Allegiance | Kylo Ren

XLV

I assumed my regular position next to Kylo at the back of the ship. We stood in our usual silence, both focused on the task at hand.

I noticed there was no gap in the line where I would have stood—apparently my new spot was permanent, and official, and everyone knew it.

The flight was a bumpy one. I barely managed to avoid stumbling, my hand brushing Kylo's wrist as I nearly fell. He steadied me with a careful hand on my elbow, and I flashed him a grateful glance which he did not acknowledge.

The ship landed with a thump, jarring everyone slightly. I didn't need Kylo's help to stay upright this time.

I took a deep breath as we waited for the ramp to lower, mentally reviewing the plan. It wasn't a complex one; we were the third ship, so we had to wait until the others engaged the border patrols, but it should be a clear shot at the base.

The wait seemed eternal. I was suddenly nervous, a slight pulsing in the light scar running across my face. I closed my eyes, recalling the searing pain of the touch of a lightsaber to my skin.

Not this time, I told myself. This time I'll be careful.

Kylo's hand pressed lightly to my back, indicating he had sensed my thoughts. I glanced at him uneasily, wishing I could hear his thoughts as easily as he could hear mine.

There was not much time for such wishful thinking, however, as a heartbeat later we received the signal that it was time to move out.

As we descended the ramp and entered the battlefield, something immediately felt wrong. Troopers and Resistance fighters were sparring as usual, locked in the same vicious combat that had become normal.

We were on a large clearing of grass, surrounded by forest on all sides. The grassy land sloped upward at the edges, and at the top of a large hill on the other side of the clearing stood the base. It was a small yet fortified building, with a concentration of Resistance fighters standing guard around it.

I stayed close to Kylo's side as we entered the battle, my eyes scanning the large field to see if I could figure out was different. It was strange—it almost seemed as if there weren't enough Resistance fighters.

I fired a shot at an approaching rebel, watching her body fall to the ground. I could hear the whir of Kylo's lightsaber swinging behind me as he fought off multiple rebels at once. I fired a shot to take out one of them, and he easily dispatched the other, giving me a curt nod as thanks. I knew that as long as I stayed close to him we would both be safe, and so I was careful to linger next to him as we fought off the seemingly small number of rebels around us and made our way towards the base at the edge of the trees.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"Hey!" A loud yell from across the field made us both turn. My eyes widened. It was the traitor. He stood boldly at the edge of the field bordering the trees, his shoulders squared and his chin raised as he watched us.

Kylo and I both instinctively moved towards him, our anger burning as one as we remembered his betrayal. I fired a shot in his direction. It missed, but it was close enough to startle him as he turned and disappeared into the forest. We broke into a run as we pursued him, eager to get revenge for his traitorous ways. I matched Kylo stride for stride as we entered the forest, feeling exhilaration at having the chance to finally put an end to the traitor.

We slowed as we became enshrouded in trees, glancing around to try and catch a glimpse of the man.

"Stay close." Kylo warned as we moved quietly through the forest.

"I will." I breathed, my eyes darting in every direction. I kept my blaster raised, ready to fire on sight.

The forest fell quiet. Even the trees seemed to be holding their breath. Blood pounded in my ears. Only the soft crunch of leaves underfoot indicated that I could in fact still hear.

A sudden explosion in front of us split the silence, sending Kylo and I scrambling in opposite directions for cover. I fell to the ground, feeling the rush of energy from the explosion knock me off balance. My blaster skidded away from me, just out of reach. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of brown jacket—the traitor. Kylo must have seen him too, because he took off after him without hesitation, lightsaber drawn as he chased the man through the trees.

My ears ringing, I scrambled to my feet and made to follow but found that I could not. I was frozen in place, unable to move at all. My eyes widened in fear.

What was wrong with me?

I stood rigidly as a young woman came into view, holding her hand out towards me. She regarded me with wide eyes as she held me in place. I spotted a lightsaber on her belt, and it all clicked—this was the girl. The one who had escaped the Starkiller base. The one whose lightsaber had permanently marked my face.  She was using the Force, and I was helpless against it. She moved towards me slowly until her fingers were inches from my helmet. She kept her eyes trained on me, a crease between her eyebrows as she focused on holding me still.

A voice behind me startled me.

"This is the one?"

The girl nodded, keeping her eyes trained on me. "Yes, the one with the black armor."

"We need to hurry. Finn can only distract him for so long." The owner of the second voice came into view, staring at me with the same interest on his face. He had dark hair and tan skin, and wore a Resistance pilot's uniform.

The girl nodded, waving her hand, and I blacked out.