Kylo could still feel her in his arms. He was haunted by his mistake. He showed her his vulnerability. Yet again. He told himself after she abandoned him on the Supremacy, he would treat her as any other enemy. And will treat her with the same fate.
Joining her at the table filled with the ashes of the enemies he has slane.
Or maybe a fate worse than death.
In moments of weakness, he sought counsel with his grandfather's charred helmet. The mask helped him reach what he needed from the Dark when he felt he was being pulled towards the Light. He found comfort in the fear and pain caused by the man who wore the visage.
"Why does this girl, from nowhere, have such an effect? She is beneath me. Just a scavenger... from Jakku of all places." he spoke with irritation. His thoughts ran wild.
"Why does the Force continue to pull us together? When we touched hands, I saw her standing beside me. Ruling the galaxy together!" he slammed his fist on the metal rim of the table making the ashes vibrate.
"Grandfather, what am I to do?" He stared into the blank face of the mask "I am conflicted. I am feeling the pull towards the Light. Stronger than before." Kylo's voice low and somber.
"I am... feeling... things" Kylo confessed. "Things that go against everything I've learned. Even from the days as a padawan"
"Attachments only lead to suffering. And suffering implies only weakness." the anger inside Kylo building. The coldness of the Dark shrouded him like a frozen blanket. "I am not weak."
He stared into the face of the charred and crumpled mask.
"Thank you, grandfather." as if the false-face spoke to him.
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"Were you aware of Keir's mission to Endor?" Aeron asked Veir. The Knights practiced their forms in the training room. Veir swung her training saber towards Aeron's face.
"No" Veir responded by swiping the saber against his open torso. Aeron clutched his side.
"Apparently" Aeron took in a deep breath "he called for Cavalier Prime" he lunged forward, Vrei twirled, making him miss.
She whacked the stick on his back. The Sniper winced in pain. Her stance high, back straight, calculating the man's next move through the Force. She elegantly moved her feet one over the other like a dancer.
Aeron's stance was low and wide. His arm raised to the level of his eye, training saber pointed towards his target. He paced around her like she was prey.
"Do you know the means of this mission?" Vrei keeping her eye-less face on him.
"No. Mortathi wouldn't tell me," he stated while concentrating back on her.
"Suspicious" Vrei kept her stance. The saber sitting between her shoulder blades.
"What do you mean?" Endeel charged at her. Yidrath gracefully stepped aside and used the Force to push him into a standing practice droid.
"I yield," said the defeated man
Vrei reached out her hand to the fallen man. He stared at her offer for a moment. He swiftly grabbed her hand and pulled her to the ground. She stumbled on top of him, her hands landing on his chest. Faces closed in. Aeron leaned up to the woman's face and slithered his hand into her hair. Vrei smirked and smacked the hilt of the practice saber on his forehead and gathered herself from the floor.
"Hey" he rubbed his head and sat up. "Vrei, what did you mean by suspicious?"
"Ren has always sent his order to the whole of the group." She threw a towel in his direction. "And if he did send them to a singular person, why would he send to him? Not to you or I? We are closest, in proximity, to him."
"He's traveling with Kailin" he stated
"Hm..." she wondered, he frustration building "together they are impulsive, they never follow directives. Always looking out for themselves."
"Maybe we should talk to Ren?" Aeron suggested.
"That's a joke. Remember the last time someone questioned his orders?" she simulated a slice across her neck.
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There was a dark worry that encased Leia. Even though she may not be completely one with the Force, she was still sensitive to it and she could feel when it changed. And something was off. It's been hours since they heard anything from Rey. It wasn't like her.
"Poe" Leia's raspy voice gave the command to the pilot in the hanger.
"Yes, General?" Poe standing to attention to the respected General.
"Any word from Rey?" concern in her voice. She always punctual when it came to check-ins.
"No, ma'am. All is silent on her end." Poe said with uncertainty. "Last we heard from her was a couple of hours ago. A little before the sun had set."
