Echo had always thought of Tatooine as disgusting. The red dust that blew across the desolate planet never failed to reach its way into the crevices and cracks of every corner of Tandor the Hutt's compound. She realized, silently, as she stared at the twin suns fading below the horizon, that she had never seen another world besides this one, and wondered that if she saw the lush trees and bodies of water customers who passed through the compound told her about, that she would look at them any differently. Perhaps Tatooine was a star of comfort in the center of the galaxy, and she had fashioned herself too obtuse too see past the stone hell hole where she resided.
She sighed as she lifted herself carefully from her perch at the edge of one of the many towers that created the various holds of the compound. Turning, she took one last glance at the setting of the twin suns and made her way over to the ladder in the center of the turret, rusted from wind and sand, and made her way down. Her feet landed on the packed earth of the floor with a small thud and she pulled the sheer brown cloth away from the bridge of her nose and off of her head, shaking sand out of it before folding it and stuffing it back into the small satchel cinched to the hip of her skirt. As she walked down the dimly lit hallway, shaking the sand from her hair that had made its way under her hood, she heard a voice call her name and winced at the sound.
"And where have you been?"
Echo turned to meet the milky white eyes of the man who addressed her. Reaver's hands were on his hips and a frown formed across his orange face.
"Cleaning," Echo replied simply to the Arkanian, hoping that if she spoke sparingly, then her lie would hold.
Reaver jerked his arm from behind him and Echo saw that he held Tamara, one of the most recent recruits, by her slight blue-colored arm, in a vice grip. Tamara grimaced as he squeezed, giving her permission to speak.
The young Twi'lek girl stepped forward, an offer of apology to Echo in her eyes as she spoke, "He asked me where you were… I couldn't lie."
Frustration built in Echo's stomach, whether from being caught or the anxiety that was apparent on the young girl's face, she didn't know. A smug smile played across Reaver's lips.
"After all these years, you choose to place your trust in fresh blood? I thought better of you, Echo."
Echo shot the man a venomous look and approached him, pulling the young girl's arm from his grip. "We need to get back to the kitchens," was her only reply.
Reaver gave a mocking bow to the pair of females. "That you do, carry on."
"Damn Arkanians," Echo muttered under her breath as she all but stomped away, pulling the young girl behind her, who struggled to match Echo's frantic pace, but gave no complaints. The pair traveled through corridor after corridor of packed copper earth whose walls were lined with red halogen lights, making the walls look as if they had been painted with blood. If Echo knew any better, she would have assumed that they were. Soon the pair passed through an arched doorway and Echo let go of Tamara's arm. She turned about swiftly and caught the girl's eyes.
"Always lie, is what I told you," she began, "always lie. If you don't you won't make it. You'll be dead, worm food in a matter of months. You've already been here weeks and I can't afford to coddle you anymore, understand?" she pressed.
Tamara's eyes went wide and she nodded vigorously. "I know, I should have listened, I just—Echo, I'm sorry, I don't—," she said, words tumbling out of her mouth in breathy spurts.
Echo raised a hand to stop her and shook her head. "No buts, just listen."
She left the girl standing where she was, still wide-eyed, and made her way to one of the various screens that lined the back wall of the large, cluttered hall. She sighed to herself as she raked her fingers across the screen, looking at various orders but not really paying attention, and instantly regret the harsh tone she used with the girl, who was no more than 15 years of age. She hated treating her harshly, but she also knew that if she did not instruct her to the ways of the compound, she would soon learn how true Echo's threats of worm food really were.
Echo had been at the compound ever since she could remember. She had arrived at an age too young to form lasting memories and would have had the same fate she warned Tamara of, if not for the saving grace that she was human, a species rarely trafficked through the compound to be sold. Tandor's palace had been here for decades and functioned both as a Tatooine trading outpost and watering hole for the less than savory that traveled throughout the galaxy. Various species were bought and sold here, and every so often one was bought by Tandor himself, either as guardsmen, domestics, or worst of it all, personal servants to do the over-sized slug's bidding. Echo was put to work in the cantina at a young age, helping to prepare the food and drink that was served at exorbitant prices to greedy customers. As she grew and it became apparent that her looks could be marketed to serve more quantities of food and drink, she had been given a scant uniform and sent to work at the front, taking orders, serving food, and otherwise entertaining guests.
