Dawn began to creep across the land. The light of the morning, bringing the senate new levels of promise. Even though they were spread thin, their defenses short from what they were a day earlier.
A majority of their fighters had left, spurned by the vote that exiled the Jedi. The only few that were left were of no notice or concern. The few droids leftover were old units. Kyra stood there, her eyes looking over the land as she watched The Republic's final sunrise. Her fingers gently touched her lips as she felt the stinging burn of her promise to Ren.
She had planned to destroy Snoke, planned with her apprentice, her equal now. To take the final mantle as a Sith. To give oneself over to the darkness and its power. But they had a plan, they had to finish this part before they could move on.
Her body moved slowly as she looked across her clothes. She would mourn the passing of the Republic in all its former glory, She would mourn it like General Organa mourned every day of her life.
Her hands gently pulled at the black and gold dress. It's structure rigid and cruel. The threads of gold sewn through to remind them of the light of the Jedi, the very light they voted out. She could feel the heavy compression of the dress across her chest already. The feeling of the sense of duty within this outfit, threatening to suffocate her.
She could feel the panic begin to rise within the realm around her. She knew it was time, morning had come. And with it, the last day of the Republic.
Ren stood there with Hux, their eyes looking across the landscape of Chandrila. Watching as minimal resistance met them.
"It seems that your informant was correct. It looks as if The Resistance has scattered to the wind."
Ren's hands gripped tightly as his mind had wandered, reaching across to Kyra, watching her fingers struggle with the cloth buttons that fixed the dress.
She had every sense of regality in her dress and manners today. Hiding her true self for what he hoped the last time.
He pulled himself back as they descended upon the city. His feet shifting as he felt the ship land, his mind began to remember the rolling hills and calm seas of the planet. Hearing Hux stand beside them as the Stormtroopers amassed in front of the landed ships.
"Welcome home, Kylo Ren."
Ren felt his teeth grit in contempt as he heard that, this land was his homeworld, but it had been many years since he had set foot on it's soil. Many years since he saw these hills. Many years since Snoke had turned him to darkness.
Kyra's fingers finished the final button her hand cramping as she felt a painful twinge in her shoulder. She remembered that the dark side had been able to bring those back from death, to heal those as well. She was not looking to conquer death, only to conquer her own shortcomings.
She could feel the panic in the person racing towards her door. Their hand heavily pressing the door open as they breathed heavily.
"Chancellor Verlaine.. We must get you out of here."
She turned, looking towards the lone person, the panic on their face as all blood rushed from their face, the sickening realization coming to their mind.
Kyra stepped towards the very window she was looking out the other night, the once light filled streets now filled with Stormtroopers.
"Please ma'am.."
She looked at the bodies currently amassed in front of them, the Senators being pulled from their houses, and the senate floor. She could feel the fear within them, perhaps now they regretted their actions. Perhaps now they learned their lesson.
"I can't not while my Senate is surrounded.." She turned back to look at the person standing in the doorframe.
"The please ma'am. Let me stand by your side."
Kyra looked at the young woman standing there, so determined and dedicated to a lost cause. She shook her head.
"Too many have died by my side, or by association."
Kyra walked through the room, her hand gently pulling a hidden latch that lead down.
"This time, I will stand proudly, and if need be, die for The Republic."
The young woman looked at her as Kyra motioned her head, silently telling her to move.
"This will take you down to the Launch bay, hide here until The First Order leave. Then, tell what is left of The Republic and The Resistance what happened."
The young woman nodded as she moved towards the hatch, making herself silent and unseen to the world. Hiding.
Kyra could hear the shuffling coming up the stairs, hear the heavy thud of boots. Stormtroopers. Lead by their General.
Her fingers slipped from the hatch as the latch disappeared, her body stood straight, like a port in the storm, waiting for the storm walking towards her, making his appearance known.
"Chancellor Kyra Verlaine…"
The familiar voice of General Hux spoke behind her, drawing her attention to the door.
"General Hux."
The General seemed to straighten at the sound of his name, as if the title of General truly meant something.
" It seems Chancellor that there is a traitor amongst your beloved Senate."
She cocked an eyebrow at Hux, playing her part until the very end.
"If you're speaking of Berenko, we already caught him. But it seems not in time."
She looked to the Troopers standing beside him. Their bodies rigid, ready to strike.
"But it seems General that I'm in position to negotiate. You will find your traitor in the cells down below."
She moved towards them, General Hux trying to straighten again, his eyes looking down at the shorter woman. Her height trying to eclipse his.
