Chapter 24: Black Hawk Down
I lean forward on the edge of the metallic stands, my fists clenched tight as I watch Zenna dominate the arena below. The crowd's roaring fades to a dull hum in my ears, all my focus narrowing down on her fluid movements, the unmistakable grace of a predator. Sola's beside me, her cheers slicing through the chaos, urging Zenna on with a fervor that matches the fiery intensity of the combatants.
"Come on, Zenna! Show him what Eras blood is made of!"
Her voice is laced with pride and an edge of bloodlust unique to those of us raised in the shadow of the Sith.
'Will she take my last name, or do I have to take hers because she's the heiress of Korriban?'
Zenna's opponent, a burly third year who probably thought his size would compensate for skill, launches at her with a reckless power move, his fist cutting through the air like a comet. Yet my sister, she's not just anyone. She sidesteps a dance of death, and strikes back with a precision that's almost surgical.
"LETS FUCKING GOOOOO!!!!!!!" I can't help but screech out a cheer. It was hype as fuck to see my sister kicking the shit out of someone in a contest. I feel like I'm watching the Bruins again. The guy never stood a chance, not against Zenna. She's a tornado, a force of nature that no one in their right mind would want to reckon with. Truly an exception to the weak Sith that exists in today's society.
The thud of his body hitting the floor vibrates up through my boots, and for a moment, there's silence. Then, the ref's voice cuts through, clear and final. "Winner by knockout, Zenna Eras!"
I'm on my feet before I even realize it. The cheer that erupts from me is more a roar of relief than anything. It's always like this. Even when I was the Edge maxing king watching her win fights was fucking sweet.
'Come to think about it, growing up, I never saw her lose, did I?'
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the judges clapping, their faces impassive masks of approval, yet I can't shake the feeling that they're measuring, calculating. Always watching for any sign of weakness. I wonder if they see the same thing I do when they look at Zenna. The relentless drive, the ambition that borders on obsession.
'It's fun being in the crowd for once. I never loved the spotlight in my last life.'
"Can you believe her?" Sola's words pull me back from the brink of my brooding thoughts. She's grinning, eyes alight with shared victory.
"Every time," I say, trying to match her enthusiasm, "she's unstoppable."
"Like you'll be," Sola replies, bumping her shoulder against mine in a show of affection. "Just wait till they see you out there."
"Right," I mutter, unsure whether I'm ready to step into the ring or wish I could vanish into the shadows instead. I enjoy fighting and winning, probably not as much as Zenna does, but being in front of so many people… And without one of my Darth Relic masks. It's a bit much. I push those thoughts down deep where they can't reach me.
'I have the soul of an emperor. Blessed by primordial luck. Only good things will come to me. CEO mindset' I paraphrase a quote from one of my favorite games of my past life to hype myself the fuck up.
"Let's go congratulate her," Sola suggests, breaking me of my delusions of
grandeur, already heading down the steps toward the locker rooms, assuming I'll follow.
And I do because that's what we do, we stand together, come what may. And low key, I like following that dump truck.
*****
The air in the locker room was thick with the musk of exerting bodies and kolto, a pungent mix that reminded me of the smell of chlorine from an indoor pool. Zenna was toweling off her sweat-slicked skin when Sola and I burst in.
"Zenna, you were incredible out there!" Sola's voice echoed against the lockers, and I couldn't help but throw in my own praise.
"Seriously, that was savage." I clapped Zenna on the shoulder, offering her a grin. "But watch out, I'm up next." I made an evil grin.
'Does Zenna know I'm Santa's strongest soldier?'
Her laugh was bright, Almost condescending in a way, but still laced with sisterly love. "I'll be in the front row. Make me proud, Vex." She left the room in a hurry to find a seat.
Sola's hands found my shoulders, and then, her fingers were precise as they helped strap on my combat gear. She had this way of making every touch feel like a claim like each piece of armor she fastened was laced with her presence. It was possessive, sure, but also kind of... comforting.
'I want to drown in Sola's love. Overwhelm me, please.' My thoughts wandered.
"Remember, try not to be too flashy out there," she murmured with annoyance, her breath warm against my ear. The closeness sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with fear. "Wouldn't want any of those other girls getting ideas. You're mine, after all."
"I'm going Goku mode."
I said, trying to sound cocky. But Sola brushed off my words as her kiss landed. A fierce, possessive pressure that branded me as hers. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting it anchor me.
"Regardless." I added, my face a little red. "Showboating Isn't my style. Not when i'm Vex Eras. I'll keep it simple. Promise."
"Good," she replied, pulling back just enough to look me in the eye, her gaze drilling into mine with an intensity that felt almost tangible. "Now go show them what you're made of."
And with one last squeeze of my arm, Sola pushed me toward the arena.
'Once more unto the breach!'
Stepping into the arena, the air felt electric, charged with anticipation, and the hum of a thousand voices melded into one relentless drone. I scanned my opponent, my gaze snagging on the familiar scowl of Hawk Tuah across the ring, all muscle and fierce determination.
"Great," I muttered under my breath, annoyance nipping at the edges of my focus. The thought of tangling with Hawk was about as appealing as a training session with a malfunctioning droid.
'She's so fucking annoying. She better not say anything weird.'
She squared her shoulders, meeting my eyes with a confidence that bordered on defiance. "If I win, Vex, call off your wedding with Sola," she declared, loud enough for nearby ears to catch wind of the stakes.
