So, Episode Nine was taking too long and I needed my Reylo fix...
This is my first foray into Star Wars fiction, although I have been a fan of the franchise all my life. Please inform me of any type-os that need correcting or if you genuinely enjoy it, leave a comment letting me know!
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Star Wars
Episode IX
Knights of the Dawning Republic
Two years have passed since the ascension of Kylo Ren as Supreme Leader of the FIRST ORDER. In this brief period, Kylo has amassed an astonishing collection of planetary systems to pledge their allegiance to the First Order, thanks greatly to his contacts with shipyards in the Unknown Region. Such forces have scattered the tattered REPUBLIC to the far reaches of the Galaxy where a loyal few provide them with shelter and supplies.
Kylo has also given rise to the elusive and mysterious Knights of Ren, using them as his personal bodyguards as well as an elite mercenary squad. Though he has proven himself to be a formidable ruler, Kylo senses a great civil disturbance brewing within the First Order.
Meanwhile, Rey has grown to become the second best pilot in the RESISTANCE fleet beside mentor Poe Dameron. Though she feels a strong connection to the Force, she has elected to set aside reading the powerful Jedi Texts in favor of furthering a foothold for the REBELS. She has quickly become the Resistance's key player, allowing Poe to focus on regaining his position as fleet commander. Though she has formed family bonds among them, Rey feels a great pull weighing against her, threatening her newfound joy.
Unbeknownst to the First Order and the Resistance, the Force continues to connect Kylo and Rey through dreams and occasional interludes where they might speak face to face. Heartbroken and disappointed with one another, the two have refused to speak.
Fate, however, will bring these reluctant forces together through a tragedy that will shake the Galaxy to it's core…
Chapter One
A dreadnought hovered over Takodana's atmosphere, its entire left side on fire, alarms panicking on deaf space as it limped onward. Zooming around it was a fleet of Tie Fighter jets, pursued by a handful of Rebel X Wings, weaving dangerously close to the falling ship as they fired both at each other.
Inside the dreadnought, at the very heart of the ship, a small blue image of General Hux appeared to the flushed and panicked flight crew. His arms crossed behind him, and through the chaos of crashing, he looked annoyed. A black clad admiral staggered forward, gripping a side rail as a rebel torpedo rammed the ship's starboard flank, determined to answer the call.
The blue image shifted his weight, as though a ship under duress was an entirely mundane occurrence. "Admiral Mitre, can you or can you not recover this vessel?"
Admiral Mitre wiped his brow with a leather glove and huffed toward the hologram. "Sir, we've lost our third turbine. We have no choice but to secure a rough landing."
"Let me make things perfectly clear, Admiral," General Hux growled, his hands dropping to his sides. "This dreadnought is pivotal in the First Order's plans for central system defense. I suggest you forward the information you have to the Finalizer at once!"
A Tie Fighter somersaulted and exploded near the cockpit bridge, shaking Admiral Mitre and the control officers.
"We've tried, sir!" Admiral Mitre shouted over the din. "The rebels shot out our long range transmitter and we haven't enough fuel for hyperdrive. Our only option is to put her down hard and fight our way forward!"
"Correction, Admiral, you have two options," General Hux paused, glowering his meaning. "Make sure the Rebels do not get those plans… at any cost." The hologram faded.
Admiral Mitre inhaled deeply, sweat pounding down his face as he looked at a wall of horribly drawn, childlike pictures tacked to a clear space. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. "Lieutenant, full speed towards Takodana!"
"But, sir!" The officer cried his own face flinching towards the children's drawings for a moment, "At full speed the fall will completely destroy the ship and us with it!"
"Do it," Admiral Mitre urged, pressing his forehead to a metal frame, the child pictures searing into his mind. "Long live the First Order."
BB-8 beeped, watching the dreadnought shift course. Quickly, he chirped a flurry of droidspeak to garner his pilot's attention. From inside the cockpit of a barely touched X Wing, Poe Dameron turned his head, "I see it, BB-8." Poe touched the talk button on his comlink, "All units, the dreadnought is changing course. It looks like a suicide decision."
From a safe distance away, in a long cruiser ship, Finn watched a holotable project the battle, frowning at the small blue X-Wing jets and TIEs. "Why would the First Order throw away a dreadnought like that?" He breathed, almost to himself.
He turned to look over his shoulder, eyes locking on the blonde buns of Lieutenant Kaydel Connix as she listened to transmissions from the First Order.
