"Staffing levels are sufficient, Supreme Leader, but the acquisition of primary hull struts remains an issue. As you requested, further inquiry was directed to the foundries of Bint Matho. Their claims of lack of production capacity have no merit, but they continue to refuse to confirm the delivery dates needed for full restoration on the Supremacy." The chief project manager paused, following Kylo Ren's line of sight towards the recently manifested ghost of Luke Skywalker. If he saw anything, he didn't indicate it. "What would you have me do, Supreme Leader?"

Kylo pulled his attention back to the man. "From what you said yesterday, our choices are to attempt further expediting with Bint Matho through military action, to delay repairs while we accelerate refitting of the foundries at Kaso Tul to fabricate the same material, to use the sub-optimal material Kaso Tul is currently able to produce, or to abandon the Supremacy as a derelict for the time being. Is that accurate?"

The project manager had a breath of hesitation. "Yes, Supreme Leader."

"Why did you pause?"

"None of these solutions allow us to meet the objectives of fleet readiness that you have communicated to us."

Kylo rolled his eyes slightly and made a tilt of his head. "I am pleased you see the problem. I will not be penalizing you for it. The inability to advance the goals of the First Order is punishment enough and I know you understand what that means. Have your engineers been able to verify that the readily available sub-optimal material will at least make the Supremacy capable of hyperspace travel?"

"Yes sir. Supreme Leader."

"And how much does that delay the project?"

"By two days, Supreme Leader." The set of his face betrayed his distaste for the repercussions.

"Then do that. We will refit later. Have Kaso Tul begin augmenting their foundries as soon as they finish production on what we need to get the Supremacy space-worthy."

"As you command."

"You are dismissed." Kylo regarded Luke coolly as the project manager left the room. Kylo turned to one of his aides sitting nearby. "The Bint Matho foundries are producing material for Resistance ships. Assign an espionage unit to find out which ones and develop a projected time of completion. Share any intelligence gained with General Hux. No action required beyond that." He waited while the directions were noted, then said, "Leave me. I must meditate."

"Is it just me," Luke said once they were alone, "or are you getting better at dealing with disappointment?"

"Have you returned to provide me with more practice?" The jab at his leadership ability did not go unnoticed, which Kylo thought rich considering his low opinion of Luke's.

Luke smiled and settled into the aide's now-vacant seat. "What was the biggest disappointment you had with me as a teacher?"

Kylo's nostrils flared. "Your attempts to provoke me. As you are now."

Luke frowned. "I'm not trying to provoke you."

It was annoying that Luke sounded honestly confused that taking a disrespectful tone with the supreme leader of the galaxy was considered rude. Kylo sighed. "Why are you here at all? You distract me from my business. I have no time to attend to discussion with you." Kylo turned and pressed a few buttons, pulling up a display full of line items and equipment illustrations. He was also prickly and disappointed to find Luke's ghost manifesting in his primary work space rather than his private rooms. The entire area was littered with top secret information.

"Busy, huh? Your busi-ness?" Luke looked at the report, watching the schematics as Kylo scrolled through them. Kylo tried and failed to get a read on Luke's mind and attention. There was nothing there to probe – just empty air and a swirling sense of Force energy.

"My business," he said, pronouncing it correctly. He tuned out Luke, finished his review, and sent off a short note. "Armaments to replace those damaged or expended in the recent conflict."

"Getting the ship battle-worthy again." Luke nodded. "Why this ship? It was Snoke's. You said it was in pieces. Why not another?"

"Contrary to your teaching, size matters – or at least it does when intimidating planetary governments. I share no hidden intelligence to tell you this is the largest ship remaining to us. It would take longer to build a new dreadnaught than to repair this one. I've made no secret of Snoke's death. If I take a lesser vessel than his as my flagship, then I position myself as less than he was."

"Pride, then. You've always had a lot of that."

"As you have always gone out of your way to create conflict with me." Kylo pulled up the next item in his work stream. "It is not pride. It is appearance, order, and strategy. These things matter when you want to accomplish something more important than hiding on an island for years."

"Now who's picking a fight with whom?"

Kylo spared him a sullen glare before going back to the communique he was reading. Luke was right, though. Taking a disrespectful tone with his old master was also … rude.

"What is it you want to accomplish?" Luke asked.

It stopped Kylo. Slowly, his eyes drew back to Luke. Somehow, he sensed that Luke meant it broadly. He wasn't talking about the Supremacy or a particular memo about munitions.

"Have you even considered that?" Luke asked.

"I want peace." Kylo said it softly. "I want order."

