Fandom Fight for Control [closed]

[Lucyfer]

Reveille did. She was aware of the fact her own tension was showing through, a bad enough sign, and though her gaze went briefly to the seat, she just shook her head. No, sitting meant starting to relax, and she couldn’t afford to do that until she was on the Exigency, until she was actually certain she was safe.

“I prefer standing right now,” was what she said, gaze drifting along the tops of the trees, trying to see through the thick leaves and the branches, trying to hunt out that sight of black that might pull their ship right from the sky.

For all she knew, he was capable of it.

Standing on a ship wouldn’t help her much if he chose to do that, but it might help more than sitting.

Armitage did glance up briefly as Reveille refused. That didn’t strike him as odd. He knew she wasn’t about to be making herself comfort in a strange ship with strange people, who might be willing to sell them to the Resistance if they were that mercenary.

Hopefully, whatever friendship they had with Althea would prevent that. Whatever debt was owed.

His gaze shifted as Althea did return, and Borran. Quick. Painless. The cat immediately curled into his lap, staring at Althea as she did so, as if in some quiet threat. Not that Armitage noted, he just placed his hand gently over her as she settled. “Everything all right?” He asked, more to Althea than Borran.

There’d likely be a discussion of compensation, but he wasn’t terribly concerned about what demands might be made.

 

[cleopat]

Borran did take the copilot’s seat, slipping past Reveille to do so. He still didn’t know what to make of the Hux siblings, but he couldn’t help but compare Reveille’s tension to a sleeping Lothal cat, ready to wake and claw whoever poked her enough.

Tanis only nodded at her answer, focusing instead on the ship. The trees of Endor were now far beneath them, and she began to prep for entering lightspeed.

At Armitage’s question, Lavinia’s attention focused on him, and she walked over to sit next to him on the bench, oblivious to the cat’s stare. “Everything’s completely fine, just two old friends catching up.” Which, technically, wasn’t a lie.

But she wasn’t about to tell him what they were catching up on.

“So, what is first on the agenda for when we return?” As expected, she’d imagined there would be much to do, and much to reorganize now that all of the higher level officers needed to shift their rankings. “Maybe find a name for your new friend,” she lightly teased. Her gaze flickered to the curled up cat, softly stroking her as she continued to stare.

 

[Lucyfer]

Could Kylo reach them from up here? Reveille didn’t know, but she certainly didn’t relax. Lightspeed would help with that, once the stars started to zip by. Then she’d know Kylo couldn’t pull them out, although she’d wonder if he planned to return to Lothal anytime soon.

He knew the First Order locations.

He’d likely become a menace to them, and soon.

Still, her gaze cut over to Althea at her comment. ‘That is needlessly vague.’ Though Kos’tel’lanni claimed she was cleared, Reveille couldn’t help the lingering suspicions, particularly now in a ship of unknowns that was willing to help them. She tried to swallow that down.

Althea had a life before the Order. Unlike her and her brother.

Armitage glanced towards the cockpit as Althea asked about the agenda, and then he shook his head. Too much discussion of First Order business, no matter how vague, would spread out from here. It could reach the Resistance, and even though he’d be happy for Leia to know her son was free, he didn’t need everything to reach them son quickly.

“I suppose this creature does need a name, but the first stop might be to a vet before that so we can even determine its health or if it has an owner already.” And so, a name. He knew plenty of pet owners kept small chips in their animals to help identify them if they were found. If they were going to be over Lothal, they could easily return to the ground and find a vet there.

The First Order didn’t exactly have one.

 

[cleopat]

Stars blurred by as the ship entered lightspeed, officially putting distance between everyone on board and Kylo. Lavinia was aware that just because Kylo had been outed, that he still wouldn’t be a threat. He knew the First Order secrets. He knew where their bases were.

But would he dare to attack without an army behind him?

She understood Armitage’s reservations on discussing First Order plans in front of her unaligned friends. Although she wanted to assure him they wouldn’t speak of it anywhere, she knew he would still have reservations. So she didn’t press it.

Tanis stood from the pilot’s seat and walked back over to Lavinia. “Who knew the First Order had vets.” Her tone indicated clear sarcasm. Borran angled himself so he could look back, but he didn’t fancy getting out of his seat at the moment.

Lavinia huffed at her joke, glancing down at the cat who still stared at her. “If it doesn’t have an owner, then it certainly looks like a well fed street cat.” Probably begged for scraps from any restaurant owners or even people going about their day.

 

[Lucyfer]

It was minimal, but Reveille’s posture relaxed a bit as those white lines crossed the viewport. Lightspeed. Soon she’d be back on her ship. Soon, they’d have the Order in order, and soon she could make sure a squad was sent to find Kylo Ren, so they could eliminate him before he did anything critical.

‘Or find a way to contact General Organa and let her know.’ If she didn’t already know.

Reveille knew where the neutral grounds were. If she stepped onto Takodana with no weapons, no one would be allowed to cause her any harm. Maz enforced her rules stringently. It would be possible to find a rebel there and tell them – and they would want that news to spread.

She’d consider it, while ignoring much else around her. Or at least, giving the illusion that she was, as her gaze remained focused on the viewport.

She didn’t care to talk about cats or vets, or other inane things. She wanted to talk to her brother, but not in this crowd. At least he was also smart enough to avoid conversations about the Order.


He still gave Tanis a dull stare for her statement on what the First Order did and did not have. “There is much that would surprise you about the Order,” not that the Order currently employed vets, but it was a possibility. They did have people in various biological research fields. “If it is a stray, we’ll consider what’s to be done with it.” He noticed Reveille roll her eyes, but she kept silent.

He was growing fond of it – but he knew Kos’tel’lanni practically begged to have a pet and was denied. He’d be setting an example…. ‘You’re Supreme Leader.’ He could have a pet if he wanted.

