Chapter 38: Spill the tea

The dining room of the castle on Ares II feels cavernous, as though its ancient stone walls and high ceilings are pressing down on me. Sola and I walk in first, my hand resting lightly in hers. Zenna trails behind, her eyes darting around the room with a curiosity that pulls at my nerves.

"What's this about?" Zenna asks, her voice tinged with both impatience and intrigue.

I take a seat at the long, polished table, the cool surface grounding me. Sola sits beside me, and I can feel the tension radiating off her. She fidgets incessantly, tapping her fingers, shifting in her chair, and glancing at me for reassurance.

"Zenna, we... we have something important to tell you," I say, my voice catching slightly. My heart pounds in my chest, a rhythmic reminder of the stakes here.

"Oh, come on," Zenna laughs lightly, her tone playful. "It can't be that big of a deal. I already know you two are getting married."

I force a smile, but inside, I'm spiraling. 'Does she really think this is about wedding plans?' My palms are sweaty, and I wipe them discreetly on my pants. 'Mom's spaghetti.' I'm wondering if it's even worth telling her.

'Is there a world where I can hide this forever? Probably not. It's a miracle she or no one else has figured out who I am yet.'

"Zenna, this isn't about the wedding," I manage to say, locking eyes with her. Her playful demeanor shifts into something sharper, more focused. She's sensing the gravity now.

"Then what is it?" she asks, leaning forward, her curiosity morphing into concern.

I swallow hard, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten. The words are stuck in my throat, tangled up with fear and doubt. I glance at Sola. Her eyes meet mine, filled with silent encouragement. But even she looks like she might bolt at any second.

"Zenna, there's something I've been hiding... something big," I start, every word an effort. I hesitate for a moment, my thoughts racing. Will she hate me?

"Well, spit it out," Zenna says, impatience creeping back into her voice.

"Zenna, I am Darth Relic."

Her reaction is immediate, a mix of disbelief and irritation flashing across her face. She leans back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's not funny, Vex," she snaps. "Don't joke about my beloved like that."

I feel Sola tense beside me, her fingers clenching into fists under the table. The air grows thicker, almost suffocating. Zenna's eyes drill into mine, searching for any sign that I'm messing with her. But this isn't a joke.

"Zenna, I'm serious," I insist, my voice firm. I reach down and unzip the sleek black backpack sitting by my feet. It was a gift from Sola, something she thought would help me blend in while carrying around my second skin.

"Vex, if this is some kind of twisted prank—" Zenna starts, but her words die in her throat as I pull out the lightsaber. Its hilt gleams ominously under the dim lighting of the dining room. This isn't just any lightsaber. It's the one I took from the Jedi at the power plant, the one that sealed my fate as Darth Relic.

'It's also super comfy in my hand.'

Zenna's eyes widen, her mouth falling open slightly. The color drains from her face as recognition sets in. Silence stretches between us, heavy and unyielding. She doesn't speak, doesn't move. She just stares at the weapon in my hand, waiting for the next piece of this nightmarish puzzle to fall into place.

"Do you believe me now?" I ask, my voice low yet echoing in the stillness of the room. As I set the saber down in front of her, I could see the storm brewing behind her eyes, emotions colliding and crashing like waves against the shore.

"Vex..." she finally whispers, her tone laced with a mix of anger and confusion. Her gaze flickers to Sola, then back to me, as if hoping this is all some elaborate deception.

I dig through the backpack once again to find the more damning piece of evidence. "If the saber isn't enough, this should be," I say, my voice barely steady. Zenna's eyes follow my every movement. Her gaze is intense as if she's trying to bore into my soul and extract the truth.

Finally, my hand wraps around the cold, metallic surface of my helmet. I pull it out and place it on the table with a soft thud. The helmet sits there, almost innocuous, yet carrying the weight of billions of lives.

Zenna's mouth falls open, her eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and rising anger. Her face starts to contort, emotions crashing over her like tidal waves. She looks at the helmet, then back at me, her lips trembling.

"Do you believe me now?" I ask. The question hangs in the air, heavy and suffocating.

For a moment, she just sits there, stunned, as if the helmet has sucked all the air out of the room. Her fists clench and unclench, her knuckles turning white.

"You're... you're Darth Relic?" she finally says, her voice dripping with anger. "You are Darth Relic." She stated it without question this time.

Her face flushes red, her eyes narrowed into slits. Anger radiates off her in waves, hitting me like a physical force. The betrayal in her eyes is palpable, cutting deeper than any lightsaber ever could. I brace myself as she stands, palms slamming down on the table with a force that makes the cutlery rattle.

"Why?" Zenna's voice is sharp, almost cutting through the thick silence of the castle's dining room. "Why did you wait so long to tell me?"