'Does she think playing hard to get worked on me?' I sit there paralyzed for a moment, stupefied by her insanity. 'She only still breathes because my parents like her parents.'
"Is this really the time?" I sighed, feeling the weight of every eye upon us. Hawk's challenge, so brash and uninvited, set my teeth on edge. To flagrantly say that in front of everyone, In front of my soon-to-be in-laws. It makes me look bad.
'I am annoyed.'
The gong sounded, signaling the start of the match. I shook my head, clear of distractions. This was not going to drag on longer than necessary. With a surge of the Force, I reached out, an invisible push emanating from the core of my being.
Hawk's eyes widened with shock as she was swept off her feet, sailing uncontested through the air and out of the ring. She hit the ground with a thud that echoed hollowly in the sudden silence.
For a heartbeat, the arena held its breath, then erupted into a cacophony of cheers and jeers. I barely heard them.
I watched as Hawk, now crumpled just beyond the boundary, buried her face in her hands. Her body shook with quiet sobs that cut through the noise and reached me with unexpected clarity.
'If Tsundere have no haters, I must be dead.' I repeat a mantra of mine.
"Match over,"
I spoke flatly, turning away from the sight. The victory was hollow, the taste of it ashen. I didn't want her tears or the twisted satisfaction of having proven a point. I just wanted her to fuck off.
The weight of the arena's gaze was heavy on my shoulders as we entered the locker room. Hawk's sobs had diminished to sniffling, her form hunched over like a wounded creature.
"Lowly tactics, Hawk," I said, my voice barely above a whisper but slicing through the silence of the changing area. "That's what you resorted to? Really? An ultimatum? I hate ultimatums. "My fists clenched at my sides, an angry heat flaring within me, licking at the edges of my self-control.
She looked up then, tears streaking through the dirt on her face, her expression a mixture of defiance and something raw, broken. It unnerved me, this vulnerability, so out of place on the battlefield we both knew so well.
"Disgusting," I spat the word out like a curse, a dark cloud of disdain curling around it. "You think you can manipulate people's lives, toy with their futures for what? A shot at something you can't earn, honestly?"
'I say this fully understanding I am Sola's plaything.'
Hawk's lips parted, but no words came out. She seemed smaller somehow, stripped of her usual bravado and fire, and for a second, I almost felt sorry for her. But then I remembered Sola's possessive kiss, the loving security I found in her arms, and my resolve hardened.
"Listen to me," I leaned in close, my voice low and unyielding. "No matter what stunts you pull, no matter how hard you try to shake things up... I'll never be yours. You don't win people, Hawk. You don't claim them as prizes." I blatantly lie to her.
'Hawk is far too weak to take someone.'
"Vex, I—" she began, but I cut her off with a sharp gesture.
"Save it. Whatever it is you thought you could start here, it's done. Finished. Even if you beat me, which just to be clear would have never happened, I wouldn't leave Sola." I barked at her. "Go lick your wounds," I told her, my back already turned, "and next time, fight for something real. Not these... delusions. Be a proper Sith."
Leaving her there amidst the dirt and shadows of the arena, I slipped out of the locker room's cool embrace. The victory lay sour on my tongue, and all I wanted was to scrub the day's grime from my skin and forget the taste.
*****
Sola's POV
I burst into the Duke's office with the fervor of a thousand suns.
"Father, I wish to kill Count Tuah's daughter," I speak calmly, but the blood lust in my yellowing Sith eyes betrays me.
Father awkwardly shifts in his chair. "Sola, I understand you feel wronged but Count Tuah is a friend of mine from my Korriban years." My father showing an unusual sense of caution around me. "I too think what Hawk did was unbecoming of a Count's daughter but to take her life for it…" He gulped as he saw my eyes twist into a burning hatred.
"Father. She tried to end my engagement with Vex. She insinuated the Corde Family was of little value. Do you not see the disrespect this whore is throwing in our direction? Or are you so fat and happy with your role here on Korriban that you forgot that Sith matches insults with blood.! A life for an Eye, A family for a life!" My hatred grew like a tempest around me. I grow stronger by the sheer viscosity of it.
Father looked at me with a hint of fear until a voice spoke from behind me. "We will kill Hawk in secret. Once this measly tournament is over. Perhaps a 'horny noble boy could kill her while taking it too far' is A classic Korriban tale. The count may suspect us, but he would never act against us." The woman's voice spoke with absolute authority.
"Mother!" I ran over to hug her. She returned my embrace tenfold.
'The strongest woman alive.'
"Thank you for understanding, Mother!" I spoke with a hint of entitlement. "Truly a just duchess." My eyes wandered annoyingly to my father. He winced for a second but otherwise looked on at Mother. Her pinkish skin hinted at her partial Sith origins, much like Vex's own mother. Admiring her from his seat.
"If you think this is for the best, Scoria, then we will see this out." Father obediently listened to Mother.
"Ahhh," Mother switched from duchess mode to doting mom mode on a dime. "Vex was positively brilliant. Kinda plain looking, but the sheer power he seems to possess. Sola, your destiny is far beyond what we ever dreamed of for you. You truly are my daughter." She spoke to me with reverence. Mother, despite making it sound like she had sky expectations for us, did not seem to hold the same expectations for my brother.
"Thank you, Mother." I smiled proudly at her acceptance of Vex.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone