Capítulo 33: Kane Arc Part 3: Lost and Confused
I don't own star wars.
Korriban: the birthplace of the sith ideology. A gigantic red ball of death, blood and murder… It's a good place to go and die if you felt like it. And fuck I felt like it.
The soldiers dragged me off the ship, making demands, yelling, and all kinds of shit that I just didn't care about anymore. My bitch of a mother walked ahead of us with a dozen members of the honor guard and her Cipher 3. Dozens of sith apprentices of many races dashed to and fro around us, off to the side I could see a sith strike down someone that could only be a slave. As they begged for mercy they released a torrent of lightning into his chest.
It looked like fun… and I suppose it said something about my state of mind that should've concerned me. But again. I didn't fucking care…
The parade came to a stop in front of a man who looked more like a machine. Bald, broad, and bulky he had a pair of green canisters strapped to his back attached to a pair of tubes that wrapped up into his mask, his bloodshot black eyes crinkled almost grandfatherly as he viewed my bitch of a mother. He was wearing the robes of a Sith lord, so he was obviously a Darth.
"Moff Altora…" he spoke clearly and with a strangely kind tone, such a voice didn't match his bulky muscular frame, "It is such a pleasure to see you again." disturbingly he actually sounded like he meant it. The troopers escorting my bitch of a mother saluted the man immediately, although my bitch of a mother remained unchanged.
"Darth Toxitus…" she bowed her head politely, just ever so slightly to show public respect, but clearly implying that she owed him none, "I take it you are well?"
He made an ominous breathing sound as the tubes attached to his mask quivered, "Enough…" he replied simply, his eyes still maintaining that grandfatherly look. He began approaching me, the soldier's parted quickly as his robe flowed across the smooth ground.
"And this must be your 'volunteer'…" he said, chuckling slightly as he viewed me, "Good morning Mr. Kane." he said disturbingly friendly My bitch of a mother cleared her throat and he chuckled, "Mr. Aiden then…" he corrected, "I take it you are well rested?"
I didn't feel like answering or a witty retort. I didn't meet his eyes, just stared dead at his feet.
"…He does not seem to be very… rambunctious…" Toxitus replied calmly, letting the sounds of his machine pump into his mask.
"I am afraid I may have broken him before we arrived." My bitch of a mother replied the corners of her mouth twitching slightly.
"That was supposed to be my job." He chuckled darkly,
"Mothers have privilege…" she replied, just as darkly.
"Take him to the preparation chamber. I will be along shortly." He commanded the troopers detaining me.
"Goodbye Aiden…" my bitch of a mother said, watching me get dragged away. "You will not be missed…"
Considering this was probably the last time I was going to see her, left to die from a darth like a proper trooper. I decided to make it more prominent, "Go fuck another Zeltron mom…" I replied and for the first time in a while I enjoyed watching her get visibly pissed. I even managed to flip her off as I disappeared into the massive sith complex…
I was lazily tossed into a surprisingly comfortable room. With a cot, a small table, and a private toilet, but I just continued to lie on the floor where they left me. Soon the door opened and I found myself bodily lifted from the ground with the force and carefully set on the cot. "Oh be a little more excited!" came the voice of Toxitus, entering the room and standing in front of me. "You get to help me select an apprentice."
"Can't you just torture me to death?" I replied flatly, not giving him the satisfaction.
He chuckled darkly again, "But… Mr. Kane. I am." He said softly, "In 24 hours I will take you to a training ground called the Labyrinth of Jare-Wie. It used to be in the center of a vast city before the elements took it. But the Labyrinth survived. You will be released into the Labyrinth and promptly hunted down and killed by one of my applicants. Winner gets to be my apprentice."
I glared quietly at him, "…Are you sure you can't just torture me to death?"
"You really should be more… eager about this Mr. Kane." He replied, "…But if you insist perhaps another target could be obtained by your mother. Perhaps a Cathar." He said absently, and I uncomfortably flinched, "Twi'leks are always fun as well. They are quite the screamers…" my hands tightened on the bed, "Or a togruta… perhaps I will allow the men to have a little entertainment before we throw them away…"
"Fine." I replied suddenly, knowing that he was pushing the right annoying buttons. "I get it."
His eyes smiled at me again, "Good Mr. Kane. You will be fed, and rested." He snapped his fingers as a slave entered with a small part of food and a black shirt and pants. "Good day. Be well. You'll most likely die in the morning."
