THE HUNT

Sixteen

"How has your training been going with Cardo?" Ren asks, taking note of the black staff strapped to my back as I walk beside him in the halls.

"It's been going fine." I flinch at the mechanic, masculine sound of my voice through the vocal modifiers. "He says he doesn't trust me to be walking around with knives just yet, which I suspect is your influence."

"You'd be right." He says, ignoring the officers that stop and bow to him. "Give it a little bit more time, and you'll be given whatever weapon you wish."

"I want to wield a sword, Ren." I say. "I've always been best with one."

"I'm sure." He says, turning a corner. I struggle to keep up with him, and he slows his pace. "I'm sure you'd love to stab me with one as well."

"Who? Me?" I force a bitterly sweet tone into my voice. "I'm your most loyal ally." He looks down, watching me for a moment before returning his gaze to the hall ahead of us.

"I wait impatiently for that day, Hunter."

"I'm sure you do."

"Have you heard their name for you?" He asks, deftly changing the topic.

"Whose name for me?" I dodge a pair of stormtroopers who try to avoid me equally, if not more, desperately.

"The soldiers." He stares down a group of them, and they hastily turn a corner. "Word spreads like wildfire here. Everyone knows of you." He shoots a glance my way. "They call you my Zilla."

"Do they now?" I angle my head, trying to seem indifferent. "It's only been a week and I have a nickname?" He ignores me, and I huff a sigh after a moment. "Where are we going? Is this just a pointless stroll?"

"Nothing I do is pointless, Hunter." He says harshly. "You're coming with me to Batuu." I frown.

"The smuggler's haven?"

"A potential Resistance base." He waves a hand and a door opens. He gestures for me to enter, so I reluctantly carry myself inside, horror tearing through me. "I want to someday give you a legion to command. My personal force."

    "Why do you think I'd want that?" I roll my hands into fists. "You've got to be going insane."

    "You don't seek power?" He presses his hand to my lower back, pushing me further into the room, where I see nearly two hundred stormtroopers cleaning their weapons or talking to each other. "This is less than half of my division, Hunter." He leans down, speaking quietly. "I can give you eight thousand stormtroopers. Each selected personally by me."

    "I-" For the first time, I doubt myself. "I can't." The exhilaration of being offered control over more beings than the Resistance has had for years shoots through me. Immediately, I curse myself for even considering it, even for a moment. Kylo Ren chuckles beside me, most likely reading my thoughts, which is against our deal. Before I can say anything about it, a stormtrooper Sergant approaches us, helmet tucked under his arm as he talks to the Lieutenant beside him.

    "Sergeant. Lieutenant." Ren acknowledges the men as I stare in horror. The stormtrooper has a long scar running straight down his face, cutting past his left eye, which has been replaced by a blue prosthetic. The Lieutenant is an old, stiff man, with a greying beard. "Are we ready to depart?"

    "Yes, Supreme Leader." The Lieutenant gives me a sideways look. "This is the Zilla?" He asks, looking me up and down. Immediately, I fight the urge to hide behind Ren, to avoid this man's gaze.

    "Is he able to fight?" The stormtrooper asks, also surveying me.

    He. I guess that's Ren's doing, with the dark clothing that hides my feminine curves and the voice modulator in my mask.

    "Of course." Ren angles his head, and I stay still. "I don't take incompetents with me."

    "Yes, sir." The trooper clears his throat. "Of course, sir."

    "Get the troops ready. Prepare for departure." He orders. The stormtrooper nods, stepping away. The Lieutenant stays, shifting on his feet. "Yes, Lieutenant Agnon?"

    "Sir, I-"

    "Is this more important than your life?" Ren snaps. "Because if I have to look at your face for one more moment, I will tear it off."

    "Yes sir. Of course, sir." He scrambles away, and Ren grips my arm, pulling me towards a shuttle. I recognize it only from passing it in the hangars before I was caught. A TIE Echelon towers over me, and I frown up at it.

    "Never been on one of these." I mutter.

    "Only ten handpicked troopers are allowed." He pushes me up the ramp, where I see the amount of soldiers he described inside. Some are sitting, some are standing, but when they take notice of us, they all rise and salute to Ren. He ignores them, pulling me instead up the stairs to where we enter a cockpit.

    "Where's the pilot?" I ask, frowning at both of the empty seats.

    "I am the pilot." He slides into the pilots position, gesturing for me to fill the copilot's space. "Take a seat." He flicks a switch, and the engine powers up. I don't move. "Now, Hunter."

    "I don't want to do this." I cross my arms. He turns, eyes narrowed.

    "I don't remember giving you a choice." He snaps. "Sit." Reluctantly, I lower myself, slinging my staff across the back of my chair.. "You're going to make life very hard for the both of us if you continue to be difficult." He shoots me a glance. "We have a deal."

    "Which you broke earlier by going into my mind!" I hiss, deactivating my mask.

    "I didn't go into your mind, Hunter." He presses a button, and the ship lifts into the air. He guides it from the hangar, and into the endless expanse of space. "I could just tell what you were thinking."

    "What do you know about what I was thinking?" He launches the ship into hyperspace, and I shut my eyes briefly against the blue trails in front of me.

    "You're tempted." He glances at me sideways. "That's the staff Cardo gave you?" I nod, gritting my teeth at his assumption of my temptation. His correct assumption. My fingers drift to the dark red, leather-bound grip in the centre. "Have you used it yet?" I shake my head. All I've used are the training sticks. He stands, offering me his hand. Reluctantly, I take it. He helps me to my feet, picking up my staff. "I had this made for you." He examines it, then flicks his wrist.

    Immediately, it folds into a double sided blade. I gasp, reaching for it. Before I can, he twists the handle and it comes apart in two.

    "Oh." I freeze. "That's really-"

    "I want this back before you return to your room tonight." He says coldly. I nod wordlessly, and he reattaches the two pieces together. Then he flicks his wrist again and it reverts back to its original form. Just a staff. He extends it to me. "Hunter." He keeps his grip on it as I try to take it from him. "Kill someone today."