He's ready for peace.
He's ready for war.
Which will it be? It's too soon to tell. But already—only a few hours in-he's ready for these three days of intensive round-the-clock, high stakes negotiations between the First Order and the Republic to end.
He's on the bridge of his flagship pretending to monitor the military situation. Attempting to be a visible and reassuring presence of authority. But in reality, he just wants to escape the roomful of senior advisors who are camped down the hall. He's tired of hearing people's opinions. He wants to be alone with his own thoughts. To search his feelings. To trust his instincts. To listen to the Force as it whispers quietly to his conflicted soul.
But there is no such thing as alone time for the Supreme Leader on a day like this. The first officer approaches to salute and report. "All commands are standing by for your orders, Sir." The anticipation for combat is clear in the man's voice. The bridge commander is not alone in anticipating bloodshed, Kylo knows. Pretty much everyone expects the ceasefire talks to fail.
"For now, we wait," he replies.
"Wait, Sir?" The man blinks in confusion at him. "But what of reports of Republic ships massing near Plexis?"
Kylo refuses to be baited by General FN-2187's posturing. "We will let them be the initial aggressors. Let's see them put their toes to the boundary with the Rim in their best taunt." Bring it on, traitor. Those sorts of provocative military maneuvers tell him that the Republic is taking his invasion threat very seriously, which is just what he intends.
"Sir, they won't leave Coruscant undefended."
"I don't expect them to. But I want to see just how unnerved they are. Keep everyone standing by. We will deploy our fake fleet soon enough."
Deceit being quintessentially Sith, the First Order loves a good fake. Earlier this week, it was fake news about the Republic Chancellor being tainted by bribery corruption. That nasty woman is the most visible and powerful opponent to his peace effort, so Kylo had his people manufacture evidence to discredit her. Hopefully, the brewing scandal will limit her influence during the ongoing negotiations. And with any luck, it will taint her for the upcoming elections as well.
But that is yesterday's fake news. Today's fake will be a phantom armada comprised of thousands of civilian and commercial spacecrafts equipped with military grade transponders broadcasting the communication signatures of the First Order. The Republic is well aware of this ploy—he's used it for a while now. But it's still effective. Soon he will park a few thousand ships pretending to be his military at the edge of the Rim nearest to the fastest hyperspace lanes into the Core. It's both a feint and a flex, and he's frankly gleeful about it. But wary of looking too aggressive at the outset, he plans to wait to press his leverage.
The ploy is an apt metaphor for the negotiations, Kylo thinks. His invasion threat is a bluff and his fleet is a bluff too. Moreover, he's bluffing both the Republic and the First Order simultaneously. For both sides need to think he's ready and willing to restart the war if he has to. And, well . . . he might have to. In that respect, he's only half-pretending, really.
But he has to make it look credible for all sides, so he orders to the first officer, "Amp up the chatter along the usual com channels. Make the Republic think something is in the works without giving them anything tangible to track."
That last part is key. The advent of hyperspace tracking tech has made the game of cat-and-mouse in space a lot more dangerous. It means once you reveal your initial ship placements, the chase is on. And Kylo is in no hurry to start the chase. Too many enemy ships in close proximity heightens the risk of a full-scale engagement that will make moot the negotiations on Coruscant. He wants to put on a show, not restart the war by accident.
"Yes, Sir. We'll get them worried, Sir."
"Are the embedded strike teams ready to go?"
"Yes, Sir."
He gave orders days ago to sneak his men behind enemy lines to be ready to detonate massive terrorist style bombs in the heart of Coruscant, Chandrila, and Kuat. If the peace talks fail, there will be Hell to pay five minutes later in the Core. It's not his preferred course of action, of course. But he knows he has to follow through with violence or risk losing face to the enemy and to his own supporters. Credibility is everything in leadership.
"We're on radio silence with them for now per your orders."
"The only order they need to know is 'Go,'" Kylo harrumphs as he resumes his nervous pacing.
He can feel many pairs of eyes on his back. The busy bridge is full of crew. Kylo knows he both fascinates and intimidates most of them. But he has earned their respect by returning to salvage the lost cause of the First Order after Exogol. That's important because he's going to need all the trust he can get when he tests the limits of their goodwill soon.
An aide interrupts to summon him back to the conference room. There is news from Coruscant. Things have gotten off to a bad start. The Republic has delivered yet another new draft of the ceasefire agreement and it includes changes to previously agreed points. His side is noncommittal as it accepts the surprise draft, saying they will take it under advisement. No one is happy that the Republic has begun calling the ceasefire a 'package deal,' which is their way of reserving the right to reopen previously agreed points if they give concessions on the big open items yet to be discussed.
Kylo is annoyed. Tell them that's fine, he sneers at his team, but make sure to underscore the three-day deadline. There will be no extension, he growls. Tell the Republic if they want to waste time talking about tariff penalties again, the lives lost in the invasion are on their conscience. Then, he stalks back to the bridge to pace some more and clench his fists. He's nervous, and it shows.
"All commands are standing by for your orders, Sir," the trigger-happy bridge commander again approaches to report. "Shall we deploy the fake fleet?" he asks hopefully.
