Bonded

Chapter 36: Chainbreaker

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Kylo Ren faces mounting pressure to deal with the Resistance

"Oh Elias..." The woman coos. "You can't be serious."

"But I am," the man intones. "You've always said wanted children, have you not?"

"But..." The woman's breath is faintly audible through the static. "Is it even possible? I mean, for us to..."

"Well, dear." The man's voice seems to get closer. "There's only one way to find out."

"Turn that shit off!"

A hulking man emerges from the forest, stalking to the campfire.

The men around it at glance at each other, kissing sounds wafting through the receiver.

"If that isn't off by the time I get there..." The giant picks up his pace.

A young red-haired man leaps up, scurrying to the subspace radio and flipping a switch.

Suddenly it's quiet, the fire crackling softly, insects chirping in the distance.

The giant shakes his head as he approaches. He's nearly seven feet tall and well-muscled, a gold ring piercing the center of his nose.

"I leave for ten minutes..." He kicks a Shistavanen sleeping by a log.

The wolfman flies up, eyes wide.

"Where's the trouble?" He grabs his blaster.

"The trouble..." The giant fumes. "Is that you're sleeping when you should be guarding the damn shipment." He points a transport in the center of the clearing.

"Oh." He sets down the blaster. "Right." He lies back on the ground.

"GET UP!" The giant roars.

The wolfman snaps up along with several others dozing around the fire.

"ALL OF YOU!"

The men straighten, half of them bleary-eyed, trying to shake themselves awake.

There are sixteen of them, some perched on logs, others lying in the grass. All of them are equipped with blasters, a few with more colorful weapons— carbine rifles, flame throwers.

"Idiots." The giant saunters to a log. "Pathetic." He takes a seat. "Raiden'll hear about this. You can be sure of that."

"But..." The red-haired man sits up. "Not all of us were sleeping. I was awake the whole time. So was Insen." He nods to the man beside him. "And Nex." He nods to another. "And—"

"Shut it, Toad." The giant points at him. "You sat there and watched them sleep, didn't you?"

Toad opens his mouth to protest but catches himself. He crosses arms, sulking.

"We'd have an easier time staying awake if we had some entertainment," he mutters.

"Oh, you want entertainment?" The giant perks up. "I'll give you entertainment." He puts a hand on his blade. "Let's have a little sparring match, just you and me."

Toad gulps.

"Knock it off, Rafe." The wolfman stands, making his way to a log. "We're out of bacta bandages, and I don't wanna clean up your mess."

The giant removes his hand from the blade but keeps his eyes on Toad.

"Raiden's gonna have your ass." He smirks. "All of you'll be doing time in the tunnels after we get back."