Author's notes at the end of chapter...let's get straight to it!
Chapter 14
He had never planned to visit her. Kylo had been keeping himself busy, whether that involved haunting the halls of Starkiller Base, training, or commanding troops in place of Hux, who had made himself quite scarce over the past few days. Kylo had a feeling where the general was.
He had heard about the girl's mental breakdown. Word tended to travel fast among the various stormtrooper divisions. The troopers who had recently accompanied him on his shuttle had been trying to be subtle in their conversations, and had failed miserably.
"Did you hear what happened in the general's office the other day?" one casually asked the other next to him.
"Who hasn't?" was the almost sarcastic reply. "From the way that woman was apparently screaming, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire base heard her." Well, Kylo certainly hadn't heard the screams or the rumors, so he was instantly intrigued, much to his own chagrin. He was still disturbed by what had recently transpired between him and the Hux girl. The way she had looked at him, her eyes pleading yet firm; it had unnerved him. He had still felt her hand on his arm, which felt like it was on fire. How dare she touch him? How dare he let her? He felt weak, pathetic, reduced to an apparent coward for letting himself submit to someone like her, a woman.
Granted, a strong-willed, clever, outspoken-he cut his thoughts off angrily; those were beside the point. Be that as it may, he still turned his head ever so slightly in the direction of the troopers to listen better without giving away his interest. They did not need to know anything, except how to keep their mouths shut.
"I heard that it took at least four men to hold her down; she was going berserk. They had to knock her out with the heavy stuff." The other trooper shrugged.
"I'm surprised that they didn't put a blaster bolt through her head; she tried to attack the general, you know."
"Really? I heard differently, but kriff. I can't believe they're related, but I assume that that's the reason why she's still even alive. It's said that she's like him." They were talking about him now, Kylo was certain of it. He felt his fists clench even tighter. What he wouldn't give to make them shut up now, but his curiosity stayed his hand.
"What makes you say that?" asked the trooper, sounding dubious.
"Sevens was there. He said that he doesn't remember the specifics, but there was a crack in the office window, a big one. The general actually looked spooked."
"Wonderful. Twice the danger now. Do you know where they're keeping her? Somewhere secure, I imagine."
"I think they have her locked up in a containment cell, in isolation. Restrained, I believe. Talk is that she's gone mad."
"Anyone would if they were locked up like that, especially on that planet. I wonder what triggered her."
"Who knows? The fact that remains is that something needs to be done about her. She's dangerous." The other troopers scoffed.
"As if that wasn't obvious. If I had it my way, she would have been dead the second she stepped on Ord Mantell. It would have certainly put the witch out of her misery." No sooner had the words left the trooper's mouth than he went flying across the short length of the shuttle, slamming against the wall.
Kylo stood to his full height, glaring daggers from behind his mask at the soldier who was lying against the wall, their chest heaving. Kylo's fingers flexed around his lightsaber. How he wished to run it through this loquacious being lying pathetically before him. He could practically taste the other man's fear, and it was delicious. 'Yes, remind him of how dangerous you are,' he thought.
"I suggest that if you wish to keep your head, soldier, learn to keep your thoughts to yourself," Kylo said menacingly, the vocoder making his voice sound even more threatening. His threat had its effect, for the trooper nodded hastily and scrambled to his feet to stand once again next to his companion, who was frozen with fear. The rest of the trip passed in blissful silence.
He did not know what to believe, as the truth tended to become convoluted the more it was passed around, but he did not care to find out. Why should he be concerned? He should actually feel relieved. If the girl had indeed gone insane, then she would no longer be Kylo's problem.
Still, her presence remained in the back of his mind like an itch he just couldn't scratch. She was almost impossible to ignore. He knew that she was not projecting her emotions or thoughts on purpose; she had no control over them or her growing abilities, but it was still irritating. He could feel her distress, her anger, her fear. Sometimes it was subdued, and at other times, it was like a raging wildfire.
Once in a while, he caught glimpses, flashes of images that were being thrown carelessly through the Force. They were typically the same thing over and over: a white room, holoscreens flashing innumerable amounts of information, including what looked to be mathematical equations and useless facts, and the table in the dark room. The one recurring thought that went along with these images was: Monsters. The screaming had to be the worst part though, the screams of a child in pain. They cruelly reminded him of similar screams that he heard on that fateful night six years ago.
He did not know how she was doing this, but it was apparent that she was strong in the Force, despite her connection to it being subdued for so long. Now, the Force practically sang with her presence, which now shone like a light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Kylo ignored the pull to it, but he could not help but notice how it flickered every so often, especially when her emotions became erratic.
These troublesome thoughts and emotions were the reason why Kylo had been keeping himself busy, doing anything to keep his mind away from hers. When he was contacted to report to the medical bay, he was initially going to refuse. He had better things to do, and he was not even interested. That's what he told himself anyhow.
At the same time, however, he knew that this would be his chance, the opportunity that he (and Snoke) had been waiting for. What better time to approach her when she was at her lowest, most desperate point? The idea might have sounded absurd to anyone else, but Kylo knew firsthand how easily someone in such a position could be influenced, swayed by the promise of something better.
