Jacen was then lifted off of the ground by Snoke, onto his feet. He was standing upright, and looked as if he was in control. But he knew he wasn't. Snoke moved his body, keeping his tongue flat and his jaw clamped shut to prevent anymore outbursts as he forced Jacen to march down the staircase of the central tower of Vader's old castle on Vjun.
It was one of several estates that Vader had owned. The biggest and best was still in possession of Ben Solo on Mustafar. Jacen recognized the site from one of his sister's history texts on her datapad.
Snoke was now invisible, and Freya D'Arctan followed behind, appearing to have her red lightsaber ignited. Jacen could barely keep himself from spiraling into panic. An invisible man was floating him around like a puppet, and he was stuck in a strange castle surrounded by dark knights resembling the Knights of Ren.
But the Knights of Ren couldn't be behind this. Jacen knew that they were members of an organization founded by his father. And his father was supposed to help him with Snoke, not be an ally.
Unless this is all a trap. . .
Jacen stopped in a grand foyer, with several black-clad men and women with red lightsabers stood. In the center, Princess Maia stood, her eyes on the floor, hands politely clasped, and dressed in an elaborate costume, with a fancy headdress with antlers and everything. There were so many details, Jacen knew he couldn't possibly take them all in without combing the dress, inches away from his face.
He could sense her fear, sense that she was being frozen into place, too.
Jacen swallowed, realizing he had control over his mouth again. "Maia? Are you alright?"
Her eyes flicked up to him and she said nothing.
"Maia?" His voice was softer.
"She is to be your consort, Skywalker," Snoke declared. "Pass on her Force-sensitivity and couple it with yours for the future generations of the Skywalker line. You will do great things in the name of Skywalker. Rule the galaxy, end all war, and create an order stronger than the Sith or the Jedi, or those pathetic Shadows of the Old Ways your parents run."
Jacen felt like he was going to be sick. "She's only sixteen. I'm only sixteen. That's disgusting!"
He then felt a slap on the face so hard that he fell over, onto the ground. No one else moved. Jacen felt as if he were trapped in a museum with statues only, or corpses. Like they weren't real people, the ones in front of him.
"You ungrateful brat!" Snoke screamed. Despite the ghost not being visible, it felt as if he were screaming into both of Jacen's ears at the same time. "Don't you understand what great things have been done for you? Are you willing to throw that all away because of your modern sensibilities?"
"Yes," Jacen said. "I never wanted to be a Knight of Ren! I don't want to rule the galaxy! I only wanted to be a Jedi because Jaina did! I'd rather be a pilot, or take care of animals for the rest of my life! I don't want your money, your crown, or your army!"
"It seems, Skywalker," Snoke growled, "that you do not have your priorities in the right place."
Jacen felt that horrible pain again, so terrible that he wanted to die right there. He wept and screamed for the fact that he didn't die right there. Still, none of the people, not even Maia, made a move, or even a single sound.
"Do you understand, my Apprentice?" Snoke asked.
"No," Jacen spat, as he shuddered on the cold durocrete floor of the Vjun Castle. "I'm not yours."
"You little fool," Snoke crooned, lifting Jacen up in the air again. "You belong to me, and you will do as I command!"
"Or what?" Jacen asked.
"Your consort will suffer the consequences," Snoke said.
"She's no one's consort," Jacen protested.
A single knight in black stepped forward, and ignited his red saber. Maia did not move or react at all.
"Wait, no, please, no, don't hurt her, none of this is her fault!" Jacen couldn't blink, couldn't shut his eyes. Maia's face was left free, and she looked to him in terror and began screaming herself.
"Jacen, no, don't let him do this!" she screamed.
Those were the last words of the Hapan princess. Her head fell to the ground as the glass antlers on her headdress shattered. The image was imprinted on Jacen's mind for all eternity.
"This death is your fault," Snoke whispered. "You couldn't be grateful, so you forced her to die."
Despite the logic and facts, Jacen felt something in his heart that couldn't argue with Snoke's words. He felt deep guilt and fear and anger and grief, all threatening to drown his soul.
Then Snoke slammed him into the ground, pulled him further off the ground, and slammed him again.
"Stand up, boy," Snoke snarled. "This is your army, the Acolytes of the Beyond."
Yet Jacen's army was as still as statues.