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Kylo wasn’t so sure they would actually know what to do when they got there, but he would, for the moment, try to believe that. At least they had a plan, and at least they would try. Still, his gaze jolted from the table gathering, to slip down to where Paquin’s hand was as felt the contact.

He missed Gnaeus’s amused smirk. Probably a good thing.

It wasn’t as if anyone could see, protected by the table and their own positioning, but it still felt odd to Kylo. Strangely forbidden. He was more than willing to make contact with someone in public via punching them, but a simple, comforting gesture? Unspeakable.

He liked it, but also found his mind going right into a moment of panic – which was only intensified when the comm on his arm – the arm Paquin had touched – went off. He jolted and pulled it up, eyes widening as he saw it was Snoke.

He set his arm on the table, and answered the call, with all of them able to see. And Snoke, on his side, able to see all of them. Gnaeus quickly swallowed what bit of drink he had and hoped his glass was out of sight of the holos on Snoke’s side.

“Supreme Leader,” Kylo greeted, hoping some of his anxiety was hidden.

“Kylo,” there was a bored drawl in Snoke’s tone, and he ignored the others, for the moment, “Brendol Hux has acquired the General of the First Order. Verify your location, and then stay there.”

Looked like the party was almost over.

“The Rings of Kafrene,” as Snoke had wanted, “currently in a cantina, uh,” he had definitely forgotten the name. Or the hangar. Or any useful information in the moment.

~***~

Finn understood.

He listened, and he understood, and Mira was nearly elated by that simple fact and how he didn’t try to walk it back or insist on something else, or something other. Of course, that elation wouldn’t show through or break the calm she had grasped at again. Still, she smiled as he spoke against the unfairness of it, of how that wasn’t any way to live.

“I know.”

But she had no other way to be, unless she wanted to exist as a cyclone, the Force tearing things down around her. So, she had to live this way. Constantly calm, constantly controlled. “At this point I’m not even sure how I’d live if I could…well, live normally.” She almost laughed at the thought.

Still, what she wouldn’t give to do that – and that Void stone gave her hints of it. The suggestion of its possibility, and how terribly nice it was.

“But…I wouldn’t mind figuring it out.” She wouldn’t mind another fate, as Finn suggested, and she wouldn’t turn him away from considering how. Kevan had done so. Kylo had done so. Finn, being new to the Force, being as empathetic as he was, might figure something out where they failed.

Even if he didn’t, Mira could hardly fault him for failure. No one she knew had succeeded. “For now though, this is my life. This is how I understand the Force.” Perhaps it would also give insight into how she taught it, and why she taught it that way. Why she likely had a heavier insistence on meditation and focus than, strictly speaking, Finn might need.

~***~

Terex was exasperating, but he was useful, and he understood where to be in all of this. Brendol just gave a grunt of approval as Terex promised to get a message out to Snoke, and he idly listened to the recording as he zipped through the Coruscant skies, dipping lower to appear to be with the normal traffic all the way back to the hangar where his ship was.

By then, of course, Terex’s message would be complete, and a response would be returned.

Thankfully, Snoke seemed inclined to send a recording as well, rather than try to insist on a face-to-face. He probably didn’t like Terex anymore than…well, Tarkin.

The message would be simple – the location of Kylo Ren on the Rings of Kafrene. A cantina, of all places.
 
It wasn’t like Paquin hadn’t touched Kylo before. Especially his arm, she’d given him plenty of supportive or inquiring pats and touches. But, she supposed there was a difference now. It wasn’t simply a touch. Technically...well, it probably wasn’t allowed anymore. Considering the escalation of their relationship.

She tried to comfort him, anyway, through the palpable panic rising in him. Only, she jumped alongside him, startled more by his movement than the comm going off. Blood rushed to her face as her hand settled back on her lap. Her heart beat faster and she wondered if it was because she anticipated who was contacting Kylo before he answered it.

Would Snoke be able to tell? Would he be able to pick up on their anxiety?

Probably, if he hadn’t been primarily focused on Kylo, it seemed. It gave Paquin a chance to take a deep breath and calm herself from the momentary excitement. And for Ariel to push aside her shot glass. She wasn’t terribly concerned about Snoke seeing it, he knew what she was. But it was an attempt to show some sort of respect, she supposed.

Paquin could have cringed. She didn’t, but she could have. If that was how Kylo handled nerves or whatever he was feeling in front of Snoke...well, maybe they wouldn’t know what to do when it came time to tell Snoke about them.

“Thand Spaceport Cantina,” Ariel offered the only bit of information she knew. The logo was printed on the glasses they drank out of, after all. But she wouldn't fault Kylo for overlooking it.

“By the east hangar, I believe.” Paquin remembered from her trek back to the ship, which she tried not to focus on. She nearly whispered it, having trouble speaking up in front of Snoke, knowing her own 'crimes'. She didn’t think it was something Snoke would notice as uncharacteristic or suspicious, at least. He didn't know her well enough. That's what she told herself, anyway. ‘You’re overthinking, relax.’

-

Finn was most definitely going to seek out an answer. Or something to help. His resources were limited, but...he’d try. And he wouldn’t tell Mira about it, he didn’t want to get her hopes up only for him to come up with nothing. Maybe if he had a strong lead he’d bring it to her attention. Though, Mira probably already suspected his thought process. But until whether or not he uncovered anything...she had to live the way she had been this whole time.

He understood why she had to keep her emotions under control. He’d like to know more about how, but he figured he’d learn that. It would likely influence how she taught him to utilize the Force. But of course, a spare room at a party in the Tarkin’s apartment wasn’t a place to learn about any of that.

“Maybe that would be a good lesson, one of these days. I’d like to know what you do to keep calm. If you wanted, that is,” he wouldn’t pressure her into sharing anything that was personal to her. But she must have good control. Well, not good. But efficient enough to suit her needs. He wanted to know how she did it.

And maybe, just maybe, knowing more could help him figure out to help her. Having an understanding of how her mind worked beyond what caused her to repress her feelings.

Finn stood, straightening out his suit. “If you ask me, I think if there’s any time or place to learn, to grow...you’re there. Leaving the Knights, Snoke...this whole Grey Jedi endeavor, and you’re an Admiral,” which Finn knew she didn’t quite have the experience for, but he had no doubt she could master her position. Even if it was for the Order… “I think you’re onto something.” His smile was bright, encouraging. As hopeful as he was, and he hoped she felt it.

As he reached out and gave her arm a gentle squeeze, he hoped she knew she had a friend in him, too. “You ready to rejoin that mess? I’m sure Hux wouldn’t mind sharing all the attention out there," he teased.
 
Snoke wasn’t surprised that Kylo overlooked the detail of a cantina. Ariel was able to provide it easily enough, which was expected. It may have even been her idea. Right now, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that he had a location to tell Brendol Hux. “Expect them within the hour.” Coruscant wasn’t far from the Ring of Kafrene. The Rimma Trade Route would bring them there quick enough.

Kylo nodded. “We’ll be ready for them,” he answered, a bit hasty.

Snoke didn’t make much of it right then, but he did note that. “You had better be.” And with that, Snoke blinked out of existence.

Kylo leaned back into the seat, knowing he had not done that as well as he could have. And that was a simple matter. Snoke’s message just came as a surprise, even if they were all waiting on it.

“Do you think we’ll really have any trouble?” Gnaeus asked.

Kylo shook his head, “Doubt it.” If Brendol made it to a ship, they shouldn’t have any trouble. It was only if he didn’t, or if he was followed, which Kylo expected Snoke would have mentioned. “Still…no more alcohol.” He looked to Ariel as he said that. “Just in case.”

~***~

Mira had no qualms with the thought of sharing her calming lessons with Finn, and shook her head as he seemed to suggest she might not want to. “It’s no problem. It’s honestly useful in combat situations – even for someone like you.” She said, “The better your focus and your control, the more likely you are to recognize the next actions of your opponent, or throw them off.”

Of course, for her it extended into life, but she knew how bad it could be when she ended up fighting with herself in combat. Kylo always tried to convince her to let go, but that never seemed to make things any easier. At least, not when she had allies to consider.

A few times in Wild Space, with no allies, she’d seen the devastation she could wreak. ‘Monster.’ An apt name in those situations.

She beamed under his praise, of her in all the right places – of the potential, still being there. “Maybe so,” she allowed, and nodded, “I guess I can go back out there and socialize again,” she wasn’t enthused about it, but she had herself together again. She would mingle, do her duty as Admiral and Gray Jedi, and make sure people didn’t go out and support Snoke.

Or Luke.

“But you come save me if I look too annoyed by anyone out there, all right?” She joked as she started to walk to the door to return to the chaos, “Mostly the Mottis,” though she thought she made some peace with them. At least, a little.
 
Paquin hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath, not until she released a sigh when Snoke disappeared from sight. “Oh stars...,” telling him was not going to go well, was it? Not with the way Kylo blanked, not with Paquin being...well, herself. Maybe it was just because the call was unexpected. Even though they were expecting it.

They’re best bet really was getting Snoke in a decent mood with the delivery of Hux. So, yeah, she hoped it would go as trouble free as Kylo thought it would. "Wow, you guys should work on that," Ariel teased, only to be frowned at by Paquin.

And then it was Ariel's turn to frown when Kylo looked at her when he mentioned not having anymore. “I’m an alcoholic in a cantina and you expect me not to drink? What else am I going to do while we wait?” Of course, she wasn’t going to order anything else. For the sake of them all, probably. Just in case. “Okay, no more drinks. But for the record, I am a functional alcoholic.”

No more drinks. After she finished the last shot.

And they wouldn’t have to wait all that long, anyway. Brendol was eager to hand off his son, before anyone had a chance to make things difficult for him. The trade route offered them an easy trip to Kafrene, filled with Terex talking way too much for Brendol’s liking and Brendol’s son sleeping away the mild tranquilizer.

Kafrene was an ugly little colony. Dirty, packed. Compacted like Coruscant but full of more people who simply didn’t care about scandalous going ons, unlike the core planet. ‘East hangar, Thand Spaceport Cantina,’ Brendol recalled the information handed over. ‘Classy.’

-

Finn felt accomplished, earning Mira’s gleam. Her jokes. It was nice to see. She was often serious, all business. He wondered how much of it was part of her emotional control and how much of it was simply the way she was. Not that there was anything wrong with it, Finn simply thought it was important to have fun, to smile. To let go, but he could imagine Mira had been told to let go before.

