Thanks again for the review Guest! I'm glad it's believable :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars!
The screaming. Dalia couldn't take the screaming anymore.
She paced up and down the hallway outside the room in which her mother tortured the pilot who had flown the ship that had dropped the Atoan Liberation Front Manifestos. It hadn't been hard to find the pilot, he'd been arrested the moment he landed. But Dalia was glad to see the Atoan Liberation Front had chosen the pilot wisely. Whoever he was, he was strong with the Force and his mind was uncrackable. Unfortunately, Aketra had soon realized this and resorted to torturing the information out of him the old fashioned way.
She had been at it for about an hour now but still he showed no sign of giving in. Dalia, for her part, felt like she was just about to lose her mind.
Dalia jumped as the door opened suddenly and her mother appeared in the doorway.
"Get me Kylo Ren." She snapped, "I need him. Now."
Dalia nodded wordlessly, her stomach churning at the thought of what her mother and the Master of the Knights of Ren would do together to the poor, brave man in that room. She bit her tongue, a nervous habit she had picked up as a child, and racked her mind for something she could do to ease the man's suffering. There was nothing of course. Her mother wouldn't stop until she had the information she wanted and then she would most definitely kill the man anyway. The only thing she could do was help him escape. But escape was impossible and she couldn't risk jeopardizing her position. She was the only insider the Resistance and the Atoan Liberation Front had.
Dalia reached Kylo Ren's room before she had even realized she was near it, her legs having carried her all the way there on autopilot. She reached up to knock but didn't get the chance. The door opened before her fist hit it and Kylo Ren stood in front of her.
"My mother wants you-" Dalia began breathlessly.
"To break the prisoner." Kylo Ren finished tonelessly.
Dalia nodded, frowning. "Yes." She said. "You should come quickly."
Kylo Ren gave her a strange look before closing the door behind him, locking it.
"You don't have to pretend you're not horrified." Kylo Ren said as they began walking. "I can feel your emotions through the Force and even if I couldn't, your face says it all."
Dalia felt her body tense. Was she really that apparent? It wouldn't be good to seem too affected. A certain degree of discomfort could be explained away by the fact that she was aligned with the Light Side of the Force but too much anxiety and it started to look suspicious.
"When did you stop being horrified by torture?" Dalia asked, attempting to shift the focus onto him rather than herself. "Did it become easy once you turned to the Dark Side or did it take time?" She asked, not even bothering to hide the contempt from her voice. He could certainly feel it anyway.
Kylo Ren looked over at her, "Why do you care either way?" He asked.
"I don't." Dalia said, just a little too forcefully.
"If you hate this interrogation process so much, why don't you leave the Temple for a bit?" Kylo Ren asked.
"Because I can't." Dalia replied sharply, annoyed that he didn't understand her role in the Temple yet. "I need to be there in case my mother needs anything...in case anything happens."
"What a loyal daughter you are." Kylo Ren commented dryly, and Dalia felt his words light a flame inside her.
"You say that as if it's a bad thing when I'm here helping you too." Dalia snapped.
"I didn't mean it as an insult." Kylo Ren said and Dalia frowned, part of her screaming that he was lying while another part of her believed him.
"Sure you didn't." Dalia sneered sarcastically, deciding to refuse to believe him.
Kylo Ren made no reply and Dalia grit her teeth as they neared the hallway leading to the room in which the prisoner was being held. The screaming was louder now, almost as loud as it had been right outside the door to the room. She glanced over at her companion and froze when she felt it again - the conflict. He didn't want to torture this man, Dalia realized with a mild sense of shock. He would do it because it was his job. But there was a part of him that was revolted at the thought.
Noticing her gaze, Kylo Ren turned to look at her, his face strangely vulnerable.
"We're the same, you and I." He said quietly, his dark eyes looking into hers with so much intensity that Dalia felt transparent. "We're just following orders. Our entire lives dictated by another person..."
"We could be the ones to make the rules." He said, after a moment and Dalia felt her heart beat increase until it became hard to breathe.
"What are you implying?" She asked, as evenly as possible.