"You must first establish a base of trust with her," Snoke lectured to him on the day he had removed the repression of the girl's sensitivity. "Show her that you are willing to help her understand what she is, lend a sympathetic ear. The girl has obviously gone through quite an ordeal; you must make it clear to her that learning the ways of the Force is the only way to cope with the inevitable feelings of betrayal and pain. Teach her how to utilize her emotions, and sequentially, the Dark Side. I can already sense that she is powerful, Kylo Ren; she will either make a valuable ally, or a dangerous adversary. Tread carefully, and if you succeed, I will be completing not just your training, but hers as well…"
Kylo, who had been more than eager to continue his instruction of the Dark Side under his master, was floored by this news. He should have felt thrilled to know that Snoke was considering continuing Kylo's training, but instead, he felt dread, along with a hint of jealousy.
Kylo studied the Sith; he knew their ways. He especially understood the Rule of Two that had been established by the Sith Lord Darth Bane centuries ago. "Always two there are; no more, no less. A master and an apprentice." The master embodied the power, and the apprentice craved it, aspiring to one day rise up against their master and take their place. Well, Kylo was obviously the apprentice, and Snoke the master, but Snoke was no Sith. As a result, the rules did not apply to him.
Still, Kylo could not help but feel betrayed. He had been sought out by Snoke, chosen by him. He had done everything to please his master, to convince him that he was worthy of further training. Now, someone who had no experience with the Force whatsoever, a common criminal, was being given the attention that Kylo ardently craved. Why should he be expected to be her handler, only to end up being her foreseeable rival for Snoke's approval, and for power? If she could be turned, it was highly unlikely that both of them would survive the end of the Supreme Leader's training.
Yes, he was jealous, who wouldn't be? This girl was nothing special, if anything, she just might be his downfall. His hatred for her swelled sevenfold at the possibility of being replaced. He should have killed her when he had the chance. With this newest occurance, however, he may have just been saved from all of this trouble.
He had been surprised to discover that she had asked for him. Hux apparently was as well. He had been standing at the entrance to the medical bay speaking to a medic when Kylo arrived.
"…I want the best doctors working on her!" he was saying, everything about his voice and body language screaming tension.
"But sir," the unfortunate medic pleaded, "every time we approach her, she proves to be uncooperative. She bit Doctor Salu not even five minutes ago when he tried to sedate her!" General Hux shook his head in disgust at the medic's excuses.
"Then send in a droid if you must. I need to know what is wrong with her!"
"I apologize for my brashness sir, but shouldn't we wait until….?" He trailed off when he saw Kylo coming towards them.
Hux looked in Kylo's direction with obvious contempt and then turned back towards the medic. "Never mind, Doctor Tarly. The wait appears to be over. Report back to your duties then." Doctor Tarly nodded and scurried off, fleeing the dark commander's approach.
Hux fell into step with Kylo and the two continued in silence.
Shortly before they reached their intended destination, Hux suddenly scoffed.
"To think that when she finally decides to speak intelligibly, she asks to see you." He sounded bitter, which made Kylo raise his eyebrows. "She asked for me?" he wanted to ask, but instead:
"She did not wish to speak with you?" he inquired. Hux scoffed.
"She does not know that I am here. Besides, I know that she would not want to see me." He sounded cool and collected, but Kylo could sense his consternation.
"She tried to assault you, did she not?" His own tone was conversational at best, but Hux suddenly stopped and whirled to face Kylo, shock and disgust on his face.
"What? Of course not! She was too engaged with having a mental breakdown! I was the one who had to hold her down until assistance arrived. Where did you hear these slanders?" So, not everything the troopers had said was true after all.
"Your "highly trained" men are quite skilled in the art of gossip, General. I suggest that their next training session includes restraint and discretion." He could feel the near-hatred radiating from the man before him.
"What does it matter to you, Ren? She is here because of you, after all." His tone had now become accusatory, and Kylo did not like it one bit. He stepped closer to Hux, who, to his credit, did not flinch this time.
"Are you alluding that this is my fault, General?" The man's face became red and his nostrils flared.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. Ever since you decided to have a field day in her mind, my sister has been gradually regaining her memories but losing her mind. She has been traumatized by whatever these memories are, and the effects are finally beginning to manifest themselves. She is confused and terrified now, Ren, so I do hope that you are satisfied with yourself!" he spat. By the end of his short tirade, the general had lost nearly every inch of his calm façade. His eyes blazed with unadulterated hatred for Kylo.
Kylo actually did feel satisfied with himself, for at least he knew the truth now, or at least most of it. In time, he would know all of it, most likely from the girl herself, if everything went according to his plan. However, he also felt irritated by Hux's audacity and ignorance.
"May I remind you, General, that it was the Supreme Leader who willed for this to happen?" He hoped that the warning in his tone would shut Hux up, but unfortunately, it had the opposite effect.
"But did either of you consider the ramifications?" Hux countered. "Did you really think that this was going to help her? All you've done is harm her. She is mentally damaged now, Ren, damaged to the point of insanity. She is gone now, my sister. She is obviously no longer the child I knew many years ago, but I cannot believe that the woman here and the little girl are the same person. Moira was good, she was kind and gentle, she did not-." He broke off suddenly, catching his breath. His eyes and words were full of so much emotion that Kylo was temporarily rendered speechless.