He followed her to the door, beaming at her, “I can’t save you from everyone you talk to,” he joked. “But I will save you from the Mottis.” He promised as he reached for the door handle, opening it for her. The Mottis...well, he knew they would be especially bad now. Didn’t like Mira to begin with and always insinuated she didn’t earn her position through her qualifications.

Which would technically be true, but not in the way anyone thought.

Either way, they’d run with it. “Maybe just avoid the Mottis altogether,” he suggested instead, but backtracked. “It won’t be that bad, thought. There’s some interesting people here. Maybe my mom can introduce you to some,” he was aware how childish that might’ve sounded but...well, now that he found his mom he would happily mention her every chance he got.

Just as Finn stepped into the hall, the guard who’d been standing post when Finn had wandered in to find Mira brushed past him. The guard paused, turned to them. “Is there anyone else in there with you? Have you seen anyone else? One with a bald head…” that one was a big deal. The allotted time the guard had given Terex lapsed, and then he was informed that Terex was actually a menace.

He probably wouldn’t be working as a guard again.
 
Kylo’s own frown and annoyed stare remained on Ariel as she protested his command. She was willing to go along with it, but clearly, not happily. He just stared until she gave her consent, then sighed. She was right – he needed to be better prepared for Snoke.

“Sure you are, Ariel….” Gnaeus sighed. He’d also stop drinking. In solidarity with Ariel.

Thankfully, it wasn’t that long that they had to stop before a message arrived that Brendol Hux was on the planet. Kylo frowned. “I don’t sense the General with him.” For that matter, he didn’t sense Brendol, but that didn’t surprise him. He wasn’t that acquainted with Hux’s father to be able to pick him out from the mess – but Hux?

He could pick him out.

Still, there was no point delaying. “Let’s go find them,” he rose. “Maybe they got lost….”

“How?”

Gnaeus wasn’t sure if it was a stupid question or not. He didn’t know how smart Brendol Hux was, but he followed Kylo out all the same.

Thankfully, the elder Hux hadn’t gotten lost, as they soon saw – but Kylo was still confused about why he couldn’t sense the General. “Where is your son?” He called out as he approached, seeing Brendol outside.

Brendol had planned to go find the Knights first, and ordered Terex to be prepared to bring his son once he had figured out where they were. It seemed that wouldn’t be necessary. “In my ship,” Brendol stated, “What, did you think I was going to drag him into a cantina?”

~***~

Mira knew she’d have to deal with most, and it really wasn’t as much of a hardship as she pretended it was. Not even the Mottis. Not really. “I appreciate that,” she stepped out as Finn opened the door, and nodded a bit as he suggested his mother could introduce her to people. “Maybe I will take you up on that.”

Ada didn’t seem like she’d slap Mira again anytime soon.

Though she still intended to keep a bit of a healthy distance, just in case. She may deserve to be hit once or twice more, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be.

As they left the area, however, they were halted by the guard. Mira’s brows rose. There was only one bald person she knew off-hand. Given this was Tarkin’s party, she also assumed he might be the only one in question, particularly in reference to her, given what she’d done for Terex’s rank. “No, there was no one else,” she answered. “Why? Was he looking for me?”

She supposed that was a possibility, even if she didn’t know why Terex would be looking for her. Of course, she didn’t have confirmation that he was, either.
 
Paquin didn’t think it would be hard to get lost here. All the people and lights could be confusing. Even if they’d given exactly where they were. But that wasn’t the case, as they met the man outside of the cantina. The air was hardly fresh, but it was better than the stuffy cantina. Ariel would have disagreed. She already missed the smell of alcohol...and sweat.

There were few people that Paquin worked with that she disliked. And it just so happened that two of them were delivering Hux, who she oddly hadn’t minded when she worked with the Order--though, she was still a little upset about essentially being fired and forced off of the ship she had lived on for years.

The senior Brendol was something else. She’d never heard anything good about him. She’d met him only a few times, but she didn’t enjoy anything about the interactions. The stormtroopers hated him, and had plenty of horror stories about him. Ariel’s voice pulled Paquin out of her thoughts, “Is he dead? He’s no use to Snoke dead, we’re not a burial service.” Ariel wasn’t familiar with Hux, but something still felt off.

Brendol seemed perplexed by that, scowling in the redhead’s direction, “No. Like I said, he’s in my ship. Or would you rather I drag him unconscious through the streets?”

“No,” Paquin interjected, feeling Ariel ready to snap back at the man. “This is better. It’ll be easier to move him between the ships. Right?”

“Yeah…,” Ariel agreed in a quiet sigh. She glanced at her companions, uncertain. Was this a trap? Surely Brendol wasn’t that dumb. There was nothing he could do, and nothing he would earn from it.

“Why don’t you lot follow me?” Brendol offered, lips pressing into a firm line.

-

The guard was ready to dash as soon as Mira said no, only staying because she followed it up with a question that made him furrow his brows. He shook his head, “No, why would he--” the guard processed the outfit she wore. Was she wearing that when she’d passed him the first time? Maybe he wasn’t cut out for this. “No. He said he was guarding the General so I let him through.”

“The General? As in Hux?” Finn questioned. He was no longer a part of the Order, thankfully, but that information didn’t seem right to him. Hux didn’t like Terex. Phasma didn’t. And wasn’t Terex working for Mira? Finn didn’t know what went on anymore, looking to Mira for some sort of confirmation on what this guard told them.

“The ginger? Yeah, sure. You seen him?”

“No. Not since we’ve been here.”

“Oh, man...I’m sorry. If you two wouldn’t mind heading back to the party...I have to get back to work.” And his work was finding Terex. His thought process figured the man had used the General as an excuse to slip into restricted parts of the house, “I swear if he stole something....the end of my career,” Finn only caught parts of what the guard mumbled under his breath as he walked away, not bothering to force them back or even make sure they did head back.

Finn watched as the guard hurried down the hall, eyes on the gaps between the door and the floor. Looking for a room with a light on, probably. Finn blinked, “That’s weird…” He wasn’t sure what else to say about it. “Do the Tarkins not have cameras around here? I would have suggested that,” He mused as he watched the guard turn down a hall.

Maybe he didn’t have access to that stuff. And clearly his first priority was saving his job before bringing it to Tarkin himself.
 
Ariel sensed it, too.

Or rather, didn’t sense it. Kylo was bothered by the thought of Hux being dead, if only because somehow they’d be to blame for it. Nonetheless, he nodded, intending to follow Brendol and hoping it wasn’t a trap or something equally stupid on Brendol’s part.

So, up into the ship they went, and towards the cockpit, though not quite all the way. Brendol had some caution – he wouldn’t put his son anywhere near the controls, in case the tranquilizer wore off sooner than anticipated.

Kylo was surprised to see Hux, but his surprise was more when he felt the presence of the Force fade away.

Gnaeus visibly startled, stepped back into the Force-feeling zone, and then stepped into the zone where it was devoid of the Force. “What the hell is this?” Gnaeus tensed, wide-eyed.

Kylo looked to Brendol for an answer, “What the hell is what? This is who you wanted, I know he’s not much to look at—”

“Not—” Kylo cut himself off. Brendol was an idiot, and Brendol had no idea what was going on, but Terex was at least rumored to be more intelligent. “The Force. I can’t feel the Force. Why?”

Brendol only looked more confused. How should he know that? He didn’t even know how the Force worked!

~***~

Why would Terex be guarding Hux? It made no sense to Mira, though she tried to think back on their last conversation to figure a reason why. He had some things he needed to attend to. Of course, that wasn’t strange – and he’d given her the blueprints she wanted for a stealth ship. Assuming that was what was on there…she hadn’t actually looked.

Mira folded her arms over her chest as the man retreated back to the rooms, observing his actions to look around. ‘I don’t sense Terex.’ Of course, if he was with Hux, then she wouldn’t—

“Hux isn’t here.”

Reaching out, she didn’t find the void space. No interruption to the flow. “Terex isn’t here.”

Finn mentioned cameras. She didn’t care a bit about the guard’s job. “Would you go ask Governor Tarkin about that?” Mira was taking her datapad from her pocket – at least the uniform had those, and she’d kept the datapad with it. Perhaps she should have reconsidered carrying it around and leaving it unattended, but that was a problem for future Mira to worry about.

She preferred to reach out to Terex himself.

Who knows, maybe she was wrong and the void stone was just…working in a new way. And Terex was still here, and his datapad would make a sound, alert the guard, and everything would be okay.

That’s not what she thought would happen – but it was what she hoped for as she sent the single message:

Where are you?​
 
Not being able to sense Hux had been weird enough. But entering this strange, invisible field that was devoid of...anything was something else. Ariel physically recoiled, pulling her arms close to herself as she backed out of the strange Force-less zone. She didn’t want to go back in, residing just outside of whatever barrier there was. Gnaeus echoed what Ariel was thinking. What the hell was going on?

The sudden feeling of nothing made her stomach turn, but Paquin didn’t cringe away from it immediately. She was quizzical in her approach, taking a second to let her hand through the barrier. It was such an unsettling feeling, being able to feel life buzzing around them and nothing, feeling fading as her hand ventured further. She didn’t linger long, temporarily enduring the feeling to follow Brendol into the ship.

She let her fellow Knights question what was happening, where she approached Hux. She kneeled next to him, making sure he really was alive.

Terex sauntered out of the cockpit, datapad in hand. A simple message of ‘busy’ sent as a reply. The message from Mira meant she was onto them, he knew it. And so he turned his datapad off. “What you’re feeling--or rather, not feeling--is thanks to this special little thing currently called a void stone.” He explained, gesturing to Hux. “Your friend Mira stole it from a Hutt named Grakkus, lets Hux carry it around for whatever reason. Fish around there, Doc. You’ll find it.”

Paquin only blinked in Terex’s direction, but complied. Carefully, she searched his person, digging it out of his pants pocket. Her brows furrowed as she held it at eye level. “It’s just a rock?” She eyed the sharp, black stone. How was this the source of anything? She didn’t spend long on it, holding it out for someone to grab.

“Are you serious?” Ariel snapped at Terex from her position just outside of the ship. Was he fucking with them?

-

Finn wondered how Mira could be so certain of Hux’s absence, considering the stone. She wouldn’t be able to feel him, right? Well, Finn didn’t think it was the time to stop and ask Mira questions, even if he had many. He had to trust she knew what she was talking about. And he supposed they would be answered soon enough, so he only nodded in response to her request.

