Taking Command Book 1 (Kylux) (#Wattys2016)

Chapter Fifty Two: Search

Kylo PoV

After our disastrous meeting with Supreme Leader Snoke, Hux wanted to take action immediately. He asked me to speak with any contacts I had about any inkling of the map to Skywalker or Skywalker himself.

I did as he asked while at the same time readying myself for leaving at any moment. The threat of Snoke's wrath loomed over us both like a blade waiting to fall.

We both went about our duties the same way, only more wary. For all we knew, Snoke would try to ambush us or send someone to end our lives.

After a week of waiting on tenterhooks, we got news from one of my sources. Someone had hidden the final piece of Skywalker's map on Dagobah. Obviously, they were a bit sentimental. The problem was that the person was planning on moving the piece in three days. We had to move now.

Without even asking permission, Hux and I set out within an hour of hearing the news. We had to get that map piece.

The trip was several hours and we spent it theorizing about plans and possible difficulties. Dagobah was uninhibited, but it had once been the haunt of Yoda, an ancient Jedi Master, and Luke, my uncle. I had heard that the swamps of Dagobah could cause you to hallucinate and see your fears. That was not something comforting to think about when you were running blind into the planet.

We landed on a relatively dry spot on the planet and geared up to traverse the marshy area. I had the coordinates for where the piece had been hidden but we could not land too close or whoever guarded it would know what we had come for.

"You ready?" Hux asked me as I pulled on a pair of waterproof boots and set my helmet to the side. I would not need it.

"Yes. Let's find this blasted map. We've chased it all over the galaxy. It's time for our search to end." I was ready to find Luke and kill him, I knew I could.

Hux and I both walked out of the ship and nearly immediately encountered a large bog. With a sigh, I stepped in, and following the coordinates, I walked chest deep in the muck until I got to the other side.

My cloak and cowl were drenched and heavy with mud and water. Hux looked dirtier than I had ever seen him. It was hard not to be amused. He was such a stickler for neatness and  here he was, dripping mud and weeds.

"That was... unpleasant." Hux looked disgusted and done with life. "If anyone other than you had asked me to do this, I would slap them."

"Thank you." I kissed him lightly. "We are about ten kilometers from the place according to this." I looked at my datapad. "We can the summon the ship from there right?"

"Yeah," Hux replied. "The ship can respond to you, that is to say your controllers, if it is within one hundred kilometers."

"Handy. So we only have to do this once." I was not a clean freak like Hux was, but the amount of filth on me right now disgusted me.

After a few hours of slow walking and taking, we were almost there. We stopped for a quick rest and then kept on going.

We reached the coordinates and found a starship sitting there. There was someone by it. They were wearing an orange flight suit, typical garb of a pilot.

I could hear him talking. I was pretty sure he was male, based on their vocal timbre. I walked closer, trying to remain camouflaged in the trees. They did not notice.

I had not been able to hear the voice clearly until now. I heard it aloud and a felt my heart drop into my shoes. It was my father Han Solo.