I made it! A day early too! You guys have been so supportive and patient with me so thank you guys so much for that! Because you guys are so awesome I decided instead of posting one chapter I would post two! Chapter 9 will be up ASAP! :)
Damn it, damn it, damn it.
He had been unprepared for this. There was no indications on the asteroids being in proximity. He had not been expecting their large size as well. They weren't even close to his Star Destroyer.
The pilot had misinformed him. Kylo felt his temper rising as he glared down at the pilot through his helmet. He held back the bite of force that ached to shoot out and grasp the air out of the being who had possibly put all of their lives in danger. Kylo took a deep breath allowing his body and nerves to settle into place. He would deal with the miscommunication later. For now his focus would be to get them through this large asteroid field.
Kylo took a good look at the navigation computer and let out another curse. The asteroid field stretched out for miles leaving little to no room for error. He wasn't sure how well his command shuttle could fare against the asteroids in their size. His Star Destroyer would be able to make it though. If he could reach out to his ship they could aid them with their larger cannons and clear a path for them to get through while also bringing the Star Destroyer closer to them.
Leaning forward he pressed the communication switch.
"This is the supreme leader, come in."
He waited, but there was no response. Pressing the button again he spoke louder. "This is the supreme leader Kylo Ren, come in!"
Another minute still with no response.
Kylo let out a snarl and slammed his finger down on the button. "This is Kylo Ren! Communications! Come in! This is Kylo Ren!"
The communications remained silent. Yelling in frustration Kylo banged his fist onto the communications controls. He took several breaths trying to keep himself level, his breathing even. Without the aid of his Star Destroyer they would have to make it through with his command shuttle. They didn't have a choice now.
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.
Kylo turned to the pilot noticing the sweat forming on the back of his neck.
Rightly so.
They probably knew what was in their future. Whether they made it through the asteroids or not, their fate had already been set. Kylo would make sure of that. He would have done a better job at navigating himself. Sometimes he wondered why he couldn't do just that. His duties as the Supreme Leader never failed to remind him where his attention should truly be. Not flying or navigating a ship, but planning, strategizing, and giving orders. How simple were the days when he had just played and tinkered with ships. Many times by his father's side.
The memory gutted something inside of him. He was not ready to face his father on the other side. Though he knew he possibly deserved it he was not ready for death. Kylo clenched his fists together as he whirled on the crew members.
"Initiate the cannon blasters now!" He yelled at the crew.
Every single one of them flinched, at Kylo's harsh tone, but did as they were told.
Kylo gripped his hands onto the dashboard of the controls in front of him, as they made their way towards the asteroids that started gravitating closer towards them.
The command shuttle began to rattle and shake as the large pieces of space rocks flew towards them. Kylo ground his teeth inside of his helmet as the shuttle shuddered beneath his feet once more. He took a brief moment to turn his head to where Falynn was. His wife's eyes were wide, and he noticed that her fingers were digging themselves into the seat causing her knuckles turn white. Her posture was rigid and straight as she stared straight ahead all color from her face completely drained. Henne who was now awake placed a hand on Falynn's knee her mouth moving. His wife had her lips pressed together (he noticed she often did that when she was distressed) shook her head towards her handmaiden.
She hated flying. A fact he easily learned about her on their second day of marriage. Falynn had only seemed to relax on a ship when the vessel was still or in smooth sailing. Kylo had felt how his wife's body tensed against his own earlier when they had taken off from Naboo. It was obvious that she didn't have much experience with flying, no less military navigations. Whenever Darred had spoken of his daughter, he had mentioned most of her life she had stayed on Naboo. She had been sheltered.
Under different circumstances, he would use the force to send thoughts of comfort and ease into her mind. However, with the field hurtling around them, there wasn't much he could do to put his wife's mind at ease. She would have to brave this out with the rest of them.
A large asteroid began to fly directly towards the shuttle. Kylo was about to bark a demand, but the pilot along with the co-pilot quickly jerked on the control wheels while crying out. The ship shook violently as it dipped away from the asteroid in just a sliver of a second. Behind him, he heard Falynn let out a yelp than a curse. Kylo kept his grip on the dash as he demanded them to blast at the asteroids.