I can feel Sola beside me, tense and fidgeting, her anxiety radiating through the air like static electricity. I reach under the table and give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

'This actually isn't as bad as I thought.'

"Why did you hide this from me?" Zenna demands "Did you think it was funny? To make me look like an idiot?"

Despite the chaos swirling around us, I can't help but marvel at how composed she remains despite her boiling rage.

'I thought she would have been much worse. She hasn't even reached for her saber.'

"Zenna, it's not what you think—"

"Not what I think?" She cuts me off, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "What am I supposed to think, Vex? That my own brother has been lying to me all this time?"

My mind races, searching for the right words. The truth is tangled, complicated, and realistically she is just lashing out at the thought of losing her fated one.

"Answer me!" Zenna's voice rises, trembling with emotion. "Why did you not tell me that the one I've been searching for for over a year was simply in the next bedroom?" Zenna chastises me.

"Because I didn't want anyone to know how strong I am," I say, my throat tightening as I speak. I glanced at Sola, her anxiety, a fidgeting mirror of my own turmoil. "I didn't want to be used by people, manipulated for their gain. I also thought if people knew how strong I am, they would want me to stop being a shut-in all the time." I shuttered at the thought and then remembered since I'd been with Sola, my goon cave days were long behind me.

'I've lived too long and now I have become the villain.' I ponder at my original goal of hanging out in bed all day.

Zenna's gaze flickers, a mix of confusion and anger twisting her features as I monologue internally. "And now? You suddenly don't fear being used?" Her words were laced with mockery.

"Now I feel strong enough not to worry about that." My voice is steadier than I expected. "My main goal with Darth Relic is to protect our family. The only way I can ensure we're safe is to wipe out the other Sith and the Jedi. That is why I still hide my identity. I don't want people to target our family while I'm off lighting fires on both ends.

A heavy silence descends upon the room, the gravity of my words sinking in. Zenna's face contorts with a myriad of disbelief, anger, and something else, something deeper. She stares at me, searching for a trace of the brother she thought she knew.

"You believe that?" she finally whispers, her voice barely audible. "You really think that's the only way?"

"I do," I reply, my heart pounding in my chest. "It's the only way I can guarantee our family's safety." My words echo what my mother told me last year.

"Why don't you just become the Emperor?" she asks, her voice tinged with desperation and frustration. "Wouldn't that be simpler?"

"Are you out of your mind?" Sola's scream pierces the heavy silence, her voice sharp and filled with raw emotion. She springs to her feet, nearly knocking over her chair in the process. "You want him to marry the Empress? You think that's a solution?"

"That's not what I meant!" Zenna snaps back, her eyes flashing with indignation. "I said nothing about marrying her!"

"Then what do you mean?" Sola demands, her chest heaving with each breath. Her hazel eyes narrow, locking onto Zenna like a predator sizing up its prey. "Because it sure sounded like you were suggesting he should cozy up to her."

"Enough!" I interject, my voice slicing through the tension like a lightsaber through a lonely arm.

'Great, now I'm even thinking about cutting off limbs in my spare time.'

Both women turn their gazes towards me, their expressions a mix of shock and expectation.

"Zenna," I say, trying to keep my tone even, "it's not about individual strength. Yes, Darth Relic is powerful, but taking down the Empress isn't just about a single duel. It's about having the resources. A fleet—"

"Which you don't have," Zenna interrupts me, her tone now calm but layered with an undercurrent of realization. She nods slowly, her eyes clouding over as she processes this new information.

"Exactly," I confirm. "We need more than just one strong guy to overthrow an Empress."

"You're right," Zenna murmurs, more to herself than anyone else. "It's not just about power. It's about strategy, alliances... a whole lot more."

"Glad you finally see it," Sola mutters while sitting back down.

"Look," I say, taking a deep breath, "I know this isn't easy to understand or accept. But everything I'm doing, every decision I've made, is all to protect us and keep our family safe."

"Artus Prime?" Zenna speaks with sarcasm again. "You wiped out a whole planet on life day to protect our family?" She clearly did not believe me.

"Actually, yes," I admit. "Duke Kesyk was the one who sent assassins after us at my Bat Mitzvah. They were apparently trying to kill Dad. The Duke was trying to scoop up Mom. Some kind of sick love triangle." My words echoed in the room as both Sola and Zenna nodded in complete understanding of the Duke's actions.

'For Christ's sake.'

Zenna took a deep sigh which cut through the tense mood, her shoulders slumping as she momentarily set aside her newly formed grand visions of galactic conquest. Her eyes, usually so fierce and determined, now reveal a depth of sorrow that makes my heart clench.

"Zenna..." I start to apologize, but I can see it on her face. The heartbreak and the realization that the figure she was obsessed with was none other than her own brother.

She turns to me, deliberately ignoring Sola's existence. Her gaze locks onto mine, searching, pleading. "There's no way you'd be willing to be with your sister as a woman, is there?"

