We flew in rounds, Kylo flying while I slept and vice versa. On the last leg of the journey, Kylo's turn to sleep, he remained in the cockpit. The moment we left hyperspace above Alderaan, we were in action. Kylo began sending orders and retrieving information from General Hux, and I commed the Royal Guard, getting us landing permission and requesting to see the Queen immediately, despite the fact that it was two in the morning.
Kylo was speaking to the Knights now, probably ordering them here. I sent a message to Kandria asking her to dig up any information on Exegol. Obviously, she had questions, but I told her I didn't have time to answer them. I was swimming in anxiety, but determination was fueling me.
The guards led us to a large conference room, similar to a command station, really. I supposed she had led a rebellion, twice. Han and Leia were here, as well as Luke, and a few people I didn't know.
"Mother," Kylo said upon entry. Everyone in the room looked exhausted, mirroring Kylo and I, I'm sure.
"Kylo, Rjea, you really believe he has returned?"
"He spoke to me. He wants me to come to him," I said, crossing my arms and leaning against a table. Not quite Empress attitude, but I didn't care.
"Why?"
"I do not know." I felt her discomfort. Her anxiety was much higher than even mine and Kylo's, and I remembered my own parent's fear. They've already had this fight, it must be discouraging to be confronting the same enemy again.
"You're not thinking about going, are you?" Luke asked.
I stared at him. "What other choice do I have? We must destroy him."
"We can destroy the entire planet," Kylo said, staring at the wayfinder. I felt the shock of Leia. Luke, however, had apparently already hoped for this outcome. This was surprising to me, and I narrowed my eyes at him. He must mean with Starkiller. I hadn't even thought about it; I've already destroyed one planet, and really didn't want to destroy another.
"How would we even know where to aim?" I asked Kylo.
"Someone would have to go."
"Okay," Leia said, putting her hands up. "Let's talk about everything we know before we make any decisions."
I described my vision, and Luke explained everything he knew about the wayfinder.
My comm chimed, and I answered it.
"Rjea," I said.
"Rjea. I-I found something," Kandria's voice rang out. The room quieted, and I froze. Her voice was slightly higher in pitch and several shades quieter than it usually was. She was a heartbeat away from losing it, I realized.
"Uh, it, it took a lot of slicing, but I have an old Imperial Palace computer I use to dig out data occasionally. Well, uh, the Emperor used the planet for experiments..." her voice audibly faded out. She was sick from whatever she'd found, and I felt horrible that I'd put her through this. She cleared her throat, and I closed my eyes, preparing for the blow.
"Cloning," my blood ran cold as pieces fell together. "But uh, Rjea. It's a Sith planet. It is a total myth, except, it's not. I've gotten into something dark here. He believed it to be a source of power, and, I'm talking ultimate power. But, that isn't what I called for." She took a breath, and you could hear a pin drop in the conference room, nobody even breathing.
She'd already said some mind numbing shit, and that wasn't what she called for?
"There is a shipyard." Oh. My eyes flashed to Kylo, then Leia. She met my eyes, and I saw she was pale. Palpatine has a fleet. "But uh..." Oh great, that isn't what she called for either.
"He calls them Sith Destroyers, but... oh gods. Rjea, the weaponry wasn't finished then, so I can't tell you what it is now. But I can tell you, at the time of his death, they were studying superlasers, trying to perfect them, make them more mobile and I guess, user friendly."
"You're talking about a possible fleet of planet destroyers?" I asked, my brows furrowed. The technology to create the Death Star and Starkiller was astronomical. Surely you can't just slap one to a Star Destroyer like a freaking sticker. "How? Starkiller requires an entire planet, and the Death Star is completely impractical to build a fleet of." The resources alone would devastate the galaxy before any laser could.
"Superlasers are too unstable," Han huffed, agreeing with me.
"They were unstable," Kylo said, and I finally understood what Kandria was saying. She can't confirm the existence of them, but they've had decades to work on it.