The shuttle shook as the blasters shot out their streams of light breaking apart the asteroid into smaller bits of rock. The navigators with the back controls were shouting frantic commands to one another. Kylo pressed his black boots to the shuttle's floor beneath him grounding himself, as the shuttle did a sharp tilt avoiding another large space rock. Another jerk down as several smaller asteroids swam above them.
"Keep the cannons going!" Kylo was nearly screaming as the crew blasted more of the blinding lights from the cannons.
One after the after, the ship blasted its cannons, then dipped, rose, flipped, and turned to avoid the piece of broken asteroids.
Too close. Every moment was too close. They were barely getting by.
Kylo felt his voice going raw and hoarse from all the demands he had to continually yell at the crew members. Things were not progressing smoothly, he could feel the vibrations of the shuttle becoming more unsteady within each moment.
Kylo's blood froze beneath his suit as another loud crash rumbled throughout the shuttle, along with an ear-piercing sound that sounded like metal being scraped. Both the pilot and co-pilot were now sweating profusely their uniforms soaked. Veins were visibly popping from their necks as they pulled their control wheels back to tilt the shuttle upward. Another mind shuddering bang on the side of their vessel caused Kylo to lose his footing. He hadn't a moment to think as his body tumbled forward, slamming him into the side of the co-pilot's seat. He let out a gruff breath of air glaring out the port window.
A loud clang hit the back of the shuttle. Still gripping onto the seat Kylo turned his head eyes wide. The crew members in the back were hastily pressing buttons, all of their faces now pale and sweaty. Falynn was gripping tightly onto Henne's hand tears rimming the corner of her eyes.
It was too much, all of it was too much for any of them to handle.
The port window revealed to them that they had barely made a dent within the field. There were too many of the asteroids. Kylo's own nerves began to hum wildly as they twitched beneath his black leathers.
"Cannons!" Kylo cried out his voice booming as it blended in with the sounds of the asteroids banging against the defense shield. "Keeping shooting the damn cannons!"
"We are doing all we can sir!" A voice called from the back. "But…"
"But what?" Kylo hissed storming over to the back controls.
The navigator was young, a female perhaps in her early twenties winced as another shudder went throughout the shuttle. "It appears that the left cannon has taken damage…."
Kylo jerked away from the young navigator his nerves that were shaking now turning hot. Kylo took another glance at the screens. He cursed loudly raising another flinch from the two pilots. Their defense shield was now 72 percent. They had already taken so much damage and they were still barely into the field. They wouldn't make it. Not like this.
Grabbing the lead pilot by the back of his black jacket Kylo roughly yanked him out of the seat and pushed him down onto the floor. The older man had proved himself to be completely useless. A failure of a pilot. Sitting down in the pilot's chair Kylo began to shuttle as it shook again. Without hesitation, Kylo aimed one of the cannon blasters and clicked on its trigger while tilting the ship to the right. Flying was natural as breathing to him, second nature at times. Sometimes he missed truly being able to take over a ship or a shuttle, without worrying about his other responsibilities. As much as Kylo didn't want to think much on the man, Han Solo had been an excellent pilot and had passed down his skills to his son. He could be grateful for that at least when it came to his bloodline.
Kylo dipped the ship while tilting it slightly as another hoard of rocks gravitated towards them while sending off another blast. Pulling the control wheel Kylo maneuvered the shuttle into a complete 180 rotation then blasted through another group of the deadly obstacles.
The shuttle rattled jerking everyone on the shuttle. The pilot who was now on the floor was clinging onto the co-pilot's seat. Kylo swept a quick glance at the screen to see that the shield was now at 43 percent. If they stayed in the field much longer, his command shuttle would be nothing more than scrap metal. He was going to have to take more drastic measures if they were ever going to make it to his Star Destroyer.
