Fandom Fight for Control [closed]

[Lucyfer]

Reveille’s attention was shifting constantly. The noise of conversation from the other ships, from the TIEs, was not interesting but she still needed to be aware. The viewport held visual cues. The screens around her told her of the Exigency’s state and any new threats that may come up on it, as well as how well the shields were holding and everything else.

“Are you familiar with the battle of Jakku?” Reveille inquired as she let her gaze shift over to Kylo, as Kos’tel’lanni went to examine other screens take stock of the battle and what she could command, what things were left out or not considered.

Regardless of his answer, she would add, “A tractor beam can pull a destroyer. Not much. They can usually fight it off, but in the battle of Jakku it was used to pull a destroyer into planetary atmosphere, and from there it was just a matter of letting the wounded ship fall to its death.” That wasn’t her plan here, “It also tends to interrupt shielding and communications of the targeted ship, for the time that ship is within the tractor. With the shielding disrupted, our dreadnaught can get a good shot at it.”

It may destroy it.

It may not.

Either way, the hit was bound to be devastating. The shielding and communications of destroyers and other large vessels had many points, and fully upsetting them would require more than a tractor beam – but it helped.

~***~

Alcina was not an opera that Armitage himself had seen. He had seen a couple of the romantic operas, but he had a preference for the dramas, for the tragedies. Alcina sounded like a tragedy, in truth, but the thematics of love leading to the tragedy…he wasn’t sure. “Well, don’t go falling for any of the rebels,” he couldn’t help but say as she indicated her ‘romantic’ nature. “It’d be a shame to lose a good officer for something as fickle as her heart.”

He took down another sip, “Though Alcina sounds like an opera I may like. I tend to avoid the romantic ones, but I do like tragedies.” Was he tragic at heart?

No.

He supposed it just allowed him to feel something, without that something being in himself, being internal, being something he’d have to turn over and complicate. Not that he intended to linger long on that, either. He finished his drink, “This wasn’t terrible,” he allowed, then, the closest he’d get to saying anything positive about the drink.

 

[cleopat]

Of course I know of the Battle of Jakku. Kylo knew about many of the battles from the Galactic Empire days, and that particular battle marked the end of the Galactic Civil War and the Empire. He merely answered her in the affirmative, and she continued to explain her tactical reasoning for the tractor beam.

Her reasoning became clear to him after her first few words, but he allowed her to finish, in case there was any extra information that may have slipped his memory. “That could actually work,” he whispered, looking back out the viewport at the dreadnought in question. If they could take it out, then maybe Tarkin would finally concede to yield the battle.

“Prepare the ion cannons!” He barked out, turning around to face the Bridge. If they had the chance to take down the dreadnought, then he will ensure they did not squander that opportunity. Still, what Tarkin had said still resonated in his mind. If this was truly a distraction, then what was it a distraction from? The possibility of something happening on Lothal crossed his mind more than once, even if Reveille attempted to squash the possibility.

~~

Lavinia couldn’t help but to snort at Armitage’s caution, whether a joke or not. Although the caution painfully reminded her of who she was and the danger she potentially faced, she also saw the humor in the irony of what he said. “I’ll try and contain myself around any rebels I may fall for.” So far, she hadn’t fallen for anyone in the Resistance. Poe Dameron may be attractive, but she couldn’t see him in any romantic light.

His comment on his preference for tragedies stuck with her. Not many tend to actually enjoy the tragic moments of operas, and Lavinia was always left in tears at the end of them. But given what she already knew of Armitage, his preference for the genre almost seemed tragic in itself. Had he even had the chance to experience love in any form?

“I knew you would like it.” She held a knowing smile, but saying nothing else. It was victory enough for her. One hand slid across the plush sheets, patting the empty space next to her. “Why don’t you sit down? We’ll be sharing the same bed, so you might as well learn that I don’t bite.”

 

[Lucyfer]

‘You doubted me?’ Of course he did. He had been doubting her since they met. It did not make her feel any better to hear his concession, but rather, annoyed. Even so, she wouldn’t let that break her attention.

They had this moment to win.

Then they could consider anything else. Like Lothal, or the lightly guarded Supremacy, or Tepasi, or Corellia, or….

Unlike Kylo, her mind ran with numerous options. Lothal would be the worst, but it wasn’t the only place Tarkin could choose to strike to weaken them. There were plenty of opportunities with the heft of their fleet here.

Soon enough, they were up and over, enemy fire coming up and TIEs redirecting themselves to strike, only to be dispatched by ion cannons or their own TIEs. “Engage tractor.”

A moment later, the light shone through the open space and found the destroyer that held Tarkin himself. “Captain Tien, fire as soon as you can,” for their own ship rocked with the pull, and the fight, that the destroyer immediately attempted.

“No worries there, Admiral.”

There was a ping, and then the turbolaser of the dreadnaught lit up the air and went across it, putting a hole in the destroyer beneath them, as one of the ground lasers pierced another ship nearby, and more TIEs continued to swarm the area – Sienar Fleets. Bombs fell on the dreadnaught that took the ground shot, and the dreadnaught started to turn downwards.

The destroyer, however, broke free of the tractor.

Despite its damages, its lightspeed didn’t seem to be damaged.

It, and the other ships, started to blink out.

~***~

The humor was taken, however dry, and Armitage could at least appreciate that she understood it. He considered it fairly unlikely that she’d encounter any rebels. He barely encountered them, at least, face to face, unless they were captives. That hadn’t gone over as well as he’d like. Phasma hadn’t killed them. And Kylo had let Poe live.

He didn’t know why, on that one, honestly. He had gotten the information they needed.

His thoughts were taken away from the Resistance by her invitation, and he rolled his eyes. As if he’d worry about that. Still, she was right, “Sleep is next on the agenda. The meeting tomorrow had better not be delayed any further,” he shifted a bit, turning towards the bathroom door, before realizing the inanity of it.

So, instead, he reached up to his collar and undid it, allowing him to then pull down the zipper that kept his tunic on. He would move that into a drawer, and not strip any further. A tanktop was enough. He’d just deal with having his pants a bit disorderly tomorrow. It would hardly be the worst thing.

He didn’t move to where she’d patted, but walked around the bed to the other side of it, “You should rest as well, Lieutenant.” He intended to lay down, and try to get over the oddity of sleeping with another person – and try to keep as far to his side as he could.

