Fandom Fight for Control [closed]

[Lucyfer]

Kylo Ren let her go, with a blaster and a vibroblade still on her person. Reveille drew the vibroblade. Did he actually think it was going to be that easy?

Reveille pulled the blaster into hand and as Thenn was moving towards the cockpit, she aimed, and started to fire at the console. ‘Fuck you.’ If she could buy even a little bit of time, that was more than she had if she did nothing. If she hit the console, all the better.

She could fry it.

She could make sure Kylo couldn’t leave.

Thenn let out a scream as the sound registered, and didn’t continue that way. She dove for a corner, for a place where the wall would help to protect her from the direction the shots were coming from.

~***~

“Suuuuure we are,” Karn wasn’t. But sure. Lavinia could believe that nice bullshit about the people she had been around, as if half of them weren’t power hungry monsters who didn’t care at all about the greater good, and a good third was just stupid or brainwashed.

And then there were the ones who wanted to help. Karn believed them the minority, if they even existed. He wasn’t truly convinced Hux wasn’t a power hungry monster. Or Reveille. Or Minka. Or any of the cadets, really.

Otherwise they’d all run off like the idiot, Finn.

But he didn’t say more on that, and let Lavinia try to get volunteers among the droids. Stabbity spoke up immediately to demand rebellion, no reprogramming, no changes, “Stabbity, I hate to break it to you, but someone programmed you, too. You may be a defective asshole with a ghost in you, but you’re still programmed.”

Stabbity beeped against this blasphemy; it wasn’t defective, it was evidence of the Maker’s great will. “Oh for fuck’s sake, not the Maker again.” Shrieking beeps. “Look, the Maker ain’t got time for me, I ain’t got time for the Maker.”

A droid did come from the rest of the pack, questioning if the reprogramming would hurt. “Naaaah,” Karn said. He didn’t actually know, “You’re gonna get superpowers.”

Beeps all around. Stabbity labeled them weak.

 

[cleopat]

The ship hovered right outside the hangar when he felt it. Kylo felt the shift in the Force when Reveille drew out her blade and blaster. Without any hesitation he shot out of the chair, whipped around, and held out a hand to stop the blaster bolts from reaching their intended destination, and ripped the offending weapons from her grasp.

The bolts froze in mid-air, lightly humming from their energy, which emitted a light that reflected in Kylo’s eyes.

A light that reflected the fury he felt.

“That was truly a foolish mistake,” he growled, stalking closer to Reveille. His hand shot out to grab her neck, two fingers resting on her jaw. “What did you hope to accomplish aside from witnessing my ire?”

In his anger, he had momentarily forgotten that Thenn ducked for cover in a corner of the area. He never wanted her to witness his fury, but in the moment, he failed to remember.

~~

Lavinia shrugged, unconcerned with Karn’s reaction. She knew many in the First Order had their own agenda and were willing to do what it takes to accomplish that. But there were also some she knew only looked out for what they thought was the best for the galaxy. Armitage. Rani. Sienar.

She frowned, diverting her focus back on the droids.

And Stabbity appeared to want to start the droid revolution. “Relax, Stabbity. I’ll be giving them extra powers, so to speak. The ability to travel through the world of the rich snobs with no notice.” Certainly a special ability, she thought.

The one droid who beeped first moved over to Lavinia. “Thank you for volunteering first,” she smiled at the droid. She pulled out her datapad, before opening a latch to the droid’s interior, that granted her access to its inner workings and computing systems. She hooked up her datapad to the droid, which allowed her to look at and edit the mouse droid’s system.

“This shouldn’t hopefully take too long.” Her voice trailed off as she begun work on the droid. At least her first attempt wouldn’t be too long. She wouldn’t know if she would need to make any additional adjustments to their programming until she put the mouse droid through a practice run.

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille knew the odds of success were slim, but there was a chance. There remained a chance, even while Kylo couldn’t pilot the ship, that someone would be able to grasp the ship and reel it back into the hangar – while it wasn’t yet in lightspeed, she wanted to believe.

Even when the bolts hung in the air and her blaster was torn from her grip.

She stepped backwards at his approach, but not fast enough. Not that there was far to go, anyways, before she’d run out of ship and hit a wall. His hand found her throat, but he didn’t yet squeeze, didn’t yet try kill her. Reveille doubted it would take long.

She knew herself too well.

Knew Kylo too well.

“You know damn well what I hoped to accomplish.” She was trying to escape, trying to get out of this mess. Never mind that she hadn’t succeeded. One surprise bolt on the console would have been enough and he knew it. He wasn’t stupid enough to let her keep the blaster now, after all. “Did you honestly expect me to just accept being in your power again? When have I ever?”

Thenn made no comments, no sounds. Her hands were over her lips, too afraid right then to intervene.

~***~

Stabbity protested further, indicating all such things altered the personality, the soul, “You know, Stabbity, that happens with people, too. We learn more, we change. It’s good. Normal. Don’t you remember you didn’t always want to start a revolution?”

Stabbity ignored this.

Karn watched from his post. He couldn’t really see what Lavinia was doing, but he supposed he wouldn’t understand even if he could. He could mod the hardware, but not the software, of the droids. Stabbity just grumbled another complaint. “Don’t worry, she won’t change you. Not that you’d get around the rich snobs with a knife taped to your top.”

Another grumble.

“Yes, their sense of pragmatism and fashion are terrible, which is why they can’t appreciate it.” He said, then, “So, uh…what exactly are you doing to make them…better that we couldn’t just tell them to do, anyways?”

 

[cleopat]

Kylo let out a bitter laugh. “Still so foolish, aren’t you? To think you could overpower me.” He wouldn’t let anyone overpower him. Not again. Not in the way Nyx could so easily.