He then left me with my food, my new clothes, and my thoughts… I didn't want any of them.
So I slept and slept and slept some more until finally, I changed into my death shrouds and simply started pacing. I had lost all sense of time while my mind tried to find a way out of this, but I wasn't trying too hard. How would I be able to escape two potential sith apprentices? No guns, no tools, no idea of the terrain… I was fucked.
But strangely, I wasn't as depressed anymore… a certain amount of thrill was suddenly coursing through my veins in anticipation. I was going to die sure, but what a way to go… a life or death game being chased down by two killing machines. I laughed cruelly to myself… how many people could say they went out like that?
You know you've hit rock bottom when you think dying horribly is the highlight of your day.
Finally… the moment came and my cell door opened. Toxitus stood there and gestured me out. "So…" I began casually walking behind him escorted by two guards, "How am I entering the labyrinth?"
"Air drop of course…" he replied, right in the center. My students will be placed at different entrances and try to find you."
"And what's stopping me from escaping the labyrinth?" I asked as we began walking towards the hangers.
"Nothing in the least." He replied cheerfully. Okay, so there must have been a catch.
"Okay, what's the catch?" I sighed.
"The labyrinth is located literally miles from anywhere. My students will have an extraction device of course. But they are not allowed to leave without a severed head. Even if you manage to evade them and escape the labyrinth that has claimed many, many apprentices. The elements will kill you, along with the lack of supplies…" he turned giving me his smiling eyes again, "So please… do your best."
We approached a small transport ship with a pair of robed people dressed similarly to Toxitus, apparently the apprentices.
On was a tall bulky red male Twi'lek, with grey eyes, his face heavily scarred by burns and faint slashes across his face and lekku, a pair of training sabers were strapped to his hips as he watched me approach, he scowled disgustedly at me.
The other was a much better-looking curvy Sith Pureblood, with crimson-colored skin and blood-red eyes. Her face, although very pretty, was horrifically scared with a wide Glasglow grin at her pouty red lips, and a crude surgical scar slashed across her throat. Her tar black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her eyebrows were a pair of thick bone protrusions. The only other thing to note other than her single rapier-like training saber was a single silver-colored bracer on her right arm.
She looked at me with a certain amount of interest, and as our eyes met she smiled at me. It was not comforting in the least.
"Now, everyone on the ship." Toxitus replied cheerfully and waited as the apprentices glared at each other then he sighed before walking in first with me just behind him.
"You do not look like much." The twi'lek replied with a gravelly voice, "Perhaps master, we would be better off hunting a far bigger prey."
"Now now Col'san…" Toxitus smiled with his eyes at us as the shuttle took off, "Mr. Kane is an exceptional bounty hunter from what I heard. He is more than enough for the two of you." The sith pureblood tapped her bracer thoughtfully, "Yes really…" Toxitus said suddenly. And the pureblood snorted as I looked at her.
Toxitus eyed me for a moment, "I am afraid she cannot speak…" he provided conversationally, "Kaath-Tyi never could keep her opinions to herself." Kaath-Tyi rolled her eyes and looked at me, smiling horrifically. She would've been a very pretty woman despite the scars, but considering she was about to try and kill me. My opinion on her looks was rather mute… shit that was inconsiderate.
"She still can't." Col'san snarled, she tapped her bracer in an odd pattern and he stood up roaring at her, "You will not be so rude when the trial begins!"
"What did she say to him?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.
"Something quite crass, sit down Col'san." As he did Kaath-Tyi, held up her middle finger and waggled it rather dexterously and I figured it out, as she winked at me and lowered her hand back down. They spent the remainder of our flight in a sort of meditative state and soon Toxitus stood up, "We are here" the back of the shuttle opened and he grabbed my arm, dragging me to the edge.
"What's to stop me from just parachuting out of the…" I looked out to see the massive labyrinth stretching for miles in all directions before me. Far off over the horizon. "Well, shit…"
"That…" he said as I realized the sheer size of the thing while grinning with his eyes again, he apparently did that a lot. "And also this…" he tossed the parachute out the back, and force threw me after it.
Can't say it wasn't a clever idea. Diving after the parachute I just managed to slip it on and pull the cord moments before I was completely screwed over instead of just mostly screwed. I floated down into an open circular field in the labyrinth, I landed hard as the shuttle above me flew away.