"Stand down for now." It's too soon for that. His gambler card-cheat father used to say that you should always hold back your good cards when playing sabaac. Show them too soon and you'll waste them. And if you don't have any good cards? Well, no one knows that. People will assume you're holding them back like they are. It's the same strategy he's using today.
Thankfully, his message to the Republic gets through. The enemy withdraws its latest changes and agrees to focus on the hard issues that remain: Hosnia, super weapons, and demilitarization. And so, finally-four hours into the face-to-face talks-things get down to business.
In a strange turn of events, the Hosnia apology turns out to be the easiest of the three open topics to resolve. He agrees to a vague reciprocal statement that regrets the loss of life and destruction of property in the war. It is a masterpiece of understated lawyering, as far as he is concerned. There is an overt reference to the First Order as the 'unprovoked aggressor' and Hosnia is specifically called out as a war crime. There is also bland language referring to the New Republic's policy missteps in the outlying systems that Kylo deems an acceptable mea culpa from the other side. It's something he can point to as a Republic acknowledgment of their own share of blame. The reparations he agrees to pay for Hosnia survivors turn out to be a token pittance, mostly because there are so few survivors. Besides, those are Snoke's credits anyway, so Kylo is fine with it.
He thinks the Hosnia issue is done and it's time to move on. But here again, the Republic tries a bait-and-switch to renegotiate. They must sense leverage because he agreed too fast. Because the 'minor wording tweaks' they come back with on Hosnia now seek to enumerate a separate, specific laundry list of bad acts by the First Order that go way beyond the Starkiller Base. It's a litany of finger pointing that he objects mires the agreement in minutiae. Moreover, it raises the issue of including a corresponding list of bad actions by the Republic. That's a whole new issue to fight about.
Things bog down quickly, so Kylo intervenes to change up the focus. Instead of saying what the First Order did wrong, he wants to say what it will do differently in the future. It's his opening to propose the transparency Rey has been urging. He will set up a system to locate missing persons, to resettle refugees, and to reunite displaced citizens with their families. He proposes to open records on the stormtroopers, on jailed political dissidents, and on prisoners of war. All those persons currently in custody—for whatever reason—can opt to be repatriated back to the Republic. Basically, he's exporting prisoners of all types to his enemy. He's calling it a peacetime amnesty in light of the complete lack of due process given to the convicted, but it's a convenient way to rid himself of criminals and malcontents while looking magnanimous and contrite for the First Order's abysmal civil rights record. And if that helps to further his goal of putting some distance between himself, Snoke, and Sidious, then it's a double win.
Thankfully, the gullible Republic jumps at the offer. And why wouldn't they? He's handing them a lot of moral victories to point to when people complain about the tepid Hosnia apology. Look at all the ways we have convinced Kylo Ren to reform, the enemy can say with a straight face.
Day one of the negotiations ends late at night, but with considerable progress made. Encouraged, Kylo stays awake even later hoping for the bond to open. But the Force declines to connect him with Rey. He's not sure what to make of it. He's hoping it's a good sign that the Force doesn't think he needs her help yet.
Day two begins the hard part: the security provisions for the future. Kylo proposes a simple trade: he will agree to a mutual ban on the development and use of super weapons in exchange for no limits on either side's conventional military forces. Stated differently, he rejects the Republic's proposed draconian disarmament targets for everything but Death Stars and the like.
The Republic chokes on that news. The talks adjourn a second time when the Republic's five representatives all withdraw in a righteous huff.
Let them stew, Kylo tells his worried negotiators, because that's a good offer. Disarmament is a very problematic point for him. Far more so, he has decided, than any meaningless symbolic apology for Hosnia.
Politically, the idea of a strong, technologically superior military is ingrained deep within the First Order ethos. Snoke's original followers were Imperial Elites exiled to the Rim by the Galactic Concordance that ended the last war. Those people had military backgrounds and their sons and daughters populate the officer ranks of the First Order today. They see the value of military might for both internal order and external defense. They take pride in the orderly discipline of the chain of command. They will feel humiliated and defeated if the proud First Order were to be stripped of its armies and navy. Frankly, a lot of their collective self-identity is invested in looking scary while they wield big guns.
Kylo understands. Order, after all, requires authority. And authority comes from power, which for the most part means force. In his case, it's the Force. But for most circumstances, the force is arms.
Besides, Rimmers love guns. It simply makes sense. On frontier worlds, dangers abound. You never know when you're going to need to defend yourself, your family, or your property from a hostile person or beast. So, it's 'open carry' on worlds like Tatooine and everyone accepts it as a social norm. Because self-help and self-defense are a civic virtue in places where there is not sufficient law enforcement. People must rely on themselves to handle things for the most part.
On places like Tatooine, for example, citizen militias are organized to push back against sandpeople marauders. In turn, those sandpeople tend to think twice before they attack local settlements. They know the citizens are armed, and it acts as a deterrent. In the fancy Core worlds, people complain that guns promote violence. But in the Rim, people tend to believe that guns prevent violence. Owning a gun doesn't make you a criminal, but it makes you far less likely to become a criminal's victim.