"Connix!" Finn called, making her turn to him. "What have you intercepted?"
"I'm ten minutes behind, but I'm picking up a transmission from the Finalizer. Whatever it is, it's orders from the top." She shot up her finger at him, jamming the headphones back to her ears.
Finn turned back to the hologram, pushing the commlink button to talk with Poe, "Poe, the dreadnought had a transmission with General Hux's ship. Whatever it is, it's important enough for an audience with the high command general."
Poe grinned into his windshield, barrel rolling to avoid colliding with two TIEs. Once righted, he replied, "That makes it an important break for us. Finn, can you tell us why this dreadnought?"
Finn looked to Connix, waving his hand in askance. She shook her head, holding up her palm as she listened. He turned back to Poe, "Intel is coming slow, but Hux wouldn't tune in for nothing."
"Got it," Poe told him. "Alright rebels, word from the Protestor is this dreadnought just got real pretty. All units focus on slowing that downfall."
Almost at once, the different voices of the resistance pilots answered, "Roger that, commander."
There was, however, only one voice in opposition of this command. "Poe, how are we to stop them without destroying the dreadnought in the process?"
BB-8 beeped once more, in agreement.
Poe raised his eyebrows for a moment. "Alright," He breathed, "They've got one good thruster, and a whole lot of fuel. We let the fuel out and it catches fire, it will deoxidize in space and we should all be alright."
"Poe, look at that hole on the left!"
"Hang on BB-8!" Poe wrenched on the steering wheel into another barrel roll, narrowly missing three TIEs, two of them colliding with each other and the third getting shot down by Poe himself. As he straightened, Poe looked to the rear of the dreadnought, seeing a gaping hole large enough for a ship to enter and cause damage to the inhabitants.
"I see it!" Poe told her.
Rey moved her head from Poe's ship to the dreadnought, her breathing steady. "That dreadnought is bleeding oxygen! If it mixes with fuel and the fire from the thrusters, it will ignite and can lead back to the dreadnought itself."
Poe nodded, gritting his teeth. "That hole is big enough for one X-Wing to slip into and blow the fuel from the inside. Alright, here's what we're going to do-"
A TIE shot at Poe, destabilizing his ship. BB-8 squealed in his position, dropping down into the bowels to begin repairing the jet and extinguishing fires.
"I'm hit!" Poe cried, his control panel surging with red alerts and accompanying alarms. "I've got to land! Commencing emergency landing on Takodana!"
Rey's heart fluttered, her eyes flicking from Poe's smoking ship to the dreadnought, then back again. She switched from cannons to torpedos, and fired, immediately destroying the TIE that stalked Poe. "Take care, Poe!" She called, watching him seep into the atmosphere.
She turned her attention back to the dreadnought. It was gaining more speed as it's nose began to fire with the atmosphere. "I will handle the dreadnought! I will need some cover!"
"Roger that, Blue Five," A voice of the rebellion answered.
"Careful, Rey!" Finn warned, his heart racing at the thought of her speeding headfirst towards something so brazen and dangerous.
"Don't worry, Finn," Rey grinned, firing and blowing up another TIE, "I can do this!"
Finn smiled, his finger lifting off the talk button, "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of."
Rey angled her ship towards the dreadnought's gaping wound, her fellow Rebel firing rapidly over her. She looked quickly to Poe, seeing his ship engulf in atmospheric fury before being hidden behind a cloud. She turned back to the task at hand, heart beginning to jammer out of her chest. Slowly, she closed her eyes, dipping into the Force like wading into a warm bath.
Space, vast and quiet. The stars, flickering and exhausting the last bit of natural gas before burning up. But there was more to it. Chaos, the battle; ships zooming in and out of range of cannons. Life, the inhabitants of the dreadnought; the breathing of pilots as they held their breaths as they fired. Sorrow, the plummet to death… Too much sorrow.
She opened her eyes, the dreadnought's hole nearing faster and faster. Rey called to the Force, letting it flow down her arms and into her fingers that gripped the yoke and thrust. She thrust forward, pulling away from her covering rebel, then pulled back suddenly, landing cleanly into the dreadnought.
