Back on board, the Star Destroyer Chromia was reviewing the plan which had been formulated upon the shuttle. Her stormtroopers and the Knights were ready. The stormtroopers would rain blaster shots, the Knights hand-to-hand combat and the flame throwers would aim their fire at Kylo Ren and the girl if, at any point, they appeared to be overpowering their forces. Chromia herself would be in a hidden position behind the shuttle once it was in the hangar, ready to administer the Senflax. She had her extendable metal staff and had put her chrome uniform on for protection, all but the helmet- she needed to be able to see clearly.
From the viewing window above the hangar, Hux watched Chromia organise her squad; he stood with his arms stiffly behind his back, chest puffed out, the calm exterior hiding the pounding in his chest. This was the moment he'd been waiting for, been planning for; the leadership of the First Order and Galaxy would soon be rightfully his, and he was anxious with anticipation. Given the Knights were now following Chromia's command, an unexpected but not unwelcome surprise, they should have enough resources to take down Ren and the girl. Hux would have them both! He'd have the treacherous Ren and that scavenger. On Ren, Hux planned all manner of torture for every humiliation received at Ren's hands and for all the times Snoke had overlooked him in favour of his treacherous apprentice. On the girl, he'd use whatever it took to find out where the Resistance was. The end was nigh; it would all be over soon, and it would all be his. If Chromia was to be believed, the Knights' loyalty could be counted on for now. Once Ren was Hux's prisoner, he would consider what to do with them. They were elite, yes, but not real soldiers, not like his soldiers. Hux was brought out of his plans at the sight of Kylo's Upsilon-class command shuttle finally being brought into the hangar. Chromia was looking up at him from below, and he nodded a sign to her that she could commence. Let's see if she genuinely was Phasma's true replacement.
-X-
Inside the shuttle, Kylo and Rey had their lightsabers ready, for what Kylo wasn't sure but it was nothing good. He was frightened, a feeling he'd not felt in years. He'd never felt frightened for his own life or any injuries he might gain. He was scared for Rey, for what Hux would do to her, the information she had. Everything was within Hux's grasp, and all he had to do was take it. Together, they had to make sure they made that as difficult as possible. He cursed himself again for allowing her to distract him earlier because now he'd put her in real danger.
The shuttle was being brought into the hangar; the whole ship was creaking and shaking, complaining at having been dragged in via the tractor beam. It landed ungraciously, throwing Kylo and Rey off balance temporarily. There was no point delaying the inevitable. The door was locked, for now, but now aboard the Star Destroyer, Hux's officers could open the door by accessing the ship's computer.
He looked at Rey; she seemed surprisingly calm, and he scolded himself for allowing his emotions to flow so freely. Her eyes were squinted, and she looked as though she was ready to sprint. He smiled to himself until the gangway door to his shuttle opened with a rush of air. A slither of exterior light was visible around the door. As it slowly started to lower, the slither increased as the hangar bay became more apparent. Outside, a small squadron of troops became visible, immediately in front of the gangway and alarmingly interspersed between them were his Knights. No, not my Knights, he reminded himself, not anymore. To each side of the squad were troopers with flame throwers.
Rey was assessing the situation he could see.
"Stay close to each other; we're stronger together. Be careful of the flame throwers. I'll take care of any blaster fire. Beware the Knights; they are skilled fighters like Snoke's Praetorian, with ultrasonic-enhanced weapons that defy lightsabers. They won't hesitate to do what is necessary."
She nodded that she'd heard.
"Ok, then," he said to himself more than to her.
He stepped forward, lightsaber ignited but not up; no one was firing yet. They were all waiting. Rey followed to his left and ignited her staff lightsaber. They stepped off the gangway and onto the hangar floor, and behind them, he heard the hatch cover close.
Rey looked around the hangar; too many, she thought to herself. The Praetorian guard had been a test, but this would be very difficult and if they succeeded what then? Would they be able to escape? She looked up to the viewing window; as Kylo had said, there was Hux. He wanted them alive, but how could he hope to keep two such Force wielders prisoner?
Hux's voice came through the hangar on a speaker from his position in the viewing window.
"Supreme Leader," Hux said, his voice dripping with disdain, his mouth a tight sneer. "I always knew you were a traitor. Your defiance is futile; you will not escape."
With that last statement, blaster fire sounded throughout the hangar, and it began at last.
-X-
Ben froze the blaster fire as he said he would and threw it back at the troopers, immobilising a few. As the red blast bolts flew, four of the Knight's stepped forward to engage them. Rey readied herself and then sensed something else: the troopers with the flame throwers were launching as well. The fire flamed out at her, and with a struggle, she held it at bay and threw the trooper, controlling it across the hangar. The nature of flames was troublesome to try and control, too volatile, and moving its general path was all Rey could manage. She allowed the fire's path to continue towards her, but above her, she could still feel the heat inches above her head, but then it was gone. The Knights assailed her, and next to her, they were battling Ben as he struggled with fire from the flame thrower, and it spiralled around him.
"Take out the trooper," she shouted at him as she encountered the first Knight, "the fire is too difficult to control."