He didn’t run off, but he moved with haste. Moving through the now unguarded halls to reunite with the rest of the party. His eyes skimmed over the crowd, searching for a head of ginger hair. Finn couldn’t help but think that any ginger sighting would probably be a good one. Hux or Tarkin.

Tarkin was what he’d get.

“Excuse me, excuse me,” Finn mumbled as he pushed past people on his path to the man. Breaking through the group circled around him. “Excuse me, Governor Tarkin. I really hate to interrupt, but...Admiral Vallens asked me to deliver a message to you,” Finn skirted around the subject in front of the group of people, hoping August would get the hint. The tiniest bit of urgency.

Meanwhile, the guard made a discovery.

A strange light flickered under a door, and he delivered a quick knock to it. “General?” he called through the door, waiting a moment. “Hello?” He allowed once more, letting seconds tick away. When no answer came, his hand found the doorknob, twisting it.

Only to be greeted by nothing. An empty room. A light flickering. The sound of Coruscant bustling invading the barren room from an open window. Nothing but a glass of wine in the middle of the floor, red wine seeping into the plush rug it rested on. "Fuck me."
 
“She’s done something. She’s somewhere I can’t feel her through the Force.”​

Kylo recalled Snoke’s words in that moment, the day they’d been told to leave Kamino for Korriban. Mira had scared him, even if he wouldn’t admit it – his fury had masked that fear, but Kylo was certain he had been afraid. This was the reason. This void stone, as Terex called it, as Paquin found, was the reason that Snoke had been afraid.

The thought crossed his mind again – he could end it all with that stone, couldn’t he? Snoke wasn’t strong – not physically. Without the Force, Snoke was nothing.

He reached for the stone in Paquin’s grip, and felt a momentary pang. Heartache, on many levels, as he considered why Mira would have such a thing – and what would possess her to give it to Hux. She’d been trying to protect him, not only from them…and his mind went back to that fateful day when it all went to hell, and Hux kicked them out of the First Order. Mira hadn’t been with him then.

So much had happened in that time.

There were plenty of unanswered questions about all of it, but he addressed Ariel, first, “He’s not lying,” Kylo said, “It makes sense.” With what Snoke had said, and what he understood of Mira, it made perfect sense. He didn’t enjoy the sensation of the stone, and he was starting to feel a bit sick holding it.

Still, he shoved it into one of his pockets and went over to Hux. There was little point in talking to him right then, so Kylo only reached down to heft him up and throw him over a shoulder. Light as Hux was, he wouldn’t ask Ariel or Gnaeus to step back into the field. “You may want to get back to the Order to secure things. As soon as the others figure out what’s going on, you’ll face resistance to that.”

Mira, certainly. Kylo didn’t know what side Phasma would fall on, but he didn’t think it would play out to Brendol or Terex’s favor. “We have to get back to Snoke.”

In other words, they wouldn’t have knights with them.

Snoke hadn’t given that order.

~***~

August arched a brow at the approaching padawan, sans master. It was intriguing for that reason alone. He couldn’t imagine Finn would readily approach him in a party if it wasn’t important. August knew a little about the balcony scandal. He was tempted to say that if Mira wanted a room, she could have one, but refrained.

Finn didn’t look happy. He didn’t sound happy, for that matter, and Mira had a message, not a request.

“If you’ll excuse me,” August spoke to his adoring audience (well – perhaps not all so adoring but he liked to think so), and parted their company. Once free of the circle, and some steps away, he asked, “Where is she?”

Except, he didn’t really need an answer from Finn. The answer became only too obvious a moment later.



Mira got Terex’s message back, and her glare hardened on her datapad. Naturally, she sent a follow-up.

Busy with what?​

And with Terex having turned his datapad off, no response came after seconds ticked by. She thought about sending another message. And another. But she didn’t.

She waited, until she heard a voice down the hall call out for the General. Mira turned to follow, that vain hope there, the desire to be engulfed by the vacuum of the stone there and to realize she was wrong about it – but it didn’t happen.

No, she stood in the hallway, looking into a room with spilled wine and an open window.

The orange glowed brightly through the kyber at Mira’s ear, but in vain – she couldn’t hear Kevan. She couldn’t see Kevan. She couldn’t feel Kevan. She just felt the sudden and overwhelming rush of certainty that Hux was in danger, and she couldn’t sense that, because he still had the void stone, and she wouldn’t know until it was too late.

Lightning sparked, and scarred the walls around her.

The datapad fell in ruins to the carpet.
 
Paquin watched Kylo from her position, letting her hand fall to rest on her leg once he held the stone. She didn’t need the Force to know Kylo was thinking something, feeling something. She was curious, that reflected in the tilt of her head, but of course she didn’t say anything. Not then.

“It makes sense?” Ariel’s brows furrowed, wondering how, at all, it did. But she questioned no further. She didn’t want to question him in front of Brendol or Terex. Besides, if Kylo was certain that rock was obstructing the Force, then that rock was obstructing the Force.

Which made her frown, knowing they’d have to travel back with the thing. With that unnaturalness, uncomfortableness it created. And she cringed, as Kylo moved with the stone, the Force-less area enveloping her.

Paquin stood, following after Kylo--who effortlessly lifted Hux without any help of the Force, something she didn’t fail to note for personal reasons. “Back to Snoke?” Brendol’s voice called after them, clearly confused. “I capture my son, deliver him as requested, and I receive no assistance for it?” He did the dirty work for them and got nothing. He worried his grasp for power wouldn’t take.

“We haven’t been told to assist you,” surprisingly, it was Paquin that spoke. The oldest Hux's wild glare set itself on her. She knew she shouldn’t feel the way she did, because Brendol was supposed to be an ally. But silently, she hoped he’d face difficulty. Hoped it would come, especially, from the stormtroopers he mistreated.

Paquin offered no further words, much as she wanted to, turning to continue on. “If you have an issue with it, speak with Snoke,” Ariel backed Paquin. “I’m sure you’ll handle the situation to Snoke’s satisfaction just fine.” Because everything was to satisfy him, right? Without another word, Ariel turned to follow along with her people.

-

It seemed in almost an instant the party was silenced. The sound of crackling filling the apartment, and the unmistakable sound of pained yelping that definitely didn’t come from Mira.The light of the lightning bouncing off the walls, clearly brightening the dark hallway for anyone that stood near enough to see it. The crowd was silent for a long moment, before hurried murmuring filled the room in its place.

“That’s where she is. That’s not a good sign…,” Finn sighed, shifting anxiously. He wanted to run, to find Mira, but he refrained for just long enough to explain. “Hux is gone, the guard standing post said Terex claimed to be Hux’s guard. But he can’t find either of them,” his tone was hurried, already backing away and getting ready to move before he even finished talking.

“Mira wanted me to ask about cameras, if you had any here,” by the reaction that had echoed through the apartment, Finn thought it was safe to say it would be to figure out the culprit of well...whatever had happened. Had Hux been found lying dead? A ransom note? Evidence of some sort? He had to find out. And then find out if Terex was to blame or if it was simply a coincidence.

Finn doubted a coincidence.

And he turned, not bothering to see if August followed or did anything. If he did, Finn wasn’t waiting for him. Again, he pushed through the crowd gathering around the hallway. “Excuse me! If everyone could please…,” Get the fuck away from the hall. “If everyone could please keep the hall clear!” Finn called as he finally pushed through. Wasting little time to venture down the hall.

To follow the charred lines left behind by lightning. To stumble across Mira with a ruined datapad and the guard, cowering in a corner. Holding his arm, just as damaged by lightning as the walls. And no Hux. No Terex. “Mira…,” Finn approached, cautiously, as not to startle her. And cautious to not step into her path of destruction.
 
Gnaeus was also no fan of suddenly being enveloped by that, but he didn’t walk back to get out of it. Not yet. He’d tolerate it for a bit but if Kylo thought he was dealing with it through the entire trip back to Snoke, he was out of his mind. It could wait at the back of the ship.

He did wonder a bit at Brendol’s situation. What he thought would come of this. What he thought he could do. Of course, Snoke wanted the Order on his side, and without Hux, in theory, Brendol should be able to usurp power. It wouldn’t be without complications, though.

But that was Brendol’s problem, and although he’d helped them, Gnaeus found that he, too, had little sympathy for someone who betrayed his own son so readily.

He made his own addition, of course, “Snoke has faith in you.” As if that should be comforting, or reassuring, somehow, before he followed after the others.

Brendol would, indeed, stew on it a moment – before opting not to immediately call Snoke, but instead get to the Finalizer and start the process of securing ships and soldiers. Somehow. He did anticipate most would be happy to be rid of his son, after all.



Meanwhile, Kylo did lead back to the ship, and he considered sitting Hux on one of the benches, before he thought better of it and brought him into the cockpit and put him into one of the chairs. He didn’t want Hux out of his sight.

When Gnaeus came on the ship, he said, “Please tell me you’re putting that stone somewhere else.”

“Does it bother you that much?” Kylo asked.

“I think it bothers us all.” He couldn’t believe Kylo didn’t want to be immediately rid of it. Didn’t know the thoughts passing through Kylo’s head of the fact it gave him power. Thoughts that had passed through Mira’s head, just as well.

Still…for the sake of comfort, he decided to relent, “All right. Watch him,” just in case. Kylo moved to take the stone to the back of the ship, and hope that was far enough away.

~***~

August Tarkin hadn’t forgotten the first time he’d seen lightning sparking from Mira. She’d confronted two Knights at the time, and he’d put bullet through the hilt of a lightsaber. Not a bad day, all around, but he hadn’t forgotten that Mira had little control over this, and that Snoke had a bad habit of getting to her.

He did not immediately follow Finn. He’d let him get a headstart, as he turned to find his wife, and gently interrupted her, approaching from behind and placing a hand on her shoulder. He’d leave a kiss on her cheek before whispering, “The party needs to end,” she’d be a bit better at ending it than him.

He’d leave her to her own circle without further input, and steal away to Adelaide. Though not at all a “guard”, Adelaide could pull rank on just about anyone, and his household staff more or less knew to listen to her as they would himself, or Julia, power not quite afforded to the Motti Twins. So Adelaide was directed to keep the hall clear, and make sure the house was cleared once Julia began to empty it.

Only then would he head into the hall to find out what set Mira off, and why the sudden need for a look at cameras – although, he was already bringing those up on his datapad. His home did, indeed, have quite the security system. Or blackmail system. Whichever.

