Glitter and Gold
Chapter 6
27 ABY – Mid Rim Territories
Vex was woken from a deep sleep by the shrill, insistent beeping of her commlink. She scrambled over to the side, snatching it off the nightstand to answer it. "Yes?" she breathed.
"I have been calling for five minutes!" Kylo Ren hissed over the link.
"I was sleeping. What is it?" Vex questioned, swinging her legs out of the bed. The linens of the bed whispered behind her, and Sin's fingers brushed against her back. She glanced back, finding his gaze fixed on her – sleepy, but concerned.
"The Supreme Leader has summoned you to the throne room. He is growing impatient, Vex," Kylo Ren growled.
"I'm coming," she said, standing swiftly and making her way to her dresser to get dressed.
"Hurry. He is not in a forgiving mood," he warned, terminating the link. Vex swore under her breath, hurriedly tugging a long-sleeve shirt over her tank and slipping on her shoes.
"What is it? Can I come with you?" Sin asked, starting to sit up in bed.
"No!" Vex said instantly. "Snoke wants me. Stay here," she said, hurrying to the door.
"Be careful!" he called after her.
Vex left the room without looking back, all but running down the corridor towards the elevator. When she arrived in Snoke's throne room – her long, wavy hair still tumbling about her shoulders in disarray – everyone turned to look at her. Snoke, Kylo Ren, a bruised-looking rebel – hell, even the Praetorian guards' masks turned toward her.
Snoke made an impatient noise, holding his hand out to her. "We've been waiting for you, my child," he chided. Vex made her way over to him hastily.
"I'm sorry, Master. I was asleep – I must not have heard my commlink going off at first," she said in an apologetic tone. Snoke's large, scarred fingers closed tightly around her forearm, digging into her soft flesh.
Vex glanced up to find Kylo Ren's mask fixed on her, his gaze just as keen as the rebel's was. She looked away to hide the hint of a wince that crossed her features at Snoke's increasingly painful grip on her. "What did you need of me, Master?" Vex asked.
Snoke gestured to the rebel kneeling before them, battered and bloody. "Kylo Ren has completed his interrogation of the rebel you captured today. Unfortunately, he was unable to tell us anything we didn't know," he said. Vex remained silent, her question still unanswered. "Tell her what the rebel asked of you, Kylo Ren," Snoke ordered.
Vex turned to look at the masked man, her movement restricted by her master's grip on her arm. Kylo Ren stood just behind the rebel, hand just slightly outstretched. He was holding the rebel in place. "He had one request before his execution. To look upon the face of the woman who captured him," he said.
Her eyes flicked to the man. His eyes were bloodshot and full of pain, but they never left her. "Why?" Vex asked.
There was a moment of silence that followed. "Will she be the one to kill me?" the rebel asked, almost eagerly. Something inside of Vex cracked. There was a sharp pain somewhere down deep inside of her. She didn't know why. Breath rushed from her lungs as she turned to look at her master, expression creased with confusion.
"Will you be his angel of death, Vex? Will you send him into oblivion with your face the last image burned behind his corneas?" Snoke asked. His expression was creased with something devious, something that promised pain.
"If it pleases you, Master," Vex said in an indifferent tone.
"It does," Snoke growled.
Without turning her gaze from Snoke's, Vex harshly gestured with her free hand. Behind her, the rebel collapsed to the ground, an audible crack coming from his neck. Broken. Snoke released her arm, but not without small pinpricks of pain left behind.
At first, a grin passed over Snoke's features, disappearing as quickly as it had come. His hand swung out, wrapping around her slender throat. The hold was tight, but didn't restrict her airway – yet. Vex remained motionless, all except for a fine tremble along her limbs. He traced a finger down her cheek. She let out a harsh breath.
"You are a beautiful young woman, my child. I do not believe I ever noticed before," he uttered, milky-eyed gaze examining her features. His grip on her throat slowly tightened with each word he spoke before abruptly letting go.
Snoke then threw out his hand, using the Force to cast her back through the air. She landed face down, knocking her teeth into her lip on impact. She slowly sat up, not far from where the rebel lay – at Kylo Ren's feet. He didn't move an inch.
"You will never wear a mask as Kylo Ren does, my child. You will leave your face bare to the world. Let the rebel scum you kill look upon the beauty of that face as a final kindness from the First order. Your beauty is the only mercy they will be offered," Snoke said, seeming enamored with the idea.
That pain inside of Vex intensified, like a miasmic orb festering in her chest. Never the less, she spoke. "Yes, master," she said, blood spilling down her chin.
Snoke sighed. "Kylo Ren, escort Vex back to her quarters," he ordered.
"Yes, Master," he echoed. Vex slowly began to stand, only for Kylo Ren to roughly take hold of her arm to hoist her to her feet. She turned a surly look back at him as he all but dragged her out of the room.
Once out of Snoke's throne room, Vex jerked her arm out of his grasp to walk on her own. She reached the elevator first, and stepped in with Kylo Ren on her heels. All the while, she could feel his glare burning into her. Vex sighed, pressing the button for her level. "If you're going to just glare at me, just take that ridiculous mask off," she said.
After a moment, Kylo Ren took the mask off. His normally sulky expression had taken over his features. "Why is it," he pondered, "that when you take a captive, Vex, that it becomes my responsibility to interrogate him? Are you too weak to do this?"