The second Knight also immediately engaged her. The first Knight had a staff, and he was meeting her blow for blow. He was strong, and she couldn't read him at all behind his mask. Damn, Force-sensitive with elite training, she cursed. The second Knight had a bat of some description, and he went for her legs. Rey managed to block that, but as she did, the first Knight's staff caught her across the face, and she spun onto her knees. Her cheekbone stung where the Knight had struck her, and she could also feel burnt skin and blood. No time to consider further, she immediately had to lift her staff to block the same bat-wielding Knight from bringing it down on her head. Rey growled through gritted teeth and strained to stop him. She then felt a sharp whack against her ribs as the other Knight caught her with the staff again. Rey knelt on the floor, exhausted and hurt-too many too much. She could sense the flame throwers about to bombard them again. She used the Force to push the Knights away from her and then to move the fire, but as she did, she felt a sharp prick in the back of her arm. Everything suddenly changed.
-X-
Kylo froze the blaster fire and threw it back at the troopers; he was now battling two Knights- Covex and Baxil and a tremendous amount of fire coming from the flame thrower. It encompassed him, and he could feel its heat searing his skin as he just held it at bay. Rey shouted to him about the fire, and he did as she said. He let the fire move towards him but changed its direction slightly to directly in front of him, at the two Knights he was battling. Baxil moved away; however, Covex did not. He used that moment to get rid of the flame thrower by using the Force to throw him against the hangar wall. Another Knight, Icesho, replaced Baxil, who'd moved away from the fire. Kylo now had two again: Icesho with his long black axe and the other Covex with his massive broad blade. Despite Kylo whirling while blocking and parrying, the Knights were used to his fighting style from their years of previous training together. Icesho managed to catch his shoulder with his axe. He grunted in pain before engaging Icesho more. He sensed the troops with blasters reassembling — too many, too much.
He stopped the blaster fire again, throwing it where he could, but due to the onslaught, he couldn't stop Covex with his broad blade in one hand, punching him hard in the face with the other. The punch knocked him, and he bent down, and Icesho used this opportunity to slash up Kylo's back with his axe. Kylo strained backwards in pain and, looking up at the viewing window, howled through gritted teeth. Through his mass of dark, steaming hair, he could see Hux was smirking; he was genuinely enjoying this. Kylo looked back at the Icesho and Covex and started to rise, spitting blood from the punch to his face onto the floor. Then he noticed it; he couldn't sense Rey anymore. No. The immediate alarm he'd sensed dissipated as he could still hear her battling next to him. In his peripheral vision, he could still see her saber twirling about her. Why couldn't he sense her? He raised his lightsaber with great pain to block Covex again; then, he felt a peculiar sharp scratch in his leg. He threw Covex off and spun to see a wild-looking red-haired chrome stormtrooper- Hux's guard. She was on her back, having slid in from behind them and had stabbed in the leg with a cylindrical glass tube. He looked at her in alarm; she was smiling. He pulled the vial from his leg; a needle was attached to the end with his blood smeared on it, and he could already feel something, a withdrawal of his senses, his abilities. Oh, stars, what is this? That's why he couldn't sense her. He whipped his head away from the woman to Rey; she was still fighting, but he could see desperation and fear on her face. She was holding back Erdu Ren with his silver sword from cutting her in two when Baxil Ren, wielding his bat, caught her across the face, and she went down hard. Kylo lashed out with his lightsaber at the two Knights by him, slashing at them in desperation, throwing them back then he rushed to her side. He crouched over her, his saber held above his head to protect them both.
"Enough," he cried out, staring up at the viewing window at Hux. "Enough!"
Kylo extinguished his saber and held Rey in his lap. Everything stopped- blaster fire, actual fire but the Knights stood around him just in case. He could hear the troopers picking themselves back up and dealing with the injured. Behind him, the chrome woman was standing to attention, awaiting Hux's arrival on the hangar floor.
"Rey," he pleaded urgently.
She was alive; he could tell not because he could sense her, he couldn't sense anything, but because he could see her chest moving as she breathed. There were cuts on her arms, angry red welts on her face and her hair drenched with sweat. He heard steps marching in his direction, and a pair of pristine black boots stopped directly in front of him- Hux.
-X-
It took Ren a while, but he finally raised his eyes from his lowered position to look at him. Ren was severely wounded; blood stained his lips, and there was a tear in his clothing at the shoulder that was bleeding. His face was already bruising purple along the cheekbone. Hux could see just over the top of Ren's head a considerable gash running the length of his back, which was bleeding freely. He could see the anger in Ren's eyes, the resentment but also the resignation. Good.
Ren spat blood onto the floor again, then spoke quietly, "Do what you want to me, but don't hurt the girl anymore."
Hux nearly guffawed, "You are in no position to make demands, Ren," he spat. "Take them!"
-X-
Kylo was pulled to his feet, and a gasp of pain escaped his mouth; the wound on his back was dire, he could tell. Binders were placed on his wrists, and he watched as several troopers took Rey away on a makeshift gurney. So this is how you take Force users into custody. What had that woman injected them with? He vehemently hated Hux but had to admire that the man had done his research. He had no idea how he was going to get them out of this, but he knew as long as he could get Rey safe, that would be enough.