He would leave addressing the matter of other pets, for later. It was another thing of ‘First Order’ business. No matter how petty, it wasn’t something to speak of around civilians. “If it has an owner we’ll see that it gets home…it seems in too good of condition to just be a stray,” well fed or not. Its fur was clean, it seemed of a healthy weight, not that he knew much about that.

He was expecting he would have to let it go.

He hoped whoever did own it would be good to the cat, though.

 

[cleopat]

Lavinia couldn’t help but send a quick glance over at Reveille, who was, in her opinion, being uncharacteristically silent. Was it due to the presence of her outside friends? Or did Kylo really spook her that much? She almost wanted to go over and talk to her, but, after recalling their last ‘conversation,’ she ignored the urge.

She decided to not talk to Reveille unless it was the woman who spoke first.

Tanis reached down to stroke the cat once. “He seems like the type who always has a stick up his ass.” She switched to Bocce, a trading language the trio had picked up over the years. One that Lavinia, apparently, would be teaching to Kos’tel’lanni.

Lavinia gave an unladylike snort at the unexpected, yet very expected from Tanis, observation. “You would be too if you had to deal with as much shit as he does.” Her friend raised an eyebrow, a sign of a silent observation.

“You like him, don’t you?”

Of course Tanis would go into that direction. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she replied, switching back to Basic.

The woman had a knowing smirk on her face, but said nothing more. Instead, she switched the subject. “You’ve put on some weight, haven’t you?” Lavinia looked very offended, sending her friend a glare. Borran, still sitting quiet in the copilot’s seat, let out an undignified snort. Tanis, looking unbothered by her words, looked over at Armitage. “She was practically a bobblehead before.” Then focusing back on Lavinia, “You could probably beat me in a fight now.”

“Oh please, I’ve beaten you numerous times.”

~~

The village was quiet and still, as if it could sense the presence of evil before he arrived. Or maybe it was the arrival of some of the other Knights that had frightened them. Not a soul was seen before he entered the cantina, and it appeared that a good many from the village hid in there.

Of course their lives would be so pathetic and uninteresting that they would spend their afternoons in a cantina.

It didn’t take long to locate where some of the Knights milled about. Their Force presence was strong and easily identifiable. Powerful. Dark. Familiar.

And they were just as he remembered. Dark robes, like his own, intimidating dark helmets, and a variety of weapons by their side. He internally groaned at the realization that his own helmet was still on the Supremacy, shattered into pieces.

No matter. He could get a new one.

They made no move as Kylo approached, but one at the end tilted his head in light greeting. “Kylo Ren, it has been some years.”

He took a seat on the other side of the table where the two of them sat. “Yes, it has.” A slight pause. “As you may be well aware by now, Snoke is dead.”

The one who spoke before interjected. “And you were just declared a traitor to the First Order.”

Kylo tightened his fists in anger, annoyed that the news traveled that fast. Yet it shouldn’t surprise him.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘Bocce?’ Reveille heard it enough to recognize the language as it came from both Tanis and Althea. Hux was clearly oblivious, but also agitated to hear them speaking an entirely different language when he was right there. And they were definitely talking about him. She did not know so much Bocce as she’d like – enough to get by, but not so much as Kos’tel’lanni wanted to learn.

There was a shift back to Basic, clearly a comment about the Bocce, and Reveille couldn’t help but keep the dry comment from slipping her lips in Bocce. She never looked from the viewport. “It isn’t polite to exclude others.” It was a phrase she’d learned in plenty of languages, for the sole purpose of intimidation and making others think she knew what was being said in full.

“What were they saying?” Hux, apparently, was quick to believe it.

“They were talking about you,” that much, Reveille understood, but she offered little else. The irritation of her brother with his aide was enough, as he seemed to give Althea the irritated look, not Tanis.

He didn’t know Tanis enough to care what she said, or care about the conversation of weight. He shifted his hand to bat away at the others who were attempting to pet the cat, and so be in his space, “Health is what matters, not weight,” but his words were curt, sharper.

~***~

Kylo Ren without his helmet was a strange sight to behold. He would have towered over and looked strange in this cantina, anyways. Endor remained home of the ewoks, and most humans avoided it. Ewoks hadn’t completely integrated into the wider galaxy yet.

As he sat, the other shifted their weight a bit in the chair, observing him without shame through their helmet.

His anger was always obvious, and they held up a quelling hand as Kylo’s fist clenched. Their modulated voice came through: “It’s becoming common knowledge. First Order released the details immediately. You killed Snoke, traitor to the Order, yada-yada,” that quelling hand became a dismissive gesture. “We all felt him die.”

Perhaps they hadn’t known it was Kylo – though the suspicion, certainly, had been there. “You were looking for us before that, though.”

 

[cleopat]

And there it was. The desire to punch the other redhead in the face. Of course she spoke Bocce. Of course she phrased her words in such a way that made it seem that Lavinia was the villain in this.

Of course Lavinia couldn’t stay silent on that.

“And if she were to actually tell you what was said, she would’ve mentioned how I was defending you.” She placed a heavy emphasis on the word she, clearly expressing her disdain for Reveille.

Tanis backed up, as she realized the need to stop before more boundaries were crossed and tensions increased. She remained near Lavinia, but no longer near enough to Armitage to pet the cat.

Lavinia, not knowing when she should filter her words, addressed Reveille in Bocce. “But I’m sure you know all about excluding others, don’t you? Especially those you hate or deem inferior in every way.”

Borran, now looking ahead out the viewport, covered his mouth with one hand to hide a smile.

~~

Kylo’s hand relaxed as the other began to speak. Naturally something of that nature would make its rounds immediately. No doubt there was a bounty on his head, or for his whereabouts.

