"Cause it gets my blood boiling and I'm coming unglued. It would hit you like poison if you knew what I knew. You would be angry too."
It must have been days since she saw Vader, but she frequently saw Calista, who brought her food - which was now at least eaten by Aaliyah. Calista was always silent, ignoring Aaliyah completely, the only evidence that Calista knew she was there was the scoff on her face, the displeasure evident in her eyes that never looked directly at Aaliyah.
It was agony to just sit in the room and do nothing. She would take snapping at Vader's comments any day. But she somehow knew that he was not Mustafar anymore, he was gone for days. He didn't even try to contact her through the force, and the fact that she would want that was only a sign of how people can lose their minds if they are isolated long enough.
Aaliyah often wondered if he was somewhere killing another Jedi, but no, she would feel it. Then she guessed he was doing something against the Rebel Alliance, and at that moment a nostalgic emotion squeezed her heart painfully. What she would do to talk to them, to see them, to hug Ahsoka, to explain Obi-Wan that she had to leave, and make sure he was not angry at her. Although, Obi-Wan was never angry, only disappointed which was honestly worse. She hoped they were not looking for her, but she was sure Ahsoka took care of that. The only thing she knew was that they are still fighting for their freedom, while her, Aaliyah, ex-Jedi knight, servant of the light side was ready to tell Vader that she wanted to be taught by him.
During his last visit, he gave her an opinion to rot in this room, or to become his student. She declined automatically. Then he gave her time to reconsider his proposition. And she was still ready to say no. Big no.
But once again, Vader knew what he was doing, letting her lose her marbles in this stupid room, probably ordering Calista to not even share eye contact with her and to isolate her from anything and anyone. She saw this as an opportunity to keep her sanity, even though only Vader would be her company, and in this situation, the saying "better no company than bad company" doesn't apply. She also saw it as a chance to get out of this room, and finally, do something that could possibly help their case. Finding a way to destroy the Empire from within.
Vader will surely be careful, but she will also carefully listen to everything, watch for any clues, and analyze her surroundings. Aaliyah had no clue as to why Vader wanted to teach her, he didn't give her an explanation, as expected, but she was sure it was not from the goodness of his heart. He was planning something, and she could only guess what. Perhaps, he wanted to overthrow Palpatine and became the ultimate Sith Lord. That's their way of life, the student kills the teacher and then takes on his own apprentice. Which she refused to be.
Her stomach was full, she was not thirsty anymore, her vision was not blurry, and her strength finally returned, when Vader walked through the door, that shut behind him immediately. He came for his answer, and he could not possibly know how eager Aaliyah was to speak to someone. Even if it was Vader, the worst of the worst.
"I see you decided to stay alive," he said when he looked at the empty tray sitting on the table.
"I did, and I also decided to agree. I want you to teach me," Aaliyah couldn't really tell if he was surprised, or if he expected her answer, and she didn't care.
"But?" he asked as if he could read her mind at that moment.
"But I don't want to use the dark side," she absolutely refused to give in to that kind of thing. She was stronger than that. Her Jedi masters always said, that only a weak person serves the dark side. The strong one can resist its calling.
"Of course," he said quietly, and walked around the room with his hands behind his back, his own lightsabre and Aaliyah's still swinging from his belt. She missed holding it, having it with her in case she needed to protect herself. It felt as if she was missing a limb.
"So, you agree, that you won't be teaching me the dark side? What can you teach me then?" her tone and words were rude, but she didn't care when she insulted Vader. Manners were irrelevant.
He turned his head to her and stopped abruptly. "My knowledge of the dark side is just the peak of the iceberg. I know the ways of the force like no one else, and you can know them too."
She was silent because she believed in his words. Just like she believed when he told her that he was stronger than Sidious, she believed he knew much more about the force than anyone else, maybe even some of her late masters. Suddenly, a question popped up in her head. "Does your master know I'm here?" she asked curiously.
"He doesn't need to know," Vader shrugged his shoulders carelessly.
"Hmm, so I am right when I think that you want me as your apprentice because you want to kill your master, just like every other Sith?" Aaliyah asked directly and actually made Vader laugh. It was bitter, mocking sound, not happy. He didn't laugh with her, he laughed at her, or more importantly at her words.
"If you think I was waiting for you to kill my master then no, you are not right. I would kill him any day if I wanted to," he said again, as a matter of fact. "He knows it," he added quietly.
"Then what is your reason? Why do you want to teach me?"
"Just take what I'm offering. Nothing else is important for now," and she did as he said. For the first time without talking back or asking questions. That's why she found herself following his big frame quickly through dark corridors with high ceilings. Actually, everything here had large ceilings.
She had to go fast to keep up with his long steps, but soon enough he walked through a dark door, that shut and locked behind them. She could hear it and wasn't surprised at all. He had no reason to trust her not to try and escape. When she looked around the big room they entered, the light was shining very softly, making the dark grey stone walls seem more intimidating. Red light from the lava outside was leaking through the large windows with black ornaments around them. It reminded her of the Jedi temple, so Maestas, but too dark for her former home.
