Kylo Ren paces nervously from his living room, down the hall, his bedroom, and back. He had known Hux for so long, worked with him during his entire time in the Order and had never known him to take a leave of absence.
"I'm sure you can manage without me Ren, aren't you always saying how replaceable I am, well this is your chance to prove it," Hux said as he made his way to the docking hanger to his cruiser.
"When will you be returning?" He called after Hux as he climbed up the ramp. Hux turned with that stupid thin lipped smile of his on his face.
"Oh, Ren if I didn't know any better I'd think you were going to miss me," with that Hux disappeared into his cruiser, and it had been three days since Hux had been seen or heard from.
Ren really did start to miss Hux, not so much his personality and the way he was always breathing down his neck, but the Hux that keep things running around the Order. Though Ren hates to admit it Hux is an essential part of the First Order, for the time being at least. It only took him three days, five hours and 45 minutes before Ren broke down and looked through Hux's travel log which also housed the notes he was taking. He found a tracking beacon as well as a found location for the beacon, but couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that is was in the unknown region. There would be no way of communicating with him from this distance. He couldn't bring the Finalizer into the unknown nor could he just fly into the atmosphere with a fleet of TIE Fighters, he would have to hyper jumps to the edge of the unknown and go retrieve Hux on his ship if he wanted to know anything else about what he was looking for. The fool probably got lost, likely misjudge his hyper jump and ended up in the unknown. Ren chuckled to himself taking great pleasure in the idea of finding Hux after he's made such a foolish error, oh Ren would never let him live it down. He smiled to himself as his boards his shuttle. The Finalizer is to remain in the area until he returns.
Ren stops outside the atmosphere of a planet that reminds him of pictures he had seen of Alderaan as a child, "Beautiful." He said out loud but odd that Hux was not the only signal coming from it. "What is an Imperial beacon doing here in the unknown regions?"
On entering the atmosphere Ren felt the oddest sensation come over him. He felt almost drained. He tried not to focus on the feeling instead he focused on the beacons with were now in the same location. He knew nothing of this region, didn't know how to approach in his ships or if he should even go in peace. He was alone, had no back up if things went sour and decided to play it safe. He locked his coordinates in a back alley close to where the beacons were and descended down at lightspeed and in cloaked mode. His ship just barely fit between the two buildings, but as he lands he is grateful that he is in one piece.
Ren finds himself outside a blue house before he reaches the human skeletal remains dangling from the door, he was puzzled, thinking that it was a strange place to be keeping your enemies bones after you've killed them. As he gets closer he realizes they're made from paper, glossed over to survive the elements. He is, perhaps, even more confused than he was before. Before he has a chance to examine the prop, his attention is drawn to the sound of rising voices coming from behind the door.
"You have all lost your minds. Grams stories were not true." Ren stops looking through the large bay window he can see Hux sitting at a white lace covered table with two calm women while a third leaps wildly to her feet. "You want me to believe this guy is some space General from, 'a galaxy far, far away' And that I'm supposed to throw everything I've ever worked for in my life away to marry him? You are all full of it!"
"Yes, General Hux of the First Order." Hux said calmly as he folds his hand on the table as the girl unleashed an eye roll with an 'Oh My God' that was so over the top the Ren found himself stifling a laugh.
"Princess, I understand this is hard to hear, but your bedtime stories of galaxies far away are most definitely true." The elder of the two women says, she sets a small lockbox on the table, "I can show you holo images of Coruscant." The women's shaky hands pull out an old holo unit, setting it on the table but the girl refuses to even look at them. She crosses her arms defiantly over her chest and turns her nose up at the group, Ren could tell she was fed up.
"Insane you're all insane." She grabs her coat and bag, "Look I have to write an apology letter to my psych professor and beg to retake the exam I missed Friday thanks to General Spaceman Sam here so, yeah I think I'm done for this brunch." Ren moves so he is concealed behind around the corner of the house. The girl doesn't stop as she flees the house as the remaining people call after her.