The First Order could try to apprehend him and fail.

But it was the last statement that brought Kylo back to why he was there to begin with. His head tilted in slight acknowledgement. “Indeed, I was. As you are aware, it was because of Snoke that you had to leave.”

A reason he never fully understood. Did Snoke fear the combined power of all of them? Fool, he should’ve only feared me.

“And unfortunately, plans may have changed slightly, but the overall mission is still the same.”

The other shifted in his seat, and his mechanical voice asked, “But now with the First Order against you, how do you expect to gain control of anything?”

Kylo knew it would be a big risk. But with their help, then maybe he could see the results he wanted. “We either try and take back the First Order, or we destroy them, and anyone else who is foolish enough to challenge us.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Did Reveille know what was being said? No. She understood some words, but the tone said enough for her to know the words weren’t positive, and she remained fairly good at bluffing. She arched a brow, but didn’t speak in Bocce again. “I told you this was rude.”

And Armitage moved, rising from his seat and taking up the cat with him. He understood he had to pick a side in this matter. He didn’t know what Althea was saying in Bocce, he didn’t know what Reveille said, but Reveille had less reason to lie to him – and he didn’t know Althea’s friends. He knew enough that, in theory, Tanis had been insulting him.

He hardly needed to stay near her and Althea. “I’m sure you all have much to catch up on,” he said calmly, as if clearing his seat was a way for that to happen between Tanis and Althea, as he let the cat climb back onto his shoulder.

“It’s going to ruin your clothes,” Reveille noted. Already, specks of orange fur were visible.

He just shook his head, sighing. That was the least of his concerns.

~***~

Snoke had sent them all to do different things, based on their skills. Only Kylo had to stay with the Order. He said that as if it were an honor. It was not considered so by all, who cherished the freedom of being outside of that system.

“With what army?” the other asked.

They were powerful, but there were only so many of them. “The Jedi were put down by mere Stormtroopers some decades ago, Kylo. We need more than just us to take back the Order or destroy them.”

Perhaps it was pessimistic, but it was also realistic. They weren’t getting anywhere without an army.

 

[cleopat]

Lavinia narrowed her eyes at the unexpected reaction from Reveille. No, she should’ve done something different. Said something else. She raised an eyebrow, as she considered exactly how much Bocce she understood.

Or was she simply bluffing?

She didn’t say anything else, not when Armitage standing distracted her. The sudden chill at her side was unwelcome, and she almost looked a little hurt at his abrupt movement.

The expression didn’t escape Tanis, but for once, she didn’t say anything about it. Nor did her face emit any teasing expression. She could feel the tension, and while her and Borran may not be around the First Order officers for much longer, Lavinia still had a nondescript amount of time with them.

Instead of taking the empty spot on the bench next to Lavinia, she crouched in front of her friend, and wordlessly placed a comforting hand on her knee.

~~

Kylo almost wanted to scoff at them for having such little faith in him. Of course they needed more. And it may take some time to build up an army, but he would see it done.

“Armies aren’t built overnight. We’ll have to recruit. To persuade.” His tone on the last word suggested to persuade in any way necessary, if even by Force. “There are plenty who want vengeance against the First Order. The Hosnian Cataclysm didn’t exactly make them many allies.”

He almost entertained the notion of approaching Tarkin, but the man’s newfound hatred for the First Order was likely just as strong as the one for Kylo. He was a man who did whatever he wanted.

Of course, there was also the...No. He wouldn’t think of them. They were weak. They needed to die.

“But how many are willing to actually face the First Order?” the first Knight spoke.

“They are many foolish people in the galaxy. The Resistance took on the First Order, knowing they were outgunned and outnumbered.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Perhaps Armitage didn’t notice the shift, but Reveille certainly did. The gestures were quiet, physical, but as Tanis settled her hand over Althea, it said enough. Armitage’s movement hurt. Likely not his intention – not to that degree. He was unaware, picking orange cat hair off of his coat and recognizing the heavy silence as Reveille’s fault.

Which, it was.

Reveille couldn’t even find guilt for that pain; if anything, it caused a deepening suspicion towards Althea in spite of being cleared. She knew that was her own paranoia and worry for her brother, more than anything legitimate, though. If Althea caught feelings, it didn’t matter.

If her brother caught feelings, on the other hand…that mattered. That put him at risk.

“You’re not going to get all the fur off,” Reveille finally sighed, batting his own hand off his coat, causing the cat to bunt her head into his hand. “Just be sure to get a lint roller later.” And if he kept the thing, a droid that would help in vacuuming up all the fur that would get everywhere and not break down.

He sighed in defeat, and let his hand go over the cat’s head. He knew he couldn’t pluck every hair out, but he’d been willing to try.

~***~

“So why don’t we go to the Resistance? Or Tarkin?” The other Knight asked, adding, “I’m not sure how we’ll begin to find allies outside of those ranks,” though they wouldn’t be the leaders of either group. That was well-known. Tarkin would never relinquish his lead, and Leia? No.

“Besides,” the other chimed, “What exactly are we supposed to say? Don’t we agree with the Hosnian Cataclysm and what the First Order is doing?” Weren’t they just going to be more of the same? The art of persuasion with the Force could cause people to fear them, sure, like it had for Snoke and others. The mind tricks didn’t hold long enough to be useful in the long-term.

They had to be convincing themselves, too – and how they were different from the First Order, besides Kylo being a jilted leader? That wasn’t clear. What foundation did they stand on, that the First Order also didn’t preach?

Steps drew the attention of the Knights of Ren. Steps, and a new, dark presence, that brought their eyes to two women who stepped into the cantina, neither human, neither Knights – one was a creature neither knights could name, with her blue skin, while the other they both recognized as a zabrak.

