Chapter One: Captured
"Strap in, we're going down."
Paps rushed to the controls as his copilot lifted me from where I had fallen from the blast and carried me to the nearest seat. Frozen, I felt a passenger in my own body as he strapped me in, and tried to calm me from the fear that gripped my heart. Not a second later I was alone again, thankfully strapped in as they tried to maneuver the ship into a landing position. Negative G-force lifted me out of my seat, tugging on the straps as the ship plummeted lower into the atmosphere of the planet.
I was vaguely aware that my breaths were quick and shallow as flight mode began to kick in, but there was no escaping the ship that was too quickly nearing the planet's surface. Shutting my eyes and clamping my hands over my ears, I braced for impact.
"Pull up! Pull up!" I heard my dad's muffled voice right before jarring impact metal screeching and ripping as I was thrown against the restraints.
Ding!
A noise broke me from the memory that had become the subject of my latest dreams, rousing me back to consciousness. Bright lights glared through my eyelids, along with pain from wounds that began to make themselves known, as I came to. On top of the searing blaster wound in my side, I was bombarded with nausea and a blinding headache, as I tried to gather myself. I tried to sit up only to have something dig into the wound in my side. Yelping in pain, I looked over to find the mask of a First Order trooper staring back at me.
"Sit still, pirate." Said another, to my right, also digging the business end of a blaster rifle into my side. "Notify Captain Phasma the prisoner is awake."
Realizing I was cuffed from behind, and surrounded in white plastisteel clad troopers, I assumed that last statement wasn't for me, but about me. My last memories came back to me as I had been betrayed and then, eventually, overpowered by troopers - knocking me out with a taze and a rifle butt to the head. I briefly considered escape options as I tried to gather my bearings, realizing I likely had a mild concussion.
Tentatively testing the Force around me, my best guess was that they had been smart enough to use Force dampening cuffs. I wasn't entirely cut off, but there would definitely be no convincing these troopers to set me free. Twisting my metal arm against the cuffs as slowly as possible, I determined by the slight creak of the metal that they were breakable, but there was still the matter of the two blasters pointed at me - more if you counted all the other armed troops sitting around me on what looked to be a shuttle back to a bigger starship.
Fuck.
Quickly tamping down the anger at the pirate that betrayed me and the frustration at the situation in general, I did my best to stay calm. Even weaponless and cuffed, there was no reason to give up so easily. I'd weaseled my way out of tighter situations before, and this one was no different.
All at once, every trooper,excluding the two doing their best to further injure me, stood at attention as a door opened and the gleaming Captain Phasma entered. Sitting up a little straighter, I inspected the woman as she approached. She was taller than I had expected, making for an intimidating figure, and clad in chrome plastisteel armor. She'd captured many pirates before me, not, but one who had lived to tell the tale, and I knew from the fear that flooded the Force as she entered the room, she was no one to be trifled with.
The two storm troopers hauled me to my feet, causing another wave of nausea and dizziness that nearly knocked me over, as she came to a stop in front of me. Even still, I smiled up at her.
"Captain Gwendoline Phasma." I said, my voice a bit smooth despite the pains that ailed nearly every part of my body. "A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."
A modulated laugh filtered through her helmet.
"Oh, believe me, Dare. The pleasure is all mine." She said. "Although, I have to say, I probably would have taken a different strategy if I had known you'd kill half my unit trying to capture you."
I had already noticed the empty half of the shuttle, where the troops I'd taken out earlier likely had though they would ride home. Unsure of whether to feel shame or pride at the amount of them I'd killed, I simply shrugged.
"Next time I'd suggest comming first." I quipped. "You did take me by surprise."
"Well you have your friend to thank for that." She said, confirming my suspicion that my informant had set me up. "Perhaps you're not as careful as you think you are."
A sting went through me at her words as I inwardly scolded myself once more for coming on the mission alone.
"Don't worry. There are a few very important people that want a word with you." She said, turning as another ding indicated we had arrived at our destination. "You don't get to die just yet."
I was no more dragged off of the ship than I was jolted to a stop next to Captain Phasma and two more troopers. A young man in an officer's uniform saluted the woman as greeting.
"Captain." He began, coming back to attention. "General Hux and Lord Ren have asked to receive the prisoner in the General's office."
"Really getting the welcome wagon here." I said, doing my best to distract myself from the state of my body. Of course, this only earned the butt of a rifle to my ribs.
"Quiet, Pirate Scum." The Trooper to my right spat.
Should've killed that one instead of the other sixteen.
Realizing just exactly who I was being taken to, I took to working as best I could on my mental barriers. I wasn't even about to go down that rabbit hole. No, one thing at a time. I would be lucky if he hadn't already marked my Force presence, but I hoped that the dampeners helped me seem less of an interest. Kylo Ren was known for being especially good at interrogation - and Jedi killing - not a good combination for me right now. I was beginning to worry this may be turning into one of the tightest situations I gotten myself in.
