Kylo is going into the Maw with Plagueis to rescue Rey, and he's not taking 'no' for an answer. But still, he is low key as he reveals news that he knows will upset the Muun: "I think Lady Abeloth is calling to me too."
"WHAT?" The old Master looks ready to shoot Force lightning. "You think Lady Abeloth calls to you?! Apprentice!" alarmed Plagueis fumes, "why didn't you tell me?"
"So you could react like this?" miffed Kylo retorts. "You took your time telling me about her in the first place," he reminds Plagueis, "acting like a child of the Force was some kind of immaculate conception of your advanced Dark sorcery techniques. When really you were casting spells with some DTF ancient hottie who knows how to hold a grudge."
"What does DTF mean?" clueless Astral is curious.
"Er . . . never mind . . . " he mumbles, cringing a bit. "The point is," he glares accusingly at Plagueis, "Lady Abeloth is a rather large omission from the family tree!"
The former Sith doesn't bother to deny his deception and that eggs Kylo on. He has a lot of unspent anger to vent from that confrontation on Coruscant with the traitor. It finds its target on Plagueis. "You didn't tell me about the Star Forge either—and you knew! You knew all along that your Force lady friend has the Forge and that she is allied with Darth Sidious!"
To his credit, the Muun doesn't bother issuing hollow denials. He flatly admits, "Yes, I knew Sheev didn't get that Final Order fleet on his own. She made it for him. And if she made that fleet, she could make another. So long as Sheev survives in one form or another, the galaxy will never be safe and balance will never occur. Because she," Plagueis spits out the pronoun, "will be lurking to champion his cause."
Kylo feels very deliberately managed and misled. Maybe that shouldn't be a surprise given the accomplished manipulator Plagueis is, but still . . . The longer he has thought about Plagueis' personal role in his family's struggles and the galaxy's predicament, the more unsettling it is. The Muun is very sincerely contrite but that doesn't make it any less bitter of a pill to swallow. It has fully primed Kylo for an ugly denunciation of his so-called Master. But instead, he outright whines, "Why didn't you tell me?" Because in truth he's more hurt than anything. He trusts Plagueis even though he knows he shouldn't.
"Tell you? Why? So you too could run headlong into the Maw seeking the Forge? It would have been just what you needed to reestablish the First Order after Exogol."
"That's true," Kylo concedes.
"And you would have told Rey and she would have run home to mother and right into Sheev's clutches . . . where she ended up anyway."
"That's true, too," Kylo reluctantly agrees.
"My boy, I have wanted to keep you both far, far away from Lady Abeloth for as long as I could. It was to protect you."
Plagueis' words resonate as true in the Force, but Kylo explodes at this all too familiar sentiment. It hits a raw nerve. "That's what my parents and Luke said about Darth Vader! That I was too young to understand so they were protecting me by keeping the secret! But really, they were protecting themselves! Keeping their hero public images unsullied!"
Plagueis takes the verbal hit. "I see the parallel. But unlike your family, I have never pretended to be blameless in any of this. I knew that you were always going to learn the truth eventually. And I knew you would be angry, as you are now. It couldn't be helped. So," he harrumphs, "now you know. Tell me what she is offering you."
"Rey. She tells me to come for Rey."
"Hmmm . . . " Plagueis considers, "it is the same pitch for me. She knows I don't want the Forge. Strange that she has not offered it to you . . . "
"I'll take it and use it against Sidious," Kylo growls.
"No!" the Muun immediately objects. "Do not take it! The offer is a test!"
"Test for what?"
"To see how far you will go for power. She's a temptress. She baits you. She gets you dreaming of all the things she can give you."
"So what's the solution? Do we kill her and kill Sidious?"
Plagueis shakes his head and laments, "You can't kill her. No one can kill her."
"What the Hell is she exactly?" Kylo demands.
"She's a goddess. She's not mortal. She cannot die. The best way of thinking about her is as a manifestation of the Force. Her kind the Ones were ancient guardians of the origin of the Force. She is all who remain . . . I guess because she is imprisoned in the Maw."
That's all fine, but it doesn't answer his question. "If we can't kill her, then how do we deal with her?"
"You leave her to me." The Muun is stern.
Kylo grouses, "I knew you were going to say that." He's sensing that he is being managed once again. It is extremely irksome. And does Plagueis really think he can handle Darth Sidious and Lady Abeloth all by himself?
"Ignore her. Leave her to me. Your concern is Rey." Plagueis is emphatic.
He's afraid, Kylo suddenly realizes. It's sobering insight. It makes Kylo even more curious about who they're dealing with. "What is she like? And just how badly did you two part ways?"
Plagueis sidesteps the questions. "When I went to her the second time, I thought that she and I had an understanding . . . that we shared a common goal of balance . . . she is a One, after all . . . But then she showed up in human form as wife to Sheev's clone son. Backing Sheev is clearly payback for my letting her down with Anakin. Giving my old Apprentice a fleet does nothing to further balance."
Yes, that's obvious. "Is that all? Or is there more to Lady Abeloth that I need to know?"
The Muun hesitates a moment before he begins, "When first we touched in the Force . . ."
"Yes?" impatient Kylo prods.
"She claimed to see the future. She claimed that I will help set her free . . . that when the time comes, I will stand with her . . . "
That sounds familiar—maybe too familiar. But Kylo shrugs it off. "Whatever. Everyone lies about foresight. 'I have foreseen it' is classic manipulation," he points out.
"I believed her," the Muun says quietly.
Yikes. "Great, just great," frustrated Kylo complains. "So what does it mean to set her free?"
