Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.
Both Ben and Rey immediately ignited their lightsabers in unison and met the blows of the two guards simultaneously, almost akin to a dance if Armitage had to describe it poetically, the crackles from the clashing plasma vibrating through the walls of the room. It was fascinating to watch the two Force-users fight side by side, and he would have felt the pangs of jealousy if not for another wave of five sentries rushing through the open door, weapons ignited.
"I will not let you leave here alive," he could hear Snoke's voice echoing from the walls as if the former supreme leader had taken possession of the temple itself. Armitage whipped out his blaster in reflex and fired a well-placed shot into the helmet of the nearest guard only to have the beam deflect harmlessly off into one of the glass displays, shattering it.
He realized then that their armor was exactly the same as the ones Snoke's Praetorian Guards had worn, equipped with mag-coils that deflected most blaster beams and even some lightsaber strikes at certain angles. Ben and Rey seemed to already know this as they dispatched the first two with thrusts through the helmets before turning on the newcomers, managing to engage another two while Armitage found himself face to face with the remaining guards. He cursed silently to himself and drew his lightsaber instead.
Armitage managed to catch the first vibro-voulge with his weapon, huffing under the strength of the other as he parried the blow and ran his lightsaber through the red chest plate. To his relief, the guard's movements went limp, and the suit of armor collapsed into a pile on the floor like a puppet whose strings had been severed.
"Behind you!" he heard Ben's voice in his head, and he whirled around to block another vibro-voulge just in the nick of time, feeling the heat from their weapons against his face. Armitage kicked at the guard's knees, loosening their deadlock just enough for him to duck below the voulge staff and slash at the unprotected shoulder joint. However, the guard shifted aside at the last moment, and he missed, his weapon skimming the surface of the armor before it was knocked out of his hand.
Gritting his teeth, Armitage grabbed the handle of the vibro-voulge before the guard could use it and shoved the suit of armor backwards, causing the other to stumble slightly. It gave him just enough time to unsheathe the hidden monomolecular blade from under his sleeve and jam it into the enemy's neck, feeling the other go limp against him before he wrenched it out.
He did not have time to gloat as he heard the hum of another blade behind him and turned to engage it only to see his enemy frozen with its sword raised above its head, a red lightsaber glowing between its rib cage.
Igniv pulled out his weapon before pushing the suit of armor aside nonchalantly with the Force. The Knight looked a little singed on one shoulder and the man's eyes puffy, but besides those two observations the other seemed relatively unharmed much to Armitage's relief. The general let out the breath he had been holding in and picked up his lightsaber as Ben and Rey rushed over to them, having dispatched the remaining two guards.
"What's going on?" Rey asked, eyes darting around her as the temple walls seemed to let out a wail, the sound rumbling throughout the hallways outside.
"This temple was built exclusively for the ritual to transfer one's consciousness to another," Igniv explained. "If a user of the Dark Side is deemed worthy, his soul will be protected by the temple itself even in the event that there is no strong viable host."
"Was this the inscription on the door earlier?" Armitage inquired, recalling the Knight's momentary pause in front of the huge door leading to the throne room.
"I didn't want to make you guys panic any more than you were," the man admitted, shrugging. "But, it's rather useful information for us now. Destroy the temple, and you destroy him."
"Sounds simple enough," Armitage muttered as he produced his comm from his pocket, thankfully finding the object still intact. Ben gave him a curious stare, raising an eyebrow in question. "Mitaka?" he called into the device.
"Yes, sir?" the lieutenant's relieved voice came from the other side.
"Ready the Finalizer's cannons at the temple. Get ready to fire as soon as we are clear of the entrance."
Rey grabbed his arm firmly before he could continue. "I'm not leaving without the others."
He nodded dryly, knowing that there was no way to convince her otherwise.
"I can somewhat sense them towards the direction of the entrance," Igniv offered. "It doesn't seem like they've engaged in any fighting yet."
"Then let's find them before the guards do," Armitage muttered when they heard another series of footsteps approaching.
They hurried through the hallways of the temple, Ben's wrath unmatched as the man took down guard after guard. Armitage was thankful that the other still had so much energy left in him after all that had happened. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the onslaught from earlier still left him numb, and he could feel his weariness start to catch up as they continued down the long corridors.
It didn't help when they nearly crashed headfirst into one of the two they had been searching for, Rey redirecting herself at the last moment by landing in the Resistance pilot's arms instead of slicing him in half.
"Thank goodness you're alive!" she exclaimed.
"Same to you," Poe laughed, clearly relieved. His joy was immediately cut short when he noticed her entourage, and Armitage found some amusement in seeing the quick change in the angle of the man's eyebrows. "I see you've brought the party to me this time."
"As much as I'd like to celebrate, we need to leave. Now," Armitage told him curtly before looking around the man in search of Rey's other companion.
