Copper for the Charlatan

Machinations of Ghosts

"Stop." He reached out and froze her in place with the force. "Calm down. I could feel your fear across the force, like someone was killing you."

"You almost did." she spat. The panic of the dreamstate started to slip away, returning her to reality.

"What?"

"I... sorry... I had a nightmare..." She jumped when she felt his finger run down the scar on her back, a deep purple rivulet from shoulder to hip.

"A lightsaber"

"Yes"

"Mine too... the scar on my face... you never asked." He released her and she turned to look up at the man that gave it to her. After all the years painted in bloodlust and threaded with wistful dreams of revenge- she couldn't find it in her heart to hate him like she once did. He that rushed to save her- someone he knew had nothing but ire for him- and now stood with his brow furrowed in concern and blood smeared across his face.

"Oh stars, Kylo, I'm so sorry-" she ran to her kitchenette to grab a hand towel to clean the blood away.

"I'm fine-" he went to push her back, but she brushed his hand aside. Still reeling from the nightmare, she wanted to do something, anything, to distract her from the wave of crushing anxiety that usually followed.

"Stop. I did this, let me help." She could feel him staring down at her as she gently dabbed at his face.

"How did it happen?'

"I- it, ah," she struggled to craft a vague, half truth response, afraid he'd know if she lied "It happened a long time ago, from someone I trusted. I'm sorry I woke you, I know you need to get back to sleep."

He reached up and stopped her hand "It's fine. I can stay if you-

The doors opened to interrupt him, and Hux burst in- great coat slung over black pajamas, hair a mess, with his blaster drawn.

"What the hell did you do, Ren?!" he yelled. One of the troopers he'd smashed into the wall had come to and stumbled to his feet, running again down to the General's quarters to alert him to a disturbance and Kylo's presence, failing to recount the events in proper order.

Kylo reached a clawed hand out to him but Ichara snatched it back. "Everything is fine, we felt something through the force is all. You wouldn't understand" she snapped.

Hux reluctantly lowered his blaster, chest heaving from sprinting down the corridors. "What happened?! As General of this ship-"

"As General of this ship I can tell you it doesn't concern you! I'm fine, I just need to rest." It was all too much, and she needed everything to just stop. " Thank you, Kylo. I need to lie down. Goodnight."

She rushed out of the room and threw herself on the bed, leaving them alone with each other. She didn't let the tears fall till she was sure they were both gone. This place is going to be the absolute death of me.

Hux stormed down the hallway, hoping the menace behind him would leave him alone. He wasn't so lucky.
"What was that about, Hux?" Kylo called after him.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he turned around, exhaling with a huff before he replied. "I was woken by storm troopers and alerted to a disturbance."

"If you ever pull a blaster on me again, it will be the last thing you do." The black undershirt and sleep pants made Kylo appear more human, but the seemingly constant anger simmering just below the surface set an air about him that was undeniably intimidating.

Hux's eyes trailed along the smear of blood on Kylo's face as he stood over him. "Yes... Supreme Leader."

"Goodnight, General." He paused for a moment more to glower at him before shouldering past.
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