A.N. I take not credit for the poem quoted in this chapter but I'm hoping some of you did recognise it ;)
Wkyt raised her lightsaber at Hux again, silently scolding herself for dropping her guard, her master would be tossing in his grave if he'd seen her. From within her helmet she narrowed her eyes, her breath intensified by the filters of her mask.
"Kylo said the Jedi fledgling killed my master." The words left a sour taste in her mouth and her gut churned as her suspicions rose to the surface once again.
"And you believe him?" Hux tilted his head slightly, like the Knight was some interesting insect to study.
"It would be treason to say otherwise," her voice faltered for a second. "He is now Supreme Leader."
"A position, I assure you, he has snatched from the senior generals quite adequately," Hux shrugged as he said the words.
"He was Snoke's greatest apprentice." There it was, that sour taste again as her own thoughts disagreed with her words.
Hux laughed, as if noticing her inner contradiction.
"Snoke just wanted kylo's bloodline, that is all. But all the knights were his apprentices."
"But even amongst the Knights, Kylo was our leader."
"And you were pleased with your role as follower?" Hux spat, with sudden anger. "Snoke gave Kylo the Knights and all of you just accepted it! None of you fought for it! Like sheep, you blindly followed your shepherd as he gave you to a dog. And even now, with Snoke murdered, you continue to be sheep, oblivious as the dog grows to become a wolf!"
"Silence!" Snarled Wkyt, raising her other hand and clasping it before her, anger filling ever fiber of her body. "You forget your place, general."
She stood there, one hand stretched out towards Hux, in the crimson light of her lightsaber, the general smirked back. She concentrated on the Force, moulding it to do her bidding, but, for some reason, the general seemed unaffected. She tried the read the man's mind but, all she got back was static and an irritating smirk.
"What the..." Wkyt looked down at her gloved hand, confused- what was going on?
"Having a little performance trouble?" Hux clicked his tongue and shook his head slowly. "What would your beloved Master say about you know?"
"Silence!" she growled, extending her hand once again and focusing.
Hux casually extended one of his own hands. Wkyt felt herself slowly, and painfully, begin to lift off the ground. She could feel invisible hands begin to enclose around her neck, causing her to choke. She didn't struggle, she knew that would be pointless, but her eyes never left his.
"Don't think the Knights of Ren were Snoke's only apprentices." He growled.
In that instant memories flashed in Wkyt's mind- of all the times she'd used the force to exert her authority over the young general. How often had she toyed with him for her own amusement? But now another realisation dawned on her, on all those occasions, not once had she seen him get injured, not even a scratch.
"How? " she gurgled.
Roughly, Hux realised his Force grip on her, allowing her to fall to the ground. She got to her knees, coughing. Her lightsaber hummed quietly besides her.
He shrugged. "During my early days in the First Order Snoke sensed something peculiar about me and my influence with the Force. It turned out that I am very weakly Force sensitive, so you've just seen the full extent of my skill. However, it was something else that caught his attention, I was completely immune to any manipulations in the Force.
"It made no sense, and still doesn't. I'm a living creature so should be filled with the Force, but it's like I'm shut off from it. Snoke saw this as an opportunity and trained me to be his eyes and ears on the ship. I even learnt how to open up to the Force so that certain manipulations could affect me but not too severely to hurt me."
"Why would Snoke need you to be his eyes and ears?" The knight coughed, trying to wrap her head around Hux's story. Could what he was saying be true? Was it possible was someone to shut themselves off from the Force?
"Oh, because of you Knights." He shrugged again before crossing his arms. "He trained you to be his army but he never doubted that one day, one, if not more, would betray him like you did Skywalker."
"I never would!" Wkyt exclaimed, hurt that her master would even think that of her.
"That's why he started sending you away, removing those who appeared less likely to oppose him."
"He sent us all away… except Ren." Her eyes widened as if her greatest suspicions about the leader of the Knights of Ren had just proven to be true.
"Like I said, Snoke saw the power of his bloodline, he also knew of the deceit that comes with it."
"So that's why you didn't believe Ren's story."
"He's been off the tracks since he killed his father and that Jedi girl really rattled his cage."
"What do you mean?"
"There was a conflict within Kylo Ren."
"The Force echooe..." Wkyt's voice trailed off as she remembered what Todo had told them- that the blade had been wielded by Light and Dark.
"We need to find out the truth." Hux started, irritating Wkyt with his liberal use of the word 'we'. But she had to admit, she wanted answers too.
"Interrogation won't work,." She answered swiftly. "Kylo is trained to defend his mind from attack and any questioning of his leadership may be taken a treason."
"Oh, we'll just have to ask Snoke himself."
"How!?" Wkyt gasped, her mind racing. It was impossible for one bound to the Darkside to return from the dead, maybe in the form of a Force Ghost, but that was particularly rare for their side.
"Snoke told me of a way." Hux answered mysteriously. "I've got a plan."
"And why should I trust you?"
"Because you distrust me less then you do Kylo Ren."
Kylo gasped as a sudden irritation erupted near his ankle, like a dozen small needles piercing his skin. However, when he checked, there was nothing. He shook his head, dismissing it as his mind playing tricks on him- too many things had happened in this room.
Kylo was once again in the throne room to study the hilt and this time he had ordered the crew to not disturb his 'meditation'. He looked around the deserted room as more of the needle-like sensation spread across his body like goosebumps, or like little warnings from the Force to leave this place. Too many ghosts haunted this room alone but he needed answers. Ignoring the feeling he walked towards the throne, where the hilt was lying in the same place as he had left it.