"Kaiyo's scouting up ahead," Poe explained. "Figured you might need an escape route."
"From what we saw outside, there is only the front door," Igniv pointed out.
"Oh, lovely," the pilot muttered.
"Enough, let's move," Ben announced impatiently, throwing Armitage a quick glance before continuing down the corridor. The general could feel his heart skip a beat at the gesture, wondering if the other had noticed his exhaustion. He nodded to the others and followed the supreme leader.
They emerged in the massive main hallway soon enough, the light from the front entrance casting an eerie glow throughout the chamber, now suspiciously void of any guards. Armitage hadn't counted earlier, but he was certain that there were more than the ones they had cut down on their way there. He listened cautiously to the sounds of their footsteps echoing along the massive walls before the hum of a collective of plasma weapons buzzed through the air.
As predicted, about a dozen red soldiers suddenly rounded the corner as if summoned by his own thoughts, quickly surrounding them. It was then that the room erupted into chaos, with the three other Force-users jumping into the fray in a flurry of plasma weapons and lightsabers. Armitage found himself slowly separated from them, dodging the nearest sword before he could run his lightsaber through its owner's helmet. He could see Poe in the corner of his eye unsuccessfully trying to shoot at the guards, the man's blaster bolts bouncing harmlessly away.
"What the hell?" the Resistance pilot hissed, backing away from the fray.
"There are mag-coils in the armor, fool. Blaster fire will just be reflected," Armitage growled, knowing that it was a matter of time before one of those shots ricocheted and hit one of them. He supposed the next best thing was to throw one of the discarded weapons from the enemy at the man to use, eyeing one of the swords on the ground.
Before he could even start to carry out his plan, it all happened in a blur as Armitage watched the closest guard beat him to it and hurl a plasma dagger towards Poe with Rey screaming as she tried to catch it with the Force. Armitage could sense Snoke behind the blade, maneuvering it away from Rey's powers as it zeroed in on the Resistance pilot. He himself was only a few meters away, and he involuntarily took a step, then another, and then lunged at Poe, knocking both of them to the ground as the blade whirled away and his lightsaber skidded across the floor.
"Armitage!" he could hear Ben yell as he attempted to get back to his feet, but the pain that shot through his rib cage sent him straight back down to the ground. He didn't understand what had happened, and it wasn't until he turned his head to the side that he saw the damage, a barely cauterized wound against his side still bleeding from the incision. He reasoned that the blade must have somehow sliced him when he threw the other to the ground, thanks to Snoke.
"Ah, shit!" He felt Poe sit up and start shooting over him, the beams deflecting harmlessly off of the guard that had thrown the weapon who was now walking towards them slowly with the other vibro-blade raised. "There's got to be a spot!"
Armitage groaned, holding an arm up to the wound in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. He knew it was deep. He could see Ben running towards him only to encounter several more guards. Armitage took a deep breath and reached for his lightsaber, calling it to his hand with the Force as he struggled to stay conscious.
He could feel the worried hum of his kyber crystal as his weapon returned to his hand, and the guard continued to approach until it stood before them, sword raised up. It then brought the weapon down, and Armitage managed to catch the attack with his own lightsaber at the last second, feeling the heat from the two blades as they continued to near him.
"No, you don't!" he could hear Poe yell as the man lunged at the suit of armor in an attempt to tackle it only for a wave of Darkness to fling him away effortlessly.
"You're there aren't you?" he asked the armor breathlessly. Snoke must have wanted to make him suffer before the end. The cut on his side was just deep enough, and he was certain that the other could have made it fatal if he really wanted to at that moment.
"You will never escape me. Kylo Ren will become mine, and you will be reminded of your place, rabid cur."
Armitage gritted his teeth. "I'll never follow you again, monster."
This seemed to snap something in the other as the guard forced the blade down, and he screamed, feeling the merciless burning on his shoulder as his own kyber crystal shrieked.
"Armitage!" he could hear Ben's voice from across the room, still trying to fend off his own entourage of guards, before he turned back to the masked face of his attacker above him, staring down his imminent death in defiance.
It was at that moment that he felt a strong surge of the Force , a massive wave that roared through the room and blasted the guard away with such fury that it slammed the enemy into the opposite wall, shattering the rock before its armor crumpled inward into an unrecognizable heap. Armitage dropped his lightsaber in surprise at the sudden relief and looked up to see a hooded figure standing before him, a trembling hand raised in the direction of the destroyed suit of armor.
"Kaiyo?" Poe groaned, struggling to his feet. "Damn, why couldn't you have done that earlier?"
The figure removed its hood, and Armitage found himself staring into sea-green eyes. "Because he attacked Armitage."
He could hear Ben and the others still fighting off the guards, but his attention was focused on the woman standing above him. It was as if time had suddenly stood still between them, walling themselves off from the chaos that surrounded them.