 

[cleopat]

The attack played out in front of them through the convenience of the viewport. The bright light from their ion cannons shot towards the dreadnought.

It was only the beginning of the end for Tarkin. It was obvious that the tide of the battle shifted in their favor with Sienar Fleets flying into the scene, shooting at every ship owned by Tarkin.

A dreadnought fell, but the destroyer escaped despite the damages it sustained. Kylo wanted to see the destroyer fall as well, but the retreat had to serve as a temporary victory for the First Order.

Kylo was only aware of the blood rushing in his ears and his heart pounding in his chest. The absolute need to lash out in anger bubbled under the surface, but with his jaw tightly clenched, he willed it away. At least, only temporary until he returned to his quarters. The odds were stacked against them, and yet they remained on top. A fit on the Bridge needed to be avoided.

“Anyone who associates with Tarkin are now our enemies. They are to be killed on sight. No prisoners.” His voice was deceptively calm, and he didn’t break his gaze from the viewpoint. His eyes were unfocused, staring at nothing while his mind fought its own battle.

~~

The topic of brief conversation left Lavinia wondering what Armitage would do if he knew he had been so close to a rebel this entire time? That he was about to share a bed with one? Would she be long gone before he learned of her deceptions? Would something, or someone, rip off her mask of lies in front of him?

She liked to think she would be gone before then. At some point she needed to make the decision to return to the Resistance, for her own safety, but the issue was returning before everything turned south.

When it was made clear that Armitage had no intention of sitting on the bed, instead opting to try and get some sleep. Neither of them had slept the night before, and plenty of sleep is crucial to be alert for the meeting tomorrow.

Her eyes trailed over the new bit of skin revealed when the tunic was removed. She swore she saw a few freckles dot his pale shoulders, every bit the same shade as his face. That was expected from a man who spent his entire time on warships.

She pulled her eyes away at his movement. Armitage was right, and almost like a switch flipped, the events of the past few days caught up to her. The pillows looked quite inviting. Lavinia situated her body so she was now laying underneath the covers. At least the bed is comfortable. “I suppose we both need some much needed sleep.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille wanted to ask if that included Lothal. She thought better of it, though she knew Kylo couldn’t have forgotten, given how often he had asked after it. “Understood, Supreme Leader.” Those with the Tarkins would have to be considered their foes now. “Call back our TIEs. Prepare to return to the Core,” Reveille went through the process by memory, ordering Captain Tien to remain behind to make sure Tarkin didn’t come back to Absanz too soon.

She still needed to see the med bay.

She still needed to eat.

Those things shouldn’t be put off too long, “Supreme Leader, would you like us to return to the Core, or to Lothal?” That much, she did need to know before she considered any other moves. She could imagine it going either way, given the silence from Lothal.

She was, indeed, tempted to fly out there herself and verify her brother was still alive.

~***~

Armitage knew he shouldn’t be bothered by appearances. Unlike Reveille, he was. He had always preferred the privacy of his own quarters to change in, or any bit of privacy at all. He had been mocked from a young age about his appearance, no matter what he did – too pale, too many freckles, too lanky, too weak – he knew there was nothing to dislike, his body was in good health, but it didn’t stop old worries from resurfacing.

The black uniform remained comfortable, for many reasons.

The sheets would be much the same in covering him, but Althea offered no commentary on him, thankfully. He kept his back turned to her as his head hit the pillow, and he was reminded that he wished he’d washed the product out of his hair.

Too late now. He’d deal with it in the morning.

He was already drifting off, far quicker than usual. He heard Lav’s words, as he felt the warmth of her, even from further away. He felt the weight of her on the bed, seeming to want to make him turn towards it, since he was likely to roll towards it anyways.

He didn’t let the thought play out, just murmured, “Good night, lieutenant,” his agreement with her assessment, and his need to sleep catching up with him, as well.

 

[cleopat]

After the trouble they had just been through at the expense of Lothal, Kylo had to make an exception, though should anyone on the planet still decide to align with Tarkin, even after his threats, would be swiftly dealt with.

He would not be made a fool of again.

Reveille’s question didn’t register with Kylo immediately, but even after he realized what she had asked, he took a moment to answer. They still had no received any communication from their officers on Lothal, which was concerning since that included General Hux.

“Set our course for Lothal.” His answer should’ve been obvious to himself the second Reveille posed the question. “I do not expect our visit to last very long, unless General Hux and Lieutenant Storax are indeed in trouble.”

For their sake, they better be.

~~

Lavinia had wanted to lightly trace her fingers over every freckle that dotted his skin, like the stars that dot the galaxy. The fascination with his body markings was unknown to her, although it may have stemmed from her skin lacking any freckles. You’re just tired. Get some sleep and get some clarity.

As Armitage settled underneath the covers with his back turned towards her, Lavinia remained on her back, head turned to study his backside in the dark, even though she was merely lost in her own thoughts, recalling their conversations of the evening.

She didn’t like what her mind kept telling her.

“Good night, general.” Lavinia turned on her side, facing the opposite direction of Hux. The warmth of another body called to her, but she had to remind herself who exactly was in the bed with her.

That didn’t help one bit.

She soon drifted off to a dreamless sleep as her exhaustion overcame her thoughts.

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille had expected that answer, and didn’t contradict it, or question it. One lieutenant spared her a look, and with a nod, the course started to be set so they could jump into lightspeed once more and head out to Lothal to find out the situation with General Hux and Lieutenant Storax.

Reveille didn’t need to stay on the Bridge for that. “Then if you’ll excuse me, Supreme Leader,” she didn’t explain herself, either. She hardly wanted to confess to having been injured this entire time when her uniform covered it well. Best her crew never knew.

She also didn’t want to confess to how badly she needed a shower, to get the sand and dried blood off of her. ‘To get him off.’ Another thought that didn’t need to be voiced, as well.

But she had time to clean up, to grab something to eat, and get back to the Bridge by the time they reached Lothal.

She didn’t consider that Kylo didn’t have quarters here, or much of a place to clean himself off after Korriban, either.

~***~

Armitage barely registered the movement as Althea turned away from him. He was already far down, and was drifting faster despite the bed being unfamiliar, and the situation unfamiliar. Yet, he was still half-awake, or perhaps had woken again, sometime later when he recognized the bed wasn’t his, and there was a strange angle to it.

