Chapter 21: Date Night

The dim glow of my terminal was the only light in the room as Sola, and I hunched over the schematics of Upper Korriban Tower. Her fingers traced the exit routes, her eyes alight with anticipation.

"Baron Halcorr's son, Jado Halcorr, won't even see it coming," she said, her voice a low hum of excitement. "He'll be alone?"

"Alone enough after I deal with his entourage."

I replied, my gaze fixed on the three red dots I'd marked on the digital blueprint, his cronies.

"I'll make it quick. No mistakes." I assured her.

"Vex," Sola turned towards me, her piercing eyes searching mine, "you sure you're up for this?"

"Am I up for it? This is your test, big dog." I spoke with a smirk, tugging at the corner of my mouth.

'I wonder if she considers this a date?'

"Sola, I was born ready. And besides," I added, leaning back against the headboard, "if you need me, I'm there."

She grinned, a flash of predatory eagerness that matched the deadly intent simmering within me. We both knew this test wasn't just any test—it was a rite of passage. A dance with darkness that would bind us closer in blood and ambition.

"Let's do this," she whispered, and we shared a nod that sealed our pact.

*****

Sola's POV

The night air of Korriban was thick with the dust of ancient tombs and the power that pulsed from the dark heart of Sith territory. Clad in our masks and Dark lord outfits, Darth Relic and I, now dawning the title Darth Tempest, in the shadows we now wore, moved like specters through the desolation.

'I wonder if he considers this a date?' I couldn't help but muse to myself. 'I really want him to consider this a date. Ever since I was cut off from his mind, it's been so difficult to read him. I looked into the clown thing he likes so much. To be honest, it seems weird but wholly inoffensive. If Painting my face white with some splashes of color and red nose gets him hard, it's not really like that's difficult to achieve.' I giggle at the thought of my most precious person being a weirdo.

"Can you feel them?" Darth Relic's voice crackled through our comms, a distorted echo that sent shivers down my spine.

"Like I can feel the Force itself," I murmured, my senses extending outwards to latch onto the life energies of our unsuspecting prey. The four figures stumbled out of the tower, their laughter cutting through the silence like a vibroblade.

'If he's not packing a big package, it wouldn't be the end of the world.' I stare at his lack of bulge in his pants as I often have before. Ive seen it try to greet me before but only when he stares at my cleavegeto much, but even then i can never tell if he has a Krayt Dragon or a cute little tooka down there.'

"Hmm," I sit in wonder about his saber beneath the belt.

"Patience," Relic said to me, misunderstanding my curiosity. "Let them come to us." He spoke with such confidence.

'To think he's younger than me, too.'

We crept closer, unseen, unheard, but every inch predators closing in for the kill. Our cloaks billowed slightly in the corrosive sandy breeze.

"Ready, Darth Relic?" I teased him, a hint of bloodlust weaving through my words.

"Always, Darth Tempest," He answered awkwardly as if this was all so cringe for him despite being his idea.

Tonight, we would prove ourselves once more under the crimson gaze of Korriban's seven moons. Tonight, we would remind the galaxy why the Darth title was the most fearsome.

"Let the hunt begin." He spoke, I could almost hear the smile through my beloved's voice.

The night air suddenly crackled with tension, charged by the raw power of our Relic's Lightsaber. I watched in silence as Darth Relic moved with lethal grace. His red saber was a blur of death, and in moments, three lives winked out of existence, their careless laughter silenced forever.

"Your turn, Tempest," he hissed, the thrill of the hunt evident in his voice.

'Oh, he really is too good for the likes of Korriban. The empress is going to be very surprised when she sees what a monster he is.'

I tried not to laugh as I stepped forward, the weight of my destiny pressing down on me like the suffocating heat of Korriban's sun. Jado stood before me, his arrogance melting into annoyance as he registered the gravity of his situation. With a sneer, he ignited his lightsaber, the blade casting an eerie glow on his youthful features.

"Come on, then," he spat, "show me what you've got."

My own saber hummed to life, its crimson light reflecting my pounding heart. This was it, the dance of death, the symphony of the Sith. Our blades met with a violent kiss, sparks flying like stars being born from the abyss of space.

'I will present his heart to my master, To my love. His blood will be used as lubricant for our first time.'

He was good, and I had to give him that; each strike was precise, and each parry was calculated. But there was something raw in me, something untamed and hungry. The duel was more than a test; it was a release, a chance to let the darkness within me breathe.

We spun and clashed, each movement an echo of the ancient battles that had painted these sands red. My muscles sang with exertion, my mind sharp as a vibroblade. The thrill of combat consumed me, and for once, I didn't resist—it felt like freedom.

"Is that all you have?"

I taunted, even as I admired his skill. We were two sides of the same coin, forged in the fires of ambition and shaped by the hands of destiny, but this was my moment, and I would not be denied.

The rhythm of our lightsabers created a deadly cadence, his blade slicing through the air with an elegance that belied its lethal intent. We were locked in combat, and the ebb and flow of our duel were as natural as breathing. Yet, as minutes stretched into what felt like hours, fatigue clawed at my limbs, and I could sense the tide turning against me.

"Getting tired, whore? Perhaps you would like me to piss in your pussy before I chop you into pieces?"

"The fuck?"