"Kandria, have you learned anything on the inhabitants of the planet?" Somebody had to be building these things.
"Er, yeah. They're Sith cultists." That must be who I'd seen. There were thousands of them. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to ground myself. This new information was damning. Briefly, I was glad my parents didn't hear this news, or they would have demanded to come with us, to fight with us. A threat this size was not just a threat to our Empire, it was a threat to every living thing in the galaxy, including the Ascendancy. In fact, I'm positive Ar'alani would have sent the fleet somehow.
Kylo's comm beeped, and he answered it.
"If you find anything else, call me. Thank you Kan, and don't worry. Okay? Kylo and I are in our positions for a reason."
My head jerked when Kylo's voice raised at his comm. Hate bubbled up inside him, his fury almost visible through the force.
"I love you," I heard Kandria say.
"I love you too, good bye," I said, and clicked the comm off. I walked closer to Kylo.
I heard Hux's voice just before Kylo clicked the comm off. His eyes were dark with rage.
"Allegiant General Pryde has fled." His eyes were locked on mine, his jaw flexing. I felt my own rage flutter in my chest, but I swallowed it. I'd always hated that guy, but Kylo knew that, and it would not do any good to point it out.
"He worked in Palpatine's Empire, did he not?" He nodded. "Then we are to assume he has been in contact with Palpatine. I'll put out an alert on him and the ship he left in. He cannot be allowed to reach Exegol." I tapped away furiously at my datapad, sending the orders.
My head jerked up. "Can we track him? Follow him to Exegol, then blow it out of sky?"
Kylo closed his eyes, his jaw tight. "No. Hux said he's deactivated the tracking system." I let out out a breath, my excitement at the idea smothered.
"Could I get some more context, please?" Leia asked. Kylo began to explain things, but my attention snapped to Luke.
I felt him come to a conclusion, peace washing over him. I narrowed my eyes, understand exactly what he was planning on doing. No way, no freaking way.
He excused himself for the refresher, with the wayfinder.
"I'd like to go speak with him, if that is okay," I said to both Kylo and Leia, interrupting them. They nodded their consent and continued speculating.
Slipping out of the room, I followed his force signature. Sure enough, he was heading to the hangers.
I caught up to him as he entered. "Luke," I said.
"I have made my decision Rjea," he said, not even turning around to look at me. As if I give a damn.
"I know, but you don't have to do this." He continued walking fast, and I felt like I was jogging to keep up with the old man.
"You will return to them, and remain quiet until I comm."
I laughed darkly. "Are you trying to force persuade me, because that's ridiculous."
"No, I'm telling you as your elder, your uncle, and your master."
I snorted, trying not to focus on the fact that he'd already accepted me into his family. It wouldn't matter if he died. He climbed into the X-wing.
"Please, Luke."
He smiled down at me. "May the Force be with you, Rjea. And thank you for bringing my nephew back." I choked a small cry as the cockpit closed. Then he was gone.
I turned, walking back. Then my eyes landed on the command shuttle. My heart beat fast in my chest.
Fuck it.
I ran full speed to the shuttle and began flipping switches. I was in the air in less than a minute, flying after Luke's force signature. He hadn't left hyperspace yet, so he must have commed the castle.
I tweaked my signal and beam until I picked it up, mentally thanking Kandria.
"-when I land my ship, you'll know I've arrived. I suggest you hurry."
"Luke! This is unreasonable!" Leia was... angry?
"Kylo, get to the base, prepare your weapon."
"He's not here," she seethed.
"What?" asked Luke, surprised.
At the same time, I also exclaimed. What did she mean?
"He's left with Rjea!" Oh. Shit. I heard Luke curse. I turned my seat, suddenly aware of his presence.
"Kylo!" I unstrapped and stood up, leaving the ship in an idle drift, still in Alderaan's atmosphere.
He smirked at me, leaning against the wall, looking rather casual. "You thought you could leave me?"
"I didn't have time. We need to follow him when he jumps."
"We can't, Rjea."