"Ow, what the fuck!?" I snarled, landing on my side and feeling something… pointy on my leg, around near my ankle. Reaching down I felt something tiny sewn into my pant leg. No fucking way. Tearing at it with my teeth, spitting out residue sand as a minuscule holocom dropped into the sand… the fuck?
I picked it up and examined it, it was barely bigger than an old-fashioned coin, I activated it and saw a familiar tiny figure. It was Zero.
"Hello Aiden, I'll be brief. This is a recording, and a transmitter that'll activate at the end of it." He said quickly, "Hold onto it." he finished, and the holo shut off, before the small red button began to flash after long and silent intervals.
…No fucking way… How the fuck did he?- Questions for later. Suddenly my opportunities opened. Looking around at my surroundings I saw half a dozen skeletons littering the ground; long-dead and stripped bare.
I looked around; the ship went east, so not that way. I turned towards the other several paths, and reaching down and grabbing a femur I tossed it in the air with a flick of my wrist. It pointed northeast and southwest, so southwest I went. At first walking, but when the ship passed by overhead again I picked up speed. I don't know where they were left off but I needed to start moving.
The place was horrible, playing tricks on me and my eyes. Sometimes the twists and turns were straightforward; the path leading down either more paths or a deep unrelenting crevasse. And other times my choices were harder and cruel, finding myself back where I began or on the other side of an obstacle. I wish I could say I made progress but I certainly didn't fucking know…
Finally, I entered yet another large open area, this time with a long skeleton body with an old, rusted protruding sword stuck in its back. Well, a weapon was a weapon at this point even if I wouldn't be able to handle the close combat every little bit helps…
It would if I didn't suddenly feel this overwhelming sense of dread as my hand was inches away from the handle. I stopped and suddenly felt like I was being watched, looking left and right there were suddenly traces in the sand that was not there before. I stepped away from the sword, suddenly feeling like a grave robber… I headed further north, looking up at sun, and figuring it was at least midday. I took a few more steps then almost shit myself.
Col'san turned the corner up ahead, and I immediately turned and ran, charging headlong into the clearing as he took leaps and bounds towards me I reached out and grabbed the sword yanking it from the skeleton just as Col'san roared a battle cry. So it turns out I was right about that ominous feeling; a pair of large lizard-like creatures shimmered into focus and charged opened-mouthed and razor-sharp teeth at Col'san as he was the closest. Listening to his scream of rage I quickly moved without thinking, making split random decisions as I desperately moved through the paths…
And shit suddenly took a turn for the worst…
At a fork in the path stood Kaath-Tyi, leaning casually against the wall and watching me intently with her rapier-like sword drawn and tapping softly into the sand.
"Fuck me…" I mumbled, holding the sword in front of me. At least it looked sharp even if I wasn't so confident in its durability. She smiled at me again; the cheek scars on her face just continued to make it look horrific. And with amazing control and ability, she carved a sentence in the sand at her feet and casually gestured to it.
I stared at it for a moment, and frowned at the galactic basic words…
"Run little rabbit…" I said out loud, and she gestured to the right path, before sweeping the words away with her foot and walking up the left. So this was obviously a trap. But as I turned to follow her up the left path her rapier was under my chin and she prodded me gently down the other way. Holding up her index finger and wagging it, clicking her tongue 'Tsk-tsk-tsk'.
"Get back here slave!" came Col'san's roar in the air.
"Gods damn it…" I snarled backing away from her blade and running down the right path as she waved me away. So I ran again, ignoring the stitch in my side as I did, finally, my body just couldn't take the strain. Leaning heavily on the wall I groaned as I heard Col'san again, taking a deep breath and charging ahead once more.
"And… fuck me…" I hissed, you know I'd never thought I'd miss Yura and Milky and that lame fucking joke. But I did. Staring into the vast open area I realized that it was a dead end… appropriate…
I sighed, gripping the sword tightly as I stared around at the walls. "Well, shit…" I mumbled quietly and turned to face the inevitable. Stupid fucking hope…
I saw Col'san charging towards me, his robes were torn revealing a heavily scarred torso, covered in blood, probably his, and the invisible lizards I used to briefly distract him. "Good…" he said coolly, drawing his other sword and slowly approaching me, "Face me like a warrior…"
"I'd rather run like a thief…" I replied, feeling just a little more bravado than I should, "They survive the stories…"
"Be silent and face me!" he roared at me, quickly approaching.