The black tiled hull was on fire, the bodies of unfortunate Storm Troopers and crew strewn about, half frozen from the exposure to space. Rey turned her jet to the wall that contained the fuel cells. The Force tugged at her, urging her not to use cannons or torpedoes against the fragile metal. She reached up and clicked to small range blasts, levitating her jet to aim downwards at the cell funnel and fired. In two shots, brown liquid began gushing out of a cell, spilling onto the fragmented floor. She called to the Force once more, feeling it well enough to turn and shoot down another cell.
"Rey!" Finn called in her ear, "The dreadnought's descent has begun to slow, but it's not slow enough. Gravity will still kill them, you've got to get out of there!"
She gave an exasperated, "Gah!" then aimed her jet to the hole and flew out gently. The moment she reentered space, her eyes widened. "The TIEs are jumping into hyperspace!"
Like water droplets on a black canvas, the Tie Fighters zoomed, then cut away from the fray, leaving the rebels to fly about in absolute peace. In her commlink, she could hear the rebels whoop with joy. They would live to fight another day!
Rey ignored them, however, turning to the dreadnought as it began it's descent onto the peaceful planet of Takodana.
"Rey, you did all you can do," Finn's voice cooed.
She inhaled, the Force vibrating all around her. She could do more, she could feel the Force encouraging her to lift her hand from the yoke and thrust, and close her eyes to concentrate once more. Obedient, she reached out, the fabric of her gloves brushing the glass of her windshield. Slow, she thought, inhaling deeply. Slow. It was difficult, manipulating the Force all around the massive dreadnought. Her temples squeezed and she curled her lip back over her top teeth, concentrating with all her might on making the dreadnought fall like a snail upon a leaf.
"Rey! Rey are you using the Force?"
She gasped, doing her best to not be distracted. "Yes, Finn." She hissed.
"Alright, hang on!" Finn bolted from his position at the observation hologram to another behind him. "Maz! Maz! Are the Rebels in position?"
This hologram projected an entire scene with a three foot alien wearing magnifying glasses over thumbprint sized eyes waiting with her hands on her hips, a blaster in it's holster. She turned the second Finn called to her, "Well I'm not waiting for tea."
"Can you see the dreadnought from your place?"
Maz Kanata turned her back to him, adjusting her glasses as she looked up. "Yes, yes! I see it!"
"How fast would you say it's coming down?"
"Slowly," She turned back to Finn. "I would almost say it's stopped in midair."
"Right, Maz. You and the Rebels be prepared to overtake the crew and aid survivors."
Maz lifted a rifle bigger than she was and cocked it, "Got it!"
Finn bolted back to the observation hologram and pressed the talk button, "Rey, Maz and the Rebels are going to apprehend the dreadnought, you can let it go, now."
Rey shuddered, her grip on the Force slipping. The dreadnought was far too heavy, but she trusted the Force, holding it into place as she thought. If it landed directly on it's nose, it could compromise any information the Republic could use. But the rear had already been evacuated because of the hole…
She concentrated, holding on to the nose of the dreadnought, and pushed the rest, turning the floating triangle on it's side. The hairs beneath her nose began to tickle, leading all the way to the back of her throat. She reached out with both hands, squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth, pushing and pulling the Force to turn the dreadnought until it had turned well around. Two feelings began to add to the Force around her: shock followed by sheer joy.
Blood dribbled over her lip and spread across her teeth, the salted metal taste unnerving her. Suddenly, it felt as though a lightsaber was sliding slowly through her brain. Let go! Her core told her. Rey, let go!
She released her grip of the Force with an exhausted, "Gah!" Her eyelids flying open as her remaining nostril began sprouting the same feeling of blood.
The dreadnought had indeed rotated completely around, the fuel cells she had released successfully emptied so that brown blobs of valuable jet fuel floated in space, breaking apart into smaller and smaller spheres. Then, the dreadnought began sinking, succumbing to gravity, what remaining thrusters sputtering on to best slow their descent.
Rey jolted, the sound of Finn's victory whoops searing her ears. "You did it Rey! That's right! That's how it's done!"
She panted, taking a less dirty grease cloth from her side and wiped her face with it, looking at the blood. It was a significant bleed, much like the ones she used to get on Jakku from the heat as a teenager. She snorted, stuffing the cloth into a safe niche inside her flight suit.
"Right," She declared, "Blue Five prepared to make a descent onto Takodana. I'll see you all at Maz's. No excuses, Finn."
"First round's on me, Rey!" Finn beamed, his eyes moving from the hologram to Connix. "You joining us, Kaydel?"
