Daylight

17. Long List of Ex-Lovers

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A day later and a side of me couldn't believe I was standing on the control deck where their operations were held. A part of me couldn't believe Ren would even consider that in the first place until Hux understood how important it was for me to distinguish the appearances of these hunters. But another side of me tried very hard to hold back the fact that somehow, these hunters had survived my push to their downfall as we watched the screens. Hux stood on the right side of me with Kylo on the other side as we watched troopers level the field as they shot and killed the very few people left alive in a small town at the edge of a dense forest-like planet that the First Order only coded. Hux kept pushing the subject of why I exterminated them in the first place as all I spoke about was they had stabbed me in the back so that I would do worse to them.

"Two hundred men were annihilated. All because they stabbed you in the back, and you thought what? Revenge was the answer?" Hux questioned with a tone of voice I hated as he pecked at the subject. I could see Kylo looking down at me in my peripheral vision body to face me. Refusing to look at both men, I thought of the only reason why I did it.

"For my survival, I did what was needed. A threat was coming towards me, and I had to handle it." I didn't want to kill any of them back then, but when your secret as a Jedi trained under Luke Skywalker comes into the light, you do what you need to.

"Hm, to think back then, those hunters weren't even hired by the First Order," Hux commented as I turned my head this time to look up at him but knew Ren had done the same thing, mainly because he shifted behind me.

"Not every bounty hunter puts their loyalty to one side. You'd be surprised by how many serve under you but will still go against any order to gain what they truly desire." I pointed out to Hux as he dropped his gaze to mine as a sudden radio hit came over the intercom as we three stared up at the screens.

"Report" Hux announced as the Stormtrooper nodded his head.

"Area has been wiped and cleared. Only one remains, and he speaks about having information about the Gray Jedi aboard the ship, sir. Permission to take him as a live hostage."

"Any chance they could not say that out loud?" I couldn't help but complain to the highest annoyance as I felt Ren's stare at me.

"We have what we need on her," Kylo spoke as he stepped closer to my body as I felt his chest hit my shoulder on the left side. Do you? Hux glanced back towards Kylo's direction and nodded at the comment.

"Permission denied. Kill the hostage." Hux spoke quickly. Finally, they made a smart move, but what none of us so coming was that the trooper on the screen was suddenly killed by losing his head as a familiar face came into the picture, a devilish smile on his face as he now could see all three of us in the monitor. The moment I stepped forward, a firm hand grasped my left shoulder and held me still, but I refused to look back at Kylo as an ex-lover's face came into view.

"Every time I see those brilliant violet eyes, sometimes I wonder if they're your natural eye color, Mara," Lukas spoke with a sly smile as he dropped the head of the stormtrooper to the ground like it was just a ball.

"You know, I was really hoping I would never have to see your face again. Which makes me really regret not killing you when I had the chance."

"So you didn't kill everyone?" Ren asked as I waved him off as Lukas laughed, catching the gesture that made Ren's fury rise again. 

"Like you could kill someone you fell head over heels for at the time. Come on, Mara, that made it so easy to turn our backs on you." Lukas spoke as he leaned back a little on the screen as Hux chuckled under his breath.

"I can see why now," Hux commented as I tried to keep my cool around both men I wanted to snap apart.

"Well, I should thank you for breaking my heart because last I checked, I ripped out your father's head,  and then everything just repeated until the entire village was torn to shreds. Yes, thank you for helping me remind myself that I'm not a good person anymore and that the only person I can rely on is myself." I countered back as his expression changed as I spoke about his family and his town as anger replaced the humor. Hearing Kylo Ren and Hux chuckling at my comment and seeing Lukas's reaction was priceless, but I refused to have my victory.

"You have no idea how much I've changed since then."

"And you have no idea how much worse I've gotten since then either, but it would seem you'll understand that in three...two...one" I counted down the time as a large and terrifying man covered in different furs and fabrics launched himself from a large foliaged area behind Lukas and shucked his head off in one go. Ren's hand dropped from my shoulder as I took a proud step forward as a man called a Grounder picked up the communication pad and his blood and mud-covered face came into view. The white and red markings covered parts of his face to be unrecognizable by any First Orders and the Resistance computer systems.

"This is the last time I do you any favors, Jedi Scum. What's your decision on the knocked-out Stormtroopers of the First Order?" The Grounder asked as I felt everyone's eyes on me now. Rubbing my lips together, I thought of something simple.

"Leave them. My end of Markel's deal is fulfilled." I smiled with confidence as he nodded before destroying the communication pad. Hux went ballistic over the scene that just went down as I did what I could to hold back a smile and so many words to insult the First Order as Hux flipped.