Collision

10. The rule of two

"Two there should be. No more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it."―Darth Bane


Exegol
"I know what I saw master, this can't be!" It was the next day from her mission since when Azam got to Exegol yesteday she was out.
Palpatine didn't even got that mad at her for being drunk, he only asked her if she had gotten the information.
"You weren't on all your senses Azam" Palpatine declared.
Even if Azam was kneeled in respect she was still daring him with her eyes.
"Master..."
"Azam, you've read thousands of times the books of the Sith. There are no other Sith's but you and me."
They shouldn't be. As the rule stated, only two shall exist. One master and one apprentice, but still... then she remembered what she had felt before, inside the guy.
Conflict.
There was light.
"Is it possible... that jedi's still exist, Master? One different from Luke Skywalker?"
"We're not having this discussion right now Azam, I didn't punish you for your mistakes but if you keep pressing with this nonesense then I will."
"But master, if I could remember the message then I swear, I reallys wear to you master that there was someone in those woods with a red lightsaber... and he had control of the force."Azam was about smack her fist on the ground.
"Enough! yes, maybe you saw someone Azam, but that doesn't turn them into Siths. I don't wan to hear more about this. You didn't even completed the task as I ordered you to, getting drunk and threatening someone isn't seduction, in fact  you didn't even use it. Perhaps you are a little too young..."  Palpatine looked down at her and in that  moment she felt minuscule.
Suddenly the statues of the Emperor seemed bigger, and the crow made her feel trapped, and Palpatine's empty eyes... they sent chills down her spine. Azam gulped in fear for a second.
"Master"
"Until you prove to me that you've grown up you can't go out again Azam."
"I'm sorry, I completed the task. Please, Master, give me another chance" She didn't care where she was sent to, as long as she had another chance to see other places. Exegol did feel like home to her but... there was a part of her that wanted to get to know all the galaxy.
"I think you don't do well in crowds Azam, and you don't think before you act. Yesterday was your first and last mission" 
No, no! What hurt her more wasn't the fact that she had to stay here, but that he felt like she had failed him.
Azam then kneeled with both knees and bowed down, her head to the ground as she pleaded for another chance.
"My intention was never to fail you or dissapoint you. If I insist in this is because I don't want anything to get between you and the galaxy. Emperor, I beg you for another chance." Azam felt ashame when a tear rolled down her face, towards her forehead.
Palpatine made the slightless smile as he saw the state of the girl.
He loved her obedience.
But there was some thruth to his words. The kid started drinking and lost control because she was afraid to be in such a large group of people. She had had minimal interaction with no one but him.
She was stupid in the sense of fulfilling any social task.
Another year confined in Exegol, allowing her to talk to that little trooper friend of her and slowly forcing her into small crowds would help her with that.
After all Palpatine did want his own spy.
"Next year, we'll see if you can go out" he then sentenced.
Azam dug her nails into her palms not to cry anymore. She stood up and bowed, then left.

The girl was gonna find out about Kylo Ren eventually, he had contemplated it, and it was part of his plan. What would the Dyad be helpful for if not?But not yet. They shouldn't meet just yet.
He was a genious, he thouht.
Azam was right about the rule of two, but you see. Snoke is nothing more but an extension of Palpatine himself and Kylo Ren had a piece of Azam soul, her force inside him.
They were like mirrors.
Palpatine standing next to Azam and on their reflection Snoke standing next to Kylo.
Exactly two. No more.


First Order Star destroyer
"I assume you've already informed the east camp about this" Snoke said.
"I have"
"Your mission was somehow a success then. Congratulations on being capabl of remembering a few lines" Snoke was teasing Kylo.
He had been angry since he came back from Jambu.
He couldn't stop thinking about the girl, there was something weird about her. He had contemplated telling Snoke about her but he was pretty sure that he would only laugh in his face.
"I've also told the other camps to be alert, the last thing we want is to run out of stormtroopers or our army" Kylo said.
"Where's that thing of yours?" 
"What?"
"Your imitation of Vader's mask"
Kylo didn't answer.
The thruth was that he didn't feel like wearing it right now.
"Well then, I'll wait for your reports of when you test the star destroyer" That made Kylo lift his head.
"Is it ready?"
"General Hux told me that by tomorrow it should be ready, and you'll have my permission to end the suporters of the republic, which as you know are suporters of the resistance."
Kylo controlled his thoughts not to go to his parents.
"Of course, master."
WIithout another word Snoke's hologram dissapeared and Kylo stormed to his room.
The reality was that he had been mad since that girl left yesterday.
He needed answers.
Deep down he knew that the real thing was that bothering him was the fact that she had called him a Sith and a traitor.
Had he became a Sith yet? he couldn't be sure. He felt constantly mad at himself for still dreaming about his family and having a feeling like he had lost something, like a piece was missing.
The girl... she had gotten inside his head.
He remembered how she felt, her power to be more exact.
There was no light side of her. Only darkness.
About the traitor part... what was she talking about?
Who was her and what was she doing there? of all places? Where had she gotten that lightsaber from?
Maybe she was like his knights. Able to control the force but on a superficial level... that theory didn't convince him.
He'll have to investigate by himself.
"Grandfather..." Kylo sighed running his hand over the pieces of his grandfathers mask.

