Several Years Prior...
(Yavin IV)
Throughout its entire history and out of all worlds present on moons, the grassy forest world of Yavin IV had quite possibly some of the most interesting history ever seen by both Jedi and Sith alike. Of course, most know it as being the site of the first Death Star's destruction and the location of the very original base for the Rebel Alliance and for the most part, that was enough for people. But for those interested enough, for those who wanted to dig deeper, for those who were curious about the world's worn down almost ancient look, what they would uncover was a rich, vibrant history that dated all the way back to even the Old Republic era.
Not only was it the source of the original Death Star's destruction, it was also where Jedi of the ancient times were seduced to the Dark Side, where ancient Sith Lords fell, it was the site where the unfortunately maddened Jedi known as Revan fell in the waning days of the Galactic War and what was quite possibly the most notable fact of all, it was the site of a truthfully vicious duel between the likes of Anakin Skywalker and the Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress the scars of which where blades met the grass and trees could still be seen to this day. For some, this world was a magnificent treasure trove of history that should be preserved in the many years to come. For others, it was something that should be ignored like the plague especially when it came to it being a natural Dark Side nexus due to the several temple ruins present which were leftovers from the age of the very first Sith Empire.
For the former princess sitting in the co-pilot seat of a Corellian cruiser next to her very rugged husband, it was mixture of both.
On one hand, Leia couldn't help but get goosebumps every time she thought back to it, often finding herself chuckling about how they managed to win a battle like that against seemingly impossible odds and how frightened they had been when the then unknown Luke Skywalker switched off his targeting computer during one of the most intense, crucial moments of the battle, not knowing that he actually kept in touch with Obi-Wan long after he had fell to Vader's blade and considering the familial ties they discovered on Endor, it made the whole event all the more cathartic as the destruction of the Death Star was the PERFECT sight to see after witnessing how it destroyed her family home of Alderaan.
On the other, she also couldn't help but remember that this was the same exact place she lost the both of them. After the fall of the Empire, her brother had decided that the best spot to restart the new Jedi Order, the best spot to bring about an age of peace and tranquility was the same exact moon which was deeply entrenched in the Dark Side. Being a Force-sensitive herself, Leia never quite understood exactly why this was the case but considering how much he had grown from all his trips around the galaxy, learning more about the Force along with how important and difficult teaching truly was, she knew deep in her heart that there must've been one good reason for why this was. With that in mind, she simply left the man to his business, only occasionally checking up on him which soon became extremely stressful as every time she'd drop on by, he'd ALWAYS seem to have new info about how Ben was becoming dangerously infatuated with his grandfather and how she should keep an eye on any other child she may have, a fact she never was quite able to accept for the longest of times.
Even after the attack had taken place.
While there still was no confirmation as to who exactly did it, all she could remember on that one fateful day was how she was woken up late in the night by a message that when opened, showed her brother in a state that she never would've expected in her life. With a shaky voice, tears pouring from his reddened eyes and his rather unkempt composure, the Jedi Master was talking about how sorry he was for letting this happen, not bothering to explain what exactly occurred with every time he tried seeming to get him more and more choked up until eventually he just skipped it, mentioning that he was going to be exiling himself in his search for a Jedi Temple and that no one should dare to look for him until he was fully ready to come back.
Despite the several questions she still had, the overwhelming amount of sorrow and worry that she felt flood her senses was more than enough to keep these thoughts out of her head, a feeling that even managed to extend to her grizzled husband, the former smuggler turned general Han Solo who in a rare moment unseen by both her and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca, was one of the first to make the suggestion that they go on a massive search for her brother, despite his clear pleas about not wanting to be found. In spite of all that along with her pregnancy in later years, the general wholeheartedly agreed with the expedition and for the next couple of days after their two daughters were born, they would find themselves jumping to just about every planet that they believed Luke would've been on, requesting the assistance of old friends such as Lor San Tekka and Lando Calrissian to try and find something relating to his location and if it came down to it, she admitted that she might've been desperate enough to hire bounty hunters for the job.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though the will of the Force was more respectful of Luke's decision than they were as even with the near galaxy-wide search, they discovered a plentiful amount of relics and trinkets relating to the Force (one in particular being found during a solo mission that Leia was so terrified about that every time the name came off her tongue, shivers were sent down her spine.) but nothing that would lead them to the last Jedi. While the search continued for a plentiful amount of time with no one showing any signs of wanting to give up, it was definitely taking a toll on those involved, especially when it came to her husband.
From the very day they met, Han Solo was never what you would call a believer of the Force since as he put it, the idea of a mystical power that binds together the entire galaxy along with both good and evil was all just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to him and when it came to the idea of the Jedi, Sith and even the lightsaber, he believed it even less. As he once famously said, hokey religions and ancient weapons were simply no match for a standard blaster in his eyes.
Oh how the times have changed.
