CHAPTER TWO

( WOE IS VERA )

THE STARS FROM the ship, dubbed Saber, look close enough to touch but far enough away to be out of harm's way. Each unique, shedding its own sparkle of light into the endless black sky. Unique was something that Vera rarely used but had recently heard the word being used rather frequently. Especially regarding that orb that Calix got away with. She stays firmly planted on the ground, her knees pulled up to her chest as she gazes out into the vast emptiness of space. Only the stars could dazzle her and even that wasn't working. She felt like a failure, letting her guard down and having Calix get the best of her. Their rivalry had gotten the best of her so did her quick temper. That orb was priceless.

Thaddeus wasn't too pleased with her actions that lead to losing it. Calix was the only person in the Galaxy to get under her skin and he did it frequently. More than she'd like. It wasn't just her fault that the bodega had gone up in flames because of their squabble. Although, she did feel mighty guilty thinking about the man's sobs as he watched his shop go up in flames. However, she never understood why people would put all their chips on one thing.

She shakes her head as she tries to justify why she shouldn't feel guilty. She should. It was her fault. Plus, Thaddeus had also pointed out to her that it was her recklessness, her lack of care that caused the orb to get away and for the shop keeper to lose his livelihood. While she arrived back on the ship a couple days ago, and as the rest of their crew melted past the lost of the orb, including Thaddeus, she was still held up in her thoughts, brewing about the situation that had happened. Reckless was the word that her captain had thrown at her explaining her actions. Endangerment was another. It wasn't like they weren't already in danger. They were smugglers. Not too many people took kindly to them. If she wasn't one, she'd be more than willing to get rid of any smuggler she saw, unfortunately, she knew what they did and how unethical most of it was.

However, this path was the best path she could've chosen for herself. Being free was all that was important to her. A grunt from behind her informs her senses that she's no longer alone, making her annoyed. She just wanted to be left alone while she stewed in her own pity. As she turns, her gaze is met with her Captain's, Thaddeus, a tray of food in his hands. She feels a certain heat rush to her face. She hated when he got like this. He always babied her when she was trying to beat herself up. She made a mistake and she was going to have to live with it, why couldn't he be just as mad? "If you've come to lecture me I'm not really in the mood," her voice is icy as

Thaddeus's presence draws closer to her, eventually sitting next to her on the ground. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not here for that," he chides, staring out into the emptiness of space with her. The smell of the warm food on the tray wafted up in her direction. It didn't smell too pleasant but it was enough to make her stomach growl. It just made her even more sour than what she already was. "Then why are you here?" she questions, rolling her eyes in the process. Another gurgle of her stomach rips through the silence causing Thaddeus to chuckle at her stubbornness. "Here," he states, placing the tray onto her lap. "Eat,"

Vera begrudgingly takes a spoonful of the grey sludge that had been haphazardly slapped on her tray. It was like warm at best and smelled repulsive but if that was the only thing they were offering...

She took a hefty bite, slurping up the remnants in the spoon before setting it back down on her plate. "You know I thought I was supposed to be Captain here," Thaddeus starts, earning a confused look from Vera as she notices him staring off at the stars, a hidden smile appearing on his face. Had he lost his marbles? Did something happen to him when they reentered space? "You are?" her voice is tense, full of question and confusion as she takes another bite of the dreadful food. "If I'm Captain then why are you beating yourself up over this after I've said it's water under the bridge?"

"Because it shouldn't. It was a rare artifact that Esai wanted. I don't know. I was hoping if we gave him something valuable he would - But I let my anger get the best of me. I saw Calix. I saw red and now we're empty handed. What kind of smugglers are we?"

"The empathetic kind,"

"I didn't know those existed,"

"I don't blame people for their mistakes; but I do ask that they correct them. You're a good kid, and I'm done having you wallow around in your pity party. Eat. As soon as you're done I have another mission for you,"

Vera stared curiously at the captain as he tried to get up. His old age was starting to get the best of him. She could practically hear the cartilage in his knees popping, along with a straining groan. She pops in another spoonful of sludge, gagging herself in the process to help it go down steadier. Out of the corner of her eye she can see Thaddeus almost escape through the door.

"What was in the orb?" she asks after placing a spoonful of sludge in her mouth. It's enough to stop her captain in his tracks. A small smile appears on her lips as she hears him huff out a sigh. She did like to make him irritated to a certain point. "What?"

She turns to face him as he leaned against the ladder of the open area, she had stopped him from descending back down. "Bexon said something priceless was in the orb. What was it?" Thaddeus's face was conflicted with emotions. It was like he wanted to tell her but was sworn to secrecy about the orb. Truly, Thaddeus was somewhat warm but there were parts of him that Vera still had yet to see, some darker parts of him that some of their clients had warned her about. Perhaps the orb was something that had to do with his past. It looked like it, judging by his disgruntled reaction. He huffs out another sigh before climbing the ladder to once again be on the same level as her. She had seen the disappointment flash across his face as he quietly says, "Kyber."

