Copper for the Charlatan

Old Scars, New Wounds

Hux & Ichara's plans swing into action, and Kylo has to decide if he's going to be galvanized or broken by what happens next- as does the Resistance.

"Ben wasn't the only one who loved her."

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for .)

Chapter Text

Kylo was standing in his living area, looking down at his stomach where the bolts went through him. He couldn't really be hurt through the force bond, but being shot still sent an odd electric shock through him. When he found Rey he couldn't even feel Ichara beside her and noticed she didn't resist him with the force at all. He didn't know what lies she'd told them, but they clearly weren't aware of who and what she was. The only reason she'd be cuffed in something so easily removed would be because she wanted to be.

It made no sense... unless she really did want to escape him? He couldn't deny that the thought hurt a little bit. Truthfully she could have left any time she wanted if she truly desired it, though. He'd thought it was ridiculous that she'd been captured in the first place, and assumed someone must have had the element of surprise and knocked her unconscious. After seeing her contentedly cuffed beside Rey, though, her intending on being caught made more sense.

Rey.

He knew she'd be angry with him, but seeing her beside Ichara made him worry for her. She wasn't too covert about her jealousy of their interactions, and was afraid there was ill-will harbored she intended to act on. Rey was strong, though, stronger than she knew.

But if Ichara had wanted to turn on him she had two perfect opportunities and didn't act on them. Seeing as Hux still cared for her that would give him a second reason on top of his loathing to jump at the chance to dispose of Kylo, so getting him to act would have been easy for her. Maybe she was working to get Rey from the inside?

There were so many unanswered questions circling in his mind, and each one had so much riding on it. He couldn't focus with all the noise inside his head. He growled in frustration as a crackling red arc maimed the couch beside him, hacking until it was an indistinguishable pile of blackened bits. On the table beside it still lay the flower Rey had left behind, its petals wilted to an ugly brown. He sliced through it in a savage backswing, and continued on to destroy every piece of furniture in the room until he was exhausted, arms aching.
-

"I hope you have a back up plan should this fail, it's all incredibly risky." Hux had commandeered an engineering control panel in the bridge, fingers flying across the screen as he modified an existing program to be compatible with the older ships the rebels used.

"I am the back up plan, Hux. I've been in some pretty tight situations, this won't be any different."

"While your confidence gives me faith in you, dear, your ego is reminding me of Ren."

Her heart skipped at the endearment. She rubbed his back with one hand and bent down to whisper over his shoulder. "It's not my 'ego' speaking if it's true." Heat prickled his cheeks- it was an incredibly intimate gesture for someone as uptight as him, and it didn't go unnoticed by other officers when he let her do it.

He turned his head, face just inches from hers. "Are you quite aware that you're completely insufferable?"

She wanted to close the distance and press her lips to his, and it took every ounce of self control she had not to just do it right there. She moved close enough for her lips to just brush the tip of his ear. "Careful, General, I almost bit your tongue for you."

He exhaled sharply, "I can't very well complete this program if you continue harassing me."

She stood up and leant against the side of the panel, grinning, watching him as he worked. The red symbols of the console cast a soft crimson glow across his face, his brow furrowed in concentration, his lips sometimes moving as he muttered to himself. She thought he was absolutely gorgeous.