Plagueis is blunt: "I have no idea, and that's why I refused to do it."
Kylo digests this answer. Then, he fixes hard eyes on Plagueis. "So, who's the greater threat—your old girlfriend or your old Apprentice?"
Again, the Muun is forthright. "She is. Sheev is nothing compared to her."
Kylo swears under his breath, glances to his listening grandmother, and belatedly remembers his manners. "Sorry, my lady . . ." But his attention is quickly back on Plagueis. Kylo now realizes aloud, "You know the Republic thinks you're the reclusive, deceptive Sith Lord puppeteer pulling the strings behind the curtain. You trained Palpatine, you made the plan to collapse the Republic, you created the Skywalkers, you lurked decades in exile . . . That's all true but it's not the whole truth. Because right now, at least, the big bad guy behind the current crisis turns out to be a woman . . . this goddess Lady Abeloth no one has ever heard of . . . "
Plagueis gives a sheepish, rueful shrug. "There's always a bigger fish."
"You're a pretty big fish," Kylo observes pointedly. Whoever this goddess woman is, she must be formidable to scare old Darth Plagueis the Wise.
Astral, who has been listening in silence, finally speaks up. With a wry smile twisting her lips, she announces, "You know, I have always suspected that the force behind the Force is a woman."
"Because it's fickle?" Plagueis posits.
"No," Astral shoots the Muun a look, "because it's patient. The Force has to be a woman. Only a woman would stick around for thousands of generations watching us make a mess of things. Lady Abeloth must love us like a mother loves her wayward child to tolerate our foibles."
"She's not patient, she's pissed," Kylo grumbles, pointing a finger at Plagueis. "Pissed at him."
"Aren't we all?" Astral answers back baldly. "But what's done is done. Lord Ren, he accepts responsibility and he has been striving for decades to atone. All these years after he failed with Lord Vader and Luke Skywalker, he's still trying to make things right. Don't condemn him for mistakes the way the Republic condemns you," she cheerleads for the Muun. "You owe your life to him, after all . . ."
"Fine," Kylo's response is snippy. Glaring at Plagueis he proclaims, "I'm still angry. And I am going with you no matter what you say." He now stalks off in a dignified huff to the transport cockpit to kick out the pilot. Maybe some flying will relax him, Kylo hopes.
When they land back at the Resurgence, still pouting Kylo heads immediately for his quarters for some rest. But two hours later, when sleep has proven elusive, he tries meditating. He dives deep into the Force, seeking a temporary haven of personal peace from the conflicts that surround and envelope him. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but that scene on Coruscant with General Finn really got to him. Plus, bickering with Plagueis on the ride home has gotten him down.
Discord seems to be his lot in life. He is a polarizing figure and always has been since his childhood days. Back then, his family fought about who he should be and why. Years later, people are still trying to limit who he can be and to second guess his motives. He knows it's largely his own fault for falling prey to Darth Sidious' facade of Snoke and for trying so hard to be the bad guy he was never cut out to be. Now he's stuck in the role of villain when he wants to be the hero. Plagueis understands. Astral understands. Rey understands. But no one else does.
He hates it when he gets in these moods. So, Kylo immerses himself in the Force, letting it balm over his fears and frustration. And that's when he hears the female voice in his mind like before.
Come to me in the Maw. I have her. I will give her to you.
It's Lady Abeloth. She's tempting him.
Free me and I will give everything to you.
Kylo speaks aloud his refusal. "I don't want everything! I only want Rey." It comes out rude and peevish, but that's how he feels.
Lady Abeloth won't take no for an answer. Unlimited power can be yours for the taking, Darth Ren.
He's not Darth Ren. He never was. "I don't want power." He has power. What he needs is love. "I want Rey." Please, Force, give him Rey. He hates to think of her as Darth Sidious' latest pawn . . . like he himself once was.
Come take your revenge on Darth Sidious and claim his place as my favorite. Seize his power and take back your wife.
Kylo knows he's supposed to say no to everything Lady Abeloth offers. Plagueis was insistent that her siren lure is a test. But he can't bring himself to turn down the opportunity to save Rey. "I'm coming to the Maw for Rey," he commits. If he kills Sidious in the process, that's the optimal outcome. But this is primarily a rescue mission, and not an attempt to murder his old Master in the old style Sith 'kill and replace' formula like Lady Abeloth envisions.
Come to me in the Maw. I await you.
The voice trails off. The mental visitation is over.
In its wake, Kylo is more frustrated and worried than ever. Yanking on his discarded boots and grabbing for his sword, he lumbers out of his quarters and heads to go destroy something. Still bare chested from his attempt at sleep, he's only half dressed. But whatever. He doesn't care. It's third shift and the ship is mostly empty during the overnight hours.
He stalks to the hangar bay and settles on the nearest parked TIE fighter as his prey. Lighting his sword, he starts swinging mercilessly at the parked starship. Ignoring the looks of the crew on duty, Kylo hacks away to vent his Darkness.
Destruction feels good. Violence takes the edge off his nerves. So much tension and fear has built up of late. He's utterly stressed out, and that makes this release necessary. Plus after his ill-fated attempt to ally with the Republic, it's probably overdue. Kylo has the weight of the galaxy resting on his shoulders and it's crippling his psyche.
He's so busy swinging that he doesn't notice the ship landing nearby. Patrols come and go at all hours from the Resurgence hangar bay. Entering and exiting spacecraft are normal. Except that when Kylo glances up in the direction of the whine of ion engines, he sees something that shouldn't be there.
It's an X-wing.
An X-wing painted a very tacky orange and grey color scheme.
