Chapter 30
Teva waited in the hangar with the rest of the knights for Kylo Ren to exit the ship. Rypo stood at his right side, and he made a point of stepping slightly ahead of her so that he would be between Rypo and Master Kylo when the ramp opened.
Just in case.
The ramp lowered, and out walked Master Kylo with the girl Rey close behind him. Teva wasn't surprised, though he could see that some of the other knights were from the way they tensed up when she stepped out. Kylo and Rey were armed with lightsabers, but nothing else. They also did not have masks, just like the last time. The knights, of course, wore their own masked helmets. Banto stepped forward, as was his duty as the second-in-command.
"Welcome back, Supreme Leader and Master," Banto said, and knelt down. Teva and the other knights followed suit. He noted that the girl with Master Kylo seemed mildly disturbed by the demonstration. That was something, at least, if she was not interested in power over them.
"Thank you. You may rise and remove your helmets. I want to see your faces," Kylo said. The knights stood as one and removed their masks. Teva glanced at the faces of those he did not know and found the others doing the same. He was surprised and slightly disappointed to discover they all appeared human. "Are there any critical updates?"
"All has been peaceful. Our engineers have determined that it may be possible to repair The Supremacy in time. The Resistance has been quiet. The knights have several suggestions for improvements after observing the forces directly this past week, if you care to hear them, Master."
"That time will come, Banto. We have much to discuss. Let's move to the board room first," Master Kylo said. He put an arm around Rey's waist, who seemed surprised, and led her through the knights without another word.
"That is not what I was expecting," Rypo whispered to Teva as they gaped at the back of the couple walking away. Except for Nighwitch, the other knights seemed hesitant to follow as well. Nighwitch had already fallen in step behind them.
Teva nudged Rypo and started following as well with Rypo at his side. "That is not the same Master Kylo who left us a week ago." Teva heard more footsteps and glanced behind to see the other knights following now, though none very closely.
"No, it's not," Rypo said. She glanced behind as well. "I don't know what to do."
"Be patient, hear Master Kylo out, and then decide. Whatever you choose, I will support you," Teva said.
Rypo gave him a sideways glance, and Teva wondered if she were finally picking up on his devotion to her. He smiled at her, and she frowned at him, but she also walked just a little more closely to him. Teva glanced down at her and wondered if she might someday let him hold her the way Master Kylo was holding Rey.
In the boardroom, Master Kylo took the head of the table, as was his right as Supreme Leader. Rey sat to his left, Banto to his right, and the other knights filled in the end of the table as they had during the last meeting with Nighwitch at the foot.
Master Kylo closed the door behind him with a glance and a push of the force before turning to face them. The force around them was unsteady, and Teva trembled with anticipation of what was to come. He knew to his bones that whatever was said in this room today would change everything.
Next to him, Rypo seemed to be similarly affected, only where he felt excitement, her body language radiated fear. Teva nudged her to get her attention and gazed at her, hoping to ground her. When he saw her start to relax, he offered an open hand under the table. They had never held hands before, but something told him she might need that support now. He glanced down at his hand to draw her attention to it. She frowned at him again on seeing the offer, but took it, and after a moment, her breathing calmed.
Teva pursed his lips to keep himself from smiling.
"I have a few announcements to make," Master Kylo said. "In my absence, I spoke at lengths with the current leader of the Resistance, a man called General Poe Dameron, about the differences between the Resistance and the First Order. Our approaches have been different, but the goal is the same: An ordered galaxy that is free of corruption and chaos. Now that I have had some time to think on the matter and returned to the fleet, I plan to officially open negotiations with the Resistance to end this conflict once and for all. This will allow both the Resistance and the First Order to dedicate resources towards making that dream come true instead of battling each other. Furthermore, the Resistance has political allies that have long opposed the First Order's rule. Once allied, those allies will become ours as well or be forced to go against both the First Order and the Resistance. I expect your involvement in determining the details of the peace treaty. Does anyone object?"
Silence fell over the room, though Teva noted that Jun'Pon was squirming in his seat and Banto appeared miffed. Hama-Ki was leaning forward, interested. Both Nighwitch and Rypo had blank expressions. Teva looked up to see that Rey was watching him with open curiosity. Interesting. He winked at her. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he smiled. Rey rolled her eyes and returned her attention to Master Kylo. Very interesting.
He felt a tug on his hand, and he glanced at Rypo, whose expression was no longer blank but confused as she glanced between Teva and Rey. He squeezed Rypo's hand and laced their fingers together. He figured the added intimacy would either reassure or offend Rypo, and that would be better than leaving her in doubt. For several breathless seconds, Rypo froze, and then her fingers curled around his and pink tinged her cheeks.
Teva let out a sigh of relief and smirked.
"The next topic at hand is an introduction. My companion is Rey of the planet Jakku. She joined the Resistance shortly before the destruction of Starkiller Base and has been instrumental in helping General Dameron and I set our differences aside so that we could speak peacefully about the future. She is a powerful force user, my ally, and my friend."
Here, Hama-Ki frowned and said, "Is she not the same Jedi who slew the late Supreme Leader Snoke?"
Teva's eyes darted back to Rey and Kylo just in time to catch their nervous glance at each other.