Who was the man who appeared before him and why had he called to him?
With a steady hand he reached out to the hilt and gripped it. Closing his eyes, he focused his mind. For now, he ignored the thread that led him to Rey, it's obsidian colour being noted for later thought. At that moment he was searching for someone else- a mysterious man with a scar across his face. In his mind he imagined the man and Kylo ordered the Force to bring him forth to him.
But, for once, the Force did not comply. When the Supreme Leader opened his eyes, the man was nowhere to be seen.
He sighed, slightly disappointed, his plan had not worked. He had thought that his presence in the Force was strong enough to call a Force Ghost, but it seemed he had been wrong.
The dark is generous, and it is patient.
Kylo froze, his grip tightening on the piece of metal in his hand. It was the same voice he had heard before. He had been wrong the first time- it wasn't in his mind nor around him, the voice was coming from the Force itself, like the ancient entity had been given a voice a last.
"Who are you!?" He whispered, trying to focus his mind but unable to see anything. However, the voice continued to speak.
It is the dark that seeds cruelty into justice... that drips contempt into compassion... that poisons love with grains of doubt. The dark can be patient, because the slightest drop of rain will cause those seeds to sprout. The rain will come, and the seeds will sprout... for the dark is the soil in which they grow, and it is the clouds above them... and it waits behind the star that gives them light.
"What is that meant to mean?" Kylo whispered. "Why are you telling me this?"
The dark's patience is infinite... Eventually... even stars burn out.
The voice's words echoed ominously throughout the Force, as if across time and space.
"What is that meant to mean!?" yelled out Kylo, his temper rising with each word he uttered.
But the voice was silent, it had told Kylo what it wanted to tell him, for now- without giving a single answer.
Frustrated and irritated, Kylo threw the hilt at the throne and marched out of the room, not giving it a second glance as the doors closed. He walked to the command center, Stormtroopers gave him a wide berth as they saluted, none wanting to be the subject of his wrath.
The instant he stepped into the command center, the crew rose from their seats or stopped in their tracks to salute him.
"Status report." He commanded, the rest of the crew took this as a signal to continue with their work. An oldish man with grey hair and a pointed nose formally began to walk towards Kylo, a tablet in his hand.
"Supreme leader, we will be entering the Hoth System shortly." He swiftly answered.
"Any sightings of the Millennium Falcon?"
The captain shook his head solemnly.
Kylo shot the captain his most irritated look, which wasn't very difficult after encountering the mysterious voice again, but he couldn't help feel slightly relieved. Although he wished to trample the Resistance fully, he could not find his mother and her little squad before Rey was ready to join him.
"And of the Resistance fleet?"
"Their numbers continue to dwindle as we speak." Said the captain, consulting his tablet. Near the control panels Hux had halted his work and was eyeing Kylo with disdain.
"Good, do not stop until their whole fleet vanishes into history." Kylo ordered.
"Very well." Saluted the captain, before returning to his work.
Kylo looked at the crew below him but he paid them no head, his mind replaying the message the voice had spoken to him.
What did it mean?
Was it some riddle or encryption he was meant to unlock?
"Supreme Leader." An altered voice brought him out of his thoughts, as he turned to see the Knights of Ren bowing before him. Wkyt was in the center of the small group, and the first to rise.
"The Knights of Ren have consulted and ask that Lord Snoke's body be taken to Moraband." She formally asked, her gaze not wavering from his.
"Why Moraband?" He countered, trying to hide his confusion at their sudden request.
"That is were all the Sith Lords lie to rest."
"But we are not sith."
"No, we are not, but we followed the Force as they did and many of our teachings are the same."
"And Master Snoke deserves to rest with all the Dark Lords." Todo added from the back.
Kylo studied the Knights before him in silence, dipping his mind into the Force to read the emotions their faces couldn't show. They were calm and mournful, yet the desire to show their final respects to their master was evident in all.
"Very well," he finally conceded. "Prepare a shuttle and the casket, may your travels be uninterrupted."
Kylo made to dismiss them but none of the masked figures before him moved.
"We have a second request." Boldly stated Wkyt, her eyes meeting Hux's, unseen within her helmet. He Nodded his head, overhearing their whole conversation.
Kylo gestured his hand for her to continue. "That you would join us."
"I am Supreme Leader." He swiftly answered. "And we are in the midst of a war."
"Which we are winning."
"I cannot simply leave my post."
"He was your master as well!" argued back Wkyt, loud enough for the whole crew to nervously turn their heads towards the small group.
"Be that as you may…" Kylo began, before he felt a presence behind him.
"If I may speak, Supreme Leader." Interrupted Hux, bowing his head gently at the younger man.
Hux did not wait for Kylo to give him permission to speak before continuing.
"Taking your master to his final resting place may make your transition as the new Supreme Leader more..." Hux paused dramatically, as he looked for the appropriate word. "Natural- or at least in the eyes of the First Order, like the torch being passed on."
For the briefest moment Hux directed his attention to the Knights... No, to just one of them, but it was too quick a gesture for Kylo to see which one specifically. Something was going on here, Kylo knew that, but with Hux's bizarre influence on the Force, it was hard to tell what.
"Fine." He finally answered, determined to get to the bottom of this, away from prying eyes. "I will accompany you to Moraband."
Hi! So there's another one done! What do you guys think? Here's to hoping the story hasn't bored you too much yet XD Thanks again for reading! and I'll try update as soon as possible :D- LunaPendragon