"She did not deserve this," Hux finished with a sigh. "Moira," he murmured to himself, shaking his head, "what did Father do to you?" He then drew in a deep breath and looked at Kylo, his eyes once again full of derision.
"That is why I refuse to go see her, Ren. I cannot look at her now without imagining what she went through. I cannot even begin to think about…what she is." He paused and stared Kylo down. "I thought that when she had appeared on Ord Mantell, it would be my third chance to attempt to make amends, to put the past behind us and start anew. I thought that I finally had her back after sixteen years, but you took her away from me again, Kylo Ren, and that is something that I cannot forgive, ever."
He felt her hand take his, so small but warm to the touch. The conversation had gone better than expected-he had expected more neurotic behavior from her. Instead, she seemed normal, as in sarcastic and nearly insufferable. Kylo saw right through her though-she was actually terrified, and she even admitted that much. The eyes that had been so full of fire days before were now dead; they did not smile along with her mouth. She looked defeated. However, that did not mean that she failed to surprise him.
Snoke was right, she was powerful. The way she was able to effortlessly perceive the emotions of others was impressive. She had not been wrong about the fear felt by those who were observing their interaction, Hux included, and the way that it had intensified when Kylo had undone her restraints.
He felt her shock at his gesture, and if he had been any other person, he would have felt the same way. Releasing her restraints would hopefully begin to build the foundation of trust, and besides, he was curious. He wanted to see what she could already do, and he was not disappointed. He was not afraid either, for he knew that she could do him no harm, at least for now.
Despite her mental strength, she was physically weak. As soon as she stood, she fell forward with a gasp, her knees having given out, right into Kylo's arms. He held her upright at arms' length, careful to keep her from getting too close.
"Dammit," she swore softly, before realizing her situation. "Let go of me," she demanded stubbornly, trying to wrench herself free of his grip, but Kylo held firm.
"You can barely stand on your own," he observed, and she shot him a venomous glare, which under different circumstances, Kylo would have found more amusing.
"I've gathered that, thank you," she snapped, the familiar sarcasm back in her voice. It was only then that Kylo began to notice the similarities between this girl and her brother. "Now let go of me so I can walk out of here with at least a small fraction of dignity." Her resolve was admirable at best, but it amounted to nothing when she looked like she was about to collapse after one step. He did not want to do what he was about to do, but he knew that there was no other option.
"I'm afraid that's not going to happen," he replied, and before she could even look confused, he waved his hand, and she went slack in his grasp. He scooped up her petite form and headed for the door.
Hux was right there in his face as soon as he stepped out. "What have you done?" the man seethed. Kylo stopped before him, annoyed at this delay. He sighed, the vocoder distorting it.
"I simply rendered her unconscious. She was clearly not going to stand for knowingly being carried, and I have gathered that she does not like being approached by medics." Hux was still not having it.
"She needs to remain here to be treated, Ren. She is sick!"
"Staying here will only worsen her situation, General. Besides, the Force will heal her." He was met with an incredulous stare.
"The Force? How can that help her? She needs doctors, therapists, and medicines, not some mystical religion," he spat. Kylo's impatience only grew. He felt familiar anger rising in his chest. Moira was literally the only thing that prevented him from reaching out and strangling Hux. Why did this man have to be so intolerably stubborn and idiotic?
"This mystical religion that you speak of is something that your sister is a part of now. She must learn about it in order to accept who she is. It is a therapy within itself. Besides, this is all part of the Supreme Leader's plan." The general frowned. He was not present during that part of the meeting between Snoke and Kylo.
"And that is?" he asked, his voice going dangerously low. The atmosphere in the room intensified. Despite his frustration, Kylo had to smirk triumphantly.
"I'm afraid that it's highly classified." Immediately, Hux's face darkened a few shades of red, and before he could open his mouth, Kylo continued. "Now, we can stand here all day and bicker over trivial matters, or I can deliver her to a more suitable environment. She is beginning to grow quite burdensome; I'd hate to drop her."
Bastard, he heard Hux think angrily, but he knew that he had the man beat. Wordlessly, the man stepped aside and allowed Kylo to pass before falling in stride with him. He turned to one of the medical droids hovering discreetly to the side. "I will notify you once she is situated," he murmured to it, and the droid merely nodded its head in affirmation. Then, the general turned back to Kylo.
"I presume that you are bringing her back to her quarters?" Kylo kept staring ahead as they walked, but he shook his head.
"No," he said, "I am taking her to new ones. She did not like the mirror in her previous room." He wasn't exactly telling Hux what happened, so he wasn't really betraying Moira. He just wanted to see if Hux was smart enough to take the hint. He certainly felt the other man's confusion and slight alarm as the realization began to dawn on him. Hux stopped, so Kylo did too.
"Is that-?" Hux began in a near whisper, but Kylo cut him off.
"I can take it from here, General. I believe that you have more important duties to attend to, such as managing this base." He didn't wait to see the general's reaction, but instead turned around and continued down the hall with Moira in his arms, knowing exactly where he was going.