It was the latter who chuckled, “I knew watching the Knights of Ren would eventually pay off. So we meet again, Kylo Ren.”

 

[cleopat]

Tanis didn’t stay in her position for very long. After all, Lavinia still had an image to uphold, and she herself didn’t wish to show too much of a soft side.

She much preferred a no-care attitude and appearance.

“Right, well, this little reunion has been fun and shit, but I think we’ll be approaching Lothal soon.” Tanis rose to her feet, and Lavinia immediately followed, posture straight as she composed herself.

“Thank you for helping us. We really do appreciate this.” Even if the other two didn’t express the same sentiment.

Tanis shrugged and threw a haphazard wave over her should. “Don’t mention it. After the times you’ve saved our ass, it’s the least we can do.” She took up the pilot’s chair once more and began preparation to exit lightspeed.

“Although some compensation for the fuel would be nice,” Borran chimed in, not taking his eyes off the viewport.

Lavinia merely rolled her eyes, but chose to not say anything to that. It wasn’t her place to discuss monetary issues.

~~

Tarkin was out of the question by a long shot. The Resistance? No, he couldn’t go back to Leia Organa. That would be a moment of pure humiliation for him.

He didn’t have a chance to voice his opinions before he heard steps approaching their table, followed by a familiar voice that inflamed the blood in his veins. The last time they met, she humiliated him in front of the First Order.

How Kylo would love to repay the favor.

Standing from the chair, Kylo turned to face the two newcomers. “Darth Nyx.” The malice was clear in his tone, but he made no move to attack. Maybe they would have something of interest to say. “Out of all the cantinas in the galaxy, it’s funny that we run into each other here.”

“And who are you?” The one Knight asked. As one of the names were revealed, he wanted to know exactly what they were. Their presence and the Darkness that radiated from them told him that whoever they were, there was great power within.

A friend or foe?

 

[Lucyfer]

“You’ll be compensated,” Armitage said, sounding almost exasperated that he had to. He had told them earlier they’d be compensated for the trip and he intended to uphold that. He wasn’t ungrateful, even if he was annoyed with Tanis now.

Borran had been too quiet to become annoyed with, a mark to his favor.

Though it was a bit strange that Borran and Reveille seemed to be keeping their focus more or less the same – after she’d stopped him from picking at his coat, her gaze had returned to the viewport, and in spite of the people who moved that way, her gaze held.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to negotiate a fair arrangement,” generous, actually, but Armitage himself wouldn’t use the word, “I believe a cool million credits should satisfy?” Reveille’s gaze did break away, briefly, clearly not pleased he offered so much, so easily.

He didn’t care.

They had saved them from Kylo Ren, unaware of the threat, or what they were putting themselves into. Perhaps Tanis insulted him, but that was a minor issue. He’d never see her again.

~***~

Darth Nyx smiled to the grouping, though her apprentice didn’t appear so friendly, far more wary in this environment, though the cantina started to clear out, sensing the presence, the threat, inherent in the posturing of both Darth Nyx and Kylo Ren. “I am Darth Nyx,” she answered the knight, “This is my apprentice, Darth Discord.”

Zeme’lodi’csapla inclined her head slightly.

“We learned of what happened. Lieutenant-Admiral Kos’tel’lanni has always been…efficient, even if she could not hold onto the Force like me.” Zeme’lodi’csapla had been instructed to mention that, and so she did, as it would start questions in Kylo’s head.

Fears.

“I did not desire to be at odds with you, from the start,” Nyx noted, “Now that you have liberated yourself of that destructive organization, I thought I would approach again. You could be so much more than the First Order, Commander Ren, if you can set aside your desires for the lies it held – the teachings of the Jedi inherent in its system.”

 

[cleopat]

The amount of credits that they would be receiving did elicit a response from Borran. He turned in his seat to look at Armitage, eyes widened slightly. Tanis emitted a weak cough as if she had choked on her spit, but she didn’t look back in favor of concentrating on the ship.

Even Lavinia couldn’t stop the slight look of astonishment on her face. She glanced over at Armitage, debating if she was petty enough to mention how it was because of her and her quick thinking that the two were able to help them.

No. Given the recent circumstances, neither Reveille nor Armitage would enjoy that.

“Have I mentioned that you’re my favorite person?” Tanis piped up just as the streaks of stars came to a stop, and the ship entered into Lothal’s orbit. Not much longer until they could return to the First Order, sans Kylo Ren, Armitage now the Supreme Leader.

And Lavinia couldn’t stop thinking about how relieved she felt when Armitage admitted he’d prefer to keep her around to help him.

~~

Kylo sucked in a breath of air. He did not particularly wish to know how the knew, but as he tried to move past that, what was said about Reveille’s Lieutenant-Admiral caught his attention. His brows furrowed at the implication. Did she still have that Force? He had many questions about and for Kos’tel’lanni.

But as much as he didn’t want to, he had to momentarily push past that in favor of planning what to do next. In favor of actually listening to what Darth Nyx had to say this time.

And she spoke words that lured him. Yes, I am so much more without them. They were scared of me, and didn’t wish to work with me. That was the illusion he created in his mind, and Darth Nyx’s words only solidified that fantasy.

“Please, take a seat.” He motioned to the table he and the other two knights were sitting at. He will hear everything she had to offer, and this time, he had nothing else holding him back from accepting the assistance of the apprentice of Darth Vader.

 

[Lucyfer]

Armitage’s look on Tanis was far from amused, “No,” she had seemed to indicate the exact opposite before, “I’ve always found it fascinating how money tends to bring about such responses, though.” He wasn’t lacking. He wouldn’t be lacking anytime soon now that he wouldn’t be cleaning up after Kylo, either.

As the stars resumed their position as dots in the sky, and Lothal came into sight, so, too, did the Exigency.

Almost immediately an alert went off that they were targeted.