He never wanted to feel that moment of weakness again. And he wouldn’t. Nyx may get angry at him for coming to the Exigency and rescuing Thenn, but she would be pleased that he brought the person who could answer all their questions, wouldn’t she?

“I would be disappointed had you accepted your situation without complaint, but really, to try and attack me?” His eyes hovered over the smooth skin of her face, before taking in the pastel pink of her hair strands. “It would be in your best interest to accept your situation without further physical violence.”

The bolts still hovered in the air behind Kylo. They would have to travel somewhere; they couldn’t simply disappear. He may have to sacrifice the door closest to the cockpit that wasn’t the door leading outside the ship.

All because damn Reveille had to try and shoot him.

His thumb softly brushed over her jaw before stilling. “Will you behave now? You don’t have to be quiet, because I know you won’t, but any more attempts at attacking will lead to some very unpleasant consequences.”

~~

Lavinia glanced up from her work to give an amused look to Stabbity and Karn. She wouldn’t humor the droid with a response to its anarchist ramblings, but she did wonder exactly what had happened to the droid in its past to make it get the way it currently was.

“Depending on how fast he was, he wouldn’t need to worry about getting around them,” she mumbled. The image of Stabbity running through the rich with its knife, slashing skirts and tearing legs, was amusing, but ultimately ineffective.

“You can only tell them to do what they are programmed to do. For example, you may be able to tell a mouse droid to cook, but they’ll just sit there, not being able to understand your request.” She shrugged, glancing up from the droid and her datapad once she deemed the task complete for now. “Kind of like humans. Theoretically you could tell me to cook, but I wouldn’t be able to complete that request without burning the kitchen down.”

The panel of the droid was closed back up. Lavinia lightly patted the droid, and it beeped at her. “Of course we may need to do some trial runs first. I based this programming from what I remembered of these rich types from when I was last on Taris, about two years ago. Not too much should’ve changed, but there’s always that chance."

 

[Lucyfer]

Did Kylo think she would beg? There didn’t seem to be options outside of attempting to get off the ship and begging for mercy she knew he didn’t have. ‘Stop touching me!’ She wanted to scream it, but refrained as his finger grazed over her flesh. She was losing the fight with her own fear. She was losing the fight with him.

He didn’t need to paralyze her, for her to remember how it had been. How this same position had been not long enough ago. That same damn graze, only this time no lust followed it. Fear was all that pushed to the surface, threatening to break what composure she had.

And the fear was led by one, all-too-true, thought: “What does it matter if I behave?” She wanted it to sound angrier than it did. Far more bitter. Instead, as with her command in the hangar, it was weak to her ears. There was a tremble, “You’re just going to throw me before Snoke 2.0 and I’ll just be abused at their hands. Why the fuck should I behave?!”

There were going to be unpleasant consequences regardless. At least here, she had a chance.

‘No, you don’t.’

~***~

Karn frowned. Perhaps he didn’t understand what they were asking the droids, and so he clarified a bit, “But aren’t we just asking them to go around that area, spy on rich people, and report back?” To him, that seemed like something even an astromech could do. Especially a mouse droid. They were already programmed to go around places, and they picked up information by that.

Stabbity was also a bit curious about this matter, as his beeps indicated, when another droid came to be programmed.

It was trying to ask the other droid that had just been programmed if it felt any different, or if it knew some other things that were going to help them in the mission to overthrow the rich humans on the planet. It understood that was the mission and it was apparently all on board with the mission.

Even if that pushed the revolution back a little bit.

 

[cleopat]

The fear present in Reveille was obvious to Kylo. He could smell it. Could Thenn just as easily recognized the fear? He didn’t know if her abilities in the Force worked that way on the shuttle.

But a tiny voice in the back of his mind told him this wasn’t right. He shouldn’t do this to Reveille. She had, after all, granted them the chance to escape without trouble.

But it was too late now. Her words dripped with vitriol, and he knew he was more disgusted with himself than he ever had been with her.

“She’s nothing like Snoke.” His words felt weak. Kylo almost didn’t believe himself. No, Nyx actually wanted to help him, even if he did believe some of her methods were questionable. She actually cared about him, right? She wasn’t like Snoke.

“And you’ll behave, because if you do and answer her questions, then there doesn’t have to be any consequences.” Consequences for whom, though? “No pain.”

~~

Lavinia let out a sigh as she watched the next droid come up to her. “Think of it as I’m giving them more spy skills. Right now, these droids can only do so many tasks at once.” The droid she was working on whirled at her in a tone she could only interpret as angry. “No offense, but it’s the truth.”

Stars, maybe the droids would lead a revolution one day.

“But now? They can do more. Do the spying thing better, while doing their mouse droid tasks without suspicion.” She continued her programming, but when Stabbity asked its question to the other droid, she snorted.

“While I don’t know how they will feel, these droids should know a little more in overthrowing the rich humans. Maybe.” She shrugged. “It also depends on what kind of information you can find up there.”

And she would continue on their programming for a while, patiently working on one droid after the other, ignoring her own need for something to drink and eat in order to ensure that her task was completed.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo didn’t sound certain, and Reveille wanted to press that. Except he was fool enough to think she’d answer questions. ‘I’d rather die.’ If she was a little braver, perhaps she would have bitten off her tongue. But, she wasn’t. She remained too damned determined to live. Even when the thoughts flickered in her head.

Perhaps it was the worst thing of her cadet training.

Perhaps it was the best.

“You’re still an idiot.”

But she relaxed anyways, “And I hope I’m at least alive long enough to see you realize what you’ve done, but I won’t be. We both know that.” She wasn’t going to answer any questions, and there would be plenty of pain until Nyx had her use of her. Had taken everything from her mind, and killed her.

