Chapter 46: Chapter 46: All Dogs go to Heaven
I watch Sola's reflection in the mirror, her cute form draped in yet another black robe. The store's harsh lighting casts an eerie glow on her pale skin, making her look like some dark apparition. I can't shake the feeling that she's been haunting my every move since that talk with her dad she told me about.
"What do you think of this one, Vex?" Sola asks, twirling gracefully.
I plaster on a smile. "It looks great on you, just like all the others."
Her eyes narrow, and a hint of annoyance flashes across her face. "You've said that about every single robe. I need you to actually pick one."
I suppress a sigh. Fashion has never been my strong suit, and Sola's intense stare isn't helping. "They all look amazing on you. I'm just not sure I'm the best judge here."
Sola's lips purse. "You're too easy-going about this, Vex. This is important."
'Important? It's just clothes.' But I bite my tongue. No need to rile her up further.
"Alright, alright," I concede, trying to focus. "Maybe... the one with the silver trim?"
Sola considers for a moment, then nods approvingly. "See? Was that so hard?"
"Yeah." I laugh as she disappears back into the changing room, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. We are on a shopping trip today at the Czerka sponsored Korriban space station. Sola told me she wanted to do something fun so we flew here today.
A holographic ad floats by, advertising the latest lightsaber mod. For a moment, I imagine igniting my own saber, cutting through the suffocating atmosphere of expectations.
'No Vex, that's Darth Relic talking.' I'm just Vex here, trying to be a good fiancé.
Sola emerges back in her original outfit. "Ready to go?" she asks, linking her arm through mine.
I nod, happy to be seeing her far more often now than how it was for a few weeks.
Suddenly, a voice cuts through the station's ambient chatter like a vibroblade, freezing my blood.
"VEX ERAS! I KNOW YOU ARE A DARTH RELIC!"
My hand instinctively flies to my lightsaber, igniting it with a familiar hiss. The crimson blade casts an eerie glow across the suddenly silent boutique. Shoppers scatter, their faces a mix of fear and curiosity.
"What the fuck?" I mutter, scanning the crowd for the source of the accusation.
My mind races. 'How could anyone know? I've been so careful...Right?'
Then I see him, and my stomach drops.
Standing at the far end of the corridor is a figure that defies belief. The body is almost pure machine: gleaming durasteel and hydraulics, built for power and speed. But atop those robotic shoulders sits the head of a German Shepherd, its brown fur a stark contrast to the metal below.
'My god, he looks so regal. What a cute dog.' I wasn't sure if dogs existed in Star Wars, and when I was young, I asked my wet nurse once, and she told me, "Dogs do not exist, Vex, but bitches sure do."
'What the fuck did Rinka mean by that?' I push the thought aside as I stare at the German shepherd bounty hunter.
"Dog the Bounty Hunter," He snarls at me, telling me his name.
'No fucking way, there's no way that's his fucking name, is it?'
My grip on the lightsaber hilt tightens, but I can't bring myself to raise it. Those big, brown eyes... they're so soulful, so innocent. How can I fight something with a face like that?
"Vex, what are you waiting for?" Sola hisses beside me, her own saber now ignited.
I swallow hard, trying to find my voice. "I... I can't," I whisper, feeling utterly ridiculous. "Look at him, Sola. He's got a dog's head. An actual dog."
"So?" she snaps, clearly not sharing my dilemma.
"So?" I echo, incredulous. "I can't hurt a dog! It'd be like... like kicking a puppy!"
Even as the words leave my mouth, I'm painfully aware of the irony. I've done far worse things than Darth Relic. I destroyed an entire planet, for fuck's sake. But somehow, the thought of raising my blade against those floppy ears and that wet nose... it's too much.
Dog the Bounty Hunter takes a step forward, his mechanical body whirring. "Surrender, Darth Relic," he barks his voice a disconcerting mix of canine and droid. "Your reign of terror ends now."
I stand frozen, caught between the urge to defend myself and the ridiculous, overwhelming desire to scratch behind those furry ears.
As Dog raises his blaster, Sola leaps into action, her saber arcing through the air. Panic surges through me, and I instinctively reach out with the Force, halting her mid-strike.
"We can't harm a dog! It's too fucked up. I can't have that on my conscience," I bark at her, my voice cracking with emotion.
Sola's eyes flash with disbelief and frustration. "Vex, are you fucking kidding me?" she retorts, struggling against my Force hold.
