Chapter 7: Look at this Photograph

The jungle spins around me in a kaleidoscope of greens and purples as I stumble over yet another root. My balance abandons me for the fifth time in as many minutes, but I don't hit the ground. I never do. Vae's arm tightens around my waist, catching me with that supernatural strength of hers.

"Careful, my love," she purrs into my ear, her breath hot against my skin. "We wouldn't want you breaking that pretty face of yours."

I giggle, actually giggle, and immediately hate myself for it. Whatever drink she kept pouring down my throat back at the outpost has turned my brain to mush and my legs to jelly. Four kilometers through dense jungle to reach our ship, and Vae decided I needed to be thoroughly intoxicated for the journey.

"You got me drunk on purpose," I accuse, my words slurring together despite my best efforts to sound indignant.

Vae's crimson lips curl into that evil smile I'm becoming dangerously accustomed to. "Perhaps." Her free hand traces lazy patterns on my hip as she guides me forward. "You're more... pliable this way."

Another root appears from nowhere. Vae's grip tightens again, her body pressed flush against mine as she steadies me.

"I think I'm the girl in this relationship," I blurt out, the alcohol demolishing whatever filter normally exists between my brain and mouth.

Instead of being offended, Vae throws her head back and laughs, the sound echoing through the jungle canopy. "Does that bother you, Ty-Lar?" she asks, her red eyes glittering with amusement.

"No," I admit, surprising myself with the honesty. "Just an observation."

A massive fallen tree blocks our path, too large to climb over in my current state. Before I can suggest we go around, Vae extends her free hand. The massive trunk shudders, then rises slowly into the air, hovering there as if suspended by invisible cranes.

"The path is clear for my husband," she announces with theatrical grandeur, guiding me beneath the floating tree trunk.

Once we're safely past, she lets it crash back to the jungle floor with a thunderous boom that sends nearby wildlife scattering. I jump at the sound, nearly losing my footing again.

"Show-off," I mutter, but there's no heat in it.

Her arm around my waist feels like it belongs there, her fingers splayed possessively across my side. She's practically glowing with satisfaction, like she's won some cosmic lottery and I'm the grand prize.

It should terrify me how quickly she's claimed me, how thoroughly she's inserted herself into my life. Instead, I find myself leaning into her touch, craving the security of her embrace.

"Fuck, she's so hot," I accidentally whisper under my breath.

Vae's ear twitches, and she glances at me with those smoldering red eyes. "I'm too warm for you?" She misunderstands, her brow furrowing with concern.

I can't help but laugh, the alcohol making everything funnier than it should be. "No, no. I mean, you're very attractive. Like, ridiculously attractive."

Her expression shifts from concern to pleased predator in an instant, and she pulls me tighter against her side. "As are you, my Ty-Lar."

The jungle finally begins to thin, and through the clearing ahead, I spot the familiar silhouette of The Handsome Gentleman. The circular hull gleams dully in the filtered sunlight, its faded blue accents barely visible under layers of jungle dust and grime.

"There she is," I say, relief washing over me at the sight of our ticket off this planet.

Vae steps forward, tugging me along. "Come on," she says, her pace quickening as we approach the landing ramp.

We climb up together, her steady hand keeping me from tripping over my own feet. The familiar smell of metal and recycled air hits me as soon as we step inside, a strange comfort in this bizarre new life. It feels both foreign and familiar, like a childhood home visited after decades away.

"Welcome to my humble abode," I announce with a drunken flourish, nearly smacking my hand against a bulkhead in the process.

Vae looks around with calculating eyes, taking in every detail of the ship's interior. We'd only been aboard briefly earlier to drop off supplies, not even long enough to unpack anything. I barely know the layout myself, just the bits and pieces from Rax's fragmented memories. This was Bana's ship, after all. I'd only ever been a passenger when he flew us from job to job.

"It's... cozy," Vae says diplomatically, running her fingers along a control panel.

"That's a nice way of saying it's a piece of junk, but it's our piece of junk now."

She follows behind me, her footsteps nearly silent on the metal flooring. "It will serve our purposes."

I lead Vae through the ship's narrow corridors, my hand trailing along the wall for balance. The alcohol is still swimming through my system, making everything slightly blurry around the edges.

"Let me give you the grand tour," I say, gesturing dramatically as we move deeper into the ship. "Kitchen's that way, though I use the term 'kitchen' loosely. Refresher is down there. The cockpit too."

Vae follows silently, her eyes taking in every detail like she's memorizing escape routes.

We reach a small junction, and I point down another corridor. "And sleeping quarters are this way."

Vae's expression darkens suddenly. "Speaking of sleeping arrangements, that outpost was utterly disappointing. Not a single decent sleeper in the entire marketplace."

"Yeah, that sucks," I say, genuinely feeling bad about it. We'd hoped to buy some proper bedding for the ship since Bana's old stuff was... well, let's just say it had seen better days.

Her features soften as she reaches out to touch my face. "It's fine. Show me your bed."

I guide her to my quarters. The door slides open with a protesting hiss, revealing a cramped room barely large enough for the narrow bed bolted to the wall and a small storage locker.

