Chapter 33: A Boy and His Astromech

The bitter scent of scorched beans mingled with the tang of artificial sweeteners as I stepped into Sith Sips, a stark contrast to the rich aroma that used to curl around me back at café Sithé on Korriban. I missed that place, the way the sun poked through the window and kissed the edges of Sola's hazel eyes. Her laughter there echoed off the cozy walls.

'Oh.. wait no I think it's just Sola i like? Perhaps the coffee place isn't important… Wait no It can be both actually, this place is not the vibe.'

"Should've brought some of that Korriban blend with us," I muttered, sliding into a booth that offered a strategic view of the entrance and exits.

Sola slid in opposite me, her eyes catching the dim lighting like twin stars going supernova, bright and impossible to ignore. "You and your coffees," she teased, her voice carrying that melodic lilt that could make discussing the weather sound like plotting an empire's fall.

'Obsessed.'

I glanced at the menu but found the words blurring into a muddy swirl of thoughts as I remembered why I brought Sola here. My mind was no longer here. It was light-years away, grappling with a revelation that had come at me like a rogue asteroid.

"Hey, Sola," I began the question clawing its way up my throat, demanding to be voiced. "How long have you known about my..." the words feel painful coming out. "My Jedi mother? And Xevas?"

My fingers drummed an impatient rhythm on the table, echoing the anxiety of my heart. There was a weight to the question, heavy with the years I'd spent not knowing, not even suspecting the existence of a Jedi lineage that flowed through my veins like some kind of twisted joke.

Sola just shrugged, her shoulders rising and falling unbothered. "I've known for a while," she admitted, her eyes never leaving mine, "since before your bat mitzvah when your father thought about it in passing, I picked it up."

Her honesty, devoid of any guilt, stung. Sure, Syko's secrets were hardly kept, but acting like someone else's stray thoughts worming their way into your head is normal is something I can't relate to at all.

"Caught his thoughts like a stray blaster, huh?" The sarcasm came out more bitter than I intended, a defense mechanism against the twist in my gut. "And you just decided to keep it to yourself?"

"Vex," she said, her voice taking on that calm, almost soothing cadence that always seemed to wrap around me like a warm cloak. "It wasn't my place to tell you. That kind of revelation... it's not something you drop on someone over a casual chat."

'She wore clown makeup for you, Vex, and she never asked you why you like the vibroblade so much. She just holds it where it needs to be. You literally cannot be mad at her.' My thoughts attack me.

"Right." I exhaled slowly, letting the frustration seep out along with the breath. Trust wasn't simple but she is supposed to be my partner.

"And also I didn't want you to know that Zenna wasn't your sister." Sola spoak with a frown. "Vex I am genuinely in love with you, and i know how you are….." She trails off. "You like very… strong commanding women. I didnt want to lose you to her…."

"Ohhhhhh." Her answer hit me like an 18-wheeler truck on the 11th floor of an apartment building.

'Seriously, how the fuck did it get up that high?'

"That makes sense, I guess.." I spoke.

'She was worried I'd fall for Zenna. No matter what, Zenna is my sister, so it's a no-go for me. But I can see why she thinks I would go for someone so….. strong. And on top of that, it really wasn't her secret to tell, I guess. A big piece of family drama.'

"That seems reasonable," I muttered, more to myself than to Sola, nodding as if to convince my own swirling thoughts. "Yeah, reasonable." I leaned in, my gaze searching hers for guidance in the dim light of flickering wall sconces. "So what do I do about them? My estranged Jedi relatives?"

Sola's expression shifted like the sands of Jakku in a storm, her frown carving deep into the atmosphere between us. "Vex," she began, her voice heavy with an uncharacteristic seriousness that contradicted her usual playful demeanor. "You're unique, capable of wielding both the dark and light sides of the Force on the level of a master."

'Did she read my thoughts too?'

I could feel the weight of her words, the acknowledgment of my power in her voice.

"It's your choice," she continued, her eyes locking onto mine with the intensity of a tractor beam. "No matter what path you tread, know this. You will never escape me."

Her statement should have sounded like a threat, a hunter's promise to its prey. But from Sola, it echoed like a vow, binding and absolute. She apparently knew my secrets, my strengths, and my weaknesses. And yet, here she was, not just standing by me but claiming me in all my conflicted glory.