Echo was pulled out of her reverie at a succession of beeps emitted from a plating droid. She entered a combination of numbers on a keypad below the screen and a fuzzy, pixelated image of herself appeared on the monitor. With a click the words below her picture switched from "DISENGAGED" to "ENGAGED" as she removed her pack from her hip and dropped it, kicking it into a hole she found years ago, hidden beneath a long line of cupboards. She approached the droid and lifted a platter from in front of it which it had just finished arranging with various food and drink. "What table?" she leaned over and asked it. It responded with a whirling noise and Echo nodded. "Eight, got it."
She walked towards the swinging door with the tray of food positioned on her shoulder and bumped it with her hip. It swung open and she took a deep breath as she entered a wide, dim lit room that was littered with tables. A thick layer of acrid pipe smoke hung low throughout the area and the scent of it and stale liquor, spilled on the sticky floor over the years and never cleaned, assaulted her senses. She surveyed the room for the best way to navigate the tables, occupied by various species of humanoids, without having a scaly hand slither its way between the gap in her skirt that displayed the tanned skin of her legs. After finding what she hoped would be the best path, she made her way to a small table in the corner of the room that was occupied by three figures clad in black.
But as she walked, working to complete a task she'd done thousands of times, a foreign feeling assaulted her senses. It felt as if her mind was no longer her own and she felt darkness, like the light of the planet itself had been snuffed out. And then a searing pain shot like a lighting bolt up her arm from her hand. She buckled and the tray of food clattered to the floor as she let out a yelp. She cradled her hand to her chest; it felt as if she has stuck it in one of the dough compressors in the kitchen, and fell to her knees. This… intrusion had flooded her senses and she felt far away, sensing only the pain radiating now throughout her whole body. Her face and her side burnt and seared. She was barely aware that two of Tandor's guardsmen had approached her and jerked her up from the floor, leading her to a corridor to the belly of the compound. Before she completely lost consciousness, the three black figures abruptly rose from the table in the corner and followed them towards the exit of the cantina.
Kylo Ren stifled gasp as the bacta he slathered across the burn on his face stung and sizzled as it regenerated tissues to take the place of burnt skin. The blaster wound on his side still leaked blood and he squeezed the rest of the sticky bacta onto his hand and rubbed it into the gash. He placed both ungloved hands on either side of the basin positioned against a wall of his room, his new quarters on Lehon, and let out a long breath. He was thankful that when the Supreme Leader sensed his presence as the small vessel landed in the hanger of the compound, he had granted him enough to time clean himself up before meeting with his Master.
He took purchase of his shirtless form in the mirror against the wall, turning and lifting him arm to see his side more clearly, and watched as the blaster wound that damned Wookie had gifted him with healed until nothing was left but the ghost of a scar. With a flick of his wrist the faucet turned on and water whooshed into the basin. Kylo cupped his hands under the stream and splashed water against his face, ridding himself of the mud that had caked against his skin as he lay on the ground of Starkiller, waiting for a shuttle to appear and collect him before the earth completely severed and he was sucked into the core of the planet. He assumed he would be retrieved, even as he felt slick denial ghost across his mind, making him think that this time he had failed too much, and the Supreme Leader would leave him there to bleed in the snow until the planet collapsed in on itself. Sure enough, however, a metal hook had descended down from through the trees and he grabbed it. It lifted him in the shuttle that would carry him and the rest of the evacuees the 50 parsecs it took to reach the Unknown Region and finally, Lehon.
The sour taste of bile rose in his throat as he finally permitted himself to think of the events that had transpired on the artificial planet, how he had let a traitor and a filthy, useless scavenger best him to the point of utter exhaustion. He felt ashamed, worthless, and the emotions consumed him until he had no choice but to expel them in the form of his fist slamming repeatedly against the wall of his room. Thoughts and faces that he did not want to see flittered across his mind as the unforgiving grey stone of the wall tore and bloodied his knuckles and he wanted to scream.
