Cadence Faraday did not have too many missions off-ship, unless it was something on Starkiller base. Her life revolved around ships, so there was little need to leave them, particularly given the fact the First Order wasn’t exactly welcome in the galaxy. The trip to Jakku upon the Finalizer was to be one of her first planet-side missions, and even then, her involvement was limited.
Fly the transport shuttle to the settlement that Lor San Tekka had been identified at, and then stay back. ‘Good enough orders.’ Given Commander Kylo Ren would be more than capable of taking care of things. He could have piloted the ship himself, but he wanted to make an entrance and step right on down from the ramp as the ship was settling.
Admiral Faraday was doing her best not to consider the fact that Kylo Ren was back there, but it was hard. Even without the Force, his presence could be felt, drowning any area he was in with fear. His appearance alone did that, but Faraday was certain the rest was the Force, and that he was projecting that sensation of dread, outwards. True or not, it remained her theory.
After all, Snoke seemed just as capable, even when he was only a hologram. Not even Phasma could project quite like that, although her chromium visage was frightful to many.
She kept her attention forward, on Jakku. The desert planet meant little to anyone, but to Cadence, it was almost a homecoming.
Here, truly, was where the First Order began. The infamous Battle of Jakku had sent destroyers to the sands, and scattered the Imperial remnants to Wild Space, to become the First Order. Rae Sloane had spoken of it, as did plenty of other surviving officers of that time. Even Armitage Hux had seen bits of it, though he’d been far too young to have contributed to it.
‘It looks dead.’ That was Cadence’s first impression of the planet as she began to descend into the atmosphere of it. Likely, all desert planets looked dead, but seeing the destroyers dotting the landscape of the planet didn’t help with her perception of it. They seemed like giant grave markers to her. ‘What did we want with Jakku?’ Was it simply that it was out of the way?
That couldn’t be right. Why would Lor San Tekka be here, if it didn’t have something to do with the Force? Why was Luke Skywalker’s information here, on Jakku? ‘There’s more to it.’ More than she’d ever be told, of course. She didn’t have the Force. She didn’t get to know these things.
“You’re right.”
Cadence nearly jolted out of her seat as the heavily modulated voice spoke out behind her, gray eyes widening in shock she couldn’t keep down. She didn’t, but her grip on the controls tightened, and she forced herself not to look back at Kylo Ren – it wouldn’t help her. She’d just be staring at a mask; she had no idea how he looked beneath it, and quite honestly, didn’t want to know.
He had somehow managed to step into the cockpit without her awareness. And tapped into her thoughts. The surface ones, anyways. She tried to stop the flow of them about her immediate dislike of his violation of the sanctity of her mind, and spoke, “About Jakku?”
Kylo’s gaze held the horizon, and the approaching village. He was silent for a few seconds, “Yes,” was his final word on the matter, with no elaboration, before he turned away from the cockpit.
The tall man walked back to his position before the ramp of the transport shuttle. He felt something out there that called to him in a familiar way. He knew it was not Lor San Tekka, though he could feel the man’s presence when he focused on the life ahead. There was something more in the Force.
Familiar.
‘Not Luke.’ No, Luke Skywalker wasn’t there, but Kylo Ren could not pen it down. His dark eyes were hardened into a glare ahead at the door, the mask obscuring any indication of his disturbance, although it wouldn’t have mattered much. His own face had long been foreign to him, his ability to emote slowly worn away with anger and frustration overriding everything else.
A single fist clenched at his side.
He could feel the fear, out there, as they approached. The villagers knew what this meant, even if they’d never met the First Order before now. They understood the vessel had no friendly intent. ‘Good.’ They were fools for harboring Luke Skywalker’s secret, fools for harboring Lor San Tekka. Now, they would pay for that.
The shuttle came to an easy enough landing, and the ramp fell to the sandy ground, door opening wide to let Kylo Ren out, his black form drawing immediate attention – and fear – from those who had dared to stand around and wait to see what was in the ship.
He was followed by the FN Corps and Phasma herself. Those who had stood waiting, began to run.“Your command?” Phasma’s own modulated voice reached him as he looked over the field, noting the X-Wing that was present.
‘They were here first.’ Not a good sign.
“Gather everyone up,” Kylo ordered, “Kill any who resist.”
The Stormtrooper Captain nodded, and relayed the order to the FN-Corps, directing them to gather the villagers – and kill anyone who resisted. “This includes droids and animals,” Phasma clarified, though Kylo Ren barely heard her.
He was trying to find the source of that familiarity which distracted him from joining the fray and dragging Lor San Tekka out from whatever hidey-hole he may have found in the village. ‘Where are you?’ He started to walk forwards, ignoring the screams and cries of supposed innocents as they were caught by Troopers or directed towards the village center.
Ignoring Phasma’s comment to the Admiral – a suggestion to stay in the ship – that the Admiral clearly ignored, stepping out and overlooking the situation. Near the ship, of course – but out of it all the same, and pushing back red hair that she hadn’t done up to make sure it didn’t obscure her vision.
‘Poe Dameron?’ Kylo sensed him there, before the other sensation in the Force registered, the familiarity hitting him the same as Poe – both known from younger years. From another name.