The ocean stretched far into the horizon, the noontime sun's golden rays reflecting brilliantly off of sea-green eyes. She smiled and took his hand.
"Armitage."
"Kaiyo," he breathed. He could taste the salt of tears on his lips. "The others used to call you Kaiyo after the ocean."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she knelt down and embraced him in a warmth he had forgotten long ago, had longed for since that fateful day his father had taken him away from Arkanis. He could feel his wound scream in protest, but he knew he would take a dozen blaster shots in the chest for this to continue forever.
"I've been searching for you everywhere," she whispered in his ear. "I was never able to reach you."
"Sorry." He hugged her tighter despite the pain, feeling his chest tighten as wave after wave of nostalgia hit him. "M-mother," his voice cracked. "I-I'm…"
Then, time flowed again as a buzz behind them prompted Kaiyo to whirl around, and with one wave of her hand, summoned Armitage's lightsaber to her in time to block a vibro-voulge that lunged at them. She held her stance with some difficulty, her arms trembling under the strength of the other.
"How sweet, a reunion," he could hear Snoke's voice. "Pity it will be short-lived."
Kaiyo stumbled a step back, and it was at that moment that Armitage threw the guard away with a powerful surge of the Force , channeling every ounce of his fury into the blow as the suit of armor flew away, slamming into the opposite wall. He let out a breath, feeling the rest of his consciousness begin to falter with that last attempt.
He saw Kaiyo above him again, sea-green eyes meeting his.
Oh, how he missed them.
"Hey, stay with me," Armitage heard a soft voice call to him as his consciousness started to fade. He was tired. His arm ached. His side burned. Then, he was warm, so impossibly warm.
"Come now, Armitage, just when I've found you."
He smiled contently.
.
Another dozen guards emerged from within the temple before Ben even had time to breathe, and he shoved them back with the Force as he made his way to Armitage.
"Don't worry. General Hug's still alive," the man named Poe said as he and the woman hoisted Armitage up between them. Ben flinched when he saw the blood dripping down the general's side, but he knew that they had to move soon, or else they would be surrounded. Poe seemed to also notice the damage. "We'd probably need to get him to the medbay soon though, or he might bleed out."
Ben turned to the other and met eyes briefly with the woman, finding himself staring into sea-green eyes.
"Thank you for protecting him," he heard in his mind. He looked away, choosing instead to focus on the battle at hand as he motioned for the others to start moving towards the entrance.
"You cannot escape! I will tear you apart on this planet and feed your remains to my temple!" The guards were closing in on them in a massive wave of red even as they began making their way down the steps of the entrance. He honestly did not expect the temple to house so many guards, and it was difficult to sense how many more of them resided inside since they were not of the living.
"We need to get further away before the Finalizer can fire!" Igniv yelled when Poe produced what looked like a detonator from inside his pocket. The Knight's face lit up. "No way."
Poe grinned. "What do you think we were doing the entire time? Running around in circles?"
The Resistance pilot then pressed the button, and a deafening roar echoed throughout the valley as the interior of the temple exploded into flames. Ben grabbed the lot of them and threw them to the floor as far away from the structure as he could send them, shielding everyone with the Force as the building collapsed behind him. Stone crumpled upon itself, and he could feel the debris bouncing off the wall he had erected around them before he heard a wail so abhorrent he nearly lost his hold on the barrier.
The sound echoed through the valley as the temple continued to collapse behind them, fading to a final sigh as the last pillar fell into dust on the sand.
It was a long while before it was quiet once again, and he looked up warily to a pile of black stone where the temple had once stood, a few remnants of what looked like red armor peeking out from under the rubble.
Igniv let out a breath beside him.
"Is he gone?" he asked his friend although he knew the answer already. He could not remember a moment in his life when his mind was this clear.
The Knight nodded. "Gone."
Ben sighed and looked around him, sensing the Upsilon- class shuttle just up the slope. He heard a buzz from the comm in Armitage's pocket and could imagine the panic Mitaka must be in up in the Finalizer. Not waiting for his permission, Igniv stepped over to the unconscious general and plucked the comm out of the man's pocket, walking away to talk into it and leaving Ben alone with the Resistance members and his general.
He looked at Rey, unable to find the right words to say to her after all this time. She seemed to share similar sentiments as she looked to the side. "Our transport is that way," the girl told him.
Ben wondered if they were going to try to take him back now to the Resistance. Without its supreme leader or general, the First Order would be easy pickings for the ones left, the old Imperials hellbent on their outdated ways. However, the girl looked sympathetic, and the sad smile told him that they were done fighting for today at least.
"You can come back, you know." Rey said.
Ben turned to Armitage, the man groaning slightly as Kaiyo gingerly wrapped his side with some bandages from a medkit. The man was hyperventilating from the blood loss, and he knew he had to move soon.
"But he can't," he told her through the Force. "The Resistance will execute him."