~***~

The next shock of lightning tore up Mira’s own arm, a forced redirection as she felt the anger spike when she looked at the guard who was cowering, in pain. She felt guilty for the damage done to him – but she blamed him for letting Terex pass.

More than that, she blamed herself for trusting Terex.

‘There isn’t enough proof. There isn’t enough proof!’

She tried to get herself in order by that. A glass of wine wasn’t proof. An empty room with an open window, wasn’t proof. “I’m—” she wanted to say she was sorry, but Finn stepped into the hall. His presence startled – the Force pushed out from her with it, and she tried to draw it back in, as she physically stepped away from him.

She wanted to run.

“I’m sorry,” blurted to both Finn and the guard, “I’ve overreacted, I’m sorry, there’s an empty room with an open window and Terex is busy and—” she cut herself off. The pressure that had pushed out in fear, now fell on her in self-loathing.

And then another figure entered the hall, and a silenced blaster-shot was fired. Not at Mira, not at Finn, but at the guard who, really, should have paid more attention to August Tarkin when he made a point of instructing the guard on who was always on the ‘hell no’ list.

He had a few others to ‘fire’ for that, though, now that he’d seen the video – the datapad was still balanced in his hand, too. He’d barely even looked at the guard before firing – just enough to know where he was, and that his angle was right.
 
Ariel didn’t know how Kylo could stand it, the stone. It made Ariel feel ill. Her stomach dropped and she felt weak, tired. Unbalanced. She was thankful Gnaeus said something, otherwise the ride back to Snoke would’ve been the longest ride of her life. But there was only a small window where they were free from the effects of it, the area it spanned unfortunately wide.

She wanted to be as far from it as possible. “Paquin, do you mind if I…?” Ariel gestured to the co-pilot’s seat. She knew Paquin liked to sit next to Kylo, but Force did she hate that stone.

“Huh? Oh,” Paquin observed the woman, eyebrows furrowing. It was hard to miss how Ariel seemed visibly affected while the rest of them, well...didn’t. She tilted her head, mind filling with theories. Did Ariel's connection to the Force correlate with something? Her health? Alcoholism? All Paquin knew was Ariel looked worn, even after such a short time. ”Go ahead,” she consented, settling into the seat behind the pilot’s, next to the unconscious Hux. She watched him breathe, wondering what it was that Brendol used on him. Maybe she should have asked, instead of trying to aggravate him.

She sighed. This was all very strange. Stars, her former boss sat unconscious next to her, kidnapped by his own father. There was an entirely ordinary looking rock hindering their connection to the Force. That, on top of everything else they’d discovered that day. She got caught up in how far gone things were.

She watched Kylo as he put distance between them and the rock. He hadn’t voiced much about the stone, or Hux. What was he thinking? “What do you think Snoke’s going to do with the stone?” She poked.

“Destroy it, probably. It’s a threat to all of us as long as it exists,” Ariel mused from her seat, head resting against the back of her chair. Not paying much mind to who the question was directed to.

-

Finn was pushed back from Mira’s display of the Force, stumbling back to brace himself against the wall. He supposed that was his fault, he startled her. Should’ve given her a better warning, knowing she was out of it. He didn’t blame her. The guard did, though. His cries of pain mingled with an occasional ‘why’.

Finn knew what Mira meant, now. About her losing control. What she was afraid of.

Finn understood it and he didn’t blame her. She didn’t mean to hurt anyone. He could only imagine what it felt like, to feel things so intensely and not be able to control it. And then accidentally hurt someone.

She rambled. She apologized, blurted out a reasoning, but Finn raised his hands. “Hey, it’s o--” he was cut off by August’s appearance, lifting a blaster and firing. Finn froze for a moment, not quite registering who August was shooting at in the moment. ‘I’m not shot.’ He registered, eyes searching for Mira. ‘She’s not shot.’ And so that left only one person. The guard.

There were no longer any cries of pain. No asking Mira why she hurt him. There was only the sound of the guard’s body slumping against the wall and sliding to the floor. Dead.

“The hell?” Finn couldn’t help but blurt out. “I-we…” They didn’t know if the guard had done anything. They didn’t know if anything had happened to Hux, really. But then Finn noted the datapad in August’s hand, and so he hushed, his attention returning to his master.

He approached slowly. He felt like he was approaching a cornered animal, one ready to dart between his legs and run away at any given moment, never to be seen again. “Hey, Mira, everything’s gonna be fine, okay?” He reached for her, slowly. Gently. Afraid slightly of the lightning she could produce, but he didn’t want her knowing that. “We need to sit and figure this out, right? We don’t know what happened yet.” He tried to soothe, to ease her until she could calm herself.

Finn could hear the party down the hall beginning to disperse, people mumbling as they shuffled out, thrown off by the sudden end to the event.
 
Kylo could still hear the murmurs of conversation as he went to the back of the ship with the stone, and he lingered there a few moments, just…staring at it.

This was power. Power on a scale that Kylo hadn’t thought possible. ‘I can use this.’ Again, and again, the thought moved through his head with increasing frequency. This was one way to make sure Paquin wasn’t hurt by Snoke. One way to make sure Ariel and Gnaeus weren’t hurt by Snoke. One way to be certain of his future.

When Snoke fell, who else would inherit everything, after all?

And with Hux here…and this stone…. ‘A lightsaber wound is obvious. Everyone will know you did it.’ He considered briefly using a blaster and blaming it on Hux, but the praetorian would be there, and no amount of bullshitting would make it seem like the entire praetorian guard died by Hux with a blaster.

And he’d have to kill them. They wouldn’t go along with this.

‘Maybe Snoke will be alone….’ Unlikely. He was afraid now. ‘Well. I’ll just have to accept it if it comes to that.’ And get a blaster anyways, just in case he could bullshit his way through it, but the more he thought about it, the more he didn’t care much about the consequences. He could figure out a lie to keep Snoke’s allies as his own if he needed to. They never needed to see the wounds were inflicted by lightsaber.

He thrust the stone back on a shelf, in a bag so it wouldn’t roll about, and then walked back to the cockpit, eying Hux a moment to try and determine if he was conscious or not. He wouldn’t put it past Hux to fake his own unconsciousness.

He also wouldn’t ask him to be bound.

An intentional oversight in this case – Ariel and Gnaeus were too bothered to think of it, he could tell. Gnaeus was still within the field, though Kylo stepping into the pilot’s seat felt it leave him, and he started to go through the motions of starting the ship. “Someone call Snoke.” He couldn’t.

Snoke would see it in him.

~***~

Mira was certainly startled by the shot, no matter how quiet it was. She half-expected the next to be for her, but as her gaze whipped to August, hand rising, she saw his attention wasn’t on her. It was on a datapad. ‘Cameras.’ Her hand trembled in the air, but she took no action, and started to lower it as Finn inched ever closer.

He was right to think her a cornered animal. One wanting to run. She did.

The soothing green glow returned to her kyber. ‘Mira. Take a breath. Breathe deep. Breathe in. Stay in the moment.’ Jinn tried to help, as Finn parroted ‘right’, ‘right’, trying to get her to believe that it was all good.

It wasn’t all good.

That’s why a guard was dead, something was wrong and August knew what was wrong, and the anxiety kept building as that fear and self-loathing departed. She had been right to be angry with the guard! “Governor,” she managed the title, voice shaking, “why did you shoot him? What do you know?”

August looked up. He looked at her. He looked at Finn. “Make sure she can’t hurt me,” August said, some warning that the news wasn’t good. Then he focused his gaze back on Mira.

“Terex has kidnapped Hux. I don’t know where they’re going, I don’t know who helped him – that was outside of my home – but he took Hux through the window and Hux was quite unconscious. I’ll have more information soon, but at the moment, I think it’s safe to say, Hux is off-planet, and in danger.”

He didn’t think he was dead.

Somehow, he was certain Mira would know that.

At first, there was no reaction, beyond Mira paling. August took that as enough of a warning sign to take a step back, and open the nearest door. He doubted Finn’s ability to fully contain any reaction, if there was to be one -- and he suspected it as the crystals went from green, to purple, to red, and Mira's fists tightened at her side.
 
Kylo seemed caught up in his own thoughts. Something that not only Paquin noticed, but Ariel too. Only, Ariel didn’t think much of it. There was much to think about. Hux, the stone, having to shortly face Snoke and tell him something that would most definitely upset him. Hell, even the mention of Mira could’ve had him thinking too much.

Paquin wondered. She wasn't as quick as Ariel, but dismissed it all the same as he started the ship up, giving the command for someone to call Snoke. Her hand slipped over the back of his seat, fingers brushing over his shoulder before she let them slip away as Ariel spoke, simply letting them rest against the seat.

Ariel sat up straight, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. She didn't bother arguing with Kylo on why he couldn't do it. “I’ll do it.” She volunteered. Probably a bad idea for Paquin to do it, lest she act suspicious. She lifted her comm, picking Snoke out from the few contacts she had. The wait lasted only a few moments, no doubt Ariel the one calling causing intrigue.

“Ariel,” Snoke greeted. As much as Snoke could greet someone, something else in his tone. Curiosity, maybe. Or distaste. Ariel wouldn’t doubt it. “Where’s Kylo Ren?”

“He’s piloting.” Not yet, but all the same. She cleared her throat. “Supreme Leader, we have General Hux,” she began.

“Very good. You’ll bring him to me. The coordinates will be provided shortly.” Right, Ariel forgot Snoke had moved from Kamino, as well.

“General Hux...he was carrying, uh, a stone. Of some sort. It alters the flow of the Force,” she explained, as much as she could. It was a weird feeling, one that had to be experienced.

There was a moment of silence. “I want to see it. You’ll bring it to me as well. Don’t waste time.” And with that, he was gone. And Ariel felt she could breathe again.

“I really hate doing that,” she sighed. She usually managed to get away with talking minimally to Snoke, but when she did she always managed to feel like she was fucking something up. Which she probably does. Her comm dinged with the coordinates, and she forwarded them to the ship.

-

Finn could almost feel the emotions as they passed through Mira. No, he probably was feeling them. Through the Force. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was successfully attuning to it or if it was simply because Mira was feeling these things strongly, all at once.

She questioned August, asked why he shot the guard. Finn didn’t fail to notice the shake in her voice. She didn’t have a single thing under control in that moment. Finn almost thought of suggesting that maybe they wait to give her anything until she calmed down. But then he also figured she’d only be further anxious to know more. Or she’d just have another outburst.