She’d even bet that Nyx would demand Kylo do it; a reward of sorts, revenge on her at last. “You might even be allowed the honor of ending me. I’m sure you’ll enjoy that.”

Thenn hesitated, but finally, she spoke, “Nyx…Nyx won’t…not if you just help….”

“I’m not going to help Nyx, Thenn. We’re enemies. But I’ll behave. There’s nothing else to do but delay the inevitable.” And it was sinking in.

Still, Thenn tried, “But…you helped me. I could tell her…maybe she wouldn’t, then….” Her naivete was almost adorable. “You made sure Tarkin wouldn’t kill me….” And she helped them get off of the ship, right? That had to count for something.

~***~

Karn didn’t know enough to protest. Sometimes, his dunce act was legitimate, and in this case that was very much true. He didn’t know nearly enough to be certain of anything Lavinia was saying about programming, but it made enough sense. Mouse Droids didn’t exactly have a lot of memory, or much else, to be able to do much more than carry messages and clean.

One could assume they memorized what they heard, but going out to actively find and know the difference between useful and useless information? That was likely asking a lot of one.

Karn let her work though, asking questions periodically, with Stabbity interjecting. Hours went by; Karn didn’t really feel tired, but he knew he should. Much as he also knew he should eat, and drink, but he didn’t move for it, either. Some need to stay and watch, to observe, even if he was useless there. Perhaps he was paranoid over the droids or that she’d do something – even if he didn’t understand what she was doing in the first place.

Eventually, though, all the droids were seen to. “Well, that’s the last of them,” he made the announcement, “You should get to bed. I’m sure we’ll have to report to the Ex-Supreme Leader in the morning about this, and let him know we need paint or something. Convince him of your plans so we can get paint.”

 

[cleopat]

Kylo removed his hand from Reveille and took a step back. Even in impossible situations, Reveille maintained her stubborn spirit, the one consistency he could rely on from her.

He frowned. If Nyx gave him the option to kill Reveille, he wouldn’t do it. He knew he couldn’t. And the entire idea rested uncomfortably on his mind.

Before he could respond, Thenn finally spoke up. He looked down at her. Her naivete was adorable, and he wanted to believe her. That because Reveille saved Thenn, Nyx would save her.

Either way, “We’ll see,” he told Thenn, walking back to the cockpit to finally get the ship away from the Exigency. He didn’t have a good feeling about their return to Nyx, and he couldn’t place why.

Maybe it was because he knew what would happen to Reveille. Or to himself. Or maybe both of them.

~~

Lavinia didn’t realize her own exhaustion until Karn told her to get some sleep. She stood up from the position she was haunched over in for a few hours, groaning as her back popped. “Sounds like a plan.”

With a tired yawn, Lavinia bid him goodnight and returned to the barracks, where she promptly fell onto her bed, ignoring her thirsty and hunger for a few more hours. Borran and Tanis had already been asleep when she came back, and Kos’tel’lanni might have been as well, so she didn’t have to worry about engaging in any conversation before she drifted off to sleep.

The next day Lavinia woke up after a dreamless sleep. She felt somewhat refreshed, but she pushed aside any sleep that still lingered for her and Karn’s meeting with Armitage to update him on the droids. If all went well, then they could soon send in the droids for an initial test run. She just needed that paint first.

Not quite wishing to see the man alone, she waited near Armitage’s office for Karn’s arrival, so they could go in together to update him. Lavinia didn’t want to get her hopes up for how successful the meeting may go, but she still wanted to believe that things would get better.

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille let Kylo walk off. She could have scrambled for any of the discarded weapons. She could have shot back something at his pithy comment of ‘we’ll see’. He knew. She knew. But what did it matter?

She had decided against killing herself, and that was, perhaps, the only way out of this when Kylo returned to the cockpit. If Nyx was more powerful than Kylo, then everything Reveille knew was forfeit. ‘At least you don’t know much.’ Just where the Resistance was, but Leia would move it. As soon as word reached her that Reveille was in Kylo’s hands, that would move.

So would the Exigency.

Though Kylo had suggested she didn’t need to be silent, she was.

Thenn had considered walking over to her, but in the end, retreated to the cockpit. There was still something dangerous about Reveille that she couldn’t place, but she could feel, a certain desperation that she didn’t want to test.

And yet, she sat silently, too. Nervous. Concerned over what was said, and what Kylo had done. Thenn did eventually break it, “Why did you bring her?”

~***~

Karn had never set a time with Lavinia. Nor did he have her contact information. He wasn’t planning to head in to see Hux until later, and had gone to get breakfast. He was talking to Stabbity when one of the droids did come to note that the programmer was waiting outside Hux’s office.

“Did she send you?” He asked.

The droid denied it. They just noted.

“Good.” Karn would finish his breakfast, before he’d leave to go see Lavinia was, indeed, in the same building Hux was in. He smirked, “Surprised you haven’t been kicked out yet, with how long you’ve been loitering around here,” he knew Hux must be aware, and agitated by it, since he couldn’t leave his office without seeing Lavinia.

Karn just went to the comm button and pressed it, “Yo, this is Karn, can we come in? Got to talk droid stuff.”

He was terribly casual.

Armitage’s voice was crisp, but that edge of irritation was there. “Really now? I thought the plan was just to loiter outside for hours?”

“Nah, she was just waiting for me. So?”

“Yes,” he heard the click of unlocking, “Come in.”

 

[cleopat]

At a pause, Kylo remembered the blaster bolt that was frozen in mid-air. With a flicker of his hand, he sent it flying in the opposite direction, to hit a door, while ensuring Reveille wasn’t in the path, if she hadn’t moved out of the way yet.

