Fandom Empire of Ashes (Rexz and I)

[a z u l a]

The last few weeks had been an absolute disaster. As one of Kylo Ren's infamous Knights of Ren, Kataly'a had been lucky enough to survive the explosion of the Finalizer as she was away on mission with one of her fellow Knights putting down a rebellion on Athulla. The Sith princess had been distraught to hear of the mutiny that occurred on Crait, though relieved that somehow Kylo had managed to survive through sheer force of hatred. The Knights themselves had then been thrown into chaos, now that Snoke was dead and Kylo had declared himself Supreme Leader and then been betrayed by half of his army, the Knights were weary of their situation. Most of the Knights had been loyal enough to stay with their leader, but a handful had forsaken their role and headed off on their own instead. None had ben stupid enough to join Michal and his army of traitors.

They had rallied up what was left of their troops and allies, rebuilding the First Order with the ashes that remained. It was going to take them years to rebuild the once great empire, and the resistance was all but forgotten in Kylo's quest for revenge. The entire galaxy had seemed to revert to anarchy, their alliances shifted three ways as they fought to rebuild order, making Kylo's mission even harder as once allies turned on him.

After quickly becoming the new Supreme Leader's second in command, Kataly'a felt like she was living in a permanent state of chaos. Between running around their salvaged base trying to bring order to their anxious army, pushing them harder in training than before to be able to defeat their mutinous allies, or visiting possible allies to support their rebirth, the warrior princess couldn't seem to catch a break. It was exhausting, and the Knight Commander had been more than excited to hear she was being given a priority solo mission.

The mission was simple, and after reading Michal's case file she was prepared to extract their revenge and reclaim the First Order. It was blasphemous to allow a non-Force user to pretend to be their leader, Snoke would have been furious at such failure on their part. Kataly'a had sworn her allegiance to serve her Master, and she would not disappoint him. This was more than a mission for her, this one was personal. This weak human had taken away her beloved empire and torn the only family she had ever known to pieces.

He would pay.

- - - - -

It had ben easier than expected for the Force-user to navigate the fake First Order's new base, it seemed that without Force-sensitives on their side they were at a huge disadvantage. That would make it easier for the true First Order to slaughter them, though their army out numbered theirs and they had many more advantages otherwise due to their seizing of all the resources. Kylo had scraped together what he could, but his Knights were the only reason there was hope of victory.

Approaching the temple where she could sense the captain's presence, she pulled her double-bladed saber from its sheath at her side, slinking along the walls to avoid all other signs of life. The Sith had almost made it to Michal's presence when her cover was blown, quickly running forward and raising her hand to force-choke the Stormtrooper who had spotted her. Now that she had been spotted she ran through the corridor, striking down anyone who got in her way as she chased after her target's weak signature in the Force.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she finally reached the room she had been looking for, the red glow of her saber bathing the room in blood-colored shadows as she entered the room.

"Hello, Supreme Leader." Kataly'a mocked, a murderous glint in her green eyes as she stalked forward, intent on the kill.

Spoiler: Kataly'a

 

[Deletedaccount383932]

Supreme Leader Michal Broun sat behind his desk inside his office, typing away at a Holoterminal while his black BB-8 unit shone a transparent, blue holoimage of a Star Destroyer, making it turn around and around in the damp Yavin Four air.

The irony that he and his troops were living in a former Rebel Alliance base was not lost on him. Which was part of the reason he came here - not only for it's strategically important position in the corner of the Galaxy.

He found it to be most amusing. Particularly that the scene of the Rebellion's greatest triumph would bear witness to the rebirth of the Galactic Empire. With him as it's head.

It was a Hell of a promotion to say the least. He went from being a Junior officer, a Captain in the Stormtrooper Corps not even a month ago, to the Supreme Leader of the First Order in one fell swoop. In truth, he could hardly believe it.

One act of desperate anger, and he was suddenly in charge of thousands, nay, millions of lives. The responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders, but he had signed up to serve. To take on burdens few in the Galaxy were willing to take.

This was no different. Another burden - another duty to not just the First Order. But the long dead Empire... And the Galaxy.

The Supreme Leader was a broad shouldered young man with a light brown tan that could best be described as a pleasant shade of caramel. He had a sharp, square jawline which was completely clean shaven.

There were dark stress rings under his tired brown eyes, but his black hair was slicked back with product and combed neatly. After all, he had to set an example of presentation for the men.

Sighing, Michal leaned back in his comfortable leather chair and looked up at the ceiling in thought. He would have to make his move on the Galaxy soon, or else his forces would slip away due to his hesitation.