Kylo Ren looked at her and Dalia felt like she was being examined. "I could help you if you help me." He said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Help me kill my Master and become Supreme Leader and I'll help you become High Priestess. I've been thinking about it. Your mother's rule is on shaky ground as it is...and you would be next in line if anything were to happen to her-"
"Nothing's going to happen to her!" Dalia cried, stopping short. She scanned the area, her heart pounding in her chest. There was no one around - she could feel it. And intelligence officers didn't enter the Temple. It was the only place they didn't go because only a fool would betray the Causha in the Causha's own Temple.
"Dalia." Kylo Ren said, seriously. "Think about it. You could lead your people better than your mother. Your people could be wealthy and powerful again-"
"Do you seriously think I would betray my own mother?" Dalia asked, her eyes widening in genuine shock at his proposal. A part of her screamed this was a test - some kind of way to gage her loyalty to the Causha. Did he know she was a spy? Did he suspect?
"Don't pretend you approve of her actions." Kylo Ren hissed. "I can feel how much they disturb you."
"It doesn't matter what I think!" Dalia snapped back, desperate to disabuse him of any notions he might have of her being disloyal. "It doesn't matter what I feel or what I want-"
"Yes it does!" Kylo Ren interrupted, the genuine fire in his eyes taking Dalia aback. She stared at him, momentarily forgetting she was supposed to be convincing him she was a good loyal Caushan. No one had ever told her her opinion mattered because it never had and that was just a fact.
"I'm not going to betray my mother." Dalia said, once she had regained enough composure to speak. "And if you ever mention this again, I will let both her and your Master know of your...aspirations."
Kylo Ren's eyes hardened ever so slightly but Dalia got the distinct impression he was not entirely ready to give up this fight. "The very fact that you're not going to tell your mother about this conversation is a betrayal in itself." He said, and Dalia swallowed thickly. Was this a test? Had her mother put him up to this? No. Some part of her felt deep down that no, it was not a test.
"It's not a betrayal because nothing came of this conversation." Dalia snapped. "Now don't you have somewhere to be?" She asked, nodding in the direction of the torture chamber.
Kylo Ren stared at her in silence a moment, "You'll change your mind." He said, the certainty in his voice causing a chill to run down Dalia's spine.
"We'll see about that." Dalia said to his back as he left, walking the rest of the way to the torture chamber on his own.
Kylo Ren left Dalia in the hallway, feeling her shock and cold fear through the Force. A part of him was shocked he'd even voiced his proposal out loud. Another part of him wanted to turn around and keep trying to persuade her to join him.
The idea had occurred to him the night before when he'd read that pamphlet that had fallen from the sky. He'd stared at those traitorous words on that illegal page and he'd realized that no one, no matter how powerful, was invincible. The Empire had fallen and it had been the most powerful force in the galaxy for decades. Even a seemingly small rebellion could topple a powerful regime - wasn't that why the First Order spent so much energy trying to eliminate the Resistance for good? Wasn't that why Luke Skywalker's very existence was a threat? Allowing any resistance to grow at all was suicide.
But that wasn't all Kylo Ren had realized as he stared at those words. No, he'd felt something else. Something that both surprised him and also confirmed all the suspicions he'd had from the start. He'd felt something from Dalia through the Force - something that felt like happiness. Only it wasn't quite happiness. It was darker than that and tinged with a fear so strong it was palpable. The girl was hiding something, even if it was just her true feelings about her mother. She wasn't the loyal Caushan she pretended to be.
It was as if Kylo Ren was the only one who could see her for what she truly was: an actress. A fairly good actress, but an actress nonetheless. Kylo Ren wished he had her skills. He had never been able to hide his emotions. It was why he'd hid behind a mask for so many years...but now he didn't even have that.
Pushing open the door to the torture chamber, Kylo Ren stepped inside. The Darkness inside the room was tangible and Kylo Ren walked over to the chair on which the prisoner was tied, blood dripping down his arms and face and staining his shirt. Aketra looked up and dropped the knife she'd been holding onto a table, turning to smile broadly at him.
"I'm delighted to see you." She said, walking over to place a hand on his arm. Kylo Ren resisted the urge to pull away, glancing over at the prisoner.
"If the Force didn't work, why would a knife?" He asked, looking back at the insane woman in front of him.