While the man still hasn't quite learned to respect the Force in recent years, it was very clear that with all the exposure he received to it in the form of Obi-Wan who he named his son off of, Darth Vader and his casual absorption of blaster bolts on Cloud City, his own wife's sensitivity to it and the rescue Luke conducted on Jabba's barge, he was a skeptic no longer and instead became rather fearful of the future and once he heard about the being his wife met, the only details he received being that he was pale and sickly looking as well as being named Snoke, he felt he had MORE than enough and was ready to go to any lengths he could to keep his new daughters, Akame and Kurome (names he chose as they both were the same as a few crew members he worked with as a smuggler and simply had a nice ring though Leia was more looking for the names Jaina and Jaesa.) from falling to the clutches of the Dark Side with that feeling being especially prominent once they reached Yavin IV and took a look around at the area where most of the corpses unfortunately still remained though the worst thing of all was that Leia found herself able to pick out both through the Force and the sea of rotting flesh and tattered robes exactly who the students were.
Jaden, Rosh, Alton, Corran, Jacen the names of the fallen warriors followed up by flashbacks to the times prior to their deaths all came rushing to the senses just about every time she gave one of the bodies a glance longer than two seconds, thus quickly turning what was supposed to be a simple search mission into an experience that was emotionally draining to say the least and that went for both parties.
While Han didn't exactly participate in all the sightseeing Leia partook in and more preferred to lean back and have a grand old time with Luke while his son played around with Chewie, the very moment he stepped foot into the ruins of the academy caused him to be swept with an almost constant stream of shock, sadness and of course, anger. Just the very idea alone that one person, that one sick monster would dare to perform such horrific acts, acts that caused his best friend to run and hide was just unbelievable.
Though that partially could've been due to the feeling he had in his bones.
Despite not being in tune with the Force, the former smuggler could feel with every step he took his bones beginning to quiver, a knot beginning to form in his stomach as the darkness that still lingered felt oddly familiar. It was certainly the Dark Side but unlike what he'd expected or guessed, it wasn't unknown or alien, as though whoever did this was actually close enough to Luke that they were able to perform this undetected.
And that was when he remembered what his Jedi friend said about Ben.
"He seems to have a lot of Vader in him." Back when he first heard that, the man in what some would consider a rather insensitive manner in the face of all the very real danger presented by the Dark Side, laughed at the very thought like it was some kind of joke believing that his darker emotions were kind of a given due to his history being what some would consider the most hated con-artist in the galaxy. It would continue like this for the next two visits but once Luke started expressing how deathly serious he was, all that lighthearted laughter quickly became dark fury which would lead into what Han considered to be some of the most VICIOUS arguments that he ever had the displeasure of taking part in with Luke rather sternly telling him how he was not joking and that he needed to see it through to which he would often retort about how his son was nothing like Vader and that eventually, Ben was going to prove him wrong.
How ironic that now in these times of despair, he actually found himself agreeing with Luke and with Leia mentioning how she could feel the presence as well as the rumors swirling around that the Empire might be making a comeback, that gave Han more than enough reason to pull what he was going to pull and once the two generals made their way back to the Falcon with Chewie being left with the two kids in the main room, his face being scrunched up with worry, the plan was revealed.
And just as the Wookiee anticipated, the reaction was far less than pleasant.
"I will not allow you to send them away!" Leia screamed, motioning towards the entrance to the hull. "Ben was enough for me!"
"It's for their own good," Han replied as calmly as he could manage, pointing towards the holographic map he had brought up. "the Dark Side can't reach them on this planet which means they'll be safe."
"The Dark Side is gone Han!"
"VADER is gone." The former smuggler's tone became slightly more stern. "The Dark Side however, it's never gonna leave."
"That doesn't mean it will cause anything! For all we know it could only be a fluke."
"Oh really? A fluke?" Han asked sarcastically. "My wife, the daughter to the man who was able to pull my blaster towards him without any outside assistance is saying that a sensation can be a fluke?" The general found herself stumbling.
"I-I mean, we can never know for cer-c-certa-"
"I never thought I'd have to say this to you but Leia. That's NOT how the Force works!"
"Like you would know anything about it, you didn't believe in the Force remember?"
"Things change sweetheart. Especially when you're at the mercy of a man in a mask, experiences like that NEVER leave you."
"But he did, now he's nothing but a fading memory."
"Don't tell me you're saying the Force is purged of darkness now that Vader is gone." The general's eyes widened.
"What? No I'm not saying that."
"Really?" Han asked. "Because that's very much the impression I'm getting."
"Impressions can be very wrong you know."
"About as wrong as you are right now." Ignoring the insult, Leia shook her head.
"Han, why even do this?" She asked. "Don't you enjoy being a parent?" The smuggler gave her a nod of agreement. "Then why are you so worried about this? Why are you so hellbent on sending them off?"
