The Flame (sequel to Kidnapped by Kylo Ren)

Chapter 13

KYLO'S POV

I felt myself regain consciousness. 

Where am I?, I thought weakly, my eyes not yet open. 

And then the memories flew back to me -- every moment of Nira and my fight ran through my head in less than a second. 

I shot to my feet and quickly looked around, now entirely alert. The grey floor and mats sizzled, severely charred. The temperature in the room was excessively hot. The arena doors were closed. Sweat coated my body and the heat wrapped itself around me.

A quick survey of the room affirmed the one fear running through my head -- Nira wasn't there. 

So where is she?, I thought worriedly, walking quickly to the arena doors. I pressed the button to open them but was greeted by a low-pitched beeping sound. I stared in confusion at the button and pressed it again, only to hear the beeps once more. 

I didn't have time to be locked in the arena. I had just fought Nira and I needed to find her. I pulled out my lightsaber and ignited the beast, then quickly pushed the blade through the center of the doors. The doors flew open and I was greeted by more rubble. I extended a hand forwards and used the force to efficiently send the rubble exploding backwards into the hall. 

I stepped over the pieces as I quickly made my way down the corridor and used a transporter to get to the main hangar. 

I stormed into the control room and all of the employees looked up at me with flurried, anxious expressions. 

"Where is she?" I demanded to the control room that fell silent upon my entrance. 

One brave man stood up, swallowed, and weakly admitted, "Sir, Ms. Nira Leven stole a cruiser and escaped the base. Tracker was disabled. We . . . Don't know where she went." 

And suddenly a fire sprouted inside my chest that spread throughout my veins and into my mind. Nira was gone, and I was the one that had chased her off -- I'm sure of it. Moments passed where the employees watched me as anger clearly surmounted in me. My fingers were tingling, itching to grab my lightsaber again and lash out at one of these people. 

"Well, what are you waiting for!" I exclaimed furiously, "Start searching for her!" 

I then began powerfully pacing around the control room's perimeter, shouting commands. Employees nearly sprinted to their stations to get out of my way and start doing what I said. 

"I want a high, high bounty on her to be alive and kept somewhere safe for the First Order to come retrieve her! I want that sent out to every planetary system! And someone prepare a hologram to the council for me, now!" I bellowed. 

I stood in front of the blue screen and recorded my message, trying to pull the fury from my voice. "Urgent council meeting immediately. Drop all other duties and report to the central center."

I then left the control room without another word and headed to the conference hall. 

*****

"So, Nira escaped, and sent the transmission to the Legion of Chrome?" Hux repeated in a drawl of disbelief. I stiffly nodded. 

I stood before the entire council who looked a mixture of worried and angry. 

"Well it's obvious we have to go along with her plan now. She's given us but no choice." Hux asserted in a businesslike manner. 

"Or we could just submit." A councilman down the table suggested. 

"No." I immediately shot back. 

"You know, Nira's plan isn't half bad. It could work. It's got potential." Hux commented seriously.

"And that's the plan we have to go along with. Alert the squadrons to prepare or report immediately back to base, the commerce dealers to begin getting more weapons, transports, and attack ships, and recruiters to finish their missions quickly. We need everyone to be ready to fight whenever the Legion of Chrome arrives or acts. More importantly, we need everyone to keep the plan within the organization. This cannot be leaked to Aero. Council adjourned." I ordered, and everyone quickly stood up and began filing out of the room. 

The aura was tense and serious. I stood at my seat until everyone had filed from the room and I was alone. 

Then I sat back down in my seat and let the intensity of the situation weigh down onto my back. And I thought of my wife, my love, out there somewhere lost or in danger -- although I do believe Nira could handle herself -- and I thought of how she left. 

She left me. 

What does this mean for us? Are we over?

No. I can't let myself think like that right now.

I rest my elbows on my knees and tilted my head down, letting my head fall into my palms. I stared at my feet, emotions whirling through me more vivaciously than a hurricane. 

I pushed my fingers tensely through my hair and let a scream of anger seep through my teeth, until I couldn't contain myself anymore. I burst to my feet and slashed my lightsaber outwards.

I pivoted to the wall of the conference hall and began furiously destroying the wall, bringing my lightsaber down upon it over and over again. Roars of fury burst through my lips and my vision was blurred with anger. My arms whirled downwards, strength coursing through them.

"Supreme leader!" A voice sharply interrupted through the backdrop of my anger. I halted my vicious motions, my chest heaving with labored breaths and my lightsaber humming at my side. 

I turned abruptly to see Hux looking at me, appalled. 

"What do you want?" I shot at him through labored breaths, and he blinked hard. 

"You must recollect yourself or we will never find Nira!" Hux urged condescendingly. I glared at him with mutiny, panting. 

Hux took a few steps towards me and then hesitated. "Put that thing away." He chastised. I reluctantly sheathed my lightsaber and Hux closed the gap between us. 

We both sat at the conference table in our usual seats. Silence ensued, and I could feel the absence of Nira's presence already starting to bite painfully at my insides. I stared at Hux, trying to block out the pain. 

"Try and reach out to her." Hux told me. I slowly nodded, turning away from him and shutting my eyes. 

I closed down my body physically and opened the doors of my mind to let the force stream outwards and begin searching the planes of the universe for Nira's being. 

I could feel the force soaring through space, searching, reaching, until finally I sensed warmth coming from somewhere far east from our base . . . Nira's warmth . . . 

And then I made contact. 

It was as if I opened my eyes and was now standing a room submerged in darkness. Several feet away, Nira stood. 

"Nira." I called out. She was wearing her training uniform -- tight black clothes and combat boots. She didn't acknowledge me. 

"Nira!" I called louder, and this time she abruptly turned to see me. Making eye contact with her drained all of the anger from my body and all I wanted was to have her back. I felt magnetized to her. 

I followed my instinct and began striding towards her. A look of fear dawned over Nira's face and then she began to blur. 

"No," I frantically objected as her body turned to mist. I reached out to grab her but my fingers grasped on a few wisps of her spirit, "NO!"

And then I was standing in the conference room again, staring straight at the door. Silence consumed the room. I looked down to Hux and said the few most victorious words heard in the past two weeks.

"I found her." 

_____