"Escape you?" I echoed, the corners of my mouth twitching upwards involuntarily. I was met with the full force of her smile, as radiant and dangerous as a supernova. We laughed together, a rare moment of levity since we'd arrived in Sith Sips. It was clear as the twin suns of Tatooine, we were entwined, two souls navigating the galaxy's treacherous expanse.

"Come on," I said after a moment, my laughter fading into the hum of the cantina. "We've got business to attend to." Sola nodded, her eyes gleaming with unspoken understanding, and we stepped out into the brisk Ares II City air.

"An Astromech," I mused aloud, more to myself than to her. "Something reliable... something that won't shy away from a little... improvisation."

'And something cute like a pet. I want a robot pet.'

"Improvisation?" she repeated, a playful edge to her voice as we walked into the droid shop next door. The place was a hodgepodge of mechanical companions, some hovering, some rolling, some on all fours, all chirping and beeping their own electric symphonies.

"Here, what about this one?" Sola gestured towards a sleek model with articulated limbs that looked like it could scale a star destroyer without breaking a circuit.

I shook my head. "uhhhh, I don't know, not really my vibe.' "

'Not a good pet look.'

"Or this?" She moved on, pointing to a robust unit that seemed more tank than droid.

"Too bulky," I replied

'It looks mean. I want like a golden retriever robot.'

Just then, something caught my eye. A small, somewhat unassuming droid that stood aside from the rest. It had a canine appearance, with a glossy, metallic coat and a spherical TV screen like head. it was flashing emotive pixel patterns. It was absurd, endearing, and so outrageously incompatible with everything Sith that it immediately drew me in.

'It's so cute. It reminds me of my old dog from when I was young last time.' One of my few older memories strongly resonated in my heart.

"Look at this one," I called over to Sola, barely able to keep the intrigue from my voice. It wasn't like me to be taken by something so... whimsical. But there was an inexplicable charm about the robot dog that beckoned me closer.

"Really? That one?" Sola sounded genuinely surprised, her eyebrow raised in a way that both questioned my judgment and admired my unpredictability.

"Trust me," I said, a half-grin pulling at my lips. "This little guy has potential."

'He can be my little buddy.' I thought about how much I loved it when my old dog followed me around everywhere.

I crouched down, my fingertips grazing the cool, polished metal of the robot dog's flank. Its screen-head flickered with a digital pant that somehow felt just as enthusiastic as the real thing. "Hey there, little guy," I murmured, a grin spreading across my face despite the shadows that clung to my current life.

This mechanized pup, with its wagging antenna tail and emotive pixel eyes, hit me like a freighter in my heart.

'I need it.'

"Vex?" The disbelief in Sola's voice pulled me back from the brink of nostalgia. I glanced up to find her watching me, those piercing eyes wide with something akin to wonder. "You genuinely like it?"

"Like it? I'm enamored. I love dogs." I chuckled, standing back up. "It's... refreshing."

"Refreshing," she echoed, her tone dancing between amusement and affection, that imperial poise of hers faltering for a heartbeat. "To see you so taken with something so un-Sith-like, it's..." Sola trailed off, her lips curving into a smile that cradled love and something else, acceptance, maybe.

"Unexpected?" I offered, knowing full well my obsessions rarely strayed from our dark arts, her enthralling presence, my scattered family ties, and asking Sola to let me hit it clussy style.

'I really don't deserve her.'

"Quite." She stepped closer, her hand finding mine, interlocking our fingers. "But we'll take it. It's perfect for our mission to take down Kesyk."

The transaction was swift—credits exchanged with a nod, ownership transferred without pomp or ceremony. As we walked out, robot dog in tow, I caught Sola glancing at me, that loving smile still playing on her lips. She saw the joy this simple droid sparked in me, perhaps understanding at that moment that even a Sith Lord could yearn for a slice of ordinary happiness.

"Come on, let's introduce you to your new home, Flipper," I said to the droid dog. "After my old dog," I said, looking at Sola.

Sola squeezed my hand, "I know." She spoke as flipper, the astromech we needed to kill Kesyk, made his way to the ship.

'Wait, does that mean she learned about clussy from my thoughts?'

"Oh fuck." I spoke, thinking about one of life's greatest mysteries.

'Perhaps it would be best if I didn't know.'