"Why I'm worried? Are you seriously asking me why?" Leia nodded, causing the smuggler to stand up straight. "I think you know exactly why." Despite the truth resting prominently in the front of her mind, the general continued on with the act.
"I don't fol-"
"Don't give me that 'I don't follow.' nonsense, especially not after you sensed him yourself." The general froze, remembering what he told her husband earlier about how she felt "his" energy around the academy which was the very catalyst for the entire talk. Ever since the boy's disappearance, deep down inside Leia somehow knew of what was the cause of it all, similar to how she knew that she was Luke's sister but very much like Han in his arguments with the Jedi, she simply couldn't see this being true and instead was just hoping, begging for the Force to just let it not be the case.
"Well?" Leia's trance immediately shattered, realizing she had been silent for a good minute or two.
"Han, you know it yourself that it's not true."
"But I have a really, REALLY good feeling that it is and unlike you Leia, I'd rather not risk anything!"
"Do you always have to be this stubborn?!"
"When I'm dealing with someone who hasn't got a single blasted idea about how bad a situation can get, yes I'm stubborn!"
"A situation that hasn't even occurred yet!"
"But it can and I am most certain that it will! Leia I have a..."
"You ALWAYS have a bad feeling!" Leia cut in. "Can't you for once cut the 'take no risk' act and just see how foolish you're acting?"
"Foolish?" Han said, hand pointing towards himself. "You call this foolish?"
"Well what would you prefer I call it?"
"I dunno, being considerate?"
"You call sending our daughters, our flesh and blood away into the deepest reaches of space being considerate?" Leia questioned with disbelief. The former smuggler nodded, causing her anger to flare up to quite possibly the highest level it had ever been in a long while. "Han please don't tell me you're serious!"
"When have I ever NOT been serious princess?! It's you who needs to get serious!"
"I'm not royalty anymore Han! I would appreciate if you stop calling me that!"
"Princess, general, nothing but titles sweetheart and it don't matter what I call you, it's your poor decision that's the foc-"
"Excuse me? I'm not the one who wants to send my daughters aw-"
"IT'S FOR THEIR OWN GOOD LEIA!" Han bellowed, his patience finally extinguished. "FOR THE LAST BLASTED TIME IF I DIDN'T HAVE TO THEN I WOULDN'T!"
"AND I SAY YOU DON'T!"
"AND I SAY YOU NEED TO OPEN YOUR DAMN EYES!" And just like that, the once somewhat polite discussion quickly devolved into what had unfortunately become a common occurrence for the Solo family, a common occurrence that Chewie couldn't help but give off a light disapproving growl to every time it happened. Granted there was more than one occasion where he and Han got into it as well but eventually, that left them all as they all got older and especially when they had children who speaking of which, were currently resting on both of his knees as the Wookiee tried his best to comfort them from it all. Being one who had seen young ones screamed at several times during his time as an Imperial slave with the ones who were present in his cell being those he had to play parent with, trying his best to assure them in spite of near impossible odds that it was all going to be okay and the same happened with the two sisters.
"Why can't you go in and stop mom and dad?" The co-pilot shot Akame a surprised look, realizing that she had started to pick up on his common Shyriiwook phrase of displeasure. Of course, when they're descendants of a powerful Jedi that fought during the time of Yoda in the Clone Wars, a time that Chewie had long since forgotten about, it was to be expected that the Force would start working its way into them in minor ways though really, he could just be overthinking it as they still couldn't speak a single word of it much less try to understand his full sentences without having Threepio or Han around to translate. After a few seconds, he let out a sigh and interacted with her in a universal language that allowed him to get his point across, using signs with his hands to tell her how he wished he could do that but it usually ends up with him dragged into it.
"Has this happened before?" Chewie gave her a nod as well as the signs. The only details he left out was exactly how many times as over the years, it had become far too numerous to list.
"Why does it happen? Why can't they stay happy?" Kurome called out. The Wookiee shrugged, out of all the strange findings in the galaxy, out of all the oddities and unanswered questions, the one he thought he'd never find the answer to is why exactly his friend took so much pleasure in trying to come out victorious in arguments that he knows he would never win. Realizing this, the long-haired girl began to think back to what her father was talking about early on, something about a man named Ben who from the way they were discussing everything, seemed as though he was their brother.
"Chewie?" The Wookiee's head shifted towards the girl, his face filled with intrigue. "Who's this Ben they're talking abo-"
"UNIDENTIFIED CRAFT COMING THIS WAY!" The intercom screamed, causing Chewie to jerk his head to the exit and his ears to tune in to what seemed like the faint whirs and hums of ships while the two sisters sat up with fright. A few seconds later, the message played back once more, the voice sounding far more frantic with the background noise seeming to be that of New Republic troopers gearing up. Feeling the fear rise up within her, Kurome began to curl up into a ball when the Wookiee gently lifted her up and gave a calm, reassuring glance before setting her down on the seat near the Dejarik table, letting out a stern growl along with a hand gesture, letting them know to stay with the ship, the same gesture being reaffirmed when Han and Leia came rushing out moments later, hands resting on their blasters.