The sight immediately ceases his fit of temper. Sword still lit, curious Kylo marches towards the craft. "Deck officer? Deck officer!" he bellows, summoning someone for a report. A man scurries up fast to salute. No doubt he and everyone else on duty tonight has been surreptitiously monitoring their Supreme Leader's antics but pretending otherwise. Kylo has been in charge long enough to know how much people fear him. He intimidates, and that means people pay attention. It's annoying, but it has its benefits.
"Who authorized that landing?" He jabs his buzzing sword in the direction of the Republic ship.
"No one here, Sir. Must have been the bridge."
The X-wing cockpit canopy pops open and the pilot stands to remove his helmet. It's none other than Poe Dameron.
Kylo eyes his guest. The Chancellor's arrival is actually a very good sign. Except some small part of him was irrationally hoping that his uninvited nocturnal visitor was Rey who had somehow escaped.
Extinguishing his sword, Kylo marches to greet his guest with crossed arms and biting words. "Are you here to defect?"
Dameron is busy climbing down the ladder from his ship. When he reaches the bottom, he turns, squints, and reacts to Kylo's unorthodox appearance. "What the Hell?" The Chancellor is clearly not expecting to find the Supreme Leader bare chested and sweating from his impromptu cardio raging. But maybe, Kylo hopes, Dameron is a little intimidated by his physique. He's pretty swole, and he knows it. Should he flex just to make the point? Nah. That would be trying too hard. Instead, Kylo decides just to stand there looking hypermasculine.
Dameron blinks again, shakes his head, and then mutters, "Forget I asked. I don't want to know."
"Why are you here?"
"To make a plan. We need a plan."' Dameron now overcomes his girlish dismay at nudity fast. He looks Kylo in the eye and says with determination. "Ren, we're doing this."
"We? 'We' as in the First Order and the Republic? Or 'we' as in the First Order and you?"
"I hope it's the former. But if not, then it will be the latter."
"So your buddies aren't on board with this effort? Did you go rogue, Chancellor?" Kylo probes.
To his credit, Dameron doesn't bullshit around. He levels with him. "Finn's not convinced but others could be. Look, I might be a little out front of my side, but this is the right thing to do. So . . . I'm here. We need a plan."
This isn't the alliance Kylo is hoping for, but it's something. Shooting Dameron a pointed look, he reminds his guest, "Rey once thought like you do now. You accused her of treason. You arrested her." Did that sound sufficiently scathing? Because he's still furious about how Rey's friends turned on her and set her up to get maneuvered right into the hands of Darth Sidious.
"Yeah . . . yeah . . . about that . . . "
Kylo raises an eyebrow and awaits an explanation.
The Chancellor sighs. He grumbles, "I guess I've learned that that truth can be a hard thing to hear. Sometimes the truth is hard to accept . . . and sometimes the truth comes from a source you don't expect . . . But it's still true . . . " Shifting his stance, Dameron grumbles, "Ren, you and Rey were right all along about Darth Sidious. I just didn't want to hear it."
That's a pretty big, if begrudging, admission. Kylo nods slowly. "Okay then, let's make a plan."
Dameron exhales with clear relief. He looks around the hangar bay. Everyone is watching them. "Where's the old guy? Asleep?"
"Muun's don't sleep much. He's probably on the bridge." Come to think of it, Plagueis is probably the one who let the Chancellor land, Kylo guesses.
"Right then. Lead the way."
Kylo starts walking and Dameron falls into step with him. The Chancellor gives him some side eye in the process. "Are you going like that? Haven't you got a towel or something you could put on? First you lose the helmet and then you lose your shirt?"
Kylo smothers a smile and proclaims, "This is my ship and my Empire. I can wear whatever I want."
"Just don't get any more comfortable," Dameron mutters.
This is fun. Kylo smirks at how rattled the Chancellor is. "Now you know why Rey married me," he brags.
"I thought that was for your Force."
"Is that what she called it?"
Dameron groans. "Stop. Don't go there. I don't want to know anything about you and Rey."
"Rey married me for my—"
"I said stop! Ren, you are one strange dude. First, no one can see you under your getup. Now, I see too much of you. Waaaay too much of you."
Still smirking, Kylo deposits Dameron on the bridge where Plagueis can babysit him. Then he detours to his quarters for a quick shower and change. He returns his usual Supreme Leader self and Dameron seems happy about it.
Time to put their heads together to make a plan. After much debate, they settle on a barebones attack strategy: he and Plagueis will enter the Maw and answer Lady Abeloth's call. There they hope to rescue Rey, kill Darth Sidious, and elude the treacherous goddess. They will go it alone since the Republic forces will remain behind, as will the First Order fleet. Each side's military will continue to operate independently under its own command structure. The respective leaders will have to work things out if and when Darth Sidious' Final Order attacks. You are the last line of defense for the galaxy, Kylo tells Dameron and his best aide Colonel—now Admiral—Crassus. If he and Plagueis fail in the Maw, then the galaxy will need to unite against Darth Sidious.
It's not a great plan, but it's the only feasible plan. He and Plagueis are the remaining trained Force users left to confront the Sith and the goddess. And with General Finn still balking at any joint military effort between the Republic and the First Order, a combined fleet is out of the question. All Kylo has is a tepid agreement in principle with Dameron and a few of his Senator cronies for a last ditch, final stand joint defense against Darth Sidious. But it's something, at least.
Plagueis catches him yawning and sends him off to sleep. It's been an all-nighter and Kylo is exhausted. But finally, he can rest knowing he's made some progress.