"Please, Kylo. We have to." I approached him, looking up at him.
"It is what Palpatine wants."
"I know."
He sighed and looked at the pilot's seat. Then he shook his head. "No, Rjea."
"What? Kylo! We can't let him go alone." I was stunned that he was telling me no.
"If we do this right, he won't even have to face Palpatine, he just has to land, and get out."
"No, Kylo, we can't risk it." I wasn't going to let Luke die for a freaking clone! I felt myself beginning to unravel.
"Then what, Rjea? We go, and they don't fire the weapon because we're there? Nobody will willingly fire on us! Not even Hux. He would die before he risked your life."
"This isn't about us, my love."
"You're right, and it isn't about Luke either. He made his decision, and I'm making ours. We're responsible for what happens Rjea—we took the throne for this reason."
"You can't-"
"Rjea, I let you make the decisions all the time, because you're good at it. But you are overwhelmed with emotions right now."
I turned sharply, heading back to the navigation. I'd do it myself.
"Look at me," he demanded. Irritated, I turned back to him. His hand was reached out, and I looked at it curiously, not understanding what he was doing. He touched my temple, and I understood, right before everything went black.
-----
I was lost in a flurry of dreams: flashes of my parent's memories, flashes of a future that still wasn't written. It was as if I was watching a fever dream version of my own life, of other's lives. I could see the connections, the lines surrounding everyone and everything. I saw young Obi-Wan training with his master, well before the existence of the Chosen One had ever been discovered. I saw young Palpatine meeting a Jedi named Dooku. I saw my mother training with Ahsoka; my father leading ground troops into battle on a distant planet; Leia giving birth. I didn't know I was dreaming, I had no consciousness of self.
Until I did. I was sitting in a room, I knew, but I couldn't seem to understand any of the things around me. It was like I was a baby; words were not coming to my brain to explain what I saw. I couldn't think of the word for chair, or grass, or anything else. I was just... there. I turned my head.
A translucent man was leaning against something, almost exactly how Kylo had been in the cockpit. He seemed to be waiting on me to notice him. The fact that I remembered Kylo in the cockpit was shocking to my mind, because before that thought, my mind had been completely empty. I blinked, then stood up. It felt real. I could feel the ground beneath my feet, could feel the air entering my lungs. He was a younger, brown haired Kylo, almost.
"Who are you?" I asked. The man smiled. It looked... familiar. Realizing I should know who he was, I blinked—and suddenly Kylo was there. I could see him sitting, but not what he was sitting on. He was looking at me, surprised.
"I am Anakin Skywalker." My mouth dropped open as my attention jerked back to the, er, Anakin.
"Anakin," I whispered, still unsure if this was real. Was I dreaming? And if I was, did that make this any less real? He did look like the man I envisioned on Mustafar, just... less dark. It was the eyes; they were different. And, there was no emotion rolling off of him.
"You must protect our bloodline, Rjea."
My bones ran cold, and I felt dizzy.
I closed my eyes, trying to stabilize myself. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to understand. When I opened them, he was gone, and I was real again.
"Hello? Anakin?" I asked, sitting up. Nothing. I looked around. I was in our bedroom on the command shuttle, on our bed.
I crossed my legs and dropped my face into my hands, breathing heavy, my mind racing.
I wasn't sure if it was real. But it had felt real.
Protect his bloodline? Luke! I jerked my head up, ready to find Kylo—just as the door slammed open at an unnatural speed.
Kylo entered, his eyes wild. "What was that?" he asked. Then I remembered seeing him sitting there. Had that been real?
"You saw him too?"
"Who, Rjea? I just saw you, like I have in the past. But you weren't here." He was frustrated, angry even.
"What do you mean I wasn't here?" He grunted and sat down on the bed, reaching his hand out. I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to see.
Then I reached out, grasping his hand.
I was sucked into his memory. He was sitting in the pilots chair, gazing into the blue of hyperspace, feeling guilty, angry, anxious. Something caught his attention, and he turned the chair. As he did, his surroundings changed. He saw a field of wildflowers, and it felt vaguely familiar. Naboo, maybe? Kylo's panic was palpable, but he was also curious.