"(Y/n) you come back here right now!" The elderly woman demands the girl returns as she stands in the doorway but her pleas fall on deaf ears as the girl slams the gate behind her, storming off to the left while ignoring every word being flung at her from the front porch.
"Sorry, Miss Sue but I have enough to deal with right now, I really can't be part of whatever the hell you guys are talking about."
"We are talking about the future of the galaxy. We are talking about restoring your birthright, you are the last living descendant of the Emperor. You are destined to rule." Hux shouts as he runs out the front door after her, he looks desperate but Kylo can't help but to laugh.
"Rule, you want me to rule a galaxy." The girl starts laughing as she stops in the middle of the sidewalk. "Insane, well I didn't think we could top last weeks 'you should have a child' brunch but congratulations, I think you just did." With that, she walked away, leaving everyone staring after her from front door of the house. Kylo finds it comedical that the entire debacle had drawn the attention of their neighbors as well, he moved further down the side of the house as to not be seen by anyone.
"Well, that could have gone better." A younger female said giving the elders shoulder a squeeze.
"Perhaps I should speak with her," Hux was now making his way down the walkway, pulling on the sleeves of his coat giving off the air of authority.
"Oh, General I think you may want to give her some time. You and mother just asked her to believe that the Star Wars movies are all based on the true events."
"Star Wars?" Hux looks at her with an eyebrow raised, Kylo had never heard of such a thing before either.
"Oh yes, one of the imperial guards once abandoned his post and made a fortune selling our history as entertainment here." The woman explains, a sad look of defeat setting on her face while she cast her eyes down to the walkway.
"She has never seen that trash. The Empress forbid it in her home." Cora shakes her head, "Oh mom, of course she seen it!" Cora she cuts in, offering her elderly mother a disrespectful eye roll. "I think she's dressing up as Princess Leia for Halloween this year." The old lady hand goes to her chest and look of outrage on splatters across her face, which likely matched Ren's own shocked look at the mention of his mother's name.
"Stars in heaven, dressing up as that Princess Rebel! If her Eminence wasn't already died this would have killed her!" The older woman shouts while a crazed look of anger flashes across her face. Cora recognizes her unrest and takes her mother by the elbow, urging her to come back into the house while Hux turns and begins walking toward the gate that separates the home from the street. As she is being pulled, the old woman holds her arm out to Hux one last time, calling out to him and causing him to stop halfway through the yard.
"General wait a moment, I will give you some more money." She shouts after him, reaching into the small pocket of her dress. "I think you're going to have to stay a bit longer than you hoped." Cora return shortly has Hux paced impatiently on their path, his look of frustration growing every passing second he is not walking out of the gate.
"You will have to be patient with her," The girl said handing Hux what looked like green paper. "Mother wants me to reassure you that she fully approves of your request for our reluctant princesses hand." At the sentence, Hux's face turns to one of pride, as if he were daring the girl to contest the matter of her marriage. "Oh, mother and I agree that you are a fine choice. You would be able to help her adjust, she will desperately need guidance." The realization of Hux's plan washed over Ren, the traitor would use the girl to overthrow him.
"How much longer do you think this will take? I have been patient but this is starting to take far too long. My original plan would be far better than this." Hux said looking irritated
"I must disagree with you General kidnapping the future Empress is not how you want your future together to start." The girl walk Hux to the gate with an uncertain look on her face, she waves at the nosey neighbor looking over the fence.
"She will adapt and become accustomed in time, we are doing nothing here but wasting valuable time.I must return soon." Hux looked exasperated while he urged the young woman to comply with his plan, causing Kylo to smile.
"Just a little longer General. She will come around." Cora says with a confident nod of her head. Hux sighed reluctantly agree before he soon departed through the gates.
After Hux departed Ren makes his way to the house he has many question for these women.
The young one answers the door with an odd look on her face. "Ah sir it's a bit early for Halloween you should lose the mask." Halloween what is the stars was Halloween? Never mind he would just get to the point.