He rolled towards it, and found something warm. Someone.

He wasn’t thinking deeply as he decided it was more comfortable to wrap an arm around them and stay close, rather than roll away. His mind wasn’t on logic, just on what would help him go back to sleep once again, and this seemed to be what would help.

The mixture of the warmth and the familiar scent of the woman certainly did just that, for once he seemed to have made himself comfortable, he drift back to sleep, not jerking away with the realization of what he’d done.

Just, sleep.

And perhaps a dream of the woman who’s scent now invaded his thoughts, of an opera on Coruscant, and a red dress....

 

[cleopat]

His gaze broke away from the void of space to glance at her. Kylo could tell that she yearned for rest, and he could hardly fault her for that. From fighting off giant beasts on Korriban to coming back to a war zone took its toll on a person, and he entertained the idea of taking a nap.

Except he didn’t have any quarters on her ship. His shuttle was still docked in the hangar, and in there was the bedroom they had slept in together. An unfamiliar sensation tugged on his mind when he recalled last night. Or how he recalled how soft Reveille felt. Or how she managed to soothe him after another night terror.

“You are excused.” No point in keeping her there on the Bridge any longer. In their jump to Lothal, he had the intention of returning to his shuttle and looking over the holocron he found on Korriban once more.

The mere fact that there was no spare quarters for him on her ship painfully reminded him of how he wasn’t meant to be there, in the role of Supreme Leader. He knew many questioned its legitimacy, but they were too scared to challenge it. General Hux nearly did, but Kylo quickly subdued that spark of rebellion.

And Reveille held just as much contempt for him.

“Alert me of when we’ve reached Lothal.” His words took on the hardened edge again, a result of his spiraling thoughts.

~~

A peculiar scent that almost seemed familiar was the first thing Lavinia noticed when she slowly woke up the next morning. Light from the rising sun filtered into the room through the slightly parted curtains, and she moaned as she realized this meant leaving the warmth of the bed. The warmth was simultaneously both soft and hard, and the arm wrapped around her middle provided her with a sense of security and protection.

Wait...arm?

Her eyes shot open at the realization. There was most definitely an arm around her midsection, and a firm body pressed against her backside. Her legs intertwined with theirs, and something hard pressed into her lower back.

Lavinia stiffened as she recalled who was in the bed with her. Armitage was wrapped around her, and she did her best to ignore how comfortable she felt in his arms. That couldn’t happen.

But there wasn’t much she could do right now. With their legs intertwined and his arm around her, she was stuck until he finally woke up, whenever they may be.

She closed her eyes, temporarily accepting the fact that she didn’t want the warmth to disappear. Just until he wakes up.

 

[Lucyfer]

“I will,” Reveille answered his request, before she stepped out of the Bridge. She had been dismissed, even if she hadn’t felt it needed. Kylo had no reason to keep her, and Kos’tel’lanni could help him with anything he might need. Before she came to ask Reveille why she’d been in Kylo’s shirt.

That was an inevitable conversation.

For now, she would at least be able to pause by the cafeteria to get food. Though she yearned for something more, the need for haste caused her to, for once, take up a nutrient bar. And caf. She’d be dead before she stopped drinking caf. It would also help to wake her up a bit more. Sure, she’d slept, but it hadn’t been long.

With the nutrient bar devoured before she reached the medbay, she was taken back to one of the rooms. She preferred to have an actual doctor than a droid, and though TIE fighters were starting to filter in, she was still seen ahead of some of them.

Bacta was put over her wounds to pull it back together, and she was offered a few pills to help strengthen her system in case infection had seeped in, given the length of time between now and then, and the fact she’d been bitten.

When that was cleaned up, she had time enough to return to her room to actually shower off, and get the remaining dried blood and sand off of her, and, though the water wasn’t truly hot enough for it – she thought she might be able to wash Kylo off, all the same.

Of course, that was as futile as trying to wash off anyone else she’d had regrets towards touching, but at least his scent was long forgotten in the perfumes of her own soaps.

~***~

Armitage Hux had slept deeply, and he had slept well. He did not often have vivid dreams, and it through him off a bit as he woke, slow to recall where he was or what was going on. It almost seemed a natural continuation of the dream itself, and his arm briefly tightened around Althea as consciousness started to return.

And then it returned in full.

Armitage’s eyes flew open, and he realized how entangled in Althea he actually was, and how his dreams had indeed seemed to want to continue to reality. He was, perhaps, too hasty in releasing her and pulling back, rolling over and sitting up, and willing himself to relax once he realized what he’d done.

With any luck, she was asleep and unaware, although belatedly he realized his sudden movements could have woken her.

Perhaps she’d have no idea, still, why she woke?

Should he apologize? He opted for mute silence instead, and tried to slow his own breathing, as he pulled his hand through his hair to try and get it all to lay flat. He didn’t need to see it to know it was a mess, and that was an easy distraction. ‘You just talked with her about opera. Your mind created a dream from conversations and sights. That’s all.’ He reassured himself.

And then he heard the loud ping of his datapad from within his coat, further away.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo didn’t remain long on the Bridge, not when everything had cleared and there was nothing else for him to oversee until they reached Lothal.

No one bothered him on his way back to his shuttle. Perhaps they feared his rage. It hardly mattered, for Kylo was still agitated from Tarkin’s earlier remarks. Maybe the man was just tooling with him, trying to get under his skin. Well, it worked.

His shuttle remained undisturbed, but walking into the small quarters of the ship, the previous night weighed heavily on his mind. Reveille saw him at one of his most vulnerable moments, and she didn’t take advantage of his weakness, nor did she cruelly remarked upon it, when it would have been so easy to do so on the Bridge.

She was infuriating and unpredictable, capable of such a soft touch that he craved more of.

No you don’t. She’s a Hux, and like her brother, she wants you gone. She’s just manipulating you.

Still, she helped him calm down after a night terror, a feat he didn’t even know was possible. A minor detail he had to forget, unless he wanted it to consume him.

Kylo grabbed his bag that came with him to Korriban, and perched on the edge of the bed, one hand dug into the contents and pulled out the holocron. His eyes focused on the object, memorizing every little detail, every distinct markings, every foreign letter of an ancient language long forgotten. In the shadows, there is power.

