The sky above is dark as I trek through the freshly fallen snow, chasing the ever recognizable sounds of clashing lightsabers. Each hit becomes sharper and more distinct with every one of my steps. I must be close.
The trail of sliced and smoking trees leads me through a clearing in the heavily wooded area where my eyes land on them; A petite brunette girl wielding a blue lightsaber strikes a figure shadowed silhouette into the powder beneath them. As the dark, seemingly unarmed creature begins rising, the ground shakes violently beneath our feet. I feel the earth below me give way and crack apart. The air is pushed from my lungs in a horrified scream as I feel myself falling. A weight settles on my chest as I hurtle into the black, endless pit below, towards an invisible ground; A ground that will surely kill me if I continue falling at such a speed.
"Jira!!" A familiar voice calls into the darkness. I twirl and jerk at the sound as the voice changes slightly and calls my name again. I reach out, grasping wildly at whoever is there, hoping they can save me. Three times. The voice changes further..
I wake with a start, shooting forward out of my bed.
"Ari?" Clutching my chest in an attempt to slow my racing heartbeat, I blink at the man standing, unfazed, in my bedroom doorway. "You frightened me!" My shoulders slump as I breathe deeply and bury my face in my palms. "I was having the strangest dream. It was almost like the one's I had as a child."
"I need to speak with you." Hux states dryly, moving further into the room."I've heard rumors of a private meeting between you and Kylo Ren yesterday."
"Oh please." I grunt, rolling my eyes. "It was hardly a private meeting." After managing to untangle my limbs from mess of blankets on my bed, I begin digging through dresser drawers for a clean uniform. "He came into the office I happened to be working out of, introduced himself and left."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Then try harder." I spit, irritated at his lack of sympathy and arrogant demeanor. His jaw visibly tightens but he remains silent. "I need to get dressed. I trust you can find your way out of my quarters?"
"You do not speak to him without my consent, little sister." Hux's lips curl into a sneer. He just loves to emphasize our age difference when I've made him mad. I disregard his words and saunter passed him toward my closet. I can feel the anger radiating off of him and through the room as he grasps my upper arm tightly, stopping me in my tracks. "You are under my guardianship until the day you marry and become some other mans problem. I repeat, you do not speak to him without my consent. Have I made myself clear?"
"Crystal." My voice cracks, betraying the confidence I try to project, and I gulp down the hardening lump in my throat. He releases my arm and storms out of the small apartment, doors slamming behind him. Crystal clear that Kylo Ren may have actually been right..
I trudge through the usual motions of the morning, paying little to no mind to the throbbing bruise forming under my uniform jacket. No matter how hard I try to ignore the frustration boiling up inside of me, my mind continues to wander back to the conversation with Armitage. Crumpling a sheet of paper in my hand, I shake my head. What kind of submissive little child does he take me for?! I scoff, internally chastising my misogynistic brother. Until I'm married, I'm.. what? His property?! A loud, wry chuckle emits from my throat, startling the surrounding troopers. Without another thought, I turn sharply on my heel and make for the command bridge. The strict schedule my brother maintains leaves me to assume he'll be present.
His ginger hair is hard to miss and I spot him instantly. As usual, he's flanked by Lieutenant Mitaka and his latest assistant (who won't last a week trying to keep up with him). I shove my way toward their visibly heated discussion, ignoring the tiny voice in my mind suggesting this isn't my brightest idea.
"General," I interrupt; a scowl etched over my features. "I need to speak with you." Hux spins around to face me, his expression flashing from anger to amusement as he steps aside enough to reveal the presence of another. I silently curse my poor timing at the sight of Kylo Ren. "Privately, please." I manage to squeak out as embarrassment flushes my cheeks.
"You'll have to excuse my little sister, Commander," Hux begins, narrowing his eyes down at me; flames of anger dancing through his pupils. "Respect for her superiors has never been her strong point." I shift beneath his glare, crossing my arms over my chest like a pouting child. "You're dismissed, Captain." He continues with a low growl. My mouth sets in a hard line as he turns his back on me, returning his full attention to the datapad in his hands.
The bridge around me seems to fall silent as I mirror his dark glare. A pulse of frustration and raw energy jolts through my body and into my fingertips. With a flick of my wrist, the device soars out of his hands and across the crowded room, shattering as it connects with the wall. I flinch at the rush of untapped power and ball my hand into a fist. It's been years since I lost control and allowed the force to freely coarse through my body. All eyes, each holding a mixture of confusion and fear, land on me and I feel as though my feet are frozen to the tiled floor.
In a flash, Hux is yanking at my already purpling upper arm and dragging me from the bridge, into the nearest unoccupied office.
"What the fuck were you thinking?!" He hisses, drawing his lips back into a snarl the moment we are alone. Silently, I shake my hanging head. His grip moves to my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his. "You promised me when I promoted you, no more of this force nonsense and now you have the audacity to use it, not only in front of my crew, but in his presence?"
I suck in my bottom lip, nibbling on it as I shrug lightly. "I got angry." I confess, never raising my voice above a whisper. "I'll replace the datapad with my own credits. I'm sorry, General. "
Armitage sighs deeply, dropping his hold on me and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Jira," he begins. "Another outburst like that and you'll force my hand to demote you. Control this," He waves a hand, mimicking my earlier actions. "Whatever it is, or you'll return to the life you lived when Father was alive."
Before I can fully process his threat, he storms out the door, leaving me alone with my panicked thoughts. He wouldn't actually lock me away again, would he? I blink away the tears welling up in my eyes. No. Shut it down. I harden my expression, squaring my shoulders and start for the door. As it opens, I'm face to face (well, helmet) with Commander Ren. I swallow hard, shoving my hands into the pockets of my uniform.
"I apologize for my behavior, sir. It won't happen again." I bow my head respectfully. He remains perfectly still, however I feel an unfamiliar sensation in my head, as though he's prying into my thoughts.
"I can help you control it." A less modified version of his voice radiates through my mind. My brows shoot together, creasing my forehead as he pushes deeper into my subconscious. "I can train you to manipulate the force to your will. Your power could rival my own, with the proper training."
Despite his helmet, I swear I can feel his eyes boring into me with a harsh intensity. A cocktail of fear and exhilaration coarses through my insides. "Yes." I whisper, barely audibly, after less than a moment of contemplation.
"An excellent choice." The robotic voice returns, answering out loud as he releases my mind. I fight the sudden urge to grin. "We'll begin tomorrow."