He entered his private quarters still carrying his burden, who was still lifeless in his arms. He looked down at her again, noticing how her hair covered part of her face. There was something…familiar about that particular position.
Shaking his head, Kylo walked over to his bed and placed his precious cargo on it. Part of him was still confused with his decision. Why here?
He could have easily returned her to her original room, but he felt that being there would evoke more unpleasant memories for her. The last thing that he needed was for her to have another breakdown, for Hux to sneer and say "I told you so," and have her sent back to the medical bay. She would be safer here until he figured out what to do with her. Another room could be arranged, but for the meantime, she would rest here, undisturbed.
She looked so vulnerable. He wondered if he could try to get into her head again, but he decided against it, knowing how well that had worked out last time. In time, he would be able to see inside, to extract all of her secrets, but that time was not now. He preferred to have his victims awake, so he could watch them try to fight him, only to ultimately lose in the end.
Again, the thought occurred to him that he could easily kill her, to save himself from all of this trouble, this conflict. He felt his hand twitch toward his saber, but he caught himself. He needed to leave now, before his emotions got the best of him. Knowing that no one else but he and a medical droid would come through the door, he found it safe to enter the hidden adjacent room to his left, a room that could only be accessed with the Force. He had some things to think about.
Moira jerked awake from the darkness soundlessly, clutching something smooth and silky between her fingers. A bolt of pain shot through her left hand at the sudden movement, but it was nothing compared to the panic that was gripping her chest. Panting, she sat up quickly and looked around the room, ignoring how her head was currently swimming.
The last thing that she remembered was the white room, which she was no longer in, and Kylo Ren, who was no longer present. This room was unfamiliar, yet reminiscent of the room she had been staying in before her breakdown. The setup was similar, but the room was larger and slightly grander. Even the bedsheets that Moira was still holding were luxurious. She ran the dark material through her fingers in wonderment. Where was she? Was this her new room? If so, Moira was not about to complain, but she was still curious as to how she got here in the first place.
Then she remembered standing before Kylo Ren, or more accurately, in his arms. She felt her face flush at the memory, but she quickly reminded herself that it was because she had nearly fallen over when she had stood, and he had been merely supporting her. She had tried fighting him, but then he had raised his hand, and…she groaned.
"The little shit," she muttered, burying her face in her hands, "he did it again." She chuckled quietly, shaking her head. She should have seen that coming, to be honest. How many times would she fall for that?
Groaning again, she fell back onto the bed. Next time, it'll be me who knocks him out, she thought resolutely. She rolled over onto her side, burying her face into one of the pillows. It had a peculiar scent to it, she noticed as she inhaled deeply, reminiscent of her days with the Black Sun, when during her training she used to stealthily switch cells with her male contemporaries at night, giving the supervisor quite a scare in the morning.
They had always been warned that they would be "taught a lesson," but the only thing that Moira had learned from the experience was what men smelled like. Men could go from taking a bath in sludge to dousing themselves with cologne, but no matter what, they always had this distinct smell that lingered on whatever they had prolonged contact with. That being the case, this pillow definitely reeked of masculinity, which meant that this was not her bed, and so by extension, not her room.
Moira pushed herself up from the pillow and looked around the room again. As far as she could see, she was alone, but that did nothing to calm her racing heart. Whose room was this, and did they even know that she was here? Even if they did, that did not make her feel any more welcome, for the longer she sat there, the more uneasy she began to feel.
There was something strange about this room, something that made the hair on her neck stand up and a chill to run down her spine. She could sense it in the atmosphere, and it put her on edge. This room just felt…wrong, and Moira did not know why.
Then she heard the voices, barely audible, but there. Come and see why, they seemed to whisper. Moira felt a tugging sensation in her stomach and in her head as the whispers became more insistent. Something was calling to her.
Slowly and shakily, she stood from the bed. Almost pitching forward, she grabbed onto the bed for support. She felt the pins and needles sensation in her feet and knew that she had been asleep for a while.
Gathering herself with a few calming breaths, Moira took a tentative step forward, then another, until finally she found herself pacing toward the wall across from the bed. She did not quite know why she was heading in that direction; her only clue was that the voices were getting louder.
She imagined dark tendrils of energy seeping from that wall, beckoning her forward. They were the source of the whispers. She noticed that the closer she got to the wall, the colder it became. In the back of her mind, something told her to turn away and run, but her curiosity got the best of her.
She reached out to touch the wall, frowning in contemplation. The surface felt like it was pulsing with some kind of energy that she could not describe. It felt alive. There was something on the other side of this wall, Moira could feel it.
The dark tendrils that she could see in her mind reached out to her again, and this time, she reached out to one as well. Show me, she implored of it. It happily enveloped her, caressing her in an almost docile manner, and she inhaled sharply at the thrill of it, the energy that passed through her body and made the nerve endings in her fingertips tingle.
Suddenly, a portion of the wall slid up soundlessly in front of her to reveal another room, and when she gained a view of what was inside, Moira froze.
The dark energy emanating from there hit her like a runaway speeder, stealing the breath from her lungs, making her blood run cold. It was suffocating. However, the malevolent force was not the only thing that made her heart stop.