He frowned as the tugging sensation started again. It told him to drop the holocron, or better yet, destroy it. But he wouldn’t do that, not until he watched the rest of it. Setting it at his side on the bed, Kylo turned his attention back to his bag and pulled out a nutritional bar. Although paranoia ate away any hunger he had, he knew he needed some sustenance in his body before they arrived at Lothal.

~~

Eyes still closed, Lavinia knew when consciousness tugged at Armitage’s mind. His arm briefly tightened around her in an embrace she didn’t want to end.

Whoa there, you’re just touch-starved. Remember, this is General Hux. Her thoughts did not help.

Her breathing remained steady as he finally woke up enough to realize the situation they were in. The warmth of his body left her side, and she found herself wishing for that warmth to return. Instead of focusing on her traitorous thoughts, Lavinia decided to “wake up” after Armitage’s hasty retreat.

She rolled on her back and stretched her arms over her head. At the sound of the ping, she sat up, just in time for her own to ping. An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach as to why they both went off nearly at the same time. It couldn’t be anything good.

“Maybe it’s just a confirmation for the meeting this morning?” she offered, her voice still shaking off the morning rasp after a decent sleep.

 

[Lucyfer]

It was only after the shower that Reveille started to send her own messages to her brother once more. It was a string of information about what he’d caused, every single one of them laced with accusation. If he was dead, she’d regret them. If he was alive, then he deserved every single one, every name of every dead officer she could think of, on his datapad.

She also allowed Kos’tel’lanni permission to join her in her quarters. The chiss did not take too long to reach her, and enter. Reveille wasn’t in her office, but the living quarters, typing away at the datapad. “I am sorry.” Kos’tel’lanni began.

Reveille sighed and looked up, “Do you understand why this happened?”

Kos’tel’lanni took a few seconds before answering, her brows furrowed, expression thoughtful, deepened by worry. “When I spoke with your brother, we were concerned about giving Governor Tarkin reason for war. We ignored the fact that he already had reason, and that we were attempting to negotiate with him to not act on those reasons.”

“Very good,” Reveille said, voice remaining calm, “And now I know why you advised this action,” she had not considered as much of the picture as she needed to.

Kos’tel’lanni moved then to join her on the couch, “What happened on Korriban?”

“Besides getting attacked by feral dogs and choked by Kylo again?” Reveille rolled her eyes, “He found a holocron of a sith. The sith didn’t introduce themselves, so I can’t say who it was, and he just seemed to give a lecture on the dark side of the force in the form of a morality tale.”

Kos’tel’lanni let her brows raise, and Reveille began to retell as much of it as she remembered.

~***~

Althea woke and did not seem any different when he looked over his shoulder at her on the bed. She looked relaxed, content. Perhaps she hadn’t noticed, indeed. He wouldn’t speak to it, or apologize, then. This situation would never come up again, there was no point in bringing it up.

Yet her datapad pinged, too. Hux took a deep breath, and exhaled it slow, “I doubt it,” for his datapad to be pinging that way, it meant he had unread messages, and he did not think that Pandion had sent any before now.

He could have, of course, if he wanted to be irritating.

Armitage forced himself to rise. The messages could be from Reveille. He hadn’t been able to reach her while she was at Korriban, and he was curious if she had returned.

He pulled the datapad out and his eyes widened at the sheer number of messages – a few from Reveille, a few from Kos’tel’lanni, and several from some officer. “You may want to check your own datapad,” he indicated as he unlocked his to bring up the messages and try to figure out what he’d missed.

All the while, cursing himself.

He shouldn’t have drank anything.

He should have remembered to take the pad out of his coat pocket so the fabric wouldn’t muffle it.

 

[cleopat]

Open it. Imagine the secrets that lay inside. Kylo finished up the last bit of the bar and turned back to focus on the holocron once he finished. Picking the object back up, he studied every detail of the surface once more, as if he expected another secret to pop out at him.

Instead, the split that conflicted him, the split that Snoke poked and prodded at in an attempt to erase any bit of compassion he may have had left, tore his mind in half. Just as the bodiless voice coaxed him to open the holocron, another voice, an internal voice, urged him to stop in a desperate plea.

Kylo shot up from the bed, and before he convinced himself to go no further, he set the item on a nearby table. One hand lifted and extended, and he urged the dark side within to focus on opening the holocron. After a minute passed by and nothing happened, he began to feel disappointment and anger in himself for the failure.

Without warning, a figure materialized out of the holocron, a holo just as small as the one he watched earlier. It was another he didn’t recognize. Her entire figure was covered in a long, black robe, and the features of her face were hidden in the shadows of her black hood. The only defining characteristic he noticed were two grey braids hanging low enough underneath the hood to be seen.

“My name is Darth Traya, Dark Lord of the Sith Triumvirate.” Kylo didn’t recognized the names, but he continued to listen. “The power of the dark side requires great sacrifice from us, but those of us willing to sacrifice anything and everything for it will benefit greatly from the power and ensure the destruction of the Jedis.” She continued on, and Kylo, standing perfect still in front of the holo, absorbed every word. What held his attention was her teachings on Force abilities he never considered possible. Arcane powers revealed through her secrets; Psychological manipulation through Force fear was one in particular that drew his interest, and as it did so, Darth Traya exposed its secrets.

"Terror is a cancer, devouring the mind from within. Strength, hope, and wisdom are nothing but thoughts to be consumed." Without finishing what she had recorded, Kylo closed the holocron. In that moment, he realized how he gasped for air as if he had been deprived of it for too long. A chill settled over his spine, and the tug of both the light and the dark did not abate.

~~

Lavinia waited for Armitage to make any mention of the situation they found themselves in that morning, but at his silence, she opted to also remain silent on the matter. There would be no point in bringing up the subject and embarrassing him; it would likely stay in the past.

She noted a change in his demeanor when he checked his datapad. Messages from Governor Pandion couldn’t have inspire that reaction from him. “What’s going on?” As she asked him, Lavinia stood up from the bed to fetch her own datapad.

Her messages weren’t any better. She received many from several different officers, and, most notably, Kylo Ren. Her finger tapped on the latest one sent by him, and he sounded pissed.

