Cold!
Kyla Ren awoke to a coldness that seemed to seep into her very bones. Her teeth chattered as she called the environmental control unit to her and turned up the heat.
"That won't help, Rey."
"My name is Kyla Ren!" she hissed as she turned on the lights. "You!"
It was the ghost of Luke Skywalker.
"Have you come to murder me in my sleep?" she demanded.
"No…"
And then she gasped as she felt a flicker in the Force. "Nippet! She's dead! Who dared to kill one of my Knights of Ren?"
"Ben." Luke sighed. "I had thought that you were blocking me … the other Jedi Spirits … from reaching Ben. But you're not, are you?"
"No." Kyla gasped as she felt another Knight die. "Minas. He's slaughtering them! He's going to kill them all?"
Luke nodded, and she was startled to see tears in his eyes. "You weep for them? I would have thought that you would be happy to see the Knights of Ren destroyed."
"No. They were my students. While they live, there's a chance that they can come back. I don't want them dead. I never wanted them dead." Luke Skywalker looked at her. "And I don't want Ben to kill them. Not like this. You can feel it, can't you? He's falling to the Darkside. His anger—his guilt over failing to stop them from destroying the Academy—is overwhelming him. And no matter how hard I try, I can't reach him. That's why I thought you were stopping me."
"I'm not doing this. I'm not doing anything." The coldness seemed to intensify … the only warmth in the room was concentrated on her unborn child. She could feel its Light, but even that seemed to be getting colder. "No. I don't want this. I never wanted this."
Luke looked at her closely. "No. You don't, do you? I would have thought you would rejoice over Ben's fall, but you're … concerned. You don't want him to fall, do you?"
"No," Kyla admitted softly. Father had wanted Ben Solo to fall, to become Kylo Ren … and Kyla thought that had been what she wanted. To have a Sith Lord at her side … in her bed. But no … she truly wanted something else. "I want Ben Solo just as he is."
Luke smiled. "Then you can help him."
She stared at the Force Ghost in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"Contact him. He'll listen to you. You may be the only one he'd listen to now."
She closed her eyes. They had never been able to force their bond … it had come as it would. "Ben …" she murmured.
But nothing happened. It was as though there were some wall between them. Something was keeping her from talking to him. "I can't, Skywalker. Something … whatever is stopping you, has stopped me as well."
Royce died.
Now only Polax and Sheeva remained.
"We can't help Ben, and neither can you." Luke looked into her eyes for a moment. "But together … Give me your hand, Rey."
"Kyla!"
"Kyla," Luke acknowledged. "Give me your hand if you really love Ben Solo!"
Kyla didn't stop to think. She held out her hand.
She was not sure what she would have expected the spectral hand of Luke Skywalker to feel like if she had taken time to consider it beforehand. Nothing, logically.
Instead … instead she felt warmth and light. The coldness receded from her limbs.
"I can't go to him," Luke said softly. "But someone else can." He closed his eyes. "And it's done. Ben's fate is out of our hands now." He looked at Kyla. "I have to admit, I thought you were beyond hope. Now … now I like to believe I was mistaken."
"I will not be a Jedi. I will not turn to the Light. It failed me. The only strength that I've ever had has come to me from the Dark." She released Luke's hand. "If Ben is safe, then go. Trouble me no more."
Luke nodded. "Farewell, Kyla."
And he vanished like a dream.
Kyla.
It was a voice speaking to her through the Force itself. Just a whisper, but …
"Father?" Kyla gasped. "Father, is that you?"
It couldn't be. Snoke was dead. She had killed him herself. Darksiders could not return from death ….
Kyla, I will always be with you. Someone is coming. Someone who will help you discover the truth …
"The truth about what?"
The truth about your heritage. Go with him, Kyla. Go with Ochi and he will show you the truth …
And then the voice went silent.
In the morning, Hux delivered the report personally.