"Oh, you don't know, do you?" Aketra said with a grin, letting go of him and walking over to the prisoner. She put a hand on the man's head and his half closed eyes fluttered - the only indication the nearly unconscious man had felt her at all.
"Atoans don't have one heart like you humans." Aketra said. "We have many hearts spread throughout our bodies. It makes us faster - more agile - but it is also a weakness that can be exploited. Have you ever felt a knife in your heart? It's not enjoyable. Raemon here can tell you that." Aketra said, looking down at the prisoner with a smile.
"What if you kill him?" Kylo Ren asked, stepping closer to the prisoner. "We need information from him."
"Oh I've only destroyed three hearts. He'll be fine." Aketra said with a roll of her eyes. "And now that you're here, we won't need to resort to such...crude methods. Between the two of us I am certain we can force his mind open."
Kylo Ren nodded, leaning in towards the man. The man's eyes fluttered open and he stared at him, recognition registering in his eyes. So this man knew who he was. Interesting. He must be more knowledgeable about the galaxy than those he had met in the marketplace. Kylo Ren could feel the man's emotions plainly through the Force. Fear, anger, disgust...resignation.
Kylo Ren reached out a hand, his eyes meeting those of the man's, and pushed inwards, trying to break down the barricades around his mind. The prisoner's walls were thick and he was clearly an experienced Force user. He'd likely been chosen for the job because he was hard to crack. But everyone cracked eventually.
Despite his tangible fatigue, the prisoner put up an impressive fight and Kylo Ren was relieved when Aketra joined in, helping him push through the barriers of the man's mind. The man began to cry out in pain as the barricade began to crumble and Kylo Ren redoubled his efforts. After a few more moments, the barricade disintegrated and Kylo Ren found himself inside the man's mind. Flashes of a life that was now gone forever passed before his eyes. A wife, children, a dingy apartment, a family dinner...Kylo Ren pushed those scenes away. They didn't matter, he told himself firmly. He pressed on, at last finding what he was looking for. A conversation with an older man - he'd introduced him to the Atoan Liberation Front. The man's name - Garrett Rodinger. This was a start. Kylo Ren pushed on, rehearing Garrett offer Raemon the job of piloting the plane. We could use a strong Force-sensitive like you. Garrett said. Mia won't allow it. Was Raemon's reply. Your family will be hidden before you even take off. Don't you worry about that. And if you're caught, the only one who'll be in trouble is me. That's the way - you can't betray us if you don't know who we are. I mean I don't even know who else is part of this thing aside from my contact and I thank Ashla for that every day.
Kylo Ren scanned the rest of the man's memory up until the moment he stepped on the ship and then pulled out, not finding anything else worthwhile. The Atoan Liberation Front was better organized than the Resistance, it seemed. They functioned without their members even knowing who the other members were. Kylo Ren watched Aketra as she pulled out of the man's mind, her breathing shallow. Kylo Ren could feel the Darkness thicken around her, not a trace of Light to be found. She didn't waver between the Dark and the Light like he did. She embraced it completely.
"Garrett Rodinger." Aketra breathed, looking over at Kylo Ren. Her eyes were glazed over, like she was far away, lost in thought. She turned to the man in the chair slowly.
"Mia Owens." Aketra purred, "She's your wife?"
At this, Raemon's eyes opened wide, his breathing hitching as panic filled his face. "You already know everything. You saw it all. She's not a member of the Front. She doesn't know anything."
"Oh I know she's not a member." Aketra said quietly, grasping the arms of his chair as she leaned in closer to him. "But she's going to die for your mistake. As are your children."
"No- no, please-" Raemon began to beg, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
"You see I'm a mother." Aketra continued, ignoring his pleadings. "I know how much it would hurt to lose a child. I can imagine how much it would hurt to lose your wife. I have a great capacity for compassion you see. And that's exactly why I know this is the right punishment for you."
Raemon was crying now, his body shaking, and Kylo Ren forced himself to keep looking at him. He wanted to look away but that was weakness. Compassion. Not the kind of compassion Aketra was talking about...the real kind. The kind the Dark Side didn't have.