"I am facing you." I replied and after seeing a flash of movement behind him I added, "But maybe I'm not the one you should be facing…"
"What madness are you-" he suddenly grunted as a long rapier blade pierced through his chest. He stared at the bloody weapon for a moment as his swords clattered to the ground. Kaath-Tyi pushed his body off her blade and into the sand. She watched him carefully for a moment before deciding he was good and dead and promptly wiped the blood gracefully off her saber on his corpse.
"…Would you believe me if I told you I saw that coming?" I asked as she sashayed seductively toward me, she stopped walking and stared at me confused. "Oh uh…" I stared at her bracer and grinned feebly, "One tap for yes, two for no."
Her shoulders shook as she laughed silently to herself. Then she promptly slapped her bracer with the flat of her saber once. "I thought so…" I grumbled, slowly circling her. "…I don't suppose you'd… let me go?"
She smiled and tapped her bracer twice.
"Double yes then, I'm okay with that…" I said, trying to make my way to the path only for her to move in front of me holding her saber out. "Yeah, I didn't buy that either." I stepped away from her, holding up my sword, "…Then I don't suppose you'd let me run and have a head start?"
Tap tap went the bracer.
"Look this really won't be fun for you." I mumbled, letting my sword tap lightly against her rapier. "I'm not exactly a swordsman…"
But she just smiled that dangerously creepy smile..
Suddenly she slashed my sword with her own knocking mine aside I stepped away and she thrust, using the momentum of the first strike I spun with the sword and swung wildly at her. She backed away smiling and brandished her rapier again. We stood there watching each other, she was apparently waiting for the next move. But hell I knew better, even if I wasn't a trained sith or jedi. Never make the first strike when facing one, they could counter an amateur like me so easily it wasn't even funny. So her waiting for me to attack was perfectly fine with me.
Uh oh… looks like she was getting impatient.
Her light smile contorted in anger and she approached me, swinging her rapier in obvious movements for me to easily block and parry them, albeit clumsily. Then she fainted with an overhead swing, I held up my sword to block it but she lightly tapped against the blade and thrust at my face. My life flashed before my eyes but at the last moment, she moved the rapier ever so slightly and slashed a small scratch across my left cheek. We scrambled away from each other, she was smiling again.
I lightly wiped at the scratch with my fingers before wiping the blood on my shirt. "…Someone likes to play with her food…" I said scowling; she was screwing with me, toying with me. She was going to make a great fucking sith.
Unnervingly (and a little hot) she licked her lips at my comment, apparently fond of the idea of eating me. I never met a sith pureblood before, so I don't know exactly how literal that went. But again I held my sword forward, ready for her next attack. She continued to toy with me, she was apparently already a master with her sword, slashing and thrusting at me deftly, slicing open my clothing and leaving very faint scratches on me that hardly even bled.
It took everything I had to make sure her attacks weren't fatal, so much so that it was exhausting. I had no qualms about the fact that she was going to kill me. This was like an armless man challenging a wookie to an arm wrestling contest, everyone already knew the winner.
Eventually, and I don't know how she managed it but my shirt fell apart and left me exposed. The Korriban sun burned cruelly on my skin as she stared appreciatively at me. I guess I should take that as a compliment, but then my mind suddenly drifted back to my heritage… I wonder how much of that appreciation was genuine. Even if she was about to kill me, it still bothered me.
"I'm beginning to see a pattern here…" I grumbled quietly as she smiled broadly again. Then slipping a thumb into my pant's waistband I asked with a rather lingering sense of déjà vu, "The pants too?" I asked realizing the situation, it was rather funny.
Her shoulders shook slightly as she 'laughed' again naturally no sound came out. But she raised her rapier at me once more and licked her lips. "Alright then…" I mumbled quietly and was about to come at her, maybe catching her by surprise when something dropped into the sand in front of me with an audible thud. I looked down…
It was my grapnel… but I had left it on the ship when I was on tattooine.
"Holy shit…" I breathed in disbelief as my brain made the connection and Kaath-Tyi stared at it for a moment before looking up, her eyes widened and she suddenly leaped away with a force jump as Milky, standing on the open ramp of the Scarlet Rebel held a repeating blaster and released a rain of blaster fire down on Kaath-Tyi desperately trying to avoid the oncoming fire just as someone else on the ship turret started firing.