"I have tracked an imperial beacon to this site." Ren says the young lady looks taken back before rolling her eyes, clearly annoyed over the fact that she'd likely have to explain everything over to him again. "Yes well when it rains it pours I guess. Please come in,my mother is whom you wish to speak." She stands aside letting him in. "I must insist you remove the mask sir. It's not appropriate and we our meet to fit in here." Kylo complies setting his helmet down with a thunk on the table.
"Cora, who is this?" The elderly lady enter the room looking Kylo up and down. Kylo decides it be best to give a strong impression, in retrospect maybe that was a mistake.
"I am Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, I followed General Hux to this location. I was investigating what he was up to. I see now he is plans to overthrow me and replace me with a puppet. I am here to put a stop to this." The elder lady eye widen her eyebrows rising up on high on her forehead.
"Well, Kylo Ren I can tell by looking at you that you are unarmed, the first mistake," the girl Cora from the other side of the table pulls out a blaster aim directly at his head. Kylo could only smirk, he was the most powerful force user in the galaxy he had no need for primitive weapons, plus on his hip was is saber. He is surprise the elder lady didn't realize it was a weapon. He waves his hand to force push the Cora girl into the wall behind her. He is the Supreme Leader and no one points a gun to his head but nothing happens, Kylo tries again! Still nothing, looks at his hand is disbelief as a smile spreads over the old woman's face.
"You have no power here force user, this is why this place was chosen to keep the descendants of the most powerful force family in the universal hidden." Kylo grabs the lightsaber but even that does nothing when he tries to ignite it. The woman's words settle in Empire Palpatine's line wasn't the strongest force family, the Skywalker were, his family, he is that strongest!
"The Skywalker line is the strongest force family, never the Palpatine." He spat out furious at the position he was in, blaster pointed at him and he was powerless.
"Oh let me guess you are the offspring of that traitor Anakin Skywalker!"
"I am the grandson of Darth Vader. He was the most powerful--" The old lady interrupts him with a condescending bark of a laugh
"Ha! He never even deserved the title of Darth. A gift footsoldier and nothing more, and in the end he couldn't even follow orders. Boy, you didn't know him, I could tell you stories, he was a broke man, well more robot that man in the end. His life was nothing but pain and misery which he unleashed on the universe, the Empire only need to point. Her Eminence even referred to him as her husband's rabid dog, that would one day need to be put down. Sadly the Empire didn't heed his wife's advise and put him down sooner. We would never have had to come here!" Kylo advance on the woman, how dare she tell lie about his Grandfather. Until a blaster shot grazed his shoulder.
"One more step and the next one will be in the head, big guy." Kylo grabs his shoulder as he tries to make sense of everything going on around him. That crazy bitch shot him! He had forgotten about the girl and her blaster, he was so angry. "Now get out of my house, (y/n) will marry the general and together the Empire will rise again. Stay out of the way force user." Kylo cast the women one more poisonous look before taking ahold of his helmet and fleeing the house, this entire situation was unbelievable!
The only thing he can think as he stomped back toward his ship was 'that did not go as expected.' He tries desperately to think of a back up plan, but he finds he doesn't have one. He didn't want to have to turn to such violence, but the only way he thought he could come out on top in this horrid situation was to end the life of the empress. He snarled under his helmet, he would take that woman's life in a heartbeat if it meant the General did not gain access to his throne.
*******
What happened at brunch weighed heavily on your mind the whole bus ride back to your apartment. Was it some kind of twisted joke? Trying to make you believe something so outrageous. So what? Your grandmother was an alien from another galaxy and Miss Sue too? And that super weird guy General spaceman, all aliens!
Maybe they were trying to trick you into thinking you were crazy so you would move in with them. That seemed a bit extreme though, and what about the weirdo Hux? Is he a hired actor to just mess with you head, no that can't be.
You spent the next week as normally as possible, well actually everything was normal except General Spaceman showing up out of the blue. The coffee shop, he would be across the street when you got home from work, your were considering changing his name to General Stalker.