She could only see the back of the figure that was sitting before her, but she knew who it was; she recognized the back of the helmet. She gasped before she could even stop herself.
She quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. She watched in mute horror as his back straightened at the sound. He definitely sensed her presence, but whether or not he knew it was her was irrelevant. The light reflected off the metal grooves of his mask as he began to turn his head in her direction.
The spell was broken. Shrieking in terror, Moira wasted no time in turning away and breaking into a sprint towards the door, praying to any deity for the door to be unlocked. To her surprise, it was.
She lunged through the doorway, and began sprinting down the hall, not even bothering to check if the door had closed behind her. She had no plan and absolutely no idea where she was going. All she knew was that she needed to get away.
There was no one else around, not even stormtroopers, but she had a feeling that that wouldn't last much longer.
She rounded a corner, and suddenly her feet came out from under her. For a moment, Moira experienced a sense of weightlessness, but the feeling didn't last long as she quickly landed flat on her back, briefly driving the air from her lungs.
She groaned, gripping her head and grimacing in pain as her brain rattled in her skull from the impact.
"What the-!" a familiar male voice said from above. "Hey, are you alright?"
From her place on the floor, Moira opened her eyes. At first, everything was out of focus, but after a few blinks, she was able to lucidly make out the even more familiar face hovering over her. "You?!" she gasped.
FN-2187's eyes widened. "Miss Hux?"
Moira wasted no time in scrambling to her feet, which proved to be very difficult. Her back and head hurt, she still felt a bit winded, and it did not help that the floor was slippery. That was bound to be the reason why she fell in the first place.
"Here, let me help you," said FN-2187, offering him his hand. He could definitely see that she was struggling, and Moira, not wanting to suffer the humiliation of falling on her ass multiple times, gladly took his hand.
"Thanks," she said breathlessly after he hauled her to her feet. She bent over at the waist and placed her hands on her knees, taking deep breaths. "What…in all nine…hells…was that?" she managed to wheeze out.
The stromtrooper cadet was looking down at her with concern, but he still answered her question. "Floor wax…are you okay?" Moira glanced down at the floor and saw her reflection staring back at her.
"I'll live." She shook her head, chuckling to herself. "Kriff," she murmured, "even the floor wants me dead." She heard him clear his throat.
"Um, that was my fault, actually." When Moira's head shot up at his comment, he quickly went to defend himself. "I'm working sanitation," he explained, gesturing to his attire, "so I have to wax this sector today, and-agh!"
Within seconds, Moira dragged him into a narrow passageway and pinned him against the wall by the collar of his uniform. She held one hand over his mouth and pressed her arm into his throat, rendering him silent. She leaned in and whispering menacingly: "Not one word." He only stared back at her with wide eyes. A couple of seconds later, the tall intimidating figure of Kylo Ren appeared, closely followed by a small unit of stormtroopers. She closed her eyes, as if doing that would prevent them from seeing her.
"She does not know her way around here; she could not have gone far," he was saying as he strode past. He sounded angry, very angry. "Nevertheless, notify the General to put the base on high alert. She may yet try to escape…" His voice eventually faded along with their footsteps.
Moira did not even dare to breath for a few seconds after they had disappeared, having taken no notice of them. She could hear her heart pounding loudly, and for a moment, she feared that he would hear it and turn back around.
She waited until the dark aura and the cold that she had felt seconds before Ren's arrival dissipate, and then exhaled with a loud sigh. She opened her eyes and shivered, shaking off that uncomfortable feeling. She recognized it to be the same aura she had sensed in the medical bay when he came to get her, the same one she had felt minutes ago in that room, and the same one that she had felt in her head. Was this Kylo Ren's Force-signature?
Moira recalled his brief lecture in the medical bay about the Force and how he was able to sense her presence in it. Was she doing the same with his? If so, she did not want to do it again. It made her feel cold, anxious, and even tired in a depressed sort of way, as if the darkness drained the energy from everything around it.
She looked at FN-2187 to see if he looked similar to how she felt, but he was staring at her with a panicked look in his eyes. "Did you feel that too?" she whispered. He frowned, confirming her suspicions. She still felt disappointed.
"Never mind," she sighed. "Alright, I'm going to remove my hand. If you try to run away or even yell, I promise that I will hurt you badly. Got it?" He nodded quickly, and Moira lifted her hand from his mouth.
"Okay, listen to me closely. You said that you work sanitation. Does this place happen to have a trash compactor?" The poor kid was rendered mute from terror and obvious confusion at her question. Any other time, she might have felt guilty, but the thing was, she had no time right now. She slammed him into the wall again. "Answer me, dammit!" she hissed.
He quickly nodded, and that made Moira frown in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean? 'Yes' as in you'll answer me, or 'yes' as in there is a trash compactor?" He nodded again in earnest. Moira, taking his gesture as affirmation of her second guess, couldn't help but grin as excitement mixed with relief flooded her system. She could not believe her luck right now.
"That's great to hear," she said, releasing FN-2187, who sagged against the wall in what limited space he had, gasping for air, "because I need your help taking out some trash."
"I can't believe I'm doing this!" FN-2187 muttered to himself for what was probably the third time since they had reached the garbage chute. Moira, who was standing behind him waiting rather impatiently, rolled her eyes.