As she read the message, her throat felt noticeably drier. Her hands shook, and her mind kept leading her to worst case scenarios for punishments inflicted by the Supreme Leader for their unknowing massive fuck up. Irrationality led her down to every potential path ending in her death.

For once, she struggled to maintain her cool composure, only heightened by the last few messages she had received from him, and the other messages left by various officers attempting to contact either her or Armitage did not help matters.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kos’tel’lanni eventually just shook her head, “I’m afraid I cannot say who that was just by that alone. It seems to have offered nothing new in regards to Sith ethics or codes, either,” she said, and Reveille sighed. She hadn’t expected that. “Though, I do have one question.”

Reveille canted her head.

“Why were you in Kylo’s shirt?”

Reveille groaned. She had known to expect it, but all the same, following the tale of the holocron she’d half-forgotten, “My own attire got ruined. My uniform and my packed clothes,” Reveille answered, “So I borrowed his shirt.”

“Is that all? You two were off the charts for quite a while.”

Reveille rolled her eyes, “We did take time to sleep and to eat. Travel back to Ren’s ship for sleep was thankfully uneventful.”

“Ren’s ship isn’t equipped with a second bedroom.”

“I’m aware.” She knew what Kos’tel’lanni was trying to get her to say, “We shared his bed, and apparently he has nightmares, which led to being choked. Not a great night.” She wanted to brush it off.

Kos’tel’lanni, to her own surprise, allowed it. She didn’t make a joke about her usual tastes, “Well…once we finish up the Lothal mess, I think you need a night out.”

“’Tel—”

“I’m not asking,” she said, “I figured out more about Althea. It seems she’s not a spy, or anything else, so this seems a good way to get to know the woman who’s going to be hanging around your brother.”

Reveille sighed, “We’ll see.” She didn’t deny it. They’d just have to see if Althea even survived this Lothal fuck-up.

~***~

What was going on, was not good, as Reveille’s messages revealed that their actions had sparked a war with Governor Tarkin – precisely what they had hoped to avoid. They were down a dreadnaught and several TIEs from a fight above Absanz.

He swallowed, hard, uncertain how to respond with the message indicating they were now heading to Lothal. His lack of response was no doubt a part of that.

They couldn’t lose Lothal. Not after all of this. “It seems we need to make certain that we do not lose Lothal in this agreement.” He said aloud, as if that was necessary. “I am going to see to it that our pilots are prepared to leave at a moment’s notice, however,” he moved to grab his tunic so he could pull that on, and considered if he should send a message to Darrin, or to Reveille, first.

He hesitated to respond to his sister. No doubt, her own response back would be rapid – and hardly kind. How was he supposed to explain not hearing his datapad? ‘Yes, I fell asleep in the same bed as my lieutenant, I had a bit to drink, and I left my datapad in my coat.’ That wasn’t going to go over well, at all.

 

[cleopat]

His cabin was noticeably quieter, although Kylo could make out a passing officer or trooper right outside his ship every so often.

The Sith Triumvirate...the Sith Triumvirate...He racked his brain for any previous knowledge of the name, but nothing came up. But, if he had to guess, it was some sort of Sith alliance between powerful Sith Lords that ended thousands of years ago.

But in that moment, an idea came to him. He needed to bring in others like him, and although attempting to sway Rey to his side failed spectacularly on him, there was another option.

Years ago, Snoke had sent away the rest of the Knights of Ren, and they remained gone due to the Supreme Leader’s command. Snoke was now dead, and he had the power to bring them back. Somehow. Due to their long absence, he didn’t have the ability to simply send them a message over the holopad, but the First Order had people in dark corners of the galaxy.

He delivered a message to a few First Order mercenaries he had contact with, explaining that he only sought information for the location of a few specific individuals. If they managed to find the answers within the next month, he would be surprised, pleasantly so.

Kylo just had to be sure he maintained his power in that amount of time.

~~

Lavinia hardly registered Armitage’s words at first. Her fear and paranoia led her thoughts down a path that ended in her execution by Kylo Ren, because she had managed to do something, unknowingly, that could lead to a drawn-out conflict with Tarkin and Lothal involved.

Her hand absentmindedly moved to her throat as she recalled stories of Kylo crushing tracheas with the Force, or worse, how he could delve deep into someone’s mind to not only rip out the secrets he wanted to hear, but to also cause psychological torture that they couldn’t escape. Poe Dameron had been victim to that.

Her attention snapped back to Armitage just as he announced that he would ensure they could leave should dealings turn south. Maybe there was a way she could redeem herself to Kylo, if she helped ensure a deal between Lothal and the First Order. While outright helping them securing such an alliance would, obviously, be helping the First Order more than she should be, Lavinia was far more concerned with her life.

“How much longer until the meeting?” Her voice was shaky, and her legs felt just the same, but she managed to cross the room and pull her own tunic out from the dresser. If Tybalt would be there, then she will have to do everything possible to ensure he stays quiet.

 

[Lucyfer]

Another caf was in order before they’d reach Lothal. The pair walked to the cafeteria to get it, and paused with Sienar to make sure he was all right. He was, naturally, a bit miffed that they left Absanz so soon after – he hadn’t gotten a chance to drop down and see how things were, but he understood.

They’d all fucked up in looking to Lothal.

And they’d be there soon, “Return to the bridge,” Reveille dismissed Kos’tel’lanni, “I’ll likely be there soon,” if she wasn’t heading down to Lothal as soon as they came out of lightspeed, “Make sure our weapons are primed,” she would destroy the city of Governor Pandion if her brother was dead.

But first things first – she had to let Kylo know they were close, and see if she could talk him down from any plans he may have contemplated in his time alone in his shuttle. It didn’t take much asking to find out that was where he had gone, and so Reveille returned to it, and knocked against the door to get his attention.

~***~

As the hooks of his collar were fixed, Armitage noticed the way Althea lifted a hand to her throat. He knew, without asking, what she was thinking of. It had passed his own mind, as well, though he was aware he wasn’t quite so…expendable. He’d have to vouch for her, to make sure she didn’t take the fall.

She couldn’t have known.

“This wasn’t your mistake,” he found himself saying, before, “I had no message about the meeting, but it will be soon.” Before Tarkin could get here. Before there could be more of a problem.