She walked towards the stairs; leading herself towards the courtyard, towards the amassed Senators that were now cowering in fear.
Ren stood there amongst the shriveling masses of Senators, listening to them cry, trying to convince him how much their lives were worth. Pathetic.
He could hear the rowdy sound of the Storm troopers. Acting as if they had accomplished something.
Hux walked out into the courtyard, leading Chancellor Verlaine into the courtyard.
Ren could feel himself shift uncomfortably as he looked at her moving towards him. Her head held high and defiant against him, even now. Even after their pact, sealed forever entwining their fate forever.
He could feel the rigid sense of duty crushing against her ribs. The same feeling he felt many times in his garb.
She stopped in front of him, her eyes looking into his as she spoke.
"I am Chancellor Verlaine, Chancellor to the Senate, representative of Hosnian Prime, and of Alderaan. The Senate, and The Republic surrenders. You will find no resistance here."
Ren seemed to smile smugly as she stood there, the senators beside her grumbling in agreement, giving no resistance.
"Of course there's no resistance. The rebels have fled, leaving this small piece of Republic space defenseless."
Ren's hand reached out to Kyra before pulling back, feeling the draw of Snoke ring across to him.
Kill the Senate, disband The Republic, drown the flame of resistance. Show no mercy.
He could see that Kyra felt it too as her jaw clenched in response. Her breathing shallow, trying to steady herself, the compression of duty threatening to undo her.
Ren waved his hand as the troopers moved, grabbing the senators, pulling them towards an empty wall.
"Round them up, execute them if they try to resist."
Kyra pushed against Hux as he put his arms on her, his body trying to move her.
"Not her."
Ren turned to look at Kyra, the rage in her eyes as she watched her fellow senators struggle, hearing their pleas of mercy.
"Please no. Don't do this. We've surrendered. We aren't resisting, please"
Their voices shouting for mercy, begging for it.
"Please General Hux, mercy. We beg of you, mercy."
Ren turned his back as Hux pulled Kyra with them, listening to the troopers move.
Her arms pressed against Hux, the line of stormtroopers grow, shadowing the senate, their please and begs silenced forever as he troopers fired.
She still had her part to play, she still had to play the Chancellor, she had to play it until they reached Snoke.
Her knees landed against cold metal as she saw Berenko be led from the doors. She could see the smug look spread across his face. Even if he wasn't the traitor, he led himself to believe that he was. Kyra's body weighed heavily as she looked at the troopers part, seeing to now motionless senate on the ground.
"Serves them right. " Berenko spat under breath, expecting to see himself suddenly come into vast amounts of power until he saw Kyra on the ground, her eyes motionless as she looked at her once beloved senate.
"It seems that you're the Chancellor of a dead senate." Ren's eyes turned down towards her, her eyes peering up at him from the ground. This was something new he thought to himself. Him being in an actual position of power, a position of power that was played well amongst all those in front of him.
"Sir.." One of the troopers that held Berenko grabbed his attention, causing him to pull his eyes from her's. "What do we do with him?" Ren had no use for a traitor. Even if they weren't actually a traitor. His prize was there in his grasp, he waved his hand to the stormtrooper.
"Execute him. We have no use for him anymore…" Berenko's eyes widened as he looked towards the bodies of the other senate members.
"But you need me! I know the resistance, I know their plans, their defenses, I know where they will retreat to!" Berenko was doing everything in his power to save his own skin.
Ren turned his attention away from the sniveling coward in his midst and pulled Kyra up from the ground by her elbow. His face leaning down towards hers as he pulled her up, their eyes locking with each other. They could feel the connection, the tension within each other as they played their parts.
"Berenko, you are nothing more than a used asset." He turned his head after he had pulled Kyra up to her feet. " But a Chancellor…" his eyes hardened as he looked at him. "Is worth a thousand of you."
Berenko screamed and fought against the binds that held him tightly. Trying to break free from the troopers that now held him in place.
Ren's hand pulled her into his craft, Kyra's eyes darting behind her as she saw the panicked look on Berenko's face as he screamed her name. A smile spread on her lips as the ship's door closed behind them. Her wicked smile, and dark eyes being the very last thing he saw before his execution.
In his final moments, it all dawned on him. And he couldn't warn anyone of Kyra's betrayal. He would die the only man in the republic to see who she really was underneath her carefully crafted persona. Underneath those fancy robes, those tailored words, those moments begging for civility.
She was the fire that burned down the senate to its foundations. She was chaos, and he was a fool to have fallen for it. They were all fools.