The same is true on a societal level, Kylo firmly believes. Having a strong military will promote peace. The Republic will think twice before it attempts to 'liberate' the Rim again if it knows it will be violently opposed. And since he will forgo the option of a super weapon, a robust First Order military becomes a necessity.
The Republic naturally disagrees. They fear the ceasefire will be a temporary cessation of hostilities rather than a lasting peace. They worry that he will resume his goal of conquering the galaxy in three to five years' time. Frankly, they should be much more worried about old Darth Sidious, although he can't say that. But as far as he's concerned, both the Core and the Rim will need a strong defense for whenever that zombie Sith reappears.
But the most pressing reason he can't agree to disarmament is that it will expose his weakness. His fleet is minuscule, but the Republic still doesn't realize it. He has bluffed them time and again with his flash mob ambushes that melt away in minutes. But if his people sit down now to negotiate upper limits on naval power and land-based equipment, the first thing the Republic is going to want to know (and to verify) is the current status of his military. He could lie, of course. But he will eventually get caught when the Republic sends inspectors to start counting TIEs and ion cannons bi-annually. So why even go there? Kylo decides instead to hold firm on rejecting disarmament.
'Peace through strength' is the mantra his negotiators stick to. You build your defenses how you see fit, and we will do the same, his people tell the Republic. You did not defeat us, after all. You do not have a victor's leverage. We are merely seeking to suspend hostilities through a ceasefire. This is not in any sense a surrender, and we will not relinquish our arms like the loser.
It's just what his worried inner circle needs to hear, Kylo knows. They are aghast at the Hosnia apology and apoplectic about the super weapon ban. Kylo knows he will provoke a mutiny if he agrees to disarmament as well. For though he assures everyone that the Hosnia apology is empty words and the super weapon ban is an expedient lie, he knows several of his senior commanders are sincerely offended. In their own way, they are men of honor who object to the principles at issue.
This is the delicate dance he must perform—appeasing the Republic while he appeases his own side. It's only worth it if he gets to peace, however. So if the Republic refuses to resume negotiations, the deal is off and he will disavow all of what he has proposed if it ever leaks to the press.
But after five hours go by, he starts to get nervous. So, the next time the bridge commander approaches to ask whether it's time to deploy the fake fleet, Kylo opts for yes. He will try to scare the Republic back to the negotiating table.
"Give the order. Amass the armada."
"With pleasure." The first officer salutes and smiles tightly. This is the standoff that everyone has been waiting for.
It's a move that could backfire. Reminding the Republic of his threat of imminent invasion underscores all the reasons why they want disarmament. But fear is the best weapon he has at this point. So, Kylo leans into it hard in hopes it works. The brash two-way bluff is all reckless Han Solo, but the political deftness he's striving for is from Leia Organa's example. As a leader, he is far less emotional and reactionary than most believe. It just that his outbursts tend to be extreme and violent, and that makes an impression. But you don't spend years as Darth Sidious' Apprentice without learning a thing or two about calculation and guile. So, he's using his unpredictable reputation as leverage now. Let the Core think he's a madman drunk on Dark power with an inferiority complex about Darth Vader. Let them worry he is irrational and impulsive and prone to cruel acts. It ups the ante on the risk. And if it helps the peace proponents within the Republic argue to placate him, even better.
Meanwhile, the entire galaxy waits anxiously for news. Neither side is talking publicly through leaks or surrogates. The general public has no idea what's happening. But the newsfeeds still manage to fill airtime speculating. The media becomes an unwitting ally of the First Order as they repeatedly hype the invasion worries with ghoulish zeal. It keeps people watching and it reinforces his bluff. One newsfeed channel even has a countdown clock ticking off the hours left until war resumes. Many systems in the Core are in lockdown, with civilians hiding in their houses anticipating the worst.
But unfortunately, Kylo himself feels similarly in the dark. Where is Rey to tell him what's going on at the Republic? Why won't the bond open so they can talk? Force be with me. He silently seeks his creator's blessing. Make me an instrument of thy will. He murmurs an ancient Jedi prayer he learned as a child.
The Force must be listening because that's when the bond opens.
"Leader, Sir—"
"Not now." Kylo waves off the bridge commander as he feels the tingling in the back of his mind that signals his special connection with Rey.
He sees her in a hallway. She's watching an argument between the traitor general and his counterpart Dameron.
Things are getting heated. FN-2187 looks worked up. "You're throwing the Rim away! Those people are our citizens who deserve protection!"
"So do our citizens in the Core!" Dameron retorts.
"The invasion threat is a bluff—how many times do I have to tell you that?"
"I need proof, not your hunch, Finn."
"Did you see that report I sent you?"
"There was nothing new in it. It's not enough to get the major systems comfortable. We've been over this before." Dameron is curtly dismissive. He looks to Rey and asks, "Do you have his same bad feeling about things too?"