He wouldn’t spare more time on words relating to that. He had to act, and so, he left the room and went to the one besides his. He knocked, and it was answered immediately by one of the pilots, “Go to our ship, and have it prepped to leave.”

The pilot raised his eyebrows, but didn’t question the order, “Understood, sir,” and he turned back, shouting at the other to rise as Armitage moved from the door to return to his room, to grab his coat and his datapad, to call Pandion and get things moving.

 

[cleopat]

Not that soon after Kylo sent off his messages, he sensed the presence of someone approaching. Reveille. A few seconds later, a soft knock sounded from the door. Leaving the holocron on the table, he stood up from the bed, placed the datapad in the fabric of his clothes, and strolled over to the bedroom door. Pressing a button to slide the door open, he leaned against the doorway, arms folded across his chest.

“Admiral, and here I thought I was only going to receive a message from you, and yet you’ve managed to surprise me.” His tone indicated otherwise.

He was, though, curious as to why she decided to come to him instead of a less physical approach.

“I’m assuming to didn’t come here just to merely tell me we’ve reached Lothal?”

~~

Lavinia snapped her gaze over to Armitage, as his brief attempt to assure her temporarily stunned her. As he quickly moved on from that subject, she opted to not say anything else on that matter. It would only further unnerve her. Her fingers moved to fix and smooth out the rest of her uniform.

When he left the room to send a message to the pilots, she stepped into the bathroom and pulled her hair back into a regulation bun. There was no brush in the room, so she did her best to smooth out any unruly strands of hair. At least she looked presentable, although not quite pristine due to part of her uniform masquerading as pajamas for one night.

Lavinia heard Armitage enter their room, and she walked back into the bedroom, prepared as she’ll ever be for their meeting. “Has Pandion send anything yet? I’d rather hope he didn’t delay this meeting, although I do wonder if the situation with Tarkin will...complicate any potential negotiations.” And with the presence of Tybalt Vosh in the mansion, she could only imagine how difficult things were about to get for them.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo’s almost cocky posturing didn’t go unnoticed, and Reveille was tempted to mimic it with crossing her own arms. She caught herself before she could play into such a foolish thing. “You did ask to be alerted when we were near Lothal, Supreme Leader,” her tone was dry as she said it.

True, she may have had another motive, but this was the main one.

She was about to elaborate on that, when her datapad let out a chime. She held up a finger to request a moment, before she took it out. Her gaze narrowed as she saw it was from her brother – explaining nothing. “And now I can tell you we have word from General Hux.” She didn’t bother to respond, just put the datapad right back in her pocket, “He believes he has Lothal handled.”

Her tone indicated doubt. A lot of doubt. “I wanted to approach the matter of the General and his assistant as well. I believe they were, both, wholly ignorant of how this situation could have gone. It doesn’t pardon them in full, but I want to make sure there won’t be any drastic actions taken against them.”

~***~

Armitage slipped his coat around his shoulders before he drew the datapad out. There were far too many messages – but he knew he had to send one back to Reveille, at least.

We’ll talk when I get back. Lothal will be handled.​

He then went to skim through his messages. None had come in from Pandion, “No, he hasn’t sent anything. I imagine the situation with Tarkin has complicated things immensely,” perhaps Pandion woke to several from Tarkin and was now trying to field things. Still, he typed up his own message to indicate they were awake, and wanted to know about the time of the meeting.

“Darrin should be here,” that was said more to himself as he opted to shoot him a message, to find out where he was, as well, “what did your messages say?” He doubted Reveille had sent her any messages, so he was curious if she was out of the loop…or knew more about it than he did.

 

[cleopat]

He raised an eyebrow at the response. Something which could just as easily have been conveyed through a message, which is what he wanted to say.

But Kylo was cut off at the familiar ping of her datapad. He remained in the same position, carefully observing Reveille read the message, and subsequently seemingly irritated by it. He didn’t have to wait long before Reveille answered his silent question.

His back straightened when she said that it was from General Hux, who had Lothal under control. He scoffed, disbelieving that entirely. He was the one who began this mess in the first place, so why should he put his trust in that man?

Not that there was any to begin with.

Reveille continued before he could make any input. Kylo wanted to simply wave off her reasoning. “Both failed to mention this...excursion to me before they left. No matter what their intentions were, a grave mistake was made.” And this was the job of that damned woman he sent with Hux, yet she couldn’t even do that. “I will see how they are appropriately punished.”

~~

Lavinia contemplated if she should send her own message to Kylo Ren, greatly, and desperately, apologizing for the lack of communication and for anything else he may fault her for. The mere thought of composing a message to him right then had her heart pounding in her chest.

Instead, she slid her hands into the pockets of her pants, so her nerves weren’t as visible.

“Of course he hasn’t.” The words were said more to herself, but still loud enough for Armitage to pick up on. What was that old saying? Anything that could go wrong, will go wrong. That seemed like the appropriate motto for the day.

“Nothing very specific. A few messages from the Supreme Leader, the Lieutenant-Admiral, and another officer whose name I didn’t recognize. Largely questioning where we were, why we weren’t answering. I was able to piece together that something was going on with Governor Tarkin and Sienar Fleets, but that’s about it.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille could tell that finding any mercy for her brother, and even his assistance, would be a task as soon as Kylo Ren straightened up. She almost wanted to ask if they could talk inside his ship, if only out of the paranoia that she might overstep a line in talking to him about this and end up harmed, again.

She didn’t, though. He might piece together the reason she asked, the fear more of being embarrassed on her own ship than of the injury.

“If you will recall, Supreme Leader, we were unable to be reached for many hours, as well. The General made attempts to reach us before concluding that he had to make a decision on his own, with advice from others. We cannot fault him for wanting to act with haste, given Governor Tarkin’s ability to find out information, even if we can fault him for an oversight of details in dealing with Governor Tarkin. He did not conspire to do this without our knowledge.”

He had tried, in vain, to reach them. Just as they tried to reach him upon becoming aware of the situation and returning to their ships. Reveille could only hope that Kylo would see there was no intention of going against their wishes – only that a decision had to be made with haste considered.

Perhaps that could lessen the punishment some.

