Breeder ~ A Kylo Ren Fanfiction

35

For the most part, the other women didn't mention my new jewelry. The neckline of my dress kept the pendant covered, my brown curls concealing the silver chain, but I knew people noticed it, Anika touching it briefly before bed, removing her hand before someone watching the security cameras could see, giving me a small smile. 

If my fellow Breeders had a problem with me having something other than our everyday black uniform, one humanizing item on me at all times, they didn't dare say anything about that, at least for a few days.

"Nice necklace, Astrid," Lynx spat as we congregated in the lunchroom before heading to hear Hux's daily speech. The guards didn't do anything at first, but a few sharp eyes glanced over at us warningly. They weren't used to Lynx breaking the rules- by all accounts, she enjoyed being here, relished carrying the child of the general. "You talk a big game about independence and freedom, then you come in with Commander Ren's collar on your neck like you're his pet, a domesticated animal."

A guard clamped her bony hand on Lynx's shoulder, her clean fingernails digging into the fabric of her dress. "Careful girl, I know you don't want another chat with Grandmother Bee."

Lynx swallowed hard, her white eyes fearful. Hands shaking, she let herself be led to the middle of the line, as alphabetical order would dictate. I looked at her over my shoulder and, for the first time, didn't feel annoyance or ire, didn't want to nudge Anika and have a laugh at her pathetic notions of grandeur because she was General Hux's Breeder; I felt pity. 

"Eyes forward," a harpy hissed in my ear.

As we walked, I could feel an unease spread through our group like a virus, everyone worried we'd all be punished for Lynx's actions. In my few weeks in the gestation suites, I hadn't seen any Breeder speak out like that, all of us too terrified of Grandmother Bee to even consider it. 

Now that I'd heard some version of Hux's speech about a hundred times, I could tune it out effectively, clapping when everyone else did, but when he gestured to a tall man with wispy brown hair, I tuned back in. Prodding Anika, I asked, "Who's that man?"

"He's Commander Orion," she whispered. "He's going to be in charge while Hux goes on an off-planet mission."

"Since when does Hux go off-planet?"

A Stormtrooper came up beside our row, effectively silencing all conversation, but Anika gave a small shrug indicating this seemed odd to her as well. I tried to peer past the other girls to see Lynx's reaction, but there were too many bored faces separating us. 

I didn't know where these other women came from, how well-off they were or what resources their planets had, but on Maslot, I was too worried about famine, hurricanes, and disease to think about politics. If Starkiller Base gave me anything, it was time to think about the implications of this war, of the First Order's goal to conquer the galaxy. Between General Organa's speech and the treatment of the Breeders, I'd come to realize that I didn't want the First Order to win. I wanted the rebels to liberate us; I wanted the Republic to restore balance to the Force. Woah. That phrase hadn't popped into my head in years: restore balance to the Force. 

If Hux was going off-planet, that probably meant they were about to claim a great victory over the rebels, and that knowledge felt like a spike in my chest.

Shuffling out of the massive room in two lines, as per usual, a guard (not one of ours; a male guard in all black) grabbed Lynx by the arm. I could see it as we turned the corner, all the women going slower to eavesdrop.

"General Hux has requested you."

"Sir," a silver-haired harpy cut in. "Grandmother Bee handles all scheduling; you can't just pull her out of line here. You may follow us back to the gestation suites and make your request there."

"It's for the general." His words oozed condescension. "I hate to pull rank, but..."

I only knew what I'd deduced from watching the interactions of guards and soldiers, but I believed that all the blue-uniformed guards were subordinates of the black-uniformed ones. Despite that, the silver-haired woman appeared unfazed by the man's power move. "I seem to recall the Supreme Leader saying that the Breeder program is the single most import endeavor the First Order is currently undertaking, other than expansion."

The guard swallowed thickly, taking a small step back. Amma reached out and pinched my wrist, letting me know this interaction was significant; guards didn't invoke the title of their leader in casual conversation.

"Yes, you are right, but this does have to do with expansion." He leaned in and whispered something in the harpy's ear, and she inhaled sharply, gesturing for Lynx to follow him.

The walk back to the gestation suites was significantly less organized, the guards, as well as the troopers, conversed in hushed tones, the soldier's masks filling the corridors with a dull, static hum. After making sure no one was paying us any mind, Anika leaned into me and squeaked, "What the fuck was that all about?"

I shook my head, her fear scaring me more than my own. After her many weeks of dysthymia, the events in after Hux's speech were enough to snap her out of her haze. I felt terrified- we all did.