You stayed up all night worrying.
About Kylo.
About your punishment in the morning.
About how your life has gone upside down in a matter of days.
It feels like you've been on Exegol for a month, not a day.
You get up at dawn, trying to get yourself mentally prepared for what the Emperor has in store for you today. Whatever it is, you know you can handle it. You've trained with the Emperor for years, this training is nothing you aren't used to.
The only difference this time is that you have something to lose. Before you only cared about being the best, about proving to the Emperor you were worth his time.
This punishment will be unlike anything you've ever experienced before.
Deep breath. You remind yourself. Your reflection takes a deep breath in, holds it in for a moment then exhales. You feel a smidge better.
"You okay?" Leo asks from the doorway and you wonder how long he's been standing there for.
You turn, trying to wipe any hint of worry off your face. If you're nervous about today then it's likely that Leo is too. He was always more sensitive about punishments, but he was also able to connect emotionally with the force more easily. Leo was good but you had always thought of yourself as better.
But now, you realize you and Leo weren't better than the other. You were equal. The thought makes you feel better.
"I'm okay. Just nervous." It feels really good to say that out loud. You know that Leo will understand what you're feeling.
"Oh thank the stars you said that. I'm nervous too. What do you think he's going to do to us?" Leo's posture relaxes and he goes and sits on your bed, clearly just as agitated as you are.
"I don't know. It could be anything at this point." You shrug, feeling defeated.
"He seems mad. Like more than usual." Leo points out to you.
"I know, I'm just hoping he's calmed down." You reply but the chance of the Emperor calming down is unlikely. You both know that.
"He seemed beyond mad when we came back. This can't be good for either of us." Leo says, and there's something on his face you can't quite read. Maybe he's a lot more worried than you thought.
"I know." You say, not knowing what else to say to Leo. There's nothing you can say or do to make him feel better.
"So, what do we do?" He asks and the question confuses you.
"What do you mean?" You ask, surely he doesn't want to try and form a plan. That was always Leo's way of getting out of things. He would form a plan and then run. You thought it was better to face things head-on.
"I mean how are we getting out of this?" He asks and it's like a lightbulb goes off in your head. Leo's going to try and run.
"I don't think we can Leo." You can't have him trying to leave. If he even attempts it then he's dead.
"I mean, hypothetically if we never showed up to receive our punishment then he can never give it to us." Of course, you were right. He's going to run and you might not be able to stop him.
"Leo, he'd searched the whole galaxy for us. He'd kill us if he ever found us." You try to reason with him.
"So? He'll kill us either way," Leo says, standing up abruptly. Now he's upset with you but you know deep down you're in the right. You don't want Leo killed for something so careless.
"You don't know that." You try one last ditch effort to try and reason with him but you know it's no use.
"You got any better ideas?" He says and he puts his hands on his hips like he thinks he's won.
You didn't want to tell him about Kylo's force visit with you last night and how he seemed determined to get you out of here. You didn't want to give Leo false hope.
"Yes. We stay here and we take our punishments. We're the best apprentices he has in the whole galaxy. He can't afford to kill us now. Not after all this time he spent training us." You hope.
Leo sighs like he realizes he won't win this argument. "You're right. I still think we should run if we even sense he's going to kill us."
"With what? He hasn't given us our sabers. We can't kill him with just the force." Now he's just trying to come up with anything to save himself.
"Shit. You're right." He closes his eyes and leans against the wall defeated. You both know this might be the end.
"I know I am. Now get ready and I'll meet you in front of the Emperor's throne for our punishment." You tell him and there's a moment that passes between you two after you say it that lets you know that both of you are feeling the same way about the situation.
"Okay." He says with a sadness in his voice.
Once he leaves you finally take a second to yourself to absorb everything that's been going on. You think about your force connection with Kylo and how maybe there's a slimmer of hope that he might be able to save you.
No.
You can't let yourself get deluded by fantasies that have no guarantee of being true. Kylo may be trying to save you but there's a possibility he might not even make it to Exegol. You're all on your own for this.
A servant comes to find you. They tell you that the Emperor is ready to see you know and you and Leo make your way to his throne.
Leo gives you one last look and you know that you are both thinking and hoping for the same thing. To stay alive.
-
The Emperor sits, watching, waiting, all-knowing. There's a slight smirk on his face and you know this can't be good. He's too happy for this to go anything but downhill for both you and Leo.
"My apprentices. You've been very naughty, haven't you?" His voice is shrill and his tone is condescending. You know better than to answer him though. Anything you say will be taken as backtalk.
"What do you mean Master?" Leo speaks up and you internally scold him for not staying quiet.
"What I mean is my two most trusted servants have been planning against me." The Emperor's voice echoes loudly throughout the throne room.
"I swear we haven't been plotting anything, Master. We are loyal to you and only you." Leo tries to cover his ass but he should know better than that. The Emperor knows.
"Not you boy." The Emperor says and it makes you look up for just a split second and when you do you see it. The Emperor knows about you and Kylo's force bond. You don't know how but you just know that he knows about it. He also must know that Kylo is trying to come to save you and if he knows that then-
Fuck. You are completely fucked.
Your face doesn't betray your thoughts though. You keep a calm, flat expression and even though you know the Emperor can read your mind, it won't show any alarm to anyone else.
"You." He points to you as he narrows his eyes. "You've been plotting against me and you thought I wouldn't know."
You tilt your head up, making eye contact with the Emperor which is forbidden but you know that it doesn't matter what you do know. You'll die anyways. You've betrayed the Emperor and he'll have his payback.
You don't say a word. Anything you say now will just dig you into a deeper hole with the Emperor.
"So you don't deny it." He says, knowing that you can't argue with him.
