Breeder ~ A Kylo Ren Fanfiction

62

Kylo Ren's POV

For the first twenty minutes, I didn't worry. Astrid had a long way to travel, and she was pregnant, I just had to be patient. But, after a half-hour, then an hour, and finally two, I knew something had gone horribly wrong. I waited so long because I hoped and prayed she'd show up eventually, saying she had to hide from Stormtroopers in the hall and that's why it took her over an hour to make the journey from the gestation suites.

I secured my lightsaber to my waist, tightening the cinches on my gloves and jacket, but before I could set out to find Astrid, I placed a palm on the glass of the escape pod. I couldn't leave this working pod unattended, so, with an agitated side, I pressed the launch button, watching it drop out of place, shooting into space, unoccupied.

Even though I'd resented the idea of sending Astrid back to her home planet, I didn't feel any satisfaction in ruining her escape plan now, not when something awful must've happened to keep her from me.

I hustled down to the gestation suites, hoping I didn't look too rushed or fearful, but, for once, no one was paying attention to me. Doctors and guards sprinted past me, one even slamming into my shoulder without stopping to apologize, beg my forgiveness.

Heart thumping in my throat, I grabbed a doctor by his collar, pulling his face to mine. "Where are you going?"

"The suites," the man gasped, face white. "A Breeder's been injured."

I don't remember letting him go, or breaking out into a run, but suddenly, the world was rushing past me, the dark, winding halls leading me deeper and deeper into the planet. If something happened to Astrid, it was my fault. I made this shitty escape plan, I rushed it into action because I worried I'd lose my nerve, and now she was hurt. Who did it? Grandmother Bee, a harpy, one of the other girls? I'd kill whoever harmed her- I'd rip the bitch limb from limb, spray their blood on all four walls, set the pieces on fire.

To my surprise, the doors to suites were wide open. The pregnant women were always kept under lock and key, especially since the destruction of Evigilo; Breeders were more important than ever. No one attempted to stop me from entering, and, as I did, my rage dissipated, transforming into despair. Astrid dragged me out of the dark and into the light, and now I'd pay the price for that weakness.

Inside, most of the women were corralled into a corner of the main room, trembling, weeping, the scent of blood and vomit nearly making me gag. A wall of Stormtroopers guarded them, presumably to keep them from running away, but none looked strong enough to so much as attempt a getaway.

I didn't sense Astrid anywhere, but, then again, her Jedi blood sometimes made her challenging to trace. Noticing a huddle of doctors and black-clad guards, I shoved them out of the way, the heavy presence of death dragging me into the ground. With a sigh of relief, I realized it was the Vigilax, Hux's Breeder. I even felt a sick twinge of satisfaction as I watched a nurse remove the general's ruined fetus from her stomach. The harpies stood off to the side, covered in blood, faces ashen, Grandmother Bee nowhere to be found.

"Where is she?" I demanded of a redheaded harpy. "Where's Astrid?"

She looked up at me, swallowing thickly. "She did this; she killed Lynx."

"What? No, she wouldn't." I shook my head, running a hand through my hair. "Just tell me where the fuck she is."

"Astrid murdered another Breeder, where do you think she is?"

Oh shit.

I sprinted out of the suites as quickly as I came, chest heaving. My body didn't know how to handle physical exertion and emotional desperation at the same time. The Supreme Leader tried to train these pathetic feelings out of me, making me a weapon like my grandfather. I'd come so close, so achingly close. She ruined me. I loved her, but she ruined me.

When I finally got to the box, I saw CaptainPhasma speaking with two troopers, her posture so casual it set my teeth on edge.

"Phasma," I barked, mustering up as much aggression as I could. "Where is she?"

"I assume you're referring to B-3025?"

"Her name is Astrid," I hissed.

"We're holding her prisoner, as is protocol, though I never thought we'd have a Breeder deranged enough to stab someone to death-"

I reached out, using the force to slam her against the wall. She whimpered, attempted to roll over before slumping onto the floor. I'd never done something like that to an officer. Grunt soldiers and measly engineers were fair game for my rage, but captains and commanders were off-limits. I couldn't stop to worry, turning to face down the quivering Stormtroopers, flicking my head to indicate I wanted them to bring me to Astrid, which they did without hesitation.

The door creaked open, casting a triangle of light on a body curled up in the center of the small room. Hearing my footsteps, she pulled her limbs tighter around herself.

"Please just leave me alone."

"Astrid, baby, it's me, it's-" I turned around, shooing off the troopers before leaning close to her ear. "It's Ben."

"No, no, just leave me alone, you want to hurt me, leave me alone!"

She thrashed, kicking at me and punching her tiny, weak fists. I attempted to restrain her, not worried she'd hurt me but terrified she hurt herself or our child. I cradled her head, feeling anger, sadness, fear, self-hatred, and shame, but beyond those emotions, everything else was a blur. Why did she have to have a force-resistant brain?

I laid down beside her, pulling her to my chest. "It's me, it's Ben. I'm here to save you."

"It's too late; everything is ruined."

Her breath left her chest in ragged gasps, tears streaming down her cheeks. If I wanted to help her, I needed to stop her from panicking. With a cool mind, there was nothing she couldn't do.

I pressed my forehead to hers, attempting to push my way into her brain. "Let me in." But the wall remained opaque. "Please, baby, I love you so much. Let me in, let me help you."

She gasped, shuddering like she'd caught a sudden chill, and the tendrils of the force pierced her mental veil. I couldn't hear her every thought or access the pools of her memory like I could with nearly everyone else, but I was able to turn down the volume on the pain. Her features relaxed, the tension leaving her muscles, pulse slowing until it was almost back to normal.

"Go to sleep." I scooped her limp body into my arms. "I'm getting you out of here."