Kylo flicked a switch and eased up on the propulsion engines as the X-Wing touched the hard permacrete of Agamar. The viewport clicked open, and he set his comm link on the chair as he pulled himself out, smoothing his jump to the ground with the Force.

"Stay with the ship with engines running at twenty-five percent, R2." The old astromech whirred in acknowledgement, and Kylo ignored the added series of beeps about not being invited to the party.

Poe nodded a greeting, and Kylo noticed the engines of his X-Wing still ran at reduced power as well. Teela glanced between the two of them and turned to the BB unit following her – a black and white model Kylo thought was designated BB-33 – and told it to do the same. The Mirialan caught Kylo's eye and nodded once, her dark lips pressed together. Apprehension flooded through the Force. None of them expected their retrieval of the extra surveillance holovid to go smoothly.

Kylo pulled on the distant presence of Rey for reassurance before feeling out with the Force for anything unusual. He ignored the bright beacon of Teela's powers next to him, and the general murmur of those without sensitivity to the Force tingled through him. As they passed through the large penitentiary doors, he sensed a small spike in the Force, one which he would not have noticed had he not been specifically focusing on finding something. A sense of unease passed through him as he saw Kilnetel standing with a group of five other Senators that Kylo did not recognize.

Dark green lips spread in a false smile. "Master Ren. We heard you were coming back. These good Senators are concerned you wish to break the prisoner Hux out again."

Kylo crossed his arms over his chest, running his eyes over the Twi'lek as she had done to him multiple times. She leaned closer to him, and he placed his gloved hand over a decorative cuff wrapped around her upper arm. Her Force sensitivity shot through him upon the contact, and he sensed a flicker of uncertainty from the Senator. "We're only here to retrieve some surveillance vids."

"I thought you said they wanted to see Hux again," a female Rodian Senator frowned at Kilnetel. "They won't even go below ground to get surveillance."

A strangely familiar presence flooded Kylo's senses through the Force, and he let go of Kilnetel's arm as the hairs rose on the back of his neck. He exchanged a glance with Teela, and the Padawan slipped smoothly in front of him. "Senators. We would be glad to answer any questions, but I believe that you could ask them at the hearing tomorrow. We are only trying to glean all of the information we can about that day to clear up the events for everyone and make things go quickly and smoothly."

The Rodian Senator began asking something that Kylo did not hear, and he let Poe answer as he focused the Force on his bond with Rey. He conveyed the odd presence to her along with a sense of urgency. After a moment, the memory of a black combat-class shuttle approaching Agamar flitted through his mind from his wife.

Kylo's heart dropped into his stomach, and his hand unconsciously gripped his lightsaber hilt as he addressed the nearest guard, "Lock down the building."

The guard, the female Togruta that had been at Hux's interrogation, pulled her brow together. "Our security is at an all-time high - "

The Force screamed through Kylo as the ceiling broke apart above them. Poe smashed into the Togruta guard to push her out of the falling debris, and Kylo strained to stop a huge piece of durasteel with the Force from crushing the group of Senators. He set the durasteel against a portion of intact wall at an angle, and the Senators rushed under it for some safety.

He looked to Teela to find her dropping a smaller piece of durasteel onto the floor with the Force, and relief flooded through him as he realized she had protected both of them. He nodded a thanks to the Mirialan. "We need to get the Senators out to their shuttle."

The Padawan's lightsaber hummed to life in her hands, but Kylo kept his own at his belt as they weaved through the pile of collapsed ceiling. They reached the huddle of Senators as a TIE fighter roared overhead, firing shots at the still-standing scanner. "Stay close. We'll get you out of here."

"So you can free Hux without us around?"

Kylo barely resisted the urge to throw his fist against the scowling Senator's face, and he tried to calm his annoyance as Teela pointed to the dented doors with her blue blade. "Do you think he would be trying to save your lives if his goal was to free Hux? Think through your accusations next time the Jedi come to help. Now, come on."

The Senators stared at Teela in stunned silence, and Kylo held up both of his gloved hands. They seemed to take his movement as a sign of peace, but he turned to stop a shot fired at them from a TIE fighter with the Force. Teela grabbed the Rodian Senator's arm and wrenched her forward. The rest of the Senators followed suit, and Kylo noticed Kilnetel glance back toward the turbo lifts as she joined the group.

Once they moved to the doors, Kylo released the hovering bolt and watched it crash into former hiding spot. Poe caught up to them, clutching his blaster pistol in both hands. A rip in his uniform revealed a long cut in his forearm, and his lower lip was split open. "Finn was right. They must be desperate for Hux."

Another TIE fighter roared above them, and Kylo pulled his lightsaber hilt from his belt. "I didn't think they were organized enough to have this many fighters."