Kylo took a deep breath inside of his helmet, breathing in as much air as he could, as he aimed the force towards the smaller asteroids. As his power shifted onto the smaller obstacles Kylo blasted one of the cannons at the larger rocks that threatened to land on top of the shield.
Sweat began to cling to him underneath his clothing as he shot out another shift of the force, pushing more asteroids away from them. He pulled back on the control wheel steering the shuttle to dip and spin lower as gravity pulled the bits of asteroids towards them. He continued with pushing out the force and maneuvering the ship while shooting the cannons until he felt himself shudder and shake from the power pouring from his being. He was going to do this, he was powerful enough to protect this ship, and get it to where they needed to be. He focused on that, focused on their destination as he pushed that power forward along with the ship.
"Sir!" the co-pilot shakingly called beside him. "Sir, we are about to be hit again!"
Kylo let every piece of him and what he held beneath his skin rip out from him and blast outside of the ship. He could barely hear his own voice yelling as his gift splintered and shifted in him destroying those last bits of asteroids away and clearing the path for them. As the shuttle shook violently again he wondered if that was from him or from the asteroids. Light flashed behind his eyes, as his mind shuttered then hissed almost in pleasure from the power that just exuded out of his body. He was panting hard sweat clinging to his hair to his face, and clothes to his body. They had made it. He had gotten them through it.
Kylo's lips curled under his helmet.
Tears were rimmed at the corner of her eyes, as she stared at the back of her husband's seat wide-eyed. What he had just done...the power she had felt from him she had never felt anything like it. She knew Kylo was powerful she had always known that, but the power of the force that he had just used on those asteroids to annihilate the. He had moved and shifted those massive rocks while also navigating around them. Force sensitivity truly did run his family. So deep that they could command space themselves. It was unbelievable, terrifying, and at that moment a bit comforting to know at least she was in good hands while they flew.
He really had saved them from death.
She knew that the safety of the crew wasn't a priority to him...maybe he was just trying to save himself, but he had saved them. Goosebumps formed on her arms as she felt his power still humming in the air. She thought she could even smell it. Strong and metallic dripping in the very essence of life and the universe. Henne's body beside her began to relax letting Falynn know it was over. Voices began to slow down in hushed tones. The shuttle had smoothed out its movement as Kylo maneuvered it to fly straight again.
Falynn's body sank in her chair as she let out large breath of relief as the outline of the Star Destroyer came into view. They had made it.
Kylo stayed in the pilot's chair, focusing on the navigational computer and maneuvering some of the knobs and switches on the dash. The pilot who had been on the ground had slowly gotten onto his feet. He had placed his hands behind his back while slightly lifting his chin. He did not look at Kylo or anyone else on the ship as he stared forward out into space through the port window.
Falynn unstrapped herself from her seat before turning to Henne and asking, "are you alright?"
Henne gave her mistress a nod and a small smile while her hands that were now gripped tightly onto the straps that keeping her secure in her seat. Her handmaiden was obviously still shaken up though she kept her hand on Falynn's leg the whole time. She had put Falynn's comfort above her own in those terrifying moments, and Falynn could kiss her for it.
Voice a little shaky Henne replied, "don't worry about me, my lady. How are you?"
"Alive," Falynn returned a weak smile.
That was the truth of it because if she told Henne that she was fine that would be a complete lie. Matter of fact, she would be perfectly content if she never had to fly in any type of ship again. Perhaps once they reached the Star Destroyer she would ask them if they could just let her stay there. If they wanted to ever fly somewhere again, that could just knock her out and wake her up once they reached their destination.
Despite her body feeling shaken and weak Falynn used her hands to unsteadily push herself out of her chair. She placed a hand for a moment on her stomach feeling bile rising up before she swallowed it down. She closed her eyes for a moment, wishing she had something to drink to wash away the nausea that she was feeling. Once they reached the ship she knew it was a strong possibility that she might have to lie down somewhere. After a moment, she took a steady breathe then staggered her way over to Kylo. The pilot who had been standing between the two chairs cast Falynn a nervous glance before stepping back for her. She gave him a nod of gratitude as she placed her hand on the back of Kylo's seat bracing herself as she sunk down onto her knees not having the strength to stand before peering up at him.