"I'm worried, Dameron." she confided in him
"I'll speak to Finn and a couple of the people to set up a small search." Poe could see this gave Leia some relief.
"Just please, just don't let this quiet moon fool you," Leia warned as she tightly gripped her cane. "There are species out there that will kill on instinct." Leia's voice full of sentiment but mostly concern for the girl and her family.
"Don't worry Leia, we will find her. She's probably fell asleep meditating or something.." Poe wrapped one arm around Leia's shoulders.
"Thank you, Poe." she smiled at the fierce pilot. "May the Force be with you."
"Always."
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"Supreme Leader" the elegant woman behind him.
"Yes, Vrei?" Kylo answered without turning, continued to stare out the viewport and watched the blue light of hyperspace pass them by.
"This mission, sir. " she hesitated
"Mission?" raising his eyebrow but still facing space.
"Your call for Cavalier Prime?"
"I'm sorry?" Kylo confused, turning to the women behind him.
"I just wanted to know the details of the mission, sir" Kylo's height dominated over the tall Miraluka woman. She was relatively petite with a muscular tone, slightly tanned skin and white hair. She wore a typical First Order uniform. A black, well-pressed high collar tunic with attached code cylinders on the chest and a wide belt wrapped around her hip. Instead of the flare-hipped pant, she wore more of a fitted pant that led into knee-high boots. She also wore a black coat with sharp lines that was angled and flared open over her to the left side but had a sleeve for the left arm. The cape also clasped at her right collar.
But her most distinguishing feature was her lack of eyes, she didn't need them. Her people observed the environment around them through Force sight instead of regular vision. Only replaced by the bulged visor that covered up the vestigial eye sockets.
"Who called for this?" his voice growled but his tone was dry. His leather-clad hand clenching into fists.
"Sir, Mortathi and Kailin called for us to join them and Astar on the Endor moon." Vrei sensed the cold Dark of the Force swirling wildly around the towering leader. She took a step backward.
"And Darik, is he... aware this call?" showing, even more, his disdain for this possible treachery of his Knights.
"Not that I am aware of." Even though she was a darker Force user, she always ran on the colder but the room was frigid. Even for her. The Force around Kylo was cloudy, deep and seeded.
"Was there more to the scouting mission you sent Keir on?" she questioned. Kylo knew he had to tell her of the Resistance taking shelter the decrepit Empire base.
"It was an as-need-to-know." Kylo was seething with anger. He was not to take this treason lightly. He had to think quickly. "Now... you need to know."
"There was a report of them being seen trading for supplies on Gamorr. She was able to spot them before they jumped into hyperspace." Kylo divulged as he walked over to his console. "I told her to send back the troopers as, I decided, this was to become a reconnaissance mission. Only to report on what they were doing."
Kylo slipped in the holo-drive Keir had sent him. Vrei heard the buzz of the holo-console coming to life.
"She kept her distance and a trooper. She followed them to the Forest Moon of Endor. She landed on the grounds during a heavy rain the day after their arrival." he continued. Through the Force, Vrei could saw the surroundings of the Moon illuminating the room. Then she heard her fellow comrade speak.
"Kylo, I have located the Resistance." Keir was heard in the background.
"I told her not to engage with the Rebels and gain information that could help the New Order and bring them down once and for all."
"By the looks of these light scans, it was built from the days of the Empire." Vrei saw Keir coming up to a clearing. Even though she wasn't anywhere near the moon, she shivered from the Light she sensed coming from the drive.
"She's been there for the last three day. I'm still waiting for her next report."
"Ok. But this still doesn't explain the order, sir."
"I didn't" Kylo stared straight into her visor, she felt his truth.
"Then what are we do of these... defectors, sir?" She inquired without hesitation.
YOU ARE READING
In Time
FanfictionSupreme Leader Kylo Ren. A title he never thought he would possess. But Snoke had to die. The constant whispers, the constant "punishments" day in, day out. But now... now it was calm and quiet. The only whispers he could now hear were of the Force...