This time there was no answer for him.


Exegol
After weeks of looking through the books at her disposition Azam had found no clues about the guy, or more siths.
She had learned to take her punishment and listen even more to what Palpatine told her to do.
One year... talking about something Palpatine didn't want to hear had cost her another year locked on Exegol.
At least she had her usual routine.
Wake up, train, eat, train, train, a little break, study, train, sleep, repeat.
Azam noticed that lately she had been able to ran into Jilyn more and chat with her.
And also noticed that sotimes Palpatine's trainings had started to incorporate a little "mission" before she attacked.
If she had only done her job well then Palpatine would have never gotten mad.
In the end she didn't even find out what Palpatine did with the information but hoped that at least it was useful.
Sometimes, at night, she would remember the guy with the weird lightsaber.
"Traitor" she whispered.
She despised him for being weak. She still didn't understand what his purpose or existense was at all, but everytime she thought about the light inside him... she trained even harder.
Got stronger, remembered her Sith teachings and called more for the dark, afraid that somehow meting him had swiped some of it away.
The light side was commonly used by the Jedi's, and they all had to be gone.
There was no doubt in her mind that she belonged to the dark and had no plans on it ever changing.




First Order star destroyer
The weapon turned out not to be ready in the following days, nor in weeks, so Kylo still had time before he had to inevitably face his parents and kill them for serving the resistance.
Since his trip to Jambu he hated his weakness more and more, sometimes feeling mad at himself out of nowhere and feeling a push to the dark even stronger than the one he had felt in Dagobah.
He felt like there was a part of his mind pushing him to change, to be strong, to fully embrace his dark side and leave no trace of his past.
It wasn't easy and during his time trying to improve he noticed he got more explosive,more agressive.
Many planets had payed for his rage.
He searched desperately for a source of strength and often he found it on destroying planets.
Snoke still treated him unfair, but Kylo noticed that there was a little respect for him now.
The First Order had gained a lot more territory since Kylo started to change, putting all his efforts on being the Leader the Order needed, the right apprentice. Someone his grandfatehr would be proud of, someone who was coming to get the galaxy.

Today he was back from a tiring day of "negotiating with some rebel groups near the Kady system.
He undressed to get ready for the shower.
As he did he noticed the dried blood on his clothes and his mask. 
His gloves were the worst.
He imagine dthat if he took those pieces and put them in the water everything would turn red.
He could almost smell the metal in blood.

During his shower his mind was crowded of thoughts of where should be his next place to visit.
There wasn't time for wonder anymore, for thinking about the girl or about anything else that didn't have to do with the First Order winning.



Exegol
"Again" 
Azam was tired of this. Her head throbbed from the effort and she felt like she was going to pass out any moment now.
Still, she complied.
"You're going to fire you arms towards the rock on your left" Azam commanded.
There was a group of twenty stormtroopers standing before her, and none of them moved.
"Come on!" screaming didn't convince them either.
"Again, Azam. Speak louder, with intention. Come on, you've alreadyd one it with groups of five people.
She couldn't help but huff. Controling five people was nothing compared to controlling twenty.
"Master..."
"Again!"
Azam couldn't even talk loud now.
"You're going to fire your arms towards the rock on your left!" once again, nothing.
She almost cried, and wondered if she did as tears of sweat rolled down her face and neck.
Today Jilyn had had the bad luck of being aroun when the Emperor called for the group to join so Azam could train and even if she had tried to keep her distance she felt bad looking how Azam was battling.
"How are you supposed to help me if you can't take twenty people Azam?! They're nothing! come on."
Azam wanted to do it. She really did but her mind was too tired for now.
She bit the inside of her mouth as she was used to do when she was too tired. She reached this point during almost all her trainings which is why her mouth was constantly bloody.
She closed her eyes, trying to feel the force in the room and using her to her advantage.
"You're going to fire you arms towards the rock on your left" her voice trembled a little from the effort but her orders were finally answered.
"I did it! I- I..." she was feeling dizzy.
"The other twenty, come here!" Palpatine called and twenty more joined the crowd.
"Azam..." Jilyn murmured as low as she could, she had  taken a step in her direction withouth noticing.
Was everyone here blind or why wasn't the Emperor stopping, that poor girl was about to collapse.
"Give them the same comand" Palpatine instructed.
Azam swallowed hard and took a wider stance. She took deep breaths as she prepared her mind for the even heavier load of work this would take her.
"Yo- you're going to- "
"What are you doing?! come on" Palpatine was getting impatient. With his force he made Azam turn in his direction, he took her arm and squeezed hard.
"At this rate you'll never be a powerful Sith! look at you. Pathetic. Show me your power Azam!"
Azam hated when he shouted at  her. It made her feel stupid and she hated it.
It made him bigger, stronger in her eyes and made her less.
"I'm tired! I'm not doing this!" she screamed trying to set free.
"You are!"
"I'm not! I'm going! I don't want to do this!" 
The girl hadn't crossed Palpatine in years.
"You are doing it, because I am the only one who give orders here! So if I say do it, you do it!" He dug his nails on her arms as he shook her and then to her surprise he slapped her.
The sound of Palpatine's cold hand gitting her soft cheeck traveled through all the throne room and send Azam to the ground.
When she turned to look at him there was a small filament of blood dripping down her mouth and her eyes stung from crying.
"Get up!"
She slowly did.
"Now, do it." His patience was gone and Azam felt more scared of him than she had felt in years.
"You're- y-" her voice was failing her.
"Use your anger"
She had lots of that at the moment, and pain. So she used them.
"You're going to fire your arms towards the rock on your left" Her nails had already drawn blood from her palms, but at least it  worked.
As the gun shots hit the rock, Azam collapsed on the ground.

