"Your companions understand it is imperative they behave as prisoners?" I asked.
"I told them we had someone who could pass as a high level First Order official onboard, but to pull off the illusion they must appear to be his captives," Leia said as she helped Dameron finish securing his own restraints.
"Put these around my wrists," she said to me.
I did as she requested. "Then they still do not know who I am?" I asked her.
Dameron shook his head before Leia responded. "The General still insists it is not the time."
"This charade creates unnecessary complications," I said. I had doubts that their belief I was a Resistance official portraying Kylo Ren would bring forth the same genuine terror that recognition of my true identity would. If the crew of the Halberd was perceptive they might notice inconsistencies. "My prisoners must fear me."
"That's nice," Dameron said sarcastically.
I smiled slightly beneath my mask. It was courteous of him to prove my line of thinking was not without merit. He would need to help me resolve the situation. Without warning I grabbed Dameron's neck, and pulled him out of the cockpit. He grunted, but my grip was sufficiently firm he could not protest. I could sense the surprise and concern from those in the main cabin as we emerged.
His arms and legs now restrained by cable, he tumbled forward as I released him. Unable to stop his fall, he impacted the cold metal floor face first. A small trickle of blood began to flow from his nose. I surveyed the room of concerned faces. "I am Kylo Ren, Master of the Knights of Ren and servant of Supreme Leader Snoke. You are my prisoners."
"There is no need to actually injure him," one man said angrily from a prone position on the floor.
I turned to the man and cocked my head slightly as I studied him. He was a bit older than the others, and quite possibly more senior in rank. I kicked him in the jaw with my boot, resulting in a gratifying crack. Several people cried out in surprise or fear, and I felt the mood in the room darken.
"I believe you may have an incorrect understanding of the situation," I said. "I have no intention of perpetrating a ruse that will somehow be your salvation," I said.
I turned back to Dameron and pulled him roughly to his knees. "Tell them who I am."
Dameron hesitated for a moment, caught between his desire to tell the truth and his reverence for Leia's wishes. Evidently he determined Leia's strategy was no longer tenable. "He's Kylo Ren."
I sensed a great deal of confusion. They were reluctant to doubt their General, and several still held out hope that this was somehow part of her plan. Others began to realize my unrestrained violence did not fit with what was expected from a Resistance operative.
In order to eliminate any doubt, I pulled Dameron to his feet—this time with the Force.
"He's the real Kylo Ren," Dameron confirmed, struggling to project his voice despite my grasp on his throat. He opened his mouth to speak again, but at that point I had heard quite enough from him. Tightening my grip slightly effectively silenced the pilot, and moments later I released him, allowing him to crumple to the floor once more.
There was silence in the cabin as a wave of despair settled across the room. Even Dameron's own mind was drowning in uncertainty, wondering if his fears of me betraying them had come to fruition. The rest of them had no such bewilderment: somehow Kylo Ren had made his way aboard their shuttle, and their futures were now in his blood stained hands.
"You are my prisoners," I said. "Resist me and you will be destroyed." I could sense their dread, and I smiled faintly beneath my mask. I was among one of the most feared beings in the Galaxy. My presence inspired unmitigated terror wherever I set foot. I allowed myself a moment to indulge in their emotions, taking pride in the abject fear I had created.
I looked back at the man I had kicked, blood running from his mouth as he fought the pain of his broken jaw. "Do not test me, you will regret it."
I did not bother to clean the blood from my boot as I walked to the front of compartment, leaving it as a small reminder of what it meant to defy me. Before extending the ramp I let my mind flow through the cargo bay, trying to pick any signs of deception from the Force. I had expected the Major and his senior officers to meet the shuttle; he had in fact turned out every crew member on the ship not required at their stations.
Content that there was no immediate risk, I lowered the ramp. It dropped smoothly to the hangar bay floor, hissing slightly as compressed gasses were released. I took slow, measured steps down the ramp, drawing myself to my full height. Nearly one hundred officers and crewmembers were assembled, several of them valiantly trying to maintain a precise military bearing despite being roused from bed only moments before.
Five officers were positioned directly in front of the ramp, a cordon of more than a dozen stormtroopers positioned behind them. The man in the center was recognizable as Major Negol; he had appeared somewhat short during our conversation but was in fact nearly my height, and as he stepped forward I noticed his eyes were level with my own. The man who I had asphyxiated while proving my identity was to Negol's right, and absurdly tall and lanky officer who showed no outward signs of the experience. Inwardly, however, he was still shaken.
"Welcome aboard the Halberd, sir," Major Negol said.
I nodded silently in acknowledgement.
"My senior officers," he said, motioning behind him. It seemed for a moment as if he was going to waste my time by introducing his underlings, but he wisely reconsidered. "I apologize for any lack of hospitality," Negol continued. "We are not used to having guests of your stature aboard our humble vessel."
"Commanders in the First Order must be prepared for all eventualities," I said ominously. Negol tensed visibly. He knew what was at stake here: an unannounced visit from a senior leader of the First Order could be the greatest opportunity of his career—or the end of it. Ironically, no matter how well Negol performed, his career—and his life—would likely be cut short by this encounter. Snoke was unforgiving, and rendering assistance to someone he branded a traitor was certainly an invitation to experience his wrath. The fact that Negol had no way of knowing I had fallen from the Supreme Leader's favor would be of no consequence to Snoke. And for the moment, whatever fate was to befall Negol was of no consequence to me.
"Of course, sir," Negol added, "I did not mean to imply—we simply do not have visiting officer quarters or other luxuries onboard. My quarters, of course, are available for your use. Any other facilities aboard the vessel are completely at your disposal."
The idea of visiting a refresher was appealing. After days on the shuttle and the strain of the past several hours even the briefest of showers would be rejuvenating. However, I could not risk leaving the Resistance members unattended with Negol and his men: there were too many things which could go wrong. Furthermore, time was of the essence. If the Emancipator arrived searching for us before the Halberd departed the area I would have decidedly few options left. I had found my presence alone was effective motivation for members of the First Order.
"Fortunately for you, I am not interested in your capabilities as a host but your efficiency as a military unit."
Color returned to the Major's face. "I believe we will impress you there, sir."
"I hope so." I looked back at my ship. "The shuttle has incurred material damage and is venting atmosphere. Your engineers will repair the damage."
"Yes, sir," Negol nodded.
"Additional damage may have been sustained by the life support systems. I want them restored to normal operating capacity by whatever means are necessary."
"Understood sir," Negol replied.
"The work shall be complete within the next hour."
Negol blinked. It was a demanding order. Even aboard the Finalizer the maintenance staff would have been reluctant to commit to such a tight deadline; Negol knew that with the limited resources of the Halberd it would be an even more daunting task. He also knew he had no choice.
A/N: Kylo continues to have a lot to say at the last minute; every time I go back over an existing chapter it ends up taking a lot longer than I expect and things get a lot longer. I wanted to get a second chapter out this week, so I decided to split up the adventures aboard the Halberd into three parts instead of two—hopefully it still flows well!
As always, THANK YOU for taking the time to read, favorite, and follow! It means the world. A special thank you to Fern Haddock (yes, I'm waiting for Rogue One and VIII-not sure if I'd say patiently though) and Aubrey Ren (here is more!) for the reviews!
Thanks again!