DEFIANT • kylo ren (18+)

22 - An ocean of darkness.

Your nerves return as you board the ship.

Being back in this huge control centre is daunting, to put it nicely. Your ears ring as shouting and engine noise surrounds you.

You follow the Knights closely, their chunky black silhouettes are difficult to miss. Their weapons shine when the angle hits the light, and you feel the weight of yours on your hip.

The blaster they had supplied you is small, and you recognised it as the pistol stormtroopers and officers carry. The SE-44C, only yours is completely black. You like it. You like the power it gives you. Most of all, you like that you're being trusted to have it. Especially after what you pulled with Cardo.

Along the way, Kuruk had joined you, carrying the most beautiful heavy blaster rifle you've ever seen in your life. It's length stretches half of Kuruk, who is a significantly tall man, and - knowing how heavy that thing must be - you're shocked at how he holds it.

You think it's a DLT-19D, used for sniping primarily, which makes sense after what you were told about Kuruk liking to be solitary.

You have a little bit of a thing for guns. You wanted to ask to hold it, but figured that'd be weird. Despite blasters reminding you of your father - someone you've spent the years of your life trying not to care about - your fascination stuck.

Aboard the ship brings comfort. Now free of your cast, after one of the Knights had cut it off your wrist, you can move completely of your own volition.

The door closes the noise of the command centre away and you're uplifted. Unfortunately, it also brings you closer to the tension between Cardo and the rest of you.

Cardo is moments away from squeezing your neck until your head pops off, while Vicrul is stood between the two of you like a pissed off caretaker.

"Can I sit at the front?" Your eyes light up when you realise this trip may mean you get to witness lightspeed again.

"No." Vicruls response is so grouchy you have to stifle your immediate urge to laugh.

"You're no fun." You say instead, peeping at Cardo who grabs a hold of a handle close to the ceiling for support. Kuruk takes the pilot seat, settling into routine checks as his fingers flip switches and press buttons.

"We are not here for fun. Sit down." Vicrul's leather clad hand smacks onto your shoulder, manoeuvring you into a nearby chair. You don't bother putting up a fight, his hand is too steady and his voice is too grave.

Ushar is grumbling something to himself across the ship while he does his pre-flight checks. His club, which you've noticed he carries everywhere, is leaning against the wall beside him. It's even stupidly larger than Kuruk's gun, and is as tall as him, with the spiked and bladed end as thick as his helmet.

That thing has definitely crushed a skull or two.

"Let me pilot for once." Ushar isn't asking, not really, he's almost challenging in the way he suggests things. Like he's pressing you to say no, just to give him something interesting to do.

Kuruk lets this dangle in the air.

"Co-pilot." He eventually counters, doing something with the controls that causes the entire ship to begin vibrating, the engine spurring to life. Your fingers wrap around the chair underneath you.

The last time you'd ran from Ren he'd been very upset. Every time you'd ran it'd been a power struggle between the two of you. How would he handle it now that things have changed?

How will you handle it?

"Co-pilot, my ass. You get to do all the good stuff." Despite his complaints, Ushar settles into the co-pilots seat. Trudgen happily lounges in the one across from you, and jokingly raises his hands to create a love heart with his fingers for you. You flash him your middle finger in response.