~***~

Armitage listened to what she had to say as he waited for responses from both Pandion and Darrin. From Reveille. Apparently she was not abreast of everything, “Governor Tarkin indicated, more or less, that our actions on Lothal would lead to him attacking Absanz if Sienar Fleets did not back down from dealing with Lothal. It was not a direct threat to the First Order, but given close ties to Absanz and Sienar Fleets, it was a pointed one all the same. The Supreme Leader did not intend to lose either Sienar Fleets or allow our mission in Lothal to be canceled,” he took a breath, “So the First Order attacked Governor Tarkin at Absanz. We won, but not without losses, including another dreadnaught.”

He exhaled, “We are now at war with the Resistance and Governor Tarkin,” which meant that Reveille’s meeting with Tarkin was for nothing. Which meant she was very unhappy. “Our mission on Lothal is all the more critical to succeed for that.” To lose it would have made the fight on Absanz pointless. It would not take Lothal from Tarkin. He would have lost nothing, but a few ships.

He hesitated, but asked, “What did the Supreme Leader indicate?” He wondered how much damage either of them were in for at this point. He knew he was going to be yelled at by Reveille. He wasn’t sure how furious Kylo was.

Or how furious he’d be if they failed to get Lothal.

A message came through.

Darrin. He quickly provided the location of his own room, as best he knew it, so the man could meet up with them.

 

[cleopat]

Although he didn’t initially want to admit Reveille was right, Kylo paused and considered her argument. General Hux had did try and contact earlier, yet the lack of availability on Korriban due to the turbulent sandstorm delayed all of the messages sent to either of them.

But he wasn’t about to completely give up what his mind had already set out to do. “I will consider what you have said, but as you said, there is still fault. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens in their meeting to figure out what will happen to either of them.”

Either way, a grave mistake was made. General Hux chose the wrong course of action, and now Tarkin was a powerful enemy.

He unfolded his arms as he fully straightened up, no longer leaning against the doorway. “Is this why you came to me? To ask for mercy on your brother?”

~~

Lavinia absorbed the information Armitage explained to her about their current situation. Things have definitely fucked up, which meant that what happened next was vital for the First Order.

Yet for a moment, Lavinia wondered, why should she care? A war with Tarkin and failed negotiations would be a good thing for the Resistance. Because if this meeting failed, then the Kylo Ren would have a greater excuse to punish you or completely get rid of you.

Which was all the excuse she needed to continue as the dutiful and ambitious officer they all knew her as.

“The Resistance currently poses no immediate threat for us, but if they catch wind that Tarkin is now against us? That may be a problem,” she mused, largely to ponder how she’ll write that message to Poe, or any other Resistance member she can contact.

Lavinia sharply inhaled at Hux’s question. She had much rather forget about the Supreme Leader. “His messages largely started out demanding to know where we were, why we decided to come to Lothal on such short notice, and he then mentioned how our decision led to a scrimmage with Tarkin.” In so many words.

“We need to hope this works out. For both our sakes.” She had heard of Kylo’s fury before, but she was not eager to witness it firsthand.

 

[Lucyfer]

The slight shift, the pause, said enough to Reveille. Kylo Ren hadn’t considered their own stint on Korriban. Likely, he was trying not to think of it, given all that had occurred. She hoped it would impact his decision, just as she hoped her brother would have everything under control and be able to make the deal.

It would lessen Kylo’s rage further.

She had done all that she could, though she nearly balked as Kylo asked outright if she was asking for mercy for her brother. The implication of ‘mercy’ always brought to mind ideas of begging or pleading – though she knew Kylo wasn’t wrong. She was asking for mercy. Her brother deserved some hell for wrecking things with Tarkin, but not the sort Kylo might have been inclined to dish out.

She didn’t let her pride get in the way or attempt to sidestep, or rephrase it. “Yes.” She answered him bluntly instead, even if there was some pain to admit it. She probably would have begged if it was necessary, if it would have worked, and plotted revenge or a way to restore her dignity later. “I wanted to make sure you were considering all things, as well. The decision was a joint one, made by the best understandings of the situation at the time. Given our own inaccessibility, I believe clemency should be extended. They are not acting outside of First Order interests.”

~***~

The only good thing about it being Tarkin, was that Leia and Tarkin didn’t get along. Whether it was a matter of names that they’d overcome, or something deeper, remained to be seen. It would be a hellish alliance for the First Order to stand against, though. It was already a terrible situation for the First Order to be in. “At least there are some grudges there.” It was the only thing he could comment on in regards to that.

Kylo’s messages revealed little, except that he was angry.

Hardly a surprise. Kylo was always angry. ‘Yes…for both our sakes.’ He certainly agreed. He knew better than to think he was essential. He knew Althea would be less essential, and that worried him a bit more than it aught to.

‘She had nothing to do with this. Not really.’ She tagged along. He still hoped to deflect Kylo’s rage to some degree.

“We will. I’m sure Lothal doesn’t want to have to deal with Tarkin longer than necessary,” at least, he hoped. If Pandion was being threatened, perhaps he could be talked into trusting the First Order. They had won the battle.

As he thought that, he heard steps in the hallway and turned to it. He opened the door before anyone could knock, and Darrin paused abruptly. His gaze flicked over both of them. “Governor Pandion had just sent me a message before you did,” he said, “He said he’d be ready to meet with me in five minutes and to wait in the entry hall.”

Darrin.

Not the First Order.

Armitage’s datapad remained silent.

“Well then. Let’s go to the entry hall.”

 

[cleopat]

Kylo had expected her to lash out. He had expected her to deny the accusations that she was asking for mercy. And although he sensed the hesitation, Reveille didn’t deny and allowed for one moment of weakness.

Her moment of unwanted vulnerability made him reconsider his intentions somewhat, albeit only slightly.

“I will take everything into consideration.” Somehow this woman actually made him stop and think about all facets of the situation, and it was a phenomenon he couldn’t grasp at the moment. Nor did he wish to think about the implications. “But if the negotiations come out as less than favorable on our part, then someone will be made an example of.” Hux’s name wasn’t outright mentioned, but he did let his threat hover between them.

Kylo had to prove that he was not to be undermined as the Supreme Leader. Someone had to face consequences for the rash action that costed lives, ships, and a potential alliance against the agitating Governor Tarkin. Someone has to be the test dummy.

His hands clasped together behind his back. “Was there anything else you wished to discuss?”