A hailing signal pushed through, demanding answer, and Reveille took a step from the wall, “May I?” She addressed Borran rather than Tanis, requesting permission to answer, fully aware that they’d be blasted out of the sky for one wrong word.

Kos’tel’lanni would not risk letting Kylo Ren back in, and no doubt this entire sector was on lockdown.

~***~

Nyx and Discord strode forward to take the seats as they were offered, “Thank you,” Nyx offered to Kylo Ren as she took her seat, her hands resting in her lap as Discord leaned back in her seat. Discord eyed the others in their helmets, before shooting a look to Nyx, a silent conversation held in a moment.

Nyx just gave a small shake of her head, letting her attention return to Kylo Ren. “For those unaware,” the other knights, “I was an apprentice to Darth Vader. Endor is a spot I observe often due to that. His voice is still here,” not Mustafar, not Korriban, but where he was burned. She still felt him here.

It was how she learned of this neat mess of the Knights of Ren here, and then Kylo Ren.

“I have been preparing for many years to continue what he started – to destroy the Republic and bring about a new system. It is not only myself and Discord. You saw my workings with the Acolytes,” and she still had such allies, in shadows, in public. “The First Order was doomed to fall as it was, it was why I never sided with them or made myself known to them, or to Snoke. He thought he could achieve greatness through faulty teachings, and for that, I do apologize to you. Had we met sooner….”

But, they hadn’t, and she could only sigh. “Now that we have, and now that you know the truth of the Order as an insider,” a truth she would help to feed him, “I believe their fall shall be…hastened.”

 

[cleopat]

The alert immediately startled Tanis and Borran, and even Lavinia jumped a little. It was of no surprise that this would happen, give the recent events on Lothal as well as the current conflict with the Resistance and Tarkin.

Borran gestured for Reveille to continue. “Please. I’d rather not be another floating piece of debris in space.” None of them would care much for that, and neither trusted themselves with saying the right thing. They tended to be more on the sarcastic side.

No, no one would enjoy that.

As Reveille requested to talk to them, Lavinia stepped closer to Armitage and lowered her voice. “She was just joking to you, sir.” For some reason, she felt the need to clear up Tanis’ name, although it may be fruitless. “It’s a defense mechanism for her. If they were offer the same amount of credits from the Resistance, they would turn it down, as well as whatever job they were asked to do.”

Her friends may be scoundrels, but they had their own set of morals they followed. And they truly believed in neither side.

~~

Kylo sat back down in his chair as Nyx and Discord took theirs. One of the Knight’s head perked up as Nyx explained how she studied with Vader. Now they were very interested in whatever this woman had to say. Kylo was already aware of what she mentioned, but he allowed her to explain to the others. It was the only way they all could be fully involved in whatever it was Nyx wanted to discuss.

Nyx spoke words that enticed him. They seemed to have similar beliefs and similar goals. And now that he was completely ostracized from the First Order, nothing held him back from seeking her help.

“You’re right. The First Order is weak, and their ambition will prove to be their downfall.” He held no further attachment for the Order. He only enjoyed the power he had, but now that was gone?

Kylo will relish in their demise.

A flicker of red crossed his memories, but that was pushed to the side. It was nothing. There was nothing about the First Order he wanted to save.

“What is it do you have planned?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille stepped forward and into the cockpit, ignoring the other occupants as she answered the hailing, “This is Admiral Hux,” she spoke, before calmly repeating a series of numbers of letters she would be immediately changing after that – her own personal clearance code. It spelled nothing. It added up into nothing. It was just nonsense thrown together to make her difficult to impersonate.

After a moment’s pause, “Admiral,” Kos’tel’lanni spoke, “The ship will be permitted to land in hangar 77. We have detected six lifeforms. Name them.”

“Myself, Armitage Hux, Althea Storax, a cat, Borran, and Tanis, the latter two assisted our escape from Kylo Ren. He is alive, but not present. They will be paid and given permission to leave Lothal space.”

“So long as those facts are accurate, Admiral,” she stated, and a tractor beam reached out, not allowing them to pilot the ship themselves to the hangar.


Armitage kept an ear on the conversation, on Kos’tel’lanni’s wariness. He did not blame her. He was almost surprised by it, in truth – each pause an indication of her thought process, on protecting the Order from what could be in the ship.

He did note when Althea sidled closer, and tried to speak on behalf of Tanis. He’d never know what was said, but he didn’t really believe her. He was fairly certain a million credits from either side would buy a job from Borran and Tanis.

“It does not matter,” was what he said instead, because it didn’t. They’d be gone after this.

~***~

Her credentials seemed to earn their interest, and their respect. Nyx enjoyed that, and as she went on, she noticed the flux in emotions – particularly Kylo. There was a stall, and she kept her gaze even on him as he tried not to acknowledge it. “It will indeed prove their downfall, but it is all right to feel some…sympathy for them. You believed in their mission once. I imagine, you once believed in who you worked with.” Some, at least.

Something sparked the stall, the hesitation, the concern. “You were once passionate about it – that passion will drive you to do better now. There is no need to deny what you hoped for, what you thought – no need to deny the mistake when seeing it for what it is will empower you.”

The Jedi teachings of non-attachment were flawed, and deep in the Order. Nyx knew how the Stormtroopers were raised on it. The leadership.

“In regards to our own plans, it is a matter of reaching out to our allies in the Outer Rim. Criminals, I confess,” her smile didn’t falter, “but only criminals by necessity, by the way the galaxy has failed them – by ways in which we can all find room to succeed, and improve. We also need to observe how the First Order moves, how they focus, and we will know then how to strike, and what negotiations to make. Our actions will be different if Tarkin proves more distracting than the Resistance.”