"You get it too?" Han asked, noticing his partner already reaching for his bowcaster, letting out a reply that was rather snarky that caused his face to tense with embarrassment which he shook seconds later, grumbling to himself about how the blasters would be louder than them as he made his way towards the door, stopping to turn back towards his children who were huddled up in their seat, motioning for the Wookiee to hand them a blanket as well as to hand them a small tool.
"You stay here and keep yourselves safe," Han said. "if any of us don't come back, use that to pry open the smuggling compartment and hide there got that?" The two nodded in agreement, leaving the former smuggler to start making his way out when the sound of his youngest stopped him.
"But it won't get to that point, right?" Taking note of his daughter's rather frightened tone, the general turned back towards her, his rough features trying their damnedest to look concerned. However, just a few seconds before he was able to speak, Leia came up to the youngest, bent over and gently rubbed her chin.
"Trust me, it will take a lot more than a few blaster bolts to put your old man down." Leia said, kissing Kurome on the cheek seconds later.
"I prefer the term 'seasoned' thank you." Han replied playfully. Giving her kids a final few rubs on the head, the general started making her way out, blaster firmly in hand and ready to fire. A few seconds later once they were out in the morning air, the Wookiee turned towards the doors of the Falcon and pressed a few buttons, hoping for the desired effect that it would close. Unfortunately, like many aged ships, the panel instead crackled and popped with static, shocking Chewie and leaving the door to remain wide open. Before he could express his anger, Leia's voice alerted them.
"By the Force." Seeing his two comrades look over in pure shock, the Wookiee's head cocked curiously to the side, wondering what the trouble was about when a few seconds later, a red blaster bolt came whizzing straight past his head, singeing his hair before colliding with the drop down door to the Falcon, causing a rather noticeable burn mark to appear. On the alert, Chewie let out a loud roar right as he started hustling towards where Han was, bowcaster at the ready staring out at what seemed like a ghost of their past as New Republic soldiers rushed past them, some going as far as to open fire before they reached their position.
In their vision, marching from out of the woods were soldiers clad in white and black, a sight that was most associated with that of the Imperial Stormtrooper or in other words, the Galactic Empire. Though as Han noted, they all were unlike the Stormtroopers of yesteryear with their armor looking far sleeker and their blasters seeming to possess both a bit of white and more of a punch judging by how the still demilitarizing New Republic was going down rather fast but not just by falling as the blaster bolts seemed to knock them away slightly upon impact. Their shock would've continued had it not been for what happened seconds later when the Wookiee came barging in and unloaded one fully charged shot at a group of three, sending their lifeless bodies flying down onto the gravel. Their attention now being directed towards the seemingly revived Empire, Han and Leia wasted no time and rushed out onto the battlefield, their blasters going off on all cylinders, their attention not at all being directed towards a young Kurome and Akame who were standing at the doorway. This being their first taste of watching actual combat go down, the shock of seeing their parents and babysitter, in cover unloading all that they had into real people, killing them in a mess of dust and blood entered their systems almost immediately and was especially affecting the younger of the lot whose fear was beginning to grow much to her sister's concern.
Present Day...
(Undisclosed Pathway)
Just like that before anymore of the story could be revealed, the flash of memories suddenly halted itself, the haze from Kurome's eyes beginning to fade seconds later which soon revealed much to her horror the familiar sight of Kylo Ren, his scarred face once again being covered by his helmet.
"Don't worry. I saw it too." Kylo said, his voice back to being sterile and robotic. "I saw them." Confused, the girl looked at the area around her.
"I don't understand," She thought. "everything seemed so familiar and yet... new. Why hasn't this been brought up before?" Sensing her thoughts with the Force, the Dark Lord found himself asking this very same question when a few seconds later. If Akame and Kurome both spent a great deal of time with their parents before they ended up on the planet Earth then how exactly did they come to forget about it? The Dark Lord lightly grasped his chin and began to ponder over it all. After a good couple minutes, he stopped right as he remembered his own tactics to remain hidden as he searched the galaxy for artifacts, how he used a completely different name to try and avoid all the hassle.
And then he remembered the Empire.
Despite not knowing the Empire in any way aside from what Hux had told him, his astute analysis of the girl allowed him to make the smart guess that she had been with the group for a long, long while, to the point where if she desired to leave, she most likely would be called crazy or would be forced to undergo tests to try and figure out the change in attitude... and the word "tests" soon found itself lingering in Kylo's mind.
