Confronting Fear

Ach-To

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere

Mad World -

Maker, she hated that mask. No, hate wasn't strong enough a word to describe it, she loathed it. They were walking, or rather marching as their footsteps were so perfectly in sync it appeared rehearsed, to the throne room two floors below, and Ben was once again wearing that gruesome thing. She'd hoped after their warm welcome on Chalcedon that he might forego it for good, but it seems her hopes were in vain.

Technically the turbolift that serviced their floor would have gotten them there much quicker, but Ben had wanted to make a show of their arrival. And a show it had been. Stormtroopers and officers of all ranks lined the halls at attention saluting them as they strode past them. There must have been tens of thousands of them, their mere presence overwhelming her. The only thing that kept her from bolting was Ben's calming presence in her mind holding her steady as their essences twirled together at the edges creating a perfect balance of Light and Dark.

A part of her had to wonder just how much of his love for displays of pomp and power came from the Dark and how much was a by-product of his upbringing as the son of a princess/senator/general. Even now, Leia had a certain fondness for protocol and had no qualms about putting those that challenged her authority in their place. Like Ben, she too wanted to bring peace to a galaxy in turmoil. Despite the large variances in their methods, in many ways, Ben Solo was truly his mother's son.

Once she had drawn a bright red line between Ben Solo and Kylo Ren, but that line had become blurred to the point of not knowing which was which anymore. There were moments he was tender, kind, and compassionate when she knew she was talking to Ben Solo just as there were moments she was clearly in the presence of Kylo Ren. More and more often she was finding herself in a grey area wherein she didn't know to whom she was speaking, or maybe it was both.

That grayness was reflected now in his aura as well. It was still almost black but shot through with bright points of Light like a star-filled night sky. They were much like the Dark flame burning at the center of her own bright aura. Perhaps they had both become Gray. Different versions of Gray to be sure, but Gray nonetheless.

As they approached the throne room she could feel the Dark-Side coming from somewhere up ahead making her teeth ache. The source was found when she found herself face-to-face with two of Ben's Knights flanking the door. It was the first time she'd seen them since Bracca. She wondered dimly if they were the ones that shot her.

The doors opened silently when Rey and the Supreme Leader approached, followed closely behind by the members of the Supreme Council.

The new throne room was much larger than the old but set up almost identically with a black and silver carpet leading to the thrones, the very same thrones that had been aboard the Steadfast.

They forgot her clothes but could move those damn things.

They were flanked by two more of his Knights and she could sense the other two at the far end of the room, nearly invisible against the blackness of space behind them.

Rey tucked the train of her long black dress behind her ankles as she sat down, the nine kneeling men and women rising as she did so.

Nine?????

"Where is General Hux?" Ben asked, suspicion seeping through the vocoder in his mask.

"General Hux seems to have fled the ship several days ago, right after you began your mission." Allegiant General Pryde revealed.