"No," Rey answers calmly in what Kylo has come to think of as her Jedi voice. It's Rey trying hard to project gravitas beyond her years by mimicking cool zen at all times. She now pronounces, "I think peace is prudent at this point, under the circumstances."
"Even without disarmament?" the traitor presses. "Even knowing that the First Order will be building its military might back up to come after us again?"
"Yes."
"See?" Poe jeers. "Even she agrees. And she's our Jedi. Leia trained her, so her hunch ought to be better than yours."
"This is a mistake, Poe! Ren's bluffing—I know it. It's been his strategy all along with those loyalists of his pretending to be his navy and yelling 'I am Kylo Ren!' when we catch them. Stop falling for his fear tactics!"
Again, Poe looks to Rey to ratify his views. "Do you think Ren's bluffing?"
Rey answers, "All along, we have underestimated him, myself included. Every time we think we have a foolproof plan, he and his forces manage to escape defeat and sometimes pull off victory. I would put nothing past him."
Watching Kylo approves of this answer. Good girl. Lean into their fears. I need your side to come back to the table.
Rey answers him in her mind: We will. Ben, be patient. We're shoring up support on our side behind the scenes.
Is that what this conversation is about?
Finn's your outspoken opponent and he has been effective sowing doubts. Poe's trying to shut him down. People like Finn and listen to him. And since he was formerly First Order, he has unique credibility.
Got it.
Kylo watches as the stormtrooper with the Force argues some more. "Poe, you can't let Kuat and Corellia dictate decisions for all of us—"
"I'm not. Plenty of other systems feel the same way they do. If this is a bluff, Finn, it worked."
The traitor is getting exasperated. "You've got this all wrong! Ren wants this ceasefire now because the First Order is weak. He's buying time to regroup and rebuild so they can come after us again. Poe, the time to fight him is now—"
"No one wants to fight him on our home turf."
"The Rim is our home turf, too," FN-2187 huffs.
Poe shoots him an 'oh please' look. "The Rim isn't the Core."
"You're gonna do this, aren't you? You're gonna agree to Ren's deal? Without any meaningful disarmament?"
Dameron shrugs and looks frustrated. "I'd rather take the deal than be invaded. And if Ren starts a military buildup, we can always do one ourselves."
"Yeah, I'll bet Corellia and Kuat would love that," the traitor's voice drips with cynicism as he refers to the Core's most famous shipbuilding systems. "So . . . you're telling me that you're not even going to propose bilateral disarmament?"
Dameron shakes his head. "That's a non-starter. No one wants to voluntarily decrease our capabilities and make us more vulnerable to their attack. And," he points out to his friend, "if what you say is true and the First Order is weak, then we can get more comfortable agreeing to keep the status quo as is."
Rey chimes in. "We should never have proposed unilateral disarmament of the First Order in the first place. It's a big ask not to make a provision like that mutual. We got the Death Star ban. That's enough."
"I don't like any of this," the stormtrooper general grouses, glaring at Rey. "And I don't trust them not to build Death Star 4 next year no matter what they agree to."
"We know. We've heard," Dameron sighs. "But this is happening if I can get a few more systems to support it. So, stop standing on principle and help us get the best deal we can."
FN-2187 scowls. "General Organa wouldn't bargain with Ren." The comment is a reference to Poe's famous mentor whose legacy he has publicly claimed to inherit. It's said rather pointedly.
The comment gets under Dameron's skin. The man bristles. "General Organa is gone. I wish she were here now to help us. But we're on our own making the best of a bad situation."
"Excuse me." It's some random aide interrupting. "Can I get a word? With you as well, General," the man addresses the traitor.
"What is it?" Dameron is impatient.
The aide's eyes glance to Rey. She must not be in the loop on whatever the urgent matter is, Kylo surmises. "It's important."
"What's more important than the fate of the Republic?" Dameron snaps back.
"Sir, it's important. And highly sensitive."
Rey takes the hint. She gracefully bows out. "I'll rejoin the others. Poe, find me if you need me."
"Will do."
The bond follows Rey, of course, so Kylo witnesses more behind-the-scenes Republic grumbling before the connection ends. What he sees is very encouraging, but still . . . The deal isn't done until it is agreed and announced, and the clock is ticking . . . Day two is mostly over and very little has been accomplished since the Republic walked out. Kylo finds himself rooting for Poe Dameron cheerleading for support among the Core systems, while no doubt also advancing his own ambitions to be Chancellor.
Two hours later, his phantom armada has assembled. With all those fake transponders transmitting, it looks like the Final Order Fleet 2.0 is about to jump to lightspeed onto Coruscant's front doorstep. Will the Republic notice? They do. Their negotiators storm back in demanding an explanation.
Relieved that his ploy worked, Kylo starts playing hard ball.
As instructed, his team reminds the enemy of the invasion ultimatum. They even disclose that the First Order has embedded tactical teams on strategic Core worlds ready to strike when he gives the order. Walk out again, his lead guy warns, and Ren may get impatient. Leaning across the table, the First Order chief negotiator announces ominously, "This is not a drill."
"At the first sign of aggression outside the Rim, you five will be arrested," his Republic counterpart retorts.