I grabbed the grapnel and strapped it to my wrist, aiming up at the ramp, I only had one shot. And I took it. it slammed into the very edge of the ramp, Kaath-Tyi glared angrily at me and suddenly tried to come at me ignoring the blaster fire. I smiled, saluted, and up I went as the Scarlet Rebel suddenly moved away taking me with it.
I latched onto the bottom of the ramp, Milky tossed the blaster off the ship and grabbed my hand easily pulling me up and holding me close, "I got him!" she shouted loudly as Yura slapped the button to close the ramp. She carried me up into the ship and let me go, stepping away to look at me as let my sword drop to the floor.
I never expected to be back on the Scarlet Rebel. But as I entered my ship, only to be suddenly embraced again by Milky and soon after, by Yura, they pressed their foreheads against mine silently, of course telling me they loved me. For a brief glorious moment, everything was much better. Then my mind, no longer running on adrenaline and survival instinct, just wouldn't let everything go back to normal.
They are living a lie…
I tried to ignore the thought that broke into my mind in my bitch of a mother's voice, and just move on as I wrapped my arms tightly around Milky and Yura… but it wouldn't go away.
They don't love you. It's all you, forcing your feelings onto them.
"Thank the force you're alright." Milky said, sniffing slightly as she breathed in my scent and held back tears.
"…I'm not…" I said suddenly, and my body now gently holding them at arm's length. "…I'm really not." I said, my face contorting in anger and frustration as my bitch of a mother's words came back in full, echoing constantly in my mind as they looked at me concerned.
"Aiden…" Milky said trying to embrace me again but I quickly moved away, she stared at me surprised as I quickly moved across the hold. "Aiden what is-"
"I-… I need to go to Coruscant." I said suddenly, edging towards the door as the three of them looked at me with a mixture of hurt and shock. "…I need to talk to Scarlet."
"Okay." Yura said placating, realizing how increasingly frustrated I was becoming, "Okay we'll go right now." She watched me, an odd look on her face, "Aiden… did they do anything to you? Maybe we can go to your room and."
"No!" I said fiercely, and they jumped at my anger, "No. I need to talk to Scarlet first." I ground my teeth together; angry and annoyed at everything but them. I didn't want to take it out on them but I needed to stay focused.
"Aiden…" Milky said softly, looking hurt as she tried to approach me. But I held her back, it hurt me to do it… but I was already hurting them too… they just didn't know it yet. Newt frowned at me, and pulled out her com, placing a call to force knows who, and I took that moment to head to my room. Shutting it behind me and turning on the override. Slamming my back against the door and sliding down to the floor… I sat there the whole way.
I didn't talk to them once we landed, they tried to engage in a conversation with me, and cajole me into coming out of my room before that but my heart wasn't into it. The second my ramp was open I was off the ship and heading towards the residential district where Scarlet lived according to Yura. Newt apparently was still on the com, a grim and angry look on her face as the owner on the other end spoke.
I was in a haze as I speed walked to Scarlet's apartment I didn't know what I would do if she wasn't there. I wasn't sure what I would do if she was… but I needed to talk to her first. It all started with her, it was only right and… If anyone would give me an honest answer it would be her.
I stood in front of her apartment, and slowly I knocked on the door. There was no reply, I just stood there staring at it. I knocked again, harder this time and more desperate. I suppose I could call her on our com, but I wasn't thinking that clearly. I was about to knock one more time when it slid open.
Apparently, she had the same casual taste in clothes as Milky, short-shorts and a t-shirt but where they hung looser on Milky's body on the ship they hugged tightly to hers. Scarlet smiled at me, legitimately happy to see me… for now at least.
"Aiden. Hey…" she said simply, absently caressing her lekku as she watched me. fidgeting slightly in place as I looked at her.
"…Hey…" I said, I was happy to see her too, but… I forced that feeling down and barged into her apartment. "We… We need to talk…"
…It went better than I expected… she didn't interrupt or ask questions. She sat across from me at her table and patiently listened to my recent reveal. Finally, when I finished, my head in my hands and waiting for her to yell, or scream, or declare her hatred for me. She took a deep steadying breath and stood up from the table.