Finn couldn’t help but shoot August a look when he told him to make sure Mira couldn’t harm him. As if it were that easy. He refrained from asking August how exactly he wanted Finn to do that. August was helping, when they got to the bottom of it all.

And so he breathed, focusing. Testing his connection with the Force the way Mira showed him. It came naturally, but there was doubt in his mind that he could really contain whatever Mira would throw at him. But he tried, poking and prodding around this chaotic energy that Mira exuded. Pushing against it as Tarkin broke the news to Mira. Finn couldn’t say he was surprised, but he’d have time to dwell on that later.

He watched as the crystals in Mira’s hair cycled through a rainbow of colors, not knowing what a single one of them meant. Just knowing it wasn’t a good sign. Finn’s hands found Mira’s arm. Cautious, he didn’t want to be zapped either. He wasn’t gripping her tightly, but holding her there nonetheless. Physically and through the Force. At least he was trying. “Hey,” Finn wanted to remain calm, encourage it from her, too.

But maybe he needed to be real with her. Snap some sense into her and hopefully she’d calm. “Breathe,” his voice was firm, but not harsh. “You’re upset. You have every reason to be. But Hux needs you right now, yeah? Tarkin says he’s in danger, not dead yet,” that they knew of, anyway. Briefly, he looked to August. “When did this happen?” he fished for information. Couldn’t have been long.

He returned his attention to the unstable blonde. “We have to be quick. It’s up to us to help him, and this doesn’t help him.” Finn breathed, focused and hoping he could share with her, through the Force, a wave of calm. He wasn’t sure how, he just followed his instinct, hoped Mira would be open. Or at the very least, he could buy some time before her emotions exploded outwardly.
 
Kylo Ren listened to the conversation. He supposed he couldn’t fault Ariel for telling Snoke about the stone. It would have been more suspicious if they didn’t tell him, and he took note of it when they approached and he couldn’t feel them through the Force. Nonetheless, it set Kylo on edge.

‘I’ll be sure to bring it to you.’

One chance.

‘And if you fail you’ve damned yourself. Maybe all of them.’

The lingering thought of Paquin’s light touch, however short it had been in that moment, returned to his mind, delayed. He looked towards her then, realizing it as if it had been a comment he had just realized he missed hearing, before he was distracted by Ariel’s comment.

He had to get out of his head.

“We all hate it.” He couldn’t help but comment. Couldn’t hide his own bitterness at the thought of the truth of that. Snoke had good ideas. Kylo couldn’t deny that. Snoke had spent his time building up and preparing for conquest…but it didn’t change the fact that he’d done so with fear.

This was ever the consequence of fear tactics.

Eventually, people got tired of being afraid.

Kylo set the ship to follow the coordinates given, “I’m not familiar with those,” he noted, a bit surprised. He knew a lot about the galaxy.

Gnaeus chimed in, “They look like Wild Space coordinates.”

‘Ah.’

That would make sense. Somewhere none of them knew he was using. Somewhere Mira wouldn’t think to look, because a base in Wild Space would be a relatively new one. One she discovered.

The irony. “We’ll see when we get there.” Though his nerves were alight. He was certain this wasn’t a good thing. A place he didn’t know. Could he still go through with this? ‘If you don’t…he’ll know your thoughts.’ Fuck.

~***~

A normal person might have screamed at August for the bad news, or broken down into tears. Pulled at their hair, or paced, or started to rant, but Mira just stood stock still and tried to categorize, tried to fight for some form of control over each emotion, but there were too many, and it was too much of a mess.

But if she sunk to the ground, if she yelled, if she released any of it, then it would all spill. SIlent and still. That was what she'd learned as a child. Internalized.

Anger was winning out. Betrayal. Frustration. August’s move to a door didn’t help matters, and as one fist started to release, she felt Finn’s hand, and snapped back to him.

A spark ignited in her hand and was quelled there as her eyes met his, eyes dulled rather than enlivened by the emotions, that forced effort to stay still. She could feel Finn – more than just his hand, she felt his energy through the Force, a calmness that was making an effort to reach her. Waves lapping at the shore – a shore with a terrible wind around it.

But Mira wanted that – because Finn was right – and she tried to reach out for that metaphorical hand. She knew this didn’t help. And she knew this was not good.

“Not long ago,” August confirmed. “We won’t catch them at a hangar, but I can figure out their ship and track it. We’ll know where it goes, and if there are sightings of Hux himself.”

And like so many times before, Mira felt herself losing the calm even as she grasped it, even as she tried to bring Finn’s calm closer together. The overwhelming feeling of desperation – that they wouldn’t be fast enough to meet them at the hangar, that they could be long gone and Hux could be shot in the damn ship – crashed and destroyed what semblance of calm she had.

‘Help.’

It wasn’t violent. Not outwardly, but Mira brought her hands up and entangled her fingers in her braid, strands falling loose with the disturbance, as the pressure around her mounted, and she sunk to the floor with it. Breathing hitched. The pressure wanted a halt to all movement.

August looked to Finn, “I’ll get the information I can, as soon as I can.” He shut the door he was near, carefully. This was uncharted territory for him, and he didn’t at all like the sounds around this area – nor the few walled decorations crashing down to the floor. The pressure expanding beyond Mira, a gravity well in the Force.

He knew he was useless here. If Mace or Luke had been at the party, he would have thrown them at it. He didn’t know if Leia had shown up, or he might throw her at it. Something to consider, he supposed, if Mira and Finn couldn’t figure it out between each other.
 
Kylo was out of it for a while. His responses to things were slow, as he looked at Paquin like he finally registered she’d touched him, even though her touch was long gone. And even as he seemed to leave his mind and rejoin them, he was still acting strange. The bitterness in his voice, the anxious energy that came from him, it wasn’t anything alarming. Not in their current context, the complications of it.

But it still left Ariel and Paquin with tightness in their chests. Like they had something to be anxious about.

“I haven’t been to Wild Space,” Paquin mused, idly. An attempt to ease the nerves burning at the lot of them. Paquin had been to a lot of planets growing up. Outer rim, unknown regions, that was as close as she’d gotten. But never any place entirely unmapped.

“It’s nothing special. Just unmapped planets. Funny accents.” Ariel was hardly acquainted with it like anyone else. Certainly not as well as Mira. But she knew that, at least.

“Hm.” Paquin settled in. The ride wasn’t long. Not with hyperspeed, but it felt endless. Hux was out like a light, showing little sign of waking up anytime soon. She wondered if there would be a medbay on Snoke’s new base, if she would have the time to figure out what he’d been given.

Blissfully unaware of the thoughts racing through Kylo’s head.

The planet the ship slowed before was pretty, from space at least. A swirl of dark purples and blues making up the surface of the planet. No lights immediately identifiable as civilization. But Paquin spent little time admiring it, for as they got closer to the planet, a nauseating knot twisted in her stomach. Her brows knit together, her body heating as fear once again settled in her. ”Ky-” She started, a nervous whisper that she could barely hear herself. But she cut herself off. The desire to blurt out, to tell Kylo they couldn’t tell Snoke, that they should abandon their feelings for their own safety caught in the back of her throat. Pushed back by a nervous swallow.

They couldn’t go back now.

-

It was working, for a time. Finn could feel Mira reeling things back in, gaining control. Not calm, but reaching for it. But then August spoke, and she couldn’t maintain it. But Finn had an idea, then, of what was working to bring her back down. Before it was interrupted.

Finn was quick to agree with August’s departure as Finn sunk to the ground with Mira. August wasn’t helping Mira specifically, not in that moment. He was useless, and more likely to get hurt than anything.

Finn nodded, “Okay, thanks.” He was eager to refocus on Mira, but not before fleetingly remarking, “You should tell Phasma, if you see her.” Phasma was Hux’s second. Well, technically in rank, Mira was. But she was a bit out of commission at that point. Phasma could take control of things, he knew. Even if he didn’t like her, Finn knew she could handle a situation like this.

‘Focus.’ He told himself. And it was easy to get back into, or rather, be pulled back into. The walls were shaking and with it their decorations fell. The open window rattled, threatening to slam shut under the influence of the Force. The hair on Finn’s arms stood up straight, like right before a lightning storm was about to hit. He felt like he was in the eye of some storm.

Mira was grasping through the Force, grasping at what Finn was trying to offer her. He could feel the push and pull. The pull of Mira’s rationality, her want for this to stop and the push of her emotions against that. He could almost hear her asking for help. Did she ask for help? He wasn’t sure.

His hand gripped tighter on her arm as he felt the counter of the Force beginning to take over what he could do. Not enough to hurt her, but he hoped it was enough to pull her out of her own head. “Think. If Terex wanted Hux dead, we would’ve been killed in this room. They need him alive. He’s alive.” Finn didn’t know that, he couldn’t. But at the same time he felt it, he wasn’t just saying it for her sake.

“You got this, Mira,” he encouraged, as he closed his eyes, focusing. Focused on things that made him calm. Happy. His mother. Rey. Poe. Training with Mira. Being free. Trying to push the feeling of ease, content onto her. To fight the anger and flailing emotions of hers. ‘You got this,’ maybe if he thought the words hard enough, she’d hear them.
 
Kylo could sense Snoke even from all the way up there. Snoke would be able to sense him, too, but he tried not to think much about that. If he was unusually afraid, or unusually angry, Snoke would take notice.

But he was anxious, and his gaze shifted to Paquin as she started to call out. He forced a smile. A little nod. “It’ll be okay.” He said. “We have Hux. We have what he wants.” And they had the stone, that precious stone that was soon to help them in more ways than they could have imagined.

Gnaeus wanted to be optimistic, but he found it hard as they began to descend towards the planet, following the coordinates. They didn’t go to a well-illuminated place, or even a nice landing pad, but it seemed like more of a mountainous area.

“How are we—”

The answer came as the rocky area shifted, and parted, opening up to reveal technological marvels just below, including a landing pad. Kylo lowered the ship to it, taking note of what staff was present, what guards, and almost cursing Hux for being unconscious, still, and unable to slip a blaster to for this bullshit story that was absolutely not going to work one bit, because he saw a pair of praetorian walking out to greet them.

Kylo’s grip tightened on the controls as the ship shook a little with the landing. ‘You can’t do this. You can’t do this.’

He ignored it.

He had to do this.