Steadying myself, I took to observing everything I could about the hanger I was in.
You're Captain Selene Fucking Dare and you are getting yourself out of this.
I studied the ships and people, and eventually the hallways and elevators as I was led away from the hanger. Farther and farther from escape and closer to the danger that awaited me. Even in dampeners, I eventually began to feel the presence of another Force Sensitive on the ship. It was dark - not quite as dark as I had expected of someone so renowned for dark side use - but dark nonetheless. It was chaotic and angry - out of control. That was something I could use. Keep him distracted. Don't make yourself interesting.
I kept track of lefts and rights, floor and room numbers until we were in the officer's business areas and the air grew thicker with Ren's energy. I twisted in my cuffs again, tempted to make a break for it again, but talked myself down. The best way to get out of this now was to bargain - it wasn't like I had nothing to offer with most of the criminal side of the galaxy in my back pocket.
Eventually, we reached what I could only assume was General Hux's office where I was dragged through the doors and shoved to my knees with jarring force in front of a red haired gentleman leaning against his desk and Ren not but a few meters away taking advantage of the view of the galaxy the General's viewport offered. Thankful, for his attention being elsewhere I moved mine to the man before me.
"Ah, you must be the welcome wagon." I said, flashing a smile to the clean cut man. I noted he was younger than I expected, mid-twenties no doubt, with handsome features and bright red hair.
This, of course, only got me a scolding this time, although this time it was a rifle butt to the face that nearly knocked me over and out. I didn't even hear the words that came along with this one as I did my best not to collapse, dizziness and shock from the pain lancing through me. As I looked up again I felt the blood trickle down my temple.
"Leave us." I heard a low modulated voice bark.
Ren.
There was a "but sir" that was cut off with but a quick turn from black cloaked figure at the far end of the room. I couldn't tell if I was grateful to be rid of them or would prefer the beatings over this conversation.
"Captain Selene Dare." General Hux drawled, staring down with calculating blue eyes where I still kneeled in front of him. "I never thought I'd see the day."
"General Hux." I responded. "I must say, I hoped I'd never see the day."
"And, yet, you agitate the First Order anyways." He pointed out. I glance at my weapons on his desk, curiously missing my lightsaber. I sneak a glance at Ren as he continues. "If you're so keen on staying out of trouble why have you raided the last three ships from Kree?"
"Why were you on Kree?" I turn over on him. "Kree is the Kingship's turf. Those ships were raided and their crews were spared to send a message. You want ships in and out of my space, you've got to pay the piper."
"Your band of pirates doesn't own any of the galaxy, that was First Order jurisdiction." The general snaps.
I feel Ren brush against my mind, but my walls stay strong. I'm keeping my head blank to distract from any information he might glean and I can feel he's already getting impatient.
"Curious cargo, Kyber Crystal." I deflect. "Valuable too. There hasn't been that much out of the region since the Imperial days. Curious, that is, unless your engineers are using it to build another super weapon."
The general's jaw tightens, even as his face pales. Seems I've hit a nerve.
"Captain, you do realize you are the prisoner, here? You can be dead if I give the word." The general postures. "You really feel it wise to test me?"
I smile and shake my head a bit, even as I'm fighting to keep my mind a maze of thoughts to keep my secrets from Ren, who is now facing me.
"Ah, but if I'm dead, you lose your Kyber." I point out. "And you've just drained your last source."
He's flustered now, cheeks turning red as he realizes even in chains I have the upper hand. Silent for a moment he turns to pace around to the other side of his desk. My eyes follow him, trying desperately not to look at the other man in the room.
"You've just got it all figured out, don't you, Captain." He concedes just a hair.
I flash another smile, maintaining my swagger despite the growing pressure I can feel from the Force being used to look in my head.
"Well, General, I figure there's no reason we can't come to a civil agreement to resolve this issue for both of us." I return, catching a glimpse out of the corner of my eye of my lightsaber at the belt of Kylo Ren. All I need to do is get through this negotiation and get off this ship and I'm home free. "I have something you want, and, as pleasant as this chat is, I'd rather not be a captive if I can help it. Perhaps you're in the mood for a trade?"
The general's brow scrunches as he leans forward onto the desk. He takes his time, silence falling over the room. It does nothing to distract from the fact that I can feel Ren's eyes boring into me from beneath his mask. I'm building wall after wall to fight and distract the forceful push into my mind from reaching the priceless secrets he can't reach. Though I try to maintain my dignity, I'm practically out of breath using my dampened abilities to keep up with him. Casting a glare from across the room our gazes meet and the tension in the air is palpable.