It elicits a smug chuckle in response. "By all means, arrest us. Read us our rights first and put us in a cell before you send us to a judge. But know that if this meeting were on Dantooine and not Coruscant and the roles were reversed, at the first aggressive move by your side, you five would be shot. Ren is known for his temper."
The Republic lead negotiator now drops any pretense of professional courtesy. "I really hate you fascist bullies," he says plainly, "and I don't trust Kylo Ren."
"The feeling is mutual," the First Order's lead man answers dryly. "We would dearly love to murder you right now, but Ren sent us on our best behavior." He argues, "This ceasefire truly is the best solution. The war ends, we get our independence, and both sides go their separate ways. If you care about your people and you wish your Republic to continue, the time to compromise is now."
The Republic now makes a halfhearted offer at bilateral disarmament—it seems the traitor stormtrooper prevailed in convincing someone important about that point. As instructed, the First Order representatives respond with a hard pass. Disarmament is off the table—bilateral or otherwise. There's nothing more to negotiate beyond wordsmithing the ban on superweapons. Both sides haggle over that a bit before Kylo instructs him men to withdraw. It's good enough, he tells his conference room full of advisors. Since it's all a lie, who cares how beautifully it's written?
Day three is shaping up to be a 'take it or leave it' decision that matches the brewing showdown in space. No one gets any sleep that night, including him. Mostly, it's because he keeps waiting for the bond to open. Rey is his sounding board and a window into how the Republic thinks. It's important knowledge he needs more than ever now that things are on the brink of war . . . or is it peace? But the Force does not open the bond. Maybe that's a good sign because the Force only shows him what it thinks he needs to see. But Kylo can't help but be disappointed. Rey is the only person who knows what he's truly up to. Only she knows how tricky what he's doing is.
The next morning, the Republic shows up to participate—which in itself is a relief. But what is there left to talk about? The stone-faced Republic representatives announce that they will accept the agreement as negotiated without any mention of disarmament provided there are a few additional changes to the Hosnia apology. It's a face-saving measure, obviously. So Kylo agrees to say in effect that he is very, very sorry for the very, very bad act of destroying Hosnia with a very, very bad weapon.
"Done," he proclaims with enormous relief. "Sign it and come home heroes," he commends his negotiating team. Three of his five negotiators not coincidentally are hardline First Order types. Kylo is no fool—he's going to cover those men with promotions and congratulatory press coverage to highlight their personal roles in the peace deal. He needs to keep his conservative crazies thinking they have influence in his inner circle while he simultaneously makes their prominent leaders share credit for the compromises he made. But even they seem genuinely relieved with the outcome of independence for peace.
There might be an agreement in principle, but there are mechanics to be worked out. Things like who signs the agreement and how does it get announced. The Republic makes a big deal out of having him sign the ceasefire agreement personally, as if that makes it somehow more binding. They send over a signature page with his now public real name. The document reads "As agreed on behalf of the First Order to Restore the Galactic Empire, aka the First Order, aka the Final Order by The Supreme Leader, Obi-Wan Skywalker Organa Solo, aka Kylo Ren." Whatever. He's about to write simply 'Ren' when he hesitates. Because who is he now exactly? He hasn't been Obi-Wan Organa Solo in years. And though the galaxy knows him as Kylo Ren, he's more than Snoke's duped Apprentice. But by now, the whole room is looking at him, mistaking his hesitation for second thoughts. This is an inopportune time for an existential crisis. So Kylo decides to add to the layers of mystery by scrawling Ben across the signature line. Let the holonet puzzle over that.
Why does he do it? Because Ben is what Rey calls him. She did it deliberately at first, trying to coax out his former Jedi self she thought was mired in Darkness. But the truth was more complicated—the Light she saw in him has always been there and always will be. Just like Darkness is ever present in his soul. Rey is the same way. It's what makes them a matched pair the Force made a dyad. And without that dyad, he is certain there would be no peace deal today. Because their rekindled connection—which first Rey resisted before she accepted and embraced it—is how he engineered the comeback of the First Order and manipulated the Republic to the negotiating table. Who did this? Ben did this.
He immediately has his lawyers obtain a copy with the Republic Chancellor's signature. The entire agreement signed by both sides is then promptly uploaded onto the holonet. So much for the carefully choreographed press conference and accompanying public statement the Republic has in mind. Kylo wants the news out there, unfiltered by his enemy's spin as it hits the newsfeeds.
The Rim is independent and the galaxy is at peace.
There is a collective sigh of relief from all corners of the galaxy.
