These Violent Delights

Chapter 64: We Will Have It All

Why the fuck did I think this was a good idea?

Kylo stood back and watched Kitten make the rounds at her party. She handled the surprise with grace and was on her very best behavior, but thirty minutes in, the Supreme Leader was considering faking his own death to get out of here. It was loud, and busy, and flooded with pink balloons, courtesy of Officer Vlak, who went to three different planets and sold part of his soul to acquire them. Luckily, no one approached him besides his knights, who stood quietly beside him as they surveyed the turnout for threats. If this was before Hux's uprising, he would have given them the night off, but Kylo was no longer taking any chances.

"Where's Vicrul, sir?"

As far away from here as possible. "Assessing security threats off-site."

Ushar started singing a tune in response, and Kylo repositioned, eyes following Kitten as she escaped a chatty First Order officer and beelined it to the bar. She looked stunning in the scarlet, floor-length gown he bought her, and heads turned as she glided through the crowd. The backless design displayed her smooth, soft skin, and the lace sleeves matched the delicate bobbin detail hugging her torso that dangerously flaunted her frame. He watched her every move, admiring her unrivaled beauty as she grabbed her drink and turned toward him.

A smile lit up her face when their eyes met, and the diamond collar sparkled around her neck as she walked over. "Hi."

He nodded at her drink. "Good?"

"Mhmm," she hummed, taking a sip. She glanced at her knights. "Why are they in full gear? I thought this was a black-tie event. Even you are wearing a suit."

"They're working," he said, stepping into her and snaking an arm around her waist. "Come."

She didn't ask where they were going as he led her to the exit. A few steps down the corridor and through a set of blast doors, Kylo brought her to his favorite part of the Steadfast. Like his preferred room aboard the Finalizer, this observation area was always empty and dark, offering a contrasted and exquisite perspective of the galaxy. The only source of visibility came from the glow of stars and planets, something that highlighted Kitten's relief once the doors sealed closed behind them, reducing the loud chatter and music to a muffled hum.

"Holy fuck, how do you talk to those people all day? They're like robots."

Kylo's lip twitched up. "I don't. Pryde handles them." He gestured toward the back wall made of glass. "Go look. It's your old stomping grounds."

Kitten led the way, her mouth dropping when she saw the planet Kijimi below them. "Oh my gods," she mused as the blue, snow-dusted planet reflected off the irises of her eyes. "I will never get tired of this view."

Kylo placed his hands behind his back, tilting his chin down to peer at her. "Were you surprised?"

"For the party?" she asked, setting her drink down before threading her arm through his. She tipped her face up, smiling. "Absolutely. Thank you for this, Kylo."

He watched her for a long time. "But it wasn't what you wanted."

"No, no. It is. Everyone has been very...nice. A little stiff, and maybe a bit forced, but nice."

He frowned. "I should have invited Zeven and the Korras. Your real friends. I just didn't know how to since..."

Kitten raised a brow. "Since you threatened to kill all of them?"

"Yes."

She chuckled. "It's okay. I can go see Zeven another time." She paused, the smile faltering on her face as she eyed him. "Right? Zev won't be in trouble if I visit her?"

"No. As long as she isn't conspiring to overthrow the Order again, I will look the other way."

"Zeven didn't have anything to do with that. She and a few of the others refused and stayed back. She said that your mom—" She stopped abruptly, shooting her gaze downcast as she shook her head. "Never mind."

A pang of pain shot through him, but he nodded all the same. "Go on."

When she continued, she softened her tone. "Zev said your mother would have never agreed with what they did, aiding Hux like that. She apparently dismissed the idea while she was alive. But once she was gone, the Resistance was led blindly into it by Drox and a few other wannabe leaders. Without her, they weren't under real leadership during the battle of Exegol."

The Supreme Leader fixed his gaze on the stars before him, speaking distractedly. "My mother had her faults, but if she was exceptional at one thing, it was leading her people." The corner of his mouth pulled down. It's why she couldn't serve me. After a few moments of silence, an empty feeling replaced the heaviness trying to settle in his chest. "They were doomed to fail the moment she was gone."

"I know." She pivoted, their shoulders touching as they both observed the galaxy. She tentatively peeked up at him. "You okay?"

"Yes," he said, perhaps a little too quickly. A fleet of TIE fighters left the departure bay below them, and Kylo saw it as the perfect distraction. He tapped the glass. "Look, Kitten."

She followed his gaze and excitedly looked back at him, wide-eyed and smiling. "I wanna do that. Can we do that?"

Kylo hesitated, his annihilated TIE silencer flashing in his mind. "We will work up to a TIE fighter, yes."