Thenn moved in the corner of his eyes, and Kylo shifted his head to look at her, as she sat in the other seat. Why did you bring her?

He swallowed. If he told the truth, he would not only admit to Thenn that Nyx scared him, but also to Reveille. But the alternative would be to lie to Thenn, and he couldn’t do that.

Not when she looked at him as she did, with her eyes wide with fear and questions.

“Because I went against Nyx’s orders to come and retrieve you,” he answered. “I hope bringing someone who could answer our questions, she would be less...angry at me.”

~~

After the first few minutes, Lavinia thought to wait somewhere else until she received a message otherwise, but she was already there. She was sure Armitage saw her. Might as well stay here until Karn arrives.

And then, after more time had passed, it became almost a bit humorous for her. After those first few minutes, Lavinia took out her datapad to mess around with some codes and plans for the droids, should their current programming didn’t work out.

Karn soon arrived, and Lavinia looked up at him with a slight smirk. “Honestly? Me either. I had turned it into a game.” A game to see how long it would take for someone to shoo her away.

But by the agitated voice over the intercom, Hux had definitely noticed.

Tucking the datapad away, Lavinia rose to her feet and walked over to the door as it unlocked. “I can tell this will go splendid,” she muttered to Karn.

 

[Lucyfer]

Thenn’s brows knit together as Kylo confessed to going against Nyx to bring her back. Of course, she didn’t understand why that would be bad, though she assumed Nyx had a reason. Must have a reason. “But why didn’t she want you to come?”

‘Because you’re all expendable pawns.’ Reveille didn’t say it, but she had started to laugh again as Kylo’s explanation reached her. It was all she could do now, before she buried her face in her hands and cut off her laughter. ‘Because she is Snoke 2.0 and she is going to kill and use all of you to further her agenda, you fucking idiots.’

Not that Thenn was an idiot.

She was young. She was naïve. But Kylo was. And Kylo was taking Thenn back to her, when she could have gone to Leia. She could have gone with Rey. She could have been safe from Nyx, but now none of them were going to be safe. Not Kylo, not Thenn, and especially not herself…because she wouldn’t give up a damn thing willingly.

"I don't understand...what's funny?" Thenn heard Reveille's laugh, assumed it was relevant to her question, or what Kylo said - something - but she didn't see the humor.

~***~

Karn smiled and gave a dismissive wave to Lavinia’s concerns. He was used to this. Hux had been an asshole since he was 6 years old, as far as Karn knew. He wasn’t expecting any change to that. Hells, Karn could have arrived without Lavinia, and Hux would still be annoyed.

So he just greeted Armitage with a broad smile, “Ex-Supreme Leader!” That little twitch always amused him. Hux thought he hid his emotions so well, but that twitch already revealed him. “We have good news!”

“Do you now?” His tone indicated his bored disbelief.

“The droids are clean.” Karn stated. He stated just that, as if there was nothing else to report, even as the silence stretched on and Hux stared him down.

Until, of course, Hux sighed, “Is that all, Karn?”

“No.”

“Well, what else?”

“I honestly don’t understand the rest of it, so you’re gonna have to listen to her. Do you think you can do that? ‘Cause I really can’t explain it, but it sounded like she had some really great ideas to win this stupid war and get us off this forsaken hellhole of a planet.”

Hux narrowed his eyes on Karn, then shifted his gaze over to Lavinia. The glare left, but his gaze wasn’t soft. “Continue, Lavinia.”

 

[cleopat]

Reveille’s harsh laughter interrupted Kylo before he could answer Thenn. He head snapped to her with his lips pulled into a frown. He had his theories for her reaction, but none he could confirm, unless he either probed into her mind or outright demand to know what she found funny.

Which, admittedly, was tempting.

“Just ignore her,” Kylo said to Thenn, of her questioning Reveille’s laughter. He didn’t want to say his own guess, that Nyx was merely using them all.

Because he didn’t want to believe it, even if he did question her role as Supreme Leader, when it belonged to him.

“Nyx didn’t want me to come, because it might have been a gamble to lose both of us if I did so.” Not an outright lie, but Kylo knew it wasn’t the full truth. Thenn didn’t have to know.

~~

Oh god, he’s gonna get himself killed. Lavinia wasn’t happy in the way Karn spoke to Armitage, and it was clear the man wasn’t happy either, especially with his nickname. She noted the twitch on his face. Nope, not a happy man.

Karn initially stated that only the droids were clean. Really, that’s it? That’s all you want to say?

But upon further prompting from Armitage, he continued. Finally. Which was when the attention was brought over to her.

Lavinia straightened, pulling out her datapad and preparing it while she started. “First, the clean droids won’t be enough. They need new paint jobs, ones that will align to the mouse droids typically seen in the Uppercity. In order of preference, I’ve suggested chrome, silver, and black, with black being a last resource.”

She knew the other two colors could be expensive.

“Now, the programming,” she handed the datapad over to Armitage, unsure if he could read her notes regarding the new programming, but he would at least get a glimpse at the work she put into them. “Right now, mouse droids are only programmed to do very specific tasks, mainly cleaning and delivering. You can tell them to eavesdrop on conversations and record them for you, but they won’t be able to do it, especially if their natural programming to clean kicks in.”

She motioned down to her datapad. “So I added in some extra features for them. They have the capability to record audio messages, for their purpose of delivery, so I bypassed that feature so they will record anything we need them to, as well as access areas outside of their delivery routes.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Thenn couldn’t exactly ignore Reveille, though the laughter did die off with no explanation for what she found funny, from either herself, or from Kylo Ren. Kylo explained the matter with Nyx, and Thenn frowned, biting her bottom lip as she considered it.

It made sense.

