Allegiance | Kylo Ren

XC

Poe didn't respond right away, so I tried again. "Poe, are you listening? He's here. Send down that tracking device and let's get this done."

"I'm not sending down the tracking device." Poe sounded resigned.

"What?" I demanded. "Then we have a better plan?"

"General Organa has elected to launch an all-out attack on the First Order base."

My heart plummeted. "That's a suicide mission."

"I know." Poe's voice was quiet. "They are loading the ships right now at HQ, and a transmission has been sent out to all satellite locations to inform them of the attack."

"Poe, every single trooper and guard in the system is at this base right now." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "It's crawling with armed personnel. Why can't we just plant the tracking device and get out of here?"

"They decided that this is our best chance to take out Snoke, while his location is absolute." There was a pause. "I'll need you to stay put while reinforcements arrive. Sorry, Cal."

I ran my hands over my face, feeling every muscle in my body tense. I had a very, very bad feeling about this.

"Cal, Leia asked if you can find a way to disable the radars while our ships arrive."

"I can get to the panels, but I'll need someone to talk me through it." Then I remembered something. "Ben knows how."

"Right, let me know when you're there and I'll have him give you instructions."

I pulled my helmet back on and began the long trek back across the base. Despite being cloaked in armor, I was still wracked with anxiety every time I passed a trooper or guard, certain that they would somehow recognize me.

"The first ship just left." Poe informed me quietly. "It should be arriving in about ten minutes."

"I'm hurrying." I snapped, the doors to the control room finally in view. I walked as fast as I could without running, pushing open the doors quietly.

A guard sat with his back to me, gazing through the wide windows overlooking the boarding docks. He turned as I entered, and I froze.

"Is there someone there?" Poe's voice crackled in my ear, and I almost rolled my eyes—I couldn't exactly respond. There was a pause, and then he spoke again. "Tell him Hux wants everybody out to welcome Snoke."

The guard was staring at me now, looking somewhat alarmed by my lack of words.

"General Hux has ordered for all personnel to be at the boarding docks to welcome our guest." I said stiffly, hoping I sounded convincing enough.

The guard glanced over his shoulder through the window again before giving me an uncertain look. Then he nodded and stood, giving me a curious glance as he passed me.

"What about you?" He stopped as he walked through the doorway. "Shouldn't you be down there as well?"

"I've been instructed to check all rooms to be sure they are empty first." I replied evenly. The guard still didn't seem entirely convinced, but after a brief hesitation he still turned and left.

I exhaled slowly as the door closed behind him. "Thanks, Poe. I don't usually freeze up like that."

He chuckled. "Hey, nobody's perfect."

"I'm at the control panel now." My eyes scanned the countless rows of buttons and levers, and I suddenly felt overwhelmed by the prospect of having to use them.

"Okay, since Ben is on a ship now I can transmit him directly to you. Hang on a second." I heard a muffled clicking noise before the audio cut off entirely. My eyes widened, hoping that was on purpose.

After a moment, a familiar voice crackled through the earpiece. "Cal."

I heaved a sigh of relief. "Ben."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Hux is alive." I'm not sure why I felt the need to tell him that—it just escaped my lips.

There was a pause. "That's a shame."

I laughed breathlessly. "It is. Now how do I disable these radars?"

Ben rapidly conveyed directions as to how to shut down the system. I tried to follow as quickly as I could, flipping certain switches and pressing specific buttons. At last, the glowing light above the radar screens flickered out, and the screens went blank.

"I think it worked." I breathed.

"Calia."

"Yes?"

"I'll be there soon, okay? Stay safe until the rest of us have arrived."

"Okay." I whispered, observing the crowded loading docks on the platform below me through the wide window. "Ben? What is the plan once you get here? I mean, what are you going to do?"

There was a long pause before Ben responded, and for a moment I wondered if our connection was cut off. "We're going to bomb the loading docks and barricade the base. Then we're sending in a smaller squad to locate Snoke and take care of him."

My eyes squeezed shut. "And who's on that squad?"

Another pause. "Me. And Rey, and Finn, and Luke."

"Will that be enough? That's only four people."

"I don't know." He sounded uneasy.

"I'll join you." I decided, opening my eyes again. Below, the ramp to the enormous foreign ship was lowering, lines of troopers standing at attention on either side.

"No. You get back to the delivery pod and get out of there. You've done enough today." Ben's voice was firm.

I ignored him, instead trying to remember where the nearest weapons supply closet was. If I could get my hands on a blaster, I would be much better off.

"Calia, please don't."

I glanced around the room, confused. "Can you read my thoughts through transmission?"

"I don't need to. Please, just this once, do what I tell you to do and stay safe."

I opened my mouth to respond but shut it quickly. A cloaked figure was deplaning, flanked by four fierce-looking warriors. As he appeared, every trooper and guard saluted him in perfect sync. I watched as General Hux approached him, maintaining a careful distance as he bowed deeply and then spoke. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but it didn't matter.

"Ben, he's here. I can see him." I whispered, suddenly very afraid.

"Cal, listen to me. I need you to get as far away from him as you can, as fast as you can." Ben's words were urgent now. "Get back to the delivery pod."

I was frozen in place, staring down at the hooded figure below. He held himself in a way that exuded authority and power, and I was in awe of it.

"Calia?" Ben's voice sounded afraid now. "Are you there?"

As I watched, the hooded figure lifted his head. It took me a moment to realize where he was looking, but when I did, my heart stopped—he was looking directly at me.