek where the stormtrooper had struck you. It wasn't until then you thought of what you looked like.
"How bad is it?" The question came out as a whisper, your voice not having been used in over a week.
The woman seemed shocked when you spoke to her, but it quickly faded. In its place, you could feel her compassion. She loved what she did, and that made her even better at it. " We got you almost good as new. Fluids to rehydrate, a sanitizing topigel on the cut in your cheek, and the bruising on your neck has nearly faded. We used an applicable type of bacta to your wrists, and with continued use over time will fade the scars."
You looked down at your hands, the only indication of what happened was a thin silver line around the smallest point of your wrists. The nurse handed you a small mirror so you could look at your face. The split had heeled almost entirely, but there was a slight yellow shadow across the cheek.
It could've been worse. What matters is I'm alive.
Your eyes ventured down to your neck, where a faint green print marked your throat. You remembered how the leather glove had felt against your skin, the large hand completely covering your neck. Confusion muddled your mind. Why would he have almost killed you after saving you from that stormtrooper? Was it some kind of game?
He exuded absolute anger, darkness, and an immense power. Everything about him absolutely screamed Predator and to run, but you didn't have any options at the moment.
You were on an unknown ship, who knows how many parsecs from home, everything you had ever known left far behind. You were happy when the woman interrupted your thoughts, Nearly getting caught in the whirl of sorrow stirring in your belly. " So honestly, everything looks good to go. I notified the Commander of your condition, and you'll be getting discharged tomorrow. He should actually be on his way down here now to speak with you." She gave your leg a gentle pat and left the room.
You held your breath for a moment to make sure you didn't scream. The swirl of emotions turned over and over in your stomach. You almost wished she hadn't said anything, you never wanted to see him again.The instinct to run bubbled but fizzed away. There was nowhere to run in the middle of space.
Maybe if you played nice for a little while, you could eventually figure out a way to escape. Surviving is all you can do right now. Even if it meant obeying this Commander Ren, you would do whatever it took. Your mother had believed in you.
Before you even heard the boots down the hall, you felt him. The dark presence skirted around the edge of your senses at first, then drew nearer and nearer. Your heartbeat picked up in pace, thrumming inside your chest. You felt more than heard his feet hitting the ground, the contact sending out ripples in the air, almost like a warning he was almost to you.
The shadow stood on the other side of the door, growing stronger as it drank in your anxiety. Taking a deep breath, you drew up the walls of your mind and hardened your resolve. You would comply but weren't weak, and you would make sure he knew it.
Just then the hatch opened, no light came in through the hall. The man had to duck under the entryway, his form taking up the entire threshold. Now that you were lucid, you could finally examine him. His black robes flowed around him, the cowl framing the black metal helmet that covered his head. A dark tunic covered his broad chest and shoulders. Black leather pants were tucked into calf high leather boots, and you could swear he had a weapon holstered to his side, but he moved his cloak in the way so you couldn't be sure.
You tried to make eye contact through the visor of where you thought his eyes were, but you couldn't be sure. Another deep breath and your fright had calmed, more determined than anything to show you weren't afraid of him.
This stare down continued without a word, and you made a point to mirror his movements. If he tilted his head to the side, you would tilt yours. He stepped forward and planted two large fists on the end of your bed, so you leaned forward and did the same. In the close proximity, you could practically smell the power coming off of him. It charged the air, and something in it seemed to help harden your focus.
After another few moments of silence, he held out a hand, motioning with his fingers to lean forward. So you did, because if he wanted to kill you he would've done it already. Lightly holding your chin, he turned and lifted your head to inspect the marks he'd left behind. Once done with your neck, he pulled your face downwards more so he could get a look at your cheek. His thumb lightly traced your jawline, and the goosebumps that covered your skin made you self conscious.
You pulled away from his touch, and sat up straight . He stayed leaning over the bed for a moment, seemingly contemplating what to do or say next.
"So, who talks first? You talk first, I talk first?" Your voice was still quiet. His gaze never wavered from you, and you were trying to keep a blank face. At this point you felt like you were on display, like an alien exhibit. Which, you technically were. Since the Separatists had slain almost the entire population of Dathomir, the few remaining there hadn't ever left. Your people had gone unseen for at least two generations.