"Aiden. I need you to stay right here okay… I need to get somebody." She then threw on a coat and began walking to the door, "Seriously Aiden…" she said looking at me very calmly, her face not giving anything away, "Don't move, I'll be right back."
Well, that could mean anything. I had thought as the door shut behind her and left me wallowing in my own thoughts again. My com rang suddenly, but I didn't answer, I wasn't ready for them yet. For half a moment after she left I thought she had gone to get Republic forces and arrest me for rape… but I promptly decided that that would've been fine. So once I accepted that, I was reasonably surprised when she returned with a new Nautolan girl, one I hadn't met before.
"Aiden…" Scarlet began, "This is Pali. She's my therapist…"
Pali sat calmly across from me, "I'm actually her friend… and I'm a therapist. But I also keep telling her to talk to someone else but…" she smiled comfortingly at me, "Never mind. So… I'm here to help you Aiden."
"From what?" I asked, looking between them suddenly suspiciously, "The truth? That I'm part Zeltron? about how I practically raped all the women I cared about, and you're talking to me like I'm crazy."
She waved her hands slowly, trying to calm me down, "No Aiden, I believe you. I understand and can attest to the fact that you're giving off pheromones…" her head tails twitched slightly, "These here? Nautolans can detect pheromones, like yours… and you are definitely giving them off."
I watched her steadily for a moment, "Fine. That doesn't change the fact that I…" she held up a hand for my silence, and spoke very calmingly.
"Aiden. You can't just control people with those powers, pure blood Zeltrons can't do it so I'm sure with the diminished abilities you certainly cannot. You are giving off pheromones yes but those feelings you think you're putting into your uh… girlfriends? It's up to them to act on it. You specifically can't force someone to obey you with those abilities…" she coughed slightly into her hand and added, "Although you can make them very aroused…" she eyed Scarlet who blushed at her look, "…In fact, the only real 'problem' you might have is that you might not be as good in bed as you think."
"Are you fucking serious right now?" I scowled at her but she waved her hands at me to calm down.
"Extremely." She said simply, "I'm no expert but it's still not mind-control, like you think. You haven't forced anyone into anything. Look at it this way…" she gestured to Scarlet, "You met her once. And you had a very intimate moment. After the fact she still felt those intense feelings for you, with that distance and time those 'false feelings' you think you planted in her head would've gone away long, long before you met once again."
"The first thing we did once we met again was have sex on my bed." I said coldly and Scarlet hissed through her teeth, "How do I know I didn't just convince her that she wanted that."
"Aiden I did want that, but I wanted it before I even met you again…" Scarlet replied but Pali placed her hand on her arm to quiet her down.
"Which brings me to a smaller solution…" she then pulled out a strange pair of earpieces, "These are empathy suppressors. And by that I mean we put them on Zeltron prisoners to block their abilities." She slid them towards me, "Just put them on… and no more subtle powers."
The fiddled with them in my fingers, "…So with these on I won't be… projecting? I guess I'll say?"
Pali nodded, "Yes. It's not a very medical solution but it would probably be preferable right?"
"How do they work?" I asked instantly.
"Just slip them on over your ears and flick the small switch on the back. One size fits all." As I did they snuggle tightly around my ears, "better than nothing I guess. How do I know if they're working?"
"We don't. Not really…" she eyed Scarlet with a rather playful smile, "What do you think Scarlet still feel like jumping his bones?"
Scarlet hissed at her, fidgeting in place again, but eyeing my concerned face she added, "I don't feel any different Aiden…" she said firmly, "...I feel the exact same way I felt about you before you came here…"
I ran my hands nervously through my hair, "…I guess then all that we do now is wait."
"Actually…" Pali said, getting to her feet, "What you need to do is go back to your ship and just… talk." She smiled kindly at me, "Your whole world has been fractured. You need to be around people who love you."
"But what if they don't?" I asked quietly, feeling Scarlet's hand comfortingly on my shoulder.
"I sincerely doubt that's the case." She said firmly, "…But I suppose you could always come back here and screw Scarlet's brains out until you felt better."
"Pali!" Scarlet replied scathingly.
"What? You went into excruciating detail about him!" she replied without regret, "At least he's cute."
I chuckled, and thank her, and then she was gone. Scarlet rubbed my shoulder affectionately, "I'll go back with you. Give me a moment to change." And we went back together.
