These Violent Delights

Chapter 54: Overwhelming Darkness

"Ne-negative, sir."

"You had one job, Lieutenant." Kylo thrust a finger at Dopheld Mitaka. "One."

"I, I un-understand that—"

"Oh, do you? Do you understand?" Kylo mocked, leaning forward to place his palms flat down on the table. "Because it seems to me that you failed yet again to bring me the coordinates I requested."

"My-my apologies, sir. I—"

"I have no interest in your apologies, Lieutenant, only progress. Now, leave before I change my mind about giving you another chance to do your job."

"Absolutely, sir. Thank you, sir," Mitaka muttered before blowing through the blast doors. Kylo watched him the entire way out, musing how unfortunate it was—for both of them—that Dopheld was off base when the Finalizer was destroyed.

Allegiant General Pryde cleared his throat. "Supreme Leader, I have pressing Resistance intel."

"Excellent." Kylo pinned his mask on Pryde, but his attention was suddenly captured by some very loud, very negative thoughts filling the room. He pivoted toward the source. "Ah, Commander Canady. Do I sense resentment over the assignment I have given Mitaka?"

Gray, beady eyes locked on his mask. Moden Canady's lips pressed into a hard line. "No, sir."

"You are quite the liar, Commander," Kylo tsked. He tilted his head to the side, enjoying the way his insubordinate shriveled into his seat. "Tell me. Before I make you."

Canady swallowed audibly, tugging on his collar. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he tried to stutter out a response. "I, I, it's—"

Kylo bit out a Force command. "You will tell me."

"You, you are leading us on a wild-goose chase to find a girl!" he exploded, face turning red as spit flew from his mouth. "You have the entirety of our workforce out searching for Prisoner M421, who holds no significance to our cause besides being your personal bed warmer. So, yes, Supreme Leader, I am rather resentful that we are using valuable First Order resources to track down a filthy Resistance whore that—"

Kylo lashed out his hand and rotated his palm to the side, basking in sick enjoyment at how the commander clawed at his throat to breathe. But he didn't let him, of course. The Supreme Leader wasn't satisfied until Canady was mere seconds away from death. Then, he lifted his arm in an abrupt movement, barreling his victim into the ceiling. He let his body hang in the air as he casually spoke to the others in the room.

"Does anyone have anything else to say?" He leered at the slew of military officers from under his mask. "About my personal bed warmer or me?"

There was a chorus of murmurs around the room.

"Of course not, sir."

"Not a thing, Supreme Leader."

"A lovely bed warmer, indeed, sir."

With a flick of his wrist, Canady tumbled to the ground with a sickening thud. After a guttural groan purged from his throat, he remained silent and unmoving on the floor. Dead. Just as Kylo had intended.

"That's what I thought," he mused, scanning the room before settling on Pryde. "Give me the Resistance intel."

"Yes, sir." He sat up straight, entirely unfazed by the lifeless body lying behind him. "It is confirmed that their base was indeed—"

"Within the salt mines on Crait," Kylo shot back, agitated. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. "What else do you have for me?"

"Very well, sir." Pryde dipped his head in an apology. "While there were no signs of Skywalker, Prisoner M421, or her crystal pendant, we were able to use advanced tracking technology to trace their movements beyond departure." The significant pause before the General spoke again was not nearly long enough to prepare Kylo for the next word out of his mouth. "Exegol."

"Exegol," he repeated with drawn-out enunciation. "The Sith planet. Where we currently have four thousand troops stationed to protect the Citadel. From Skywalker. From the Resistance."

"Yes, sir."

"And how did this happen, Allegiant General?"

Silence. Pryde repositioned in his chair, as did everyone else at the table. Kylo slowly looked around the room at the sudden shift in energy. Not a single soul could stop themselves from averting their gaze. He tensed. They all knew something he didn't, sparking the anger that flared in his chest. "You will not make me wait."

Pryde lifted his chin and spoke with a regretful tone. "It appears that a First Order defector is aiding them, sir, and led the Resistance to the forces on Exegol in order to strengthen their cause."