I was standing a few meters in front of him, staring at something. The image of me turned its head slightly, meeting Kylo's eyes. Then he watched as I jerked my head back to whatever I was staring at.
"Anakin," I whispered. Kylo's panic slammed into him full force, remembering how I'd told him I saw Anakin choking Padmé. He stood up from the chair, just as I asked what Anakin had meant. As soon as he was standing, the image was gone; he was back in the command shuttle's cockpit.
His hand let go of mine and I opened my eyes, blinking a couple times, still trying to understand.
"You saw...Anakin?"
I reached for his hand again, showing him what I'd seen. When I was done, I gripped his hand tighter. Shock rolled off him in waves and he pulled away, his eyes wide.
"He came to you as Anakin," he said, mostly to himself. As opposed to what, Vader? What does it matter?
"We have to save Luke, Kylo."
He scrunched his face together. He wasn't angry anymore, I realized, though he was still conflicted. A flash of excitement went through him. It was brief, but he acknowledged it before focusing on me.
"He wasn't talking about Luke, Rjea."
I cocked my head at him, running over what Anakin had said—and realized he hadn't said protect his bloodline. He'd said our bloodline. At the time I'd just assumed 'our' referred to him and his children. But, had he meant his and...mine?
He sighed, then pulled me to him. I pressed up against his chest. The past few days had been heavy and fast paced. This was exactly what I needed. He always smelled so clean and familiar. I loved him more than anything.
"Rjea, listen to me." I pushed off his chest slightly to look at him. "We are choosing to destroy Palpatine our own way, okay? He wants you to go to him, and he wants me to follow. But his plans don't matter. If he could leave Exegol, he would have already." I nodded. This made sense. "So we will destroy the planet. We do not need whatever power it offers." I blinked, my mouth opening slightly.
Though Kylo and I have ruled rather peacefully, that didn't mean it was easy. Kylo still led a military, and still fought battles. There were planetary civil wars and massive crime rings throughout the galaxy that kept my husband plenty busy. And he still dwindled mostly in the dark. Despite what I'd said on Onderon, I knew there was plenty he didn't tell me. That didn't mean I didn't know, of course. I could read his thoughts, and I read the reports. But we didn't talk about it. Neither of us seemed to see a need for it; our time together was always short, anyway.
For him to deny power in order to ensure the galaxy's safety was... fucking sexy.
"How long until we arrive?" I asked, looking toward the door.
"A bit less than an hour." My eyes flashed back to his, wild.
His eyes widened for a split second before his face broke into a grin. Then his lips were on mine, kissing me hard. When we finally split apart for breath, we stood up and shed our clothing.
We stood staring at each other, our chests rising, the air electric.
"You're so fucking sexy," I said, my voice a little husky.
He growled, his teeth revealed in a smiling snarl. He stepped toward me and picked me up. My legs went around his waist as he pushed me against the cold metal wall of the ship. His mouth was sucking hard on my neck, and I moaned, wrapped in bliss. It had been weeks since he'd left marks on my body. Wrapping my fingers in his hair, I guided his head down my chest until he sucked in one of my nipples hard.
I let my head hit the wall. "Ah yes, Kylo." He grumbled in pleasure at my voice, encouraging me to continue.
"I need you," I almost whispered. At that he dropped a hand and finally guided his cock into me. I moaned long and slow as he thrusted in all the way, then began slamming into me repeatedly.
"Fuck!" I trembled, loosing myself in pleasure. "Kylo," I said in between breaths. "You were fucking sculpted by the gods for me." He pulled his mouth from my boobs, grinning wildly at me.
"That's funny," he said, his voice just as choppy as mine. "Because I thought they chiseled you just for me." I let out a half laugh, half moan, and his mouth was on mine. His tongue slipped inside and explored it like it was the first time. His cock slammed into me repeatedly, every thrust somehow better than the last.
