Chapter 30: These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends

As the shuttle descended from Sola's personal light cruiser through the purplish hues of Ares II's atmosphere, my stomach knotted tighter. "You ready?" Sola shot me a half-smile.

"Born ready," I lied, not quite meeting her piercing gaze. It had been a few months since Zenna had torn through the competition at the Korriban tournament. Her victory still echoed in the minds of students and the many Sith who came out to watch. Many Dark lords took a great interest in her that day. It seems she won't have any trouble making connections.

A lot has happened since then. I failed a math test and fell to rank 40, but then when I challenged the rank 1 to a fight, he threw up and begged me not to kill him…. So, I'm ranked 1 again. Hawk Tuah went missing…

'Probably Sola, but I didn't really care for Tuah. She was a muscle mommy, so it's a little bit of a shame to not have the view anymore. Oh well.'

The shuttle's landing gear hit the pad with a thud that rattled through the cabin, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. We were back, back to the place where expectations loomed larger than the spires of our family estate. Back to the place I so blatantly ran away from. I take a sigh.

"Come on." Sola was already at the hatch, her voice cutting through my thoughts like a vibroblade. She moved with a purpose that made even the ship's droids step aside, their sensors flickering in deference.

The ramp lowered, and the familiar scent of air mixed with an unregulated industry sector filled my lungs. Home wasn't just a place, it was an aroma, a constant reminder of what we were, what we did.

And there she was. Hela Eras, Mom, Baroness, the epitome of Sith nobility. Her presence demanded attention, demanded everything, and gave nothing away. She wrapped Zenna and me in an embrace that spoke of pride and expectation, her eyes locking onto mine for a fleeting second before I was pulled tighter into the fold.

"Vex, my boy," she murmured, her voice a low hum laced with love that showed how much she missed us.

"Mother," I managed, the word feeling heavy on my tongue.

She released us, only to envelop Sola, who laughed lightly, a sound that seemed too pure, too carefree for the stone walls that surrounded us. "I can't wait to call you my daughter-in-law," Hela exclaimed with joy.

'She is a great mom. I just can't tell if she sees me as her son first or if she sees me as a tool of the Sith first.' I weigh out my thoughts with no conclusion.

"Thank you, Lady Eras," Sola replied, her laughter subsiding into a smile that held more power than any lightsaber.

We stood there, a tangle of arms and quiet understanding, the awkwardness wrapping around us like a shroud, but in that moment.

*****

The door to my mother's office swooshed shut with a hiss behind Sola as we entered, sealing us in a tomb of ambition and cold stone. I stood before her, the weight of expectations pressing down on my shoulders as her piercing gaze dissected my every move.

"Vex," Mother's voice was like a vibroblade, sharp, precise, and vibrating.

'Wait, no, not vibrating.'

"Tell me, how do you plan to deal with Duke Kesyk?" Mother continued.

"Our plan is set," I began, my voice steady despite the fear of disappointing her churning within me. "We plan to infiltrate their orbital defense platform and rain death upon their home planet. When we strike, Artus will be left barren."

"Barren?" she echoed, her eyes narrowing slightly, searching for any hint of hesitation.

"Unlivable," I corrected, the word tasting like a more direct choice as it left my lips. "Incapable of sustaining life," I add.

"Good," she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Very good." Her pride for me in that moment runneth over.

The plan harbored a singular flaw that gnawed at the edges of my already frayed conscience. A flaw that my old mother wouldn't have had an issue with at all because she was a Christmas-hating monster. "There's an issue," I admitted, the words slithering out reluctantly. "The timing... it coincides with Life Day."

If she was a resident of earth she'd have been the type to decorate her house with all sorts of elaborate ornaments. Covering the house in 4 miles of Christmas lights (Colored not white!) Dozens of light up reindeer, and even a 30 foot inflatable Santa I bet.

"Life Day?" Mother's voice was a low growl, her love for tradition clashing with the harsh reality of Sith pragmatism. "We do not disrupt family celebrations, Vex. It's sacred." Her eyes were manic. Almost as if she became a monster fueled by nothing more than the holiday spirit. Mother's love of life day was boundless.

"Exactly," I pressed on, feeling the twisted satisfaction curling in my gut. "That's why it's perfect. Everyone will be home, their guards down, hearts open. It will be... particularly cruel."

A laugh, dark and rich, erupted from Mother, shaking the very air of the room. "What an intense fall from grace Vex. This level of cruelty I did not expect from you so soon son," she said, her amusement clear. "You truly are not your mother's son."

My eyes flickered with surprise. 'What the fuck did she mean by that? Mom is super cruel. Last year, she made me kill so many people?'

Beside me, Sola's pride was almost palpable, her eyes beaming with admiration. "Evil suits you," she murmured, the corners of her mouth quirking up in a devilish smile. When I looked into her eyes, everything around me fell to the wayside. As long as Sola stayed by my side and my family got along, I could be happy.

"Sola, do you mind giving me a moment alone with my son. I have an important matter to discuss with him." Mother spoke softly yet with authority.

Sola seemed to hesitate as she looked at my mother. Her eyes glazed over with fear. It looked as if she was mouthing the words' please don't tell him yet' as she was walking out.

'What's that all about?'