Another moment of silence, then he finally straightened his back to speak.
" I know you're smart for a witch, so listen closely. As long as you behave and do what you're told, you won't get hurt." -the electronic tone from the vocoder in his helmet made everything he spoke sound like a threat- " You'll remain here until tomorrow, when we land on our base. Quarters are being prepared for you, and you'll be held there until further notice. Lucky for you, someone important doesn't want you dead. Just as long as you don't take that for granted. My master can only be so understanding. "
Your eyes had drifted back over to the large window, where you were trying to ground yourself to the stars. Through the entire encounter you'd been able to feel him peer around the cracks in your mind, trying to find a weak spot to slip in through.
The thing is, you'd had better training for things like this than he was used to. He would have been inside a regular person's brain by now, and you felt a flash of irritation from him. The shortcoming of the moment was that all at once, the adrenaline and strength seem to leave you. You waited for the splitting pain in your head you felt on the night of the raid, but it didn't come. You'd been sure he was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to tear your mind apart, but the only thing you felt was exhaustion.
"Witch, listen."
Distracted by the stars and your sudden strain to your conscious, you didn't realize he'd still been talking. You felt his frustration flare, and that invisible grip tightened around you and pulled your face practically right up against his helmet. Your face burned under his glare, and you tried to twist and turn away from him but couldn't budge. He had you in his grip. And for the first time, the thought crossed your mind he might actually be stronger than you were.
Of course I am. You're nothing but a little girl that lived on an uncivilized bloody rock. You'll do well to obey, and remember that. Whether you live or die is insignificant to me.
He pulled himself out of your mind, and without his hands threw you back onto your hospital bed. You bounced against it, your head smacking the wall behind you and a groan escaped your lips. Head throbbing, you threw out a slew of profanities toward him. You didn't care at this point, you were exhausted and weren't going to be tossed around like a doll. That's not the woman your mother raised.
He stopped mid stride towards the door and slowly turned on his heel. The crinkle from his leather gloves balling into fists sliced through the silence in the room.
And then he charged.
You leapt from the bed, dodging the monitors and equipment that were being shot at you. The bed you'd just been sitting on had been tossed in front of the door, blocking the only exit from the room. Trapped, and the pang of fear you'd been ignoring finally sank into your bones.
You backed away as far as you could, cold glass kissed your flesh as you made contact with the window, and in three strides the Commander had crossed the room. He twisted the collar of your med gown and slammed you against the window, the tension snapping the buttons off the back. Molten anger rolled off of him as he held you pinned in place.
He spun you around, tangling his fist in your hair and wrists in his other hand. He used his entire body to press you into the wall, leaving you unable to move. The pressure was so intense that you could feel the buckle of his belt leaving an impression on your bare back.
He brought his helmet to your neck, the cold metal sending shivers down your spine. His voice was so low the modulator in his helmet barely registered his words.
"If you continue this insolence, you will. Be. Punished. I won't warn you again."
He yanked your head so you had no choice but to look at him, and you choked back a yell from the pain. Your neck ached from the angle he held you at, glaring down at you. Your heart hammered against the glass.
Then suddenly he dropped you, knees slamming the ground so hard you felt the bruises instantly. He whirled around, throwing the bed against the opposite wall and storming from the room.
The woman had run in just after the Commander's presence had faded down the hall. She threw a blanket around your shoulders and helped you to your feet. She asked numerous questions like what happened, what was hurt, how you felt. Since your current room had been destroyed by the man in black, the medical staff had to reassign you and get you moved. The woman -whose name you learned was Dr. Darro- walked you down the hall to an exam room in the meantime.
She checked your new injuries, your knees already turning ugly shades of black and blue. The doctor did scans to make sure nothing was broken, and grabbed you an ice pack for your head. You welcomed the cool relief from the throbbing in the back of your skull. Just as you closed your eyes and gotten comfortable, a presence entered the room. When you opened them, you couldn't help the hiss that escaped through clenched teeth.