For a moment, I fear the worst. He gives nothing away as to what he may have learned from me, and I maintain my unyielding walls against his intrusion.
But only a second later, he stops. Practically sagging with relief, I do my best not to give away to the general the mental battle only feet away from him. But the relief is momentary, and quickly replaced with gut wrenching fear. Ren may have accepted defeat, but I've made a fatal mistake.
"You're suggesting I release you in exchange for the Kyber." The General states, breaking the tension that's built between the other Force Sensitive and I.
Turning my attention back to the negotiation at hand, I keep a close eye on Ren who seems to study me from across the room, an air of curiosity, if not disappointment leaking into the Force around him.
"You release me fair and square and you can have your precious Kyber." I guarantee without a second thought. "Hells, I even throw in safe passage through criminal territories for the right conditions."
The general scoffs and, for a moment, my full attention is brought back to him. A look of disbelief colored with disdain glares down at me.
"You really think I believe you control criminal territories. You? A pirate?" He practically spits.
A fire rises within me and I sit up a little straighter. It's always the militants that underestimate the organization of crime - the complexity and bureaucracy of it. And it's always the cocky ones that underestimate the pirate lord. I smile a dangerous grin - perhaps too cocky if I didn't know I had the upper hand here.
"General," I respond, my voice sickly sweet in a way men just hate listening to women best them in. "would you like to know, how I got this arm?"
With the sickening crunch of metal giving as I twisted with my right hand, I give a little show of my hand. I put both hands in the air for a moment to display a false surrender and prevent Ren from taking any unnecessary measures, but, although Hux looks shocked, Ren doesn't move a muscle.
"When I was 17 the Andromeda was ambushed while connecting with what we thought was a friendly force. A droid and I were the only ones aboard the Andromeda itself as our crew visited the larger ship. Upon receiving a distress signal, I was instructed to disconnect, but lost my arm in an explosion manually disconnecting the ships." I recalled, a twinge of sadness to my smooth demeanor. "Fortunately, I knew a technician who focused on cybernetics to replace my arm, and, with it, I would defeat Captain Farse, the man responsible for the ploy to overthrow his brother, and become pirate Lord. I would rebuild the Andromeda's crew and the Kingship's reign from the ground up. I have built an empire while your precious First Order believes they're eliminating crime. Crime doesn't get eliminated. It evolves. And the First Order is far from adapting to the intricacies of criminal organizations. However, for the right price, I could guide you through them."
The general, although red with anger at my challenge of the First Order's power, looked to be considering my words carefully.
"You'd sell out your empire. Some pirate you are." Hux scoffed.
I laughed.
"It's not money I'm after." I say, calmly, in response. "You and I both know you need allies in this war. And if you want control over the outer rim, you're going to need information from the horse's mouth on how their crime rings work. The Kingship needs allies too. Not to mention, freedom from capture would be nice."
The general's brow knit together as he appeared to give thought to his next words.
"Why would a pirate want the First Order to win the war?"
"Piracy is illegal in any regime. Might as well be on the winning team."
'Winning team' was a bit of an exaggeration, if not pandering to the General's own ego, but it would be nice to have allies. When the First Order was done with the Resistance, they would be coming for us next.
"Well, you certainly propose a compelling agreement, albeit, a hefty promise to make. It will have to obviously be considered at great length before we release someone of your criminal and power status as Lord of Pirate Lords." The General gave tentatively. "However, I believe there is the lingering question of your Force capabilities. I believe Supreme Leader Snoke will find one of the only living Jedi in the galaxy to be of interest."
"Well that will be quite difficult considering I'm not a Jedi." I offered, but was quickly interrupted as Ren gave some of the first words since I had entered the room.
"You have displayed capabilities that are exceedingly rare with practiced skill. The Supreme Leader will no doubt demand an audience." A chill went down my spine as our gazes met once more through his mask.
I smiled bitterly, as bile rose in my stomach at the thought of an interrogation with Snoke.
"I suppose you would know, wouldn't you, Jedi Killer." I said, holding his gaze.
The moment was broken as the doors behind us slid open and the same messenger who had greeted Phasma off the ship came in breathless.
"The Supreme Leader has invited Capt- uh- the Prisoner and Lorder Ren to an audience on the Supremacy. His ship is connecting as we speak."
"Thank you, Mitaka." General Hux, spoke from where he leaned against his desk. "You see, Captain, you're practically a celebrity around here."
I smiled tightly.
"Cuff her again." Ren said to the troops flanking the messenger at the door, and, while they complied, I sensed their fear about approaching me nearly matching their fear for Ren's temper. "Follow me." He said, gathering two troopers behind me and two in front to escort me behind Ren's billowing cape.