Face to Face

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'My name is Two Three Eight,' said Tycho dully, staring at a point just above Face's head as the two faced each other.

'Tycho,' Face said softly. 'Your name is Tycho. Your dad and I named you after the best person I ever knew. He had such a kind heart-'

'I don't care,' said Tycho, who then turned to Shayde. 'Are we done here, sir?'

'Not yet,' Shayde said from his desk. 'Pilot, this man is your biological father. Say hello to your father.'

'Hello, sir,' Tycho turned back to staring at the point above Face's head. There was no warmth in his words. No recognition.

'Do you know why we called you after him?' Face asked, his voice a croak. 'Your father and I found you buried in some rubble, where a building had been. You couldn't talk, could barely walk. But you kept trying to go back to the rubble. We tried to stop you, but you got out one night. We found you back there, pulling the rubble away. Instead of taking you away, we helped. There were others there, buried deeper. You were a child and you had that fight to help others even then. You took after Tycho, and your father. He wanted to help people too,' Face paused, wondering where his estranged husband was now. 'I hope he's okay,' he said to himself, then looked back to Tycho, who was as immovable as ever. The perfect soldier. 'He was such a kind man. He loved you with all his heart. Do you remember the jungaberry pies he used to make? You'd make them together, and I'd come home and find you, all purple faced from licking the bowl. I used to chase you around the house, then when I caught you I'd throw you into the stream out back. Do you remember that? You used to love flying threw the air. You used to love swimming there. I could never decide if you were going to be a pilot or a frog.'

Tycho's lip quirked, just a little. Face saw it immediately. 'I used to tell you stories at night, back from when I was in Wraith Squadron. You used to love hearing about how we tricked our way into Kela the Hutt's services using an-'

'-an Ewok,' Tycho finished. He looked around him as if dazed. And then, at last, his eyes fixed on Face's. 'Dad?'

The sound of the blaster shot filled the room, and Tycho looked at his father in surprised, then crumpled to the floor as smoke billowed up from the blaster hole in his back. 'Tycho!' Face screamed, struggling against his restraints.

The door screeched open and in rushed Skirata, flanked by two stormtroopers, their blasters at the ready. 'What happened here?' he demanded.

'A lesson,' Shayde said calmly. He placed his smoking blaster pistol on the table. He waved a hand at Tycho, who was sputtering on the floor, blood gargling from his mouth. 'Take that away.'

'My boy,' Face wailed, 'my sweet boy,' tears streamed down his cheeks and clouded his vision as Skirata directed the two stormtroopers to carry Tycho out. 'I love you!' Face yelled as he was taken out. 'I never gave up! We always loved you!'

'That's quite enough,' Shayde stood and walked up to Face, stepping around the small pool of blood that had poured from Tycho, onto the clean floor.

'You!' Face turned to him, raging. 'I'll kill you for this! I swear that I will destroy you!'

'Oh, you seem quite confused,' Shayde said, bending his calm demeanour just a little, his tone all mock sympathy. 'You are the one being destroyed. Piece by piece. You see, you had the temerity, the absolute fucking gall, to get in my way. You were a gnat, one that barely registered on my radar. But there you were, distracting me from my true mission. The amount of time I had to waste on you, you insignificant piece of filth. So I am going to enjoy this, tearing you apart until you, your mind, and your friends are completely and utterly broken.'

Face glared at him, pure loathing in his heart and rage in his eyes. He grinned, baring his teeth in a malicious grimace. 'You just killed the one thing that I cared about most, I don't care what you do to me. But you know something? You made a mistake. You may think you're so cunning, but you removed the one obstacle that was stopping my Nexus from bringing their full force down on you. And I will enjoy watching them tear you down until you're nothing but ash.'

Shayde smiled triumphantly. 'Oh I doubt that,' he said, his voice a low growl. 'You see, while we were taking our tour I received word that my soldiers had captured a spy. A prestigious one at that: the great Mara Jade. Supreme Leader Ren will be most pleased when I hand that traitor over to him. But not yet,' Shayde leaned in to whisper in his ear, as if he were a lover imparting words of affection. 'I'm using her. She will draw the rest of your pitiful little band into my trap.

'And then I will kill them all in front of you.'

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