Encounter on Lothal (Kylo/OC)

Chapter 14

Kylo paced impatiently at the medbay window, watching the doctors and droids work on Tana. She'd almost died three times on the way back, but her instructions to the crew were what saved her. She told them what to administer and when, and they'd followed her advice. Kylo almost laughed at the irony – she'd demanded he follow her medical advice, but he didn't realize it would be not just for him, but for her as well.

When they finally let Kylo in to see her, she looked like a cadaver and her colleagues' faces were grave. No one approached Ren to give him good news because they couldn't, but they were curious why he was so invested in this particular medic.

He noted their interest in his presence at Tana's bedside and left, realizing he would start generating gossip and there was nothing else he could do for her. Either she would live, or she would die, and he would deal with whatever transpired. He had other things to focus on now that she was stable. He needed to discover the significance of the dagger.

Ren donned his helmet as he left Tana's room and strode down the hallway to the senior staff level where Hux stood waiting for him.

"Back from your little field trip, I see," Hux said smiling.

"Not now, Hux," Ren replied, trying to bypass the smirking officer.

"I think you'll want to make time for me, Ren," Hux said as he fell in step with Kylo, bringing his hands out from behind his back and brandishing the dagger. "What an interesting little piece of ephemera," the General said as he turned the weapon over in his hands, his eyes roaming over it in curiosity.

"That," Kylo spat in rage, his voice crackling through the vocoder, "belongs to me."

"Actually," Hux tried to correct him, "considering the effort and resources that went into its retrieval, I'd say it belongs to the First Order."

"Snoke will see about that," said Kylo as he snatched it from Hux's hands before the General could keep it from him.

"Yes, let's see Snoke, we'll see what he has to say, shall we?" and Hux escorted Ren into his office where Snoke's image appeared in transmission form.

"Supreme Leader," Kylo addressed his master as he knelt in submission.

"Kylo, my boy, why have you been gone from me for so long?" the wizened ruler asked.

"I am following the footsteps of my grandfather," he answered, trying to sound vague.

Leaning forward, Snoke asked, "And where did they take you, aside from a brush with death?"

"To the land of Mortis," Kylo replied. "I have found the Dagger of Mortis and I beg leave to study it in further depth."

"Do you now?" Snoke asked, "and what do you hope to learn from it?"

Here, Kylo hesitated. "I don't know yet," the young man bluffed. "That remains to be seen."

"Very well," Snoke answered, "but Kylo, do watch your involvement with the young lady. Your focus should be on bringing the First Order to victory over the Resistance. Let nothing stand in your way."

"I will not, Supreme Leader," Kylo answered his master as he looked over at Hux, the glare visible to Armitage even through Ren's visor. As the transmission blinked out, Ren stalked Hux across the room and backed him up against a wall, his corporeal fingers the ones to tighten around Hux's throat this time.

"I know you know her and she thinks of you as a friend, for whatever reason. Don't betray her," Kylo warned. "She sacrificed much to bring this here and I won't have you dishonor it." With that, Kylo marched from the General's quarters.