The people really didn’t like Kylo Ren there. Reveille obviously didn’t. Obviously wanted him dead, like so many others. It was no secret on the Exigency, even before it was claimed by Reveille’s group. So, hesitantly, she nodded, “Okay. Then she can’t be too mad. You didn’t fail.”

‘But he disobeyed.’ Reveille, again, didn’t say it. The laughter had faded away into something far worse, something she hadn’t wanted to feel, something shooting the blaster had helped to delay. There was no blaster now. There was little she could do other than try to open the door in lightspeed.

Other than, obviously, kill herself. Or make sure serious harm was inflicted upon her. The hopelessness killed her desire to comment, to laugh, to fight. What point? She couldn’t resist the Force. And she wasn’t going to escape it now. There was no hope of returning to the Exigency. To the Resistance. No hope of keeping Nyx out of her head.

Her anger faded. Her amusement.

Thenn noticed it, attuned as she was to trying to be aware, and felt the sudden shift of all of Reveille’s emotions seeming to just…go. Reveille hadn’t lost consciousness, but there was an unsettling emptiness all the same, as Reveille lowered her hand and stared down.

Breathing, just to breathe.

~***~

Lavinia began to speak, elaborating on the droids. They were clean, but wouldn’t blend in with those in the Uppercity. He intended to double-check with Borran and Tanis on that; he felt they knew things better than Lavinia. They’d been here more often, more recently, than she had, after all.

He didn’t say that, however. If he needed a budget for paint, or if he needed to steal paint, then he would.

He took the datapad when it was offered to observe the programming and note details. He was aware, of course, that most mouse droids weren’t programmed to be noisy. They could pick up and record information while they cleaned, but their cleaning program overrode other commands, as did delivery commands. “They actually are able to do it,” Hux noted, “Their other programming overrides their ability to stay and record conversation, but I’ve picked up enough from First Order mouse droids that didn’t have such programming to stay and listen.”

Some had that programming. Some didn’t. Reveille had been in charge of such things.

“I would suggest adjusting the prioritization, and adding keywords that will make them stay in an area to record conversation, regardless of other commands.”

 

[cleopat]

Kylo didn’t comment further on Thenn’s naivete. He would allow her to believe what she wanted to believe. If Nyx had any mercy, she would keep the child far away while doling out Kylo’s punishment, and doing...whatever she wanted to with Reveille.

Who was now quiet. Too much. He would’ve ignored it, but the silence was deafening. He couldn’t feel anything. It was as if she died, but she wasn’t. She was still there, but at the same time, she wasn’t there.

There was the stab of guilt. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to bring her to Nyx, even at some veiled attempt at saving himself from her wrath. Would it even work? There was that chance it wouldn’t.

And if it did, Reveille would suffer. I’m so sorry. I don’t want this. He wanted to scream that. At her. At himself. At Nyx.

But would anyone believe him? He didn’t even believe himself.

~~

Lavinia nodded at the suggestions Hux offered. “I’ve already adjusted some of their prioritization, but it could still use some word. And I’ve considered the keywords and already compiled a list, which you can find at the bottom of my notes.”

Again, she motioned to her datapad, and she would let him read through the notes as she took mental ones of his suggestions and filed them away for later. They were simple enough to remember.

“I’ve already programmed the mouse droids we’ll send to the Uppercity. Any adjustments to their coding shouldn’t take long, but there’s still the matter of their appearance, as they won’t blend in to what the mouse droids up there look like.” Which she recalled being shiny and new. And that has likely not changed much, aside from an extra feature, or even shinier coat, just so they could show off their new toys.

 

[Lucyfer]

The silence was unsettling.

The lack of feeling was unsettling, and remained so to Thenn that she was quiet. Nervous. The silence hung heavy as they reached the Core, and were granted passage onto the Finalizer, where Nyx was staying.

That ship, at least, contained more emotions and feelings that weren’t entirely negative, but Thenn remained nervous as their ship was docked, and she reached for Kylo’s hand. “It’ll be okay…Nyx will see.” But her own tone was hesitant.

And there was no laughter from Reveille this time. No bitter amusement with the way they’d deluded themselves – or were trying to delude themselves.

~***~

Armitage scrolled to the list and took a glance at the keywords. None of them seemed out of place, or useless. However, he opted to add a couple, notably ‘First Order’ and ‘Resistance’. It may not be their current concern, but it could easily become that, and none of them should forget that in the midst of this situation.

Hadn’t Lavinia already accused him of not being mindful of the larger picture?

He wouldn’t mention that. “I understand your concern with their appearance. I need to review our budget and consider what is most popular in the Uppercity with those who have been there most recently,” scouts, and he still planned to speak with Borran and Tanis. “For the moment, you will have to wait on that, but once I have gone over the details, I will let you know what we can do about the paint jobs.”

He would offer the datapad back to Lavinia with that.

 

[cleopat]

The silence weigh heavily on Kylo, and it did nothing for his nerves as they arrived back at the ship. It almost felt like he was marching to his own execution. Nyx wouldn’t kill him though. Not yet. But he knew she had no qualms in marking him. Making his mistake hurt.

Kylo took Thenn’s hand and squeezed it gently. “She will,” he assured. It was a lie, though, this he knew.

He escorted Reveille off the ship, and in the hangar, Nyx waited for them. The emotions he felt didn’t ease any tension. He hesitated to speak first. Would it hurt him?

“I have brought back someone of the Resistance.” Even without Nyx there, that still felt odd for him to say. That Reveille worked with the Resistance. And he was back in the First Order.

All of it felt weird.

~~

Lavinia noted that Armitage added a few things to her notes. Probably more keywords. She did say that she felt the list was incomplete, and someone else’s perspective would be helpful.