"I will let them know of what he's done for you, and what he did, he did under the control of Snoke."
Ben felt taken aback, not knowing that Rey had known of Armitage's background with the former supreme leader.
She grimaced, looking at Armitage. "I saw when Snoke attacked him. It wasn't much, but I…" she trailed off.
"They will not listen. They've never listened," Ben replied. They both knew it to be the truth, and he would not hand Armitage over to them like this. They would set things right, but he would not put the man in harm's way doing so.
"Your mother will listen," she insisted.
Ben paused. "Yes, she will. But the others won't."
He walked over to Armitage and Kaiyo just as the woman secured the last bandage around the wound before brushing a strand of the man's fiery hair aside tenderly. She looked up at Ben as he approached, and he realized that he recognized those eyes, ones he had held close to his heart even through his many years of Darkness under Snoke, ones he was unable to let go of no matter how deep he had fallen from the Light. They were the eyes of a mother for her son.
"Please hurry," she told him.
Ben nodded and picked him up gingerly.
"You could stay with him if you wish. I will make sure no harm will come to you," he told her.
The woman smiled mysteriously. "I think I will return with Rey for now. I suspect that we'll be in contact shortly, and it would be in his best interest if I were to calm the others first with Rey." She caressed Armitage's forehead softly, her sea-green eyes a calm wave of serenity. "Please, continue to take of my son."
"You needn't ask," Ben replied.
"We're going to have a hell of a time explaining all of this," Poe muttered. Ben almost wanted to praise the man's level of self-restraint. He could sense the conflict bubbling underneath the Resistance pilot's relaxed exterior: years of sacrifice fighting the First Order, his losses on Crait, and now the image of the general of the enemy taking a blade to the side to save him.
Ben turned to Rey and the others. "Thanks for coming after me."
"We'll..." He paused. "We'll be in contact soon."
Rey beamed.
.
The short flight back to the Finalizer seemed an eternity as Igniv watched the remains of the temple become nothing but a small black speck on the surface of the desert planet, just as Snoke will be to them in a few years. Nothing more than a bad dream, he told himself firmly as he clenched his fists silently, attempting to hold in the despair threatening to seep out.
Snoke would fade, but he wasn't so sure about Skaara. He had stepped onto the planet with the faintest glimmer of hope that he knew he should have let go, had held onto it until the moment the light left the man's eyes. It had ended exactly the way he knew it would, and he attempted to reassure himself that it was all for the best. He would heal. Time would heal him.
"You alright?" The sudden question prompted him to turn to the side. Ben was sitting on the floor next to Armitage with a hand on the general's wound, the blood starting to seep through the bandages even as the other put more pressure on it.
Igniv smirked. "I should not be the one you're asking, you know."
"Well, it's not like you can ask a sleeping person a question to begin with," Ben returned.
His mouth hung open speechlessly. Ben had told a joke. He could not recall the last time the other had partaken in any sort of humor. Igniv didn't realize he was staring until Ben's eyebrows raised, now obviously suspicious of his reaction.
"I'm…" he struggled to collect his turbulent thoughts. "I have a small cut on my shoulder, but otherwise I'm unharmed."
Dark eyes bore into his. "You know that's not what I was referring to."
Igniv inwardly sighed. Leave it to the insensitive prick to ask now, but he supposed he should count it as an improvement though. Ben had never been invested in other people when it came to their feelings, having trouble controlling his own, and this would be considered a good start, even for his longtime friend.
"I'll be fine," he settled for those words. The other dropped off into silent acknowledgment, shifting slightly in an attempt to control more of the bleeding. Igniv walked over and knelt to the ground, about to place a hand to help with the bleeding when he noticed the blood on his own gloves, Skaara's blood.
Time seemed to slow as he stared at the black leather, wondering if he should toss them. He was suddenly unable to shake the peaceful look the man had as he died out of his mind. Igniv knew it had to be done, had been expecting this outcome since he stepped foot onto the Finalizer and pledged his loyalty to Ben.
It didn't mean that it didn't hurt though.
A soft nudge on his mind brought him back to reality to Ben's eyes, the man regarding him solemnly as he gulped down some air in an attempt to compose himself.
"You could blame me, Igniv. I brought us all to this," the other said quietly.
Igniv shook his head, wrenching the gloves off and tossing them unceremoniously on the floor of the shuttle before applying pressure on the part of the bandages Ben was unable to cover. It was a indeed decently large wound he noted when he felt the wetness under his hands.
"Skaara brought it all upon himself. You could blame yourself for what happened to you, but what he did, he has already paid for," he told the other. It was a moment before he added. "I've paid for my own decisions as well."
"What will you do now?"
Igniv hummed in contemplation as a shadow fell over the shuttle, the massive hull of the Finalizer engulfing them as they entered the hangar.