Only when they walked further into the room, did she realize that they were not alone. There was Calista, leaning on the wall, watching her with weird satisfaction in eyes, and smirk playing on her plump lips. She had her dark uniform on, and a hilt of her lightsabre squeezed in one hand.
She wasn't able to focus on her anymore when her attention went to the other person in the room. It was a man dressed in white armor, white stormtrooper armor to be specific, with short white hair, sharp dark eyebrows, and face she was so familiar with during the Clone Wars. After all, he and his brothers in arms had the same one, yet their personalities made so many differences between them, that Aaliyah couldn't see them as clones. And she was extra familiar with this one because he was Captain in her squad.
"Rex," she said, and stopped, her body frozen, just as her brain, not functioning properly, only watching the man, who had his helmet in hands, and eyes glued on her.
He didn't say anything, only looked at her for a couple of seconds, and bowed his head, almost in shame. She felt anger, she felt betrayed because that's exactly what they did to them, to every Jedi who were mostly treating them with nothing but respect. She wanted to jump on him, when the face of Plo Koon, went through her mind. The same men who would give his own life for his troopers, and who was later killed by said troopers. She thought about Aayla Secura, who protected her men and save them so many times during the worst moments and only got death at the end of the day. She thought about every Jedi who died the least honorable way, by people they trusted, stabbed to the back.
"You are alive," Aaliyah stated coldly when Rex looked at her again. She was surprised Vader kept him, as far as she knew stormtroopers were not clones.
"General," he nodded and bowed his head. Aaliyah hoped it was an act of shame.
"Don't you dare to call me that," she spat venomously, and turned away from him, when the guilt he felt crept into his eyes, watching the ghost of his past standing before him, only for her to hate him more than anyone. And he knew he deserved it.
"Meeting old friends, I see, little Jedi," smirked Calista, pushed herself from the wall and stood before Aaliyah.
"If we are finished with greetings," spoke Vader calmly, standing next to Aaliyah. "you will now battle with Calista," informed me Vader, and when she looked at Calista, Aaliyah finally knew what she was so happy about before.
Aaliyah turned to Vader again, came closer, and reached out with her hand. "I will need my lightsabre then," she looked into his face or mask, and then at her weapon dangling from the belt around his waist.
Somewhere behind her Calista laughed. "Aren't you a little spoiled Jedi? Wouldn't you want our weapons too? Blaster, while we are at it," and a loud thump followed her sarcastic words. When Aaliyah looked over her shoulder, she saw she put her lightsabre on the ground, and in hands had two replicas. Similar to those a Jedi youngling would use during training.
Aaliyah sighed and walked to Calista to take her weapon. "Did you convince your master to not use real lightsabres? Are you too scared?" she mocked Calista, who looked at her in shock, and to be honest, Aaliyah was shocked herself for her bold words. She never mocked people, not even her enemy, believing it was not necessary. But she was still angered by Rex's presence. Calista didn't answer, but when Aaliyah wanted to take the replica of lightsabre from her, she threw it at Aaliyah's feet. She didn't comment but was satisfied to get under Calista's skin enough to make her act so childish.
From the beginning of the battle, it was evident, that both of them had bottled up emotions they wanted to let out. Their moves were aggressive, quick, and seemed like they wanted to kill each other. Aaliyah's moves were much more offensive than usual. Plo Koon used to tell her, that her fighting was like dancing as if she was playing with her opponent, only attacking to finish the fight when she knew her enemy was exhausted.
But this time, she had anger on her mind and should have known it would be her demise. That's not what they taught her, she should have focused, calm down her senses to better predict Calista's next move. That was always her advantage, the talent to predict. But she threw it out of the window and made herself exhausted, only to be defeated.
"Rusty, little Jedi?" Calista laughed when she noticed that Aaliyah's moves are getting sloppier by second. Another wave of anger hit her, but it didn't help her, it never did in a real fight. It only made everything blurry. She knew better than this but let herself be swallowed by it.
Calista made last two moves, swung her weapon at Aaliyah, who blocked it, but one of Calista's feet kicked under Aaliyah's feet and made her land with a painful grunt on the hard floor. She really was rusty. Rusty and angry. And that was a horrible combination.
Calista's replica of lightsabre went to Aaliyah's neck, and on her face was the biggest smile, letting her white teeth show. "Maybe next time, Jedi."
When Calista left without another word, Aaliyah slowly sat up, and looked around, remembering that they were not alone, and both men in the room were watching her. Rex with furrowed eyebrows, and almost concern, and of course Vader's facial expression was impossible to read through the mask. But he was standing stoically, with hands crossed at his chest, his black attire making him seem as if he was a part of the shadows around him. He was watching her and she was embarrassed.
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how did you like this chapter? What do you say about Rex? Do you like where the plot is going or did you expect something different?
Also where are you from? I would love to know where are you reading this story.
Have a nice day, stay safe, and be kind!!!