"Okay, okay! That's fine!" she said with an adorable, enthusiastic jump. "When can we start?"

"How about tonight?" he said, moving to stand behind her. His hands glided up and down her arms. "After you have some of your muja muffin cake, of course."

"Ooooh, yes, please." She hesitated, then twisted her head to look up at him. "But, uh, just...maybe not in your ship. Ever again."

Kylo smirked. "Why? You didn't like Ibbot?"

"It's not that I didn't like him. He didn't like me."

Kylo chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, crashing her back against his chest. "He's an acquired taste."

"Yeah, I'll say so," she muttered, the back of her head resting against his sternum. "I never thought a ship would hurt my feelings. Alas, I should have known better since you programmed him."

"Mhm," he breathed, resting his chin atop her head. He slid his hands up and down her arms again, and she melted against him. "Once he's uploaded in my new ship, I will tell him to behave."

"Mmmkay."

As his hands traveled to her torso, the air between them grew denser, electric. He lowered his voice to just a low, seductive pitch. "This dress is stunning on you." He brought a finger up to trace the diamond collar around her neck. "And this."

"I love them both," she muttered. "Thank you."

He made a noise of contentment, moving his hands to her breasts. She let out a small, pretty sigh, shuddering as he slid down her stomach. With one hand, Kylo bunched up the fabric of her dress while the other toyed with the top of her panty line.

"We shouldn't," she whispered, tentatively placing a hand on his. "Someone could walk in at any moment."

Using both hands, Kylo hooked his thumbs under her underwear and started to pull them down. "Let them."

Breathing erratically and chest heaving, Kitten widened her stance and leaned into him. He traveled one hand up to cup her breast, letting his other hand dip between her thighs. Pressing lightly, he ran a finger along the length of her slit as Kitten whined in anticipation, grinding her ass against him. Finally, he gave in and began rubbing her. She moaned and jolted in his arms, and he secured her body tighter against his. Placing his chin on her shoulder, the Supreme Leader looked down and watched his fingers swirl her clit, her wetness pulling a rough growl from his throat.

"I'll never get tired of this pussy," he uttered, loving how soft she felt against his fingers. "I could play with it all day."

She moaned and spread her legs wider, her panties stretching as they hugged her thighs. Kylo stayed silent as he worked her, serving tantalizing strokes to her sweet spot as she squirmed and arched her back against his chest. "Look at you," he cooed, finger pinching her nipple at the same time through her dress. "You're so close already."

Besides her whimpers, the only sound in the room was the soft bustle from partygoers and the friction of her slick against Kylo's fingers. He increased his pace and she grabbed his wrist, tensing. It only took seconds before she started to come, and loudly. With one hand working her pussy, he clamped the other over her mouth to muffle her moans. She writhed against him, jolting and twitching as her orgasm wrung her out. Hand still pressed against her lips, she licked at his palm, moving upwards to wrap her tongue around a finger. She feverishly sucked at it, mewling and drooling as her teeth dug into his finger, eliciting a guttural groan from his chest.

Once the intensity of her cries settled into soft whimpers, Kylo tore his hands from her to start unzipping his pants. "Hands on the glass," came his rough demand as he pulled his cock free. "Now."

Panting, Kitten did as she was told. Kylo hooked his fingers on either side of her underwear and yanked them down to her ankles. He uttered praise as she stepped out of them, opened her legs and arched her back, bringing her face close to the glass. Pulling up her dress, he exposed her from the waist down, stroking himself with one hand as the gleam of the galaxy kissed her bare skin. He situated between her legs and slid his shaft over the length of her cunt, his breath hitching at the way she jolted as he grazed her clit. He toyed with her for a few moments before pressing the head of his cock at her opening. Kitten squirmed a bit, then slammed her ass against him, her pussy swallowing him whole.

"Fuck," he hissed, fingers digging into her hips as he remained still, savoring how good she felt.

"Kylo," she panted, needily rotating her hips against him, "fuck me."

He didn't. Not yet. But Kitten didn't like that, backing up on him to try and get him to move. With a frustrated groan, she started to complain, but he quieted her by grabbing the back of her neck and pushing her face into the glass, his hips snapping back and forth to drill her from behind. His fingers cinched around the fabric of her dress while the others dug into her, his thrusts fast and powerful, making her ass bounce against him with a rhythmic clap.

"Harder," she cried, eyes shut and forehead crumpled in pleasure. "Please, please, please..."

Kylo grunted, grasping her harder as he mercilessly fucked her against the wall. Her cunt was so tight, so warm, and with each stroke, he could feel her spasm around his cock. He stiffened as his climax approached—he wanted to fuck her all night, but they'd have to wait until they got back to their quarters.