"I'm getting a transmission from the Republic," She told him over her shoulder. "I'll need to speak to Poe as soon as we make landfall."
"Yeah, no problem." Finn told her. He moved from his position to the panel of pilots and crewmen holding the ship steady in space. "All units, let's put her down for a much earned breather."
Rey removed her helmet and sighed, leaning back into the seat rest of her ship. She had to land in the forest in the outskirts of Kanateemo, the result of an unfortunate hit during the battle and reentry into the atmosphere. She pushed the status button, one area of her bottom right wing highlighting red.
"Good day's repair," She breathed. She pulled off her gloves and tossed them onto the dashboard, then grabbed her ready-go bag from her leg compartment. A large clang! resounded in the cockpit drawing her eyes downward. Her lightsaber had fallen out of it's pocket. She bent down and grabbed it, rubbing her thumb over where she had welded it back together and sighed. Slowly, she leaned back up, wondering if she could just get hold of a complete kyber crystal-
"Show me your hands!"
Rey jolted, turning to her left with wide eyes. Outside her jet were four, stark white Storm Troopers, blasters pointed at her. The one closest to her barked once more, "Show me, your hands! Now!"
Rey let her lightsaber roll between her legs, and lifted her hands to jaw level, her breathing evening out as the Storm Troopers moved to surround her completely.
"Open the top!" The commander ordered, motioning upward with his blaster. "Don't try any tricks, girl."
Slowly, she lowered her left hand, pushing the release button on the glass covering. From a distance, she saw another Storm Trooper approach with delicate caution, a black suited officer shivering behind him. Rey turned her attention back to the Trooper in front of her, hearing chatter from the tail end of her jet.
The main Trooper twitched his head for a moment, his blaster too close for Rey to try surprising him. He turned back to her. "This ship is damaged, where are the others?"
Rey jutted her chin to where she last saw Maz Kanata's watering hole.
"Come out of the jet," The Trooper ordered, taking a step back. "Slowly!"
Rey unclasped her seatbelt and stood slowly, opening her legs so that her lightsaber fell onto the seat without a sound. Carefully, she jumped down, landing before the Trooper and two others, and raised her hands.
The Main Trooper stepped toward her, "Take us to the other ships and we'll spare your life."
Rey latched on to the Force, "Why would I do that when I could just fight you all right here?"
She spread out her palm and from the corner of her eye, saw a shimmer of silver before feeling her lightsaber jump into her hands. Blue light split the green surroundings, but it was all but peaceful. A pain seared into Rey's palm, but she had no time to mope over it. She latched onto the Force like she used to latch onto her staff and commanded it keep her hand safe even as she slew the Main Trooper across the body and whirled around to take out the two behind her.
The other three Storm Troopers bolted from their positions around the side of the jet and aimed their blasters at her. The lightsaber hissed and sputtered, but Rey paid it no heed. She swung the lightsaber and deflected the blasts, biting her lip to ignore the pain in her hand. Two Storm Troopers fell, black holes piercing their armor. The third ran around the side of the jet, sending Rey running after him.
The Trooper skidded to a halt, turning and firing back at Rey. She ducked, the blast hitting a tree and shaking the birds from their nests in the canopy. Blood rushed in her ears and Rey doubled her speed, catching up to the Trooper and tackling him to the forest floor. The Trooper scrambled away from her, jumping to his feet at the first opportunity, but Rey was right there with him, rising to a fighting stance, back hunched, and raising her ignited lightsaber to clasp it with both hands. From the corner of her eye, she could see that her fingers were seeping blood, but she didn't have time worry about it now.
The Trooper lifted his chin, "You're the girl the Supreme Leader is looking for."
Rey's heart stammered and her hand pulsed with discomfort. He was looking for her?
"I shall bring your body to him!" The Trooper declared, cocking his blaster.
He fired, but Rey dodged it. She ran forward, catching the staggering Storm Trooper with her lightsaber by slicing off his shooting arm, then caught his head and neck with a second swing. She exhaled, dousing her lightsaber and letting the Force go, her hand informing her that that was not the best idea.
Rey looked to her palm, seeing a gash across the width of her hand starting from the gap between her forefinger and thumb to her wrist, the nerves screaming.
BANG!
She flinched back into fighting stance, only to see the last Storm Trooper, the bodyguard, fall onto his face. Rey straightened, looking for the shooter.
"Sun!" A voice called from the distance.
