Glitter and Gold
Chapter 23
33 ABY – Ibaar
Ibaar had suffered under the First Order's rule, like many other planets. It was a mountainous, agrarian planet whose resources had been sucked up by the First Order. There was only one major city, Fimery, that served as the First Order's vacation destination. A pleasure town with casinos, races, and bars – and all sorts of strange, seedy activity underground.
The Ibaarian people here were starving, but First Order officers flocked here regardless. It wasn't easy to see past the shiny façade of Fimery unless you knew what to look for. The thin faces of the natives, working hard to put food on the table. The racing fathiers had welts along their necks and sides from the crops the jockeys used. The thin, raggedy children that cared for them.
Vex had immediately seen through the glitzy appearance of the city. She was intimately familiar with the concept of things not being as they appeared. She knew things were different beneath the surface.
Poe hadn't, at first. He'd looked about the city in awe, with stars in his eyes. But it hadn't taken him long, Vex had to admit. They'd made their way to one of the less ritzy bars and taken seats towards the back, careful to keep their distance from others. Vex was veiled, her face immediately recognizable, unlike Poe's.
He hadn't understood her derision of Fimery at first. But as they sat in the bar and watched the First Order officers come through, Poe had begun to figure it out. He'd seen how the staff looked thin and miserable-looking, forced smiles on their faces despite the fancy clothing they wore. How the customers treated them, rudely taking what they wanted and giving little in return. The women were scantily-clad and young, delivering drinks and often tugged into men's laps and touched without their consent – not that they could object if they wanted to eat that night.
After no more than ten minutes in the bar, Poe's awe had faded. He turned a look of confusion towards Vex, her eyes knowing. "There are places like this all over the galaxy. The First Order takes everything from them, forcing the people to work for scraps," she explained in a hushed tone.
"It's not right," Poe whispered back.
Vex nodded. "Ninety percent of the Ibaarian people live here, in Fimery, because it's the only place you can make money in order to survive. Everything else they had is gone," she told him. Poe's lips thinned into a firm line, brows setting low. His body was tense, clearly he wanted to act. He was shaken from his anger by a soft hand covering his.
Poe glanced down, finding Vex's hand on top of his. Her skin was just a touch lighter than his, white scars crisscrossing the flesh. He looked up to find her piercing blue eyes looking right back at him. "There's nothing we can do right now, Poe," Vex murmured. "This is a covert mission. We can't make a fuss. We can come back after the First Order's gone, and change things," she reminded him.
Poe nodded stiffly, leaning back in his seat beside her. Vex didn't withdraw her hand right away, her eyes still considering him. After a moment, her warm hand drew back, settling back within the darkness of her clothing.
He was still angry, but he comforted himself with Vex's words. It was true they couldn't do anything now. But once the First Order was gone, they could come back and help the Ibaarian people. Poe glanced towards Vex, finding her watchful eyes on the customers now. He quite liked the thought of returning here with her in the future, bringing a reckoning down on those who'd done this to Ibaar.
"Stop! Let go!" a low, urgent voice cried. Poe and Vex's eyes shot to the young woman who'd just been tugged into an officer's lap. She was young, no more than sixteen with wild blonde hair and a skimpy blue outfit. The girl was barefoot, struggling against the man's hold. His hands were iron bands around the girl's wrists.
No one was helping her. They just averted their eyes. Poe stiffened, beginning to rise. He was halted by that same warm hand covering him. Vex wasn't so gentle this time, nails digging into his hand. "Don't," she warned.
Poe glanced at her for a moment. "I'm sorry, I can't let this go," he muttered in response, rising to his feet. "Let her go!" Poe growled, storming over to the disturbance.
The man simply laughed, holding the girl tighter. "Friend, this is Fimery's business. I'll do what I please with the girl, and you'll do the same with your own," he said, nodding back towards Vex, who hadn't moved from her seat.