~~

Lavinia knew of the long-standing feud between Leia Organa and Tarkin, but she also knew that General Organa would be willing to push past the less-than-amicable relationship if it meant helping the Resistance. “And hopefully those grudges will work in our favor.” The words tasted bitter on her tongue, but she continued as if she fully believed and supported her statement.

And I don’t want to have to deal with Lothal longer than necessary. She was ready to be done with the damned planet and the troubles it had caused. Not to mention the inconvenience it had caused them.

Lavinia’s line-of-sight followed Armitage to the door, where Darrin proved to be standing on the other side. He mentioned his meeting with the governor was soon, and she frowned. Both hers and Armitage’s datapad remained silent, so why was he the only one to have received the message? She made no comment on it for now, electing to follow behind Armitage to get to the entry hall and get the damn meeting over with.

She did shoot Armitage a questioning glance, silently asking him that very question. She trusted nothing about this mission and the people involved.

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille could only imagine he meant her brother with his threat – if things didn’t go well on Lothal. Who else? Making an example of a lowly officer like Althea hardly seemed worthwhile. “I understand,” she didn’t like it. She didn’t completely agree with what his idea of an ‘example’ was – she knew that without asking – but she also understood that there would need to be blame if the failure was compounded.

‘Leave it at that.’ There had been some victory here, however small. Kylo was considering things. He was suggesting things may not be terrible if Lothal was brought into the fold. That felt like progress, and so she stepped back, “No, there is nothing else, Supreme Leader,” and then stepped off the ramp.

Best to leave before she made things worse, somehow. That was always possible in these situations and she knew it. She had to take what victory she could. “I am going to return to the Bridge.” Again, she didn’t think a formal dismissal was necessary, as she turned away to do just that, to make sure things would be in order when they arrived, and their weapons would be hot.

She had to make it clear that Hux was leaving – alive – in case anyone attempted to hinder that between now and then.

~***~

The situation wasn’t favorable. If Darrin was being summoned alone, Armitage could only imagine that they meant to undercut the alliance between the First Order and Sienar Fleets in some way, to break up the negotiations. ‘But why?’ And more importantly – who? He still believed that Pandion wanted this.

Was Tarkin still so influential, even so far away?

He noted the look tossed his way, and just shook his head. No, this wasn’t good, and they didn’t know what they’d be walking into, either.

The entry hall was not terribly far, at least. Waiting there was the Governor himself – and Tybalt from last night. ‘Him.’ That was the mysterious ‘who’ then. At least, Armitage suspected as much. The surprise that ran across Pandion’s face at seeing them together was at least satisfying.

“Well—welcome,” he stumbled over the words, “It’s good to see you all, so we can negotiate this matter. If you’ll just follow me to a side room here,” the Governor gestured them towards said room, and Darrin nodded curtly, stepping forward. Hux remained after him, and they passed into the rather sparse room, without enough chairs.

 

[cleopat]

Reveille seemed to accept what Kylo had said on the matter, and for the moment, he was satisfied. They both had reached a silent agreement, even if both parties didn’t completely agree with everything. “Good.”

If they were approaching Lothal, then he had no reason to linger in his shuttle. His messages were sent, and his plan was set in motion. Once the Knights of Ren were notified, then he wouldn’t have to worry about either of the Huxes anymore.

His position as Supreme Leader would be solidified.

“I will join you, since we are close to Lothal.” He stepped down the ramp, the door sliding behind him. It would be better to keep up what was going on on the planet from the Bridge than from his own ship.

~~

Instinct screamed at Lavinia that something would happen, and she just had to keep on her toes to make sure the meeting ended in their favor.

Which she wasn’t sure how likely that would happen. Not with Tybalt Vosh standing next to Governor Pandion. Much like the governor, surprise flickered across his face, though it disappeared as quickly as it came, cool stoicism replacing it. He followed Pandion, but his head turned slightly to glance behind him at the group. “I trust you all had a pleasant night?”

Lavinia wanted to scoff and accuse him of knowing exactly what kind of predicament they were in last night. He had to know. “Just fine, thank you.”

The odds of the meeting going well for them just plummeted. She mentally checked the location of her blaster on her, but hopefully that wouldn’t be necessary.

 

[Lucyfer]

Neither of them, for the time being, pushed for more, or asked further inquiries about the situation. Reveille took that as a good sign, and she wasn’t surprised that Kylo decided he would join her at the Bridge. If he wanted to be alerted of the situation, that likely meant he also wanted to be present for it.

“Very well,” she would wait for him to join her off the ramp before she’d start to make her way back to the Bridge.

She did offer a briefing on the situation, “I have requested the ship be prepared to fire on Lothal immediately on exit, though such orders to do so are not in effect,” just the preparation, “We may find Tarkin’s ships already there, or we may find Lothal attempting a hostage situation. I do not expect more beyond our presence above will truly be necessary.”

But the threat would be there, and the action to follow it, if needed. Reveille was hardly going to show up unprepared for a fight, be it with the planet, or with Tarkin. Given his awareness of the situation, she wouldn’t put it past him to already have a ship or two there.

~***~

Armitage sneered at Tybolt’s inquiry, though the sneer faded just as quickly, “The food was pleasant,” that was all he would offer, as they came around to one side of the table. Armitage didn’t sit.

Darrin followed suit, and didn’t sit, leaving Pandion to feel awkward as his hand fell upon the back of one chair to pull it out for himself. After a moment’s hesitation, he removed his hand, and decided to remain standing as well, rather than take the comfort of the chair.

Comfort, it seemed, was not to be the nature of any of this situation. “Now that we’re all here,” Armitage began, “We are here to discuss the matter of allowing Sienar Fleets and the First Order to work on Lothal. We do believe this will help to rejuvenate Lothal’s economy, as it would employ more in the mines, and then in the factories that Darrin’s company would create here,” he gestured, “which, by necessity, would require a trade school, and an academy as well, for those who would want to seek further position in the First Order, or in other operations on Lothal.”

Pandion nodded along.

In truth, he wanted to agree.

He wanted to take them up on it.

Matja Tarkin, however, had made it fairly clear what would happen if he did, and yet, he dared to ask, “You are at war with the Resistance. How would you keep Lothal safe from attack?” He’d heard of Absanz…and he’d heard that Tarkin lost.