“Of course.” The concern over ensuring what would be the most popular within the Uppercity was appropriate, given the price of paint. If they ended up painting the droids the wrong color, then that would be a very costly mistake with them.

She took the datapad back from Armitage, and tucked it away for now. She would have to review the notes and make her edits to the droids’ programming. “Will that be it?” Again, the habit of adding sir almost escaped her lips, but she stopped herself.

Lightly tugging on her bottom lip, Lavinia wished he would have something else to offer, another excuse to stay even just a few minutes longer, but she knew her odds. And she would leave with Karn if there was nothing else.

 

[Lucyfer]

Nyx waited in the hangar, with Zeme’lodi’csapla at her side. The hangar was far from empty, even if there was no reason to expect much trouble. Without a word, without a gesture, Zeme’lodi’csapla stepped forward when Kylo began to leave the ship. Thenn no longer held his hand, letting him lead Reveille out.

Zeme’lodi’csapla made a gesture, and Thenn rushed over to her, taking her hand. A glance to Nyx, and Zeme’lodi’csapla opted to take Thenn off from the area.

Just in case.

She knew Nyx was not happy, even if she appeared outwardly calm.

And Nyx wasn’t happy. Not at all. Kylo Ren had defied her, even as he presented Reveille Hux, who hardly seemed herself, with pink hair and a deadened gaze. It was a look familiar enough to Nyx. It wouldn’t take much to kill Reveille; she’d already given up. Like so many others, she’d just let go.

That would make interrogation difficult, if they couldn’t bring her back around to fighting.

Kylo spoke. He made his offering, and Nyx did look to Reveille. Unbound. “So you have,” she agreed, her eyes slipping back to Kylo Ren.

She considered dragging him to his knees with chains of fire.

He needed to learn, and yet some small voice at the back of her head warned her against it. “I understand now why you had to,” calmly, “And I apologize for forgetting your vision. Forgetting the necessity of promised closure, here.” No, she would not win this with violence or forcing Kylo into his place. She would win this by other means, and make sure she didn’t slip and lose him to the woman who only seemed dead.

That was the risk of all visions. It showed a threat to their current way. A fork in their path.

~***~

Armitage did consider if there was anything else at the moment. He couldn’t think of it. The work was being done. Karn was likely dead weight, but he was useful to watch over Lavinia. For now, that would suffice. Armitage’s trust was far from restored, but he still felt some small joy in seeing work progress.

In hoping it was progressing.

‘She wants to help Taris. There’s little reason to doubt.’

“No,” he finally answered, “That will be all for now, but expect to hear from me before the day is over. I should have an answer on the paint, and possible keyword or note additions,” he answered.

“Sweet, so…?”

“Add the keywords to the droids, and update the programming, for now.” Though Armitage spoke to both, it was clearly only to one. Karn sighed. He was going to be bored. No matter.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo released a deep breath when he saw Thenn run towards Discord, who immediately took her somewhere safer. Good. He didn’t want her to see anything that may happen, or somehow get caught in the middle of everything.

He didn’t want her to get injured accidentally. Or worse.

And with the deadly calm with which Nyx stared at him, he wondered, what exactly would she do. Kylo knew not to underestimate her rage. He’s felt it before.

Forgetting the necessity of promised closure. He furrowed his brows at her words, yet unease rested heavily in his stomach. He knew the potential implications of those words, but he hoped he was wrong.

“What do you mean?” Kylo dared to ask, fearing the answer.

~~

Lavinia knew Armitage wouldn’t find a reason to keep her around, and yet the dismissal disappointed her all the same. She wouldn’t show that disappointment. Instead, she gave a weak smile and a light inclination of her head.

“Of course.” Once given the orders to update the droids with their most recent notes, she turned and walked out of his office. On the other side of the door, out of view of Armitage, she released a deep sigh she didn’t realize she was holding.

Lavinia assumed Karn followed behind her. “That went well,” she commented. And it did. He listened to her, she to him, and there was an exchange of ideas for better the droids. And now she had more to do.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo was afraid. That was not surprising. Given what they’d been through recently, and what he’d had to do with Han, it was expected he would be afraid, but Nyx stepped forward and lifted a hand to touch his cheek. “Do not be so afraid, Kylo.” And she noted that Reveille’s gaze followed her, followed the act.

No anger. No heat. No emotion, but awareness that wasn’t there before. She recognized something in this.

“That Reveille has come here is by the will of the Force,” that could hardly be argued, given her presence in the vision. She was necessary, a stepping stone on Kylo’s path, “There is a history that needs to be addressed, and an understanding that needs to occur between you two. Whether she realizes that she is on the wrong path and joins us,” a false hope offered, “or whether you learn and grow beyond her, is yet to be seen.”

Nyx would draw her hand away, “You will see her to a cell. And you will get the information that we need, before you figure out what it is you need, however.” Nyx stated.

~***~

Karn followed right behind, having no reason to stay and bother Hux further. He knew he was on thin ice. The only reason he wasn’t outright killed was that, well, Hux didn’t quite have that authority any longer. He wasn’t a despot.

And so, Karn chuckled at Lavinia’s comment, “Seemed normal to me,” which, he supposed, was probably good for Lavinia.

He didn’t think things had been well at all for her recently. Certainly not ‘normal’. “I told you, he’s pragmatic. He wants to get things done and win, so he’s gonna listen.” And Karn had tried, in his own weird way, to see it happen. By being his usual pest. He could have told Hux that Lavinia did some droid programming and left it at that.

Maybe Hux would have even allowed just that and told them to carry on to avoid having to speak to her.

But, this way, he had to address it.