Poe sucked in a deep breath, fists forming at his sides. "The girl clearly doesn't want to be touched, so let her go, now," he demanded. The man only laughed again, turning back to his drink. Poe's hands shot out, pulling the girl from his grasp forcefully. The girl hit the ground with a startled cry, immediately scrambling to her feet and fleeing the room.
The man jumped to his feet, mouth opening to shout before Poe's fist collided with his face. He staggered back, clutching his face as security swarmed into the room. "This is business, you idiot! The girl was going to get paid! And now she won't have money for dinner, because of you!" the man growled.
"Unwilling is unwilling! No matter if you're going to pay for it!" Poe shouted back, forced to his knees as one security guard cuffed him, another pointing a blaster at him. He was hefted to his feet and led towards the exit. Poe flashed his eyes desperately towards Vex, who had never moved.
"Sir, we'll need you to come with us and file a statement," a guard told the man behind him.
"Alright, alright," the man grumbled following behind them.
Poe couldn't believe it. Vex was just going to let them arrest him? As he was led out the door, she never so much as glanced in his direction. Perhaps this was the betrayal. Her way to get back to the First Order. Sent out on a mission, let her partner get arrested. Return victorious.
But the small moment of doubt was all it was. He wouldn't risk revealing her in case she had some sort of plan, even though all Poe wanted to do was yell and beg for her help. He'd wait. Be patient – as patient as Poe could ever be.
Three security guards led Poe out of the bar and onto the darkened streets, the man he'd hit following behind. He didn't regret his actions, he'd be proud of punching that man for as long as he lived. But it had gotten him arrested. And he did regret that.
Oh god, he hoped like hell that Vex had a plan.
It was nearly ten minutes later when Poe heard light footsteps behind them. The steps were faint, and several yards back from them – the others didn't seem to hear. The streets were dark and empty now, and Poe hoped beyond all hope it was Vex following behind them.
There was a low, sudden thud behind them, a blaster firing, and then a low cry. The guards spun around, tugging Poe with them. The First Order officer Poe had punched was crumpled against a wall, cradling his head. He'd been thrown. "What the hell?!" the guard holding Poe's arm muttered.
Poe's eyes caught a quick flash of silver in the shadows of an alley. The sharp hum of a lightsaber being ignited, followed by the appearance of a violet blade. Vex. "A Jedi!?" another guard questioned in disbelief as Vex approached in swift steps, one holding her outstretched lightsaber, another held out in a familiar position.
"You will release this man now," Vex ordered in a deadly tone. Poe glanced to the men beside him, their eyes going blank.
"I will release this man now," the three guards echoed. The guard's grip from Poe's arm fell away.
"You will uncuff this man," Vex said. Again, the three guards echoed her words and followed her order. The cuffs fell from Poe's wrists, and he immediately crossed the distance to stand beside Vex.
"You had me a little worried there," he said, rubbing his wrists. Vex flashed him a glance, her eyebrow lifted, before her gaze quickly refocusing on the guards. She stepped forward, lightsaber held ready as she moved to approach them.
Poe's arm whipped out, catching her by the shoulder. "What are you doing?" he questioned in disbelief. Vex's eyes turned to him, filled with confusion. She didn't get it. Poe's breath left him in a rush, his shoulders slumping. "You don't have to hurt them," he said softly.
Vex's eyes flickered between him and them. "I can make them forget," she suggested in a slightly questioning tone. Poe nodded swiftly. The fact that she didn't need to hurt them didn't even occur to her. Vex acknowledged it with a nod of her own, extinguishing her lightsaber and sliding it back into place on her belt.
She stepped forward, more confidently this time, arms outstretched. "You will forget you ever saw us," Vex ordered.
"I will forget I ever saw you," the three guards said blankly.
"There was no altercation in the bar," she added, the guards echoing her again. "This man was drunk and fell. Help him," Vex directed, gesturing to the officer unconscious against the wall. The three guards rushed towards him, pulling him to his feet and leading him in another direction.
Vex turned back to Poe. "We need to get back to the ship," she said urgently.
