Theodosia

Chapter 18

"Forgive me. I feel it again...the pull to the light."

Kylo Ren sat alone in his chambers, fully masked as he crouched down over his precious relic. He clenched his fists as he spoke, fighting the ongoing war with himself. His thoughts, as they so often did, drifted to his inner turmoil. His battle of conforming to the Dark side while being tempted by the peace that the Light side offered him.

Theodosia wasn't making it any easier for him. She had made her decision, or rather she had convinced herself of it. But even though she stayed silent during their missions or offered no response whenever they had a strategy meeting, she was able to make her opinion known. To him, anyway.

He could feel her anger. Insouciant as she may seem, she could not hide her emotions from him. Even if she blocked out their connection through the force, he could see it in the way she lagged behind in missions. In the way she would sit in the recreational area, subconsciously stirring her cup of tea that had gone cold long ago.

He tried confronting her about it, but the only thing that came out of it was him realising that he couldn't solve her problem when he was part of the problem. Bringing it up would only make it worse, so he left it. He instead tried showing it through his actions. A simple kind smile in the morning or a cooked meal. He had tried it.

 And she for one, was very grateful for it, even thanking him by hugging him tightly despite their current feelings for one another. But he could still see the emptiness behind her bright eyes. They weren't so bright anymore.

Things were complicated. As usual, they were victims of circumstance. Circumstances by their own decisions, but circumstances no less. He sighed, clearing his mind of thoughts about her.

 "Supreme Leader senses it," he continued. "Show me again, the power of the darkness. And I will let nothing stand in our way."

And as he looked down at the old, burnt mask of the infamous Darth Vader, he said with some conviction in his voice: "Show me, grandfather, and I will finish what you started."

***

Walking through the Star Destroyer, he made his way to the viewing bridge. General Hux was bound to give out the order any time soon. The man had been eager, wickedly excited to test out the weapon they had been building, the Starkiller Base.

The door of the bridge slid open, and he stopped in his tracks when he recognised the silhoutte standing in the dark. The light from the holoprojector lit up her face in the dark room. She was watching a projection of the rally. 

"Today is the end of the Republic!" Hux's voice shouted through her device. "The end of the regime that acquiesces to disorder. At this very moment in a system far from here, the New Republic lies to the galaxy while secretly supporting the treachery of the loathsome Resistance!"

Kylo shut the door behind him and approached her. The sounds of his footsteps alerted her of his presence, and she turned back. He stopped beside her.

"You have to admit he says it with passion," she remarked, turning back to the screen.

He smiled at her comment, not replying as they both watched the ginger general vividly give his speech to the entire battalion of Stormtroopers. They all stood in neat rows, awaiting the moment when the weapon would blast. Armitage Hux stood at the front, addressing his army of Stormtroopers in a manner of a ruthless dictator, living up to his reputation as the merciless general of the First Order.

"All remaining systems will bow to the First Order," Hux shouted. "And will remember this as the last day of the Republic!"

Theo slowly lowered the screen, looking up instead to the window in front of them. Where they stood was the perfect spot to see the weapon's destruction.