Once his armies and navies were fully rested, reinforced, equipped and ready he decided. And only then.

There was a very good reason why he had only taken such a small amount of planets in the corner of the Galaxy. And that was because the vast majority of the First Order's planets were in open revolution. So not only would what's left of Kylo Ren's forces be spread thin across the First Order's vast swathes of territories, they would have to fight and put down countless rebellions, losing precious men, morale, support and equipment along the way.

On top of that, they'd have to deal with the insufferable Resistance. And the damn Jedi too.

All the while Michal would sit with his forces in the only stable corner of the Galaxy, only growing stronger with each passing day while his enemies tore each other to pieces.

Then, when the time is right... He could sweep through and conquer the Galaxy in nothing short of a few swift, vicious strokes.

It would be perfect.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud beeping at his desk. It was his holocommunicator.

Pressing a red button just in front of it, a transparent blue Stormtrooper popped up on his desk, firing his rifle.

"Supreme Leader, there's an intruder! She has a lightsaber, she's coming your wa- ack!"

The Stormtrooper dropped his rifle and began to choke and grab at his neck, the sickening sounds of gurgling came through before a loud crack that made Michal's blood run cold as the sounds of blasterfire came through both the Holocommunicator and the doorway.

The call ended, and the Supreme Leader sprung into action. He got to his feet, opened his desk draw and pulled out a small, metal pole marked with a button and clutched it in his hand.

Michal shrugged off his black leather trench coat - one he'd borrowed from General Hux, leaving him in his black, double breasted officer's tunic and his black trousers which were tucked into a pair of knee high black boots.

His flat top officer's cap sat on his long desk, which was scarcely decorated with naught but his holo-terminal and a real, framed photograph facing him.

He thought about the blaster strapped to his side, but if his trooper was right, the intruder had a lightsaber. Small good a blaster would do against that.

In his gut, he knew this intruder was after him. Who else would a lightsaber wielding warrior be after? He also knew it wasn't Kylo Ren. The trooper had mentioned a 'she,' and last he'd checked, Kylo Ren wasn't a woman.

The damn man was bloody unkillable. Michal had personally unloaded four blaster bolts into the mad little despot, and his men fired many more. If that didn't kill the bastard, what in the Galaxy would?

A Medic had even declared Kylo Ren to be dead, which was why Michal had left him there for the critters of Crait to fine upon.

He wouldn't make that mistake again.

When reports came to Yavin 4 that Kylo Ren was alive, Michal found and questioned the Medic personally - who admitted to lying after being... persuaded to tell the truth.

Michal then had him put up against the wall and shot for Treason.

No, this was a different lightsaber wielding warrior, but no less lethal he suspected.

The doors to his study slid open and a young woman strode through wielding a double bladed red lightsaber.

Ominously, the doors slammed shut behind her, and Michal subtly reached under his desk and pressed a red button which would summon his own personal company of Stormtroopers to his office and put the entire base at high alert. If he was going to die here, he wasn't going to do so unavenged.

However by the sounds of the sirens Michal could hear from outside, it seemed that it already was.

To his surprise though, the Woman did not attack immediately. Instead, she mockingly greeted him and stalked towards him, her bright eyes flashing maliciously.

She was here to kill him.

Behind Michal, his black BB-9 unit whirred fearfully and deactivated the holo-image of the Star Destroyer and rolled over to his master's side, standing guard protectively.

"Good afternoon." Michal said with a slight incline of his head, his tone surprisingly unperturbed, "What can I do for you?"

His voice was smooth, aristocratic and calm, but also strong, deep and loud, both his physical and audible presence seemed to fill the room as he spoke. His was an accent most commonly found amongst the upper classes of Coruscant - not dissimilar to the way Count Dooku, leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems spoke during the Clone Wars.

Even now, long after his death, Count Dooku's charisma was studied long and hard by orators all across the Galaxy - regardless of the treasonous nature of his recorded speeches.

Michal's dark, proud orbs stared right into her own, his gaze unwavering.

Despite his seemingly calm demeanour, Michal's heart was pounding rapidly in his chest as a familiar fear danced deep within his very soul. It was the same terror that came unbidden each time his life was in danger.

But as he told many a troubled new Stormtrooper under his command, there was no shame to be found in feeling fear. It was only when you let that fear rule you and your decisions, that you became a coward.

And Supreme Leader or not, Michal was not a man to be ruled by his fear.