I thought they'd be pissed and angry. Confused, hurt, or just… everything I could think of. But as I climbed the ramp to my ship with Scarlet behind me I stared in horrified surprise to find not only everyone waiting for me, but with the recent addition of Zero.
Before anything was said Milky wrapped her arms around me again, but this time I let her hug me and even hugged her back, "…Your Mother needs to die." She said firmly, squeezing me tightly against her body she had said it so casually and with such finality that it sounded like the force honest truth.
"What are you…" but the conviction on Yura's and Newt's faces told me they agreed with Milky's statement.
"I told them everything…" Zero said flatly with a stern expression, but he smiled suddenly and approached me. He shoved a cigar into my mouth, "And congratulate me! I'm having a son!" then he eyed Scarlet pleasantly and handed her one as well, "And one for your other lovely guest…"
"Who are…" she began to say but he silenced her lips with the cigar.
"Shush…" he said simply, turning it in his fingers and shoving it in her mouth, turning away. "Aiden," he began. "Your mother is a colossal bitch. She has always been one."
"No argument there…" I replied, squeezing Milky just a little tighter before gently pushing her away. "I mean, have you ever met her? She's practically a Darth."
"I have met her." he said firmly, his ruby eyes cold, "I worked for her. I was her Cipher twenty years ago…"
I stared at him a little surprised, then the words came out before I could stop them. "…You killed my real dad."
He shook his head slowly, "I never liked your mother… and regardless of how she seemingly knows everything she's so full of shit she could rent herself out as a manure factory. She ordered me to take care of Tohmas and I did. He's still a bartender on some outer rim world. She's the one who assumed I killed him." He shrugged, "I can give you his address if you like. I keep tabs on all my potential blackmail material…"
I shook my head, "No. I don't know the guy… my dad died years ago." Zero smiled faintly and nodded, "Why are you here Zero?"
"Newt called me and demanded a few things." He replied, eyeing his daughter, "And I gave her what she wanted… an explanation… I imagine the shock of this big reveal will wear itself out. Personally Aiden?" he watched me for a moment, "It's not as bad as you fear… your mother really was trying to screw with your mind."
"How did you even hear that?" I asked, "She short out all the cameras…"
"Oh those devices come with a recording transmitter that turns on once they are activated." He smiled dismissively, "I hear everything Aiden…" then added a little sheepish, "and you know, I knew the whole secret in advance." he added affably.
"Who are you?" Scarlet asked skeptically only to be shushed violently by everyone but Zero, and she promptly fidgeted nervously in place.
"Anyway… I'm here to do something else, unfortunately." He turned to Newt, "Gather your things. You are to report to the Deterrent under Kavilla and Tolara immediately." She looked very disappointed, but she nodded understandingly and turned to gather what little she had on our ship. "…I could only keep Newt out of the reports for so long." Zero said sadly, "I was quite content in letting her stay here as long as she wanted but the fact of the matter is she needs to return to active duty with your sisters Aiden." I opened my mouth to object but he shoved yet another cigar into my mouth. I didn't even smoke.
"It's better for everyone this way. Cipher-10 keeps out of Altora's sight and she can make sure you keep out of hers until a more… satisfying solution is found."
"Are you anti-imperial?" Scarlet said suddenly, Zero rolled his eyes.
"I am anti-Altora…" he said coldly, "Which is why Miss Sontani…" Scarlet suddenly went incredibly rigid in shock, "You will stay silent about my presence…"
"How do you-!?" she began suddenly but he silenced her with a glare.
"I know everything…" he said cryptically turning his attention back to me.
"He really does…" I mumbled, remembering the tracker he had in my clothes on Korriban.
"I know you want to make your mother suffer Aiden. But for now? Keep your head down… Toxitus won't admit to her right away that you're still alive and you can use that. Everything she knows about you she learns from me and Cipher-10." I opened my mouth to speak but he silenced me again, "Shush." He said firmly, "I need to do my job sometimes. It's not all screwing secretaries you know…" he then eyed Scarlet, "And you Scarlet Trooper? Forget my face… I was never here. If you can do that I won't plaster your picture on every holo-net screen I can find. Are we in agreement?"