When he wakes, he finds the Chancellor is still here. No one can seem to explain why. The guy turns out to be a total pain in the ass as a houseguest. For starters, Dameron refuses to stay in the conference room Kylo's aides dump him in. Instead, he marches onto the bridge.
Kylo is conferring with an aide when he senses the Chancellor's approach. Behind the interloper trail two flustered stormtroopers who seem confused whether they should be escorting Dameron or arresting him. The ineffectual lead trooper sputters, "Supreme Leader, Sir—"
Dameron interrupts. "Ren, I'm not cooling my heels in some meeting room. I'm here for the action." To underscore the point, stands his ground and lifts his chin in his best heroic pose.
Kylo eyes his guest coolly. "I'm busy." He turns back to his chief navigator to discuss the quickest, safest jump to Kessel from their current location.
Dameron isn't deterred. He starts pacing the bridge catwalk like he owns the place. It's obnoxious and annoying. Kylo's eyes follow him as the chief navigator dutifully briefs him on the three best routes.
Kylo is only half listening. His mind is on Dameron, as apparently are most minds in the room. His crew are all glowering at the Republic Chancellor who is not where he belongs.
"Having fun?" Kylo baits the enemy leader. "Making yourself at home?"
"Yep. I always wondered what a star destroyer bridge looks like."
"Oh, that's right," Kylo recalls with nasty glee. "You've only seen a detention cell."
Dameron's head whips around. "I got off that ship."
"Not before I read your mind and picked it clean," Kylo reminds him. He turns back to the chief navigator and chooses the second of the three routes. The man salutes and heads off to calculate the long series of jump coordinates.
Bored Dameron must be in a mood to talk because as Kylo moves on to his next task, the Chancellor slides up to the Resurgence captain and begins, "So you're the skipper . . . " sounding almost surprised.
Overhearing Kylo frowns and looks up. "Yes, she's the captain." There are plenty of women in the First Order at all levels. All that Republic propaganda about the Rimmers being sexists and bigots is all lies. There are far more aliens in the Rim than in the Core, for starters.
Dameron flashes the charismatic grin that has won him lots of one-night stands. "Not what I expected," he admits to the captain, "but I'm very glad to make your acquaintance."
Kylo frowns again. Damn this notorious ladies' man for his inveterate sex appeal. Is he really pulling that crap here? Now?
The Resurgence captain is a fortyish veteran officer who is ideologically impervious to Dameron's charm. But still, seeing the guy practically hitting on his first officer irritates Kylo further. "Slow your roll, lover boy. You're distracting her. She has a job to do."
"I'm not distracting her. You're distracting her."
Kylo's eyes narrow. "You got issues with female authority?" he challenges.
Dameron snaps back. "I answered to your mother."
"Leave my mother out of this!" Despite his better judgement, Kylo takes the provocation and starts stalking towards his enemy counterpart.
And that's when Plagueis, who is loitering at the far end of the bridge pretending to meditate, speaks up. "Boys, settle down," he booms like he's the headmaster and they're both stepping out of line on the playground.
Kylo scowls. "He started it."
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
Plagueis chuckles.
"What are you laughing at?" bristling Dameron demands.
"I'm trying to decide which one of you is the little brother."
Kylo doesn't miss a beat. "He is," he declares, pointing to Dameron.
Even as the Chancellor points back and insists, "He is!" simultaneously.
The exchange makes the Muun laugh harder. He's the only one laughing. The entire bridge crew is glaring blaster bolts at Dameron. His people have his back at least, Kylo sees with some relief.
"We are at peace now, are we not?" Plagueis plays the diplomat. "Try to act like it."
Kylo harrumphs. "He makes me miss Hux." It's the ultimate putdown, whether Dameron knows it or not. Kylo decides he will decamp to the conference room Dameron just vacated in order to focus better. He has lots to do before he can leave on a suicide mission to the Maw. So, turning to the pair of bumbling stormtroopers who still loiter, he instructs, "Shoot the Chancellor if he touches anything. Especially any of our female personnel."
The captain, never a shy woman, now volunteers, "Not to worry, Leader, I will shoot him myself."
"Then I leave things in your capable hands," Kylo grumbles as he makes a strategic retreat from his own command center.
It is a grim task to dictate orders in the event of your own demise. But Kylo wants to make clear the chain of command for the transition to a new Supreme Leader in the event of his death. For if nothing else, Kylo Ren stands for order. He will not allow infighting to collapse his New Empire from within. And, he is determined not to give the Republic any opening to reclaim the Rim once he's gone. His legacy will be independence and stability, Kylo decides. He doesn't want all the blood he and the First Order have shed to be in vain. Allowing the cycle of civil war to resume benefits no one. So, he does his best to set plans in motion, knowing he has no assurance of what the future will bring.
It takes two full days until he finishes. That's when Kylo finds himself on the bridge ready to leave for the Maw. Plagueis has been worn down—he dropped his objections to Kylo accompanying him after he threw the word 'destiny' around a lot. Nothing impresses the Muun like talk of destiny and the Force—the man is weak for romantic ideals and foolish crusades like a Skywalker should be. So now that the official preparations are finished, it is time for goodbye. That means Kylo is staring down into his aged grandmother's troubled face.
Astral tells him, "You've never been more your grandfather than in this moment. Now, bend down and let me kiss you."
Kylo complies. It's when he spies tears in his stalwart grandmother's eyes. "Don't cry," he whispers softly. The plea is motivated more by concern for himself than for her. For this old lady's unflappable belief in the Skywalkers' cause of balance gives him courage. He doesn't like to think that she fears for him and doubts their chances against Darth Sidious. Because if Grandma Vader loses faith, then he might as well.