 

[a z u l a]

His lack of fear was admirable, he was much braver than most men who had come face to face with a Sith. It was a shame she had to kill such a strong leader, she understood now why he'd been such an asset to the First Order, but he had made his choice and he would pay the price. Their army needed more men like him, it was surprising that such a practically perfect soldier had betrayed his cause so readily and been able to convince so many men to follow him. It was truly impressive, there were few true leaders like him.

"You are a traitor to the First Order, you've committed the highest act of treason and the true Supreme Leader has ordered your immediate execution." The dark-haired beauty declared, slowly walking closer towards him until they were mere feet apart. If they weren't in such a disabled state Kylo would've asked for the traitor to be brought to him personally to endure the most agonizing torture until the Supreme Leader had finished with him, but there was no time to waste when they were trying to restore their claim on the First Order. That didn't mean Kataly'a wouldn't take her time to let the fear take over before she killed him.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself? Was it worth betraying the oath you were sworn to?" Kataly'a felt her blood boil as she spoke, her grip tightening around her saberstaff as she waited for his response. The sith princess had devoted her life to the First Order and her master, growing up an orphan the Knights of Ren had become the only family she'd ever had. Betraying them was unthinkable, she'd rather run her blade through her own chest before turning on her comrades, yet this man had turned on his supreme leader and tried to murder him with seemingly no remorse. It disgusted her.

 

[Deletedaccount383932]

Ashes of an Empire 2

Michal sighed in disappointment when the girl accused him of treason, stating that she was here to kill him by order of Kylo Ren.

So the bastard was well and truly alive then. That was... A sore blow to say the least. He had done everything right that day... if he had even for a second believed that Kylo Ren still lived, he'd have never have left that accursed salted planet.

Even if it cost him his life.

But no, something told him this meeting was inevitable. If he had killed Ren, then this woman would simply have sought him out for revenge. Regardless of what he did, the Stars would have bought them together.

Perhaps this was his reckoning. An accounting for all his sins, for he had many. Surely the Galaxy would not take him before his duty was done.

Or perhaps it would. So far, the Stars were rather indiscriminate in whose lives they ended.

"My dear girl." He said sadly, his tone resigned, "We are the First Order. The Man who sent you here to kill me betrayed us long before we even thought of mutiny. We acted as we had to, as officers of the First Order to preserve our state. It may not have been the most honourable course of action, I'll grant you, but it was a nessecary one. *That* is our duty. To do what must be done for the safety and security of the Galaxy. And I assure you, where my predecessor is to be found, there is no safety *or* security to be found anywhere. You've served with him longer than I, surely you've seen his instabilities? His strange... fits? His predisposition to lashing out at whoever's closest to him when things do not go his way? You need only ask my friend, High General Hux the abuse he suffered at Kylo Ren's hands."

He spoke venomously about her master, acid and disgust lacing his tone. It was clear he had absolutely no respect for Kylo Ren, and saw him as nothing short of weak - regardless of whatever force powers he had at his command.

"I assure you, we did not act lightly. But we had no choice. If we didn't, Kylo Ren would have continued to lead us to disaster after disaster. The humiliation we suffered on Crait was the last straw. Your master is an emotional, mentally ill, overly cruel and reckless beyond reason." Michal said, "Crait was the last straw, but before that he would murder his interiors for the smallest reason, belittle and humiliate his officers in public, and ruin the dignity of the officer corps by ignoring us as every turn and acting on impulse, leading us to disaster. Under no circumstances will I allow the First Order to fall. Not to the pathetic Resistance or their Republic, and not to Kylo Ren. Both of whom are as dangerous to our cause as the other."

As the lightsaber wielding girl stepped towards him and demanded an explanation for his actions, Michael took a hasty step back, his thumb hovering over the button on the metal pole in his hands.

However before he could respond, a loud bang sounded from the door, as if someone was trying to batter the door down. Then another bang, then another.

His men were here to save him.

Picking up his portable holocommunicator from his desk, he dialed in the Captain of his old company - who would be in charge of the men just outside.

The blue image of a Stormtrooper sprung up.

"Supreme Leader! Hold on Sir, we're coming in!" The Captain said.

"That won't be nessecary Jaris." Michal said calmly, "Cease your battering. I'm in the middle of a conversation."

The battering at the door stopped.

"Sir?" Jaris asked uncertainly.

"You heard me. I have an unexpected guest, quite an important one actually." Michal told him, "Remain outside my study. If I need you, I'll press the emergency button. And-"

Grabbing a remote, he aimed it at the door and pushed a button. The sound of a lock clicking could be heard.

