Chapter 10

Kylo stood paralysed after watching Rey disappear. The strangeness and briefness of the encounter leaving him confused. She had appeared to busy at work, and in a hurry. He knew she was rushing because he figured she would have been careful enough to not get zapped if she were taking her time. He rubbed the spots on his fingertips together where he had felt the errant electrical pulses. It had hurt at first but now he thought how enjoyable it had been to experience what she was feeling through the force. It reminded him that if she ever were truly injured or in danger, he would feel it and hopefully be able to do something about it.

Danger, Kylo thought, hoping that whatever she was doing wasn't too dangerous. He clenched his fists, annoyed at himself for letting her get under his skin enough to cause him such worry. He felt a familiar wave of self degrading anxiety wash over him. It was so easy to see her as his friend, especially when they confided in eachother like they had their last meeting. But if he was honest with himself he was still angry over her betrayal, though his concern for her safety always outweighed his rage.

"Supreme Leader" A voice hailed through his com, "Urgent intel coming from the Mandalore System" Kylo cursed under his breath and punched the door frame on his way out of his quarters.

Hux was standing with his hands clasped behind his back when Kylo entered the Bridge. There was a hologram behind him displaying a familiar ship, one of the most recognizable smuggler's ships in the galaxy. Kylo came to an abrupt halt, his eyes flicking over to Hux.

"What is this?" He asked gruffly, his fists clenched so tightly he could hear the leather of his gloves creak.

"I thought that was obvious, It's the Millenium Falcon." He explained walking towards the holo projector calmly, his face glowing with satisfaction. "You asked me to keep you apprised of any sightings."

"Yes I'm aware it's the Millennium Falcon." he retorted through gritted teeth. "Where was it spotted."

"This footage was obtained by a stationary satellite just outside the Mandalore system"

Kylo's hand flew out and clenched in the air, "Get to the point" He murmured menacingly, as he slowly constricted the airflow through the general's windpipe.

"The ship was spotted entering the orbit of Outpost Dx-55. I've already sent a transmission to the troopers stationed in the area to be on high alert." He croaked.

Kylo felt his face go white and his head swam with the new information. Turning his brain into a scrambled mess of worry and anger. He stalked towards the red haired man until he towered over him, "I thought I was to be the first informed of any news concerning the resistance's location." He snarled, the rage boiling up inside him.

"I… I thought" Hux sputtered, "Getting the messages to the troopers as quickly as possible would lead to a greater likelihood of capture."

Kylo saw red and shoved the man to the side, everything in his being was screaming to retract the order to the troopers but he knew Hux would become too suspicious if he did so and it would lead to questions of his allegiance. Hunched over a control panel he slowly reigned in his wrath and formulated his words carefully.

"If anyone is captured, I want them brought to me unharmed so they may face the justice they truly deserve." He stated finally, before turning on a dime and striding into the hallway. Once the doors of the lift slid closed behind him he slammed his fist into the wall, leaving the paneling bent and cracked.

Kylo thought to himself, he needed a damn plan. He needed to remain ruler if he wanted to bring order to the galaxy, he wanted to protect Rey knowing if he lost her he too would be lost. He couldn't see a way in which both were possible. He just didn't have any hope left in him. Why couldn't she have joined him? It would have solved everything.

He made his way to his private training rooms and made sure the doors were securely locked behind him, quickly he pulled his cloak off and knelt on the training mat. He needed to reach Rey and warn her.

"Rey, Please…" he begged, beseeching the force to do his bidding. It took a moment to clear his mind enough to be able to find the thread that connected him but when he did he grabbed it tightly and yanked and then she was there before him.

She looked over her shoulder, from her crouched position, her face still obscured by the bulky helmet. She must be alone, he thought because she speaks out loud this time.

"Again? I thought I told you I was busy?"

"I have to tell you something." He sighed, shaking his head.

"Make it quick." She spat, her head wobbling with the large helmet as she looked around nervously.

"Hux knows the Falcon is on Outpost Dx-55 and he's alerted every Stormtrooper in the area" Kylo said, tripping over his words slightly as he tried to get them out as quickly as possible. "Please tell me his intel is wrong."

He knew immediately the intel was correct by the way Rey's shoulders slumped and fear rolled off of her through the force.

"You have to get out of there Rey." He begged, forgetting himself and reaching out to grab her hand which she yanked away sharply.

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked softly, her voice tinged with distrust. Kylo racked his mind for a good reason, the only one he could come up with wasn't anything he wanted to admit to her at the moment. Suddenly he heard her name called and her head snapped around to look behind her.

"I have to go." She whispered, her hand brushed his as she stood and she sprinted off, winking out of view.

Kylo grimaced and held his hand where she had touched it up to his face, it felt warm but he was sure it was just his imagination. He shifted from his knees into a meditation position and closed his eyes. This type of meditation had been something Snoke had forbidden. Claiming the only true path to the dark side was through physical exertion and mental anguish, and meditation provided respite from the exertion. Kylo felt the corners of his mouth tilt up in a half smile, Snoke was gone, and he was free to do things his way now.

As he sunk into meditation for the first time in a decade the question of how to protect Rey while bringing order to the galaxy was what he searched his unconsciousness for. Over and over again he followed the trails of his natural thought, each one leading to the same end. It was as if he was creating a web, and at the center was always Rey and the balance he felt when she was near. It was the key, it had to be, and slowly through hours of meditation it dawned on him.

He wanted order in the galaxy, but maybe what the galaxy needed was not order, but balance.

Author's note: Our protagonists seem to be coming to the same conclusion all by themselves! Hopefully they get some time to talk it over soon!