"Be quiet!" she snapped. "I myself can't believe that I'm about to throw myself down a garbage chute, but since I'm currently being pursued by a phonomaniac* who's probably ready to straight up murder me, my options are pretty limited. Could you please hurry up?"
"I'm trying!" he retorted hotly as he fumbled around in the pockets of his uniform. Finally, he produced a keycard which he inserted into an opening by the chute door. A button next to that opening lit up, and FN-2187 punched it almost angrily. The panel slid up smoothly to reveal a small dark square in the wall. He then whirled around to face her, his expression a mixture of anger and fear.
"So what's your plan after this anyway, huh? Like Lord Ren said, you're not gonna make it far. You'll probably die down there anyway," he said, gesturing to the chute.
"And wouldn't that make everyone happy!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up into the air. She was surprised at how bitter she sounded, as was FN-2187.
Ignoring that, she continued. "Alright, get ready to throw me in." The entrance to the chute was rather high, and Moira did not think that she had the energy right now to make such a jump. Besides, her back still hurt from her fall from earlier. His eyes widened even more in alarm.
"What?" he asked, incredulous, "are you serious?" Moira nodded.
"Do I look like I'm joking? I'm not going to be able to climb up there on my own. The chute declines at such an angle that someone needs to shove me down it." The cadet shook his head.
"I'm not gonna throw you down a garbage chute! You'll definitely die that way!" Moira shrugged.
"Well, no one can say that I didn't try. Now get ready; we're wasting time." She started towards him, only for him to back away, shaking his head. There was now pure, unadulterated fear on his face.
"No, I can't do it! I've already helped you too much. If they find out, they're gonna kill me-."
"Not if I kill you first," Moira blurted out in a nonchalant way. He stared at her, and she stared right back. After a several agonizing seconds, the cadet's shoulders sagged in defeat.
"Fine," he muttered, sticking his keycard into the waistband of his pants, "come on then." Allowing herself a smug smile of satisfaction, Moira stepped forward.
"Okay," she said, walking around him so she could stand closer to the wall, "you're going to have to lift me up from behind. I'll jump to help out, but you've got to do the rest, got it?"
He did not respond. He only placed his hands just above her waist. She could sense his hesitation and regret. He was afraid.
She did not want to care; he was nothing to her anyways. If one got down to it, he was just a stormtrooper, the enemy. She was supposed to hate them, but for some reason, she could not hate this one. His fear was nearly tangible, and it made his innocence even more pronounced.
"Alright," she murmured, "on three. One, two, three!" She pushed up off the ground, leaping up towards the chute. He lifted her up from the waist, holding her steady as she slowly began to maneuver her body into the chute.
She pushed herself through with her elbows and forearms so that her head and shoulders were inside, and her torso soon followed. FN-2187's hands had now moved down to her legs, holding her body at a downward angle.
"Stars, it's dark in here," Moira muttered to herself, her voice echoing in the small space. It was a tight fit, but Moira was glad that her hips had been able to get through. "Eck, and smelly too!" The putrid odor was enough to make her eyes water.
She felt out the space in front of her with one arm and almost instantly felt the drop off. All she needed was one solid push…
"Hey, what are you doing?" someone shouted from behind.
Immediately, FN-2187 let go of her legs, probably more from surprise than anything else. Now with nothing holding her in place, Moira was practically upended into the chute, barely having any time to scream as she slid headfirst into darkness.
After falling for what seemed like eternity, Moira flew out of the chute and landed face first in a stinking pile of scrap metal. Some of the debris came loose from the momentum of her landing, sending her rolling down the pile and face first again into a shallow pool of tepid, garbage-filled water.
Moira quickly rolled onto her back, spraying the filthy fluid from her mouth in disgust. When she finished hacking up the rest of her lungs, she allowed her body to relax and float on the water's surface. Closing her eyes, she sighed and could not help the victorious grin that stretched her mouth or the breathless laughter that escaped it. She had done it.
She got to her feet, wobbling around a little due to the uneven surface beneath her. Looking around, she could see that she was up to her knees in water and was surrounded by mountains of garbage consisting of scrap metal and other kinds of waste. Mora wrinkled her nose at the smell; there was definitely one kind of waste down here.
Not wanting to savor her victory for too long, Moira headed for the door in the wall to her right. Every inch of her body was soaked, and her boots were no exception. The fact that they were water logged made Moira's progress to the door a little more difficult, but she was still smiling when she reached the door. She raised her hand to the keycard slot and froze, the smile disappearing from her face almost as fast as it had appeared.
Moira felt her stomach drop to the ground as she stared in shock at her empty hand. Immediately, she looked down at her feet, expecting to see FN-2187's keycard floating there, but was sorely disappointed. Of course, it couldn't be this easy, could it?
"No, no, no, please no!" she began to whisper frantically as her chest constricted in panic. She whirled around and rushed back to the spot where she had landed. It's got to be here somewhere!
Trying her best to stay calm, Moira dropped to her knees and began to feel around, unable to see what was underneath the murky water's surface. She began to curse herself as she did this. She knew that she should have slid the keycard into her own pants after she had snagged it from FN-2187's. That way, there would have been no chance of losing it.