"Then why are you rebuilding for war? Fighting is the most chaotic thing people do."

"The Resistance …" Kylo's voice stopped. He stared at the floor with a thoughtful frown. It was a good question and he took it seriously. He'd been so bogged down with the immediate needs that he hadn't thought much beyond them. But he was the supreme leader now. His influence over the First Order was immense. He knew that loyalty to him and acceptance of his title was sketchy and limited at the moment, but it didn't have to stay that way. The First Order was an enormous ship with a lot of momentum. It wouldn't turn on a dime for him, but he could definitely influence the destination.

Luke spoke. "That foundry knows what sort of ship you want those hull parts for. They're probably the ones who made them for this ship in the first place. They're going to be telling their other customers just like they're going to tell your espionage agents. The Resistance is building ships to resist you. They're provoking you and you're responding, just like you did when you were my student."

Kylo's eyes rose to Luke's. He was still contemplative. Something else he hadn't thought about – Luke was trying to teach him something with his endless poking, prodding, and upsetting. Finally, he said, "Snoke told me the light rises to meet the darkness. Action, reaction."

Luke shrugged. "There's a balance. It's a simple principle. Even a Sith gets it."

He ignored the insult. "If I," Kylo speculated, "left this ship as a derelict, the Resistance would still build their ships. The First Order wouldn't be as well-equipped to oppose them. Fewer systems would bow to us. The war would drag out even longer. I want a decisive victory." He blinked slowly and looked to Luke. "How would I get that?"

Luke's brows rose. "You're asking me?"

"Yes." Not that he expected an honest answer.

"You said the other day you were in control of everything. Stop fighting. End it. You're the only one who can."

It frustrated him that Luke, an outsider to organization who didn't even know he didn't know what he was talking about, would pretend it was so easy. "That would be very convenient for the Resistance," he said dryly.

Luke laughed. "No, it wouldn't. The Resistance ceases to exist as soon as you stop threatening entire planets. Why would anyone squander their resources on a bunch of illegitimate rebels if the legitimate government was meeting their needs?" Luke leaned forward. "I'm not here on behalf of the Resistance, the Empire, the Senate, the New Republic, the First Order, or whatever everyone decides to call the new state. Stop provoking them and they'll stop disappointing you."

"Is that a lesson you've learned?"

"It's a lesson you're teaching me."

Kylo blinked at him, turning his full attention to Luke. "I am teaching you?"

"You've been schooling me since I showed up." Luke rolled his eyes. "You have so much to offer the universe, Ben. I saw that potential before. I see it now. Snoke saw it. Rey sees it. Only an idiot wouldn't. What I see you doing right now is even more interesting. You're not handing off the hard work to someone else who you threaten and frighten into obedience. You're doing it yourself. You're wise enough to know it's a team effort, but you're still leading alone."

Kylo's eyes narrowed. The unasked-for flattery, the use of his old name, and the implication he needed to do things differently all struck him as manipulation, no matter how earnestly Luke had said it. "Who would you have me trust?"

Luke paused, raising his brows as he looked down for a long beat. "I don't know. The First Order didn't get to where it is today without having capable people in it. Maybe some of them? I don't know much about being a leader. That was always Leia's department."

"Do you think I should ask her?" Kylo asked with mock surprise. He was still trying to figure out how Luke benefitted here. Luke was trying to steer him just like Snoke, right?

Luke's brow furrowed. "That's not what I meant."

"Are you sure? Aren't you here to seduce me to the Light Side and get me to disarm the First Order so your precious Resistance can win the day?"

Luke sighed. "Ben-"

"Kylo." His voice was sharp as a knife.

Luke opened his mouth, shut it, moved his lips like he had bitten into something rotten, and said with difficulty, "Kylo. Right. Kylo, I'm not here to make you do anything. For the first time in your adult life and most of your childhood, no one is poisoning you, no one is telling you what to do. Not even me. Snoke is dead! And so am I. I'm going to say things to you. You're going to ignore some of them. Maybe most of them. Maybe all. You decide." Luke waited for a moment, then added, "The Force is about connections and balance. You … don't have any. I know loneliness, Kylo. I know cutting yourself off from everyone. It wasn't a good idea."

Kylo regarded him for nearly a minute, his face impassive. It occurred to him that if he took the conversation at face value, then it made sense. If he assumed manipulation, then it didn't. He had to really reach to fit even a few of the facts (like thinking Luke was a Force ghost of Snoke, and even then it didn't make sense). He exhaled heavily and said in a respectful tone worthy of someone who had given you good advice, "I'll think on it. If you'll excuse me, I have work to do."