Within the barracks of the lowly troopers onboard the Supremacy, the atmosphere starkly contrasted with what it had been just a day before. Instead of friendly banter and jokes, there was now quiet tension. Eye contact with fellow troopers was avoided as feelings of hostility and suspicion were rife; another trooper had defected and betrayed them, releasing prisoners- again! First FN2187 and now FB1123. Who else was a secret member of the Resistance? Who would be interrogated by Chromia next? Guard PR2357 had been questioned brutally about what had occurred during his watch, resulting in the escape of Kylo Ren and the scavenger Jedi.
The tension was just as present on the bridge where Kira Calrissian sat at her station, worrying whether she was overdoing her pretence of calm. She had urgent news for Colonel Dameron, but she hadn't been alone or unwatched since Jakub's breakout long enough to send it. She was terrified. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, not because she was explicitly suspected but because everyone was. She had no way of escaping herself, and Chromia was questioning everyone. Had she and Jakub been careful enough? No one had suspected him before, but now they knew; she had no more reason to panic than before, didn't she?
A hand on Kira's shoulder made her jump. Preoccupied with thoughts and faking calm, she hadn't heard the footsteps approach or seen the shimmering chrome uniform in her peripheral vision- Chromia. Kira sucked in an anxious breath and hoped her face didn't betray her heart leaping into her throat.
"Chromia. How may I assist you?" Kira said, managing to keep her voice level.
Chromia's red and yellow animalistic face gave a sinister smirk, and a sense of dread overcame Kira Calrissian.
-X-
On the bridge of the First Order's lead destroyer, Grand Admiral Skalick stood on the deck to survey the planet they've arrived at through the viewing window. Following the trial onboard the Supremacy, he had personally taken the lead in attempting to find the Resistance and the Princess. Where General Kail and General Valax had failed, Grand Admiral Skalick had succeeded and quickly. Skalick couldn't comprehend how those two blithering idiots were in such positions of power. He knew, however, the answer to his own question- Supreme Leader Hux had promoted people who were useful to him. Vice Admiral Renor and himself had been part of the First Order in the days when Hux's father, Commander Brendol Hux, had been building their armies. A mixture of the Jedi concepts of loyalty and the Republic's clone stormtroopers training, using both ideas. Taking children or having them conscripted at birth it had been genius! Renor and himself had moved up the ranks through an unflinching and relentless desire for self-advancement. When Armitage Hux conspired against his father and had his right-hand Phasma murder him, it made sense to endorse Armitage as their next leader. Armitage Hux possessed that same self-serving ruthlessness Skalick considered imperative.
Grand Admiral Skalick had found the Princess and had reported to Supreme Leader Hux to ascertain whether Hux wanted her as a prisoner or for his execution on Ruusan.
Hux had made it clear he wanted no margin for error. 'Eliminate her by any means necessary, Grand Admiral'.
Skalick had every intention of enforcing that command, grim face set, his officers ready to rain cannon fire on his order. They patiently waited for the vessel holding the Princess to leave the planet. It was a privilege to be the one who would bring an end to her influence. Once she was gone, everything for the Resistance and Republic would fall apart.
Finally, a YKL-37R Nova Courier exited the planet. Skalick was familiar with this craft, a safe option to transport the head of the Republic. The YKL-37R were small and manoeuvrable, only requiring a small crew and excellent weaponry, but it would make no difference against a ship such as a Dreadnought. He wasn't sure this was the ship they'd been waiting for, but that was of little bearing to Skalick.
"Fire at will."
It was a direct and unemotional command, and he watched as the craft was consumed by cannon fire and exploded in a burst of bright light.
"Confirm that was the ship we'd been waiting for before you inform General Hux."
In the last moments of her life, Princess Leia, General Organa reflected briefly. It had been an enormous adventure, each moment of love and achievement intertwined with sadness and regret. She considered all those she had loved and lost- Han, Luke, her home and family of Alderaan and the most painful loss of all her son, Ben. As the pilot informed her of a situation she already had a sense of, she sat with her eyes closed and reached out with her feelings. It was futile to attempt to avoid what was now inevitable, and in her last moments, she was desperate to do just one thing. She reached out further and further, past her ship's panicking crew, past the Dreadnought sitting in space opposite them, which was preparing to fire. She reached out into the vastness of space, feeling herself between the stars, searching past planets for a presence she could always feel no matter how far away. She finally sensed it clearly, different to how it had been previously, not a raging mass of darkness; the darkness had dimmed, and the rage was gone. Eyes still closed, she smiled sadly to herself. She'd been right; there was still light in him, and he was changing, but she wouldn't get to see him again.
"Ben," she whispered as the world vanished in bright, explosive light, and her physical form disappeared between the stars, her essence stretching across those galaxies, reaching for her son.
-X-
Within the bacta tank suspended in the medical fluid, Kylo's body suddenly convulsed, and his eyes shot open. No! He kicked his legs to reach the top of the tank and wrenched the breathing apparatus off his face. Two medical droids were instantly at his side, forcefully beeping as he attempted to get a grip on the tank and get out. He needed to .... to .... he didn't know what he needed, but he wanted to be out of this tank. The Dr who'd been treating him came into the room at the sounds of droids and alarms.
"What do you think you're doing? You need more time. You're not fully recovered. How are you awake?"
Kylo turned to her, perched at the top of the tank, arms holding him up on the side.
"I don't care. Just get me out of here even if it's for a moment. Please".