"What about the intel?" Poe questioned, stepping towards her.
"I've got it," Vex said. "The officer you hit. I invaded his mind as I followed you," she explained, starting back towards the ship.
Poe fell into step with her. "You're sure? What did you find out?" he questioned. Vex replied with a quick shake of her head, to signal she wouldn't say it out in the open. So Poe shut his mouth and followed her to the ship.
It wasn't until they crossed into the bright light of the docking bay that Poe saw the trail of blood behind them. "Vex!" he uttered lowly, closing the distance between them. It was then that he saw how she clutched at her side beneath the dark, voluminous cloak.
Her eyes caught his, and he saw the brief bloom of worry in them. "The ship," she growled. Poe took her arm, guiding her towards her ship quickly. "Get us out of here," Vex said, casting off her cloak as soon as the boarding ramp closed. EV-9 immediately unplugged, whirling towards her master with a string of concerned tweets.
"You need treatment," Poe said, following after her as she headed towards the bunks.
Vex turned an exasperated look back towards him, hand bloody as it pressed to her side. "Get us off this rock first, Dameron, we can't risk being caught," she instructed. Poe opened his mouth to argue, only for Vex to cut him off. "I'm fine, EV-9 will treat me," she said, trying to reassure him.
"Fine," Poe said finally. "I'll be back once the course is set," he said, heading for the cockpit. Poe slid into the pilot's seat, powering up the ship and lifting out of the docking bay. Once they were out of the system, he slid out of the seat and headed back. "EV-9, I got it from here. Keep an eye on the flight, please," Poe requested.
EV-9 tweeted in agreement, dropping off from the bunk and whirring towards her station. He froze when he looked at her. Vex had had to take off her shirt for the ugly-looking wound on her side to be treated. By baring her flesh, Poe now saw all the scars painting her skin. So many. Vex exhaled heavily, turning a glare back at him from where she sat with her back to him.
Her expression changed when she saw the way Poe was looking at her. His jaw dropped open, brows furrowed. The look of bewilderment in his eye. She looked away from him swiftly. "I can do it myself if looking at me is too hard," Vex growled out.
Poe immediately started towards her, shaking his head. "It's not like that, Vex. It's just… I didn't know," he said quietly, turning his eyes away from her scars to the wound. EV-9 had cleaned it and staunched the bleeding – it only needed to be bandaged now. He swiftly tore into the bacta-bandages, gently applying it to the wound.
"I haven't hid it," Vex said suddenly, her gaze fixed ahead of her. She didn't want to look at him. "And you didn't want to know. You wanted to hate me," she accused, body tensing beneath his hands.
Poe's head snapped up to stare at the back of hers, and the fall of burgundy hair over one shoulder, leaving her back bare. Over her shoulder, he could see the datapad in her hands, playing a recording of her son over and over. She missed him, Poe realized with a startling ache in his chest. Somehow he doubted Vex had never been away from Anakin before. "I never hated you," he said quietly, carefully smoothing the bandage over the exit wound before moving to bandage where the blast had entered.
"Coulda fooled me," Vex retorted swiftly. Poe didn't know what to say to that, so he stayed quiet and worked in silence. It only took a few moments to apply the bacta-bandages, but his hands lingered to smooth them into proper place. By the way Vex stiffened beneath his touch, she knew it too.
The scars that painted her back were thick and red, some with raised edges, and some white and smooth. Some were recent, no more than a few years old. Some were old, old enough to concern Poe. They spoke of a pain he couldn't imagine.
"How did this happen to you?" Poe asked finally, after a long silence. He searched among the drawers to hand her a clean shirt, which she accepted gratefully.
"This is how Snoke trains his apprentices," Vex answered after a moment, tugging the gray shirt over her head. It was one of Poe's – it was too large for Vex, baring her collar and arms as her clothing rarely did. Poe knew why now – anything less than her high-collared, long-sleeved clothing left her scars exposed. He felt sick.