He would do this. “I’ll get the stone,” he volunteered, rising. “Would one of you carry Hux?” He couldn’t carry Hux, hold the stone, and kill Snoke. That just wouldn’t work out.

Gnaeus looked at Hux, then shook his head, “I don’t think I can,” one arm. And within the radius of the stone, he wouldn’t have the strength.

~***~

Finn was back.

Finn didn’t run as any sane person would.

Finn didn’t yell or vent frustration, as Kylo had. He didn’t look on helplessly as Kevan had done, so many times. No, he stayed right with her in the storm, and Mira again felt his presence, physically, and through the Force. She felt the rope he threw – the calm energy that tried to be a barrier against the harassing winds of the emotions.

Breathing.

Being.

A gentle green returned to the kyber as Mira heard Finn’s thought, and caught glimpses of his ‘happy space’. His friends. Those moments that made him happy – the memories that brought him to be who he was.

Her fingers loosened their grip.

He was right, of course. Logic was always present, but the emotions had often not given a fuck about logic – and that was ever the problem. She couldn’t feel anger and act logically at the same time. It was one, or the other.

The winds stilled.

Mira pushed those emotions back with the calm that Finn offered, shared.

The pain followed. Her arm had been lanced by her own lightning, and with the adrenaline and chaos fading, she felt it, but that was almost welcome, comparatively speaking.

She dropped her arms slowly from around her head, but didn’t lean away from Finn. She leaned forward and dropped her head to his shoulder.

Breathing.

Where anger faltered, sorrow wanted to fill the gaps, but she focused still on the calm. ‘See Finn? This is why….’ But she had to shake that thought, too. That hopelessness was just as damning, and she would take a bit longer to banish it, drawing on the calm that Finn created, and internalizing it to bring herself back around, as well.

Slowly, but surely.

~***~

August had not intended to kick Phasma out, and had mentioned as much to Adelaide. He suspected Julia knew without it needing to be said, and so when he returned to the mostly cleared area, Phasma was still there, as were many of his own associates. “Lieutenant-General,” though Mira’s title might afford her rank, August knew where power truly was. “I need to extend an apology to you.”

Phasma tilted her head up ever-so slightly, incriminating gaze waiting for an understanding of what the hell was going on.

“General Hux has been kidnapped by Agent Terex under my roof. One of the responsible guards has already been dealt with.”

“How long ago? Where did they go?”

“Not long,” August answered, and gestured to Yularen, “Would you?”

Yularen immediately dug out his datapad and went to take a seat against a wall to start trying to track through cameras that August did not have immediate access to. “He’ll find out soon, and tap into our larger network as well. I think it would be in your interest to return to the First Order as soon as possible.”

Phasma considered that fairly sound advice. Brendol Hux was not among those in the room, though she had seen him at the party – but others of the Order were still there. “Where is Admiral Vallens?”

How did August answer that tactfully? “Regrouping.” He decided there wasn’t a tactful way, but at least didn’t add that he didn’t think Mira would be very useful with the Order right then.
 
Paquin searched Kylo’s face, wanting to take comfort in his words, to believe him. She found it hard. His forced smile, his own anxiousness, though she didn’t realize they were anxious for different reasons. While he didn’t necessarily inspire confidence, Paquin’s shoulders relaxed. Her eyes softened and she exhaled. “Yeah,” she breathed out, nodding her head. They had Hux and the stone.

Maybe they wouldn’t die. She hoped for an even better outcome, but…

“It’ll be fine.” Ariel declared, not at all confident in that statement. But she pretended she was.

They landed in the surprisingly advanced hangar, shakily. Just as they all were. Kylo rose and Ariel followed suit. She glanced at Hux. Without the Force, well, she couldn’t lift a fully grown man, as light as Hux was for one. And the alcohol paired with the dizzying effect of the stone, she couldn’t do it alone. But, she wouldn’t make Gnaeus do it. “Sure, you get off easy with the rock,” she teased Kylo, an attempt to break the tension. But not by much. “Paquin, you get his legs, I get the top half?”

Paquin nodded as she stood, wiping her clammy hands on her legs before she and Ariel assembled, hoisting Hux up with noises of effort. The two of them shuffled through the ship, to the ramp where two guards, cloaked in red and armed, awaited them.

“Who are they?” Paquin asked, hushed. She hadn’t seen them before, they’d be hard to miss.

“Praetorian guards. Snoke’s. Probably because of Hux.” In case there were any unanticipated occurrences. Snoke didn’t really need them if it was just the Knights.

Which confused Paquin. Why did Snoke need two groups of trained soldiers?

-

Finn, if he was honest, couldn’t believe anything he’d done had worked. Yet, here Mira was. Green sparkling in her hair, which seemed like a nice pleasant color. It wasn’t raging. The Force, Mira’s emotions, they stopped fighting him. Mira’s fists eased and she slumped forward. She was calm. Or, at least, calming down.

Finn breathed with her. His head gently resting against hers. And his arms, instinctually, wrapped around her. To comfort. He hadn’t received hugs for much of his life. Not really, not until he met Rey and Poe and they embraced him, literally. And he’d found them comforting, he hoped she did too. His hand gently rubbed a circle on her back as she regained her senses.

Even if her anger and her desperate emotions eased, Finn didn’t let up on the waves of calm. Not until she could get her wits about herself.

“I knew you could pull yourself out of it,” he encouraged. Even if Finn had helped, Mira was the only one who could stop herself. She was receptive, and she’d pulled herself out of the chaos that was her own emotions crushing her. He hadn’t doubted her.

He let a few moments of silence go by. Let her breathing slow, ease. “We’ll find him, Mira. I can feel it,” he had a good feeling. Hope, even if he didn’t like Hux. He hoped to find him only for Mira’s sake, and he thought there was a good chance of it. It had only been a short while between when Hux retreated to the rooms and that very moment. And it wasn’t as if Hux was an average man. He was the General of the First Order. The galaxy knew his face.

“I think your next biggest concern is finding credits in the Order’s budget to fix Tarkin’s room,” he joked. Partly. Daring to look around at their surroundings. The dead body, the floors and walls singed where Mira’s lightning had touched them. Decorations scattered and broken about the room. Well, he looked away from it then.

-

Regrouping.

Phasma could interpret what that meant, though not to the extent that it actually was. Just that it meant Mira would not be providing anything substantially helpful, at that moment. And she could understand, knowing of the closeness between the two. She nodded, “Right then.” Hux was her friend, just as well. Phasma would admit it then. Even if she and Hux would insist on simply being colleagues that worked well together.

To say she wasn’t upset would be wrong. To say she wasn’t worried would be wrong. But someone had to pull together. The Order was left without its spearhead. “I’ll need to return to the Finalizer, grasp the situation from there,” get out of the damn dress and heels she wore, back into her armor.

“Finn is here with Admiral Vallens,” Julia added, so Phasma would not feel the need to wait for her.

Phasma didn’t comment on ‘Finn’, but nodded nonetheless. “I never did trust Terex.” She grumbled, though it hardly mattered now.

“If you could relay any updated information to me. Solely, I would appreciate it.” Despite the phrasing, it was a demand. Phasma aimed to keep this under control, as quiet as would be allowed. She didn’t want panic to arise amidst the Order. “Admiral Vallens knows how to contact me, should she need to.”

Phasma wouldn’t leave her alone, not with just FN-2187. She’d instruct some of the officers still lingering to stay behind, assist their Admiral when she was ready to emerge. The rest, Phasma would take with her.
 
Kylo Ren retrieved the stone, and he stuck it in a pocket. He took a breath to steady himself, and walked out of the ship to find Gnaeus, Paquin, and Ariel waiting for him. The guards hadn’t taken any initiative to help with Hux, which honestly didn’t surprise Kylo, although it annoyed him. Ariel and Paquin were clearly struggling.

He wouldn’t attempt to even command them to help, even if he felt it rise in his throat.

‘Just get through this.’ And perhaps it was better for Hux if he wasn’t as near the praetorian when all of this went down, though the only reason Kylo thought to care was for an attempt to reach out to Mira when all was said and done.

Her anger had been directed towards Snoke, then.

They’d talked of goals and of changing the galaxy before. With Snoke gone…maybe….

Certainly not with Hux dead, though.

“Take us to Snoke,” Kylo said, and the two turned wordlessly away to lead the way through the facility to show them to where Snoke was waiting.

Kylo felt for his lightsaber. It was still there.

He wouldn’t be able to pull it into his hand, but he thought he would still be fast enough.

Although he knew there would be more than this pair of praetorian, confirmed by the pair that was waiting outside the door. Always in pairs. That was their rule. They fought in pairs, and they worked in pairs.

~***~

Mira wouldn’t push Finn away. The Force wouldn’t push Finn away. Exhaustion suddenly wanted to press in, but Mira wouldn’t give into that and crash from the calm. She took the time that Finn allowed her and came back into herself, the green fading to a soft purple, and then, clearing up.

She found her center.

It was fragile, prone to breaking again, but she knew what was ahead and what she was going to have to steel herself against. She would be ready, and she smiled a bit as he made his joke. She started to pull back, and she leaned away, looked around at the area. At the dead person. “I don’t think that’ll be much of a problem. I do fairly well in casinos.” Mira allowed the small joke as well, to help.

Her arm still hurt.

Another deep breath. “Thank you.” She wouldn’t have been upset if he ran. If he tried any other method besides getting close. She probably wouldn’t have blamed August if he used a stunning shot. Stars knew her parents hadn’t done much better than that somedays. “I suppose I should go try and figure out what I can do. Could you – do you think you could check with the Resistance?”

They were allies now. “Just Leia or Poe.” This couldn’t go far – even though Mira hadn’t heard Phasma, even she knew this needed to be contained.
 
By the time they’d reached the door, Paquin and Ariel’s arms were burning. Tired from hauling Hux through the facility, farther than either of them were really capable of. They struggled with their grip on him, letting one bear the weight while the other readjusted. Kylo made it look so easy. But they were not Kylo. They were a drunk and a physically untrained newcomer.

Ariel never realized how much she utilized the Force. She hated being without it and she didn’t want to be without it again. She couldn’t wait for Snoke to destroy that damn rock.

Neither set of guards helped them carry the man. When they arrived at the door that held Snoke behind them, the new pair opened it for them. The extent of their assistance. Behind the door revealed another grand room. Just as dark, just as threatening as every room before it. Flanking Snoke on either side were two more pairs of guards. Excessive, Paquin thought. And in the middle sat Snoke himself.