"Clearly the fear of losing your own life wasn't enough to stop you from getting on that ship." Aketra continued. "You knew you'd be captured and you did it anyway. You were willing to give your own life for the cause. But would you have stepped onto that ship if you'd known, without a doubt, that your family would pay the price? No, I don't think you would have. And if you are to serve as an example for the rest of Atoa - people are going to have to see the real price of defying the Causha."
"Please." Raemon begged, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Aketra considered him for a moment before stepping back and reaching out a hand. She paused, turning to look at Kylo Ren as if she had just remembered he was still there. "Oh you can go now, dear. Thank you so much for the help."
Kylo Ren nodded, turning to leave. The moment he turned his back, a crackle of electricity filled the air and the prisoner behind him began screaming. Kylo Ren stepped out into the hallway to find Dalia still waiting outside, her face white as a sheet.
"Did it work?" She asked and Kylo Ren examined her face. It was so similar to Aketra's. She had the same nose, lips, and cheekbones...but her eyes were blue, not dark like Aketra's. They stared at him, holding none of the malice her mother's held. Kylo Ren found himself unable to look away from them.
"Yes." He said, a beat too late. "It worked."
Leia watched from the doorway to Luke's hut as the first transports arrived, carrying Resistance fighters. Luke had reluctantly agreed to allow her to set up the Resistance base on Ahch-To but really, Leia thought he might have agreed to anything after confessing what really happened the night Ben ran away. It had hurt. Finding out the truth. She had known for a long time that sending Ben away had been a mistake but she hadn't realized to what extent it had been a wrong move. She and Han may have been unprepared for parenthood, but Luke...he'd never even wanted to be parent. He'd wanted to be a teacher...and unfortunately that was not what Ben had needed.
The thing, however, that hurt the most was the knowledge that Ben had decided to run away rather than tell her what had happened. He had preferred to go to Snoke rather than his own mother and that knowledge ate Leia up inside. She'd clearly been too busy - too inattentive and self-absorbed to see what was happening. A part of her may have realized she was losing him, but she hadn't known just how bad it was until it was too late. Now, the thought of how he must have felt, that night when he'd finally turned to the Dark Side...it was unbearable. He must have felt abandoned, rejected, unloved by his entire family. He must have felt he had nowhere else to go.
Chewie roared beside her, jolting her out of her thoughts and Leia nodded. The transports had landed, the doors of the ships beginning to open. Leia and Chewie walked over to them, smiling and shaking the hands of the people who poured out.
"General Organa." Varra said, taking her hand in her own. "It's good to see you in person."
"You too." Leia said. "Glad you made it safely."
"This is just about the last place in the galaxy the First Order would ever look." Varra said, laughing, as she looked around herself. "No wonder your brother was able to stay hidden for so long."
Leia smiled thinly, not amused by the joke.
"Where is he anyway? The legendary Luke Skywalker..." Varra asked, looking around.
"I'm sure you will see him around eventually." Leia said, rather curtly. "I really think we should contact your niece. I told her I would check in as soon as you arrived and it's getting late. We wait any longer and she might not be available."
"Good idea." Varra said, a grin spreading across her face.
They walked into one of the huts, setting up the holographic device on the table. The holographic image of Dalia Kirtan appeared before them and Leia offered a small smile.
"I have important information but we need to be quick. There's a Council meeting starting in 15 minutes." Dalia said, her face drawn with what Leia thought might be stress. Although with the girl it was often so hard to tell. She hid her emotions well - at least over hologram.
"There's two things, actually." Dalia began, something about her demeanor putting Leia on edge. Something had happened.
"The first is about the prisoner. My mother and Kylo Ren were able to break into his break this morning. They know who his family is and they know Garrett Rodinger is part of the Front. Raemon is dead."
"We expected as much." Varra said, somberly. "But don't worry about them. Your mother will never find them."
"What's the second thing?" Leia asked and Dalia hesitated, looking unsure.
"Kylo Ren...he said something to me today." Dalia said, her eyebrows knitting together. Leia's heart began to pound and it was all she could do not to ask the girl to just spit it out.
"You're kidding!" Varra said. "How dare the bastard speak to you?"
"No offense." She added quickly, glancing in Leia's direction. Dalia half-smiled in recognition of the joke but it was clear her heart wasn't in it.
