Chapter 33

Banto seethed as he left the conference room with Jun'Pon close on his heels. He had expected to need to discredit and challenge Kylo Ren to become Supreme Leader. How could he have known the man was mad enough to give up the helm willingly? And now Kylo Ren had set the other knights against him… except Jun'Pon. No surprise there. The man had always been licking his boots.

"Banto, what will we do? The others spoke against you," Jun'Pon said, as if Banto needed a reminder. Once again, his extensive experience was passed over for favoritism and tradition. He had risen from being a nobody orphan to the leader of the most deadly street gang in Coruscant. He deserved to be on top. Jun'Pon recognized him, but what of the others?

Banto glanced around to make sure they were alone. "I have a contingency plan." He always did. No one survived the streets of Coruscant without them.

He had hoped for the support of the other knights when he informed the First Order that Kylo Ren had betrayed them and rallied the forces behind him as their new leader. However, he could work around the changes.

Killing them would be the cleanest move, but he would never win against them in traditional combat. However, he had control of the fleet still and the location of the Resistance. Maybe he could do something there?

"Banto?" Jun'Pon said.

"Quiet. I'm thinking," Banto replied. He crossed his arms and tapped his jaw.

"What are you thinking?" asked a woman behind him.

Banto turned to find Hama-Ki studying him. Hama-Ki had always been a strange one. The woman had access to power her whole life and yet seemed perfectly content to live in obscurity. "I'm wondering about the future of the First Order, of course," he said, judging it a safe response. He had hoped she would side with him, but Hama-Ki did value order more than chaos, even if it went against tradition. Could he convince her that supporting him would be more sensible?

"As we all are. You want to lead," she said. Jun'Pon gasped at their side, but she ignored him.

"Do you not?" he asked, turning the focus on her and also ignoring Jun'Pon.

Hama-Ki raised an eyebrow. "Not particularly. I don't care for the pressure. I'm surprised you do. You can still have much power and influence as a knight. Leadership will put scrutiny on your every action. A false move can mean your death, such as with our late Supreme Leader Snoke. Master Kylo was wise to choose to abdicate before his own life was taken in turn."

Banto studied her. He had never been able to read her intentions. Her logic was too foreign to his own, and it frightened him. "What exactly are you saying?"

Hama-Ki looked him in the eye. "Whatever crazy plan you're thinking up to claim the throne, don't do it. In the process, you will set the knights against you and the First Order against itself. It's better to bide your time."

Banto schooled his expression to remain calm and relaxed. "I have no such plans."

"Keep it that way," Hama-Ki said and stepped around him to walk past.

Banto and Jun-Pon waited until she left their corridor before speaking again. "That's not good," Jun-Pon said.

Banto suppressed an eyeroll. "She knows nothing."

"So there is a plan?" Jun'Pon asked.

Banto scratched his head in frustration. He did not normally let Jun'Pon into the inner workings of his mind, but he was not sure how to actually put things together, and at least Jun'Pon was loyal to him. "I said there was one earlier, didn't I? Now let's move somewhere more private before the others find us too."

Banto led Jun'Pon through a series of hallways until he reached his own quarters. Banto sealed the door behind them and scanned the room for recording devices. Once he verified nothing was there, he turned to Jun'Pon. "Kylo Ren has not yet removed my authority over the fleet, and I just happen to know where the Resistance is located, something even he may be unaware of."

Jun'Pon's eyes lit up. "You know where the Resistance is?"

"They had Kylo Ren's helmet with them on Coruscant. It's how he found Rey. When I sent Rypo and Teva to spy on him, I sent a second ship with a spy to follow the helmet to the Resistance, and then follow the Resistance to their hideout. They sold the helmet. They had no idea that they picked up other tracers in the process. Nor does Kylo Ren. You are the first person I've told."

"Thank you for your trust. So you plan to go after them?"

Banto sighed and paced the room. "My original plan involved as much, but that was before Kylo Ren managed to win the remaining knights to his side in supporting a peace treaty with the Resistance." He frowned, trying to figure out a way to gain an edge. "He can't form a peace treaty if he doesn't know where they are, though."

"He doesn't know where they are?"

Banto shook his head. "My spy says that the Resistance knows where the fleet is, but that they had not provided Kylo Ren with a way to contact them."

Jun'Pon sat down hard on a chair. "So what do we do?"

He tapped his chin. "Offer to send a representative to go over the treaty, of course. Perhaps Hama-Ki. She likes those sorts of things, after all," he said, narrowing his eyes and smiling.

"So… we sabotage the ship and frame the Resistance?" Jun'Pon guessed. Banto's smile widened, and Jun'Pon's own smile matched it. There was a reason he and Jun'Pon got along, after all. "It would undermine Kylo Ren's authority as well, wouldn't it?"

"Very much so," Banto said. "We'll have to play this by ear, but I expect several of our knights might meet with unexpected casualties in the face of the Resistance."

"Excellent planning, my lord," Jun'Pon said.

Banto felt a thrill at the title Jun'Pon gave him, though he had not quite earned it yet. "Mind your speech until I'm actually in charge, Jun'Pon. We wouldn't want the wrong ears to overhear."


This was not my strongest chapter, and I'm mildly annoyed I didn't make Banto and Jun'Pon deeper characters, but there you have it. Villainy! The final plot point reveal!

And we'll return to our normally scheduled fun protagonists next chapter. Probably Ben or Poe... remember Poe? Yea, he's still out there doing his thing.

I normally say to please tell me what you think, but I'm a little worried about the feedback for this chapter.