The word alone comes in a form of shock to her, she literally leans back as if she's been smacked, her brows furrowing at her captain. She had just let one of the biggest idiots in the galaxy get away with one of the most precious materials out there. An actual crystal from a time that was thought to be forgotten along with the wielders of the weapons they once were harbored in. "An actual kyber crystal? And you don't want me to make a big deal out of me losing it?" Vera's tone is hot as she quickly spits out the words. Thaddeus places his hand out between them to motion for her to calm down. Although she was his negotiator she still had quite the temper. "It's in the past," he calmly states.

Vera's blood surges through her like electricity. This would've been valuable information to know. She wouldn't have let Calix get away with it if she'd known otherwise. "In the past my ass," she hisses out as she turns to look at the stars. Her captain groans in irritation as he watches her seethe with frustration. "So it's true then. The force, the Jedi, everything. It's not just some folklore?" she questions, watching her captain give one curt nod, before directing her attention back out into the abyss of stars.

"When I was around your age I actually knew a Jedi," he states, almost as if he were bragging. Vera looks at him, there's a sparkle in her eye as if she were a child. A wide smile came across her face. "Who!" she excitedly exclaims, only for Thaddeus to hush her voice. It was obvious that he wasn't fond of everyone knowing this. "It's in the past," he waves the question off like it wasn't necessary. Vera's lip pulls into a small pout as she watches her captain become somewhat irritated just thinking about the time. "You need to learn to let go of things that are out of your control, or else you're not going to end up living a happy life,"

Vera scoffs, "I didn't know those were possible when you chose to be a smuggler,"

Thaddeus furrows his brows as he sighs. "When you choose to be a smuggler, no, happy endings don't come too often. But you are a special case -"

"Don't remind me," Vera cuts him off harshly. Her glare boring into Thaddeus's eyes. She didn't need to be reminded that she was a special case. She also didn't want to reminisce about her past. After a moment, she returns to look out the window, twiddling her thumbs solemnly as she thought about lashing out on Thaddeus. He was only trying to help her. It felt like an instinct to shut down any attempt to help her since she left her family. Now after serving many years in servitude under a sadistic and perverted man, she's found a new one. She couldn't risk losing them.

"Was he your buyer?" she questions, breaking the silence between them. "Is that why you risked us going after something that special? Because of the debt?" her voice was growing faint but it still held a sharp edge to it. Thaddeus sighs once again, leaning back to face her head on. He didn't mind her scrutiny. "Yes," he simply stated. Vera shakes her head in disbelief, an incredulous smirk growing on her face. Knowing the man who had transitioned her from a helpless child to a slave, he wasn't going to just keep a Kyber crystal in his collection of extraordinary things. "Do we even know what he wants to do with it?" she questions, sounding exasperated. Thaddeus waves the question off as if it were no big deal. "You know Esai, he has a don't ask, and don't tell policy,"

"Boy don't I know," she scoffs, looking to the floor. It's true. She had fled the First Order, disappointing her father who was greatly loyal to the supreme leader, just to find herself in the clutches of Esai, who, on the outside, looked like a pleasant person, fond of partying, but he had ways to show people how angry he was when they disappointed him. Not a lot of people have the gull to strike a deal with him, as it is almost as bad as selling your soul, but thankfully Vera managed to strike a deal so airtight that she could manage to get away from him for some time. All Thaddeus needed to do was be at his beck and call whenever he pleased, unless he could pay his debt.

"I'm going to find him," she huffs out, standing up. Her joints were aching from just sitting around and moping all day. She needed new excitement in her life. "No, you're not. Calix could be halfway across the Galaxy right now -"

"We can't risk going to Esai empty handed," Vera argues. Thaddeus hated when she got this way. She was too stubborn to say no to. There was no stopping her when she got this way. "We're not," he sighs out. "I am,"

Vera turns to him with an incredulous look on her face, her eyes narrowing at him, throwing daggers. "Thaddeus, he'll kill you -" Vera attempts to protest but Thaddeus cuts her off. "If he does, then you must run," he instructs her, earning an eye roll. "Remember the coordinates I gave you,"

"They're useless coordinates if I don't know if you're all right," she whines in protest. She didn't like thinking of any of her teammates going and dying on her. Or abandoning her for that matter. She thought it was precious that they stuck by her side through thick and thin. She's put them through hell at times, testing their patience but they still find their means to love her. Vera lets out an exasperated sigh. "Why does someone have to die in this scenario? Just let me find Calix,"

"It's been decided, Vera," Thaddeus snaps, his voice sounding strict and unwavering, catching her full attention. She knew the tone, it was the kind that you would be stupid enough to talk back to if you heard it. "Follow your orders and know your place," he hisses out firmly. Vera does everything in her power to not look weak, to not back down. She stands tall and confident, looking head on towards her captain - her saviour. Finally, she breaks her stiff and rigid attitude for a more submissive tune. "Yessir," she obediently obliges, stepping to one side to signify that she was done with this conversation.