"Home sweet home," I announce, trying to mask my embarrassment. "It's not special, but it's better than that cot from last night."

I sit on the edge of the bed and pat the space beside me, but Vae has other ideas. She approaches like a Terminator that just found John Connor and straddles my lap. Her weight settles on me, warm and solid, as her arms snake around my neck.

"Perfect," she purrs, leaning in to capture my lips.

The kiss is hungry, demanding, and I respond with equal fervor. My hands find her waist, pulling her closer as her tongue teases mine. My drunkenness amplifies everything, her taste, her scent, the heat radiating from her crimson skin.

Suddenly, she freezes. Her body goes rigid against mine, and she breaks the kiss abruptly. I blink in confusion, following her gaze to the small data pad resting on the shelf next to my bed.

The screen is cycling through images, Rax's images. Photos from a life I've inherited but never lived. And currently displayed is a holo shot, teenage Rax with his arm slung around the shoulders of a blue-skinned girl with bright golden eyes.

"Who is that?" Vae asks, her voice dangerously soft.

I have to think for a moment, my alcohol-soaked brain scrambling to access memories that don't quite feel like my own. The girl's face triggers something, flashes of laughter, skinned knees, and whispered secrets under Corellian skies.

"That's Tinos Kan," I say, the name feeling right on my tongue. "We grew up together on Corellia. She was my best friend until the Jedi took her when she was twelve."

Vae's weight on my lap suddenly feels heavier, her body tensing like a coiled spring. Her eyes never leave the image as I continue.

"She used to write to me," I add, fragments of memories surfacing through the drunken haze. "Holomail. She kept in touch until I was around twenty."

Vae's fingers dig into my shoulders, but I'm too caught in the memory retrieval to notice the warning signs.

"She told me she wouldn't contact me again until she completed her training and became a full Knight." I squint, trying to calculate. "That was about four years ago, I think. Haven't heard from her since."

The shift is immediate and terrifying. One moment Vae is on my lap, the next I'm airborne, my back slamming against the metal wall with enough force to knock the wind from my lungs. Her hand is at my throat, fingers digging into my flesh with supernatural strength. My feet dangle uselessly above the floor.

"A Jedi?" she hisses, her face inches from mine. Her eyes have transformed, the crimson irises bleeding into a raging Sith yellow that glow with malevolent light. "You've been keeping a Jedi girlfriend from me?"

I try to speak, but her grip tightens, cutting off my words along with most of my air supply. Black spots dance at the edges of my vision as I claw ineffectually at her wrist.

"Please," I manage to choke out, the single word barely audible.

Her yellow eyes narrow, searching my face with predatory intensity. Whatever she sees there must satisfy her, because the pressure on my throat eases just enough to let me gasp a shallow breath.

"Explain," she demands, her voice a low, dangerous rumble that makes the hair on my arms stand on end.

"Childhood friend," I wheeze, desperate to placate her. "Haven't seen her since we were kids. Haven't heard from her in years."

Vae's face contorts with fury. "Yet you keep her image by your bed?"

"I didn't put it there!" I protest, gesturing weakly at the datapad. "That's Rax's, I mean, it's my old stuff. I didn't even know that picture existed until now!"

Vae releases me abruptly, and I slide down the wall, my feet hitting the floor with a thud. I gulp air into my starving lungs, rubbing my throat where her fingers left what will surely become bruises. The alcohol in my system has burned away, replaced by pure adrenaline.

She looms over me, those yellow eyes drilling into mine with an intensity that makes me want to shrink into the wall. "Which one of us do you prefer, Ty-Lar?" she demands, her voice eerily calm despite the rage radiating from her. "The Jedi or me?"

My heart hammers against my ribs. This isn't a casual question, it's a test with potentially fatal consequences. I can see it in the rigid set of her shoulders, in the way her fingers twitch at her sides, inches from her lightsaber.

"You," I say quickly, my voice hoarse from her grip. "Red skin is infinitely sexier than blue, for one thing." I try for a weak smile, desperate to diffuse the situation. "Besides, I never even dated Tinos. We were just kids when she left."

I swallow hard, wincing at the pain in my throat. "I have no allegiance to the Jedi, Vae. None whatsoever."

Her eyes study me for what feels like an eternity, searching for any hint of deception. Gradually, the sickly yellow fades back to their natural scarlet, though the dangerous edge remains in her gaze.

"To be even an acquaintance of a Jedi is disgusting," she says, her tone dripping with contempt. "Their self-righteous hypocrisy, their arrogance... It's revolting." She steps closer, her finger jabbing at my chest. "I forbid you from ever contacting her again. Do you understand me?"

Before I can respond, her demeanor shifts yet again. She pulls me into an embrace, one hand sliding up to stroke my hair with surprising gentleness. The contrast is jarring, one moment threatening my life, the next petting me like a beloved pet.

"Alright, alright," I murmur against her shoulder, not daring to pull away. "No Jedi contacts. Got it."

Her fingers continue their gentle exploration of my hair, my scalp, the back of my neck. The touch is soothing despite the circumstances, and I find myself relaxing into it against my better judgment.

"Good boy," she whispers, her lips brushing against my ear. "You're learning."

'Fuck why is being called a good boy turning me on…'