"The door is unlocked. Send for my aide, tell him to being my guest and I some lunch." Michal said, "Broun out."

The transission ended, and the Stormtrooper vanished as he placed his portable communicator on the desk.

"I apologise for the interruption." He said curtly, "Please, sit down. Our food will be along soon. Once we've finished our discussion, I'm going to offer you something I'm sure you haven't much of recently. I'm going to offer you a choice. The nature of this choice is simple. You may either continue your assassination attempt, or... you may rejoin the First Order. You may bend your knee to me, and swear an oath of fealty. But for now, just listen to what I have to say. I'm sure you'll find it most... enlightening."

Moving around behind his desk, Michal placed his metal pole on the desk in front of him and sat down on his comfortable arm chair, gesturing to the soft chair in front of his desk.

He simply stared at her with those expecting brown eyes of his, until she did as she was bid.

"Thank you." Michal said, "Now. To address your earlier question, I never broke my oath. My oath was to Supreme Leader Snoke, and last I checked, he is dead - may the Stars give him rest. Kylo Ren, in his obsessive haste to destroy the Resistance forgot to consolidate his power - and organise his forces to swear their loyalty to him. He also forgot to consolidate his power base, and hurled his troops into battle on Crait - a battle I fought on the front lines of. I led my men into the Resistance trenches and down into the dark, small, muddy tunnels that led beneath their base, struggling for every inch of ground while Kylo Ren sat in the comfort of his ship. I was but a Lieutenant at that stage, and had eighty men at my command when I went in. When I came out the other side, I had twelve. Twelve men left. We fought through choke point after choke point, driving those animals back while the air - which was already stuffy from being under ground - filled with blaster bolts. But we came out the other side triumphant, and proud knowing we could rest easy in the knowledge that our comrade's sacrifices were not in vain, for surely - *surely* the overwhelming might of the First Order crushed the meagre Resistance force in their shell of a base and that the War was over."

Placing his forehead in his hand, the Supreme Leader let out a rattled sigh, his teeth clenched in frustration.

"It was not to be." He said darkly, anger lacing his tone, "When I emerged into the Resistance base from the Tunnels with my men, there were Stormtroopers all over the base, all of them quiet. It wasn't what I expected our victory to look like, and I knew something was wrong. It was only when I found General Hux that I learned the Resistance had escaped. Why? Because Kylo Ren halted the entire advance to face a single Jedi, who marched out of the base to fight us. When he saw the Jedi, Ren went mad. He ordered every single artillery piece we had to fire on this lone Jedi. And they did. I could feel the barrage in the Tunnels underground, several of my men were killed when the roof of the tunnel collapsed on them from the shaking. When that didn't kill the Jedi, Ren went out and faced him personally, keeping the rest of the army in place while he fought alone. Turns out the Jedi was a hologram of some sort, and a distraction. Because while Ren was playing swords, the Resistance made it out the back of the base and escaped on board the Millenium Falcon - a ship he sent all our air support after, leaving our advance without any sort of cover."

Acid practically dripped from Michal's tone as he recalled the events of that day. By the Stars... there was very little in his life he found more satisfying than loading up Kylo Ren with blaster bolts. Just reliving that moment in his mind bought warm feelings to his heart.

"But do you know what the worst part was? Going back to my men to tell them that their slog through that underground Hell... that the sacrifice of their comrades was all for nothing." He said through gritted teeth, "I thank the Stars I was wearing my helmet that day... Because I couldn't bear to look any of them in the eye. Thanks to that lunatic who calls himself 'Supreme Leader, I lost my men for nothing. Yes, I got promoted to Captain. Yes, I became the new Supreme Leader. But I would gladly give away both my new position, and my very life if it means bringing those sixty eight men back to life. Throughout my entire career in the Army, I've never lost so many men. That's why I spearheaded the Mutiny, Woman. To hold Kylo Ren accountable for his betrayal - *and* his blatant incompetence. Incompetence that would earn any other officer a one way trip to the nearest firing squad. Let me tell you now, every man has his limit. And all the officers that followed me in that mutiny had long surpassed theirs. We are not spineless, expendable pawns to be played with, tormented and abused for the pleasure of a monster. We are the Men of the First Order, our pride is our strength and within us, is the fire that will light this Galaxy ablaze with the fires of purity and righteous conquest. Do you honestly believe your master is the best man to lead this crusade? To lead *us?* Speak truly now, you are quite safe from Ren here I assure you."