Her search proving to be unsuccessful so far, Moira found herself becoming desperate. She began to swear out loud now as she splashed around in the shallow water, even submerging her face a few times to try to see what was under her.
She crawled toward the scrap pile which she had fallen off and searched there. When it was starting to become clear that the keycard was lost and that she just might be trapped down here, Moira's hand closed around something small, rectangular, and metal. Her heart in her throat, she raised her hand to reveal that she was clutching the keycard.
A short laugh escaped her and she smiled in relief. She could still make it out of here. She had figured that if this card could get her into the trash compactor, it would certainly get her out of it…and perhaps to a nearby hanger.
Holding the keycard close to her chest, Moira began to stand back up when she heard a loud groan that echoed throughout the room. She froze, expecting the worst.
Immediately, her mind went to the story Han Solo had told her about one of his and Chewbacca's narrow escapes. She had figured that if it had worked for him, it would certainly work for her. She had just been hoping that she could miss the whole compacting part of a trash compactor.
However, the walls did not begin to close in. Instead, the door slid open, allowing an officer in uniform and a battalion of troopers to enter the small space. All of their blasters were trained on her.
Moira remained kneeling, absolutely motionless. Her heart sank as the white-armored soldiers surrounded her, the officer approaching her with a look of apprehension and disgust on his face.
Well, shit, she thought, and when she became aware of what she just might be kneeling in, she began to giggle quietly to herself.
"Moira Hux," the officer, a Captain, she noticed, said formally, with a hint of annoyance, "you are under arrest for escaping the custody of Lord Ren, and will be…"
He broke off as Moira started to laugh hysterically, so loud and hard that the laughter echoed throughout the room. She felt tears trailing down her cheeks, but whether that was from the force of her laughter or other pent up emotions, she did not know. She was still laughing when one of the troopers cuffed her from behind, forcing her to drop the keycard.
The officer was staring at her as if she had grown a second head. "Inform Lord Ren that we have apprehended his prisoner," he ordered, "and get her to a holding cell." He sounded appalled.
Moira was forced to her feet by two troopers, each with a hand on either arm. Another stood behind her and placed the barrel of a blaster into her back. And just like that, Moira was led from the trash compactor and to a holding cell, madly laughing the entire way, even after her binders were removed and the cell door was shut behind her.
By the time her brother entered her cell, Moira was curled up on the metal slab that served as a bed, shivering violently. Her clothes were still wet, and they chilled her to the bone. Her hair was beginning to curl into bright orange ringlets around her face, but it wasn't drying fast enough.
She quickly sat up at his approach and grinned with rapidly chattering teeth. "You found me! You win!" she cried excitedly. Hux paused as the door closed behind him, leaving him alone with her. Moira actually wouldn't hurt him though. If anything, she was happy to see him.
"Pardon?" he asked, clearly confused. Moira giggled, shaking her head. He could be so daft sometimes.
"I was hiding, and you found me, remember? Don't you remember how to play hide-and-seek?" She could have been speaking another language; he clearly wasn't comprehending.
"Moira," he said earnestly, "you were trying to escape, remember? It was not a game." He was trying to sound stern, but Moira could sense his underlying concern. What was he worrying about?
"Don't be ridiculous, of course it was, silly! I ran, and you tried to catch me! It's not fair that you won though," she said, pouting. "You cheated." He stepped closer to her, slowly as if he had been approaching a child or a frightened animal.
"How did I cheat exactly?" he asked gently, sounding curious. Alright, she would humor him.
"You didn't find me yourself. You sent someone else to do it. That's not part of the rules." He raised an eyebrow.
"You used someone else too," he pointed out, his mouth tugging up at one corner. "It was only fair if I did the same."
Moira crossed her arms defensively. He got her there. "It was strategy…" she protested, but when he raised his eyebrow again, she deflated. "Fine," she sighed, "I guess I cheated too. Sorry."
"It's alright Moira," he said, his voice placating. "You still did very well." She grinned at his praise; she liked it.
After a few seconds of silence, the General moved to squat down in front of her.
"So," Hux began again, a bit hesitantly, "do you want to tell me why you ran in the first place?" Moira shuddered.
"I was kidnapped, I think," she whispered nervously. "I woke up in a room that wasn't mine, and he was there."
"Who? Who was there, Moira?"
"Kylo Ren," Moira breathed after some hesitation, and she looked about the cell anxiously. She was scared that he was going to hear her and appear. When he didn't, she looked back at her brother, who was patiently waiting for her to continue.
"I was afraid that he was going to kill me, because I don't think I was supposed to be there. I ran away because I was scared. Is he still going to kill me, Brendol?" she asked in a tiny voice. "He sounded angry earlier." Brendol shook his head quickly. He looked angry, but not at her she realized.
"No," he said sternly, "I will not let him touch you or even go near you ever again, I promise." Relief flooded through her. Her brother was going to protect her like she always knew he would.
She went to smile again, but she suddenly sneezed, the sharp sound echoing in the small room. Immediately, General Hux became concerned.
"You're soaking wet," he observed. "You must be freezing." He stood and went to the door of the cell. He pressed a button, and the door slid up again. He turned back to face her.