"I am not a Jedi," Rey said carefully. "I admire many of the principles of the Jedi, and I want to do good in this world. However, I abhor their strictures against passion. The Jedi preach against fear, anger, and desire. They even caution against attachments and love. I refuse to give those feelings up for anyone or anything. I am my own person, and no one is going to change that. I am Rey, and I will always be Rey."
Nighwitch spoke up next. "Master Kylo, what do you make of this? You taught us to suppress all feelings that we may be better tools to serve the First Order."
Master Kylo looked at Rey, then gazed at the knights. "I did, and suppressing our feelings did make us better tools, but the First Order needs leaders now, not tools, and leaders need to feel. Supreme Leader Snoke felt. I have allowed myself to feel, and now I am asking you to do the same."
"You're dismantling the Knights of Ren!" Banto exclaimed.
"Not at all. I'm redefining it. We were once the emotionless tools of Supreme Leader Snoke. Tomorrow we will be the leaders of the First Order. Those who are willing must rise to the challenge."
"But you are our leader, Master Kylo," Nighwitch said. "Direct us, and we will do your bidding."
Teva saw the dismayed glance Master Kylo and Rey exchanged, and Teva sighed. "I'm fine with it. Honestly, I never bought into the emotionless stuff anyway," Teva said.
"I'm devoted to the First Order. If opening myself to emotions allows me to better serve, than so be it," Rypo said from his side, though she sounded terrified as she said it. Then again, terror was an emotion. Teva squeezed her hand, and she looked to him.
"Banto, is there something you wish to say?" Master Kylo said.
Teva glanced at Banto and saw immediately what Master Kylo was referring to. The man was quietly livid. "The First Order is not a democracy or a senate. It only needs one leader," Banto said.
"Agreed. Furthermore, you never addressed this girl's role in the death of Snoke," Hama-Ki said. "We were told you were recruiting her the Knights of Ren. And yet here you are telling us that you have fallen to her own force ideology, a new, untried way at that, and that we should convert as well? How can you justify this? Snoke trusted you to lead us, yet you betray that trust by abandoning the ways he taught us. I cannot support this."
"Agreed," Jun-Pon said.
"He is our leader. Though I do not agree, I will trust him," Nighwitch said.
"I want to know the truth of what happened to Supreme Leader Snoke," Hama-Ki repeated. "The girl does not have the eyes of a murderer."
Master Kylo stared Hama-Ki down. "She tried to murder me the first time she set eyes on me. She's more than capable."
"Then why has she not admitted to murdering Supreme Leader Snoke?" Jun-Pon asked.
Teva knew it was a fair question, and he also knew why Rey didn't answer. It was becoming clearer that neither his Supreme Leader nor this girl much liked lying. "She didn't kill him. Master Kylo did," Teva said. Both Kylo Ren and Rey looked at him in shock. "I'm right, aren't I? Nothing else makes any sense."
"Is this true?" Banto asked, looking to Master Kylo. Teva noted that the man didn't seem surprised. If anything, he seemed thrilled.
"But why would Master Kylo harm Supreme Leader Snoke?" Nighwitch asked. Her face was one of disbelief.
"Because he wanted the throne for himself, clearly," Jun-Pon said.
"No, he didn't! Did he? Did you?" Nighwitch said, clearly distressed.
Teva looked to their leader, who was speechless in shock. A second later, Rey pulled her lightsaber out and slammed it on the table, keeping her hand tight on it. "He killed Snoke for me, and if anyone has a problem with it, they can talk to me. Snoke was going to kill me. Ben saved my life."
Silence filled the room, and then questions and accusations exploded from everyone but Teva and Rypo.
"Master Kylo's name is NOT Ben!" "You killed our glorious Supreme Leader for a girl!?" "Kylo Ren is a traitor to the First Order!" "Master Kylo, how could you?" "The girl deserves to die." "You have forgotten our ways, Master."
Rey ignited the lightsaber on the table and held it up, and Teva saw immediately that it was not a lightsaber, but a lightstaff. Interesting.
"I said if anyone has a problem with what he did, they can talk to me. I love him. I will not let you hurt him."
Everyone stood, drew their lightsabers, and ignited them as well. The room buzzed with the excess energy. "No problem," said Banto. "I'll just set things straight by killing you as Snoke intended."
"You will have to come through me," Master Kylo said. "I did kill Supreme Leader Snoke to save Rey's life. I love her, and I will destroy you all if I must to keep her at my side. Now put your lightsabers away before I unhand you, literally. You know I am capable."
Rypo put hers away first, and Teva followed. Nighwitch and Hama-Ki were next, and Jun-Pon and Banto last of the knights. Master Kylo nodded at Rey, and they both deactivated theirs as well.
Master Kylo faced them all. "I am not here to debate the past. You feel you need the facts. Yes, I killed Snoke, and yes, I did it for the girl standing beside me. However, I have been faithful to the First Order in every other way. I will not surrender my claim to lead to those who have not proven themselves a better leader than me, and so I have asked you to remove your helmets and show me your worth by discovering who you are and becoming leaders instead of simply tools."
"You mean to abdicate to one of us," Rypo said. All the knights, including Teva, gaped at her in shock. Teva shook his head. She had to be wrong. There was no way Master Kylo would give up his throne to one of them.
They looked to Master Kylo. "Rypo's right. I'm here to choose a successor before I leave the First Order."
Long chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! Please tell me what you think! I've been super-nervous about falling out-of-character for this cast since coming back to this fanfic.
