Chapter Six

How dare she, Kylo thought. How dare she ignore him. How dare she stand there, looking as regal as he had ever seen her, like nothing had occurred Snoke's throne room. Her defiance stoked his rage.

Before, he would have instantly released his anger on the nearest object. Using his saber to decimate everything in his vicinity. He now understood that had been a mistake. It was better to hold on to the rage, to let it fill every particle of his being and to fuel him for the fight to come.

And there would be a fight to come. The little Jedi was mistaken if she thought that they were done. There was nowhere in the universe that he would not come for her. He meant what he said when he told her to enjoy this time. These would be the last moments of freedom for her. Once he had solidified his standing throughout the galaxy, he would turn the full might of the First Order to finding her.

She could have been a queen at his side. Instead she chose to betray him. And for what? A handful of miscreants that she barely knew.

Kylo had dispatched one Knight to travel to Jakku to find out more about her history. He intended to use everything and anything available to punish her. Her every weakness would be exploited. Used to show her the gravity of her error.

He was glad that the force bond continued beyond Snoke's death. He had not been sure that it would. There was limited knowledge regarding force bonds but his connection to Rey continued to strengthen. Maybe the bond had solidified when they had touch hands.

In that moment, Kylo had felt her acceptance. Only their fingertips had touched but the connection had seared through his entire being. He had felt and seen images from her past and their future. Had felt her loneliness and her fear that her parents were never coming back. Beneath the loneliness and fear he felt an emotion that he understood all too well. Confusion, confusion as to why the people that should have cared for her, protected her, had just walked away. Her soul ached with the question of what she had done to drive them away.

There were many nights that Kylo had felt the same. His father had tried to hide it, but the first time that Kylo had demonstrated his aptitude with the Force, Han had looked disappointed. That was really when his father had started smuggling again. Han had needed to get away from him. His mother had been more understanding, but the needs of the galaxy had always superseded the needs of her child.

Leia had also rejected the Force. She associated the Force with Vader. In her mind, by rejecting her own power, she was rejecting Vader and all that he stood for. She had worshipped her adopted father and dedicated her life to following his example of diplomacy and democracy.

Kylo hoped that the had finally found a place to belong when he joined Luke's training academy. His uncle had embraced the Force and nurtured the potential that he saw in others. At least he had. Their family had always been drawn to the dark. Kylo knew that even the righteous Luke Skywalker had once struck against Vader in anger. Luke had used his rage at Vader threatening Leia to strike the dark lord down. But instead of helping guide Kylo, Luke had decided to kill him.

Finding someone to truly accept you was the rarest gift in the galaxy. He had given it to Rey, but she had rejected him. Turned against him like all the others. She would suffer for her mistake. He would see to that.

There was much work to do before he could dedicate his full attention to her. He had a galaxy to bring to heel. Striping out of his clothing he climbed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

…

The assembled Knights of Ren kneeled before him, either in person or in hologram. Each one had carried out their assignments with brutal efficiency. He had expected no less.

Five of the First Order leadership that had gathered on Mustafar were already dead. Their commands given to ambitious officers that were more amenable to Kylo's rule. The troops that had witnessed his failure on Crait were also dead. Hyperdrive malfunction had eliminated the transport vessel that had been carrying them. Hux was the only person from the First Order who had witnessed the battle directly and still lived. Kylo smirked when he thought about his plans for Hux. The general would beg for an easy death by the time he was done with him.

Hux would be Kylo's olive branch to the galaxy. The sacrificial lamb that would pacify the masses. Hux, didn't realize this of course. Kylo had kept the General on clean up detail and monitored all his communications. The fool didn't realize that he was helping solidify Kylo's position. When Hux contacted his supporters to try to formulate a coup, that person was marked. Hux was cutting off his own head.

A tribunal would soon be called. Anyone within the Order that opposed Kylo's rule with either be quietly eliminated or would stand trial before the galaxy for war crimes.

"Have we established communications with Rebel leaders that would be amenable to a cease fire?"

Vars Ren was the first to answer. "We have my lord. There are three leaders within the Rebels that are willing to discuss terms. The Rebels were broken before Crait. With the exception of the forces lead by General Leia Organa, the remnants of the rebellion have lost the will to fight. At least, the majority have."

"Explain," demanded Kylo.

"Word of Skywalker's return bolstered confidence in the Rebellion. However, since no one has heard from Skywalker since, many are beginning to believe that his return was just a story. A last-ditch effort to rally anyone to General Organa's side."

"The information obtained on the remaining Rebel forces in the outer rim has also allowed us to eliminate any cells that would have answered Organa's call. The remaining leadership is looking for a way to end this. The news of Snoke's death has given them hope that a peaceful resolution could be obtained."

"Good," Kylo replied. "The next phase of the plan is crucial for our success. We will need their support to provide legitimacy to our reign. Everyone has their orders, phase two is officially underway."

With that Kylo dismissed his Knights. A little smirk graced his face when he thought about General Organa. How in the end, the rebellion that she has spent her life fighting for would abandon her twice. First, when they left her to die on Crait and again when they moved forward without her. And they would move forward without her, Kylo would see to that.

When Leia had been a senator, her ability to lead had been called into question many times by the galaxy at large. Being the daughter of the most hated man in the galaxy tended to make many people uncomfortable. On top of that, Leia was first and foremost a wartime General. She preached peace, but she had always been one of the first to pick up arms. She went into battle herself and she had asked other people to die for her cause. But soon there would be no need to fight. Everyone wanted to lay down their arms. A warmonger like General Organa had no place in peace. Soon General Organa would know what it was like to be caste out. Abandoned by the people she had sacrificed her family for. Kylo had to admit, it was a crueler punishment than death.