It was the man from that night. The one who had knocked you unconscious when you were taken from Dathomir. You were about to launch yourself at him out of anger, but Dr. Darro stepped in the way.
" I'm sorry sir, but this patient isn't accepting visitors at this time. If you would like to come back later to speak with her-"
"Orders from Commander Ren. I'm to take her to her new quarters. Don't ask questions, check your datapad." The figure cut her off mid sentence. He let out an impatient breath as the Doctor withdrew her datapad, her brow furrowed as she read whatever message was on her screen.
"She shouldn't be moved right now. Tell Commander Ren that there's more tests I-"
"Doctor, you can let her leave or I can take her by force and get the Commander down here. Now you "- he turned his masked face in your direction- " Get dressed. You're leaving."
Another darkly dressed man entered the room holding a pile of clothes. He set them down on the bed, then looked you up and down. And he laughed.
"This is what we went through all that trouble for? Some little witch? What a waste." The grid patterned helmet shaking as he suppressed more laughter. "I hope this is Master Rens version of a bad joke-"
You screamed, pulled the flashlight from the doctor's pocket to your hand and leapt. You couldn't help it. The anger had all come to a boil and you couldn't help it. You repeatedly jabbed him in the soft spot of his armor, right in his under arm. The pressure point had been unprotected.
"You fucking bitch-" you wrapped yourself tighter around him so he couldn't shake you off-" Get the fuck off me!"
In the midst of his attempt to get you off his back, he exposed a small part of his neck, which you bit down on. Hard. Sinking in your teeth to the point where you tasted blood. The other man grabbed your hair and back of your neck, trying to pull you off of the other. He used both of his arms to hold yours behind your back, and you turned your face to spit his friends blood on him. Throwing you head back, you let out a near hysterical laugh.
This was some kind of sick twist of fate.
"Are you done? I have things to do, now get changed. Vicrul, let's get your neck checked. Make sure that cat bite doesn't get infected."
He pushed you away from him and left the room. The other one slowly followed. You couldn't see his face, but you could feel the daggers he was giving you under his mask. You grinned as he left the room.
And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
"I fucking heard that you-" a grunt followed. It sounded like he'd gotten hit.
Good.
That's when you realized the doctor had been in there the whole time. You approached her and she held up a hand. Not keeping you away, but to let you know she was alright.
"Don't worry about me honey, I've been treating the Commander for awhile now. I'm used to this. Since we don't seem to have a choice in keeping you, let me atleast get you some medication. I'll let you get dressed."
When the door closed and you turned towards the pile on the bed, that's when you realized you were still wearing the same gown. That had been ripped open at the back.
And his henchmen or whatever had just seen everything.
You were mortified, but being embarrassed about it wasn't going to change anything. You suppressed the feeling and put on the new clothes. Dwelling on the past right now wouldn't fix it, especially with bigger problems going on.
You checked yourself in the small mirror in the attached bathroom, and inspected yourself. They'd given you a long sleeved black shirt, high necked and form fitted. It was a comfortable material, and the pants were made of the same fabric. You pulled leather boots over thick socks, and braided your hair back to where you could twist it into a bun. Tucking the end in to hold it, you looked at yourself one last time.
You ignored the sunkness of your cheeks, the circles under your eyes, and the bruises still lingering on your cheek and neck. You didn't even recognize yourself.
Leaving the room, you ran into Dr. Darro in the hall. She had a small bag of medicines and gels for you, and promised she would check in. Once the dark duo had seen you, they turned to leave. And reluctantly you followed.
"Wait-" the one with the war club paused, pulled off his coat and handed it to you- " put this on. We get plenty of stares, but the last thing we need is questions about you." You pulled it over your shoulders, finding some kind of wrap in the pocket that you used to cover your hair and face.
The walk was silent, nothing but your footsteps echoing in the halls. It must have been late, there were hardly any crew members walking around. The floors were made of what looked like black marble and the walls of steel, a contrast to the medical room you'd stayed in.
After a few long hallways, you came to a turbolift. You stopped in front of the door, not wanting to be in a small space with them.
" You can either come in willingly, or we'll drag you kicking and screaming. Doesn't matter to me, just gotta get you there." You contemplated arguing, but we're just too tired at this point. Reluctantly, you entered the lift.