"The First Order has the best technology in the galaxy. They easily could have healed you without leaving a scar," Poe pointed out, settling on the other side of the bunk. He was careful to keep a few feet between them, having no wish to make Vex feel threatened.
Vex exhaled heavily, turning those powerful, icy blue eyes towards him. "They're a reminder of my failures, many as they are," she said softly. The pain in her eyes was unbearable.
Poe wanted nothing more than to comfort her, but he didn't know how. His instinct was to embrace her, but he knew that would be unwelcome. So he turned his eyes away for a moment, Adam's apple bobbing dangerously for a moment. "How did they get you?" Poe asked, returning his gaze to her. He wouldn't be so disrespectful as to ask for answers without looking at her.
"Didn't Leia tell you?" Vex asked, wrapping her arms around herself as she leaned back against the edge of the bunk. Poe shook his head. "My mother and father gave me to them," she said.
Poe launched out of the seat, pacing angrily in front of her. "How could they do such a thing? Give your child away to the First Order?" he questioned. The emotions swirling within Poe now were overwhelming. He was confused, angry, and heartbroken all merged in one. How could Vex live, knowing her parents had given her away to the man who'd tortured her for years?
"My name is Vex, Poe," she began, stopping him in his tracks. Poe looked at her in confusion. "You don't name someone you love Vex. That's what you call someone you never wanted," Vex said indifferently.
The way she said it – like it didn't matter. Like she felt nothing. Vex had been betrayed, over and over again since she was a child. It made so much sense to Poe now. "I can't imagine…" he began thickly.
"Of course you can't, Poe. You can't understand because your parents loved you," Vex pointed out matter-of-factly. Pressure was beginning to build at the back of Poe's eyes. "No one came to save me when I was a child. Not when they took me, not when Snoke told me he was my father now. Not when he tortured me. That's why I am the way I am," she explained.
Angry tears were beginning to escape Poe's eyes. He brushed them away furiously, stalking over to sit beside her on the bunk again. "I'm sorry, Vex," Poe said, not knowing what else to say.
Vex drew herself up, eyes searching his. "You'll never understand, Poe. The way I grew up…my first instinct was to kill those guards. It didn't even occur to me that I didn't have to hurt them," she said quietly. Poe slowly reached out, covering her hand with his. She stared at his hand over hers for a long moment before continuing.
"I have to fight so hard, all the time, to stay in the light of the Force, Poe. I was raised in the dark, Poe, it's what comes easily. All those things you just know are right or wrong, they don't come easy to me," Vex confided, icy blue eyes finding his.
Poe squeezed her hand lightly. "I can help with that," he said, with an encouraging smile.
A smile Vex tentatively returned, fingers squeezing his back.
"What did you learn from that officer?" Poe asked, returning to the reason for their mission.
The shy smile that had made Vex so much younger – only twenty-four, vanished. "It's worse than we could have imagined, Poe. They're building a Starkiller base," she began, hands beginning to wring in her lap. A familiar gesture now. "It absorbs the power of a star and redirects it as a weapon. It could destroy whole systems," Vex warned, expression troubled.
"Holy shit," Poe uttered, mirroring her expression. "How close are they to utilizing it?" he questioned.
"Weeks, maybe," Vex answered, brows drawn low. "I need to send Anakin to safety – but what if they choose the system I send him to?" she considered, looking distraught.
Poe squeezed her hand again, scooting a bit closer. "They wouldn't choose any old system, Vex. It'd have to be important. To the New Republic, to the Resistance. I think I have an idea of where Anakin would be safe," he said.
Vex's eyes found his, uncertain but hopeful. "You trust the people there?" she asked.
"Without question."
Review, Please.
Thanks to my two reviewers who read my author's note and made me feel very much appreciated last chapter, Mstngsali1 and PtLacky. You rock!
Fimery is my creation, based on Canto Bight but not as ritzy, I suppose. Ibaar is a real planet in Star Wars-verse, which, as I read, was in the midst of a famine as a result of the First Order. I created the details.
Much love, Suz Singer.