Poe tapped the communicator on his wrist. "BB-8, get the engines to full power." The pilot nodded to Kylo and tightened his grip on his blaster as he sprinted across the landing yard toward his X-Wing. Kylo turned back to the group of Senators but froze as a low voice rang out.

"Ren."

A hooded figure stood near a black shuttle, and Kylo sensed the presence he had felt earlier. The figure pushed his hood back, revealing curving horns and a familiar face. The hum of a blue lightsaber cut through the sounds of TIE fighters.

"Eeth."

Kylo's own lightsaber activated as he studied Eeth's face. The former Padawan had been gone for over a month, but he seemed to have aged several years. His arms were thicker, and the horns jutting from his skull were larger than Kylo remembered. His dark brown skin had gained the traditional tattoos of the Zabrak in deep red.

"Get the Senators to their shuttle and protect them," he murmured softly to Teela. The Padawan looked reluctant for a moment, but she nodded and beckoned the Senators with a small wave of her saber.

Kylo advanced on Eeth, spinning his lightsaber into a comfortable grip. "We can help you, Eeth. You don't need to do this."

Eeth rushed forward and swung his lightsaber at Kylo's shoulder. He caught it with his own and twisted his hilt to lock their blades together. He met the Zabrak's gaze, noticing that he now stood eye level with him. The Dark Side hit Kylo through the Force. Memories of his past following the Dark Side for Snoke welled up against his will.

"The Republic is misguided. It always has been." Eeth spun out of their lock and swiped at Kylo's side. He caught it again, and they began exchanging a flurry of blows. The Zabrak's attacks were stronger and more calculated than Kylo remembered, and he found himself utilizing more of Rey's quick techniques to keep himself from tiring. He did not want to land any fatal blows, but Eeth did not seem to extend such a courtesy.

"You know they're misguided. Look what they keep doing to you." Eeth stabbed forward with his blade in such a novice move that it took Kylo by surprise. Pain seared up his shoulder as another burn formed over his nearly healed one. "They don't trust their greatest asset."

Kylo staggered backwards and shoved Eeth away from him with a push of his hand. His saber spun in his hand as he felt his anger build. The Dark called to him from his opponent.

Overhead, Poe's X-Wing shot down a TIE fighter and twisted in the air to protect an incoming shuttle from attack. "The First Order would've established a better system had you not been seduced."

Eeth smashed his lightsaber toward Kylo's injured shoulder, and the Jedi spun to expose his back to the Zabrak. His left elbow shot out behind him, crashing into Eeth's throat. His purple blade cut shallowly into his former Padawan's side.

Rage exploded across the Force. Eeth snarled and began attacking so furiously that all Kylo could do was defend himself. The Dark Side pushed against his lightsaber, and he grit his teeth as he pulled on his balanced control of the Force. The Dark whispered to accept Eeth's words.

Shoving his hand forward, Kylo pushed the Zabrak back several steps and right into Rey's swinging staff. Eeth crumpled to his knees, revealing Jessika and Sonzy with their own sabers alight next to his wife. Kaydel's small figure darted toward Kylo's X-Wing, and he told R2-D2 to boost the engines through his communicator.

Jessika snatched Eeth's lightsaber and held her yellow crossguarded blade out as she scanned their surroundings. The remaining three TIE fighters shot at the prison again, and Poe weaved between their formation in an attempt to get them to fire at each other. Smoke rose from the X-Wing's right cannon. Kylo's X-Wing took flight under Kaydel's command and began firing at the First Order fighters.

Rey slung her saberstaff across her back and moved in front of Eeth. The Zabrak gave a filthy glare and bucked his head forward. Rey let out a scream as his sharp horns sliced just above and below her left knee. She dropped to the ground, and Kylo's hand shot out, catching his wife's head with the Force before it could make contact with the permacrete.

Eeth jumped at Jessika and wrapped his thick arms around her legs. The Padawan tumbled to the ground, and her lightsaber sliced through two of the Zabrak's horns as she fell. "Ge'off!"

Kylo knelt next to Rey, pressing one of his hands over the wound above her knee. Blood rushed around his fingers. Rey bit her lower lip and shook her head, and Kylo could feel her pain in his own leg. "I'll be fine. Just contain Eeth."

The Zabrak wrenched his own lightsaber from Jessika's grip and stood to find Sonzy's green blade pointing at his chest. Jessika kicked the back of Eeth's knees, but the former Padawan did not seem to feel her as he laughed at Sonzy. "Put down the saber, boy. I'd rather not kill a youngling."

The white decorating Sonzy's orange face wrinkled in offence, and Kylo placed his own blade at the side of Eeth's neck. "Surrender. We can help you, Eeth. I know how the Dark Side feels."