Immediately, Rey relaxed, "Moon!"
From behind a thick tree, Poe Dameron popped his head out and grinned. "Hey Rey!"
Rey grinned, and trotted over to him. "You landed out here?"
"Yeah," he admitted sheepishly. "Mine is busted, how's yours?"
They heard a crash! Followed by the sound of air blowing rapidly. Poe turned full around, his orange flightsuit bright against the brown and green, and both he and Rey saw her X-Wing sputter and shoot off towards the stratosphere, a line of black smoke wafting from it.
"Apparently good enough to fly," Rey sighed.
"Yep," Poe agreed, turning back to her. "Funny how they only work when the First Order gets behind them and blow up when we're in a hurry?"
She gave a short laugh, "Funny."
"Welp," Poe breathed, "Should only be an hour's walk from here, right?" He moved to her side and Rey turned to join him.
"Granted we don't run into any more Storm Troopers." Rey told him, reaching into her flight suit for her bloody rag, "They can certainly make ten minutes feel like ten years."
Hux stared out the bay windows of the Finalizer, his posture stiff and his gloves fiddling with each other behind his back. Slowly, an officer approached him. "Excuse me, sir? We've a report from the Vulture."
Hux turned, his eyes doing their best to stare down the tall, gangly officer. "Yes?"
"Sir, it appears that it landed… upside down, on Takodana. Crew and hard drive intact."
Hux's face screwed with frustration, "Tell me, captain, how can a dreadnought land upside down?"
"I-I am not certain, General, but we asked the responding crew to confirm three times if we heard correctly and they emphatically stressed that they turned mid-entry into the planet, not of their own volition and then permitted to land in this manner."
"Why did they not blow the ship?" Hux demanded, his face reddening.
"That question was also asked, and the response given was that their fuel cells had been punctured so significantly that they had to manually open all doors to move to other parts of the ship for there was nothing left for even the smallest functions, sir."
"This is ridiculous, captain! How can any vessel be drained of it's fuel without any of it catching fire or turning on it's own?"
The Captain opened his mouth to say more, but his lips smacked shut. From behind him, a black clad figure glided over the Commander's Bridge, half of it's face illuminated by the lights of the command center over a black and silver mask.
"He's right behind me, isn't he?" The Captain shuddered.
"I'll deal with this," Hux told him stiffly, looking from one to the other. "Make sure to get a manifesto of the Vulture's haul."
"Sir," The Captain responded, clicking his heels together before turning on his heel, lifting a foot to head towards the figure in black, replaced his foot, turned to his right, and took the longer catwalk away from the two men.
Hux exhaled from out his nostrils before turning his full attention to the figure in black. "Can I help you?" He asked, though his tone was more of a, "What do you want, now?"
The black figure lifted his right hand and crooked two fingers at the general before turning around and began walking out.
Hux rolled his eyes, "Oh, for heaven's sake, man, will you just say what it is that you want?"
The figure whirled, arm outstretched. A vice gripped Hux's neck, like a choke collar on a dog, and dragged him by the esophagus towards the figure, halting only inches from his gloves, his perfect boots scuffing the immaculate ground. The general's eyes widened, and his throat begged for air, but looking into the glassy eyes of the masked man, it seemed unlikely that life could be easily plead for.
Then, in a quiet monotone, the figure spoke: "He wants, to talk."
He flexed his fingers, and the sorcerous hold on Hux vanished, permitting him to crumple to the black floor. He sputtered, coughing and inhaling as sharply as his lungs would take precious oxygen, his gloved hands massaging his neck. Carefully, he crawled to all fours, seeing the cloak of his adversary swish in front of him as he left the bridge. Hux reared up to sit on his haunches, forcing himself to maintain composed breathing and looked, seeing all eyes of his staff poised on him. He inhaled once, and half the eyes returned to their work, the other half lingering for a moment more to see him on his knees. Him, the great General Armitage Hux, brought to his knees by yet another sorcerer set above him by the Supreme Leader.
Hux set his jaw and stood, then strode out of the bridge towards the only turbolift the Storm Troopers and other officers were avoiding. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the black clad figure, Hux fumed, waiting for the doors to close. As soon as the black doors had slid shut, Hux's mouth opened.
"I would greatly appreciate it if you did not make me appear a fool before my officers, Koita."
In the silence, the breathing of the creature beside him could be heard.
"Noted."