Leia ignored the Jedi's abysmal attempt at humor. "What did he say?" Leia asked.
Dalia shook her head. "He wanted me to help him kill his Master...Supreme Leader Snoke." She said, and Leia felt the ground fall out from under her.
"He asked you that?" She breathed, the world suddenly feeling like it was spinning. He wanted to kill Snoke? Snoke...the man who had been in his mind since he'd been a child. The man who'd turned him into this...this...this Kylo Ren. He wanted to kill him. Could this mean he doubted his path? Was he betraying the First Order?
"Yes." Dalia said. "And he said that in exchange he would use his power as Supreme Leader to help me take my mother's place as High Priestess."
Leia felt her words pour over her like cold water, waking her up to reality. Her son wasn't coming home...he wanted to rule. He wanted to kill Snoke so that he could take his place. How had she been so foolish as to think, even for a second, that he might have changed his mind. She should know by now not to hold out hope. It would only leave her disappointed.
"You're kidding!" Varra cried. "Well if I wasn't so set on democracy, I would want you on the throne too."
"I told him no." Dalia said quickly. "Obviously. I wasn't sure if this was some kind of test of my loyalty? I mean, it was entirely out of the blue. I have no idea why he'd want to work with me of all people. I know he doesn't trust me because I follow the Light Side of the Force...which is why I thought that maybe this was a test."
Beside her, Varra responded but Leia didn't hear her. Her mind drifted as the two Atoans talked and Leia stared at the kettle on the table. Maybe he did want to take Snoke's place, but he was still betraying him. After all these years, he was finally turning against Snoke. That had to count for something. Something must have changed. Right? And why had he asked Dalia specifically to help him? Ben didn't play games. He didn't manipulate them or lie to them to test their loyalty. Maybe Kylo Ren did, but somehow Leia didn't think so. No, the request was most likely genuine. And if it was genuine then why had he chosen Dalia? Why did he want her on the Atoan throne when he already had a willing ally who followed the Dark Side of the Force in power? Why remove Aketra and put in her place a girl who followed the Light Side of the Force? Was there still Light left inside him after all?
"Dalia." Leia said, finally snapping out of the daze into which she had fallen.
"Yes General Organa?" Dalia replied.
"I want you to take him up on his offer." Leia said, watching as the girl's eyes widened in fear.
"What?" Varra cried from beside her. "You're not serious-"
"I am absolutely serious." Leia said. "Snoke is a powerful and ruthless Force user. The galaxy would be a better place with him gone. As for Atoa, if you are made High Priestess you could implement a democratic system. The Front would cease to be necessary and all out civil war would be averted."
"But what if it's a trick?" Dalia asked.
"It's not a trick." Leia said, shaking her head. "Kylo Ren may have done things I never could have imagined him capable of...but it would be out of character for him to ask you this just to test your loyalty."
"Are you really sure you know his character as well as you think you do?" Varra asked, and Leia felt herself bristle with annoyance. "If Kylo Ren is lying, or if he betrays her, Dalia could easily be killed! This is a dangerous game to play-"
"Any act of rebellion is dangerous." Leia said firmly.
"But some more than others!" Varra cried. "I'm sorry, I know he's your son, but Aketra is my sister and I don't let that blind me to what she is."
Leia held in the anger coursing under her skin and turned to the infuriating woman. "I have been leading this Resistance against my son for nearly six years now and in that time I have had to fire on my own son's ship more times than I can count. I have ordered troops to attack the First Order, knowing full well he might die in the battle. I have put the good of the Resistance - of the galaxy - ahead of my own personal feelings so many times that even those who know he's my son would never think to question my loyalty to the cause. I would never suggest Dalia take him up on his offer if I didn't genuinely think it was in the best interest of us all."
Leia paused, turning to the hologram. "But the decision ultimately belongs to Dalia." She said. "Think it over. And let us know what you decide."
"You are risking your life enough as it is." Varra said to the hologram. "Don't rush into anything."
Dalia let out a sigh and nodded. "I'll make a decision by tomorrow."
The holographic image of Snoke disappeared and Kylo Ren threw the holographic device across the room, letting it clatter against the far wall. He grit his teeth, spinning around and grabbing his lightsaber before leaving the room. It wasn't his fault Aketra couldn't control her own people. It wasn't his fault there was a Resistance movement here. Snoke had just gone out of his way to pin all the blame on him to the point that it wasn't even logical anymore.