‘Skye Ruana?’ His attention shifted immediately in the direction he thought that he sensed her.
Fly the transport shuttle to the settlement that Lor San Tekka had been identified at, and then stay back. ‘Good enough orders.’ Given Commander Kylo Ren would be more than capable of taking care of things. He could have piloted the ship himself, but he wanted to make an entrance and step right on down from the ramp as the ship was settling.
Admiral Faraday was doing her best not to consider the fact that Kylo Ren was back there, but it was hard. Even without the Force, his presence could be felt, drowning any area he was in with fear. His appearance alone did that, but Faraday was certain the rest was the Force, and that he was projecting that sensation of dread, outwards. True or not, it remained her theory.
After all, Snoke seemed just as capable, even when he was only a hologram. Not even Phasma could project quite like that, although her chromium visage was frightful to many.
She kept her attention forward, on Jakku. The desert planet meant little to anyone, but to Cadence, it was almost a homecoming.
Here, truly, was where the First Order began. The infamous Battle of Jakku had sent destroyers to the sands, and scattered the Imperial remnants to Wild Space, to become the First Order. Rae Sloane had spoken of it, as did plenty of other surviving officers of that time. Even Armitage Hux had seen bits of it, though he’d been far too young to have contributed to it.
‘It looks dead.’ That was Cadence’s first impression of the planet as she began to descend into the atmosphere of it. Likely, all desert planets looked dead, but seeing the destroyers dotting the landscape of the planet didn’t help with her perception of it. They seemed like giant grave markers to her. ‘What did we want with Jakku?’ Was it simply that it was out of the way?
That couldn’t be right. Why would Lor San Tekka be here, if it didn’t have something to do with the Force? Why was Luke Skywalker’s information here, on Jakku? ‘There’s more to it.’ More than she’d ever be told, of course. She didn’t have the Force. She didn’t get to know these things.
“You’re right.”
Cadence nearly jolted out of her seat as the heavily modulated voice spoke out behind her, gray eyes widening in shock she couldn’t keep down. She didn’t, but her grip on the controls tightened, and she forced herself not to look back at Kylo Ren – it wouldn’t help her. She’d just be staring at a mask; she had no idea how he looked beneath it, and quite honestly, didn’t want to know.
He had somehow managed to step into the cockpit without her awareness. And tapped into her thoughts. The surface ones, anyways. She tried to stop the flow of them about her immediate dislike of his violation of the sanctity of her mind, and spoke, “About Jakku?”
Kylo’s gaze held the horizon, and the approaching village. He was silent for a few seconds, “Yes,” was his final word on the matter, with no elaboration, before he turned away from the cockpit.
The tall man walked back to his position before the ramp of the transport shuttle. He felt something out there that called to him in a familiar way. He knew it was not Lor San Tekka, though he could feel the man’s presence when he focused on the life ahead. There was something more in the Force.
Familiar.
‘Not Luke.’ No, Luke Skywalker wasn’t there, but Kylo Ren could not pen it down. His dark eyes were hardened into a glare ahead at the door, the mask obscuring any indication of his disturbance, although it wouldn’t have mattered much. His own face had long been foreign to him, his ability to emote slowly worn away with anger and frustration overriding everything else.
A single fist clenched at his side.
He could feel the fear, out there, as they approached. The villagers knew what this meant, even if they’d never met the First Order before now. They understood the vessel had no friendly intent. ‘Good.’ They were fools for harboring Luke Skywalker’s secret, fools for harboring Lor San Tekka. Now, they would pay for that.
The shuttle came to an easy enough landing, and the ramp fell to the sandy ground, door opening wide to let Kylo Ren out, his black form drawing immediate attention – and fear – from those who had dared to stand around and wait to see what was in the ship.
He was followed by the FN Corps and Phasma herself. Those who had stood waiting, began to run.“Your command?” Phasma’s own modulated voice reached him as he looked over the field, noting the X-Wing that was present.
‘They were here first.’ Not a good sign.
“Gather everyone up,” Kylo ordered, “Kill any who resist.”
The Stormtrooper Captain nodded, and relayed the order to the FN-Corps, directing them to gather the villagers – and kill anyone who resisted. “This includes droids and animals,” Phasma clarified, though Kylo Ren barely heard her.
He was trying to find the source of that familiarity which distracted him from joining the fray and dragging Lor San Tekka out from whatever hidey-hole he may have found in the village. ‘Where are you?’ He started to walk forwards, ignoring the screams and cries of supposed innocents as they were caught by Troopers or directed towards the village center.
Ignoring Phasma’s comment to the Admiral – a suggestion to stay in the ship – that the Admiral clearly ignored, stepping out and overlooking the situation. Near the ship, of course – but out of it all the same, and pushing back red hair that she hadn’t done up to make sure it didn’t obscure her vision.
‘Poe Dameron?’ Kylo sensed him there, before the other sensation in the Force registered, the familiarity hitting him the same as Poe – both known from younger years. From another name.
‘Skye Ruana?’ His attention shifted immediately in the direction he thought that he sensed her.