I let out a moan, my mouth freezing on Kylo's. He bit my bottom lip. When I let out a little yelp, his mouth dropped to my neck, kissing and sucking from my ear to my collarbone, and back up the other side. I felt the familiar rise, and was enough in tune with Kylo's body to know he was feeling it too.
"Cum for me, Kylo," I moaned. He moaned in response, a lovely sound, and pressed hard into me, his hot cum filling my cunt. It was the first time I'd ever commanded him to cum and I had to admit, it was exhilarating. His body reacted to me the same way mine reacted to him.
My orgasm slammed into me, and I cried out. He flicked his fingers over my clit, then circled it. My body bucked harshly in response, but my mind was blurred with passion. We came down together and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
He chuckled and looked at me, his eyelids drooped in serenity. "For someone who once said they like men in power, me denying power sure turned you on."
My head fell back as I laughed. "Maybe I'm trying to get started on our bloodline," I laughed some more.
"Aren't you on birth control?"
"You caught me," I giggled. "Your little speech was pretty sexy." He laughed, the sound sending me to paradise. His flawless teeth and his perfect mouth... I sighed.
We had to destroy Palpatine, because I wanted a lifetime of this.
-----
I stood tall in the middle of the command center on Starkiller base and watched Luke's tracker. My heart was pounding in my chest. I'd ordered almost two dozen ships to follow, but we'd see if they would even arrive in time. Regardless, I needed to make sure it was destroyed, and if there was any possibility they could help Luke, I hoped they would.
Kylo and Hux continued to be in charge, working rather well together, to my surprise. I guess they've excepted each other's presence. They were currently side by side, looking down at the tracker on the actual screen, rather than the large holo I was watching.
I cocked my head at them, my mind going back to our time on the shuttle. Had he said Hux would die for me? I liked the man, and I rarely went a day without speaking to him. He didn't have to report to me, but we had a sort of unspoken agreement that we would keep each other up to date with the standings of the other's field. Hux told me what was happening out in the galaxy, I told him what was happening in the government. Communication was critical. I spoke to other people daily too.
Would I die for Hux?
I imagined a threat, and Hux being in danger, a type of danger that I may die if I tried to save him. Yes, I would. Of course I would. But I would with anyone, wouldn't I? Yes.
Would Kylo? I shook my head, resisting the smirk that tried to appear on my lips. No, he wouldn't risk his life for just anyone. Something horribly selfish in me was grateful for that.
Refocusing my mind, I clasped my hands behind my back. Now wasn't the time.
I could feel the anxious energy coursing through the base, preparing for it to be fired.
Almost three hours after we'd arrived on Starkiller, the blip stopped. I tensed, dropping my arms. Hux and Kylo yelled out commands. The squads I sent weren't there yet. I thought his blip moved again, but my attention was pulled away as the weapon ran the last of the startup sequence.
I heard Hux say fire.
I closed my eyes, sensing it before it even happened. Reaching into the force with all my might, I looked for Luke.
The planet beneath me and the sun in the distance cried out in pain. I resisted the urge to fall to my knees, and stood frozen, reaching out for him, my jaw clenched from trying to ignore the agony ripping me apart. I couldn't find him.
I called for him. I begged him to run. I wanted to scream; I had to ignore the violent anguish.
The weapon fired. The planet rocked.
And I felt him. But more than that, I felt Palpatine.
I gasped and my eyes shot open, but I wasn't on Starkiller anymore. I was standing in front of a broken man, held up by machines, cloaked figures humming around him. I could feel his wrath, his absolute fury.
You, the man snarled, his deep voice sending the hairs on my neck up, electricity adding to the effect.
First your mother! Now you!
"It's over, Palpatine," I said calmly. I wasn't actually here. I was on Starkiller. This wasn't real.
His mouth curled into a snarl.
Not quite, Empress.
I looked up and saw them then. The ships. There were so many. I fell to my knees, my mouth open, shock and disbelief rolling through me. Nobody can fight a navy of that size.
