One week later, it was the morning of my first war meeting.

I stood in the shower much longer than necessary, mentally rehearsing the things I wanted to say. A dozen of the highest-ranking Generals attended the monthly war meetings, all of whom were older and more experienced than me. If there was a chance I could influence even one of them, I was willing to take it.

A beam of light shone from the refresher when I opened the door. The room was still dark, and Kylo was still sleeping. Wearing my light clothes, I toweled my hair as I crossed the room and sat at the edge of the bed. He began to stir.

"Kylo...it's 0900."

He grunted shortly. "The meeting is at ten."

"I know," I breathed incredulously.

His hand emerged from under the sheets and grasped my waist. He ran it over the curve of my hip, stirring the embers within me. My heart fluttered with surprise. We just did it last night...

"I'm going to my room to change," I told him.

"No," he practically whined. "Come back to bed."

I leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on his lips to placate him. I smiled when he made a pleased sound in his throat. Before I could escape, his hand found its way to the back of my head and pulled me down into another kiss. His lips were soft and warm and so inviting. Willpower broken, I leaned on my hand to hover over him, being careful not to break the kiss. His hands found my hips, and he effortlessly lifted me onto his lap. I sensed the aftershock of his use of the Force, causing my heart to race even faster.

My fingers wove themselves into his hair as he kissed me deeply. His hands left a blazing trail across my hips and thighs, spurring me on. Eventually needing air, I placed my hands on either side of his head and pushed myself up. Kylo gazed up at me with flushed cheeks and a rather adorable look of longing on his face. I laughed breathlessly.

"You're so—"

As if to silence me, he sat up and attacked my neck with his lips. His tongue traced a searing line from the bottom of my ear to my collarbone before returning to my thumping pulse point. I gasped. When he pressed the tip of his tongue into it, a guttural moan came out of me. He chuckled, his breath like a fire on my skin.

My body settled against him as his arms tightened around me. A bolt of electricity shot straight through me when I felt how excited he was. We're past the point of no return now. I reached around and anchored my hands on his back, digging my blunt nails across his skin. With a low groan, he pulled away and looked down at me with a lustful gaze.

I moved my hands to his scarred chest, smiling sheepishly when his muscles flexed under my fingers. He smirked and kissed me again, pinning my hands between us in the process. His tongue found its way past my lips, tasting me with sweeping motions. His quiet moan vibrated against my hands. In a moment of pure arousal, I took his lower lip between my teeth and bit down.

He pulled back immediately, and I worried that I had hurt him. That theory crumbled when I saw the raw need in his eyes. I smiled as he flipped me over and maneuvered me onto my back. Holding himself over me, he brushed a hand at the hem of my shirt.

"Lucia...?"

I nodded wordlessly and helped him pull my shirt over my head. It landed somewhere on the floor as his eyes traced over my body. The biting cold air was soon replaced by warm hands, revisiting the places that made me shiver in pleasure. His hands were then replaced by his tongue, amplifying every sensation. I grasped the back of his head to pull him even closer, but he slid away.

When I felt his breath on my lower belly, I gasped.

"We can't do that now," I said breathlessly.

He looked up at me, his eyes mischievous in the dim light. "Why not?"

"We only have...fifteen minutes."

With a look of childish disappointment, he lowered his mouth back to my skin. "I want to please you," he murmured.

"Kylo."

He pulled away with a scowl on his face. I placed my hand on the top of his head.

"Another time," I said reassuringly.

Needless to say, I was sweating bullets under my helmet in the war room.

The Supreme Leader didn't breathe a word as twelve of his Generals gave individual reports from the Western Reaches and elsewhere in the Outer Rim. Some were excellent, others were embellished, but most were simply good. Without the Resistance afoot, the speed of operations was at an all-time high. The campaign into the Mid Rim was poised to begin.

"So we continue the same strategy," was Kylo's conclusion.

General Graves cleared his throat. "If I may, Supreme Leader. The inhabitants of the Mid Rim are wealthier and more educated than the Outer. In general, we will meet with stronger resistance in the form of local militaries and possible regional alliances."

"A more firm approach is required," General Hux concluded.

Most of the Generals hummed in agreement. Sensing an opportunity, I placed my hand on the table and leaned forward.

"I have been to the Outer Rim," I said, picturing a trip with my father. "I've witnessed their hatred for the New Republic firsthand. With a more careful approach, their minds can be swayed."

My heart thundered in my ears in the silence that followed.

"Define 'careful,' dear Captain," said General Maizen.

"Diplomatic," I clarified.

"I agree," said General Sade, projecting her voice across the room. "But for the Mid Rim. With all due respect, Captain, that strategy will obviously be ineffective in the Outer Rim moving forward. If word reaches the Colonies that the First Order is a welcome ruler, that will put the Core in a very difficult position."

"Foolish, Ministera," General Hux sneered. "No one is 'welcoming' an occupier into their region. A soft approach will lead to rebellion and chaos."

She was clearly offended. "Thank you, Armitage. Need I remind you that you currently command what amounts to a floating city, not an operational battlecruiser?"

"Enough," Kylo barked.

A few beats of silence went by. General Graves spoke next.

"He's right, Supreme Leader." He turned his attention to Hux and added, "Your father would agree with that assessment."

Hux nodded stiffly at that comment.

Kylo sat in silent contemplation for a minute as the Generals murmured amongst themselves. When he finally spoke, every eye and ear was on him.

"A mixed approach," he said. "Maintain the status quo in the outer regions of the Mid Rim. Utilize a more diplomatic strategy in the inner regions near the Colonies. I want proposals on the latter from each of you by the end of the day."

I retreated from the war room before any Generals could approach me for conversation. Hux was already in the hallway, seemingly waiting to speak to someone. He glared at me, silently conveying his disapproval.

I frowned as I turned away and left.

My next shower was my quickest. After walking through several enlisted areas of the ship, my sweat had dried to a grainy residue. The water and soap washed it away and left me feeling more refreshed than I had in days.

By the time I left the fresher, Kylo had returned to the room. He sat at the table with a sooty cloth rolled out in front of him. As my eyes traced over the scattered pieces and parts there, I realized it was his disassembled lightsaber. He was diligently cleaning each component.

"Third shower," he quipped over his shoulder.

"Mhm, thanks to you," I muttered.

As I watched him, I aimlessly combed my fingers through his hair, inky black against my pale skin and as soft as feathers. The glowing red kyber on the mat drew my gaze like a magnet. It reminded me of the battlecruisers on the star chart in the war room.

"After the war, where will we be?" I asked softly.

His hands froze.

Instead of answering, he stood and disappeared into the bedroom. I waited there, patient yet confused. He returned with a small wooden box and gave it to me.

I traced my finger along the intricate carvings on the box, which was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. It had definitely come from a special place. I looked up at him.

"What is it?"

He smirked. "Open it."

I used my thumb to unlatch the metal clasp and opened the lid. A tiny, colorless crystal lay inside. Kylo took it between his fingers and held it up, revealing a cloudy fracture inside of it. He picked up his kyber crystal with his other hand.

"When I turned to the Dark Side, I changed this. In the process, I...broke it." He held up the fragment to the jagged edge of the red crystal. "I want you to have it."

I was already shaking my head. "I can't accept this."

He placed it gently back in the box and pushed it toward me. "Yes, you can. I don't want it to be a relic of the past."

I cupped the box in my hands, feeling the faint Force energy seeping out from inside. It was the most precious gift I had ever received.

"Thank you."

He reached his arm around me and pulled me into him. I nuzzled into his chest as he rested his chin on top of my head. My heart sang in his embrace.

"After the war," he murmured, "we'll be together."