"What are you doing out of your chair?" he asked, not bothering to look down at her.
"I came to check on you," she replied casually.
This time she had fibbed. She knew he was fine that he was more than fine, she was the one who needed to be checked. To be somewhere secure, and at the moment, Kylo, to her disbelief felt more secure than any chair, official, or weapon.
Falynn placed another hand on her stomach as she swallowed again, the churning in her stomach was not easing up.
"You came to check on me?" amusement sang through his helmet, then softened. "Are you alright?"
"Alive," she said again as she swallowed then tilted her head with a smile. "I am guessing I should thank you for that."
He didn't reply, but moved his hand off the control wheel for a second and placed it on top of her head. Falynn blinked and his hand was already back on the steering as if she had imagined the strange and gentle touch.
The command shuttle suddenly jilted sending Falynn's body to slam into the pilot's chair and her head bumping into Kylo's leg. She was surprised as he placed a gloved hand on the side of her head pressing it tighter to his leg. Heat bloomed onto her cheeks, as she felt the muscles pressed against her cheek from his thighs.
"K-Kylo," her voice spoke a bit muffled between his leg and hand.
"You are going to break your neck," he answered boredly. "Go back to your seat, Falynn. It won't be too much longer before we land." A pause before he added. "Then you can be close to me."
Falynn quickly shot up on her feet. Kylo didn't turn his head, but she thought she felt a tremor of amusement in the air, as she made her way back to her seat.
She sat down and folded her arms across her chest. Henne leaned forward in her seat, placing a hand on Falynn's shoulder and giving her a mischievous smile. Falynn shook off the hand rolling her eyes, but could not cool down the burning in her cheeks the sickness suddenly gone from her stomach.
She could not be happier as Kylo smoothly landed his command shuttle into the hangar of the Star Destroyer. Before the shuttle had even made its final landing Falynn was already up out of her seat waiting for the ramp to open. She did not wait for Hene, Kylo, the pilots, or anybody else on the shuttle as she quickly made her way down the ramp. When her feet were finally planted securely on the floor of the hangar Falynn turned and watched as the others exited the shuttle. Henne walked out first her own relief washing over her features as color returned to her fair cheeks. Henne came to stand by her mistress's side before looking solemnly up at the ramp as the pilot exited off the command shuttle his head lowered. The co-pilot along with the rest of the crew followed behind him staring at his back wide-eyed.
Kylo was the last to leave the shuttle, his hands clasped behind his back as he slowly moved made his down to the hangar.
Falynn began to move towards Kylo, to ask what their next step was now that they had boarded. What exactly their plans were, of if they would remain on the Star Destroyer for a while. She preferred the latter having no desire to fly anytime soon. She paused in her steps when she felt the harsh wind of the force pushing through the air. Falynn's brows furrowed she stared at Kylo, then followed where he was moving towards the pilot whose head was still lowered with his shoulders now stiff and straight.
The pilot who had scarred hands and years of hard work creased into his face fell onto his knees and began to whimper as if he were a small child. Kylo stood behind him as he slowly lifted up his hand. Falynn took a step forward ready to protest what she knew was about to happen before Henne laid a gentle hand on her arm. Eyes wide Henne shook her head at her mistress. Falynn felt her chest began to tighten then sink into a deep hollow pit.
No. Please no. she silently cried. Please don't let me have to witness this. Not now. Not just after everything that had just happened.
Her stomach that had finally settled began to twist.
Hand still raised Kylo spoke low and lethal. "You failed," Even with his voice modified Falynn could hear the anger dripping from it. She could feel it as it rippled through the air. She knew what this power was. Where it reigned from and her body began to shake from it. "You misread the maps, navigated us poorly through the field, and almost killed all of us."
"I'm sorry," the pilot wheezed, putting a hand to his throat as his body buckled forward. "I...I had no intention of putting you in danger, Supreme Leader! This was the first time in my services I have ever miscalculated."