Thaddeus grunts in response as he makes his way past her towards the bridge, earning a glare from the high-strung negotiator. No one in their right mind would go to the renowned thug, Esai, empty-handed. Thaddeus wanted a death wish, to be rid of her or something else. Or he had something up his sleeve that he was neglecting to tell everyone about. Either way she couldn't just sit by and watch him get slaughterer when everything was her fault. And she meant everything. Is he hadn't saved her from Esai's clutches then he wouldn't be in this predicament. She owed her life to him so she knew there was only one real option for her.

She quickly flung herself down the tunnel that Thaddeus had appeared in, landing squarely on the the balls of her feet in the dining hall. It was empty. Judging from the darkness of it, it had been empty for quite some time. She must've been so preoccupied with her feelings that she didn't even realize the time. Plus the empty, dark, void of space never really let her know when daytime was. Planning her escape and retrieval meant having one extra set of hands. She couldn't do it alone, but no one was dating enough to go against Thaddeus.

But there was one person who would follow Vera wherever she went. Vera wound her way down the halls of the ship, until she came across where the bedrooms were. The light hue of lilac coating the walls, a sure tell that it was way past curfew. Vera paid no attention to the signs of curfew, she was preoccupied with her retrieval. She tried to enter the room next to hers as quietly as she could, the large metal doors springing open with just one touch of a button. She was surprised that the sound of the hissing air didn't wake the person up, she didn't even stir. This would only make things even more fun.

She tip-toed over to the side of the bed where the figure lay, lightly snoring in slumber, covers hiding her face. Vera swipes the blanket down revealing the young face of Shan. If there was anyone who was going to follow her lead it was her, she had always been one to idolize her. She shakes her shoulder, stirring Shan half-awake. "Vera?" she grumbles out, voice hoarse and filled with exhaustion. The sound of her voice made Vera bite down on her bottom lip out of guilt. It almost made her feel bad for waking her up. Almost.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Shan groggily questions, flipping up the covers and trying to scoot over for her. That had been a nightly routine for her when she first arrived in the crew. Of course, Shan was still younger than her but she was around a lot longer. She'd be the one on her side to whisk her worries and frets away. Vera's eyes started to widen as she shook her awake once more. Shan grumbles in her sleep once again before raising and looking at her. Even in her half-slumber it was obvious she was throwing her and annoyed glare. "Hey," she whispers sweetly to her as Shan begins to start waking up fully, stretching out her arms. "Let's go have some fun," she smirks as Shan perks up a questioning brow. "Fun?" she croaks out.

"Like steal a ship and find Calix fun," Vera hums out, a cocky grin appearing on her face. Shan furrows her brows, "Are you nuts?" Her voice is a little too loud for Vera's liking, who quickly hushes her, before listening to the silence of the room. Hopefully no one heard her. Vera knew the look in Shan's dark eyes. Even though she knew she'd follow her no matter what, she knew she had a moral conflict everytime she went against Thaddeus.

There was only one way she could get off this stupid ship with her and that was to trick the ever stubborn pilot. Vera huffs out a dramatic sigh, as she stands up swaying from side to side as if she had given up. "Yeah, no, I get it. You don't want to upset Thaddeus. I don't blame you," her voice is thick with shame. "I just figured since you're young and pretty, you shouldn't spend all this time cooped up on this ship. I thought it would be nice to get you out and visit Takodana," she baits, her back turned to her, sly smirk growing on her face.

"Takodana?" Shan reiterates, her voice sounding promising. Hook, line and sinker. Vera spins around to look at Shan's face, she tries to display a fit of woe across her face, as if she were really worried about Shan's well-being. "Yeah, figured you wouldn't meet a husband being a smuggler and cooped up on this dirty ship. You want a husband don't you?" she taunts, already knowing the answer. Shan had expressed several times that she was anxious for her real life to start, and it would begin once she found someone to marry. The only tricky part is, you can't marry when you're a smuggler, people despise them. It's also hard to find a reliable smuggler husband. "I do," she whispers out longing, as she clutches on to her blankets. "But what does this have to do with Calix?" she questions.

"Don't worry about it," Vera replies as she tosses her clothes on the bed, indicating she needed to get ready if she actually was going. "Are you going on another date with him?"

The question is enough to make her want to gag. Another date with the infamous Calix, who doesn't call women back and pretends like he doesn't know them in the morning. No thanks. "Ew, gross, no. Just help me get a ship and we'll be on our way,"

Shan scoffs as she throws the blankets off of her. Obviously she was grumpy, she had just been woken from her sleep. However, Vera smirks as she knows she had just gotten the better of her, and the better of Thaddeus. She wouldn't see him killed by going empty handed to Esai. "I hope whatever you need from Calix is worth it, because we're going to be in so much trouble," she grumbles as she pulls on her pants.

Vera merely shrugs at her. "Trust me it is,"