“Knights of Ren,” he greeted in that gravelly voice of his, gesturing them forward. Displeasure was clear on his face as two praetorian guards led the Knights to the center, the two by the door remaining behind them. He twitched, feeling the Force fade away into nothing as the presence of the stone was brought closer. He eyed them.

Paquin and Ariel waited for instruction, or permission, to release Hux. Set him down, deliver him at Snoke’s feet if that was what he wanted. And Snoke knew that. He watched them fumble with the General’s limp body, amusement glinting in his eye, a quirk of his mouth that seemed to mock a smile. And then he relented.

“You’ve done well, bringing me the General,” the girls took that as their cue, all but dropping Hux. Relief flooded their arms, and Ariel shook hers out, as if it would deliver relief faster.

-

Finn let Mira pull back, his arms slipping from around her. She was calm as she would ever be, he supposed. And he would let her be nothing but as they were in that room, for he knew she’d have to manage her emotions again when they rejoined the others. Which he would not rush her to do.

He smiled as she joked along with him. He snorted, “Yeah, I’ve seen,” he recalled their adventure at the casino. Where they’d gotten the stone. Where Terex tainted the memory. He dismissed that thought, not wanting to risk Mira feeling it in anyway. Not wanting to disturb the manufactured harmony she made.

She thanked him. He shrugged, “Of course,” anything for Mira, for a friend. He couldn’t have left her alone, even if he wanted to. He never would have forgiven himself. If there was any time to be there for someone, it was then. He hadn’t wanted to get hurt, he saw the damage Mira could do. But he didn’t want her to hurt herself, or be alone. “Don’t push yourself,” he reminded her. They were working on finding Hux, Finn knew it. If she wasn’t ready to return, she still had some time to gather herself.

But nevertheless. “But yeah,” he nodded. “I will,” he stood, then. He considered who he’d call. Leia seemed like a better choice to him, if only because he knew she’d be sympathetic towards Mira. And knew, for the alliance, they’d have to find Hux. Poe...Poe ran the risk of being difficult, much as Finn liked him. He was smart, but...Poe was a part of the Resistance for a reason.

He offered his hand to her. “I’ll need to go get my datapad. And...check on my mom,” he allowed a moment of silence, for her to be able to process his words. He’d have to leave her alone for a minute. He wanted her to be okay with that, first. He wouldn’t leave otherwise. He could borrow a datapad, something. “Let’s get your arm taken care of, first. Before I do that,” Finn noted, then.

Not sure what they’d do for a wound like that, though. Hopefully August had bacta patches around, they were the only thing Finn could think of that would bring immediate relief.
 
Kylo Ren’s gaze had drifted to the floor, a pathetic attempt to try and hide what he was feeling. What he was thinking. He knew that Snoke wouldn’t sense it through the Force. The action itself was likely to be suspicious, but for a moment, Snoke was distracted by Hux – by Paquin and Ariel.

He turned his attention to them as they just dropped Hux, trying to get strength back into their arms.

Gnaeus took a knee when Hux was set down. It seemed like the best response in this situation. Kylo nearly opted to imitate it, but before he could do so, Snoke addressed them. “The stone,” he said, “where is it?”

“I have it,” Kylo answered.

Snoke gestured for him to approach, “Bring it to me,” and Kylo moved forward, feeling as if he was in a dream with every step forward. Warning bells were going off in his head. He should stop this. ‘Yes, by killing him.’

“Where is it?” Snoke asked, half annoyed, as Kylo stepped up onto the small platform where Snoke’s throne was.

“Just here,” Kylo made as if to reach for his pocket.

Instead he grabbed his lightsaber.

The crackling red blade sprang to life, and as Gnaeus lifted his head at the sound, Kylo plunged forward to put the saber through Snoke’s head.

~***~

Mira didn’t imagine Finn would be opposed to reaching out to the Resistance, and Mira nodded, agreeing that he should check in with his mom. Even if she shouldn’t know everything that was happening right now. Mira would have to trust Finn to know what to say, and what not to say, as she reached up to take his hand with her good arm, and accepted the help up. “No promises,” a response to not pushing it.

She’d try – but she wasn’t always aware until it was too late.

At least it sounded quieter out there. “Some bacta will be sufficient,” Mira wasn’t terribly concerned. Bacta would be enough to get her arm back to functioning. To feeling less pain.

She would let go of Finn’s hand and they’d both walk out into August’s living space. Party space. It had indeed cleared out, and August was now sitting besides Yularen, looking over the data that came up. He was still attentive enough to notice Mira and Finn’s return, “They left the planet – with Hux’s father.” Mira clenched her fist, but it was much easier to keep further reaction down. “They didn’t end up anywhere in the Core. Yularen’s searching as many cameras as he can for matches.” He indicated, before he rose from his place, “I’ve told Phasma. She’s returning to the Order.”

There were still officers. “These are yours. She wants information relayed only to her, at the moment.”

“Understandable. Have you told Phasma about General Hux’s father?”

“Yes,” he thought that was notable enough to send immediately.

“Good. I need something for my arm, and Finn needs to get his datapad and contact a few others.” Mira said.

Adelaide moved, “I know where the bacta is,” too many accidents happened in this damn apartment.
 
The sound of Kylo Ren’s lightsaber igniting nearly stopped Paquin’s heart. There wasn’t any time to process what was happening until it was already done. A look of annoyance turning into shock was permanently plastered on Supreme Leader Snoke’s face as Kylo’s lightsaber was plunged through his head. No Force to stop it, guards to slow to interfere.

There was no time for Ariel to question just what the fuck Kylo was doing. The air was still, the room silent, apart from the crackling of Kylo’s saber. Paquin could hear the rushing of her own blood, the beating of her heart. She and Ariel looked to each other, their faces reflecting the same emotions. Shock, confusion. And then something flashed in Ariel’s face, and the next thing Paquin knew was that the redhead’s lightsaber was the only thing stopping her from getting her head sliced clean off.

It took only a beat for the praetorian guards to spring into action, too late to save Snoke. Paquin ducked under Ariel’s saber and the blade of the guard, withdrawing her own saber. Ariel pushed against the guard’s weapon, shoving him away and gaining space between them. The guard backed away, falling into line with a second one.

Pairs.

Paquin would have helped, had she not been targeted by guards herself. They circled her as soon as she’d parted from Ariel, weapons pointed. Waiting for her to move first. Paquin held her lightsaber defensively, adrenaline flooding her veins. ‘Fuck.’ She didn’t have time to think. Didn’t have time to think of how she’d fight without the Force. So she swung at one of them and they took their chance to pounce on her, one swinging while she blocked the other.

This was not what Paquin thought Kylo meant when he said he’d deal with Snoke.

-

Finn remembered seeing Hux with his father beforehand. When he himself had gone to check on Mira, he spotted the pair of gingers. He cursed himself for not thinking of that earlier, but it didn’t matter now, he supposed. Finn couldn’t say he was surprised Brendol was involved. He’d always been at odds with his son, and especially ever since Hux had been picked in favor over his father for General.

Was that what this was about, then? Power? Or was there something more?

Adelaide moved to hunt down the bacta patches, and Finn saw it as a good a time as any to make his own leave. He gently patted Mira’s shoulder. “I think you’ll be fine here. I’m gonna take off, see if there’s anything Leia can do to help. I’ll be back soon. You know how to reach me.” He gave one last reassuring smile, before he parted from her.

He did look to August, though. “If you could keep me updated, I’d appreciate it,” and he didn’t mean about Hux. He meant about Mira. If she went off the rails again. Finn knew what he could do now. And silently, he thought about what he could do with that information, now that he knew somewhat how to help in these situations.

And with that, he left them. He’d get his datapad, change his clothes, check on his mother. And then he’d meet Mira wherever she was at the time.

Adelaide returned then with the bacta, allowing Mira to take it for herself. Before she could offer any words, though, Caius brushed by, “Alexander says there’s been no movement in or out of Kamino. He suspects Snoke is no longer there, though the clones are still operating out of the facility there.” That was all the information he could provide on the Snoke situation.

He looked to Mira, then. Noting the arm. Knowing what happened down the hall. And he said nothing. He had some tact. Sometimes.
 
The praetorian apparently weren’t willing to accept their new Supreme Leader. Kylo couldn’t say he was surprised, but almost immediately realized he couldn’t rush to the side of his friends. The Force was still gone after killing Snoke, after all.

He let out a curse as the battle began, four closing in around Ariel and Paquin, and four moving for Gnaeus.

They could afford to wait for Kylo to get off the platform and join them.

Gnaeus did not think this was fair, at all. He scrambled to his feet from his knees, and pulled his saber into his hand, igniting the yellow-green blade he’d made not that long ago and blocking the first strike that came at him, before he felt electricity surge through his fake hand as it was caught up in an electro-whip.

He let it go, deciding that thing was about to be more of a hindrance.

The guard who stepped away with the fake hand was momentarily startled – but a moment was all it took for Kylo to come up behind them and slice through an open portion of their armor, removing their arm, before slicing at their head as they turned around, just under their helmet where the plates of crimson armor didn’t cover.

Gnaeus couldn’t help but notice how wild Kylo’s eyes were – fright, anger, fury – he saw that, and knew if he could sense the Force, he’d feel it.

He was almost grateful he couldn’t as his attention was swiftly returned to the one with the voulge as they made another sweep at him. Gnaeus jumped over the low swing, and as soon as his feet were back on the ground, he lunged forward to engage, hacking the weapon in half when the guard attempted to block with it.

He’d have to trust Kylo had his back.

~***~

Mira had plenty of regrets in the time at August’s, as she patched herself up with the bacta, and listened as Yularen found new information about where they had gone. The first was that she didn’t have her datapad, and couldn’t reach out to Phasma, or Finn, herself.

August did a good job of relaying information to Phasma, at least.

And Mira at least kept herself where she was, so she’d be easier to find by Finn, when he returned with whatever the Resistance might know, or might have to offer.

That feeling of uselessness was quick to return. She wanted to go do something, but she had no leads. And worst of all was the last bit of information that came in. Phasma hadn’t been able to secure the Order; it was under Brendol Hux. ‘Give me one starship and I could fix that.’ Mira was fairly certain of that, but also certain of the damage she’d do to the Finalizer, so that was probably a bad idea.

Sit.

Wait.

Phasma would certainly return so they could figure out a strategy, or else she was busy doing that now. Hux would be found. He wasn’t dead. She’d know if he was dead.