Dog seizes the opportunity, firing a volley of blaster bolts our way. I deflect them easily, my mind racing. There has to be a way out of this that doesn't involve hurting him.
"Sorry, buddy," I mutter, drawing on the Force. In a blur of motion, I propel myself forward faster than Dog can track. The world around me slows to a crawl as I zip behind him, my hand outstretched.
"Nothing personal kid" Focusing intently, I channel my power into a Force mind trap. Dog's mechanical body goes rigid, his furry head drooping as consciousness slips away. I catch him as he falls, cradling his head gently.
Looking up at Sola, I feel tears welling in my eyes. "He hates me," I choke out, absurdly devastated by the thought. "A dog actually hates me. This is terrible."
Sola sighs heavily, her annoyance palpable. But then, unexpectedly, her expression softens. She approaches me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. The warmth of her touch cuts through my spiral of self-loathing.
"Vex," she says, her voice a mix of exasperation and affection, "we need to control this situation. Everyone on the station heard him accuse you of being Darth Relic."
I blink, momentarily confused by her words. The gravity of the situation suddenly hits me like a blast from a Star Destroyer. "Oh... that?" I mutter, feeling incredibly foolish for not realizing the implications sooner.
My mind races. Hundreds of beings on this station just heard me accused of being one of the most notorious Sith in the galaxy. Panic rises in my chest, threatening to overwhelm me. But Sola's steady presence anchors me, her hand still on my shoulder.
Taking a deep breath, I make a decision. "Right," I say, steeling myself. "I've got this shit on lock."
I stretch out my arms, reaching out with the Force. The familiar power flows through me, extending to every corner of the bustling station. In an instant, I feel the presence of countless minds, shoppers, workers, travelers, all going about their day.
With a surge of concentration, I freeze them all in place. The cacophony of the station falls silent, replaced by a chorus of startled gasps and confused murmurs. I can sense their fear and bewilderment, a maelstrom of emotions that threatens to overwhelm my senses. The only two people not in my control were Sola and Dog.
"Sorry about this," I mutter under my breath, though I know they can't hear me.
Closing my eyes, I focus on my next task. The cloud mind ability isn't hard to use, but on this scale, it's not great, and I have no choice. I visualize a fog rolling through the station, enveloping every mind in its path. As it passes, it erases the last few minutes of memory, replacing them with mundane recollections of ordinary shopping trips.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I release my hold on the Force. The station erupts back into its normal bustle as if nothing had happened.
I turn to Sola, exhausted but relieved. "That should do it," I say, managing a weak smile. "Now, about our furry friend here..."
'I cant believe Furrys are real here.' I said unexcited as I was already locked in on all my own fetishes.
*****
I pace the dimly lit hold of the Sleepy Cosby, my footsteps echoing off the worn metal panels. The air feels thick with tension as I turn to face our captive. Dog, the imposing half-canine, half-robot bounty hunter, sits bound to a chair, his mechanical body straining against the restraints.
"Alright, Dog," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "Let's try this again. How did you know I was Darth Relic?"
Dog's brown German shepherd eyes narrow, a low growl emanating from his throat. In one swift motion, he spits, the glob of saliva landing on my chest.
"I'd rather die than betray my client," he barks out, his voice a strange mix of canine and mechanical.
I wipe away the spit, my mind racing. 'How many others might know my secret?' The thought sends a chill down my spine.
Suddenly, the familiar hum of a lightsaber igniting fills the room. I turn to see Sola, her eyes blazing with fury, her blade casting an eerie glow across her face.
"Enough of this," she snarls, stepping towards Dog. "If he won't talk, we'll make sure he never talks again."
My heart leaps into my throat. "No!" I cry out, throwing myself between Sola and Dog. "I don't kill dogs, Sola. I can't."
Sola's eyes widen in disbelief. "That's not a real dog, Vex!" she exclaims, gesturing at Dog's robotic body. "It's a machine with a dog's head!"
I shake my head vehemently. "He literally is a dog, Sola," I rebuke her, my voice cracking slightly. "Look at that face. Those eyes. I... I just can't."
Sola's frustration is palpable, but I can't back down. The thought of harming a dog, even one as unusual as this, makes my stomach churn.
I turn back to Dog, who's staring at us with a mix of confusion and wariness. His mechanical body may be intimidating, but those soulful canine eyes... they're my kryptonite.