In the Rim, democracy dies to thunderous applause. The jubilant citizens dance in the streets. Stormtroopers are everyman heroes there, not villains or victims. First Order military officers are respected figures whose service everyone is grateful for. But it doesn't stop there. For thanks to the Republic's heavy-handed tactics, everyone in the Rim can claim a role in this fight, even non-combatants. For there are many civilian First Order officials at all levels who resisted the Republic's localized efforts, and thousands of brave families and shopkeepers whose homes and businesses were used as covert distribution centers for First Order humanitarian relief. Also, commercial and civilian pilots who participated in his ruse navy, first responders and medical personnel who treated war casualties, and families who took in displaced war refugees or sheltered fugitive First Order agents. There are school teachers who defiantly kept pictures of the Supreme Leader in their classrooms with 'Peace and Order' spelled out in fanciful letters on bulletin boards. Each morning, they led a pledge of allegiance to make certain the next generation would grow up to share their values. There are also young people who mobilized as chanting protesters with an hour's prior notice over holonet social media. They were a consistent chorus of civil disobedience against the Republic invaders—an always vehement, sometimes violent, but very effective throng. Truly, the war for independence was a collective effort. People of all ages from all walks of life can claim credit. It makes today's announcement a shared success.
Resisting the Republic has turned out to be a unifying stance for his people. Nothing strengthened his cause like the improvised, dogged post-Exogol war effort. When it looked like all was lost and nothing would change, Kylo Ren returned to champion the cause and see it through. He comes out of it an unlikely hero with enormous goodwill. It's a surreal fact, but as the Supreme Leader of a fascist military junta, he somehow managed to bring independence and freedom to the renegade, break away Rim systems.
"Sir, you need to address the Empire," Colonel Crassus tells him. "Time for your victory lap," the usually dour Imperial geezer grins.
But that annoying Chancellor woman beats him to it. She stands before the cameras flanked by her two generals and spouts yet another polemic. Sure, there are a few throwaway conciliatory lines, but for the most part the theme of her speech goes something like this: I hope you're happy in the Rim with that Sith tyrant you chose. Good luck with that. Don't come crying to the Republic in a few years' time asking for us to take you back. You made your bed. Now go lie in it.
This is a major political defeat for the embattled Chancellor. Everyone knows it, and her words show it.
"Charming to the last," Crassus mutters at his side as they watch, "and utterly predictable."
Kylo shrugs. "She'll be gone soon. Dameron will replace her after the election. We can deal with him."
And actually, the Republic Chancellor's sour grapes speech sets things up nicely for him, Kylo thinks. Mindful of his goal of a brighter, better future, he decides to counter all her negativity with his trademark brand of terse, determined optimism. It's authentic to his true self and a good match for the ethos of his plain-speaking people. Let the Republic Senate candidates wax eloquent with their lofty rhetorical flourishes. Kylo Ren tells it like it is in as few biting words as possible, making clear that the First Order and the Republic agree on the terms of the ceasefire and nothing else.
"Every word of what the Republic just said is wrong," he begins. As usual, he is stone faced, stiff shouldered, and intense before the cameras. He rages, "The war is over! In all ways that matter, we have won! The Empire is reborn today through the sacrifice and hard work of billions of beings over decades."
He pauses to suck in a breath before he predicts, "This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the dissolution of the Republic and the end of the Core's dominance. Today is just the beginning. Join me, and together we will realize our collective destiny as free and independent people living in peace and order." He brandishes a gloved fist as he continues: "I will bring peace, freedom, justice, and security to my New Empire. Because the people and the Force are with me."
He says this last part like a vow and like a taunt, hissing his words with his usual aggrieved delivery. He's Kylo Ren and he doesn't perform for the cameras like a typical politician, even though this moment is most definitely a performance. Very deliberately, he publicly mentions the Force, alluding to his special powers. It's what people fear most about him. So he doubles down hard on his scary Sith reputation, staring defiantly at his unseen audience of Republic haters, secret Final Order loyalists, and Darth Sidious in hiding somewhere. He wants to make a lasting impression as the frequently underestimated, dangerously unpredictable, and thoroughly committed young Supreme Leader who people fear to cross and love to watch.
He concludes, "There will be nothing to stop us this time," as ominously as possible. That's mostly to play into Republic fears that he won't stop at half the galaxy and to bolster his cred to his own hardliners. Because his next move will be to consolidate power and eradicate the remains of the Final Order. That's going to cause much consternation, he knows.
That's it. He's done. Finally, he can relax and savor what he has accomplished. Decades ago, Sidious and Tyrannus started the Separatist movement and began the Clone Wars. It was all a means to an end to topple the Republic and grab power. Sheev Palpatine never gave a damn about the Rim. He threw those systems and their leaders under the transport bus the moment he provoked the Jedi High Council to arrest him so he could justify Order 66. But Kylo Ren is a very different sort of leader. Sure, he returned to the First Order on the rebound after being rejected yet again by Rey. But he truly cares about his people. This was always about more than just power. And that's what makes his cause more than Darkness.
There is an uncomfortable irony to this success. For he has prevailed to split the galaxy in two, undoing the life's work of his mother. But his grandfather too wanted a unified galaxy. How would Darth Vader feel about a separate Republic and Empire? Kylo hopes he would recognize it for the pragmatic solution it is. But he can't help but feel that at least on some level, his victory today is a defeat for all the Skywalkers gone before him. But maybe this is just another way in which old ways of thinking need to give way to new ideas.