"Come," he ordered gently, "let's get you out of here." Grinning, Moira hopped down from her perch and followed him out of the cell.
The two walked side by side down the hall, four troopers behind them. They reached the entrance to the cell block, where the officers in charge saluted their General. They briefly showed surprise at Moira's presence, but they hid it just as quickly.
Their little group headed to the elevator, where two troopers stayed behind to guard them. Now, it was just Moira and her brother along with a pair of troopers.
The ride lasted a couple of minutes, though it could have been longer or shorter than it actually felt. They exited the lift to enter a new corridor unlike one Moira had ever seen during her short stay here. This one felt far more luxurious.
"These are the luxury apartment," Hux explained quite proudly. My residence is located here, as will yours." Moira looked at him in shock, but he just smiled pleasantly in her direction. "If you would kindly follow me," he suggested. Moira eagerly nodded.
He led one of the few doors in this hall and produced a keycard from one of the pockets on the inside of his coat.
"A copy will be made for you shortly," he said as he inserted the card into the slot. The door slid up, and Moira gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth.
The room reminded her of the apartment of Ketsu Onyo, the leader of the Black Sun, but on a much larger scale. There was actually more than one color; the theme was red and black.
The walls were pretty much the same, a mix of igneous rock and metal, but the room itself felt warmer. Red curtains were drawn over what Moira knew to be a window, and she felt excitement bubble up inside of her.
The living room was grand, complete with loveseats and ottomans, a sizeable holoprojector, and a black shag carpet. There was even a kitchenette and a dining table.
"Wow," she murmured, walking in, Hux right behind her. She looked around in wonder, unable to take in everything at once.
Suddenly, she gasped and ran right for one of the end tables in the living room. On it sat a glass vase filled with a bouquet of flowers. She immediately recognized everliliess, rojos, blueblossoms, and her favorite, purple passions, which were the most abundant in the arrangement.
She reached out to tentatively touch the delicate purple petals, feeling their soft texture between her fingers. She sighed and closed her eyes, inhaling their sweet smell.
"Where'd you find these?" she asked her brother, still admiring the flowers.
Hux looked on proudly. "I recalled that purple was your favorite color as a child, so when I had this room prearranged for you, I hoped that your preferences hadn't changed."
Moira grinned from ear to ear. "You remembered!" she exclaimed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
She lunged at the General and enveloped him in a childish embrace, which he returned. Then, he made a noise of disgust.
"The next time you hide somewhere, Moira," he said, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he drew away from her, "try to avoid the trash compactor. You reek." Moira felt her cheeks color in embarrassment.
"Oops?" she offered up weakly, and Hux just shook his head.
"Get cleaned up, sister, and then do consider joining me for dinner this evening. There is a wide selection of attire to choose from, and if you request one, a stylist droid can come to your assistance. Whatever you require will be available to you with a push of this com," he said, gesturing to a panel by the door.
"Do not be alarmed by the guards outside your room," he continued. "They are here to stop anyone from entering." The way he said "anyone" gave Moira the impression that he was referring to specifically one person. She did not bother to ask who.
"Is there anything else you require?" Moira shook her head sweetly.
"Nope!" she said brightly. "I'll be alright. I'm just going to go heed your suggestion…" she added, shuffling towards where she supposed the refresher was located.
"Please do, and I expect to see you later this evening."
Moira mock saluted him. "Yes, sir!" And then he was gone.
Moira stood in the middle of the room, staring at the door for a few more seconds, and then turned to look back at the flowers, frowning.
That's one of the only things about me that hasn't changed.
She walked back in her intended direction and into her bedroom. She was unsurprised by the large red bed that sat right in the middle of it. She walked right past it and into the just as grand refresher that was complete with a shower and a tub.
She began to fill the tub, adding bubbles, therapeutic ointments, and other scented salts before heading back out into the bedroom. She opened the closet and stared at the myriad of dresses. She rolled her eyes. How could she possible decide what to wear when she could not even decide what was real anymore?
Giving up, Moira stalked back to the tub, stripped off her smelly clothes and sank into the hot water, groaning in pleasure. Finally being able to relax for the first time in more than fourteen days, Moira finally felt safe enough to smirk triumphantly. If she could successfully fool her brother, then she would be able to fool anyone on this base.
At least she hoped so.
A/N:
*A phonomaniac is basically a person who is obsessed with homicides.
Everyone, I am so, so, so sorry for not updating like two weeks ago! This chapter took longer to write than I expected. Still, I want you all to know that school will also play a major role in my writing. School comes first to me, and it always will. I will try to write whenever I get the opportunity, but remember that school is more important to me than writing right now. I apologize if you become impatient during the time between updates, but I hope that if it's taking longer than expected, you know why.
I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to review!
If you recall, a few chapters ago I recommended figbassist75's story The Skies Are Ablaze. Like I said before, it's a great story, so check it out sometime! I would also like to recommend Leaves on the Solar Winds by WeWriteAtMidnight. If you are looking for another Kylo Ren/OC fic, definitely hit this one up! Both of these authors work so hard to produce these amazing works, so they definitely deserve to be recognized!
Thanks for hearing me out, and until next time: May the Force be you, always.