"I'm not going to force you to stay, I mean. You've already done so much for me." Ben bit his lip, obviously struggling with his words. "I meant to say, thank you for coming after me and protecting Armitage. You didn't have to risk your life like that."
Igniv smiled. "I decided that I want to, so I did. There's no need for thanks, old friend."
Ben returned the gesture, something Igniv had not seemed in years. "Well, you're welcome to stay on the Finalizer until you've decided what you want to do. You're not obligated to go on any missions, and you can eat and sleep all you want."
Igniv snorted. "What do you take me for? What would you be doing?"
Ben looked down at Armitage, eyes a little far away. "I'm not so sure myself." The man took a deep breath, obviously overwhelmed by the prospect. Igniv didn't blame him. If he felt this clear minded and free after Snoke's death, then Ben must feel loads lighter. "I suppose whatever Armitage wants to do. We'll figure it out."
The shuttle finally landed in the massive hanger, and Igniv took a step back as Ben gathered the general in his arms and hurried out. He followed suit, finding Mitaka waiting for him outside with a small entourage of the usual Stormtroopers as well as some med droids.
"What happened?" Mitaka exclaimed as Ben placed the general on a gurney the others had brought to the hanger. Several med droids immediately got to work, putting pressure on the bloodied bandage as they began wheeling Armitage away.
"Don't look so worried! He'll be fine," Igniv reassured the lieutenant, who watched Ben disappear out of the hanger doors with the small army of med droids. He'd rather not be in the way with Ben this worried over the general, having sensed the building concern back on the shuttle even with the calm demeanor the other had kept up. Ben was definitely back to his old self, and that could also mean the other's sharp temper had also returned. It was definitely pleasant watching the two of them progress this far.
He supposed he would take up Ben's offer and stay on the Finalizer for now at least. There wasn't really anything he wanted to do, and perhaps the two could use someone to fill in some of Ben's old roles, although he doubted that they would be going out destroying things anytime soon with the way things are going.
"Sir?" Mitaka's voice brought him out of his turbulent thoughts. The man's earnest eyes were always so comforting. Another reason to stay, he told himself. "Are you okay?" the other asked.
Igniv smiled. It would take time, as with all things. Skaara was gone now, but so was Snoke. They would never hurt him again.
"I'll be fine." He faked a yawn, stretching his arms theatrically, not expecting to hear an actual crack when it happened. The gesture ended up feeling better than he thought. "I could use a bath though, maybe a massage," he mused.
He had a lot of time now, and his mind had never been this clear in years, free to roam in the Force that surrounded him.
"I can arrange those for you," the lieutenant offered.
"You'll give me a massage?" Igniv joked, although the thought was quite appealing.
Mitaka raised up his hands in embarrassment, the blush deepening when the man realized the implications of his words. "I-I mean, we have some pretty good massage droids that some of the higher ups use when they are stressed, and your room is already equipped with a bath, s-so… unless…" he trailed off, unable to continue.
"How about we start with dinner? I'm quite hungry too at the moment," Igniv decided to save the other from digging the hole any deeper.
Mitaka nodded, the blush unrelenting.
Igniv grinned mischievously, feeling like his old self for the first time in years.
.
"Thank goodness you're okay!" Finn gave her a big hug as soon as they stepped back into the Millennium Falcon. Rey returned the gesture, smiling widely as she saw BB-8 roll to Poe from the corner of her eye, its joyful chirps mirroring those of Finn.
Rey saw Leia approach her almost cautiously, the normally stern general almost unable to contain her apprehension as she let go of Finn and straightened up.
"I sense him almost disappear," Leia finally stated, waiting for her response.
"He's fine," Rey reassured her. "Armitage saved him."
"Armitage?" the general repeated the name incredulously. It was then that Leia turned to Kaiyo, the two exchanging a mysterious glance before the general finally smiled.
"Wait, that's impossible," Rose muttered, unable to contain her own disbelief at the entire situation.
"Yup, General Hugs saved him," Poe confirmed as he stood up. Rey was beginning to really appreciate his trust in her and the others. She could still sense his underlying disbelief at the entire situation, but he seemed to be taking everything quite well despite all that had happened. But, that was just how Poe was, and she was glad that she was able meet someone like him.
"That bastard even saved me," the Resistance pilot continued before he suddenly froze, raising his hands defensively as he turned to Kaiyo in a blind panic. "No offense, Kaiyo. Wait, that was extremely offensive. I'm sorry!"
Rey grinned as Kaiyo chuckled, the two of them exchanging knowing glances as the rest of the room looked at each other in confusion.
"Wait, what's so funny?" Finn inquired as Rey found herself staring out of the small transparasteel window, feeling the calm in the Force for the first time since she had started noticing its presence.
"What do you think we should do from here?" Leia asked her quietly as the excitement behind them began to escalate as Poe struggled to explain their ordeals back in the temple.