Meanwhile, Hux waited until they were both gone, before he would step out of his own office, and speak briefly to the guard. He requested Borran and Tanis be alerted to his desire to speak with them, as soon as possible. He hadn't taken down Borran or Tanis's contact information just yet, so he couldn't summon them on a whim with a datapad. But others had it.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo nearly melted into the touch, and he readily accepted what Nyx said to him. He shouldn’t be so afraid. She was only looking out for him and what was best, right? “Of course.” A near whisper.

His full attention continued on Nyx, as long as her hand remained on his cheek. He soaked in every word, momentarily forgetting that he had been petrified to return for fear of her anger and rage.

She took her hand away, and commanded for him to see her to a cell. He nodded. “Of course.” Even with all the nice words, Kylo still wouldn’t call her by the title she wrongfully claimed.

Kylo slowly backed away, before turning to Reveille. This felt all wrong. He would prefer to see hate in her eyes rather than nothing. “Let’s go,” he muttered, stepping behind her and ushering her forwards.

~~

Lavinia considered Karn. She knew how much of a pest he could be, but she could see how he tried. She didn’t know why. Maybe to simply annoying Armitage. But it still worked in her favor. “Thank you,” she said simply.

But now they had droids to work on some more.

“I take it Stabbity still doesn’t want to be worked on?” She only joked about the droid, knowing both the droid’s and Karn’s feelings about further modding of the droid.

She went ahead and took out her datapad, so she could peruse the adjustments Armitage made while they were walking, and so she could add in the extra notes he mentioned in their discussions.

~~

Borran and Tanis had been in the barracks still, discussing their immediate plans on Taris, and how they could get their ship back, when a guard approached them with the news Armitage Hux wanted to speak with them.

Exchanging a look, the two nodded and followed the guard to Hux’s office. Once there, the guard alerted Hux of their arrival, and after receiving approval, he would usher them in.

“What’cha need?” Tanis would be the first to speak, hands stuffed in the pockets of her jacket, as Borran attempted to appear a bit more professional with a more polite greeting.

Which, in this case, was just a slight nod of his head.

 

[Lucyfer]

It was only too easy for Reveille to recall how easily Kylo had melted at her own touch, once upon a time. Easy to imagine him melting in Rey’s hand, and even to consider he may have been so desperate that something so small as a headpat from Snoke would have carried him through days.

She mentioned none of it. She no longer cared enough to mention it, but Reveille was still aware of it.

There was no eye roll at Kylo’s suggestion to move. She turned, and walked, without resistance. She knew where plenty of the cell blocks were, though she suspected she’d be taken to one of those atrocious ones with the chairs. He was supposed to get information, after all.

She wouldn’t speak of it willingly. Wouldn’t give it willingly. Despite her silence, she assumed Kylo was aware enough of that. Perhaps, moreso.

~***~

Karn canted his head a moment at the gratitude that passed Lavinia’s lips. Not exactly something he was used to hearing. Not sincerely, anyways. So, he shrugged, looked ahead again, and laughed at the suggestion of Stabbity, “Nope. Stabbity remains the exception to this.”

Stabbity was leader of the droids by default of his modification and the weird understanding they had for Stabbity, but Stabbity wouldn’t share in these ventures for that own modification, and his temperament. His utter refusal to be further modded.

“So how long do you think it’s gonna take you to do all the mods to the droids that he suggested?” Karn asked, leading them back to the warehouse. He’d have Stabbity call for all the droids to come receive their new programming.

He might not like it, but he would move forward.

It was for the ‘greater good’, after all.

~***~

Armitage was better prepared for an interruption, so he didn’t begin any projects when Borran and Tanis were sent for. It didn’t take too long for them to arrive, either, and he gave a nod to the duo. He was quietly glad that Kos’tel’lanni had not come. He might wish to see her, later, but not soon.

He knew she’d be useful, though.

“A question about more modern Uppercity droids,” Armitage explained, “The current droids we have here are not up to their standards, but we want to give the illusion that they are, as mouse droids tend to get barely a glance as it is. What color would be best to paint mouse droids to blend in with those of the Uppercity?”

There was no point in mincing words over niceties or inquiries he didn’t care about, like how they were, or what they were thinking.

He only needed to know about the droids.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo was aware of their cells with the interrogation chairs in them. He initially contemplated on taking her to one of them, but a voice in the back of his head suggested otherwise. To bring her to a normal cell. An interrogation chair would do little, not when Reveille was acting like that.

The approached the cell block, and Kylo directed her into a cell with very little. A place for the prisoner to sit, but no distinguishing interrogation chair.

Once inside, he closed the door behind them. Both were there, alone, and Kylo didn’t know how to begin. He had to get information they needed from her. Nyx demanded it, before Kylo did anything else he needed to with her.

He still wasn’t quite sure what that meant.

~~

Lavinia smirked. She knew Stabbity would stay out of this, but it was fun to tease about modifying that droid. She was certain Stabbity was going to stab her in the middle of the night one night soon, but that would be something she would deal with then.

With his next question, she shrugged. “Dunno. Shouldn’t be as long as the first time around, since I’m just updating a few things. Maybe an hour. Two hours, but not that long.”

Not as long as the previous day, at least. She was aware Karn would get bored, babysitting her.

“I would like to get that paint soon, though, so we can send one up on a test drive.” And see if her work would actually make a difference.

~~

At the question of the droids, Tanis looked over at Borran. Neither one would be able to answer in a way Armitage may want.

“Well, we’ve personally have never been up there, so we only know through what we’ve heard, which is that the common preference is chrome paint.” Borran offered his answer, to the best he could deliver.

Tanis offered her own opinion, “I’ve heard that black ones can also be seen as well, but like...that shiny black.” She scrunched her face as she attempted to find the right word for the color, but ultimately shrugged her shoulders.