And then came the lovely tidbit of Brendol being with Snoke.

And handing off his son to Kylo Ren, on Kafrene.

That was when Mira checked out. ‘I can find you.’ Not mentally, she stayed in August’s apartment, but she shifted to meditating.

Snoke had always thought she was good at finding things, when she put her mind to it. She found the void stone. She could find Snoke, even if he wasn’t on Kafrene. She just…had to reach out to him, for once. He’d done it enough to her. Or to Kylo.

It was harder than she anticipated, not considering the stone in the equation. And the noise in the background.

She thought she heard Finn return, and that broke her reverie. She was startled to see not only Finn there, but Leia, as well. August looked a bit taken aback, as well. “General Organa.” How much trouble was he about to be in for letting Hux get kidnapped on his watch?
 
Paquin knew she wasn’t strong enough to handle them both, not at once. They were bigger than her, trained more than her. But she couldn’t just give up, let them skewer her and go take on the rest of the Knights. So she had to just figure it out.

Ariel adapted far more easily than Paquin, used to fighting. However, her instinctual urge to use the Force hindered her. A nuisance in the back of her head telling her not to shoot her hand out to push or pull something, or fail to block because her instinct is to use the Force. Ariel faced a guard, blocking a swing that would have lopped Paquin’s head right off. Once the other girl was out of the way, Ariel pushed against the weapon, gaining space before raising her saber to bring it down upon the guard.

It was her turn to be blocked and before she could strike again, she felt something wrap around her wrist. And then she felt the searing pain of the electric current. She grit her teeth, her eyes burning as they watered. She let her lightsaber go, dropping it to catch it with her free hand. She was yanked, hard, and she felt the whip cut into her skin, blood trickling down her arm. Ariel cursed under breath, baring her teeth The voulge wielder took advantage, swinging down onto her. With all the strength she could muster, she pulled the chain with her as she sidestepped, the voulge coming down on the other guard’s weapon, hacking off the tip of it and freeing her hand

While the guard attempted to recover from sabotaging his ally’s weapon, Ariel was quick to close the distance, bringing her lightsaber down on their unprotected neck, slicing clean through it, the armored head thudding on the ground. Paquin wasn’t having as much success.

Her opponents had smaller weapons, a smaller staff with a blade on one end and the other with a double-bladed vibro-weapon. They moved fast. Everything moved fast. Her lightsaber collided with the single-bladed weapon, but the length of it allowed the praetorian material to twist, the blunt end striking Paquin across the face. The blunt end drew back to hit the inside of her wrist, the sharp end still being blocked by her lightsaber. The position allowed the guard to twist her arm until her grip loosened, and pull, sending her lightsaber through the air. Without the Force, there was nothing she could do to stop it from clanging as it hit the ground across the room.

She didn’t have time to dwell on it as the guard swung at her, forcing her to duck. The other one jumped on her then, sweeping her legs out from under her and bringing one end of their weapon down to plunge into her. She grasped at the weapon to stop it from sinking right into her. A whine escaped the back of her throat as the weapon slipped through her hands, penetrating through her armor, into the flesh of her shoulder. She struggled to keep it from digging any deeper as the guard dragged it further, seeming to follow the lines of her collarbone.

She squirmed reeling her leg up and kicking as hard as she could at the praetorian’s knee. Paquin kicked the armor the first time, but it was enough to throw off their balance. And she kicked again, bringing her heel down on the top of their knee. She felt their kneecap move out of place. It was just enough of a distraction for Paquin to make a grab for their weapon, pulling out one end from her shoulder and jabbing the other end through the guard’s neck. Blood leaked from their neck onto her and as they went limp, Paquin shoved them off of her.

-

Finn had been surprised when he’d called Leia and she decided she would come to Coruscant herself. He’d told her he didn’t think that was necessary, they probably wouldn’t be there much longer anyway, but Leia insisted that it was important for her to come. The General of the First Order had been kidnapped, by his own father no less. And since they were temporary allies against Snoke, it was in the Resistance’s best interest to be involved. Though, Leia did understand the need to be discreet.

Matters hadn’t been much discussed over comms. Finn had given her basic details and she settled for learning more once she arrived, and she did arrive in record time.
It had been a while since Leia had last been on a core world, specifically Coruscant. Her appearances had been increasingly scarce since her time in the senate, largely operating the Resistance from the mid-rim and beyond. It was almost strange, being back into such a large, bustling atmosphere after spending so much time on undeveloped planets. Even though she used to spend so much time there. So, it wasn’t insignificant, Leia Organa’s presence on the planet.

“Governor Tarkin,” she greeted, hardly pleased. Her lips set in a thin line, and her expression said it all. “How in the hell does a General get kidnapped from a party? One in your own apartment, no less?” Leia had been surprised when Finn told her. Surprised that something like this could slip under August’s nose, that Terex of all people would. Brendol would be understandable, she supposed. Hux’s father, who everyone knew hated him. But she didn’t think anyone expected Brendol to act upon that hatred.

“We’re looking into it, General Organa.” Adelaide offered.

“I’m sure.”

“We’ve prioritized locating Hux. We’ve made some advancements since Finn left.”

“And I’d like to hear all about them. I’ve contacted a friend of mine, any new information will help.” Maz had been the first person Leia thought to call about all of this. Now, Maz hated the First Order, the child of the Empire. Leia did too. And they were both headstrong. But Maz understood the need. And Maz, with her castle on Takodana, had connections all over this galaxy. She knew the resources to track down where Hux had been taken.

But before any of that, Leia turned her attention to Mira. She knew of her companionship with Hux. And she knew of her reaction to Hux’s disappearance. She approached her, a small smile on her face as she held her hands out for Mira, that instinct that mothers have kicking in. “Admiral Vallens,” she greeted warmly. “Finn told me,” she said simply, quietly. Even if everyone could hear. Finn had told her, expressing he thought to ask her about it, given her own Force-sensitivity. But Leia didn’t quite use it like, say, Luke did. Or Rey. Or her son. “We’ll find him. I still need him around.” She assured, as if her own determination was enough to solidify her statement.
 
Gnaeus knew he was lucky with his strike to cut the voulge into two. The armor and weapons of the praetorian were mostly made for lightsaber combat, but there were always weak points. Even with the blade cut off, the praetorian didn’t let Gnaeus take the offensive. The pole itself was swung at Gnaeus’s head, and clocked him hard. He staggered to the right, and was struck again, this time the pole ramming into his chest and knocking him backwards.

He kept his feet, but he hardly considered it worth it.

An electro-bisento rammed through the back of his shoulder blade of his good arm, and out the front. He let out a cry, more startled than pained. Pain wasn’t registering yet. The blade was pulled out swiftly, leaving him disoriented for a moment. His grip was lost on the lightsaber, and it clattered to the ground.

The next strike of the pole sent him sprawling to the ground – but at least that put him close to his lightsaber.

He grabbed it, and just managed to roll onto his back and parry the bisento as it came down on him, but his strength was slipping, the pain thrumming up his good arm.



Kylo Ren could see what was occurring – he was hyper-alert to the situation with Paquin, with Gnaeus, and with Ariel, the first two worrying him and nearly taking him off his own game as he wanted to find ways around his opponent.

It was likely the reason the praetorian with the dual-daggers was able to keep him back, using agility and quick strikes, with backsteps, to keep Kylo Ren from getting close to his allies, or from doing any significant damage to the guard. His lightsaber kept flaring off the red armor as he lashed out whenever the other ventured forward.

His frustration as mounting.

As was his own desperation.

He took a few glancing blows from the daggers, but nothing more than slashes that would recover under bacta, to his side, or across his chest. And Kylo started to take them on purpose, letting himself give the appearance of being backed up – backed up to the tip of the voulge that Gnaeus had disarmed from one opponent.

He wasn’t getting anywhere with just one lightsaber.

As soon as his foot touched the bladed weapon on the ground, he ducked under the next slash and grabbed the voulge in one hand. He slashed up.

That was guarded.

His lightsaber went right through the praetorian’s chest, burning through the armor in the thrust.

The praetorian dropped and Kylo assessed the situation with the others immediately.

Gnaeus was still facing two.

Paquin had taken one down – and he really hoped most of that blood was from her opponent.

Ariel was doing all right.

So Kylo rushed at the back of the one who had just a pole left to him. He spun around, and Kylo deflected his attempt to hit him over the head with the voulge’s blade, while he slashed out with the lightsaber, striking the wrist, but not disarming him.

It would at least make sure Gnaeus just had to deal with the one bearing down on him, though Kylo was hoping to get to that one, soon. His strength wasn’t what he wanted it to be, without the aid of the Force.

~***~

Admittedly, August didn’t like the answer that they had, and let Adelaide interject. Camera footage of the apartment had shown the two Huxes drinking wine together, and August had followed up with his staff about that – apparently the General had been given poisoned wine. Needless to say, someone else was dead for that slip, too.

‘I got lax and hired more incompetent staff than I realized.’ Was the actual answer, but August didn’t say that. He was just as displeased as Leia. Likely more.

“Which friend?” August asked. He wanted to make sure he knew where information was going. Phasma would probably appreciate that – Leia may be an ally, but she had plenty of questionable ‘friends’, not even including the late Han Solo.

However, August wouldn’t press when after his question, Leia turned to Mira. They had opted to mostly leave her alone unless they had information – August recognized the meditation, and suspected she was trying out her own way of reaching Hux. Or just keeping calm. Both were good right now, where little could be done directly.

Mira felt a bit odd to be addressed by Leia as ‘Admiral Vallens’, but she accepted it, returning, “General Organa,” as she reached for the hands. Things might be strange between them, and likely was going to remain that way for a while, but Leia had taken her back when she left the Knights. When she left the Order.

And Leia had humored peace-talks with Hux when she brought it up, when she tried to arrange it – so she would trust Leia, no matter the strangeness of it that she still felt in Leia’s presence.

It didn’t surprise her, really, that Finn told. “I’m okay now,” as okay as she could be. “They took Hux to Kafrene – they took him to Ky—Ben.” Was it better or worse to use Kylo, or Ben, around Leia? Mira was never certain.

She’d made it clear what name she preferred for herself. The name she was born with, was dead, but Leia may not feel that way about Kylo. And he wasn’t there to defend it, in any case.

August just sighed. Of course Mira would just give Leia information without knowing which friend it might go back to. "I can't find them in the Force, but Hux had the Void Stone with him."
 
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