Rey closed her eyes. "I think…" she paused. "I think we'll be okay."
.
Armitage's eyes fluttered open to the familiar ceiling of his own quarters, the lights mercifully dimmed to 40 percent. He felt fuzzy, his thoughts in an unnatural disarray from what he could only assume were sedatives. Or it could be stims. In his current state of mind, he couldn't tell the difference or seem to remember how he made it into his own bed.
He wondered blearily if he had overslept for his shift on the bridge. Perhaps Snoke would be calling for him soon for a meeting to discuss the fall of Starkiller, or worse…
He sat up in a blind panic, expecting to feel hands pushing him down but only blankets slid off of him, accompanied by a deep ache in his side. He lifted up his regulation tank top gingerly, finding a set of bandages around the wound, the skin an unsightly array of purple. Or, his mind began to speculate again, perhaps it was after Crait, after Kylo had slammed him against the side of the shuttle, and now that he was awake, the new supreme leader would return to finish the job.
Yet, it was strange. He didn't remember allocating bacta and bandages for his bruises or calling a med droid in to put them on him.
Armitage blinked a few more times, trying to snap out of the fog that seemed to encase his brain. A soft hum from his nightstand seemed to drive away some of the blur, and he turned to see a lightsaber sitting on the table. The image of a temple entered his mind, Snoke's presence echoing throughout its walls, threatening to swallow him whole, to finally choke him with the chains wrapped around his neck. But, before the monster could do so, there was Kylo, no, Ben, and Rey, and a woman with sea-green eyes, and the chains had lifted. His mind was free, afloat; he had never felt so light in his life.
He took a deep breath, his heart thumping in his chest. It was all too surreal, too good to be true. It must all be a dream after all. But, it couldn't be a dream. The hum became louder. Or was it?
"Armitage." The woman in his mind's eye smiled.
He wouldn't be able to bear it if… if...
He heard the door to his quarters open and none other than the new supreme leader entered his room, dark eyes wide and radiating concern. Strange, he didn't know he could feel the other's emotions so well, as if they were his own.
"S-supreme Leader?" he could not suppress the unease in his voice as he struggled to straighten himself to attention.
"Hey, take it easy," the supreme leader said as the man moved across the room, and Armitage flinched when the other adjusted some pillows behind him so that he could sit more comfortably. "Damn it, I told them not to give you so many sedatives," Ben muttered under his breath, seemingly hurt by his unease.
He finally calmed down with the other's presence, his mind clearing slightly. He remembered now. He had gone to the temple on that desert planet to rescue Ben. He had been injured trying to save that Resistance pilot. His mother was there with the Resistance. Armitage paused.
His mother...
"What happened? Where's Snoke?" he inquired after the monster instead, afraid to know the answer.
"Gone. Dameron blew up the temple," Ben replied softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Armitage leaned back in the pillows, turning the thought in his head several times as he struggled to wrap his mind around it. Snoke was really gone this time, sent to a place where the monster could not longer reach him. Then that meant…
He was afraid to ask, but he swallowed his unease and continued. "Then the other's… I'm assuming you let them go?" he inquired, hoping, praying for that to be the case. He could not sense their presence on the Finalizer, so Ben must have let them go, right? It was strange, because if he was in his right mind, he would have advocated for the exact opposite. At least, as General Hux of the First Order just a few cycles ago, he would have.
Ben nodded, seeming to understand exactly what he was getting at. "Your mother left with them. She said she expects to be in contact soon."
Armitage swallowed thickly. "Of course." He could not suppress the relief in his voice. She was unharmed. She was alive, with the Resistance. The thought was still immensely overwhelming. He had buried the hope of seeing her again for so long, had suppressed the spark inside of him, that his mind continued to reason that this all was some twisted dream, fated to shatter at any moment when he awoke. It terrified him to no end. Before his mind could come up with any more irrational scenarios, he felt a squeeze on his hand and looked down, seeing Ben's fingers entwined in his, solid and warm, grounding him back to reality.
"Don't think about it for now," the other reassured him. "We have time."
"Yes, time…" he trailed off.
It was over.
Snoke was dead.
It was then it hit him. He was free, safe, alive. She was alive. Ben was with him, eyes as clear as the waters of Arkanis on a sunny day. The relief felt overwhelming, the emotions enhanced with his sedative-induced daze, and he could feel his chest constricting, his breaths uneven.
It was then that warm arms wrapped around him, cementing him to reality, the familiar comfort embracing him. He returned the gesture weakly, ignoring the ache in his side with the bandages, and he relaxed under the other, allowing the fog around his mind to slowly lift as he collected more of himself.
"Thank you for coming after me," Ben whispered in his ear, stroking his hair tenderly as he trembled in the other's arms, holding a sob of relief that he knew wanted to escape.
"How were you able to break free from Snoke's control?" Armitage finally managed.