He continued hitting, caught in a manic cycle, until a call boomed against his thoughts. Come. Even though Kylo Ren knew he wasn't in the room with him, he looked around for the grayed giant, as the call felt like his withered fingers were raking lines against Kylo's brain. He shook his head to rid himself of the feeling and looked down at his aching, bloodied knuckles. The bacta that had been brought to his room by service droids he had already used in treating his battle wounds, so he opted to simply put on a fresh pair of gloves to soak up the blood that dripped down his fingers. After this, he replaced his shirt and cloak and placed his helmet atop his head and it fastened with a hiss. Kylo Ren gave himself one more look in the mirror to confirm his composure and left his quarters, walking briskly through the halls and down, down many staircases until he reached the subterranean heart of the complex which held the Supreme Leader's quarters, including a large audience hall, which Kylo Ren entered.
The hall was vast with impossibly high gabled ceilings. The walls were the dark stone that made up the rest of the complex but the stone itself was carved with a variety of ancient Sith symbols. The room was dark, with only a cone of light that illuminated a stone throne at the center of the hall and the Supreme Leader himself. Kylo Ren approached the figure and knelt in front of him. "Master," he said as he took a knee, his head bent in genuflection.
"You have failed. You did not defeat the girl," the withered mouth said simply.
Kylo grimaced under his mask and kept his head low. "No."
The being tossed his thin wrist. "No matter, the time to deal with the scavenger will come. Until then, we have other work to do. Something is beginning, I have felt strength in it, though even I do not know what yet it means. Have you felt it, Kylo Ren?"
Kylo Ren shook his head. "No, Master. I… I have not."
"Look at me, Kylo Ren."
Kylo heeded the command and raised his head. Snoke's small black eyes beat into him and he felt scrutinized in spite of himself.
"The awakening has created a domino effect, it seems, throughout the whole of the galaxy. I am sending you and a platoon of troopers to fetch what is needed in Tatooine, scouts have already been sent ahead to assess the situation."
Kylo Ren nodded his head and raised himself to stand. "Yes, my Lord. I will succeed in this mission, I will not fail you again," he paused, willing himself to continue, "but, forgive me, my lord, Tatooine… why?"
The giant steepled his long fingers and closed his eyes. "Reach out into the galaxy, Kylo Ren. Feel with the force, what do you see?"
Kylo Ren closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reaching out. Suddenly, dry heat and the feeling of something beating against his skin… sand. He smelled spoiled liquor, breathed in stale smoke, saw the eyes of a young Twi'lek girl and felt pity, such a foreign emotion for him, building in his gut. And through all of that he felt power, untapped and unknown, but strong none the less, and a dim figure corporated in his mind's eye. Tanned skin, unruly waves of copper hair bent into a multitude of thin braids… a girl. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at his master. He spoke. "My lord, this girl… she is important?"
Snoke bowed his head in response. "She is the beginning. Retrieve her and bring her to Lehon."
Kylo bowed. "Yes my lord." As he turned to leave, Snoke spoke again and he stopped, back still turned from the man.
"You will remember Kylo Ren, the powerful feel all that the universe says, even in the heat of battle…You may go now, a ship awaits departure in the rear hanger."
Kylo Ren gave a faint nod and left the audience hall. As he stalked from the hall and to the upper level where the hanger resided, he felt the last words of Snoke like a punch in the stomach as he knew they were a criticism, an assessment of his weakness. He reached the hanger and entered the ship that contained the small fleet of Storm Troopers and took his place along the chrome benches that lined either side of the vessel. Again, he found his mind going back to recent events has he absentmindedly fingered the hilt of his lightsaber. With him now on board, the vessel exited the hanger and soon they were in lightspeed, barreling towards Tattooine.
an: well i have been officially sucked in. the seven year old girl who loved han solo and asked for a blue lightsaber for christmas is now obsessed with kylo ren. as you all can hopefully already tell, this is a kylo ren/oc fic. i've already found a handful of reylo fics out in the ether that i knew i couldn't compare with, and i think i've actually got a pretty exciting future laid out for this fic. so read, review, favorite, but most of all, enjoy!
also i desperately need a beta reader, if anyone is interesting, please don't hesitate to message me.
and finally, i've decided to re-vamp my seemingly dead loki/oc fic, another stolen relic, so if you're like me and you have a penchant for angsty dark haired supervillians, keep your eyes open for that.
xoxo
