Glitter and Gold
Chapter 37
34 ABY – Ahch-To
Luke had felt the moment Vex had connected back to the Force. The lack of her over the last few days had been sheer torture. He'd thought the worst. That she'd been taken from them. Killed. But instead, she'd been forcefully cut off from the Force. From what she connected them all. But then she came back.
Luke had known it was too soon to rejoice. The moment he'd reached out to her, he'd felt her mind filled with rage. Darkness. On the precipice of murdering a man. A man who'd wronged her, to be fair. But it wasn't what Luke had taught her.
He'd warned her that pain was yet to come. Warned her to hold onto the light. HER light. That was easier said than done, that Luke knew. But still, he'd been surprised by her. By her wrath. The deep-seated desire to kill that man.
He'd tried to warn her. Offer words of wisdom. Stop her. She hadn't taken it well. She'd refused and swept him from her mind with thunderous force.
Luke hadn't known what to do, then. He'd left his work on the X-Wing and took up his perch overlooking the island. He'd meditated, for a long time.
Vex had turned to the darkness, in a way she never had before. She'd been captured and tortured. Forced to endure unspeakable torments and finally had the chance to strike back.
It would have been quite a test of will for anyone to do what Vex hadn't been able to. Let the man live. Let someone else carry out the sentence. The deed had set Vex back firmly on the path of darkness.
Luke had to help her. He just didn't know how.
A glint of silver caught in the sun, shining into his half-opened eyes. A roar of an engine. He opened his eyes. A very familiar ship flew over Ahch-To's peak, before landing beside Luke's own X-Wing.
The Raddus
"You're demoted," Leia growled to him, words followed by a slap.
"What?!" Poe cried. A hand raised to his cheek, rubbing the reddened flesh.
Leia drew in a deep breath, as if to calm herself. "What would Vex say about what you've done, Poe?" she questioned.
At the sound of her name, Poe deflated. Leia hated to throw her in his face, but ever since she'd been captured, Poe had been more reckless than ever before. He'd blamed himself.
"That I'm being an idiot. Throwing away lives," Poe admitted with a sigh.
Leia rested a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you should ask yourself that before you do something you know is risky," she advised. Poe stayed silent, gaze fixed on the floor. "Why did you do this, Poe?" she questioned.
He drew in a deep breath. "I dreamt of her last night, Leia. We were laying in bed, she was still in my arms. Warm. I thought she was home. Saved," Poe described. "And then I felt something. Dripping onto my arm. I opened my eyes and saw she was…" he swallowed thickly, eyes clouding with emotion. "Her throat was slit, Leia. Dead. In my arms,"
"Poe," she murmured, drawing him into her arms. "Vex is alive. I know it. I feel it. You must keep hope alive in your heart,"
"How can you be so sure?" Poe questioned.
Leia pursed her lips. "I feel it, Poe. I know it. She will survive. And she will need you and Anakin more than ever,"
The Supremacy
"What is it, Phasma?" Snoke questioned.
She and Vex still stood in the entrance, Vex's bare arm wrapped around her chrome armor. Vex was breathing quickly, on the verge of falling unconscious. Kylo ached to go to her. "Lady Reaper has killed Lord Creel, Supreme Leader,"
"Really?" he inquired, leaning forward in interest. There was a maddened, feverish gleam in his eye. "Is this true, my child?"
"Yes," Vex said, eyes bright despite her obvious exhaustion.
"And how did it taste to kill him?"
"Sweet," came Vex's hauntingly familiar answer. "Like Chantilly crème,"
Her voice was flat and robotic, devoid of all emotion. As if reciting from a script. Kylo Ren's eyes bore into her with distress. He didn't recognize this woman. Not since they'd met all those years ago had Vex been this cold.
Snoke laughed – a startling noise in the cavernous throne room. There was joy on his misshapen features. He stood, spreading his arms wide. "Come to me, my child," he cooed.
Phasma supported Vex in her first steps towards him, but after that she pushed off to attempt it on her own. Vex made it only a few shaky steps before her legs crumbled beneath her.
Kylo launched himself over to her, catching her before she collided with the floor. In his arms Vex lay, trembling and gasping, eyes beginning to roll back in her head. "Vex!" he cried, giving her a shake.
Snoke's robes whispered against the floor as he approached. "My poor child," he said, reaching to take her from Kylo Ren's arms.
It took everything he had not to shield Vex from the tyrant.
Instead, he let Snoke pluck her away. The old man cradled Vex in his arms as if she weighed nothing. As he returned to his throne, Vex was kept bundled in his arms like a child. Like his child.
"Captain Phasma, call for the doctors. Have a Bacta Tank brought here. I would keep my child close to me as she heals," Snoke ordered, eyes never leaving the unconscious woman in his lap.
"Yes, Supreme Leader," the Chrome warrior said, speaking into her commlink as she left the throne room.
"And you," Snoke hissed then, eyes lifting from Vex's crumpled form. Kylo Ren fell back to his knees before his master at his incensed tone. "I will deal with you and your many failures later,"
Review, Please.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks to my reviewers last chapter - Mstngsali1 and SARA!
Much love, Suz Singer.