'I would literally die for you boy.' Memories of my old world flood my mind. Dog's were one of the few joys back there. Something my mother was never able to corrupt.
"Why won't you just kill me?" Dog growls, his voice tinged with genuine bewilderment.
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Because unlike the Jedi, All dogs are good." I mutter, more to myself than anyone else. "Even if you are trying to kill me."
I regroup my thoughts. "Look," I begin, trying to reason with him, "we don't want to hurt you. We just need to know—"
Suddenly, the door to the hold slides open with a hiss, and Four-Twenty clanks in, her black-tinted visor gleaming in the low light.
"Perhaps," she announces, her mechanized voice tinged with an unsettling eagerness, "if we threaten to cut off the dog's Knot off, it will make him talk."
'What the fuck does she mean by knot?' My eyes go wide with horror.
"Four-Twenty, what the fuck does that mean?" Sola mirrors my internal monologue, this time without even reading my mind.
Before I can react, Four-Twenty strides forward, her metal hand reaching for Dog's robotic crotch. There's a moment of tense silence.
"Four-Twenty! We're villains, not predators! You must be spending too much time talking to Cosby's internal computers again, aren't you!" I yell at the idiotic droid in front of me for molesting the Dog.
"Oh," she says ignoring me completely, her disappointment palpable even through her vocoder. "It appears the crotch is all droid. How terribly dull." She releases her grip and steps back, her shoulders slumping. "I'm out of ideas."
I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on. The absurdity of the situation is almost too much to bear. Here we are, a Sith, his fiancée, a perverted droid, and a cyborg bounty hunter with a dog's head, all crammed into the hold of an ancient spaceship. It's like the setup for some terrible joke.
Sola, who's been watching this unfold with increasing frustration, finally snaps. "For Santa's sake, Vex!" she yells, her voice echoing off the metal walls. "Just fucking mind control him to talk."
I blink, momentarily taken aback by her outburst. "Oh, true." She had a point.
I take a deep breath, centering myself in the Force. Splaying out my hands, I focus my energy on Dog's mind. The air seems to thicken, shimmering with an unseen power as tendrils of my consciousness reach out, probing the cyborg canine's psyche.
"You will tell us everything about your mission," I intone, my voice resonating with the weight of the Force.
Dog's eyes glaze over, and his mechanical body is going slack as my influence takes hold. When he speaks, his voice is flat and emotionless, a stark contrast to his earlier defiance.
"The job came through my datapad," he drones. "Credits were wired discreetly, along with the information on Darth Relic's true identity."
Sola leans forward, her eyes glinting with interest. "Where is this data pad now?"
Dog's blank expression doesn't change as he replies, "I destroyed it before confronting Vex. Standard protocol in case I fell in battle."
Frustration bubbles up inside me. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. I run a hand through my hair, fighting the urge to pace again.
"Can you tell us anything about who hired you?" I press, pushing harder with the Force.
Dog's brow furrows slightly, the only indication of his internal struggle against my control. "I... I don't know. The client used multiple layers of encryption. All communications were anonymous."
I feel my annoyance growing, the dark side of the Force pulsing at the edges of my consciousness. With effort, I push it back down. I can't take this out on a dog.
Sola places a hand on my shoulder, her touch grounding me. "This isn't getting us anywhere," she says softly. Then, her voice hardening, she adds, "Just erase all his memories, Vex. We can dump him off somewhere he won't come after us again."
I nod, seeing the wisdom in her words. It's not ideal, but it's better than the alternatives. Taking another deep breath, I refocus my energy, delving deeper into Dog's mind.
The Force swirls around us, visible now as faint wisps of energy that dance in the air. I can feel the weight of Dog's memories, a lifetime of experiences compressed into electrical impulses and synthetic neurons.
With surgical precision, I use confound once again to excise the memories related to his mission and our encounter, as well as the fact that he's a bounty hunter.
As I work, I catch glimpses of Dog's past - flashes of other bounties, moments of triumph and defeat, even fragments of whatever life he led before becoming this cyborg hybrid. Despite myself, I feel a pang of sympathy for him.
"We'll have to find him a good home, Sola." I added.
Sola stared blankly at me as if jealous of how nice I am being to the Dog. "Yeah, sure Vex, I'll take care of it." She gave me an evil smile, but regardless of that, I trust her.
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