If the Empire was anything like the First Order then most likely, they've heard of the idea of reconditioning or as some of the Resistance had come to calling it, brainwashing. For the First Order, it of course was used to make sure that their young recruits wouldn't dare to try and fight back against them and the purpose most likely was the same for the Empire but the idea still lingered in his mind. The most likely reason for why Kurome and most likely Akame didn't recognize him as their brother is because of the combination of events that occurred with Han most likely keeping them far from him and telling them to keep their names hidden and the Empire doing its best when they found them to beat their ideals into their skulls, forcing these memories back into the deepest darkest recesses of their minds.
And despite the group being destroyed for the most part, the very thought still infuriated Kylo as he soon raised his hand to his face and balled it up in a fist, picturing in his mind that the one inside his grip was the fat minister Hux told him about who if he wasn't dead, he would've made sure that he wished this was the case.
"If it wasn't for Esdeath being my apprentice and Hux getting to them before me, I would've killed them all." He said coldly before turning his attention back towards his still frightened sister. Though the anger was still fresh in his mind, he took in a deep breath and relaxed himself.
"It doesn't matter." Kylo said, his hand outstretching towards her. "The fact that we're together again is all that I care about."
"But why?" Kurome asked slowly backing away. "Why try and find me now?"
"Because I desire your assistance." Kurome cocked her head to the side.
"My assistance?" Ren nodded, setting his hands behind his back. "With what?"
"The restoration of order in the galaxy." He replied, beginning to pace towards her. "You see Kurome, for the longest of times the First Order has been working tirelessly to bring peace and balance to the very world you live in and we've been doing so in a variety of ways. Tearing down insurgents, feeding supporters, you name it and we most likely have done it..." Right then, the Dark Lord's tone changed. "Or at least, we wish we can say that."
"Why is it a wish?" Kurome asked, trying her hardest to concentrate on a plan.
"Because a resistance is constantly pushing to keep this from becoming a reality." Kylo explained. "For years now we've been locked in a heated battle with a group of insurgents, lead by your mother who believe that what we bring isn't peace and instead would rather keep the galaxy in a state of unrest as they did during the Empire's reign." Seeing that his attention was still set on talking, the assassin calmly cleared her mind, taking this chance to put all her energy into one of her greatest powers, hoping that it would at least be enough to hinder him.
"But why me?" Kurome asked, playing along. "You seem just fine on your own." The Dark Lord remained silent for a brief moment.
"Trust me Kurome, if I truthfully was just fine on my own, I would've actually stayed in my galaxy." Feeling his blood begin to boil, the tone changed into that of a low growl. "But that desert girl, I just can't ever shake her from my mind. She beat and humiliated me, she led to Starkiller's destruction and now... and now..." His body beginning to quiver with rage, Kurome watched as the ground beneath him began to crack. "Skywalker, the last JEDI is back! Meaning that everything my grandfather strived to accomplish will all be for nothing!" Seeing the spot below him almost immediately shatter, the assassin felt her fear beginning to rise once more as the man's tone softened.
"Unless of course, we bring back the Sith." Her concentration not waning a bit, Kurome's brow cocked upward.
"Sith?" Kylo nodded.
"The Jedi are considered peacekeepers, the Sith are the same. The exception is that they use the Force in its rawest, purest state, a state that the Jedi constantly fears and wants to be purged from this galaxy." For some reason, the Dark Lord could feel his nerves beginning to tense up despite there being no danger. As he continued, he carefully set his hand over his lightsaber, his thumb lightly grazing the button out of caution. "But they don't realize that through this, they've become the very thing they swore they'd destroy and before they know it, they'll die off to their own hypocrisy and the Sith are just there to soften the blow and bring about the inevitable. Or at least we were there."
"What do you mean?" Kurome asked.
"I mean before all this we had a full empire." Kylo said. "Back then, we had a full army of Sith, ready to destroy all who stood in their way and bring about the next generation until one fool decided to destroy it all. Darth Bane."
"Darth Bane?" Not surprised at his sister's lack of knowledge, the Dark Lord went on.
"A rather fanatical Sith Lord, he was a brilliant strategist and a fighter, definitely one I studied, it's just a shame he had to construct the Rule of Two." Before his sister could open her mouth, he continued. "The Rule of Two was an ancient philosophy that stated there could only be two Sith at a time, a master and an apprentice."
"Seriously? He believed that only two Sith were powerful enough compared to a whole army?"
"Bane believed that the main issue with the Sith was the in-fighting and constant obsession over power, an issue that weakened the Sith Empire for many years as they seemed to lose more members through them killing each other than they did by Jedi. An issue that I agree was far too prominent. However, the thought that back then we had an entire empire, an army at our beck and call only for one man to take it all down which left the Sith with a much smaller presence than they used to have is something that I simply can't ignore."
"So what's your plan?" Kurome asked, feeling that she was almost ready to unleash her ability.