 

[cleopat]

Lavinia felt she was getting nowhere with Armitage right then. The situation was a serious one, as they made their way back on the Exigency, but she couldn’t help feel that his entire mood shifted with her, and for some reason, she took that very personal.

Kos’tel’lanni and Reveille exchange words, ensuring their arrival to the ship. Lavinia stepped away to create space between her and Armitage, partly from feeling like the man needed that space, partly from her own belief that he was annoyed with her. So be it.

Tanis had let go of the ship’s steering wheel when she felt the pull of the tractor beam. Both her and Borran remained silent as the Exigency pulled them closer. They slightly gaped at the sheer size of the ship, never having seen one quite up close before. And this wasn’t even the biggest one?

The hangar had rushed to prep for their arrival, and given Armitage’s new position, Lavinia wondered how long they will be staying on the ship.

~~

Her ability to read him to easily did irk Kylo somewhat. It almost reminded him of Reveille, and how she picked apart every insecurity he had. Would Nyx be the same way? And much like Reveille, Nyx was accurate in what she said about his emotions.

“That’s all in the past now. The past needs to die.” And didn’t he say something similar to that Scavenger? And now he had to accept what he once demanded of her. And he could do it. He had to do it. Let his time in the First Order go. Forget everything he once believed.

Even if Snoke manipulated him into his cause.

She continued, talking of disreputable allies. That didn’t bother Kylo terribly. If Darth Nyx trusted them, then shouldn’t that be enough for him? When they shared the same goals?

“I may be able to help with that.” He still knew of what the First Order wanted to do next, before they were pulled into the mess with Tarkin. “The First Order had a set plan, but I can foresee Tarkin proving to be more distracting than the Resistance. He’s angry, and he has resources, whereas the Resistance is nothing right now. No more than a handful of people with a foolish dream.”

 

[Lucyfer]

There was a part of Reveille that wanted to say that was hers. The looks on Borran and Tanis’s faces said enough. They weren’t aware of the scale of this ship. They likely weren’t aware of the scale of the war that was underway all around them. However, she didn’t. She moved from the cockpit, “Step out with us, keep your hands in plain sight,” she said as the tractor pulled them into the hangar.

A hangar lined with Stormtroopers, and Kos’tel’lanni, as well as Schaeffer, all in white.

As the ship settled, Troopers moved immediately to lock it down. Reveille added the caveat, “They will want to search the ship. It is for a person, nothing else, you will leave with everything you have.” And the million that Armitage offered.

Reveille would wait until the door opened, but once it did, she descended the ramp following her own instructions – hands open, palms forward at her sides. Armitage descended after her, the cat still on his shoulders, causing some muffled laughter to ripple through, and some heads to turn, in spite of it all.

Kos’tel’lanni remained still, watching the parade of people and assessing them each in turn, her red eyes devoid of warmth.

~***~

Nyx shook her head about the past needing to die, but she did not speak to that. She could sense his anger under the surface. Gentle prods would do her better than outright contradicting him. He would understand, in time, what it meant.

“I had hoped you would be able to assist with understanding the next moves of the First Order and what we are looking at, going forward,” she said, letting the conversation of the past become just that – past. “What do you foresee occurring? What weak points do you know of that we can exploit?”

Their movements, and their weak points, would help to destroy them, and bring their end – or bring their takeover, in small parts. Retaining some ships and some soldiers could be useful, after all. An army of pirates was still just that – pirates.

 

[cleopat]

It would be a lie if Lavinia didn’t feel some trepidation for Tanis and Borran as they all stepped out, compliant with Reveille’s command.

And for once, the two complied without voicing a single thought. Unlike Reveille, their hands were raised somewhat, shoulder level, as their palms remained open to prove they had no weapon ready to fire.

Lavinia walked a few feet in front of them, arms by her side, but palms forward and open. The Troopers searching their ship worried her a little, but Reveille ensured that they were only search for someone. Not for contrabands. Still. Borran, Tanis, please don’t be stupid and have something highly illegal in there.

But she didn’t recall seeing anything incriminating in there. And she certainly knew they weren’t smuggling a person. Her eyes flickered to Kos’tel’lanni, and for a second, she had a moment of terror imagining the Chiss declaring Lavinia’s true identity right there. In front of all the Stormtroopers and officers.

Fuck, can we leave yet?

~~

“The First Order just gained Lothal as an ally, and I know they will want to build a military base there, as well as a factory for Sienar Fleets.” They had sacrificed too much to not do anything with Lothal, including an alliance with Tarkin.

Would they attempt to repair that relationship? Or simply let him go? Reattempting negotiations with Kylo no longer as Supreme Leader may help in their favor, but it could be too risky, even for them.

“Beyond that, I only have guesses at what they could be planning next. Most of their focus will be on the Core and Inner Worlds.” Which Nyx may have already known based on their first encounter. “There could be an attempt to fix their relationship with Tarkin, but I can’t say for certain.”

What else could he remember? “Their numbers and supplies are down, so they’re also focusing on rebuilding those before engaging in any more major battles.” A potential weak spot to exploit. Cut them off before they could get more weapons and ships.

 

[Lucyfer]

Schaeffer brushed by the group that exited wordlessly, a few troopers following in his wake to sweep the ship. There was a heavy silence during that, Kos’tel’lanni refusing to speak until she was certain a trap hadn’t been brought to their doorsteps.

When Schaeffer appeared, empty-handed, she seemed to let out a heavy breath, “Nothing. Kylo Ren isn’t present in the ship. No one else is,” Schaeffer stated, descending the ramp with the troopers. What was in there was hardly of note to him, or to the First Order.

The relief that swept over Kos’tel’lanni was immediate, and for once she acted without consideration of the location or presence. She took those few steps forward and pulled Reveille into a tight embrace – though it wasn’t returned, the human visibly tensing up in the hold. “I’m sorry.” For suspicion. For being prepared to blow her out of the sky.