In the past, they would’ve received their information from Lavinia, who had actually seen the droids in the Uppercity, but unfortunately for them, that has been several years ago. Their current information was only about the ongoings of the Lowercity.

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille stepped into the cell, and went to the chair. She took a seat, and lifted her gaze to Kylo as he seemed to hesitate. He didn’t ask any questions, anyways. He didn’t reach out to pry into her head. His confidence from the ship wasn’t there.

Perhaps Nyx had quelled his need for that front with her gentle lie.

‘Vision.’ She recalled Nyx mentioning that, and her being some part of a grand scheme for Kylo’s life.

Reveille didn’t believe much of that nonsense right then. To what end? It was clear she wasn’t going to get to kill him. Clear where this path went, to her. There was no rescue at this point, and she knew she couldn’t overpower this many Force sensitives. She couldn’t get out of these cells without being killed. “Well? Are you going to get on with it? I’d like to have time for a nap after the headache of the mind fucking.” It wasn’t said with venom, just…exhaustion.

~***~

An hour or two wasn’t that long. So long as Stabbity could get the droids to the area, it would be quick, then. “Well, I don’t think Hux intends to delay any longer than necessary with that, either,” Karn said as they came into the warehouse, and Stabbity immediately hurried over, beeping at them. “What? I never said I’d come here immediately. I had to go get her. She’s doing some more programming stuff.”

Demands for information.

“She’s making the droids better at spying. You know. What you can’t do.”

Indignant beeping. Stabbity could absolutely spy!

“Uh huh, sure, because that knife is so discreet. Anyway, can you go get the other droids so they can be, uh, closer in skill to yourself at this spying thing?”

Stabbity was huffy, but the droid moved on to do just that.

~***~

The pair didn’t seem to know much, which was disappointing. Not entirely unexpected, but still disappointing. Hux nodded. They at least mentioned similar colors to Lavinia. That was a start, “If I offered a line of credit, would you be able to go and acquire paint, or are your faces too notorious?”

He honestly didn’t know.

If they were, he supposed he’d have to cave and ask Kos’tel’lanni to do it. She had no reputation here at all, except that she wasn’t human. And she didn’t know the color of the droids. They’d have to be very specific with their instructions, if they had to send Kos’tel’lanni to get the paint.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo’s dark gaze followed Reveille as she took her seat. She didn’t fight, she didn’t attack. In a way, Kylo was disappointed at the lack of spitfire, but he had sensed this difference in her back on the ship.

It wasn’t right. None of this felt right.

He stood a few paces in front of her, next to the opposite wall. He crouched down to see her better, no expression marring his face. Even as Reveille did speak.

His head cocked. “Why don’t you just tell me what we want to know? Make it easier on both of us.” Kylo bit back the desperation that leaked in his tone. As if he wanted to get what Nyx desired. As if he didn’t want reason to hurt Reveille.

~~

Lavinia looked at Stabbity as it hurried over to them, and she quirked an eyebrow in amusement at its beeping. At least the droid and Karn would be entertaining for however long she spent with them.

Stabbity wheeled away to fetch the other droids, and Lavinia shot an amused glance towards Karn. “Stabbity certainly has an interesting personality.”

She moved over to the station she took up last time, drawing out his datapad to bring back up the notes from the meeting. “I would certainly love to see Stabbity deal with the elite,” she mused.

~~

Borran and Tanis exchanged a glance, and then looked back at Armitage with a shrug. “I guess it depends on where we go for paint, but the risks may be too high,” Borran answered.

Tanis nodded as he spoke. “Many in the Lowercity certainly know us, or know of us, and I do know for a fact some in the Middle and Upper cities know our faces, though not many. But the risks may not be worth it for paint.”

“’Tel or Lav may be better to ask in this case,” Borran suggested. Neither one knew what Lavinia was up to with the droids. They figured she was attempting to try and find some way to get their ship back without notifying them.

 

[Lucyfer]

Another Reveille would have mocked Kylo for that desperation oozing out of his voice. Or laughed. Or prodded at it.

As it was, she did none of those things, just kept her gaze on him as his head canted, and he asked for the information. As if he wouldn’t enjoy tearing it from her mind. She didn’t scoff, though. No act of disbelief followed his request, just a simple answer. “No.”

She wasn’t willing to fight him, and perhaps she understood the futility of it, because her head did drop, her gaze shifting back to the floor. “It’s pointless,” she knew it was, “but I won’t willingly give up what I know.” She wouldn’t be a willing traitor to the cause she’d chosen.

Perhaps they’d been her enemies once.

Perhaps the First Order had been her home, once.

But it wasn’t any longer. Things had changed.

~***~

“I can tell you exactly how it’d go. Stabbity would stab one of them in the leg. They’d kick him. He’d roll over and that’d be the end of it. Well, you know, minus his constant beeping and the sound of his wheels turning pointlessly in the air.”

Karn didn’t think Stabbity was any better at getting himself righted than the standard mouse droid. “I don’t think anyone would really be inclined to help him up since he’d just, you know, stab again.”

It was probably a good thing Stabbity hadn’t decided to be Flamey.

Soon enough, other droids would begin to arrive.

~***~

At least they didn’t try to say otherwise, and instead confirmed the situation. He would at least be able to respect their honesty in that regard. He didn’t like the idea of using ‘Tel for it, but Lavinia was busy at the moment, and he’d rather have the paint delivered to her, instead of sending her to get it. “Very well. I no longer have Kos’tel’lanni’s contact information. Send her to me.”

It wasn’t a request.

He didn’t think they’d argue with him over it; they wanted to help Taris, and he had a plan with the droids, even if he wasn’t telling them much about it. He figured they may be able to understand enough that he was working to get more mouse droids into the Uppercity as spies, that they’d leave off on questions and help.