Lady Vader smiles even as her eyes continue to brim. "Bring Rey home," she orders softly. "Bring our girl home."
He nods. "That's the plan."
Plagueis lumbers over now and elbows him aside. "Milady, where's my kiss?"
Astral dutifully salutes the Muun's ruined cheek with no squeamishness at all. But then again, this woman married hideously burned Darth Vader. She clearly sees far beneath the superficial. In a galaxy full of people who make simplistic, snap judgements, she stands out.
"May the Force be with you," Astral bids them both. She is a layman among a clan of demigods, but she speaks with deep reverence. That in itself is inspiring for Kylo. The galaxy needs more people like Astral Sidhu who believe in the Force even if they can't influence it.
The goodbyes having been said, his grandmother retires from the bridge. Kylo and Plagueis now head for the hangar bay. The Falcon is waiting there for them.
So is the triple threat Republic General/Senator/Chancellor Poseidon Dameron. Kylo scowls. "Why is he still here?" This guy just won't leave.
"Are you ready?" Clearly, Dameron has been waiting for them. No doubt the guy has some motivational pep talk to send them off.
Frankly, Kylo's not in the mood. It makes his answer clipped and businesslike. "We're fueled up and the provisions are onboard. The ship's ready when we are."
"Great," Dameron approves. "Which one?"
What does he mean 'which one?' Kylo nods in the direction of the Falcon.
Dameron follows his eyes and groans. "Awww, that will never work. That ship's garbage. I can say that now that Rey's not around. She loves that piece of sh—"
Kylo cuts him off. "It used to make point five past lightspeed."
"Yeah, and that was fast thirty years ago."
It's a fair point but Kylo refuses to acknowledge it.
Dameron looks to him curiously now. Rey's friend doesn't understand the significance of the Falcon in this fight . . . or to him personally, for that matter. But Kylo will be damned before he explains this very touchy subject.
Dameron won't let up. "Haven't you guys got anything around here better than that thing?" It's a diss to both the Falcon and the First Order. Kylo grits his teeth.
"Its navicomputer is full of data on Kessel from smuggling runs. It might be useful," he answers in full 'I'm in charge' Supreme Leader tone. To emphasize that the topic is closed, he sweeps past the Republic Chancellor and heads with long strides up the Falcon's ramp.
"Good thinking," the Muun approves from behind as he follows.
But Dameron marches onboard to continue the argument. "Finn says the turret canon sticks."
"It always did that."
"Yeah, well it would be nice to take on Darth Sidious in a fast ship with guns that work," Dameron complains some more, dogging on his heels as Kylo heads for the cockpit.
"She's fast enough, flyboy." Did he say that with sufficient derision? Kylo intends plenty of derision. "Rey made a lot of special modifications."
"Not enough," Dameron judges as his eyes sweep around at the admittedly shabby freighter.
The guy is in full on hater mode. It's really pissing him off. So, Kylo stops, turns, and shoots Dameron a quelling look. "Why do you care? You're not flying it."
And that's when the Chancellor reveals the true reason for his persistence. "Yes, I am. I'm going with you."
No fucking way. "Negative." To underscore that decision is also final, Kylo immediately resumes his march to the cockpit.
Again, the Chancellor runs after him. "I'm going with you." Dameron looks behind to the lumbering Muun who must duck his head beneath the doorways of the Falcon's compartments, like Chewie used to do. "You—you tell him—he listens to you," Dameron appeals. "I'm coming!"
Plagueis is silent. He wasn't called Darth Plagueis the Wise for nothing. The Muun has a completely blank expression as he declines to engage.
"I'm coming!" Dameron insists again, sounding more childish than heroic. "I'm coming!"
By now, their trio is standing in the rundown cockpit of the battered freighter that has peeling paint and leaking engine oil. Kylo has to admit that the Falcon looks terrible, but that's not the point. It's sufficiently flyable and very stealth. He's even taken it to the Republic capital to see Rey. No one would ever expect the Supreme Leader to be flying this bucket of bolts. It slips by unnoticed, and that's useful.
But really, the Falcon's appeal for this mission is deeper and more personal. This is the ship that the Skywalker twins and his father used time after time to elude Darth Sidious and his Empire. It helped to blow up two Death Stars and it saved his uncle at Bespin. Ben Kenobi once hid in the smuggling compartments supposedly. With all the history this ship has been part of, it's hard not to conclude that the Force is with the Millennium Falcon.
Somewhat belatedly, Kylo has come to appreciate how daring the escapades of his family and their allies were during the Rebellion years. They were right to oppose Darth Sidious even if they were wrong to oppose Darth Vader. There was no need to topple the Empire and reinstate the Old Republic either. But that's a different issue. The fact remains that—weirdly—Kylo feels in solidarity with his dead family of late. Listening to Astral's version of Darth Vader and to Plagueis' perspective on their clan's struggles has given Kylo new appreciation for the past. He's now placing the blame for most of it squarely on Darth Sidious.
Plagueis himself has earned some animus along with the Jedi Order, but the Muun is so contrite—shockingly so—that Kylo finds it hard to condemn him. When asked, the Muun dances around the topic of whether he is 'redeemed' in the cringe inducing language of the good guy Jedi-loving Republic. Plagueis refers to himself as 'evolved.' That's a distinction that Kylo can personally appreciate. He also thinks it's a step towards balance to avoid simplistic black-and-white, good-versus-evil moralizing. That's too limiting for the complexity of the galaxy's problems.