Reveille didn’t fight the hold, but waited patiently for Kos’tel’lanni to let her go, and once she did, she stepped away from the line of others and alongside the chiss, as Armitage turned to Borran and Tanis, “If either of you have a datapad handy, we can make this transfer quick and see you on your way,” already, Troopers were starting to move to unlock the ship.

The orange cat jumped from Hux’s shoulder to start looking around the hangar.

Kos’tel’lanni gave Reveille a look, “Are we allowing pets now?” the hopeful note was impossible to miss.

“We’ll talk.” She was hoping the cat had an owner so she didn’t have to have this talk. Hoping Hux wouldn’t be keeping it.

“OH MY GOD, KITTY! REVY—REVEILLE!” Rani’s shriek was impossible to miss as the twi’lek came running into the hangar, scooping up the cat immediately and spinning once with the confused thing before bringing it right to her chest to cuddle it. “Oooh my god, do we get pets now that Kylo and Snoke are gone? Please, please, please?”

A small whimper left Reveille as she palmed her face. The nightmare wasn’t over.

~***~

Lothal would be easy enough to infiltrate. They would need people with skills for ships, and plenty of pirates had that. Nyx would just need to speak to a few, and they would be in those factories and a part of the process. If the First Order recruited there, they could also move their way into the ranks that way. She gave a nod to that, “That is useful information, Commander. Thank you,” she praised easily, listening more as he elaborated further.

The Core and Inner Worlds was no surprise, “Tarkin will soon move to protect his interests there. Tepasi and Spira will not be easily relinquished. I believe I can stir more worlds against them, but your help would be of use, there. If you can speak to senators, to criminals, and all sorts of others to tell them why the First Order will not be so good for them, and how you learned this, how being within the system made you see it is wrong, then we will make the Core a melting pot of animosity towards the Order,” her voice remained level, calm and warm, as she offered ways he could use this past against the Order.

“Tell them what it is you believe, and how they have fallen short of it.”

Abusing resources would also be good, “What companies does the Order use, besides Sienar Fleets? I can make sure to begin targeting those companies and those trade routes.” Sienar Fleets would be one to target, one to start destroying.

 

[cleopat]

Kos’tel’lanni’s immediate relief and Reveille’s subsequent awkward stance in the hug amused Lavinia, but her expression did not betray her stoicism. Her hands clasped behind her back as she watched the exchange, although she felt just as much relief. Her friends could leave, much richer, and they could continue without the threatening presence of Kylo Ren.

Tanis was the first one to jump into action. Both knew they couldn’t use Borran’s datapad due to his correspondence with Lavinia, and they couldn’t risk something going wrong. Paranoia struck deep, and for good reasons.

She pulled out her datapad from her jacket, deeply faded and somewhat scratched-up from consistent and long-term use. “Got one right here.” Her hand held out the datapad for Armitage to take and finally finish up their transaction. Her and Borran were just as eager to get out of there, before something could happen. Before their generosity changed.

Lavinia’s attention shifted at the movement of the cat, followed by Kos’tel’lanni’s question. If Armitage kept the cat, then who could deny their new admiral a pet of her own?

The shriek of the Twi’lek caused a few in the vicinity to wince. Although she was once to do so, Rani’s antics also brought a small smile to her lips. She had hoped they could get a chance to talk later, if only because Rani had been one of the few to have actually been nice to her. Though she couldn’t quite see Rani mean at anyone.

~~

Kylo nodded to Nyx at her approval. The near praise sent a flicker of...accomplishment through him, and he found her much more agreeable to work with than Reveille.

Maybe he should have done this a long time ago. Realized that he didn’t need the First Order to accomplish his goals. Snoke made him believe that, but Darth Nyx helped him realize the opposite.

He listened to her suggestions with great interest. It could be easy to sway the minds of the people there. Many of them were weak, or scared, and many grew fearful after the Hosnian Cataclysm. “That I can do. Many may be willing to help a side that is neither the Resistance nor the First Order. A chance to feel like their actually doing something.” Everyone wanted to feel that way. Feel as if they are contributing to something important in the future of the galaxy. But he just had to convince them that he was the answer in all this. Not the Resistance. Not the First Order. But him.

“I can’t quite remember the names.” He did recall that General Hux held meetings with a few others over materials, but the names escaped him. “I know they dealt with doonium, and I want to say one of the names started with a ‘K’.” But beyond that? “I can’t remember more than that.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Rani brought the cat with her as she came over to Reveille, and she held it to her briefly, to pet, but Reveille just shook her head. She was not playing into their desires for pets. She was not going to humor liking the presence of the cat. Rani huffed, but brought the cat back to her chest as Sienar moved through the crowd of troopers to join the small gathering around Reveille – an insulation that Armitage lacked.

Not that Armitage noticed, or cared, as he took the datapad and did a quick scan to transfer the funds into the opened account, before he held it back out to Tanis, “You are free to leave, and I suggest you leave this sector entirely,” he doubted they wanted to stay. “Your ship will be refueled before you leave, if you like.” If they needed it, as well.

He hadn’t watched, but it would be easy to direct a trooper to do just that, before he’d step away, “Thank you for your assistance,” he added.

They deserved that much, no matter what was said.

And he had business to get to, so the sooner they were gone, the better.

There would be quite the shift in the power structure. Thankfully, most of those impacted were in the area.

~***~

Darth Nyx gave an easy nod to that, “Zeme’lodi’csapla will accompany you,” the apprentice looked startled to hear her actual name used, and a bit of resentment crossed her expression, “Though humans are often mistrustful of outsiders, few have forgotten Grand Admiral Thrawn in the Core. Zeme’lodi’csapla has made connections, and she aware of much that is going on in the Core.”

