𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘿𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙇'𝙎 𝘼𝘿𝙑𝙊𝘾𝘼𝙏𝙀 • 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

THIRTY-SEVEN

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CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Old Faces

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"Promise me something?" Rov-Nevi asked with a warm smile on her face.

"Anything, Rovi," I replied immediately.

Slowly, she reached her hand out and took mine. "Don't let Father keep you tied down to this planet forever. There's more to this galaxy than Alderaan. So much more. Promise me you'll do your best to see it all?" She requested.

Frowning, I gently pushed her back. "You're saying that as if you won't be there to explore it with me. I hope you know you're the one that's flying," I teased her.

She laughed heartily at that, holding my hand close to her chest while nodding. "Alright. Deal."

•

"You seem nervous," I commented lowly, staring over at Vader. He had landed the ship, but was yet to make a move.

"I don't get nervous," He retorted curtly, turning to face me. "I'm planning ahead."

"What's the fun in that?" I asked him coyly. "Besides, we're only going to see an old friend."

"An old friend," He repeated before clenching his jaw. "And a current enemy."

"Oh," I uttered simply. "Is he... an old friend of Anakin Skywalker's?"

Vader nodded, staring out at the forestry ahead before bluntly replying, "Yes."

Contemplating whether or not to prod further, I undid my seatbelt and stood up to stretch my legs. He turned his head and watched in silence. After a few seconds, I tilted my head and asked, "Are they a Jedi?"

He stood up too, lifting up his helmet from the ground. "There are no more Jedi," He reminds you. "I made sure of that."

As he walked out of the cockpit, I followed him with an eye-roll. "Were they a Jedi, then?" You reword.

Saying nothing, he held his free hand out to me while opening the door. I took it, linking our fingers together before he walked us off the ship. The area around us was wooded, with tall, thick trees.

"Stay by my side," Vader ordered me lowly. "Don't do anything stupid, like last time."

"I was trying to help-"

"Do you really think I need your help, Kyda?" He asks. "Stay by my side. If you put yourself in danger, I'll kill you myself."

"Got it," I mumbled under my breath.

He stopped walking and grabbed my shoulder before pulling me closer. Leaning down, he lowered his voice. "Look at me, Ky," He uttered, cupping my chin in his hand. "I love you, and not just more than anything. You are the only one I love. No matter what."

I nodded, resting my hands on his chest. "I love you, V," I replied. "I know you're gonna be in Sith Lord mode today, and I won't take it to heart if you can't be soft on me. Like you usually are."

"I'm never soft on you," He claims, though the smile threatening to pull on his lips says otherwise. Looking up, he puts on his helmet, making me stand back. "They're close."

Tentatively, I followed him for another few minutes before a moss-covered cave came into view. Before we could take another step closer to it, a man in a beige cloak walked out.