His orange head turned up outside of your building Friday morning. It was weird, and when he asked if he could walk you to class you simply walked right past him. He called after you, running up behind you and tapping you on your shoulder. You turned to tell him to shove off, but a familiar, intoxicating scent filled your nostrils. "Here, I bought these for you." He said, and you turned around to find your favorite latte and cinnamon swirl muffin in his hands. You looked him in the eyes, and his smile is what finally softened you. Your hunger forced you to agree, you really wanted that muffin! Without saying a word you reached for the items in his hands, then the both of you walked on in an awkward silence. "Be careful the drink is hot." He warns, but you can't help but to side eye him. Really? coffee is hot? What a shocker! "Where is your coat?" He asks, and now you can't help but to feel like a child in his eyes.
"It's not that cold yet." You answer, but you hardly feel the need to explain yourself to him fully. You like the cool air, it was the only thing that made your skin prickle.
"All the other women are wearing coats, see there and there." He points out two other girls from your campus walking around with light Fall jackets on. "You should have a coat." He reprimands you one more time, continuing to point out women who are wearing their jackets. "What if it rains?" He nags at you, you were starting to believe taking the treats from him was a bad idea.
"Then I'll get wet." You murmur as you take the bite of your muffin.
"Also is also customary that you thank a person when they give you a gift. I will expect you to do so next time." Oh really, who does this guy think he is?
"Well if I'm the Empress shouldn't I be able to do whatever I want?" You take a sip of your coffee and are surprised to taste so many delicious tidbits: vanilla and whip cream, all those little extras you never order because it takes to long to prepare and you are always late.
"Yes and no." He starts out completely strained, you could tell you had gotten under his skin. "You will be the face of our Empire, you will be what the people love, their Empress. You will visit hospitals, bring food to the poor. The people will love you, but at the same time you have an image to uphold. It is a fine line to walk but with my guidance, I am sure your are quite capable."
"Well shucks is that nice." You say sarcastically, taking another sip and relishing in the sweet taste of vanilla on your tongue. "And what exactly will you be doing, while I'm being adored by all the people, oh husband of mine?" You ask, but can't help but to cringe at the height of your voice. If people around you would hear any part of this conversation you were sure you'd be locked up in an asylum. You shake your head one last time. Star Wars. This should all be fictional.
"I will have full command of your military. I will see to the running things. Let's face it you are not equipped to lead. Our children would be raised with the knowledge required to properly rule. Until then you will have to rely on me." Had you not almost been late to class, you would have stopped right in your tracks. Did he just call you to dumb to rule? "Excuse me?" You say far too loud for your own liking. Sure he was right, but if you were to rule something, you knew you would put your all into whatever you were ruling. Even if it were an ant hill, or a bees hive, or an entire galaxy, you would be the best damn ruler they ever had. You started to open your mouth to explain why he was wrong, but the next part of his explanation hit you like a truck to the face.
"Oh we are having children now?" You subconsciously pick up the pace towards the your class. "Is making babies even done the same way in your galaxy?" You snarked, sure you'd be fine with the "traditional" methods of baby making, but this was a whole new world he was from, a world that you knew next to nothing about. You watched with a hearty smile as he took look in deep breath, glad your were annoying him.
"In time yes we will have a kid, perhaps more that one. For now I think I will need to force more on adaptation to your new home. I mean it would be preferable to have the marriage ceremony right away but you are still young there is time for children later." He cut his eyes at you, you noticed his cheeks turning rosy red before he continued his explanation. "And yes, if you must know the process of making children is the same."
"Really," you another sip of your coffee, "So were you even going to ask me if I wanted to marry you or do I have no say in the matter?" To your great pleasure this comment seem to highly irritate the man. His already ridged shoulders seem to somehow become even straighter. He tilted his head back ever so slightly so that he was looking down his nose at you.
"Miss Sue, the senior member of staff as approved my request for you hand. I was hoping you would consider possibly spending more time together, to get better acquainted. It would be preferable if we could be friends."
"Friends? Friends don't make babies together, lovers do." You corrected him, then found your heart pounding as you got closer and closer to your class.
