VENDETTA [ kylo ren ]

eight

08. sweet goodbyes

HER HANDS DIDN'T TREMBLE as she walked down the steps of the Castle. She was no longer clad in a pretty dress, instead she wore a dark black suit. It fit tightly around her body. On top of it was a long black coat, a thin one that reminded her of the one's the doctors wear, only black. The only thing that would distinguish her from the other women she was to work along with, was the large silver pendant on her chest, connected to a chain that hung around her upper body. The pendant was a raven. The raven had been the sigil of the Craene family for hundreds of years, and she wore it with pride.

Her father, her brother and the Kingdom's delegation stood at the end of the steps. She stopped in front of them. "I'm sure you'll be able to handle everything around here, father."

He smiled at her, "and I'm sure you'll be a wonderful asset to the First Order's cause." His face then turned a little sour. "Be safe, sunshine."

She gave him a reassuring smile, "I will, I promise." She then turned to her brother. "Look after father for me," she whispered so the King could not hear.

Astin nodded. "I will. And...if something's wrong, our gates are always open, you know that, right?"

Forgetting the quarrel she had with him not too long ago, she pulled her brother into a hug. "I know, brother. Take care."

"You too." They let each other go teary-eyed. At times they might not seem as the perfect family, but they were still family. They had already lost to much of it to hate each other.

The people she knew in her home watched her walk towards the First Order emissaries as they got into their ships. The Commander entered his own ship, the General and his advisors entered another while the troopers boarded the third craft. She decided joining the General would be unpleasant, but for the best.

Within seconds they had ascended into the sky. There were no windows, so even if she wanted to, she couldn't watch her home grow tinier and tinier as she flew away.

She sat down in a corner and didn't speak, not when they entered light speed and not when they arrived their destination. As the General and his advisors got ready to get off the ship, she stood behind them.

The General grinned at her just before they landed, "welcome to the Supremacy, Princess."

The ship doors opened and she walked down the platform behind Hux and his assistants. She stood there for a few more seconds. She was in a dock. The largest one she had ever seen. It was full of TIE's and jets and especially troopers. Droids roamed the floors and occasionally someone without a helmet passed by, usually holding a pad in their hands and staring at it.

She was startled out of her gazing by a trooper. "M'am, I am to escort you to your residence," his robotic voice told her, "please follow me."

She lifted her eyebrows at him but then nodded. He started guiding her through the ship as she followed behind. When they left the dock she saw the Commander storming out of his ship, he seemed less happy than before.

The trooper took her through many hallways, all of which were black with some neon lights attached to the walls. She almost tripped over a droid, thrice, before they reached an elevator.

She looked at all the buttons, there were a lot. The top one seemed to be important. "What's on the highest level?" she asked the trooper.

He was reluctant to answer. But he saw her firm gaze. "It leads to Supreme Leader Snoke's residence. The only ones who are allowed to go up are General Hux and Lord Ren."

"Lord Ren?" she asked him, "I thought he was a Commander."

The trooper answered after they had reached the fourth floor. "He goes by both, usually." He leads her through another hallway and finally stops in front of a door. "These are your quarters m'am. You have been provided with a private bathroom. The canteen is down the hall and to the right."

"Thank you..." she stopped, "what's your name?"

"DM-2467, M'am," he spoke, reminding her of his robotic voice again.

It also reminded her of how the First Order Stormtroopers don't have names, instead they're a number. She hoped she could fix that. "I will see you around, DM-2467."