When the door closed mother spoke to me in a sad tone. "Vex, sweety. You know that I love you with all my heart right?" Her eyes looked strangely desperate.

'Not a strong start.' I nodded. No cell in my body doubted my mother's love for me.

"And you know that your father and I will always love you right." She grabbed my wrist as if she was afraid I was going to run away.

'Santa, what has this woman done?' I nod again.

"Vex, I may have raised you, but Syko and I are not your birth parents." She deflated as she spoke.

'I'm adopted?' I think calmly, genuinely unbothered. 'Compared to everything else, this feels really underwhelming. I don't feel upset at all.'

I looked at my mom with soft eyes. "Mom, that's fine."

My mother didn't seem to find any solace in my words. "There's more to it, Vex. She sighed deeply with a guilty look. "Your real mother was a Jedi knight that Syko's brother knocked up."

"Eh?"

'The tea is so viscous that it's cascading out of the goblet.'

I look annoyed. "Dad has a brother?"

"Well I mean no not anymore. When Syko and Daro, your father, were young, Daro realized he couldn't compete with Syko and their parents were far stricter about family lineage and Sith strength than people are nowadays. Daro ran away to the republic because he didn't want to die. To be even more blunt, your father helped him defect." She spoke the last part with annoyance.

"But.. That familial love your father has…. It certainly is part of why I love him." She sighs as her annoyance dulls. "Daro was arrested when he made it to the republic for being related to a Sith noble. The Jedi Knight, whom he met when he was interrogated, Vexas Shif, fell deeply deeply in love with him. It seems they had a relationship in secret for years." Her face turned bitter as she went on.

"I'm named after my mother?" I get stuck on this. I am not thrilled about being named after a woman.

"It was her infinite hubris that led to that." Mother spoke with irritation.

She continued. "When Daro realized he got that republic bitch pregnant, he begged her to defect with him back to the Sith Empire. She refused, but Daro, being the cowardly man he was, poisoned her and flew her here."

"I don't understand why he would come back after leaving? Wasn't he considered a traitor at that point?" I asked in confusion.

My mother chuckled briefly. "Smart boy. Daro believed that Syko would hide him away on Ares II so he could live a calm life with his Jedi mistress. He was wrong. With me at his side, Syko had Daro executed." Pride fell over her eyes as if she corrected a mistake.

"That did, however, leave the Jedi woman in an awkward situation. Vexas did not want to be on Ares II, and more than that, she did not want to leave the Jedi order. She was our prisoner until she at least had the baby. Syko refused to let his brother's child be raised in the republic. The day you were born, Vex…." She seemed angry.

'This is fucking wild.' I thought, desperate for popcorn.

"The day you were born I saw you and I fell in love at that moment. Vexas was clearly displeased but with Rinka, my star pupil, as her warden there was little she could do." Mother paused.

"What happened to her?" I asked more curious than caring.

"The Jedi found her." My mother's fist clenched. "And they rescued her. Syko and I were overjoyed to have a healthy boy in the family, and Vexas was weak after childbirth. Rinka was going to dispose of her, but she was attacked by a rescue squad of 8 Jedi. Incredibly, Rinka killed One Jedi master and three knights that day. Because of her, the Jedi extraction team didn't even make it near us.' "

'My wet nurse was truly a monster in more ways than one, it seems.'

"Vexas got away. To this day, she remains a part of the Jedi order. She became a Jedi master shortly after her return." Mother's words were defeated. "I assume your mother is still looking for you." She paused as if there was more to say and then took a big sigh. She then continued "But, we confirmed a few years ago Vexas had a daughter some time before her romp around with Daro. This half sister of yours seems to be Vexas's Padawan." Mother sighed again. 

'I have another sister? One is plenty.'

"Do you know my sister's name?' I asked my mother. 

"Yes…." Mother frowned as if I'd abandoned her. "Xeva Shif, Our imperial intelligence couldn't figure out who her father is."

'God it seems my birth mother was obsessed with her own name.'

I take a moment to think about the handful of bombs dropped on me. 'The truth is the only ones I feel awkward for are Vexas and this mystery sister. I don't know them. Daro was a traitor and a coward, so I don't really care about him, but Vexas seems to have lost herself in a Romeo and Juliet-type situation. And this Xeva sister of mine girl, it's not like I was raised with her.'

"Uhhhhh," I seem lost in how to react. I hug my mother in front of me. "Mom, this is a lot right now, but uh, I think I'm just gonna compartmentalize it for now."

'Wait, Zenna isn't my sister?' A cold chill of terror ran up my spine.

"Please don't tell Zenna. Let me process it before we tell anyone else."

"It's likely Sola knows already." Mother spoke with a frown. "That girl is extremely sensitive to the emotions of others. I wouldn't be surprised if she read it off your father. He tends to wear his heart on his sleeve after all."

She is right. Skyo Eras was known to be not great at hiding things.

"That's fine. I am confident she won't want to tell Zenna either."

"Ahh," My mother smiled wide, "Because Sola wants to keep Darth Relic to herself." She joked.

"Yeah" My eyes bulged with fear. "Keep that a secret too mom." I stood up, a bit more lost than I was before I got back home and left the room.

'Vexas Shif, what in the world am I going to tell you about?' I sighed deeply.