Vex rolled her eyes at his attempt to assert himself as the strongest apprentice. "I left him to you because I knew he had no information to give us. I simply wanted to punish him for shooting me," she replied. He huffed out a breath.
"You've never interrogated someone. The Supreme Leader only uses you as an executioner," Kylo Ren pointed out.
Vex shrugged, turning slightly to face him. "It's more merciful to be the killer rather than torturer. At least I end their pain," she said.
"So you admit you do not have what it takes to be the apprentice the Supreme Leader desires," he growled.
Vex shook her head, a bitter grin crossing her lips for but a moment. Her hands curled into fists. "You can hide behind that mask all you want, Kylo Ren. You can hide from whatever atrocity Snoke has ordered you to do. Your victims only see a monster. I do not have that luxury. Soon enough, my face will be plastered throughout the galaxy, and I'll be known only as Snoke's executioner, just as you are his mad dog," she told him, her tone decidedly light.
The fury was beginning to filter into his expression. "You are a tool to him just like any other, Kylo Ren. Just like me," Vex pointed out, gesturing in his direction. "I warned you once, years ago. Whatever he's promised you, you'll never get it. He'll leave you wanting forever – until everyone in the galaxy is dead, and then he'll kill you too,"
As the elevator doors opened, Vex stepped out. Kylo Ren was hot on her heels. "You don't know that!" he objected heatedly.
"After twelve years as his apprentice, I most assuredly do," Vex said, walking leisurely towards her quarters as if nothing bothered her.
"You speak of treason, Vex," Kylo Ren said in a warning tone.
Vex spun to face him, a light wave of her hand pushing him back against a wall. His helmet dropped to the floor. Her face contorted in a sneer. "I am not here by choice, Ren! I was given to him as a child! And you –" she hissed, fury coursing in her veins. "- you had parents that loved you! A Jedi to train you! And you threw it all away for an old man who will never give you what you want! You sicken me!"
The anger from his features had disappeared. Now, Kylo Ren seemed almost confused. "Then why do you not just leave?" he asked innocently.
Vex let out a bitter laugh. "Do you think he'd let me? I tried to run away many times when I was a child, Ren. I was caught every time and then tortured for my disobedience," she said, dropping her hand. Unfrozen, Kylo Ren stood straight, stepping away from the wall and towards her. His dark eyes were intently fixed on her.
"Snoke cannot be beaten or betrayed. I know that," Vex said.
"He would kill you if you tried," he said, looking at her carefully. Almost as if for the first time.
Vex nodded, her gaze fixed on the floor. "I want to live, Ren." she said. His head tilted, as if considering her.
"The Supreme Leader grows tired of our bickering. If we were to… make peace, he would be pleased." Kylo Ren said suddenly, as he bent to pluck his helmet from the floor where it had fallen.
Vex looked up in surprise. "Have we?" she asked. He gave a sharp nod. She gave a hesitant nod in reply. Flexing her hands, she started towards her quarters again without another word. He followed behind her silently. Watched as she punched in her code and went inside, closing the doors without another word.
When she turned around, Vex found Sin in the sitting area. His sandy hair was still mussed from sleep, as if he'd came from the bed to wait for her return. He jumped up the moment the doors had closed, crossing the room to pull her into his arms.
"Are you alright, Vex?" Sin asked in worry. He touched her face gently, wiping away a smear of blood.
"I'm fine," she said curtly, pulling away to head for the refresher. She turned the sink on, splashing her face with the cold water. Sin followed behind, expression no less concerned as Vex braced her hands on the counter, staring into the mirror.
"What happened?" he asked.
"We can't keep doing this, Sin." Vex said suddenly.
"What?"
Vex turned to face him, crossing her arms over her chest. "If Snoke finds out about us, he'll kill you," she said.
Sin sighed, leaning against the doorjamb. "You think I don't know that?" he said tiredly.
"And that doesn't bother you?" Vex questioned.
"Vex, I was bred to follow orders and then die. With you, I get more than that." Sin said, approaching to run his hands up and down her arms.
Vex sighed, letting him enfold her in his arms. "We can never get married or have children, Sin. We'd always be stuck in stasis like this. Never moving forward," she pointed out.
"You don't know that, Vex. Maybe, one day –"
"-no." she interrupted. "I'm Snoke's property, Sin. If it isn't his machination, he'd never allow it. And if we were to take it upon ourselves…" Vex trailed off uncertainly. She looked up, catching his gaze. "…the punishment would be very unpleasant,"
Sin heaved another sigh, cradling her face in his hands as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I understand that you're afraid, Vex. But I'm not. If you don't want to do this anymore, I understand. But if your only reason is that you think you're gonna get me killed…" Sin said, exhaling loudly. "It'd be worth it, Vex. To have whatever time I get with you, it's worth it."
"Do you agree?" Sin asked as he rained kisses up and down her face.
"Yes," Vex answered quickly, her eyes falling shut as he began to press his lips along her jawline and down her neck. "But we have to be careful…"
Review, Please.
In response to a review (thank you!), I thought I heard a line about the armies being mixed. Hux's army was regular children taken from their homes, but it sounded like there were still clone armies. Could be wrong, no big deal! Never the less, it's not really important to the plot. Thank you for your review again!