So as Dameron again announces that he intends to tag along as the last of the Skywalkers take the fight to Darth Sidious, Kylo demands, "Why?"
"What do you mean 'why?'" the Chancellor snaps. "You have spent a lot of time telling me how dangerous Sheev Palpatine is. Well, you convinced me. I'm in."
"That convincing was to get the Republic in. Not you personally," Kylo points out.
"We're a package deal," Dameron answers back. "Like it or not, you two just got yourself a pilot."
Like Hell. "I'm the pilot," Kylo growls.
"I'm the pilot and I refuse to fly this ship!"
Exasperated Kylo now appeals to Plagueis. "Can I kill him? I really want to kill him." He's serious.
The Muun shrugs. "Let Darth Sidious kill him."
Bad answer. Kylo snarls, "He's not coming along!"
"I don't see why not," the Muun reasons. "You're coming, aren't you?"
"He's got responsibilities. He's the Chancellor of the Republic! Someone has to be left to pick up the pieces if we lose." The First Order hating General Finn is not an acceptable fallback. He'll be invading the Rim for certain.
"You're the Supreme Leader and you're going," Plagueis calmly points out.
"That's different."
"Is it? As a dictator, you are presumably more personally important to your government than the elected and term limited Chancellor here. And," the Muun drawls with undisguised amusement, "you did just propose killing him yourself. So even you agree he's expendable."
Drat that logic. Kylo sniffs, "I at least have the Force. Flyboy here has nothing but ordinary skills."
As Dameron bristles at this summation, the Muun muses aloud, "There is appealing symmetry to having a representative from both sides of the last war opposing Sheev."
"Right!" Dameron inserts himself. "Look, Ren, if you think I'm going to let you save the galaxy without me and take all the credit, you're dead wrong."
Kylo snaps back, "We're all going to be dead soon. All except him." He jabs a gloved thumb in the direction of Plagueis.
Stubborn Dameron yet again announces, "I'm coming."
Fine. Whatever. "If you're coming, you're coming in the Falcon," Kylo decrees. "You want to save the galaxy? Then this is the ship for you. It took out two Death Stars."
"I got the Starkiller Base," Dameron brags in response.
In Kylo's mind, it was hardly an impressive feat. "Any fool with a targeting computer and a proton torpedo could have made that shot once the oscillator went down."
"Maybe so. But I was the fool that took the shot," the Chancellor retorts. "What is it with you fascists and poorly engineered super weapons with fatal design flaws? Don't you ever learn?"
"The problem isn't the engineering of the weapons, it's the hubris of Sheev Palpatine," the Muun answers. "Overconfidence is his weakness. He never suspects that his Death Stars will face serious opposition."
Dameron isn't buying that explanation. "You know, that might have made sense the first time. But the second time? And a third time? Come on."
"Sheev never learns. He has a blind spot for his own failings," Plagueis answers.
It prompts Kylo to sigh. "Don't we all . . ."
"So, it's settled then. I'm coming in this ship and I'm flying." Dameron even has the gall to plop down in the pilot's seat to claim his turf.
"I'm flying," Kylo immediately objects.
"Oh, no. You'll be manning that turret gun you know so well," Dameron neatly assigns him a location as far away from the cockpit as possible. He's checking over the Falcon's controls as he speaks, locating the main systems in this old style, highly customized commercial freighter that is very different from a military starfighter.
"Can you even fly this ship?" stung Kylo jeers.
"I can fly anything," the Chancellor announces with his trademark breezy confidence.
It prompts Kylo to hiss back, "I can't wait for Palpatine to kill you."
Dameron ignores him and notes, "The escape pod's been jettisoned."
"It won't be of any use to us where we're going," the Muun replies.
Dameron looks over his shoulder at Plagueis and nods soberly. "You're probably right."
"Well, get on with it," Plagueis prods. "If you're coming, let's get going." The Muun then withdraws, presumably to find a more comfortable seat in the lounge for his giant frame.
In his wake, Kylo eyes Chewie's old co-pilot seat a moment before he takes it. He's not conceding any ground, mind you. But someone has to be close by for when Dameron attempts to exit the Resurgence airlock in an unfamiliar ship and they die before they even leave the premises martyred by his incompetence.
Reaching over to flip switches he used to play with as a kid, Kylo starts warming the engines. The Falcon flies better warmed up. She never starts well cold. Does Dameron know that? Probably not.
Glancing over at the man at his side, Kylo is suddenly moved to offer him a way out. Feeling very noble, he begins, "You don't have to do this. You shouldn't do this. This is a suicide mission most likely."
Dameron nods. "I know."
"Then why are you doing this?"
"Haven't you heard? I like to be the hero."
"You'll be a dead hero."
"It will be good for my poll numbers."
"For your posthumous re-election?"
Dameron drops the faux nonchalance. He sighs, sits back, and looks away. He mutters, "She'd do it."
The 'she' reference needs no explanation. It's Leia Organa. Poe Dameron was her pet favorite to mentor and in return Dameron was her replacement adoring son. It's a relationship the politically savvy Chancellor never misses a chance to brag about publicly. But it was also a very real bond Kylo has come to realize. This guy knew his mother well.
"She'd do it," Dameron repeats.
"Yeah, she would," Kylo affirms softly. "This is exactly the kind of thing she'd do. She wouldn't listen to anyone telling her otherwise."
Dameron is solemn. "She was very brave."
"Reckless, you mean. My uncle was the level headed one. She could be impulsive even if she was always principled," Kylo judges with the benefit of adult hindsight. So much of what confused him as a kid makes sense now in retrospect when he can consider his family as people in their own right, not just disappointing authority figures. He adds, "Luke was never reckless . . ." Never reckless except for that one night at the temple when he ruined everyone's lives.