"No," I whispered. I saw the weapons. These were no ordinary Star Destroyers. They were dark. Sith Destroyers.
"You will not take our Empire," I said, somehow, my voice was calm and controlled.
Then I saw the blast. I saw an X-wing in the air. My mouth dropped open as I watched the blazing red approach. The ships were beginning to move, one in the lead.
"No!" I screamed, all my might behind the yell.
I reached out, trying to stop it somehow. Then it all went red. The ship, and all the others, were destroyed.
I screamed violently, pain wracking my mind. Lives were ripped away—there must have been tens of thousands on the planet. Possibly manning the ships, possibly building them, I didn't know, but they were snuffed out in an instant, Palpatine included. His rage, so encompassing a moment ago, was gone.
I heard Kylo first, sound returning to my mind. Then feeling came back, and I felt myself being moved. I jerked awake, jumping to my feet, unsure of when I'd fallen. I swayed slightly, and Kylo's hand gripped my arm under my cloak, an almost invisible gesture.
"Report," I said, staring at the screen.
"Exegol has been destroyed, Empress," a voice at the controls called out.
"Did the Star Destroyer escape?"
"What Star Destroyer?" Hux asked, sounding perplexed.
I spun around.
"He had a god damn armada. One was about to make the jump," I seethed. I walked over to a console and slammed a button.
"Squadron one and two, come in."
I repeated until a voice rang back.
"Did a ship leave the planet?"
"An X-wing did, ma'am."
I'd forgotten about Luke, somehow. The realization filled me with shame.
"Did a Star Destroyer leave?"
"No ma'am, though, I'll admit, it is chaos out here."
"That's why they call it the Chaos, Lieutenant. Go to the wreckage. I want every damn piece of information you can gleam."
"It's gone, Empress," he said, sounding confused. I closed my eyes.
Taking a deep breath, I resisted the urge to scream, and tried to calm myself. I straightened my spine.
"Go to the wreckage, Lieutenant. Bring me back everything. Bring me back fucking space dust, I don't care, but get. Me. That. Information."
I slammed the button and commed Luke.
"Red five, this is Rjea. Come in red five."
Nothing.
"Red five, I need to know if the battleships escaped."
Silence.
"Luke!"
Finally, he answered, his voice staticky. "Yes, one did."
"Fuck!"
I calmed myself again, glancing down at the lieutenant sitting at the communications console next to me. "We need every single squadron in space looking for that ship. Now! Put every base on high alert, and make sure we have ships in the major systems."
I turned to Hux. "We need to evacuate."
"Are you sure, my Lady?" He was filled with nervous energy. He didn't want to argue with me, but he didn't see a reason to run from one ship.
"I'm positive."
Kylo turned to Hux, his voice cold, modulated, hard. "Begin evacuations."
The alarms sounded immediately, and the Knights rushed in.
"Hux, you're with us." Kylo turned to face the command team. "Get the commands out to find the Star Destroyer. Make sure the shields are up and evacuations are moving along, then rendezvous with the Finalizer. Do not wait around."
I nodded my head to the officers and followed Kylo to the command shuttle. The moment I started the engines, I felt it. It was a quick fucking ship. Amazing what cultists could do with resources and twenty years.
"It's here," I whispered, then shot out of the hanger.
Ships were fleeing all around us. My stomach was churning as I flew toward the Star Destroyer.
"Hux, we're going to board it. I want you to leave as soon as we're out, but remain in the system." I hit some controls. At the same time, Kylo was sending out comments.
"I want all TIEs targeting that ship! The Empress and I are going to board. I want more troops boarding if possible. That ship will not leave this system, understood?"
Confirmations rang back. Kylo barked out some more orders as I located a hanger, and changed courses. Surprisingly, no lasers shot out yet. The ship was focused on something else, at the moment. We landed normally, with blaster fire covering the ship.