"What the fuck?"

Relic and I both seemed confused in unison however the fight went on. His voice was laced with mockery, and I gritted my teeth. He advanced with renewed vigor, his attacks coming faster now, more ferocious. A glancing blow seared the fabric near my shoulder, the smell of singed material filling the air.

I stumbled backward, a rare flicker of panic igniting within me. The advantage was his, and he knew it. I saw the opening he'd been waiting for, and the swift arc of his saber aimed to seal my fate.

But then, the unexpected, a blur of motion so quick, so precise, it was over before it even registered. Darth Relic stepped in, his red saber a whisper of death as it sliced through the young Baron's arms.

A gasp, pained and disbelieving, cut through the tension. There he stood, Jado Halcorr, disarmed in the most literal sense, his weapon clattering to the ground. My heart raced, not with fear now, but exhilaration. The thrill of survival, the rush of imminent victory.

"Finish it," Relic commanded, his tone brooking no argument.

A manic glee bubbled up inside me, dark and intoxicating. My grip on my saber tightened, and I stepped forward, eager to deliver the final blow. His eyes met mine, wide with shock and dawning realization. This was the culmination of all my training, the moment of truth where I would prove myself worthy.

With a feral smile, I raised my weapon high. "This is for you, master," I whispered and brought it down.

The searing heat from my ignited saber dissipated with his final breath, and I felt the surge of triumph swell within me. I turned to Relic, his silhouette backlit by the light of one of Korriban's many moons. The scent of charred flesh and ozone lingered, a testament to our victory.

"Isn't it just... exhilarating?"

I breathed out, the words laced with a twisted joy only this kind of power could evoke. The power intoxicating, the ambiance romantic.

"To stand side by side and cut down those who dare oppose us is more than I could've hoped for."

Relic's laugh, a stilted, uneasy sound It's clear he loved the act. But he refuses to surrender himself to the character? It's hard to say. It's like he's playing a role he's embarassed by but if he so pleased he could take the empress's head.

'I must have him tonight. I do not care how we dance around the topic of our relationship.'

"Exhilarating," he echoed, the word hanging awkwardly between us like a novice's first swing of a lightsaber.

I peered through the mask into his eyes, searching for a glimpse of the darkness I knew churned beneath the surface. It was a strange comfort, knowing he grappled with the same shadows that danced in my own heart. Shadows that others might shy away from, but not him. Not Relic.

"Thank you," I said, my voice softer now, though no less fervent. "For being here, for understanding the... craving that drives us."

I stepped closer, daring to close the distance between certainty and doubt, power and vulnerability.

"Tempest..."

His voice trailed off, the name holding a weight that seemed to anchor him to the spot. He didn't need to finish; I heard the unspoken words, the silent admission that resonated in the tense air around us.

At that moment, I knew. He cherished the acceptance and craved it as much as I did the thrill of conquest. We were two halves of a darkened whole, bonded by our embrace of the abyss that promised freedom and demanded sacrifice in equal measure.

"Come," I grabbed his wrist like he was my doll. "You are sleeping in my room tonight." My mask hid my reddened face.

'My favorite thing about Vex isn't just his dark side nor his strength. I mean, all of that matters, but most importantly. He knows when to let me be in charge.

"Sola….." He seems embarrassed, but he doesn't resist my pull. "We just can't let Zenna find out." He gulps deeply

"Of course, my love. Of course."

'It would be dreadfully awkward, but soon I will make you my betrothed, so it matters not.' I thought as we soldiered on to our lover's retreat, my room.

Just as we leave, I hear the sound of Jado's saber flying through the air into Vex's soft hand. He laughs with glee at his new trophy.

*****

The Empress's POV

I sat on my throne with my jaw practically on the ground as I watched the hologram of a fight on Korriban. I have seen a lot in my lifetime. As the last of the Sith race, I had lived a long time. Even longer than most of my kind because my late husband decided to freeze me in stasis because he grew bored of me. Lucky for me, I was unfrozen some time ago by some unlucky sith.

"Why is the boy so strong? How could someone possibly move that fast?" I ask

"We do not know." She spoke back, "Our records, which have been verified, show the boy has never shown much interest in training until a year ago."

"I dont even know how to handle this." I sat there stunned for the first time in ages. "How does his strength compare to my late husbands."

The voice on the other end sighs "You Majesty, Most of the records of Empoerer Vitiate have been destroyed so its impossible to tell."

Regardless, this boy is too much. I wouldn't stand a chance against this kid.

"We need to ally with the boy before he figures out we've been backing Duke Kesyk on his weird blood lust for my daughter Hela." I sigh.

'The Duke had promised certain amenities to the imperial family if we didn't get in the way of his in-fighting over his love of my daughter Hela. I have over a hundred daughters out there in the Empire, so I couldn't care less about any particular one, but if my gut is right, this boy will go supernova if he catches wind of the Duke's plan.'

"Formally communicate with the Duke to tell him we are disallowing any infighting and that any movement against Ares II will be seen as a declaration of war against the Empire. Tell him we do not allow traitors second chances."

I broke into a cold sweat. If I'm to late I might already be as good as dead. This truly was not looking great for me.

"Consider it done, my Empress." the voice spoke back.

I sighed as the call ended.