"So, manservant and manservant Vicrul. Why did you go through all that trouble for some witch?" You kept your tone casual. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife, but you still wanted to cut out some answers. You needed to know why you were here.
"We aren't manservants, witch." Vicrul put as much venom into the word as he could. "You're here because Master Ren ordered it. We serve him, and him alone. And nothing will stand in the way."
"Doesn't answer my question. Why am i here?"
He took a deep breath. You quietly concentrated on him, not enough to pick up but enough for you to know how he's feeling. Even with your back turned toward them, you could feel him put his thoughts in order.
Instead, the other one answered. "We were told you could be an asset and needed to collect you. An inside source contacted the first order, and we planned the extraction. But obviously it didn't go according to plan."
Inside...source…
"Who was it?"
Every nerve in your body was on fire. That meant one of your nightbrothers had betrayed you. Why would they do that? And how did they manage? Your mother had been traditional, so she didn't keep any kind of comms or very much technology in the compound. Someone close to you was responsible for the loss of your home and the death of your mother.
"Raka, Rah, Rajh? I don't remember."
All the thought drained from your mind. You knew exactly who it was.
Rajhar.
He'd been around for as long as you could remember. You grew up with him helping teach you how to fight, to use a bow. He even volunteered himself when you need to practice spells on something living. He had been a vital piece of your life, and he'd betrayed you. Your memory flashed back to his death, seeing and feeling the life leave his eyes. It made it hurt much worse now.
You walled your mind, becoming a fortress. Everything blank. You couldn't lose it infront of them. The anger was rising, and you blinked just to make sure you weren't blinded by it. The doors to the lift opened, and you stepped out. The halls quiet, identical doors down each wall. A few rights and a left later, you came down a dead ended hallway. The door all the way at the end had two other large men guarding it. Nods were exchanged.
Vicrul went to grab your hand and you immediately recoiled.
"Calm down, I'm showing you something." This time he reached slowly and grabbed your wrist gently. For a moment it felt like he was examining your scars, but it passed. He pressed your palm against a panel, and a door slid open.
They motioned for you to walk inside, and you were cautious. You crept in, wary of any surprises.
And surprised you were.
At the end of the hallway, a large living space opened up. There was a black table with matching furniture. From ceiling to floor was nothing but black marble, and the entire back wall was glass. It felt like you could see the whole galaxy.
"Your room is to the left, refresher is inside. Master wanted to have your quarters supplied with anything you may need."
You pondered for a moment. The man who tried to kill you twice wanted to make sure you were taken care of. You shook the thought away. Bruises are a funny way of taking care of someone. "If there's anything you need, we'll be outside. Master Ren assigned us to watch after you, so we won't be far. We'll let you get settled."
"What's your name?" You knew Vicrul, but you still didn't know this one. If you were going to be there awhile, you might as well get familiar. He hesitated for a second, but then softly replied. "Ushar. My name is Ushar."
You handed him the coat and scarf, and he turned to leave. Just before they passed through the door, you called to them.
"On that night, I had a bag. Do you know what happened to it?"
"Should be on the bed." And they left without another word.
You took your time walking to the room, wondering how long it would take you to get used to the view. The vast ocean of stars went as far as the eye could see, other planets glimmered in the distance. You'd never been off planet before, just wishing it was under different circumstances. Finally passing into the room you were taken aback. Everything was in tones of black and rich reds, almost like an attempted Dathomir in First Order decor. Warm candles lit the space, and the bed was large and covered in more pillows than you'd seen in your life.
And at the end of the bed, your bag. The black hide still had traces of red dust. You sat on the floor, and pulled it into your lap. Tears started falling before you realized, and all the emotions came to surface.
You sobbed violently, the sadness and anger at war within you. Your entire life had been turned around upside down, everything stolen from you. The crack in your heart slowly spread to a complete break. Your wails of sorrow turned unto screams of rage, and back again. When you'd finally run dry, you realized what little energy you truly had. Curled up on the ground with your little piece of home, you slowly slipped away into the black.
My old life is dead and never coming back.