"I never got to meet Skywalker."
Kylo grunts. "Consider yourself lucky. He would have disappointed you. He disappointed everyone."
"Not me," Dameron mutters. Kylo knows he's referring to Crait. The Chancellor turns to face him now. After a long measuring look, he decides, "You're a really bitter guy."
Yep. "Are you about to lecture me on hope? Because I heard all her lines long before you ever did," Kylo jeers. Can Dameron see how jealous he is? He hopes not.
"Ever hear the one about hope being like the sun?"
Ugh. Yes, he's heard that one. It's the most saccharine of them all. "She had pithy, trite sanctimony down."
"Whereas your strength is nasty sarcasm," Dameron accuses. "You know, no one gets inspired by sarcasm. It mostly pushes people away."
Kylo shoot him a withering look. "I'm not looking to inspire you. I'm looking to keep you from coming."
"Too late, asshole," Dameron goes low.
"Fuck you," Kylo responds in kind. "See if I care if you die. And save me your tips on oratory and leadership," he adds as an afterthought. "Leia Organa's approach doesn't go over well where I'm from."
Kylo now busies himself initiating the ship's liftoff procedures. The Falcon gives a soft shudder as the repulsor lifts kick in and she breaks gravity in the hangar bay. Dameron's eyes widen with alarm, but he says nothing. It's a wise choice.
"Don't we need a code clearance or an exit protocol?" the best pilot in the Resistance worries aloud at the absence of official procedure for their unceremonious exit.
"No."
Taking the controls, Kylo heads directly for the airlock as the other ships waiting for ingress and egress immediately cede ground. They're mostly TIEs coming and going on routine patrol. But they, like everyone else on the Resurgence, rank beneath the Supreme Leader. They wait for him, not vice versa.
"Everyone onboard knows this is my personal ship that only I fly," Kylo informs his stowaway. "I go first. That's how this absolute power thing works, Chancellor."
But the thing is, he's popular now that he's won the Rim independence. So as the conspicuous Falcon makes its way through his flagship's hangar bay, people notice. They stop what they're doing. Some stand at rigid military attention with a fist upheld in the First Order salute. Others simply cheer him like this is a pod race and he's their guy careening fast for the finish line. They whoop and holler with true enthusiasm, waving and calling his name.
Does Dameron notice? He does. Good. Kylo can't resist telling him, "Look-those are all the people inspired by my nasty sarcasm. Like me," he sneers, "the Rimmers are bitter."
"Yeah . . . I see that. The intel reports are correct . . . your people do love you . . . " Dameron sounds befuddled at the realization.
"Rey loves me too," Kylo grumbles before he can stop himself. Embarrassed, he feels himself flush. He hopes Dameron doesn't notice.
The Falcon emerges from the Resurgence. Kylo has the jump to Kessel already reprogrammed. Standing now, he orders, "Punch it," because that's how the Falcon is supposed to engage its hyperdrive. The words come out eerily reminiscent of his father, but Kylo shakes off the memory as he stalks towards the lounge to find Plagueis. He's had enough of Poe Dameron.
The Muun greets him with, "Are we away?"
"Yes."
"Good. Sit down. Let's talk about what happens in the Maw."
Kylo sprawls opposite Plagueis and nods. "Go ahead." A strategy session with the Muun is what he needs to take his mind off the passenger his mother loved better than her own son.
Plagueis begins businesslike in his instructions. "When we split up, I want you to get Rey and escape any way you can. Leave me behind. Your only concern is Rey."
He's fine with that. The Muun can take care of himself. He's immortal, after all. "Okay," Kylo agrees. "You're the diversion." And diversions fail if you run right to them when you're done.
"Sheev is mine. He is my responsibility," Plagueis reminds him yet again for the umpteenth time.
"Got it."
"The goddess is a wildcard. She could be with Sheev, but she's probably mostly for herself. Do not," the Muun warns sternly, "get dragged into a fight with her. You cannot win."
"Understood."
"Whatever she promises you, say no."
"What do you think she will offer?" Kylo wonders.
"It doesn't matter. Say no. The offer is a test, Apprentice. You fail if you accept. So whether she offers you the Star Forge or some other Dark power to use against Sidious, say no. Always say no. It will confuse her."
"Right now, she's offering Rey."
"That's just her lure. It's not a real offer. She will bait and switch."
"Alright."
Plagueis underscores his point. "She is not to be trusted."
"Neither are you," Kylo smirks at the Muun.
He doesn't smile at the humor. "About that . . ." Plagueis sighs and seems to deflate a bit. "About that, my boy . . . "
Fuck. Kylo doesn't like the sound of that. His eyes narrow and he groans aloud. "What the Hell are you about to tell me?" Plagueis doesn't immediately disavow that intention, and Kylo now leaps to his feet. "What the fuck did you keep from me this time?" he rages, looming over the Muun.
Plagueis is not meeting his eyes. He starts choosing his words carefully, which is always a bad sign. "When I am gone, you and Rey will be the last of the Skywalkers . . ."
"Gone? Where are you going?"
"Pass on what you have learned. All of it, Apprentice. Teach the Light and teach the Dark. Teach it all and then teach the wisdom on when to use which side."
"I don't know that myself," he snaps back.
"You will figure it out. You've already shown that you can pull back from the precipice the Jedi feared and the Sith could not resist. Lean in to that instinct for restraint and you will learn balance in time."
"I guess . . ." He's not really known for his restraint.