The Emperor's palace—or Jedi Temple—destroyed. All that priceless history gone. "Since none of the Knights have reported in, we must assume they're all dead or captured," Hux told her at the end. "I've taken the liberty of revoking all their password privileges and security codes …"
"Fine, General." She knew that Polax and Sheeva still lived as she would have sensed their deaths as she had the other Knights of Ren. She little doubt that either of them would long stand up to Resistance interrogation. Polax was ultimately a coward and Sheeva would attempt to use the situation in order to gain power for herself. If they escaped then Kyla would alltow them back, but if they were killed or otherwise permanently disposed of she wouldn't shed a tear. They had proven to be too incompetent to be useful in her plans.
She did not want Ben Solo to fall to the Darkside, but she had not given up on bringing a new order to the galaxy. To give up on that would be to betray the young Rey who had grown up starving and alone. The galaxy—her galaxy—would have no place for any more Unkar Plutts. She would make sure of that.
The Force had freed her. She would use it to free every oppressed child in the galaxy. When she ruled, no one would go to bed hungry. No one would be forced to slave away in dangerous environments to earn just enough food so they could do it all over again the next day. Life was not fair; she would make it fair.
There were bound to be other Midichlorian scanners—or plans for them—other than what her Knights might have found in the Temple. She would employ bounty hunters—discrete bounty hunters—to find them for her. Failing that, she would see if Hux could create one for her. He was a talented engineer, after all. One way or the other, she would find a way to further her plans. It would simply take longer than she had expected.
In the meantime, she would have to deal with the Resistance. They would have to be decisively defeated so that no one else rose to take their place. Hopefully she could do that with a minimum of bloodshed. If she could just capture the leaders then the advantage would be hers.
It would not be easy.
Even with its reduced ranks, the First Order was immensely stronger than the Resistance. In any open conflict they would inevitably be victorious. The Resistance knew this as well as she did; they would avoid direct confrontation. At best, they would engage in hit and run tactics in an attempt to demoralize her troops and to gain the favor of the public.
"Supreme Leader," the cybernetic Phasma said, interrupting Kyla's reverie.
"Yes, Captain?" Kyla found herself wondering just how much her transformation had altered Phasma's mind. She seldom spoke, content to remain on the bridge of the flagship until Hux or Kyla herself gave her an order. She would occasionally train Stormtroopers, but her presence terrified the new recruits.
"A message has gone out on all our main communication frequencies. It's repeating itself." The cyborg's face was incapable of showing surprise, but Kyla could hear it in her voice. "Should I put it on the main screen?"
Kyla nodded. Did this have to do with last night's communication from the being who claimed to be her father? "Do it."
The message was short. It was a simple video of an old man wearing a black robe … or at least he could charitably be called a man though he resembled a corpse more than a living being. His voice was legendary. Even though he had died before she had been born, Kyla Ren knew that voice.
"I am Emperor Palpatine. I have returned. The First Order serves me. Await further orders."
That message repeated itself several times.
The entire bridge crew turned and looked at their Supreme Leader.
"General Hux, I need to speak with you in private."
"Yes, Supreme Leader."
They headed into the conference room. They weren't there long—and even through the thick walls the others could hear—if not understand—the angry words that were being spoken.
The two left the room. "Armitage?" Kyla asked softly.
"I will do as you command, Kyla Ren." The General refused to look into her eyes.
"Supreme Leader," Phasma announced. "A small ship has just exited hyperspace. It's asking permission to board us."
"That would be Ochi," Kyla sighed. "Give him permission, Phasma. I need to go pack. General Hux, you will remain in command until I return."
"Yes, Supreme Leader."
She came close to him … so close that for a moment everyone on board thought she was going to kiss him. "Remember, Armitage. You may be our only hope."
"I will not fail you, Kyla Ren."
Kyla Ren turned and left without another word.
"Captain Phasma, please send a call to Qi'ra of the Crimson Dawn. I need to speak with her … immediately."
And General Hux sighed as he thought of what was to come.