"Hmm," Ben hummed around him, the vibration a pleasant rumble. "I heard you calling to me." The man paused briefly, as if savoring the memory. "You were about to say something. I remember really wanting to hear it to the end."
"I…" What was it that he wanted to… Armitage could feel his face heat up, remembering the single thought that ran through his mind as he looked death in the eye in the form of Snoke.
He swallowed, suddenly embarrassed. He had really thought that he was about to die at that moment and nearly blurted the words out before Ben had suddenly taken back control and ejected Snoke out.
Ben pulled away just slightly to look at him with those beautiful dark eyes, a twinkle playing in them. Armitage could stare at them all day. The man cupped his cheek with a free hand, brushing a strand of stray hair behind his ears with those large hands calloused from years of holding a lightsaber, yet still gentle against his skin.
"I love you," Ben whispered.
"Yes, that was…" he paused, suddenly embarrassed by the words torn from his own mouth. He gaped at the other for a moment, unable to say anything as he tried to decipher whether Ben was merely finishing his sentence from before or that… or that...
Ben laughed, a wonderful musical sound. "It's unusual for you to not have a retort, Grand Marshal."
"I-I do too, you Nerfherder," he returned indignantly, ignoring his change in title for the moment as he captured the other's lips in a kiss before Ben could retort. He could see the man's eyes widen with his sudden initiative, but a passionate haze misted over them soon after as Ben's hand moved to the back of his head, bringing him in to deepen the kiss. The other climbed over him slowly, positioning a knee between his legs as Ben pressed closer to him, eliciting an involuntary groan as Armitage felt the pressure against his crotch.
The other pulled away, expressive dark eyes staring into his. "Can I?" Ben whispered.
Armitage swallowed thickly and nodded. He felt himself already getting hard and wondered if he would be able to go through with the act after all this time. Of course, he was willing to give himself to Ben if the other wanted him, but the thought still made him nervous. What if he wasn't ready?
The bulge in his pants seemed to say otherwise.
"We'll take it slow," the other reassured him softly before placing a kiss on his forehead, as if sensing his inner turmoil. "Besides," the man continued, a mischievous glint in his eye, "I can't exactly go all out until you've healed."
Armitage could feel the heat rising to his ears and pulled the supreme leader back down for another kiss to hide his embarrassment, ignoring the burning in his side. He snaked a tongue inside the other's mouth, earning a rough grunt from the man before Ben's hands moved under his waistband and grasped the hardness underneath them.
He whimpered from the sudden intrusion, and their kisses grew rougher and more desperate as Ben began to stroke him. Armitage started to see stars, nearly whining when they finally separated for air, and he took the opportunity to wiggle out of his pajamas before attempting to relieve Ben of his tunic.
The rest of their clothes followed shortly, and Armitage shuddered from the cold air against his skin as he studied the heavily muscled form of the other hungrily. He still wasn't so sure if he'll be able to see this through to the end as he eyed the other's length. His side still throbbed relentlessly, and after a moment of careful lust-induced planning, he flipped their positions with some difficulty, earning a questioned stare from Ben underneath him.
"Are you sure?" the man murmured.
"Let me do this." He procured a bottle of lube from the bedside drawer, thankfully unused or he would not have been able to bear the memory, and poured it in his hand clumsily, his mind a whirlwind of emotions as Ben watched him carefully.
Armitage paused before he inserted one finger slowly, unable to suppress a moan from the intrusion. He hadn't touched himself for ages now since Snoke as the act had reminded him too much of his powerlessness against the other. Even now, he could feel the familiar panic return to him, and his movements suddenly froze, unable to move on. Ben regarded all of this calmly and gently took his hand out, entwining their fingers together, rubbing the stickiness through his own fingers.
"I'm yours to command," Ben whispered. "You're in control."
Armitage took a deep breath and nodded before motioning Ben's hand to his entrance. The man pressed in one finger just as slowly, and he gasped when Ben scissored his fingers, a slight smirk spreading through the other's face. Armitage gritted his teeth indignantly.
"Stop grinning and hurry, you big oaf."
"Don't forget, you're the one who said hurry." Another finger entered him, and by the time the third joined in, Armitage was whimpering helplessly on Ben's hand, struggling to find release. He felt the other remove his hand, and he positioned himself over Ben's erection, taking a deep breath before lowering himself in.
Ben let out a throaty groan as he clenched around the man, and Armitage cried out involuntarily when the other rutted upward involuntarily, doubling over Ben and gasping from the sudden wave of pleasure that filled him. Then, at the same time, his body froze, suddenly reminded of the many times Snoke had…
"Armitage, look at me."
The voice was clear, lustful, completely Ben. He found himself whisked away from his own memories back to deep expressive eyes, orbs meant just for him.
"You are in control. I will never let anyone hurt you ever again, Armitage," Ben's voice caressed him in his own mind.