"You will figure it out. Teach balance, Kylo Ren. Teach what Darth Vader wanted and what Luke Skywalker feared. Teach what Sheev Palpatine and Master Yoda both refused to accept as truth. Teach a future that is tolerant and flexible."
"Yes, yes, that's the plan. Now, what are you trying to tell me?" Kylo is impatient for the bad news his gut tells him is coming.
Plagueis exhales a long sigh before he adds, "Whatever happens in the Maw, do not let it deter you from the goal of reforming the Force."
Kylo gulps. This isn't the upbeat pep talk he desperately needs to hear right now. Turning away, he mutters, "Losing Rey, you mean . . ." That's the unthinkable outcome that he can't stop thinking about.
Plagueis sits back. "That is a possibility. So is losing me."
"Think you might get imprisoned with your old flame?" There might be some poetic justice to the Muun getting sequestered forever with his pissed off, jilted ex, Kylo thinks.
"I suppose that is a risk," the old Master allows. "But the greater risk is that I will die."
"You can't die."
"I can."
Kylo points out, "You're immortal."
"I am not."
"Since when?"
"Since always."
What? "No shit? Like really?" Kylo reacts badly. "Then what the FUCK has all that immortal talk been about? Is it all a lie?"
"Yes."
Yes? Yes? "That's a big lie!" he hisses.
"It started as a bluff. I have never been an adherent of the Rule of Two. I viewed it as too limiting for all that I plotted during my Sith days. But to deter Sheev from making a move to ascend to my role as Master, I led him to believe an attack would be futile."
"You told him he couldn't kill you and he bought it . . ."
The Muun nods. "He was young and impressionable at the time, so the lie stuck. It is why I was very surprised when years later he came for me."
"He must have been desperate," Kylo realizes aloud. He's never stopped to consider how utterly frustrated Darth Sidious must have been to attack Darth Plagueis the Wise, who he viewed as immortal and therefore unbeatable. What a battle that must have been.
Plagueis is rueful about his long-ago defeat. "I don't know which of us was more shocked that he won."
"But you lived."
"Wounded, as you see." The Muun gestures to his mangled face. "Ironically, my survival reinforced the lie. I believe that Sheev believes I truly am immortal."
"This is why you waited on the sidelines during the Empire years . . . you feared being killed . . ." Kylo reasons.
"In part. But mostly, I was waiting for your mother and uncle to grow up. With their help and Lord Vader at my side, I knew we could beat Sheev. But alas . . ."
"That got all fucked up," Kylo finishes the saddest chapter of the Skywalker family story with blunt profanity.
"It has been very useful to make Sheev believe he can't kill me. He left me alone in exile, and in return I kept my distance for the most part. It's how I lived long enough to help you and Rey."
Does Plagueis think that's some sort of excuse? Because while as a former Sith Apprentice, Kylo can fully appreciate the benefits of a strategic lie, he's not happy to learn the truth. "I can't believe it's all been a lie. How old are you?"
"Muuns have a very long lifespan relative to humans. But I am well into my second century now."
"Yeah? Why are you telling me this? I didn't need to know this," Kylo now outright whines. He has been counting on Plagueis to be around to resurrect him and Rey, if necessary. But now that Plan B looks iffy.
"I am telling you this because I wish to heed my own advice. Apprentice, I want to pass on what I have learned."
Kylo shoots the deceitful Muun a peeved look. "You still need to teach me how to project in the Force."
"I will teach you that and more. We have long ride into the Maw. I want to use this time to teach you to resurrect the dead." Plagueis flashes a wry smirk. "It's the trick Sheev has tried for decades to learn without success."
"Is this so I can bring you back?"
"No. If I die, let me die. I am content to meet the Force."
Kylo doesn't like the sound of that. Nor does he like to contemplate losing this old Dark fossil who is a wily schemer and the closest thing Kylo has to a mentor at this point. He pouts and groans. "You can't die."
"I probably deserve it."
Well, yes. But . . . Dammit, he admires this decrepit Muun whose sardonic sangfroid and droll wit are well worth emulating. Kylo's eyes narrow on him with alarm as he worries, "Tell me that you're not planning to pull a Luke Skywalker move in the Maw."
"A what?"
"You know—that noble Jedi sacrifice bullshit."
Plagueis raises an eyebrow. "You mean like what you'd gladly do for Rey at this point?"
"That's different. She's pregnant. I have the future to think about."
"So do I. I've had my chance."
"Fuck you! Fuck your lies! Fuck your paternalism!" Kylo explodes. Because though he would be loath to admit it, he really likes Plagueis. He is very distressed at the thought of losing him. Moreover, he has far too much left to learn from the Muun than can be jammed into a one-way flight to the Kessel system.
Plagueis is nonplussed by the outburst. If anyone understands a hair-trigger Dark temper, it's this guy. "Go ahead and get angry, Apprentice. Then channel all that anger into power. You're going to need it."
"I don't want your fucking knowledge, I want your help! I need you alive, not dead! Especially if somehow we actually win!" Glaring hard at Plagueis, Kylo howls with indignation, "You cannot die! I won't let you! And fuck you for even thinking you get to leave me!"
Dameron now wanders in from the cockpit in time to see him raging. He looks to Plagueis. "What'd I miss?"
"Fuck you too!" Kylo snarls as he brushes past Dameron to exit the room. "Fuck you especially!" he adds for good measure.
"What'd I miss?" the confused Chancellor sputters again in his wake.
Plagueis's rumbling baritone carries, so Kylo hears his response. "Leave him be. He's being who he is. And he's scared, like we all are."