"Go, General. Wait for our orders." Kylo said. I gripped his mask and kissed the cold metal, then turned and left the cockpit. Kylo and I emerged together, our blades lighting our way. I felt the Knights gathering strength behind us with every passing moment. I could feel my breath, and every enemy in the hanger. There was something off about them.
Blaster fire rang out, and we shot almost every bolt back into an enemy. There were a lot. We'd just cleared the hanger when it fired. I shut myself off completely, unwilling to feel the deaths of so many.
Then, I changed my mind.
I felt everything.
I roared with fury. The planet was gone. Thousands of lives, gone. Lives I was supposed to protect.
I let out a blast of energy, sending all the troopers ahead into walls, spines cracking and heads splitting. I broke into a run, following my instincts.
We got to a lift, but half way up, it stopped. Snarling, I called on the force, slamming the lift into action again. It came to a rough halt once it hit the top. Kylo regained his feet before me and yanked the doors open.
The Knights and Kylo began attacking the officers, but I simply defended myself from blasts as I approached the man standing by the captain's chair. I growled in fury about half way, his ugly face really pissing me off. He knew exactly what he was asking for by helping Palpatine—he'd seen the Empire's cruelties. It would seem the First Order had not been cruel enough for him.
I yanked him to me.
"Allegiant General," I spat, the fighting beginning to die down.
My voice was hard, frightening to my own ears.
"My husband gave you that title. And because of your betrayal, I will take your life."
He tried to respond, but I wrapped the force around his jaw.
"You do not get to speak. I see now your allegiance is to the wrong Emperor."
Kylo called off our air attack and ordered troops aboard. We had the ship.
Still holding Pryce, I worked on the communications console until I was broadcasting throughout the ship.
"The is your Empress. Anybody aboard this ship who does not lay down their weapons will be destroyed. There will be no mercy—this is your only warning."
I looked at Kylo. "Call the General. We have a prisoner."
"You aren't going to kill him?" Kylo raged. Though he still had his mask on, I knew his eyes were boring into the man.
"First, I would like to question him. And then, he will be executed by your blade, Emperor." Pryde's eyes went wide, but he couldn't move in any other way. I picked him up, floating him in front of me as I walked to the hanger. There weren't many people on our journey, but the ones that were had one of two reactions.
They bowed, or they attacked. The Knights made quick work of them, with Kylo jumping in occasionally. I mostly just focused on my force hold, ready to be done with it.
The hanger was being filled with stormtroopers as troop carriers dropped off and left in an impressively organized fashion. Vaguely, I thought perhaps I underestimated Hux's men so long ago, as Captain.
However. The entire military sector has seen major reforms. It was a joint effort, starting with Kylo and Hux. They had carefully examined and redrew their high command. People were quietly retired, and others brought in. We passed multiple laws and signed many treaties—the First Order had restrictions inside planetary atmospheres, but had authority in space. Planets all have their own requirements, understandably, but it has made for a lot of work. Negotiations had been the bulk of their work. Regardless, it had been Kylo and Hux that had rebuilt the military into a calculated, controlled, and respectable institution. Politics played a big hand, but for the most part, they only entered a planets atmosphere when requested, and they followed the laws of the planet—within reason.
To put it mildly, I was proud of the First Order. I didn't care for the name, but it was only the military now. The government was still the New Republic, oddly enough.
Though there were indeed too many voices, we had found ways to condense them. The galaxy was split into two major sectors, which we called the East and West—though only for senatorial purposes. The goal behind the overly simplified division was simple: no place holds more weight than another. Half of the senators of core worlds reside on Hosnian Prime, half are on Coruscant. Same with the Outer Rim. Less discrimination—or that's the goal, at least.
Each side was then decided into sectors that are again, only for purposes of the senate. Each sector elected a speaker, and every month, the speakers meet to pass bills. If a sector can not agree on a vote, it goes to the majority. Though there was much more to it, put simply, smaller senate sessions allow for quicker progress. Rarely were hundreds of people shouting in a room anymore.