You just stay silent. You will not break. He will not break you, not this time.
"I knew you were a lying traitorous slut." He shrieks at you.
It takes everything you have to not stand up for yourself, but there is too much on the line for you to ruin it because of your emotions.
"Master, we would never betray you." Leo tries to reason again but the Emperor holds his hand up to command Leo's silence.
"Don't you see foolish boy? She's taken you and I both for fools. She jumped right into the Commander's bed without a second thought and now she's willing to risk the entire First Order. What a waste. All that training for nothing." The Emperor doesn't even look at you, he's turning Leo against you, and he doesn't even have the courage to look you in the eyes.
Leo doesn't say anything. He doesn't even look at you and your heart breaks knowing that the Emperor has probably turned the only person you might have considered a friend against you.
"You may go now, Leo." The Emperor commands and Leo takes a deep breath but walks away without argument.
Once Leo is gone, the Emperor turns his attention back to you. Assessing you, hoping that you might break but you know you won't. He's contemplating what to do with you and it's clear he's enjoying whatever is playing in his head because he leans back on his throne with a smirk. You just stand, waiting, watching, and secretly hoping to be alive when the day is over. If you can make it through today then maybe it will give Kylo enough time to save you.
"Now what shall I do with you pet?" He asks, but you know better than to respond to him.
You just sit, silent and waiting. The Emperor pauses, watching you and hoping for some sort of reaction but when he clearly sees that he will not get one. He grows frustrated.
"Take her away, she shall be punished when I see fit." He declares and two guards grab you and pull you away.
You notice quickly that you are not being pulled into the direction of your room, you're being pulled into a dark corridor that you know leads into the dungeons.
Shit. There are only two things that happen there.
Torture and death.
-
Kylo POV:
I will save her. I will save her. I will save her.
It's the only thing running through my mind since she left. I knew I shouldn't have let her go and yet, I did anyway. I went against what I knew in my heart was right because I was given orders.
Stupid. So Stupid.
I knew she wouldn't have been safe on Exegol and yet I still let her go.
I am to blame.
I saw her last night and I knew I needed to come save her. She needs me.
So, this morning I went around base as normal to do my rounds and then I told the knights to prepare my ship. No one but me and the knights know I'm leaving and I'm the only one who knows my destination.
I've been anxious all day while I prepare myself to face the Emperor. He'll put up a good fight and I know he won't be alone but I've got the element of surprise in my favor.
It takes me all day for the ship to be prepared and I spend that time training, and preparing to put up the best fight of my life. I will not lose her.
I'm pounding away at a punching bag when Vicrul, steps into the training room. He doesn't have to announce his entry because I can sense the force from him.
I stop and look up at him, waiting for him to speak.
"Sir. The ship is ready and is set for you to enter in your course." He tells me and we exchange a nod before he walks away.
I should get to my ship as soon as possible but there is one more thing I have to do before I go.
Once I'm ready, I make my way to the hangar. My knights are all waiting for me when I get there and I know they're anxious to know where I'm going and how they can assist but this is something that I need to do alone.
I need to save her and I need to be the only one to do it. This is my responsibility.
I nod to my men and make my way onto the ship. I make it a point not to look back. I know if I show the slightest sign of anything vulnerable then I'm done for.
I take my seat in the pilot's chair and start the ship. It's time for me to go and save my girl.
-
After what might be the longest ship ride I've ever taken I arrive on a deserted part of Exegol where I know Emperor Palpatine won't be able to know I've arrived. He has informants everywhere but there's not a single person in sight when I step off the ship so I know I'm safe for now.
I keep my lightsaber hilt steady in my hand, ready to use at any moment's notice.
I only take a few steps when I hear a commotion. I dunk behind my ship so as to not be seen.
"Look! Over Here!" Someone shouts and the sounds get closer to me.
I hear footsteps running in the gravel. They get louder with every step so I stay hidden behind my ship in case they come closer.
I am ready for a fight.
"I think this is Ren's ship!" The voice says again, and I hear the footsteps get faster.
"I think you're right. The Emperor will be pleased. We shall prepare for a fight." Another voice peeps up and I know my cover's blown.
"If his ship is here, then where is he?" The first voice asks and that's when I take my moment to step from behind the ship.
"Right here," I answer and draw my lightsaber out.
The voices, which I now can identify as two men on Emperor Palatine's guard look at me with fear in their eyes. They scramble to find their weapons but I use my force hold to stop them.
They are frozen and the moment is mine.
I take my saber and draw it through both of the men without a second of hesitation. They fall to the ground with a thud and I immediately keep moving. If they found my ship that easily then it won't be hard for the Emperor to track me. He'll find me soon enough and when he does I'll need to be ready.
It doesn't take me long to find where the men came from. It looks like they took a land vessel from the city and were doing rounds on the edge of the planet.
Obviously, these men won't be needing this vessel anymore so I might as well take it off their hands.
It takes only a moment for me to start it and get all the settings figured out but once I do I'm off. I use the tracking system that's built into the vessel to guide myself to the main city of Exegol where I know the Emperor resides. This is a risky move because as soon as I hit city limits the Emperor is bound to sense I'm there so I'll have to move fast.
I'm driving as fast as I can while I'm thinking over and over about what I'm to do when I arrive. I won't have much time to think once I get there so I'll have to act fast and destroy anything that might be in my way.
As soon as I reach the city borders I notice there are two crafts following me on either side. They must be with the Emperor which means he already knows I'm here. I'll only have minutes to lose these two before there are others on my tail.
But I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about her.
Author's Note: Hello Reader! If you like this story please go check out my new and improved version of the story! The introduction is available now and i'm excited to share with you all the improvements i've made.