The Lady of Ren

The Battle of Baleine (PART II)

Hours pass and still your only company is BB-4 who blinks grimly at the steel canister.

You sigh, turning his body away from it. "Don't look, BB. It only upsets you."

The droid chirps lowly. Maybe he's disappointed - it'd break your heart if he was.

"BB, don't. You know it had to be done," you say, unsure of your tone.

The little droid beeps dejectedly and rolls himself across the ship and into the refresher. The door shuts with a slam.

It's then that the comm blinks and Ika's voice blares through the atmosphere. "Come in, ambassador."

You practically leap towards the console and press the button for the speaker. "Give me an update, lieutenant. A positive one, preferably."

The lieutenant sighs. "Sorry, commander. The borders are secured."

You groan, throwing yourself back against the chair. Phasma should be here any minute now, but it'd take at least a day to collect the full battalion. You couldn't risk storming Baleine's capital without the entire body of soldiers.

"Alright, Ika. Set up camp until I contact you again. Captain Phasma should be arriving soon with reinforcements," you grumble in the comm.

"Yes, commander."

After Ika disconnects, you find yourself twiddling your thumbs. But only for a moment, as BB rolls in looking much happier than before.

"What is it?" you ask, a little amused.

BB shakes his body and beeps excitedly. Then a glowing hologram of Kylo appears, his tall frame exactly how it would be as if he were here in person. Your heart leaps in your chest.

"Kylo," you sigh with relief.

He smirks but it quickly fades - soon the scar against his face makes him look much more menacing than he had in a very long time.

"What is it?" you ask.

He tenses his jaw. "The scavenger is coming aboard the Supremacy."

You clench your fists at your sides so roughly that your fingernails dig into the meat of your palms. "Why?"

"She believes..." he pauses, his face softening. "-that there is still good in me."

The words were lost somewhere in your cranium. You knew there was still good in Kylo. Ben Solo has made an appearance once or twice...yet, how dare this girl thrust herself into his presence and authenticate him as such. Who did she think she was?

You were his wife. His best friend. You knew him better than anyone. And if anyone were to tell him there were still good in him...that Ben Solo was stirring his spirit...it would be you.

"What do you plan to do?" you ask cooly, ignoring the rage crawling in your skin.

He's silent for a few moments, gathering his thoughts with a twisted lip. "I'm not sure."

"Does she know?"

He stops. Stops breathing. Stops moving. It looks as though he is made of marble. It's only until someone shouts in the background that he thaws and blinks himself back to life.

"No. She believes they're dead," he confirms.

"And will you tell her otherwise?" you wonder.

Kylo looks...conflicted. It concerns you.

"No," he decides. "As far as she knows, her parents are rotting in the ground...that they were drunkards."

You nod in relief. "She cannot know."

"I agree," he says. "But that's not the sole reason I've contacted you."

"Oh?"

"I've decided to send you some help with your mission. The knights will be assisting you."