His voice was a mixture of desperation and rage; his face similar, brow furrowed, and mouth grim. Dr Kalonia obliged and got him a large blanket to wrap over his shoulders. Despite having been in the tank healing, he felt weak. He immediately sat, elbows on his knees with his fingers intertwined, his dripping head resting on his thumbs. He reached out with the Force, but he knew it hadn't been a dream or a nightmare. His eyes squeezed shut; he felt what he knew he'd feel, nothing; his mother was gone. The instruments, cabinets and furniture around him started vibrating and rattling as he struggled with his emotions.
Rey burst into the room, concerned by what she'd felt in the Force and Ben's reaction to it. She had every reason to be worried about Dr Kalonia's welfare. What she saw in the doorway washed away those concerns, instantly replacing them with heartache and grief for herself and Ben. Leia was gone.
The objects in the room stopped vibrating and rattling; Kylo lifted his head from his clenched hands and turned to Rey. The dripping wet curls of hair couldn't hide his crestfallen face, wretchedness etched on every feature. He turned from her, lowering his head into his open hands and embraced the pain and regret he now felt. He would never see her again, never get the chance to say sorry, to be what she had wanted- her son. He allowed his raw feelings to flow into every part of him instead of hiding or controlling them. Ultimately, he would be stronger if his emotions were unfettered, so he embraced his pain, regret, and grief.
-X-
On Ruusan, the First Order had set up their base, ships were docked, and troops were standing to attention in vast squadrons. Supreme Leader Hux had an announcement before the war started. Altor stood amongst his squad feeling very nervous; what was he going to do in order to leave the First Order before this war happened? Surely he'd be unable to defect along with all those soldiers he felt he'd gotten through to while the war was being fought? Too many questions. There was no privacy on this planet within the makeshift barracks, unlike onboard the Dreadnought, and he had found no way to contact the Resistance.
Supreme Leader Hux walked out onto the raised platform; high-ranking officers were already there, as were five dark, ominous figures. Hux's chin was held high, and grim every inch of him was immaculate in his uniform and long dark coat.
"Today is a momentous day for the First Order. The leader of the loathsome Republic, that misleading and counterfeit Princess, is dead at the hands of Grand Admiral Skalick. This is the first day of our sterilisation of those false ideas, the first day of our final solution to our war! There were traitors in our midst, those who would help the treacherous Resistance and today, we bring one before you to pay for their crime."
Altor was immobilised by fear. Did anyone know he was one of the traitors Hux was speaking of, and if not, who was the traitor they'd found? He was quite sure Jakub had gotten out when Rey was rescued. A chrome stormtrooper walked out onto the raised platform they were all facing, and a young woman was with her. Oh no, Kira. Kira had joined the initiative when he and Jakub had; they'd both had trooper roles, but Kira had an officer's position. As the daughter of a politician and New Republic leader, Lando Calrissian, she had the skills to allow a deeper infiltration, an infiltration that had clearly failed.
Chromia stood on the platform, holding the traitor by the elbow; they had found her reasonably easily. PR 2357 was very willing, after Chromia's unique form of persuasion, to give the digits of the trooper who had come to the prison cell and quizzed him. He couldn't be sure that FB 1123 was the trooper who had knocked him out and escaped with the prisoners, but it made sense. He had desperately shared anything to remove the failure and further punishment from himself. Chromia had then questioned the squad FB 1123 had belonged to. He was gone, and their stories were all similar. He'd openly spoken of disliking the conflict, of wanting more to his life and spreading discontent. She had asked the troopers if they'd noticed anything else odd. A trooper mentioned that he had seen him with a female officer, which hadn't looked official. Stormtroopers and officers did not socialise, particularly without helmets on. She got a description of the woman and headed to the bridge to look for her. Chromia had found a slight bronze woman sitting at her station on the Supremacy; she certainly looked the part. Chromia had taken her immediately to the prison cells. The woman had been quiet and did as instructed; someone who was innocent would have resisted more. That was all Chromia had needed. The Supreme Leader needed a girl to replace the one who had escaped, and this one would suffice regardless of actual guilt.
On the platform, Chromia beckoned two of her Knights to step forward with the electroguilltoine. She forced the girl to her knees by squeezing her shoulder hard, keeping her grip on the girl's neck. Chromia thrust her head between the two poles up to her shoulders. Chromia let go of the girl and held out her hand to her side, and another Knight handed her an electrostaff. She looked towards Supreme Leader Hux, awaiting his command. Below her, the girl's back rapidly rose and fell as she tried to steady herself, accepting the inevitable. Good for her, a noble death.
"Execute the traitor."
Chromia touched the electrostaff to one of the poles, and the electroguillotine ignited. The only sound was the buzzing of the electroguillotine and the body as it slumped to the side headless.
Altor felt sick; he was aware that, unlike the troopers around him, he was twitching slightly, his apprehension and distress having a physical reaction. Don't lose it now; keep it together.
Hux turned from the platform, Chromia and the corpse to the troops.
"TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF THE REPUBLIC, OF THE RESISTANCE, AND ALL SYSTEMS WILL NOW BOW TO THE FIRST ORDER!"
Around Altor, the troops raised a hand and gave a shout of solidarity. Altor did the same, but inside, his feelings were of anger and sorrow, poor Kira and poor General Calrissian. Altor was also running through several issues- how was he going to get word to the Resistance? How was he going to get out of here?