"I can… ask anything of you?" he inquired carefully after a moment.
"I am yours to command."
He took a deep breath, repositioning himself as Ben groaned softly under him. "Those words earlier, say them to me again," he whispered against the other's ear.
Ben smiled. "I love you."
.
Ben woke up to an empty bed, holding back a wave of apprehension before he saw the piece of paper next to him on the nightstand. He had wanted to take it slow last night, but it turned out that Armitage was a passionate little creature, and the man's wound decided to reopen at the end just as Dr. Andrienne had predicted.
And of course, Ben had then proceeded to spend the rest of the night getting the grand marshal stitched back up by the med droids, attempting and failing at a few instances to keep a straight face in front of the all too indignant doctor. He supposed the only saving grace to the entire situation was that Armitage himself had no trouble ignoring Dr. Andrienne's disapproving rattling, too in pain to care through the procedure after refusing another round of sedatives.
The grand marshal had then pretty much passed out from exhaustion even before the last med droid rolled out the door, and Ben followed suit shortly after, having not slept since he'd return from the temple between getting Armitage to the infirmary and overseeing a few of the ships operations to make sure everyone was still in line. Mitaka had done a fine job in that aspect, and he decided to leave everything in the lieutenant's hands for the time being before falling into a dreamless sleep next to Armitage.
However, he did not expect to not even notice Armitage slip out this early. Knowing the other man, Armitage must have taken a full shower and changed into his uniform, which would have meant going through the drawers in the room, and Ben had slept through that as well. To make it worse, a pile of neatly folded clothes lay at the foot of the bed which looked suspiciously designated for him. Ben sighed and picked up the note, just a little impressed at the other's resilience.
He never figured Armitage to have bad handwriting, but the scrawl was endearingly crooked and it's message no less curt.
"I've allowed you to sleep in just this once, Supreme Leader. If you would meet me on the bridge when you are awake, it would be much appreciated."
He rolled out of bed slowly and took his time in the shower just to spite the other. Refreshed, he slipped on the clean black tunic and trousers Armitage had left for him, no doubt via one of the droids, and headed for the bridge. When he arrived, the crew worked in silence as he passed them, the usual tension still there but much softer than he had remembered in ages. He spotted the fiery hair of the grand marshal across the room, his slim form outlined by the dim stars beyond the massive windows of the bridge.
"I don't like waking up to an empty bed," Ben commented as he took his place next to the man.
"I was feeling restless," Armitage replied, eyes still trained to the abyss beyond the transparasteel.
"Restless? You need to feel rested." Ben reminded himself to resume the other's meditation lessons before Armtiage fell into another round of insomnia again.
"I am rested," the other retorted. Ben could feel the man's mind running, the well-oiled machine he had missed listening to even back in his days when he still wore his helmet. "I've been thinking about how to proceed," Armitage admitted after a moment.
"We could run away. Start a space farm," he offered, playing with the notion.
Armitage snorted. "At least choose something that we both have some experience in."
"Smuggling?" Ben tried again, wrenching his nose in disgust even as the word left his lips.
Armitage mercifully ignored him. "I was thinking of opening discussions with some of the systems we have been in contact with. Protection in exchange for order."
"That's what we've been doing," Ben pointed out.
The man shook his head. "I was envisioning a different sort of order."
"Oh?"
"No slavery, for one thing."
"So, you'll start paying our Stormtroopers."
He could see the crease on Armitage's forehead deepen, knowing that the other had considered the possibility. "Yes," Armitage said after a moment.
Ben raised an eyebrow. "You're serious."
"We'll offer the children in the poorer planets a way out. No more taking, like what happened to me." He paused. "Like what I've done to so many others."
"And how are we going to pay for all this?" Armitage looked at him like he had just seen a ghost. "What?" Ben asked despite knowing exactly what the other was thinking.
"You are actually considering the budget for once, Supreme Leader?"
"It's part of my job," Ben said triumphantly, earning a moment of surprise from the other.
"I will draft something out," Armitage paused briefly as if considering his next words. "Your mother probably has some interesting proposals."
Ben gulped.
The rebuilding effort was just beginning. There was so much they needed to do. He was not prepared to face his mother for one thing, but he knew he had to now that Armitage had suggested it. He admitted to himself that Kaiyo had played her cards right by staying with the Resistance.
Still, Leia had to understand that they would not go back to the ways of the New Republic, not of the old First Order. He had destroyed it all, had burnt to ash everything that taken a small boy out of Arkanis, a child of the Light, and trapped him in the confines of the Darkness. He was ready to start anew, to build that ideal world.
He would find balance.
Ben felt a squeeze of assurance on his hand, thin fingers entwined in his. He turned from the vastness of space to the beautiful creature standing beside him.
"You ready?"
Armitage smiled.
The withering flame had been reborn into a thousand suns.
Thank you for reading! *hugs hugs*