A.H A Star Wars story (English version)©

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝒆𝓻 𝟓

It had now been two years since the young Armitage was born, two years during which Jaessa had looked after her little protegee day and night. Her father occasionally came to visit her, to make sure that her surrogate mother provided him with the care he needed for his healthy development. Apart from these few visits he was relatively absent from his child's life. While Jaessa marvelled at hearing the boy say his first word, Brendol had no reaction, simply looked at his son with a dismissive and annoyed look before leaving as he had come.

The young Hux had recently learned to stand up without staggering and now he was trying to run, most often after his father when he left without saying a word. It was another one of those days when Brendol came to see his son's development. He watched him for a long time without saying anything while the little boy smiled at him and approached him to get his attention by babbling a few words. For any answer his father looked up at his nurse and said in a cold voice.

- He's old enough to start learning to count, isn't he? Do the right thing, if you can do it.

- I can read, write and count perfectly, sir.

- Amazing for a slave.

Even if she was used to this kind of derogatory remarks, it still made her boil over with anger. This man was an abject being, like many officers. She simply answer calmly.

- I learned on my own, I worked hard to achieve it.

He shrugged his shoulders before looking back at his son who had just opened his mouth again to communicate with his absentee father. When Jaessa understood what the toddler had said, she put her hands against her mouth, petrified with terror as she waited for Brendol's reaction.

- You're mean!

- I beg your pardon, young man?

- No! You're mean.

- How dare you speak to your father that way!?

For the first time since his birth Brendol Hux knelt before his son. The young girl's heart was drumming in her chest. She knew what this monster was capable of, but she didn't dare to imagine that he could hurt such a small being. And yet, the father grabbed his child by the arm to lift him up so that he couldn't run away. He slammed his thick palm several times against the child's butt. The violence of this gesture destroyed Jaessa from the inside... she was stunned to witness this abuse but did not dare to move.

The little one screamed in pain and started crying the first time he was spanked. Hux did not stop and hit harder and harder, annoyed by the cries of his bastard son. At the end of what seemed like an eternity, it was too much for the teenager who finally decided to act. She stood up, walked to Brendol's position before yelling at him.

- That's enough, you're hurting him horribly! He's too young to realize what he's saying!

-I will punish my son as many times as necessary and you have no right to question my actions, you scum!

Jaessa's intervention at least had the effect of directing Brendol's anger away from the poor toddler. She found herself facing this man whom she abhorred, facing her hatred and fury. The past years had hardened her somewhat, she could now look into Hux's eyes without shaking, or almost. She was not unaware that her revolt would not go unpunished, but to protect her Army she was ready to risk everything. As the father walked forward, the little boy ran clumsily towards his adoptive mother to take refuge in his legs. Big tears rolled down his red cheeks. He hit Jaessa's forehead against her knee with a sniff, he kept sobbing and hiding his face against her. Hux was now a few centimetres away from them, with the tip of his boot he spread Armitage and grabbed the girl by the throat. His face now very close as he declared, his teeth clenched, the pulsating veins on his temples.

- Stand up against me again and this will be the last action you will do in your miserable life. Have I made myself clear?

Jaessa hiccupped as she looked for her breath, the vice around her windpipe tightened more and more. She was struggling to receive a breath of oxygen again as her attacker stared straight into her eyes, her eyes darkened by her rage. It was only when the poor girl's eyes began to revolt that he finally released his grip; leaving his victim kneeling on the ground. She coughed and massaged her sore throat. Her skin had blushed because of the violence of the gesture. As for the little boy, he had witnessed, helpless and tearful, the scene of unprecedented brutality.

- I warned you. The education of this child is my responsibility, you are only there to provide him with what he needs to grow up. So stay in your place because next time you won't get up; Brendol threatened by pointing an accusing finger at the girl.

She had kept her eyes glued to the ground as the young child approached her with a few words as Brendol walked out of the room without a word more.

- Mom? Did he hurt you ?

- Don't worry, Armi... everything's fine now, he's not here to hurt you anymore. Come into my arms, my darling.

Still kneeling on the ground Jaessa gently grabbed the boy under his armpits to put him on his thighs and cuddle him tenderly for long minutes. The presence of her adopted son near her comforted her and brought her a serenity to which she had never been entitled before. She sighed with a long sigh of relief as her hand gently passed behind the young child's back as he nodded against his chest.

- I'm fine, I promise, and you're in pain?

He nodded gently as an affirmation under Jaessa's foggy tears. She took him in her arms, stood upright and led him to the bathroom where she took care of seeing the physical damage caused by her father. The affected surface was red and burning, so she grabbed a washcloth and ran it under cold water and then over the bruised skin for several minutes to calm the inflammation. After that, she was quick to brush the whole area with repairing cream with the greatest care, tenderly massaging the area and when everything was dry she took the child back into her arms. She would go to the room and gently put Armitage in the big bed, this little boy needed to forget all that. She had to change his mind.

Once she was sure that he was well settled, she grabbed a book from the library and came back to sit next to him to read him a story. The story of the rise of the Empire, a propaganda novel for young children. Jaessa sighed with sadness as she read the first words but she had no choice...all the books in this place were all alike and she didn't know any happy stories. She forced herself to read for several long minutes until the baby finally fell asleep against her adoptive mother's arm. The girl smiled at the vision of this little human sleeping peacefully against her. Her fine and soft fingers gently touched Armitage's skull in a gesture filled with love and tenderness; without realizing it, she too ended up falling asleep, rocked by the calm breathing of the little boy. She was so proud of him.