The Independency: A Star Wars Story

The Acceptance

     The next day, Miscellin went about on her day as she normally did. She worked, she ate, then she returned to Kylo's quarters and laid out upon the loveseat and read a book. She found that no matter how she attempted to distract herself, she couldn't rid her mind of the thought of Kylo's lips. It was around 7:00 p.m. standard time, and Kylo had not yet returned.

     Lin just couldn't quite understand why she had done what she did. Why did she lean into him, why did she allow Kylo to hold her in such a way? With a soft sigh, Lin brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Theo affectionately nuzzled against her hand, a bit desperate for some kind of attention. Lin picked Theo up and gently pet him.

     "What is this that I'm feeling, Theo? It's certainly not love, I could never love him. He has too many problems. He's my enemy, for Skywalker's sake!" Lin huffed and stood from the loveseat, then crossed the balcony to lean against the rail. "...perhaps it's possible that I am in love. What a strange word that is. Do you think he loves me, or was he just looking to lose his virginity?"

     Lin laughed lightly. "I suppose it doesn't matter. I'll be leaving this place soon anyways. I'll be rescued, and then I can go back to being the leader that I am."

     Lin stood on that balcony for a long while, staring out at the galaxy and its multitudes of colors. She must've been standing there for hours.

     At around 9:30 p.m., Kylo returned and the first thing he did was make his way out to the balcony, which he knew Lin would be standing on. He went up from behind her, and placed a hand on her waist. He wound his arms around her waist, then rested his head on her shoulder. "Oh, hello." Lin said softly. "How was your day?" She asked.

     "Well enough. A bit boring." Kylo responded in an equally soft voice.

     There were a few long moments of silence.

     Suddenly, out of nowhere, Lin whirled around and lightly pushed Kylo. "What the hell is this? Why are you being like this? Why can't things just go back to the way they were, why can't you just leave me alone? Or, better yet, why can't you just let me leave? Don't you understand that I want to go home, don't you understand that I'm upset and lonely?"

     Kylo was stunned by her sudden outburst. In all honesty, Kylo had been pondering what they had done yesterday all day. Kylo knew that Lin still felt a sense of loyalty towards the First Order, and towards him. He knew that she felt some kind of love towards him, and Kylo, well...he felt love towards her. He didn't know how, he didn't know why, and he really didn't care. He just knew that he was happy and calm around her. So, during his day, he had decided to give Lin a choice: she could stay with the First Order and rule the galaxy with him, or he could return her to the Resistance and Independency. Kylo was tired of forcing her to be here(pun intended), and he wanted her to be with him because she wanted to stay.

     "That answers what I was going to ask you, then. I suppose I don't even need to ask now, do I?" Kylo asked her. His tone had become harsh, and his eyes, which had held a bit of warmth before, turned cold and sad in a single instant.

     Lin immediately felt a stab of regret and guilt go through her heart. She despises seeing that cold, depressed, and furious look upon his face. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "Ben, I'm just...overwhelmed."

     Kylo sighed and rubbed his temples. "I'm going to give you a choice, and I'm only going to say this once. I plan on removing the force band completely. What I want to know is...will you stay here with me? Will you rule with me, help me make decisions, is it possible that you could stay and love me? Any love that you give me I will happily and willingly give to you. If you do not wish to stay, then I will return you to the Resistance, and we can once again be enemies if that is what you want."

     Lin's hands started to tremble, and she took a few steps backwards. Her back hit the rail, and she dropped to her knees. Kylo, concerned that she was hurt, rushed over to her and dropped to his knees as well. He lifted her chin, and to his surprise, tears could be seen in Lin's stormy grey eyes.

     "I need time." Lin was able to croak out. "I...you know I want to stay, but this is not a cause that I believe in. What the First Order is doing is wrong, and...and I-I c-can't—"

     Kylo waved a hand to cut her off. He pulled Lin into a hug and caressed her cheek. "Then we'll make this a democracy. We can make this work. I'm not asking you to decide now, I'm only asking you to ponder it."

     What had Lin gotten herself into, and would she be able to get out?

((A/N: Wow. I'm so sorry for the long delay, for those who are reading this. My inspiration levels have been seriously low, even writing this was a struggle. I apologize for the low quality of this chapter, and I swear to you that I will do better in the future.))