The question hits me like a blaster bolt to the chest. I feel my stomach churn, my hands clenched into fists under the table. How do I even begin to answer that? Even though I know she isn't my real sister, I will always consider her as such. More than that, though, I am committed to Sola's hard stop. My mind races, trying to find the right words, the right way to let her down gently. But all I manage is a slow, reluctant nod, my frown deepening with each passing second. "No, Zenna," I say softly, feeling the weight of her disappointment pressing down on me. "I cannot be with you in that way."

"Why?" she whispers, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" This time, she was not looking for an answer.

My heart pounds as Zenna stands up, her movements stiff. Her eyes were wet, on the brink of overflowing. The weight of her grief nearly crashed down on me as I watched her.

"Zenna," I stammer, but she cuts me off with a shaky hand raised for silence.

She forces a smile, a brittle thing that cracks at the edges. "Vex," she says, her voice strained yet determined. "I'm proud of you. Destroying Artus Prime... was no small feat. And to protect our family no less." Her words are sharp but laced with heartbreak. She still feels the need to praise me for a job well done even though I ripped her heart out through her chest. "I still love you, Vex. And more than that, I owe you a life debt from the time you saved me at the power plant."

"Zenna, we're not wookies, you don't have to....." I start, but she's already scurrying off to her bedroom.

"Goodnight, Vex," she murmurs, her voice barely audible.

And then she's gone. Like a wounded animal retreating to lick its wounds. I hear the door close from beyond the hall with a click. Silence overtakes the dining room as I look at Sola.

We both sigh simultaneously, the sound echoing in the heavy stillness of the dining room. I glance at her, finding her expression conflicted.

"I think that went well," I said with a smile.

Sola's eyes were slowly darting around in thought like a computer processing. "I think so too, actually. She didn't try to kill me, but she hid her emotions well from me. I couldn't even tell through the force that she was angry when she was point blank yelling at us."

"That doesn't sound great, but it could definitely be worse." I stated, mentally exhausted from all the drama.

*****

Zenna's POV

I storm into my room, slamming the door behind me with a resounding bang. My chest heaves with each labored breath as I stand in the center of my once-beloved sanctuary. But now, it feels like a prison, the walls closing in on me, suffocating me with the weight of my shattered dreams.

My wild eyes dart around the room, taking in the hundreds of sketches and drawings pinned to every available surface. Darth Relic's masked visage stares back at me from every angle, taunting me, mocking my naivety. With a primal scream, I lunge forward, tearing the drawings from the walls with a frenzied ferocity.

"How could he?" I shriek, my voice raw and hoarse. "How could my own brother betray me like this?" The drawings crumple in my fists as I rip them to shreds, the pieces fluttering to the floor like the tattered remains of my heart.

But it's not just Vex's betrayal that fuels my rage. It's Sola's. My supposed best friend, the one person I trusted above all outside of our family. "She knew how much I wanted him," I seethe, my eyes blazing with a manic intensity. "She knew and she stole him from me!"

The image of Sola and Vex together, their hands intertwined, their eyes locked in a loving gaze, sears itself into my mind. It's a twisted mockery of everything I ever wanted, everything I ever dreamed of. With a guttural cry, I sweep my arm across my desk, sending datapads and holoprojectors crashing to the floor in a cacophony of shattering glass and splintering metal.

"I'll make her pay," I hiss, my voice dripping with venom. "I'll make them both pay." My mind races with dark thoughts, each one more sinister than the last. Sola's smug face flashes before my eyes, taunting me, daring me to act.

"I'll kill her," I whisper, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my own heart. "I'll kill Sola and take back what's rightfully mine." The words feel foreign on my tongue, but what do Sith lords do? They take whatever they want. Otherwise, they deserve nothing.

I pace the room like a caged animal, my feet crunching on the shattered remnants of my obsession. My mind whirls with half-formed plans and dark fantasies, each one more elaborate than the last. I imagine Sola's lifeless husk at my feet, Vex's anguished cries echoing in my ears. It's a sick, twisted vision, but it's the only thing that brings me any semblance of comfort.

"Vex will be mine," I murmur, my voice taking on a manic edge. "He was always meant to be mine. And if he won't choose me willingly... I'll make him pay for his betrayal.

Then, another interesting thought popped into my mind. My smile wide. "If Sola were to die in a tragic way unrelated to me, it would present the perfect time to give Vex a shoulder to cry on. Our shared tears could become the foundation of our passion." My smile twists wider and wider as the seed of an idea starts to take root.

"I bet Vex would happily bury it in me if he felt the woe of losing a loved one." I laughed as my world suddenly felt brighter. "If anything, I should thank him for ending my search now. Sola could have ingrained herself into him even more if they'd waited longer."