"Fuck, Kitten," he breathed, moving his hand from her neck to grab her hips. He directed her back to meet his brutal spurs, speaking through labored breathing. "My little slut."

She moaned nonsense, hands and face flat on the window as she stood and took every inch of him. He desperately wanted to fill her up with his cum, to feel her clench around him as he pulsated and throbbed inside her, but he knew that also had to wait until they were back in his quarters.

"On your knees," he rasped, pulling out of her.

He palmed his cock, warm and wet from her slick, and tugged on her wrist to spin her around. Eyes half-closed while shallow breaths poured out of her, Kitten scrambled to sink to her knees. Kylo took a step closer to her, cock in hand, and pointed it down. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, tongue out flat, and patiently waited.

"Good girl," he breathed, jerking himself faster. He widened his legs and grunted, his cock aching for release. With a few more strokes, Kylo grabbed the top of her head to snap it back, placed the head of his cock on her tongue, and came into her mouth. "Gods," he hissed, watching spurts of cum coat her tongue and slide down her throat. He hunched over as he rode out his orgasm, his hand running up and down his length to squeeze out every last bit.

Kitten hummed as she gulped it down, licking her lips and looking up at him with those eyes that drove him wild. The way she was peering up at him with such need, the way she begged him to fuck her and then swallowed his cum...it only made him want her more. He slipped his cock back into his pants and reached down to pull her up. He let Kitten regain her balance before he pushed her against the glass.

"What, what are you doing?"

Kylo collected her dress and handed it to her. "Hold this," he demanded as he got on his knees. "And put a leg over my shoulder."

Shakily, Kitten listened, holding her gown up so her cunt was exposed to his face. He wet his lips and helped her throw her leg over his shoulder to spread her open. Wrapping his arms around the backside of her ass, he gently pulled her closer to his face to kiss her delectable cunt.

"Oh, Kylo," she moaned, raw and unrestrained, as her hand threaded through his hair.

His lips vibrated against her clit before lapping at it with gentle nudges of his tongue. It wasn't until she was whimpering and begging that the Supreme Leader spread her wider and dove in. From behind, he slipped a finger inside of her, his nose pressed into the top of her sex as he continued to flick her most sensitive spot. Her grip on his scalp tightened as he sucked at her delicately and finger fucked her with firm strokes.

She mewled, desperate to stay quiet, but Kylo no longer cared if the whole galaxy knew he had finally claimed his royal title as he wore Kitten's legs like a crown. All he cared about was making her come again. He kept his tongue slow but steady on her clit, cherishing the way she throbbed against him and tensed around his finger. She was soaking wet and swollen, responding to each tender stroke with a muted whine and twitch, and he could already feel his cock stiffening in his pants, ready and eager to be inside of her again.

"I'm...I'm..." Kylo groaned against her, his face wet from her slick. He could feel her lock up as her orgasm built. Her fingers curled in his hair. Her legs trembled. Her pussy pulsated. She was silent for one fleeting moment, and then came the chorus of moans. "Fuck, Kylo!"

The Supreme Leader stayed latched onto Kitten's cunt as she came on his face, hips grinding wildly against him. She tugged on his hair so hard he thought she might rip a handful out. He fucking loved it, moaning into her sex as he imagined taking her against the wall again.

"No more," she panted, pushing his head away. "Too much."

With a wet plop, Kylo slipped his finger out of her and pulled his lips from her clit. Leaning back slightly, he used his thumb and pointer finger to spread her one last time, just to see how pretty her pussy glistened with her cum, before giving her a final kiss. She jolted at the touch, and he glanced up at her flushed face as he helped her bring her leg off his shoulder.

He stood up and wiped the back of his mouth, studying his girl as she sloped against the wall and caught her breath. She looked fucking irresistible. He grabbed her hand and placed it on his cock, rigid and trying to burst out of his pants.

"Do you see what you do to me, Kitten?" came his husky rasp, seeking relief by pressing her palm against his erection. "Do you?"

She grinned and let out a breathless giggle. He shot her one last look before dropping her hand and pivoting to stand beside her, his back to the glass. Shoulders touching, they stood in silence as their breathing slowly returned to normal. Eventually, he felt her eyes on him. "Wow."

Kylo nodded. "Yeah."

"Hey, so," she started, leaning her head on his shoulder, "would you be mad if I said I don't wanna go back and see everyone? I kinda just want to get drunk and eat cake."

"Not mad at all." Kylo let out a deep breath and glanced down at her. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Kitten grinned. With effort, she peeled herself off the glass and stood before him. She held out her hands for him to take. "Come on, Supreme Leader. Let's go."