"I thought it would've been obvious, I want to bring the Dark Side back to its feet from the state of disaster that Bane left it in. I want to bring a complete END to the Light Side and want the Sith to rise from the ashes and take their rightful place as the true rulers of the galaxy! The outdated age of which my grandfather was a part of is finally coming to an end and in its place will be a prosperous future and with the Supreme Leader at the helm of it all, absolutely NO one will be able to stop us!" Seeing as she only had just a bit more before she could unleash it all, she let Kylo continue on for just a bit longer, watching as his tone and body language softened. "Which is where you come in."
"You want me to be a part of the revival of this Sith Empire?" The Dark Lord nodded.
"I was hoping that you would be the start to it all with you in all honesty but seeing how Esdeath was so willing, so capable, I knew I had to have her. Which all lead to this very moment where I can now tell this to you Kurome. Join me and together we can end this destructive conflict and oversee the galaxy as it enters a new age of peace!" A long awkward pause soon followed, the assassin not knowing what to say in response to her clearly maniacal brother's offer though that could be due to the small ace she had up her sleeve at the time. Waiting for her response, Kylo cocked his head to one side, his expression underneath the mask being somewhat impatient and... strangely on edge.
"I hope you do realize how necessary this is. By bringing the entire galaxy under one law, one language, and the enlightened guidance of the Dark Side, the corruption that plagued both your Empire and the Jedi in their later years will never take root. Fools like Honest that allowed everything to crumble in order to stuff his revolting maw will never be allowed to thrive. Through the Supreme Leader's rule, we will ensure the rule of law… Under the Sith Empire, our most cherished beliefs will be safeguarded. We will defend our ideals by force of arms. We will give no ground to our enemies and will stand together against attacks from within or without and most of all, we will be able to achieve peace. Again I tell you Kurome to join me as with your assistance, we can truthfully bring everything to a new age of prosperity." Finally after what seemed like almost an eternity, Kurome looked into the man's eyes.
"You really want to know my answer?" Kylo nodded, taking note of how the tone sounded oddly... mocking. A few seconds later before he could question anymore, the girl stood up and thrust her sword into the air, the Dark Lord watching as suddenly, several streaks of purple lightning came launching from the blade and out into the ground around him, causing what seemed to be several dark blobs to appear though as time went on, Kylo took note of how it slowly shifted into a more human shape. Taking advantage of the diversion, the assassin sheathed her sword and bolted away from the scene, a sight that filled Kylo with quite a burning fury.
"You littl-ACK!" The Dark Lord's hand rushed to grasp his wounded side, only for him to then pull it away once he felt something warm pour out onto his glove and once he spotted the familiar red fluid, the memories of a similar injury being inflicted by Chewbacca came into mind. Angrily jerking around to face his attacker, Kylo was rather surprised to find a blonde woman, her face emotionless with pistols armed and aimed directly at him. Using the Force to keep her locked in position, Ren turned around to see all these different warriors seemingly rising from the grave with the looks being extremely varied especially when it came to the ape-man which brought back memories of the wolf-man that used to visit the cantinas on Mos Eisley.
Though really, nothing could compare to the absolute hatred he felt realizing that he had been played.
A few seconds later, the Dark Lord ignited his lightsaber and with a mighty roar and spin, he charged towards the puppets, his crimson blade ripping them apart, the inhuman screeches of limbs being sliced filling Kurome's eardrums as she continued to run as fast as she possibly could, hoping that at the very least the time she bought would be more than enough for her to make that escape.
Though judging by the screams, she knew deep in her heart that would most likely not be the case.
(Undisclosed Forest)
In the end of it all, it really only took Run less than a minute to realize exactly how much trouble he truthfully was in.
Back when news of the Empire and call for the formation of the Jaegers came out, the school teacher took it up not because he enjoyed their horrific acts but because eventually he wanted to find a way to rip it apart from the inside and hopefully make the world a better place. Unfortunately as time went on, he found that with the strength of Esdeath, the psychotic Stylish and the horrific twisted grin of Honest, the idea that this mission could be accomplished was quickly recognized to be nearly impossible so instead, he decided to engage in a smart plan and let Night Raid do the work until an opening could be found. But then, even more issues came up when he realized just how much he appreciated some of those involved who as he found were some of the nicest people that he had ever met.
Wave, Kurome, Bols, amid the sea of insanity he was stuck in with the waves constantly pounding against his flesh, these three are definitely who he would consider the diamonds in the rough, the friendly sailors who were willing to pick up stranded civilians and carry them to safety. With that in mind, he soon found himself rethinking the Empire's strategy, finding that instead of hating it that it was a legitimate cause, an attempt to restore peace and justice to the Earth as they saw fit. Of course there were a few missteps taken such as with Champ being a part of the police force but once they were made fugitives and kicked out of the fine nation, the blonde felt that the nation was actually improving and that they would be entering a new age of peace very, very soon.
And it was at that point that the universe seemingly decided to crush his hopes and dreams by throwing a wrench into it all, a wrench that he didn't see until now.