"Someone take her to the medical rool and give her something to wake up" Palpatine exclaimed giving her body one unamused look and going away.
Jilyn took a step forward to take care of Azam, once inside the medical room she took off her helmet and examined the poor girl.
Of course Jilyn had had a hard time growing up in the stormtrooper camps but... she couldn't imagine someone having such a burden and suffering as the litle kid lying on the stretcher right now.



First Order star killer
"Supreme Leader Snoke wants to talk to you Sir" admiral Jand informed Kylo as soon as he got inside the ship.
"Tell him I'll call him later"
He could only give two steps before the imponent image of Snoke covered his way.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He roared.
All the admirals and troopers present straightened up and we're thankful for not being Kylo in this moment, althought none could swear that nothing was going to happen to them.
Hux seemed to be the only one smiling.
Kylo clenched his fists.
"I'm back from a mission"
"You're doing nothing! that's what you're doing. A mission... your missions mean nothing!" Snoke continued screaming.
"I shut down another rebel cam-"
"Did you know that while you were out there playing with your lightsaber, the fucking rebels found one of our weapon factories!? Did you? and they took them!"
"I... didn't know that" Kylo admited.
"This morning I informed Commander Kylo Ren of suspicious activity near our biggest weapon factory, but he insisted on coming to this rebel base" Hux said.
"You didn't tell me it was this factory!"
"He even told us that you had sent him here" Hux added.
Kylo force chocked him and slammed him on the floor, only to be slammed on the floor by Snoke.
"Show your fucking face as you tell me all this nonesense!" Snoke exclaimed.
Kylo took off his mask only  to rebeal some blood dripping from his nose and a filament of blood coming from his mouth.
"I said that we had to eliminate this camp, but I didn't know that the rebels were so close to the factory"
"What good exactly do you think you're doing erasing little camps of four stupid people that are with the resistance huh? Now you need to get those weapons back and stop acting like a child with your stupid plans!"
Kylo didn't say he was sorry or try to come up with more excuses, instead he stood there taking all Snoke had to say.
"General Hux! Do your damn job as a general and stop making me regret giving you this job! You two idiots have a much bigger threat now!"
"I've managed to reduce the number of rebels significantly" Kylo argued.
"I don't care! If you really want to end the rebel scum what you should do is find General Organa and kill her! she's the one giving the orders! When the star destroyer is ready we'll take care of whoever dares to still call themselves resistance!"
His screams made Kylo hurt even more when realizing that the thruth was simple as that.
Killing his mother was the answer.
"Your most important job right now is get those weapons back and finishing the star destroyer. Stop messing around like idiots and do your job!" Snoke screamed at them and dissapeared.
"What are you looking at?! Get searching that!" Kylo screamed and took off to his room.
Once there he took out all of his rage, smashing his lightsaber at many of his things, fihgting satisfaction on breaking things, just like he felt.
He thought he was doing something to help, he really did, and all Snoke did to thank him was ridiculing him in front of everyone.
He decided to switch arms and hit the wall with his knuckles instead.




In her sleep on the medical room Azam moved her hand to sooth the other and had a hurt expression on her face but didn't wake up.
It had been a hard day for the dyad.
Palpatine supervised his workers as they made the Final Order, which grew more and more each day, when he got a call from Snoke.
He filled him in all the details from his other apprentice.