Before he could take her hands, the blast doors opened across the room. "Master Ren," Ap'lek urgently greeted, "I apologize for the interruption, but Vicrul is here to speak with you. He said it's important."

Kylo pushed himself off the wall, taking a few steps closer. "Send him away."

"Yes, Master," he said, turning around to leave. The doors started to close, but they immediately reopened, and in came Vicrul. Ap'lek tried to intervene, but Kylo held up his hand to stop him, allowing the other knight to come forward.

"Please, Master," Vicrul pleaded, holding up his hands in surrender. He was maskless, dressed in his casuals with his scythe on his back. "It will only take a minute."

Behind him, he heard Kitten shuffle. The Supreme Leader's nostrils flared, and his fingers twitched into fists. "I asked you specifically not to come. Why are you here?"

The corner of his mouth pulled down. "I know I wasn't invited, but I have something urgent to show you, sir. It really couldn't wait."

"Her party isn't the time," he said, tone gravely quiet. "Brief me later. Leave."

Kitten positioned herself by Kylo's side and looked up at him. "I don't mind. If it's important, you two should talk."

"You'll want to see this too, Miss Ren. It involves you," he said, clutching the satchel strewn across his body. "Please, Master. It won't take long."

Gaze locked on Vicrul, Kylo's eye twitched. The sight of him here made his blood boil, especially after reliving his betrayal earlier today, but he knew that it had to be important if he went against his wishes and showed up tonight. "You have two minutes."

"Thank you, sir." Vicrul let out a deep breath and approached them by the glass. "I will get right into it, then. I have recovered Palpatine's artifact from Exegol."

The Supreme Leader tensed. "Which artifact?"

"The pendant," he said, extending his hand to reveal Kitten's purple crystal, now wrapped in wire. "The one that belongs to Miss Ren."

Beside him, Kitten pulled in a sharp inhale, her fingers curling around his arm as she reached for the necklace to grab it by the chain. But Kylo didn't react. Not outwardly, at least, as his mind raced with flashes of what was to come if Vicrul truly held what was needed to restore her powers. It had been a hard pill to swallow knowing that he had the chance to retrieve the pendant on Batuu all those months ago, and just like Luke warned against, the Supreme Leader had let his hatred for his uncle taint his judgment. But now she could have what was rightfully hers, and their dyad could be regenerated. He was so in shock, Kitten had to shake him to snap him out of it.

"Start from the beginning," he rasped, taking a step closer. "Tell me everything. Now."

Vicrul launched into the process of recovery, starting with what happened after the Knights of Ren emerged victorious against Hux's troops on Exegol. Kylo already knew that they dragged an unconscious General aboard the Night Buzzard and then started the trek to the Steadfast, but he hadn't been made aware of Vicrul's effort to search for the crystal beforehand. Something the Supreme Leader learned was intentional—his knight didn't want to give them false hope until he knew there was at least a chance of it being functional.

"And I'm not entirely positive of its efficacy after it was recast, Master Ren, but there is still a faint Force signature on it. It's how I was able to find it miles away from Skywalker's robes. Which brings me to my next point," Vicrul muttered, looking down to open the bag hanging across his chest. He pulled out two rust-brown, ancient pieces of paper to pass them to Kylo. "The two missing pages from the Book of Sith."

The Supreme Leader grabbed them, his body vibrating with suppressed stupefaction. "Luke had them all along."

"Yes, sir. It's how he knew how to transfer her power back into the crystal. It's a manual on how to use it."

"How would a Jedi know how to read this?" Kylo muttered, more to himself as his eyes glossed over the Sith language. He frowned. "It's written in ur-Kittât."

"Something we might never know, Master Ren," Vicrul said with a sigh, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "But my guess is...Exegol. Based on what we do know, Skywalker used the vergence more than once."

The Supreme Leader gave a slow nod, then glanced up at him. "And you? How did you decode it?"

"I didn't, sir. Albrekh did."

"It took Albrekh 3 years to decode 45 pages," he said, shifting impatiently. "How did you get him to decode two in less than a week?"

"Turns out even 3,000-year-old Sith alchemists can be bribed," Vicrul said with a shrug. "Which reminds me...I believe now's a good time to mention that you owe him 300,000 credits."

Kylo raised an incredulous brow. "That is an exorbitant amount of money."

"Which is why you're paying him, not me," he said with a smirk. When Kitten stifled a laugh and Vicrul glanced at her amusedly, the Supreme Leader shot them a glare that sobered both of them up. His knight cleared his throat and dipped his head into a bow. "Sorry, Supreme Leader, sir."