Two minutes of watching troops board, and finally Hux landed, Pryde still floating in front of me. I could totally put him down, but he was terrified in the force hold. I was enjoying his fear, the loss of so many souls still weighing heavily on me.
"You know," I said, finally breaking the silence, my eyes still on the lowering shuttle. "The Knights haven't had nearly as much fun since we took over, General." Excitement rippled through the men around me—except Pryde. He tried to say something. "Isn't that right, Ushar?"
"I haven't tortured in months," he snarled. Pryde tried to wiggle in my hold, trying to shout against his closed mouth. Ignoring him, we started up the ramp.
When Hux took off, I pushed him to his knees and released the force hold on his head. Squatting down, I met his wide, frightened eyes.
"When did Palpatine return?" I coaxed, pushing painfully into his mind as I spoke. The Knights were all surprised by the force of my assault, so I blocked them out, my focus purely on Pryde.
When I pulled out, he took a couple breaths, before giving me a nasty grin. "He never left."
I slammed my fist into his face, breaking his nose. He hollered as blood smothered his face and covered my white cloak. The liquid drops hitting the ground seemed loud, louder than his wails even. Standing up, I sighed, pulling his face up with the force to look at me.
"When did Palpatine contact you?"
"A year ago," he breathed.
Rage coursed through me. He's been betraying Kylo from the beginning.
"My, my general. You could have had it all. Kylo actually liked you." I sighed, as if I were simply disappointed. "So, Snoke, his puppet, was destroyed—and he decides to rely on you?" I shook my head.
"What was your goal?" His lips left his teeth in an ugly snarl. I sighed.
"Kylo, darling?" He approached me. He wanted to kill the man, but I couldn't help but notice he was also enjoying the show.
"I can't inflict suffering with my blades, may I borrow your saber?" I felt his humor, and Pryde's terror. I gripped his mouth shut with the force, enjoying my moment with my husband.
He pulled his saber off his belt and handed it to me. "My Empress," he said.
With a small bow of my head, I turned back to Pryde, igniting the black, crackling blade. It was no less aggressive than it had been when red, but somehow, it was more terrifying...as if it weren't quite real. I felt Pryde's alarm. He really didn't want to die. I'd have to remember that. Promise him life, and he'd do anything.
"Do you know why Palpatine chose you?" I asked, releasing the hold on his jaw.
"My goal was to keep Kylo in line, to keep him away from you as much as possible, and to help Kylo eventually find Palpatine, alone."
I retracted the blade. "Then why did he speak to me?"
"I don't know Empress, I really don't." I lit the blade back up and slammed his mouth shut.
"I have two uncles with only one hand. I love them dearly," I said over the roar of the blade, staring into it. The crystal may have once been mine, but I could feel the bond between Kylo and it now.
"One of them almost died when destroying Palpatine's Empire. The other almost died today. I should probably take both of your hands, one for each of them. But for now, we'll start with one." I pulled one of his arms out in front of him with the force, and in one swift movement, removed his right hand. His body wracked with pain, and even through his shut mouth, his screams were audible.
"Why did he speak to me?" I repeated.
"He, he didn't care which one of you took his place. Whoever would kill the other," he said in between gasps and sobs.
"Is there any other Palpatine clone we need to be worried about?"
"Not that I know of!"
I lit the blade.
"No! No please! I'm telling the truth!" He was, I knew. I retracted the blade again, the room silent except for some console noises and his whimpers.
"Well. As much as I'd like to watch my husband remove your head now, I think you'll be an excellent example for anyone thinking about betraying our Empire." I gripped his jaw again, refusing to hear him speak one more time. I turned and stood next to Kylo, our eyes on the viewport, watching the hyperspace swirls. I wanted to collapse into a chair, but now was not the time.
I could feel Kylo debating what to do, and decided not to offer my thoughts. He wanted to kill him now, he really did. It had taken everything in him not to push me out of the way and kill him.
"We will put on a false trial, publicly. Then we will execute him."
I relaxed slightly, thinking the same thing. Someone needed to be blamed, and Pryde would do just fine.