"Love has very little to do with our partnership. One can hope in time that we could became fond of one another."
"Fondness, Is that really your goal Mr. Spaceman Sam?" Thankfully you were at the school door now. "Well General, I want something more than fondness and Miss Sue isn't the boss of me so I will have to decline your proposal of fondness and children. Thank you for the coffee and muffin." You try to hurry into the building when he calls to you, you cringe inwardly when you realized you had thanked him when you didn't originally want to.
"Wait!" You let out an exasperated sigh as you turn to find him sprinting hopelessly toward you. You are right outside of the door, one foot in so your professor can not lock you out like he normally does. He removes a napkin from his pocket bringing it to you face. His blue green eye had a new softness in them as you gentle dabs at your upper lip. "Whip cream" was all he said, he returned the napkin to his pocket, gentle taking you chin in his fingertips. "Together we will do glorious things, you'll see. Now go to class you don't want to be late again."
"Yeah, no thanks to you." You say as you turn, but you find his fingers wrap around your jaw. You heart almost stopped as he moved in closer and his eyes closed. You couldn't think fast enough to move before his lips met the skin of your forehead without any warning. Then he just simply turned and walked away, didn't even look back at you. The man from space had just hounded you during your entire walk to class, kissed you, then simply walked away like nothing happened.That was just the oddest interaction and conversation you have ever had. You enter the lecture and beeline it for the back row, getting your notepad and pen ready, trying to push that last ten minute conversation from your mind. You had a feeling this was one of those talks that wouldn't get better the more you analysis it.
"Excuse me, Can I borrow some?" A deep voice whispers in your ear. He stop talking when you looked at him. The way he looked at you made your heart jump. For a horrifying moment you wondered if you had more whip cream on your face. Who was this guy? Was he here all the time, can't be you are sure you would have noticed him. Then again you did miss a lot of classes so you could have missed him but you didn't think that was possible. With the dark hair that looked so silky you long to run your fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked, and with those brown eyes that look like they could look into your soul. No you wouldn't have missed this yummy specimen sitting next to you, he had to be new.
"Ah....what?" Was all you manage to get out after staring at him for probably a little longer than I should.
"The writing material, can I borrow some?" Writing material......oh he means your notes, you quickly pull out a few piece of paper and you extra pen handing them over. This guy clearly wasn't a Boy Scout, he wasn't prepared at all from what you could see. No bag, no books, no pens or pencils. He smiles as you hand him your class materials and thanks you with a nod, from there you spend the rest of class trying not to pay attention to tall dark and handsome sitting next to you.
After class you make your way down the hall, "Miss," the deep voice said behind you. You turn and he almost runs into you holding the pen out to you, "Thank you." He said as you gingerly take the pen. You were about to turn and walk away when he introduces himself, "I'm Kylo Ren."
"(Y/n)" again there is an awkward pause he keeps look at you with those intense eye. "Are you new here?" If he's new then maybe you should show him around a bit.
"Yes first day." You knew it! You offer to show him around a bit, library and what not, as you exit the build you look around to see if General Spacestalker was waiting for you and thankfully he wasn't.
"Looking for someone?" Kylo asked and you explain that you were being followed a bit by a weird ginger.
"Well if you would like I could walk you home." He offered, tall, handsome and a gentleman maybe you won the new guy jackpot. He didn't really talk much about himself in fact whenever you did ask a question about him he deflected with a question about you, but you manage to make him smile and even chuckle once with your stories so you count that as a win.
"Well this is me." You gestures to the building. "Look there is a Halloween party, it's an annual thing and they do a super creepy haunted house." Oh god just ask him already, what if he says no? Your stomach flutters, "Would you like to go with me?" He looks a little taken back and only nods as confirmation. "Great, ok I'm going as slave girl Leia, so if you can get a Han Solo costume we could match." His face lightly drained of color. "Or wear whatever you want, was just thinking maybe we could win the contest. So it's a date!" You lean in and give him a quick kiss on the check before running into your apartment.
You had a date with tall dark and handsome, Kylo Ren!