Hux closed his eyes, and practiced his breathing.
Former Supreme Leader Snoke had created a ship to serve as a mobile capitol, a massive dwelling that could travel for years without making planetfall. The Supremacy had, according to the schematics, agricultural areas, training centers for Storm Troopers, a complete hospital, a full armory, and thousands of crewmen and their quarters. The first official act of Snoke's successor, was to land the Supremacy on Mesomi, the centermost system in the Central Systems and declared the planet and it's surrounding five systems as the First Order's capitol, with the Supremacy serving as the official headquarters. That being said, all dreadnoughts were therefore required to prepare a throne room and emperor's quarters for whenever the Supreme Leader desired to come aboard and stay awhile.
The black and white turbolift slowed to a halt and opened to a glossy, black floored room bearing scarlet and silver banners embossed with the standards of the regime and the Knights of Ren. The former inhabitant of the black throne had preferred red undertone lights and eight matching guards constantly watching and waiting for action. This occupier of that sacred throne had only one guard, another black clad and masked figure, and scarlet with silver undertones illuminating the vast room.
Hux eyed the other knight, knowing that they changed frequently. Their masks were the indicators of change, and every so often -about every three months- a new style of mask would stand off to the Supreme Leader's flank. Except for Koita. Hux could swear that Koita remained only to annoy him and served no other function except to possibly frighten the new Storm Troopers.
The moment the turbolift doors opened, Kylo Ren opened his eyes and shifted on the throne, his silver robes trimmed with black rustling slightly. The two men moved forward, Hux proceeding further than his silent companion who knelt before Kylo in perfect reverence.
As Hux moved, his feelings were perfectly hidden from his face, but not to the Force. Kylo could feel them as though the pristine general had smeared them with mud on the floor: disgust, and anger. Those two emotions had been rather strong as of late, often giving the general a false sense of liberty with his words.
The general halted in his accustomed five feet from the dais, clicking his heels together and giving a short bow at the waist. "Supreme Leader, I-"
"What happened with the Vulture?" Kylo asked, despite having already guessed.
Hux straightened, fear beginning to ooze over his anger. "Sir, it appears that the Vulture was… they are saying that it turned, mid-descent, landing turbines downward and sparing the crew… and the hard drive."
Kylo leaned forward. "A dreadnought, landed upside down?"
"The crew claims that it turned not of their own volition, sir." Hux shifted his weight, anxiety creeping into his face for the first time, "Given what I have seen and felt personally with you, sir, as well as your… companion, I have no choice to believe it."
"I don't care what you believe!" Kylo shouted, gripping the armrests of his throne as Hux flinched. "What is to be done about the plans for the central systems? Can we assume the Rebels will have them as well as other data the Vulture was entrusted to carry?"
Hux widened his eyes and set his jaw. "Yes, sir. We should proceed under the assumption that your plans for the next ten years have been compromised…"
Kylo jumped to his feet, wrenching his lightsaber from his belt and igniting it, glowering at the man who shriveled before him as his blade spat and hissed, the echo intensifying the moment even more.
"But-but there is one positive note to all of this, sir!" Hux cried, stepping slowly backwards as sweat began to pour down his temples.
"There had better be!" Kylo Ren bellowed, his boots echoing off the dais steps.
"The plans were encoded, sir!" His back touching Koita's chest as the apprentice had glided to his feet the moment his master had jumped to his. Hux continued, "We have the only encryption system, sir! It was made especially for the First Order, no other copy exists. It is likely that the Rebels will see this data, not know what it is, then discard or delete it."
Kylo paused his advance, his chest heaving, brewing disdain for the pale man in front of him. He had wanted to dispose of him the moment he was crowned Supreme Leader, but the pathetic pile of flesh had it's uses.
Kylo inhaled, "You're resting the future of this entire empire on the hope that a handful of rebels that are capable of turning entire dreadnoughts upside down midflight, won't read our plans?"
"I'm suggesting, sir, that if they take the time to attempt to decode the plans, it will cost them valuable time. Time that we could use to reclaim or destroy them and keep our plans secret."
Kylo stopped, eyes flicking to Koita before glowering back at Hux. "How sure are you that you and your troops can get the plans back?"
"Quite certain, sir."
His lightsaber doused with a shink! "See to it that the plans are reclaimed or destroyed. If they are not, then you will answer for it with your life!"