"Don't be sorry," Kylo said tightly, his head pounding. "Inform me. Tell me the status of the final decryption."

"Yes, sir," Vicrul said with a respectful drop of his chin. "It is being uploaded as we speak. From what I strong-armed out of Albrekh, the text includes how the crystal was created and how to reverse it. Most importantly, it gives us coordinates on where to revitalize the artifact in case it's damaged. One of them is on Exegol. The other is Vader's Retreat on Coruscant."

The gears began turning in Kylo's head. "The same place Skywalker drained her Force abilities."

"Yes, sir." Vicrul nodded. "Below the ruined temple is a vergence, just like beneath the Sith Citadel."

"Dark power?"

"Actually, neither, Master." There was a slight pause. "Or both, however you'd like to look at it. It's just power. Raw, unlimited power."

"Wait a minute...Vader's Retreat?" Kitten asked, glancing up at Kylo. "That's the place I see in my dreams, isn't it? My safe place?"

All he did was nod, his heart crashing against his sternum as the Force granted him an upload of clarity. Everything was connected. Even more than he already suspected. Why he so easily found Vader's Retreat as a child. Why Kitten felt so connected to it, carrying it with her as her happy place for years. Unlike the vergence on Exegol, the power below the temple on Coruscant must be equalized. Balanced, bare, and undivided strength like their dyad in the Force. That's why it called to them, why it still called to them. She had Palpatine's power in her, but she was meant to have it all. To be more than just a Sith or a Jedi, just like him. And now that she had the chance to awaken her Force powers in a place that would nurture them, a burst of unadulterated, fierce hope shot through Kylo.

"We leave at once," he said, passing the papers back to Vicrul as he started to walk away. "Alert the others. We need—"

"Whoa, whoa, wait," Kitten interjected, tugging on his elbow. "Kylo, can I have a second to think about this? The last time I put the necklace on, lightning shot out of my fingertips and a bunch of Sith Lords tried to fucking kill me. I'm not super eager to go through that again."

He fervently shook his head. "That was on Exegol. The vergence there is dark by nature, evil. But on Coruscant, it's different. The power echoes what's already inside us—equilibrium. Awakening your abilities there won't be dangerous. It will make things right."

Still, she looked hesitant. "I just...I don't want to rush into it right away, okay?"

Kylo blinked. He didn't know what to say. When they had talked about this, she expressed sadness for the loss of her powers. But now she didn't want them back? He didn't understand.

In their prolonged silence, Vicrul took a step back, excusing himself from their intimate moment. "Sorry I interrupted your birthday celebration, Miss Ren. You have a good evening now."

Kitten ignored him as she held the Supreme Leader's gaze. There wasn't anger between them, just tension. It was Kylo who finally acknowledged his knight, stepping away from her to call out to him. "Vicrul?"

He turned around. "Yes, Master?"

Kylo gave him an approving nod. "Good work."

At this, Vicrul smiled. With one last glance at Kitten, he turned around and left them alone. The Supreme Leader approached her, keeping his voice even and calm. "Kitten, do you trust me?"

She shifted her stance, crossing her arms. "Well, I—"

"It's a yes or no question."

She frowned. "Yes."

"Then trust me," he pleaded, placing his hands on the small of her waist. He pulled her in closer, eyes locked on hers as she tipped her face up to return his penetrative gaze. "I would never put you in danger. I only want what's best for you. And retrieving what was stolen from you is what's best for you. After you put it back on, we will have it all."

Kitten stared at him for a long time. He knew he looked desperate, clutching onto her as he waited for her response, but he couldn't rein it in. Now that he knew there was a solution to get her powers back, he had to try, no matter what. But as she eventually dropped her eyes, avoiding him to look at the pendant in her hands, the Supreme Leader's conviction morphed into confusion.

"Something else is bothering you," he said quietly, connecting their gazes by lifting her chin. "What is it?"

It took Kitten a while to respond. "I'm afraid," she admitted in a strained whisper. "I already lost them once. What if it doesn't work? I don't want to be crushed again."

"I won't let that happen," he said with unwavering confidence. Kitten looked doubtful, opening her mouth to respond, but he cut her off, tightening his hold on her. "I won't let that happen." He added her name. "Do you trust me or not?"

After a moment of hesitation, she sighed. "Yeah, yeah." Grabbing his hand, she pulled him toward the door. "Come on, let's get some cake before we review the pages. I wanna see what the hell I'm about to get myself into."

Heart pounding, adrenaline spiking, Kylo could barely see straight, his mind fixated on what was to come. He stopped and tugged on her hand. "Kitten?" She paused, turning to look at him. "I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too, Kylo."