Privately, he's a bit deflated by how mundane and contentious it all feels here at the finish line. Somehow, he always expected that a galactic peace treaty would be a moment of harmony. That both sides would be smiling and happy about it. There would be grand speeches, handshakes, and kind words and, at least for a day, there would be goodwill. Clearly, he was naïve. Because instead, this feels like a shotgun wedding. Or maybe that's the wrong metaphor, and this is like more akin to some long overdue divorce. There are irreconcilable differences and both parties are way past pretending politeness at this point. They just want to move on.
It makes him miss Rey. More than anything, he wishes he could celebrate with Rey. She will be happy, at least. Rey is a huge uncredited part of the lead up to today's ceasefire. This never would have happened without her information, opinions, and input. But he won't be seeing Rey today. In fact, he dares not sneak into Coruscant ever again. Going forward, she will need to come to him. Because were the enemy Supreme Leader ever found running loose in the Republic, it would be a violation of the strict boundary provisions of the ceasefire agreement that could be construed as an act of war. He won't risk that for his own personal aims. Too much blood has been spilled for him to jeopardize this fragile new peace with a night of sex and champagne toasts with his secret Jedi wife.
When the bond finally opens in the aftermath of the deal, he sees the Republic negotiating team sitting around a conference table full of empty water bottles and discarded datapads. Most everyone looks to be in a somber, resigned mood. Some look disappointed. A few look to be exhausted. Except, of course, for Rey. He alone knows that she is masking her inner elation to her colleagues as she pretends she reluctantly supports the barely acceptable ceasefire deal she secretly helped to maneuver. Rey is dying to talk to him, he senses. So he starts speaking to her through the bond and she replies in her mind. All the glum Republic personnel in the room are completely oblivious to their conversation in the Force.
Rey keeps her poker face as he congratulates them both. We did it.
I know. We did it. We really did it. I didn't think we could, but we did.
He confesses what she already knows: I had my doubts too. But we did it.
You took my suggestions—all of them. The stormtroopers and everything.
Yes.
I didn't think you were listening.
It took me time to see that you were right.
She looks proud and pleased. I guess I did my part as a spy for both sides.
You did a lot of this, even if no one but me knows it. Now, when can I see you? I want to see you. I want to celebrate with just us on the Falcon.
Let me see when I can get away. Maybe in a few days. There's going to be a lot of political fallout to this.
I hope so. I want Dameron in as Chancellor after the election. Tell me if you think the corruption case against my alien hater-in-chief is too weak. We can always manufacture more evidence.
That was you who leaked the documents against the Chancellor?
Yes. But let's just say she's not entirely innocent. She's done a lot of quasi-legal favors to gain support in hopes of continuing in her role.
I've heard rumors.
Believe them. It was easier to discredit her than to kill her. Although, she was my top target in the event the peace effort failed and the war resumed.
Rey doesn't like that plan, but it's moot now. Poe will be much better in that position.
Since he has so publicly backed the deal, I want him in charge. He has a personal political interest in keeping this peace going forward. Rey, I need leadership on your side who is determined to make this ceasefire stick.
I still can't believe we did it.
Believe it. This is just the beginning of what we can do together. He can't wait to see her so they can plot their next moves together.
The door behind Rey slides opens now. Kylo watches as the two Republic generals, the traitor and Dameron, enter the room looking grim faced. Are they here to address the beleaguered negotiating team and thank them for their efforts? No. They want a private word with their Jedi. The traitor tells her, "Rey, we'd like you to step outside."
"Sure."
She gets up from her seat. Through the bond, Kylo senses that Rey thinks she's about to be urged to join the Republic military again. Now that her side's forces will be focused on defense and peacekeeping, she's willing to consider it.
But that's not what her friends are here about. When the trio is in private in an adjacent room with the door closed, FN-2187 glares hard at Rey with cold resentment.
Rey thinks it's because of the ceasefire. She begins in a conciliatory tone, "Finn, in time, you will see that what we have agreed to today is the right thing to do—"
"Bullshit!" the traitor explodes in profanity. "Bullshit!" he yells in her face. "Because I'm starting to sense that we got played by Ren again big time! Rey—"
"Easy, Finn," Dameron shoots his counterpart a look and pulls rank. He steps in between the irate traitor and Rey. "Let me handle this. There will be time for that later."
Rey is confused and increasingly uneasy. It feeds his own concerns watching covertly lightyears away. Rey looks to the traitor and then to Dameron. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes." Dameron takes a deep breath, sighs heavily, and announces, "In the name of the Galactic Republic on behalf of Office of the Chancellor, you are under arrest."
Watching through the Force, Kylo reacts in real time. Oh no . . . oh FUCK . . . not now! NOT NOW!
"W-What?" Rey yelps incredulously.
Get out of there! Rey, get out of there now! He's screaming in the bond as he perceives the deadly serious expression on Dameron's face. His mother's replacement hero son looks like he means business.
General FN-2187 is still plenty angry, but he objects to this approach. "Hold on, Poe! Let's just talk first, okay? Give her a chance to explain before we get to all that. Because I want some answers!"
"Explain what?" Rey wonders in confusion as she looks from man to man. The bond reveals her increasing alarm. She's caught, and she knows it. But yet . . . she can't quite believe it. And today, of all days.