A new kind of darkness had seemed to rise from over the landscape as soon as the news of white-clad troopers started making the rounds which was soon followed by talks of "screeching demons", dark men in masks, laser swords and of course the complete total decimation of everything that stood in their way. Even in the distance as he continued to hobble through the forest, Run could still hear screams. Not battle-cries or roars but pure primal shouts of agony as the blasters and flamethrowers continued to rip through their flesh, a sight that even after he reached one of the trees, he just had to stop and vomit as holding it back seemed to make him near deathly ill.
Yet that wasn't the most frightening part as that went to the sheer lack of emotion the troopers showed in performing the act.
Even though they were wearing helmets, Run had spent more than enough time with the Empire for him to make smart guesses about what the body language might indicate and from the sea of twenty troopers, he could only count ONE who seemed slightly horrified by all this and even then, he could only pick them out due to their orange shoulder pad that stuck out among the sea of white, black and silver. Of course this wasn't new to him as when fighting in a war, one must condition themselves to not be so affected by the act of murder as letting it get to you could lead to some truthfully catastrophic results on the battlefield but as far as the First Order was concerned, their murder of Revolutionaries were not only performed with peak efficiency and a lack of emotion but the few words that were tossed out were certainly less than pleasing.
"Get back you filthy animals!"
"It's useless to resist scum!"
Or as one trooper exclaimed when one of the injured bodies gripped their leg, smearing their blood on the stainless white armor. "Get your disgusting mitts off of me you wretch!" And just like that, Run watched as the soldier's head went from being firmly on their shoulders to mush that was splattered on the ground in a flash of red light which became the very last straw and so, he ran.
Not exactly a good idea as one trooper took this as desertion and almost immediately opened fire, one of the blasts managing to find its way into his thigh which was why he couldn't exactly walk the whole way through. He was detouring around several trees, just hoping to find some form of shelter away from the battle where he could just relax and let someone mend his wound though also, he was wanting to get away from the stench.
Even though he was as far from the carnage as he could be, the smell of burning corpses still stung his nostrils with their full on assault, forcing him to use every ounce of his strength to keep from vomiting again due to the potency of it all. Eventually after what felt like several hours or days, the blonde couldn't go on any longer and sat back against the tree, examining his wound while both letting out a series of tired breaths and letting his mind wander.
"What have I gotten myself into?" He asked, his fingers lightly prodding the blaster wound. "I originally joined to tear them apart and now, it looks like they're working to do so as well." Though it could've been due to his wound and the wooziness he felt from the blood-loss, Run couldn't help but feel as though he was being watched, like he wasn't the only one present though his mind and actions wouldn't exactly tip anyone off.
"This is a rather strange thing isn't it?" Run thought with a slight chuckle. "We live in a world where Danger Beasts exist, weapons can grant you abilities such as ice manipulation and flight and where clowns aren't exactly what you'd expect them to be... and yet, we're still taken aback by spacemen who talk about how most of it used to belong to them. Sounds like a story that would be crafted by the kids I teach." Slightly wincing from the pain in his leg, Run sat back against the bark and looked up into the sky, feeling peace enter his mind, the feeling he was being watched slowly fading away as his mind continued to wander.
"Back then if someone told me that spacemen would visit us, I would've said how they were a little eccentric..." The blonde raised his hand to his face and examined the red viscous fluid on his fingers. "But now that it has happened well... damn, I guess I owe that one an apology." His relaxation seeping into his system, the man could only just barely see a spot of reddish hair coming out from behind a tree and for the most part, still focused on the sky above.
"It's odd to think that even when we think we know everything, life always seems to know how to throw in a curve-ball that throws us off completely and how it can do so in such a cruel, spiteful way." The red-haired figure slowly made her way towards the blonde, fingers reaching into her handbag where she pulled out a small thin needle. "But I guess this is what happens to people like me." Dropping down to one knee, the figure examined his body, looking for a possible instant entry point for the needle, an act that Run could've easily stopped but strangely enough, he felt it was actually necessary. "I guess this needed to happen at some point, after all I didn't die a hero who ended the Empire, I only lived long enough to see myself work for the very thing I wanted to destroy." Drawing the needle back, the figure was ready to strike when the two locked gazes, causing her to freeze.
"That part of my neck isn't what's going to kill me instantly." Chelsea's eyes widened.
"What?" The blonde simply smiled and leaned forward his hand motioning towards a certain spot on the back of his neck.
"This right here, that will do it." Not believing what she was seeing, the assassin tensed up.
"Hold on a moment, are you actually being serious?" Run nodded.
"If I wasn't I wouldn't even be pointing towards this now would I?" Chelsea felt herself tense up even more with shock, in all her years of killing targets, not once had she ever found someone who was so willing to go out, someone who actually is WANTING to die by her hand. At least, not once had she found one who was serious about it.
"But... but..."
