Cosmic Embrace

XV.

A droid had been summoned to escort Arabella to the hangar. There, she noticed a small squad of four stormtroopers lined up outside a command shuttle, which she presumed to be Ren's other ship. Scanning the area for him, she found no sign of Ren amidst the activity.

As Arabella stood observing the movements around her, she felt a tall figure bump into her arm. Frowning, she was about to speak when Ren handed her a neatly folded dark purple fabric.

"What is this?" Arabella inspected the heavy fabric, then realization dawned on her. It was a cape similar to the one she was already wearing, with matching flower embroidery at the hood and hem, but in a darker shade. "I already have a cape, I don't need another one."

"You stand out too much. This darker one will help you blend in. We can't risk exposing your identity," Ren's robotic voice interjected.

"Why? Afraid someone else will kidnap me?" Arabella joked.

Under his mask, Ren smirked, "They would be doing me a favor."

Arabella's heart sank. She hadn't considered the army general back in Cosmara. No one had even attempted to find her. Perhaps they thought she was dead? Did no one care that she had been missing for weeks now? Aria, General Yada, anyone?

Her fingers traced the embroidery of the cape, identical to the one on her own. It had been specially made for her by Aria's father. How did Ren manage to procure the same pattern? She could tell it had been hand-stitched. Did Kylo Ren go all the way to Cosmara to obtain a new cape from her tailor?

Arabella mentally scoffed. No, there's no way Commander Ren would bother with such a thoughtful gesture, let alone risk being seen in Cosmara. There would be too many questions.

She proceeded to replace her original cape with the one provided by Kylo Ren. As she clasped the emblem in the middle, she looked down at it. In chrome color was the First Order symbol. She swallowed, feeling discomfort.

"RA-7, bring this back to my quarters," she instructed the droid beside her.

Making her way into the command shuttle, Arabella wondered where she would sit. Walking to the shuttle's bridge, she found two pilots seated at the front with Ren observing them. He signaled towards extra seats on the side. Arabella nodded and took her place.

Closing her eyes, she listened to the pilots activating switches and pressing buttons. Part of Arabella's training in Cosmara included learning to fly small ships, though it wasn't her favorite activity. She often became sick from the movement. The only times she ever flew were when visiting nearby planets with her father. If given the choice, she always opted to stay behind.

Ren glanced back at Arabella as she took deep breaths. He could sense her nerves and anxiety. She should be glad I'm not the one flying, he thought. His eyes trailed down the cape he had given her. She looked beautiful, dark, and mysterious. Returning his gaze to the front of the shuttle, it began to lift off.

Kylo settled into the seat beside her, her eyes still closed as they ascended through space. Slowly, she opened them, realizing the commander was beside her. She had been lost in her thoughts, unaware of his presence.

"I've never been to Takodana," Arabella's voice trailed off, her gaze shifting to Ren. "Have you?"

Of course, he had been there countless times. It was his father's preferred haunt for dealing with shady characters and clandestine negotiations. He knew the planet intimately, aware that any sightings by locals would eventually reach his father's ears through word of mouth. He tore his eyes from the window to meet the princess's gaze; her dark brown eyes seemed almost black in the dim light.