The Empress

Chaos

"All work and no play I see?" Rey said wittingly. She rose to her feet and paced around Kylo. A critical smile exposed her dimples once more. "I'd like to see what the Supreme Leader can do."

She drew her saber, unknowingly to Kylo-- two red blades shot out of the double edged hilt and crackled by her side. Her stance was impressive and she exuded royal confidence that Kylo found to be undoubtedly arousing.

She was toying with him and he knew it. Though he was set on putting his plan to action, he didn't mind the challenge.

He unhitched his saber from his side and unleashed the crackling red blade that was still singing from Mustafar. He stepped towards her as his hilt rose towards her head.

The sound of thunderous applause rose from the crowd of hooded figures as they cheered on their Empress.

Her feet moved swiftly as she made her way towards Kylo. She unleashed her first blow against his saber, blocking his attempt to strike first. Her eyes burned with red as she twisted her saber quickly. Blow after blow, Kylo played the defensive, blocking her quick jolts as he backed away.

He noticed she had prideful power, a power that was considerably dangerous and high- risk.

Soon enough an opening cleared as he pressed into her saber and pushed back at the right moment. Rey stumbled back and looked gallantly at the effortless modestly Kylo bestowed with his lightsaber. She could watch him for days if she wasn't the one fighting him. She struck forward again but was caught off guard by the swift pivot Kylo made around her. Before she had the groundings to turn towards him again, the crackling of his saber lingered on the back of her neck.

Realizing that she had just been defeated easily by her inferior, she quickly used the force and exiled his saber to the ground, throwing it yards away from him.

She wondered if it was Kylo who had defeated her, or someone he buried inside of him. His fight was almost heroic.

Kylo reached out his hand and retrieved his saber as it flew into his hand. Rey withdrew her blades and looked at him in approval. She underestimated him.

"Gather your things. We're leaving tonight. We'll stop for rest just outside of the city and make our way to the archive center when day breaks." Kylo demanded.

As he began to walk away, he pulled the dusty cloak up off of the ground and offered it back to Rey. She stared blankly at the modest gesture. She was respected among her people as the Empress, but not as a person. She took the robe from him and lay it over her arms.

"We need to stick together. Learn to trust each other. From now on you're just going to have to deal with me." He stated. He turned away and began to walk towards the entrance of the stone abyss, making his way towards his tie fighter.

Rey couldn't help but reveal a slight smile as he walked away. She was not a people person and this was a new feeling for a girl in her position. She had a strange feeling that she could grow to trust him.

Kylo waited in his fighter, blood and dirt still scattered across his face. Rey gathered her things and set out to transmit to the fleet that she needed a fighter. The pair lifted off and left Exegol and set out on their first mission together. Although they had underestimated each other, they both felt a wielding bond. That together they could be unstoppable.

Rey followed Kylo's fighter through the glossy red worm hole as they jolted forward into the galaxy. Stars had caught her eyes. She might have thought they were almost romantic. They drifted through the cosmos in disarray.

She explored the stars with her eyes. A transmission came through on her headset.

"Light speed to L-9. Bypass the hyperdrive. Follow closely after." Kylo said through the transmitter.

Rey locked her coordinates in and bypassed the drive. She knew you weren't supposed to light speed skip a tie fighter, but she followed him into the rush of stars anyways.

Kylo pulled back as he reached the space surrounding the planet Coruscant. Rey came in hot behind him. Kylo knew they had to go into town as refugees. He had no interest in causing chaos on this mission. Especially since he had a strong feeling that this is where his grandfather, Darth Vader was created.

He patched another transmission to Rey.

"Follow me and put up your shields."

The two scattered down into the Coruscant atmosphere. Rey put up her shields and followed Kylo's quick attempt not to be seen. Smoke gathered all around. Rey had guessed it used to be a military defense base. The place looked dissolved, distant from what power it used to have. Riots took over the once great senate.

Kylo began to shift down towards the open ground in the middle of the abandoned base. Rey landed behind him. Kylo lifted himself from the fighter and began to search around for any threats. He felt an overwhelming feeling being in the same place that his grandfather was trained and turned. By staying the night, he had hoped he'd find answers somehow.

"What happened to this place?" Rey insisted. She jumped down from the fighter and began unraveling her duvet.

"The Jedi and the Senate turned on each other, each wanted to rule the galaxy. But my grandfather didn't let that happen. In his pathway to gaining back the republic, he destroyed Alderaan. People rebelled here as they lost their allies and family." Kylo stood and looked to the night sky. He had never spoken into existence the cause he was fighting for.

"They destroyed themselves." Rey retorted.

She sat down and lay her saber beside her.

"But doesn't everyone? The senate, the republic, the Jedi, the Sith. It should all just be destroyed. A clean slate is what this galaxy needs."

Rey looked up at Kylo in his pondering. She felt the intensity of conflict burning through his words.

"And you think you could do better? You chose to be the First Orders puppet. There will always be someone looking to rule the galaxy." She responded. Her guard slipped as she wondered what her cause was too.

"Why do you do it? Why do you choose to be Palpatines puppet?"

Rey sighed and leaned back, propping her head onto her arms.

"It's my birth right. Once I ascend, I won't be anyone's puppet. I don't plan on losing it."

Kylo looked down at her, slightly relieved with the uncomfortable talk. He could see something was bothering her thoughts.

"Do you wish anything was different?" He asked hesitantly. He felt bonded with her feelings, like she'd understand. There was more to him than someone's apprentice.

"When I become Empress, all of the sith who lived before me will pass into me. I will be all of the sith. When I become Empress the reality is that I won't be who I am now. I won't be able to have a good laugh or fall in love—," Kylo trailed his eyes down to her lips. He quivered at the idea that the Empress would want to fall in love. "They won't praise me because I'm a great leader. They'll praise me because they were great leaders."