"Yes, sir!" General Hux piped, moving awkwardly around Koita.
His footsteps echoed out of the throne room, the sounds of his finger furiously jabbing the turbolift button until it answered him resounding louder than his fear. Once they were finally left in the silence, the two remaining men looked at each other.
"They're cute when they nearly wet themselves."
Kylo snorted and returned to his throne. "Hux is an idiot, but he is a good general." He hesitated before the throne, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Remove your mask, Koita."
There was a small hiss behind him, followed by silence. Kylo climbed the dais and assumed his seat upon his throne, looking down the path that lead up to it to stare at Koita's naked face. He had always been considered handsome by the girls of the New Jedi Academy and nearby villages. Kylo had always wondered why, though. The man had high cheekbones, a pointed nose, blue eyes, and blond hair that had the bad habit of curling if not kept trimmed. There were exactly two boys who decided to make fun of Koita for it. After Koita held them by the Force upside down until urine dribbled onto their faces, no one bothered him again. Only Kylo. But he couldn't beat Kylo on a sick day let alone in his prime.
Koita tilted his head, blue eyes scrutinizing Kylo's appearance. "What?" Kylo demanded, raising his eyebrow.
"When was the last time you slept?" Koita asked, "And I mean sleep, not doze for segments at a time upon the throne?"
The moment he said it, Kylo's eyelids grew heavy. "Not since the nightmare."
"Which one?" Koita asked, stepping forward. "The bad one or…" His voice dropped, "The worse one?"
Kylo leaned his head against the back of the throne, his mind flashing to the image of Rey, lovely and soaking wet kissing his face over and over again, the two of them embracing in a pool of water. He blinked, forcing the image to leave him. "The bad one."
"Brother," Koita's soft voice startled Kylo, it was nice to hear. "You cannot permit yourself to be weakened out of fear of dreams. You, we, are stronger than such pettiness."
What ember of warmth Kylo had felt was instantly snuffed out. But, he knew that his fellow knight was correct. He exhaled and stood, "I shall retire for a few hours."
The moment he announced it, the knight at his flank, Faroh, stepped forward, waiting like a dog for his master's next move.
"I will keep watch over all that transpires here." Koita told him, his chin lifting with the joy of being correct.
"Koita Mathe," Kylo warned, descending the dais slowly, "There is no one else on this ship that I trust to be my eyes than you."
Koita Mathe Ren bowed deeply at the waist, "I understand, sir."
"Wake me if developments arise. Or for anything you think needs my immediate attention." He looked over his shoulder at the silent knight then back to Koita Mathe, "And by wake me, I mean tell him." He jerked his head to Faroh.
Koita Mathe straightened to look at him, "Very good, sir."
Kylo cleared the dais, sending Koita Mathe into a bow once more, a deeper bow that remained until Kylo's silver cloak rustled off to the private antechamber off to the side of the throne room, his guard two steps behind him.
Koita Mathe straightened, his eyes looking around the room in its absolute silence. It was eerie with no noise to occupy the room, it was something he had come to enjoy on the ceaseless voyage of the Finalizer. He kicked his leg forward, the Force slapping his body like freefalling into water. The First Order moved like a machine, with every body and droid moving to a particular order, only under stress. General Hux hadn't allowed for a shift change, and the Storm Troopers were already weary. He stepped forward again, finding Kylo a beacon of darkness within the Force. He was conflicted again, he had been since he invited the Knights of Ren to serve as his personal guard. Worry and sorrow were etched onto his feelings so much that sometimes Koita Mathe would look upon him and wonder how they were not tattoos on his body. He hesitated, waiting for the traditional relief Kylo felt when he stretched out on his bed, his body too exhausted to continue worrying and mourning for long. The feelings decreased their volume, but remained. Kylo was going to have another "nightmare," Koita Mathe could already tell.
Slowly, he walked up the dais, running one hand over the harsh delicacy that was the throne of the Supreme Leader, the other dancing about in the air, fingers twitching and smoothing the indelible Force that surrounded such a sacred space. He closed his eyes, his free hand shooting out straighter, pulsing minutely as he moved around the throne, his footsteps like a cat's in fearless teeter on the edges of the dais.
"Show me," He breathed, his lips unmoving as he spoke to the Force. "Show me…"
Suddenly, he froze, both hands stock still, one in the air and the other pressed against the back of the throne. It was like a pin pushed against his thumb; small, but powerful. A danger.