The Zabrak's lips twisted into a sneer as he looked at Kylo. "You're too late." Eeth pulled what looked like a single cuff and clamped it around Kylo's outstretched wrist. Kylo vaguely noticed the phantom pain in his leg vanish. Eeth shoved Sonzy back with the Force and sprinted toward the black shuttle.

The world around Kylo seemed to mute. He held out his hand to freeze Eeth as he ran, but the Zabrak continued to move. Kylo stared at his hands in disbelief. Sonzy and Jessika held out their own hands, and Eeth slowed. Kylo looked up to see a shock of red hair disappear into the black shuttle, and panic threatened to overwhelm his thoughts.

The former Padawan leapt toward the rising ramp of the black shuttle, but the addition of Rey's help froze him just before he left the ground. The ramp closed, and the shuttle lifted into the air. Jessika and Sonzy rushed forward and grabbed Eeth's arms, holding him still with the Force.

The two X-Wings raced toward the departing shuttle, but the last remaining TIE fighter swooped between them, blocking the fire meant for the engines of the shuttle. It crashed to the ground, and the shuttle left the atmosphere at light speed.

Kylo ripped off his right glove and tugged at the cuff encircling his wrist, struggling to calm himself. His Force powers swirled wildly within him, but they would not direct outwards. He could barely sense Rey's presence, and that fact alone made him feel as if he would burst.

Sonzy and Jessika dragged Eeth's now limp form over to them, and Kylo knelt beside Rey again. She frowned up at him and placed a hand on the side of his face. "Kylo? Why are you shielding your emotions?"

He held up his cuffed wrist and noticed his fingers trembling slightly. Rey grabbed the cuff and tugged on it for a moment before she moved her hand in a gesture to open it. It remained tight around his wrist. Kylo clenched his fist to stop the trembling. "I can't sense anything."

Rey smiled encouragingly up at him, although Kylo could read her pain behind the expression. "We'll get it off." Her hand moved to his uninjured shoulder and squeezed it gently. "And soon. Because I don't like not being able to sense you."

Kylo pressed his lips together and jumped as Teela's voice sounded behind him. "Master Ren?"

Kylo helped Rey stand and turned to find the group of Senators standing next to the Padawan. He pulled at the cuff absently as his wife leaned against him. The Rodian female nodded respectfully. "Aside from Senator Kilnetel, we have all agreed that you mean no harm to the Republic."

Teela moved away from the Senators with a small smile on her lips, and she took Sonzy's arm to lead him toward the damaged building. Kylo watched them for a moment before another Senator spoke.

"We simply cannot ignore the all of the evidence we've seen regarding your loyalties. You put yourself in harm's way to save us even when we were here to accuse you." The female Togruta Senator who had spoken nodded to Eeth's unconscious form. "Plus, we overheard what he said to you."

"Thank you." Kylo's eyes flicked to Kilnetel, who stood at the back of the group. The panic and anger bubbled in his chest, eager for an escape. It demanded that he break something, but Rey took his ungloved hand in her own. He sensed her calm through their contact, and the anger slowly fizzled out.

The two X-Wings lowered to the ground nearby, and Sonzy came to Kylo's side, clutching several data chips in his hands. "Teela's getting the durasteel off some of the guards. We should be able to get back to Coruscant soon, especially to help Master Solo."

Kylo glanced down at the blood dripping down Rey's leg. "I'll help you to the shuttle."

Rey rolled her eyes. "I can walk." She limped two steps forward and promptly crumpled to the ground. She huffed out a long sigh and held out her hand, waving her fingers toward Kylo. "Fine."

Kylo smiled and picked up his wife's smaller body into his arms, momentarily forgetting about the cuff around his wrist. She curled into his chest, and Kylo adjusted his arms so that her injured leg would not hit anything as he began walking to the shuttle Rey had flown with the Padawans.

Rey placed her hand on the side of his neck as he climbed the ramp, and he relaxed at the contact. He took one of the seat on the side of the shuttle with Rey. His wife smiled softly up at him and rested her head against his shoulder.

Sonzy and Jessika clambered into the shuttle after a few minutes, pulling Eeth along with them with the Force. Jessika set Rey's saberstaff on the floor next to Kylo and avoided his gaze as she said, "Kaydel's flying the X-Wing back."

Kylo nodded once and rubbed his thumb against Rey's side. "Why don't you and Sonzy pilot the shuttle, then? It'll be good practice."

Jessika's eyes lit up, and Kylo's hand tightened unconsciously around Rey as he realized he could not sense the Padawan's excitement. Sonzy plopped into the co-pilot's chair and began running the start-up sequences as Jessika took the pilot's seat.

Kylo barely noticed the shuttle lift in a slight jerk as he watched Rey fall asleep in his arms.

AN: Leave a note, lovely people.