Kylo Ren pushed open the door to the training room, finding it empty. Good. He started up the training droids, putting them on the most difficult setting and lit his lightsaber. He spun around, cutting them down only for new ones to power up and take the place of the others. It was easy at first but the longer he stayed at it the harder it became. The droids seemed to get faster as he became more tired but that only made him push harder. He pulled on the Dark Side of the Force letting his anger at Snoke, at himself, at everything fuel him until he lost all sense of the world outside the droids and the whirr of his lightsaber.
Feeling something sharp slice across his back, Kylo Ren whipped around, taking out the offending droid. The pain blossomed into rage and he increased his speed until the wound Chewie had given him began to ache too. He punched it with his fist in between blows until it too began to hurt. He continued to punch it, letting the pain fuel him as he cut down the last of the droids. As the final droid fell to the ground with a clatter, Kylo Ren stood panting, staring down at it with unseeing eyes.
"You're bleeding." A voice behind him said and Kylo Ren whipped around, his heart beat skyrocketing. Dalia stood behind him, her blonde hair tied up in a bun and her arms crossed across her chest. He'd been so caught up in the moment he hadn't even felt her come in. Kylo Ren looked down at his side, realizing he had definitely reopened the wound. His black shirt was stained with blood and it stung every time he moved.
"Will you accept bacta?" Dalia asked and Kylo Ren looked back up at her, frowning ever so slightly. She wanted to give him bacta?
"Just wait a minute, I'll be right back." Dalia said, turning to leave the room before Kylo Ren could pull his thoughts back together enough to respond.
Alone in the room, Kylo Ren walked over to a bench and sat down, hissing in pain as he did so. Apparently he had really done a number on his barely healed side. He looked at the droids, strewed across the room in pieces, his head snapping to look over at Dalia as he heard the door reopen.
Dalia came to sit next to him, placing the medkit on the ground at their feet. Kylo Ren felt the warmth of her presence wash over him, calming him down. It was terrifying, how much he liked it. He looked at the curve of her face, noticing how her white-blonde hair felt into her eyes as she pulled out a wet cloth.
"How are you bleeding? You didn't look like you were hitting that hard..." Dalia said, trailing off as he lifted up his shirt, revealing a reopened wound.
"I was hit by a blaster a week ago." He said, wincing as she began applying the cloth.
"Who shot you?" Dalia asked. Chewie, Kylo Ren thought, memories he had long since repressed of the Wookie coming back.
"A Wookiee." Kylo Ren said, his stomach twisting with the guilt that never went away no matter how hard he tried. He felt sick and so he stared at the ground, willing the feeling to go away.
"Why?" Dalia asked and Kylo Ren internally cursed her. Why did she care? She was so nosy...and yet strangely, a part of him almost wanted to tell her. A part of him wanted to tell her everything that was bottled up inside his mind because maybe if he said it all out loud it wouldn't be stuck in his mind anymore.
"Because I'd just killed his best friend." He said, and Dalia's hand faltered ever so slightly. Kylo Ren looked down at her, her expression telling him she know understood why Chewie had shot him.
"Yes, my father." Kylo Ren confirmed.
Dalia made no reply, her eyes concentrated on his wound. Kylo Ren looked away from her and a heavy silence descended over them until Dalia finally broke it.
"Why did you kill him?" Dalia asked at last.
Kylo Ren looked at her and she put down the cloth, now covered in blood. Why had he killed his father? It didn't even make sense to him now. It had made sense in the moment. It had seemed right no matter how much it had hurt. But now...?
"To kill the Light in me." He said with excruciating honesty.
"It didn't work." Dalia remarked.
"No." Kylo Ren agreed. "It didn't."
Dalia applied the bacta patches, pressing them in gently and then wrapping them with gauze and tape. They fell into silence and Kylo Ren stared at the ground, trying desperately to regain whatever modicum of composure he could muster. At last, Dalia finished, letting his bloody shirt fall down to cover the bandages. She stood up, beginning to pace and Kylo Ren looked up at her. She was acting strange. Every time he thought she was beginning to make sense, she would change again, throwing him off entirely.