Scarlet cursed quietly under her breath, but she nodded just as Newt returned to the hold with a bag full of her effects. "Ready." She said sadly and quickly approached me. She kissed me and smiled as she pulled away, "I'll see you later alright? I'm sure your sisters can make arrangements."
"Not too many." Zero added with an amused smile. "I'll only do so much for you my dear."
They walked down the ramp of my ship together and we watched them go, "And we are going to talk about how you knocked up a secretary?!" she suddenly hissed angrily.
"Oh come on my dear, she's more than that. She's practically your stepmother."
"We went to the academy together!" she replied angrily as I shook my head, "What are you even going to name the baby?!"
"Rella wants to give him a more common name. I was thinking Cadmus."
I chuckled at that, once I could no longer hear them. My middle name was Cadmus. Suddenly Milky tightened her arms around me again. And I felt Yura suddenly tackle me as well. "It's going to be okay…" she told me, pressing her forehead against mine.
I smiled faintly, "… Thanks Yura."
"Who the fuck was that!?" Scarlet snarled angrily, shutting the ramp and staring at us. "How the hell did he know my last name?!"
"That was Watcher Zero." I replied, looking at her calmly, honestly, I didn't even care for the pretense of secrecy anymore. "He's Newt's father…" I blinked absently at her, then I remembered, "Your last name is Sontoni?"
"That's- I… Shush!" she shouted, suddenly blushing, "A-anyway what are you going to do now?"
"Hang out here for a while…" I replied, wrapping my arms around Milky and Yura. I looked at her for a moment, studying her face so much she blushed even harder. "…Want to get a cup of coffee or something? Catch a movie?"
Her mouth opened slightly and then closed as if confused. "…Like a date?"
Yura blinked at Scarlet then smiled, "Is it your birthday?"
"Not for a couple of months…" she replied quickly. "Wait why?"
"Then no. More like hanging out…" Yura smiled pinching my cheeks, "I'll go pay for a few days of parking then. Don't run off…" she said coolly, pointing angrily at me as she headed towards the cockpit.
"I'll go make dinner…" Milky said softly, taking one last heavy sniff of my scent and giving me a kiss, "You staying Scarlet?" she asked heading towards the kitchen.
"Sure." Scarlet replied, following her and rolling up her sleeves. "I'll give you a hand…"
I stood in the hold quietly for a moment, gently touching my new suppressors… now all we could do was wait. I jumped as a vent slammed down next to me and a floating disk hovered next to me with Bedlem's head attached.
"Welcome back Captain Aiden." It spoke in a distinctly feminine voice, which was briefly creepy. "My master-" it then spoke in a distinctly Jawa language, and continued, "-Offers his sincerest welcomes as well…"
I stared at the floating abomination for a moment, then decided to put my mind on other things. "SHORT-ROUND! This thing's weird!"
"I'd thought you'd like the lady voice boss!" Short-round replied from somewhere on the ship.
"It's just creepy, now fix it!"
Bonus Scene
The head of Col'san was tossed onto my desk, his bulging eyes and tongue grotesquely stuck forever in horror… he was also missing most of his lekku but again not nearly the point. My breathing apparatus pumped my intake of drugs and oxygen as my bloodshot eyes centered on Kaath-Tyi, her Glasglow smile not the only one on her still lovely features. Holding her bracer arm forward and pulled a thin metal rod from a hidden holder upon it, and promptly began tapping.
'Is he good enough?' she asked me, rigorously tapping her language to me.
I sighed, rolling my eyes annoyed, "Well it is certainly not the head of Aiden Kane… but I suppose it is all that matters in the end." I began writing my reports again, "I had two apprentice candidates and now I have one."
'What about the hard soggy one?'
I blinked; I do not think I translated that right. "I am sorry my dear, would you mind repeating that, slower?
'What about Aiden Kane?' she repeated, slower. But that didn't sound quite right to me, I imagine she changed it but it was unimportant.
"What about him?" I replied, "So what if he did make it out of the labyrinth of Darth Jare-Wie, he needed a ship and a crew to escape your pursuit. His reliance on his 'friends' makes him weak."
'He did not seem that weak.' I looked at her quietly for a moment, before pulling a cylindrical device from my desk and placing it carefully across from her.
"Then if we see him again, he will live just long enough for you to put your lightsaber through his chest."
She took it reverently and activated it, letting the red glow light up her face, and her mouth split into a terrifying smile of pride.
End of Chapter
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