Dameron answers by producing a blaster that he aims straight at Rey's chest. Watching Kylo tenses. Because at a range of two feet or less, Dameron surely can't miss. "Take her lightsaber," he snarls to the traitor.
Rey slowly raises her hands in surrender. "Go ahead, Finn," she nods to her friend. "Take it."
The stormtrooper general moves to disarm Rey. Stupid girl—she should have immediately grabbed him in a headlock and lit her saber. The traitor's life is all the leverage she needs against Dameron. But Rey isn't thinking strategically just now. She's been caught unaware. She's stunned and dismayed. Besides, she'd never kill her traitor buddy anyway. And so, Kylo watches helplessly through the bond as his fierce scavenger wife docilely allows herself to be taken into custody.
Dameron keeps his steady aim. "Good. Keep cooperating. Let's make this easy, Rey." He nods to the traitor. "Cuff her."
"Is that really necessary?" the fugitive stormtrooper complains. "I thought we were going to try to keep this quiet. If word of this gets out—"
"Cuff her."
"Shouldn't we talk first?"
"She's not just our friend, she's a Jedi, remember? Put the cuffs on her. We'll talk later. Not here."
"I don't understand. What's wrong? What's going on?" Rey plays dumb as the traitor dutifully produces binders and restrains her.
Dameron continues with his by-the-book officiating. "You are hereby relieved of your duties as Jedi Liaison to the Senate."
"Why?" she demands.
"You are being charged with treason," the traitor grumbles.
"Treason? What treason?" Rey wears a very good poker face.
Dameron isn't fooled. "I should have known when you kept failing to kill Ren that something wasn't right . . . " He steps forward to wave his blaster under her nose as he condemns her with gruff efficiency. "Jedi Master Rey of Jakku, also known as Reina Palpatine, and maybe Lady Kylo Ren, you are part of the First Order and a traitor!" Dameron scowls at her and then hotly orders to FN-2187, "Take her away!"
Eavesdropping Kylo immediately understands: he's been betrayed.
Is this the work of Darth Sidious' loyal minions making trouble?
Or could this be the act of disgruntled First Order hardliners who want payback for peace?
He doesn't know and it doesn't matter. Because either way, Rey is in trouble. His elation at the ceasefire deal now suddenly deflates. In its place, Kylo feels the deep dread of fear. Today might be a great victory for the First Order and the cause of balance, but it has just become an enormous personal defeat.
Rey, sit tight. Say nothing. I'm coming.
Her alarmed eyes meet his across the bond. She's vehement in his mind. You can't come! Don't you dare come or send anyone else! Ben, you'll break the ceasefire and the war will be back on!
He gulps. She's right.
The bond closes as Rey repeatedly urges him to stand down. Don't come! Don't come! You will risk undoing all we have accomplished! Don't fall for it—it's what Lord Sidious wants! I will handle this!
Again, she's right. This move has all the hallmarks of Darth Sidious, who knows of their dyad and once falsely claimed Rey as his daughter. Somewhere out there, his old Master plots to make his upstart Apprentice choose between his own happiness and his cause. Knowing, of course, how tempting it is. For this is what the Sith do—they manipulate you with those you love.
Incensed, afraid, and upset, Kylo automatically reaches for his sword and begins venting his frustrations on the nearest instrument panel. He's slashing through machinery in an impotent Dark temper tantrum when he stops himself. This isn't the solution, and he knows it.
As wary crew members on the bridge back away, Kylo stalks off to the adjacent conference room where his inner circle are still gathered. All but the five men he sent to Coruscant are assembled here. How very convenient. His sword still lit, Kylo stalks in and locks the door.
All eyes turn to him. He—and his blazing blue sword—have everyone's attention.
It's time to uncover Darth Sidious' agents in his midst. He can ignore their risk no longer. And so, raising his left hand and summoning his power, he rips into the mind of the nearest officer. With a quick, ruthless determination, he begins an interrogation. The man is loyal. Kylo releases his grip on his mind. The man slumps face first on the table gasping in pain as Kylo coolly moves on to the next subject.
He's ready to execute each and every Sith Eternal loyalist he discovers. Today he will clean house of his old Master's influence. Adherents to the old Emperor and his old religion will die by the sword of the Chosen One. It's the saber that ended the Clone Wars and massacred Jedi. In his hand today, it will finish with his grandfather started. He will dispatch the minions of Darth Sidious, who conspire for more civil war and Sith supremacy, back to the Force from which they came. And so, he hopes, will perish all the opponents of balance.
This moment is long overdue. And, frankly, part of him enjoys it. For though he has been trending Light of late through the peace process, he now veers hard into vengeful Darkness. For he's a Skywalker, trained as a Jedi and as a Sith, and that makes him overpowered, ambitious, and conflicted. Basically, he's capable of anything. Right now, he will protect what is his—be it Rey or his New Empire. And just like his grandfather depicted on that painting in Astral's apartment, he refuses to go down without a fight. The rematch with Darth Sidious that he and Rey have long known is coming just began.