Red Opus

Chapter 12: Damned

What did it mean to die? To become part of the life-force that flowed through the universe, joining the never-ending stream of death in it's wake. You'd seen it enough times, that moment of departure. To watch the light leave someone's eyes and flit off somewhere into the distance. What caused that light to be there in the first place? Was it a deity, still unknown? The Force? Or something even bigger. It was fascinating to you, the thought that this life was one of only a trillion fleeting moments that made up the greater plan. Nobody knew what it was, but all anyone could do was hope that the immortal sparks would regain some consciousness enough to witness the true grand scheme of things after death.

That was just one trail of a thousand that your mind wandered on the way back to the Supremacy. You sat at the back of the shuttle, cross-legged on the floor. The gentle rumbling of the engines stirred you momentarily, enough to peek through your lashes at the room around you. The pilots rested in their cockpit, trying to appear as busy as they could. You were fully aware the buttons they were pressing did absolutely nothing. A single officer sat on the comms terminal, ready to relay information about the upcoming landing to the bridge, her auburn hair in the standard tight bun. You wondered how it would look down over her shoulders.

Ren sat behind you, in one of the cuboid seats that pressed against the back wall. You couldn't see him, but last you knew he had slumped down in the chair and become just as distant as yourself. You could feel what you assumed to be his knee, gently pressing into your left shoulder. You swayed back, testing the theory, and found yourself correct as your side made contact with the front of his calf. He fidgeted, jerking his leg away from you in a not-so-subtle motion. You smiled, and closed your eyes again, the noise around you dimming as you chased that spark in your mind across the stars.

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Something was pulling you back.

You'd been lost in the darkest depths of your own mind for what felt like hours, yet something was tugging, coaxing you back into your mortal form. It was a feeling not to dissimilar from waking up, your body eager to stay in a state of rest, yet your brain was telling you to move. The first thing you were aware of was your own tongue, pressing against the roof of your mouth in a bid to be comfortable. You smelled the crisp recycled air through the vents, slightly metallic to your sensitive nose.  There was a low rumbling noise coming from somewhere outside of your helmet, but not in the immediate area. This was accompanied by a steady thumping sound, rhythmic and without falter. Your buttocks were numb, your shoulders stiff from the slightly hunched position you sat in. The last thing you did was open your eyes.

The limo was empty, save for the dark figure who sat opposite you. Ren had moved, it seemed, and you were eye level with his knees. The presence of Ren alone with you made your heart jump into your mouth, but you didn't move a single muscle. He was leaning forwards, elbows resting on his long thighs and fingers intertwined in front of him. The leather of his gloves made a small 'ch-ch' sound as he absently rubbed his thumbs together. It took your eyes a moment longer to make your way up to his face.

He was staring at you.

Not just any stare. His eyes were engorged, pupils blown out, as if he was trying to get every speck of information out of his vision that he could. You stayed perfectly still, and reminded yourself to keep calm. You stared right back, though avoided his eyes. His face was growing on you, you supposed. He was still a regular human male with un-remarkable features, but something about the way they were arranged on his face was interesting to you. His sloping jaw was set hard, but not pointed enough to make him appear overly masculine. His dark eyelashes and brows framed his equally deep set eyes, giving him an intense stare. The oversized nose cutting out of his face was the focus point to any newcomers, yet now appeared to you a distraction from his redeeming eyes and mouth. He wasn't beautiful, but his face held your interest for longer than it should have under normal circumstances.