"I know what you're thinking, with only one injury and the great life I live with the Empire, why is it that I desire to be put down? Or you could be wondering why even with my ample opportunity to fight back and kill you, I choose to instead accept my fate." A few seconds later, the blonde took in a deep breath. "Well you see my friend, I never actually intended my life to be devoted to the Empire. In fact, I actually wanted to take a chance and rip it apart from the inside, feeling that with all the corruption and the lies that have been spread around, its destruction would actually bring us the peace and balance we desire and then use the money I earned to try and repair the damages of my town once the new order has been set in place." A few seconds later, Run's face shifted from a small smile into a frown that as far as Chelsea could tell, was full of self-loathing.
"Unfortunately that didn't exactly come to pass and I found myself being sucked into all the madness myself, becoming only a shell of what I used to be." Run turned his attention towards his palm, picturing in his mind all the assaults he had been a part of and all the lives he couldn't save. "Through this dreaded empire I became desensitized to all the violence and the suffering, civilian casualties quickly became something I couldn't prevent, my own team was showing massive degrees of insanity, everything that corrupted the Empire beforehand was seeping into my veins and I just couldn't stop it!" After letting out a few hoarse breaths, the assassin cut in.
"What changed?" Run's smile returned.
"Three words, the First Order." He said calmly, watching as Chelsea's head cocked to the side. "It sounds crazy I know and please don't be mistaken, I do believe the acts the First Order commits are far from what I'd consider heroic and sane and if given the chance I would've tried to destroy them all in a heartbeat. But at the very least, they showed me the light. Through their horrific acts, they showed me exactly what I was fighting against in the first place, they reminded me what I was slowly becoming, what was going to happen to the Jaegers..." His smile became slightly darker. "They reminded me exactly of what I needed to do." Not getting what he was saying, Chelsea's head remained cocked to the side, her gaze occasionally snapping back towards her handbag, as if she was unsure of whether or not she should go. Spotting this, Run carefully raised his hand towards hers and touched it, causing her to wince only slightly but there was no jumping as his soothing voice entered her system.
"I understand your concerns but you have to believe me, if I continue on back to the First Order who would be told about me running from a battle, I would be tortured to an almost unfathomable degree and if they're possibly as barbaric as they appear, I just may have my head at the end of this being slapped down on a stake which will be used as a symbol of fear and I don't want that."
"I understand but what about your..."
"My friends? I fear for them as well but you see, it just doesn't matter because as I said, if I return, all that's going to happen is that they will have to view my mangled body for the years to come and I would rather not force them to view that in any way." Before Chelsea could ask anything more, Run let his head droop once more, using his hands to aim the needle so that it was right above the back of his neck. "Please grant this desire, don't leave me here to suffer." For the first time in her entire life ever since her team died, Chelsea found herself at a crossroads without any idea about which route to take.
Back then, she had killed hundreds upon hundreds of targets and if one of those few who asked her this question were serious, she would've gladly done it. But the reasoning behind most of her previous kills was that for the most part, the acts they committed were so wretched and vile with most of them doing so without remorse so bringing about their deaths actually felt relieving but Run? Out of all the members present with the Jaegers, Run was one she would call the least offensive thing about it. Hell, she read about all his good deeds as a school teacher back then and from what she heard through all the news surrounding the Jaegers, the one person they described as keeping to the sidelines was none other than a certain winged blonde. Killing him would bring them closer to the end of the Jaegers sure but with the First Order on the run, would it really make that much of a difference?
Speaking of the First Order, that was an unfortunate truth of the matter since if Esdeath's new look and abilities are to be believed then the Jaegers have quickly become the least of their worries and if what the blonde said was true then her sparing his life would just lead to a whole new world of agony for him which would possibly involve blasters, baton strikes and as they read, laser swords and magical powers that could break a person's bones in just under a few seconds and they would do this all over the course of several days and for a guy like Run, that was NO way for him to go. The blonde watched as Chelsea continued to deliberate over this for what felt like several long minutes, seeing the conflict in her eyes only becoming greater and greater which was expected. Finally, the girl took in a nice deep breath and took one last glance at the needle, swallowing down her worries before turning her attention to the blonde. Smiling, the blonde took in one final breath right as he shut his eyes. A few seconds later, the blonde felt only a slight prick in his neck followed by a warm small outflow of fluid pouring from the wound. With the last of his strength, Chelsea watched as the man let out one final phrase.
"Thank... you." And just like that, the body slumped forward, leaving Chelsea to stare at it for a few more seconds longer than she felt she needed to before proceeding to walk off, her mind letting out one final thought about the whole matter.
"That's the worst part about this job, it's when you can feel the target's suffering as you make the kill." Letting a single tear drop from her eye, the girl turned her attention to the front and took in a deep breath, feeling as the sadness drained from her being.
"But at the very least, the solace comes when you know they died in peace."