“Master, should I not be with you?”

Darth Nyx shook her head, “I have arrangements to make with our allies. You will return to me on Dathomir with Commander Ren, when I call for you, or when all is prepared,” her voice was touched with affection, before she looked back to Ren, “I will use my network to learn who else the Order works with. I know they are bound to speak in Lothal of where supplies are coming from. Right now, you will need to link the chains of our allies in the Core, bring them together, bring them to understanding.”

And in doing so, he would understand what he sought, apart from the Order, apart from the lies of Snoke.

He would rise into his own.

 

[cleopat]

Lavinia’s gaze flickered to Sienar when she noticed his movement from the corner of her eye. It was an entire family gathering. Which was to be expected, after the chaos that unfolded in there not that long ago.

Her chest constricted at the memory of what started it all. Kylo doing that...thing to her mind. Still, she couldn’t still quite shake off whatever he did to her. The fear lingered, but who could she talk to about it? They may just belittle my cowardice.

Tanis beamed a smile once she took back her datapad from Armitage. “We can’t thank you enough for your generosity.” The datapad was slipped back into her jacket, and this time, Borran spoke up.

“And we will accept the offer for a refuel.” He was not a fool to refuse free fuel.

They began to make their way back up the ramp once it was made obvious that they all needed to go their own way. Tanis gave Lavinia a half-hearted salute, and Borran, more subdued, gave her a nod.

Lavinia smiled and reciprocated with her own parting nod, not once breaking her posture. Better to not show obvious emotions in the hangar, with everyone watching, and the two scoundrels seemed to understand this.

~~

The apprentice wasn’t the only one who was startled by the news, or by the use of Discord’s actual name. Kylo had figured Nyx would accompany him in the Core, and he nearly questioned her before she gave her own reasoning for the decision.

Grand Admiral Thrawn’s name was familiar to him. That Chiss left a reputation behind on every planet he conquered for the Empire. Many were still alive who felt his influence, and no doubt his name would be remembered for decades to come.

Maybe she did offer a good point in having Zeme’lodi’csapla accompany him. “Understood.”

The slight shift in posture of the Knight brought his attention back to them. He noticed she hadn’t mentioned them yet. Were they to accompany him? Embark on their own mission?

“And of what the other Knights?” He couldn’t tell what they were thinking, but one tilted his head slightly at being mentioned. “As you may well be aware, there are a few other Knights who are not present right now. Are they to accompany me to the Core?”

 

[Lucyfer]

A simple gesture from Armitage, and a trooper did move to do just that, as the others moved into their ship. Armitage stepped back and assessed the situation – the gathered, and the mood of the room. There was anticipation there, just held back by the strange ship and their strange return to the Order.

He moved to where Kos’tel’lanni was, and she inclined her head slightly, “I apologize, Hux,” no title – though she could assume, she wouldn’t, “It seemed critical that Kylo Ren not be allowed a chance to restore his claim to the Order in the moment.”

Armitage shook his head, “You did nothing wrong,” the situation was a strange one.

She smiled, just a bit, and looked up, “I appreciate the footage you retained. I have been able to use that to make it clear what happened, and why Kylo Ren is now a wanted man. No one seems to be divided or questioning this, though we are a bit isolated out here, the messages from our other ships have indicated agreement and understanding with the actions taken to remove Kylo Ren.”

The ship of the pair started up, and soon, it had cleared the hangar.

The anticipation only seemed heavier, and Armitage stepped away from the grouping. He didn’t have a platform, a microphone, or anything, but his voice was trained to speak to crowds, and he did so then, “Members of the First Order – we have experienced multiple catastrophes close together, in the loss of Starkiller, Supreme Leader Snoke, and Kylo Ren’s atrocious actions to undermine our Order. Today, that ends. Today, we are free of the tyranny of Kylo Ren,” as much as he wanted to add in ‘Snoke’ he could not.

Kylo’s actions could not be seen as vindicated in any way, “Today, we have shown worlds that we are capable of aiding them, and we are the rightful heirs of the galaxy. Today, we move forward in creating Order and Unity in the galaxy. I, as the new Supreme Leader of the First Order, will see to this future, with Reveille Hux acting as Grand Marshall.” He gestured towards her, “Kos’tel’lanni, through her acts to maintain the Order after Kylo’s treachery was revealed, shall be promoted to Admiral. Aksel Schaeffer shall step into my former role as General of the First Order.”

Things would shake out from there, a new lieutenant-admiral and such things could be handled in their own branches. “This is a day for celebration, not mourning. The rest of the day, all non-essential staff may enjoy time planetside on Lothal or elsewhere, or on the ships. We begin in earnest, tomorrow.”

He would need time to acclimate to his position – and get the cat checked out.

The hangar would, no doubt, have recorded this. It would be forwarded on to the other ships.

The First Order would have its first holiday.

Kos’tel’lanni stepped around Reveille, to where Lavinia was, “I think we finally have time to get to know each other.” It might take a moment to convince Reveille, but Kos’tel’lanni was not passing up a holiday to celebrate all of this.

~***~

Nyx’s eyebrows rose as attention was brought to the knights, “I did not presume it was my place to command them,” nor would she take the initiative to do so right then, either. Let Kylo have a bit of freedom. A bit of the control he so desperately craved, and had so recently lost. It would make things easier if he lived in that illusion a little longer.

“These are your Knights. Their faces are not known. It may yet be possible to slip one onto Lothal to integrate into the ranks there, and be ready to be awoken to a task in the future. It may also be of use to have them move through other First Order areas and gather information,” she offered suggestions, “however, I do not know them so well as you. You may know better how to utilize their skills.”

Her gesture was open as she made it towards them, “Perhaps they could even be placed among the Resistance, or Tarkin?”