Stopping suddenly, Dalia stared at him, her face more open than he'd ever seen it. "I can't trust you." She said after a moment and Kylo Ren felt his stomach plummet.
"What?" He asked, standing up himself despite the way it hurt to do so.
"I would be incredibly stupid to trust you." Dalia said, shaking her head as she began pacing again, glancing up at him every now and then. "You just killed your own father. You're not the kind of person I want as an ally."
Kylo Ren ignored the way her words cut him. "An ally?" He asked, and Dalia stopped her pacing, staring at him.
"You wanted us to work together didn't you?" She asked, shaking her head in what looked like disbelief. "You wanted us to help each other..."
Kylo Ren's eyes widened as he suddenly understood what it was she was getting at. He took a step closer to her, suddenly desperate to convince her to accept his offer. He didn't trust or like her mother. He would much rather work with her.
"Have you reconsidered?" He asked, his voice sounding painfully hopeful even to his own ears.
Dalia let out a sigh, running her hands through her hair. "I don't- I...how would we even go about this?" She asked, and Kylo Ren's heart seemed to skip a beat. She hadn't outright rejected it this time.
"The details aren't important right now-" Kylo Ren began.
"Yes they are!" Dalia cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "You want to-" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "You want to kill your Master. He's the most powerful Force user I know of. It's not like we can just waltz onto the Supremacy and kill him!"
"Between the two of us, I'm sure we can manage ." Kylo Ren replied and Dalia's eyes widened.
"You're sure!?" She practically squeaked. "Well I'm glad you're so sure because I am not at all sure."
"Listen, Dalia." Kylo Ren said, stepping towards her only to have her back away from him. "As long as Snoke is Supreme Leader Atoa will never be safe. He will treat your people like slaves until Atoa is destroyed. He doesn't care about your people. He will send Atoan children off to fight in his war and he won't even bat an eyelash."
"And you're telling me you will be any better?" Dalia snarled.
"I won't destroy Atoa if you provide me with the army your mother and I agreed upon." Kylo Ren said and Dalia snorted, crossing her arms.
"So you're asking me to sacrifice a portion of my people to save the rest?" Dalia sneered.
"Dalia, the First Order will have an Atoan army whether it is under Snoke or me." Kylo Ren said. "But if its under me then I'll promise you that's all it will be. One army. I can't guarantee Snoke will make the same promise."
"Your promise means nothing to me." Dalia spat, and Kylo Ren sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Just imagine all the good you could do as High Priestess." Kylo Ren said after a moment, deciding to try another route. "You could lift it out of poverty. I will help you take the throne if you help me in return. You won't have to pretend anymore. You'll be able to do things the way you want to. You won't have to wake up to screaming and worry when your mother's going to explode. You'll be free."
"No High Priestess is ever free." Dalia said, pointedly.
"Well then you'll be doing your mother a favour by relieving her of the burden of ruling." Kylo Ren said and Dalia shot him a poisonous look.
"Don't pretend this is for her sake." Dalia snapped. "You've only been here a week and you're already betraying her. Why shouldn't I believe you'll betray me too once our little arrangement is no longer agreeable to you?"
"You'll have to trust me." Kylo Ren said, and Dalia looked at him in exasperation.
"But I don't." Dalia said. "I don't trust you."
Silence fell between them for a moment as Kylo Ren struggled to figure out how to respond.
"But you do." Kylo Ren said, at last.
"What?" Dalia snapped.
"You do trust me. Maybe you don't want to trust me or you're afraid of trusting me...I can understand that. But if you didn't trust me on some level you wouldn't be here right now." Kylo Ren said.
Dalia stared at him, the look on her face telling him she knew he was right no matter how much she might wish otherwise.
"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Dalia said.
Kylo Ren took one step closer to her and, for once, she didn't back away. He held out a gloved hand in offering. Dalia stared at his hand, looking torn.
And then, just went he started to think she would walk away, she closed the distance between them and took his hand in her own. She shook it and then looked up at him. Her blue eyes met his own and in them he saw not only fear but also hope. When was the last time someone had looked at him with hope in their eyes?
"I accept."