Falynn thoughts went to those hands that had been on the steering of the ship. Rough, callused, and nicked with scars. The pilot's face was creased with hardlines, as his dark eyes remained focused and ready. Proof of the wear and tear on his body from his devotion to the First Order and to Kylo. Falynn believed the pilot who had been harsh, knew that he spoke the truth.
Henne's hand that was on Falynn's arm did not move, knowing that her mistress would not hesitate to jump in. Biting down on her bottom lip, Falynn watched as the pilot's eyes brimmed with tears choking as he let out guttural rasp.
"You did not just put me at risk, you idiot," Kylo hissed through the helmet than turned to Falynn and added harshly. "You put my wife at risk as well."
She paused at those words letting them hang in the air between them. She had been terrified. Kylo had strapped her in, knowing the danger they were about to face.
Flaynn wanted to believe. Wanted to believe that there was something hidden deep underneath that suite of her husband's. That there might be a sliver of compassion somewhere hidden deep away.
Another choked gasp from the pilot had Falynn looking down with her eyes closed. She could hear it...that air being sucked out of the pilot yet she was useless. She could not stop it even if she could shake off Henne's now tight grip she could not stop it. This was who he was, this was the true nature of the Supreme Leader.
"My shuttle is now in need of deep repair." Kylo growled his fingers flexing out. "Matter of fact," Kylo's voice lowered into a voice that Falynn had not yet heard from him. It was the voice described by the Resistance. Cruel. Unforgiving. Deadly. "Each one of you has failed me. None of you were qualified to be on my ship. None of you are qualified...to now be a part of anything."
Falynn flinched as she heard a familiar hum. A hum that she recognized from her own weapon that was hidden behind the waters of Naboo. Henne's fingers tightened on Falynn's arms as she knew her handmaiden was not doing it to hold her back. It was fear and sadness in that grip from the scene that she could see, but knew she was being displayed before the both of them.
Falynn couldn't breathe.
Her mind had gone blank as she opened her eyes allowing herself to see the grisly death that now laid before them. The pilot was lying stiff and lifeless on the ground, the only one who had not been seared or cut apart by Kylo's red lightsaber that was still beaming out of his hands. It was true the pilot had made a mistake, and the crew members had made it a rough flight before Kylo had taken over. A mistake that Falynn knew could have gotten them all killed...but that couldn't diminish the sickness that had taken over her. She was on the edge of spilling her insides on the floor right in front of Kylo and the rest of those around them. Those ignored the deaths as if it were nothing.
Kylo was still as his helmet faced her. She did not look at him she didn't dare to. All she could look at was at the lives he had taken. So easily and freely knowing he had the power to do. As if he were life and death himself.
The color from Falynn's face had been drained. She could feel her blood run cold, possibly just as frigid as the bodies that were now broken on the hangar's floor. Each moment where she thought she could find a way to get used to this, with every gentle moment between her and Kylo, he counteracted it with something a hundred times crueler.
She could no longer feel the warmth of his body from earlier. No longer feel his leg pressed to her cheek, as his large hand rested on her head. She couldn't feel the blush rising to her cheeks, with his simple but almost flirtatious words. She no longer felt the safety and security with him that she had felt briefly when she was next to him. All she felt was cold. That she might as well be laying on the floor with those bodies. She knew this wouldn't be the last time. He would do it again, if someone had failed him or if he had disapproved in any way. She knew that if he found any members of the Resistance he would cut them down. Whenever he felt it justified he would use the force, or raise his red lightsaber and end it without a second thought.
"Falynn…," he reached out to her, but his voice did not reach her.
She did not hear Henne calling out to her either.
Somehow she had shaken off Henne's touch on her arm and moved her way past Kylo. He did not bother to reach for her again nor chase after her. She made her way silently passed the Stormtroopers and a captain who had rushed over to Kylo.
She walked and walked and walked until she found a silent corridor where she stared out a port window mindlessly into space. She was numb, she was cold, she might have even been death.