Koita Mathe jumped off the dais, a noiseless tap not loud enough to deserve an echo serving as the only sound. He crouched on his knees, turning to look underneath the seemingly solid throne. It had been solid when Supreme Leader Snoke had reigned, he remembered moving the throne when Kylo assumed power… so why was there suddenly a gap large enough for a small hand? Better still, why had no one seen it until now? He leaned back on his haunches and looked up. Snoke had preferred crimson lights and banners, all that best reflected off the glossy floors. Kylo had put up black and silver banners for the Knights of Ren along with the crimson ones… a black banner easily hid the hole, and Kylo's guard wouldn't be looking down here while on duty.
He swept his palm upward, the throne levitating above his head in a clean rise in response to the Force. Koita Mathe frowned, moving his hand to feel under it. It was a rough cometstone, built from the rubble of Couresant and polished so that the sitter wouldn't have to worry about their clothes catching in the unrefined grooves. But, the bottom was hollow, something he could expect for easy movement should the need arise, Kylo had moved the First Order's capitol from the moble Supremacy to the more stable planetary fortress that was the Central Systems. Kylo was always prepared as a Supreme Leader for a show of force, and if a throne required it, a hollowed out seat would do the trick. Koita Mathe's fingers grazed something round, something moveable. He fastened his fingers around it, his face screwing further. Gently, he pulled on it, feeling it come free and withdrew his hand.
Nestled between his black gloved forefinger and thumb was a discreet recording beacon, the size suggesting that it had been placed there for it's sensitivity and ability to last for several months without needing to be recharged. Koita Mathe breathed slowly, turning the recording beacon in his hand. It was a neat little trinket; expertly crafted, expensively produced. Suddenly, he twitched his eyebrow and the little silver device shriveled in his hand with a muted crushing sound. Then, he lifted his hand, and lowered the throne.
Koita Mathe moved, face uncovered, down the corridors of the ship, Storm Troopers and officers saluting him as he passed. He ignored them, his look narrowed as though any unfortunate soul who happened to cross paths with him would be killed with a mere look. He marched down a particular corridor, two female pilots scampering away.
A door opened, revealing a team of six Storm Troopers in lighter, white armor preparing cleaning carts with various supplies. Their laughter under their helmets was mechanical, but it muted the moment Koita Mathe entered and whirled on the keypad.
"Gentlemen," Koita Mathe began, "You are responsible for cleaning the throne room, yes?"
The Storm Troopers shot to attention, the senior janitor stepping forth, "Yes, sir."
Koita Mathe turned to them, ripping from his side a lightsaber that glowed blood red the moment the door slid shut. Then locked.
An officer rushed to Hux as he glowered at his desk, roughly thrusting aside hologram reports as they hovered before his nose. "Sir," She told him, "I have news regarding Project Remnant."
The general's eyes flicked to her, his body growing rigid. In a solid motion, Hux rose from his seat and moved to the bay windows away from his staff, then inclined his ear ever so slightly towards her. "Tell me Captain Frees," He breathed.
"Sir, it appears the apprentice found our recording beacon." She whispered to him.
"Does he suspect anything?"
"I do not believe so, sir." She told him, shifting her weight as a lieutenant walked by with a stack of plastic files. "He murdered the cleaning staff almost as soon as he found it. Perhaps he thinks that fear alone will protect his master?"
From a flickering room in the recesses of the ship, surrounded by Storm Troopers bathed in red and dusted with black burns, their cleaning supplies strewn across the floor and a light dangling by a single wire, Koita Mathe crouched, his head twitching. Through the Force, he turned the head of a black astromech and listened, watching Hux turn to Captain Frees and warn:
"Don't underestimate the Knights of Ren. They only appear to be ignorant oafs, but they are as intelligent as they are deadly. Initiate White Star protocol, no is to move until I deem it safe."
Captain Frees crossed her chest with her fist, "Yes, sir."
Koita Mathe blinked, severing his connection to the Force and the astromech. He looked down at the pool of blood before him as it spread to him. He reached out and swished his fingers in the stuff, smelling it as it wafted with the vents pumping oxygen overhead. He lifted his wet hand, and dragged his fingers over his face, from hairline to jaw, feeling his face tickle and tighten all at once.
Then he stood, and lifted his hand again, the blood around him suddenly shooting away in small waves, and he left the room, leaving the pools to reclaim their territory in his wake.