Fandom Fight for Control [closed]

[cleopat]

Kylo frowned. He should’ve just grabbed the answers from her mind without asking. He did it in the past without hesitation, so why now?

Because you know you don’t want to. You know it’s wrong.

The persistent voice nagged at him. Two conflicting sides battling for what he should do.

He tried to ignore it. “Tell me what we want to know, and I can help you get some rest. I know you need the sleep.” Anyone could see it, and Kylo could also feel it. It’s how she gave up so easily, right? That’s only what you want to believe.

“So just tell me!” The last few words came out in a desperate plea as he shot up to his feet, curling his hands into fists at his side.

~~

Lavinia snorted with Karn’s response. “And this is why Stabbity can’t be a spy droid.” She knew. Karn knew. Stabbity didn’t. But she still snickered at the mental image of the droid laying on its back, wheels aimlessly turning as he sought to right itself.

The other droids soon arrived, and Lavinia motioned over one of them, who didn’t hesitate. They remembered her. They remembered how her programming didn’t hurt them.

And so she began her work on them, updating their new coding with the suggestions from Armitage, as well as new keywords to listen out for in the elite.

Only an hour passed before Lavinia finished the last droid. It beeped excitedly at her before wheeling off to join its comrades, and she lifted a hand to wipe away some sweat that collected at her brow.

~~

Borran nodded at Armitage’s request, while Tanis offered a mock salute. “Will do,” she responded as Borran replied with his own, “Of course.”

They left the office, seeking to head back to the barracks and see if Kos’tel’lanni was there. Once they arrived, they were quick to realize she had gone somewhere else, and they had no clue as to where she may have gone.

“I’ll send her a message,” Tanis muttered as she pulled out her datapad. Borran silently nodded, and she proceed to compose a message for the Chiss.

Hux wants to see you in his office. A small task for you.

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille’s gaze followed Kylo up as he rose, fists clenching, voice keeping that desperation to it, even as he tried to plead with her to tell him. It wasn’t a demand, but a plea. She was too exhausted to be amused by it. To tell him he begged better on his knees, but the thought did cross her mind.

Her lips twitched.

But she didn’t say it. “No.” Again, denial. Such simple denial. “I can sleep just fine when you leave, and I’d rather you get this over with so I can sleep.” Yet he wasn’t, and it was strange, “You never hesitated before.” What bothered him about it now? “If you don’t do it, Nyx will punish you.”

A simple, obvious sentiment.

“If you bring her what she wants, I’m sure she’ll stroke your cheek again and tell you all the nice things you want to hear. Maybe you’ll even believe her next time.” It was all stated so calmly, so simply.

~***~

Karn agreed with Lavinia, but convincing Stabbity of that was impossible, though the droid did eventually return to monitor the progress of the upgrades, and learn a bit more about them. It only took an hour or so before the work was done, “So, any report from…hm?” His datapad pinged and he looked down at it, noting his security cameras around the warehouse had caught sight of an approach.

He almost laughed to see it was Kos’tel’lanni, attempting to balance multiple cans of paint as she approached. “Looks like Hux realized you were right about the paint.” He didn’t bother to say why as he slid his finger across the datapad, opening the doors automatically.

Kos’tel’lanni paused outside, startled by that, leaning to one side due to most of the paint being held in one hand, in one rather sturdy bag. “Stella, so good to see you!”

Her eyes narrowed on Karn, but she walked the rest of the way into the warehouse and set the bag down as gently as she could. “I wasn’t…sure how much was needed…but we have four cans of chrome paint.” She said, speaking to Lavinia rather than Karn. As she straightened up, she noticed one droid approach...with a knife on its head, demanding to know about the paint. "Because you all can't...you...have a knife on your head."

Naturally, it agreed, and introduced itself to Kos'tel'lanni by full name, and title as leader of the mouse droids. "I...see. It's good to meet you Stabbity O'Stabbers, but isn't that Hux's knife?"

"No. Not at all. Nope." Karn was immediately defensive.

 

[cleopat]

Her lips twitched. Kylo noticed, and he almost expected to see a shadow of the Reveille he was familiar with. But again, another tired denial. A push of what Nyx said to him.

He paused, not fully understanding what she was saying in regards to the niceties Nyx said to him. As she stroke his cheek. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His words were intended to be harsh, but Kylo only emphasized his disorganized and distracted thoughts in his tone.

Nyx had messed up what he believed with her comforting gestures and kind words laced in a false tone. “Just tell me what you know, and I’ll leave this cell,” he attempted one more time. Her mention of Nyx had momentarily distracted him, but now his patience wore thin.

~~

Lavinia looked up as Karn started to speak, but was quickly distracted by a ping on his datapad. His subsequent expression confused her a bit, but things became clear to her when Kos’tel’lanni came through the door, attempting to balance the paint cans in her arms.

She smiled at the Chiss, and glanced down at the paint cans she set down. She stood up to move over and collect one can, as Kos’tel’lanni and Stabbity got to know one another.

“I’ve learned to not question anything dealing with Karn,” she advised. The paint can was dropped by her feet as she sat back down. “Can I ask both of you to help me? Since we seem to have enough cans.” She gestured to the other cans Kos’tel’lanni brought with her, before gesturing over the first droid.

Lavinia popped open the can, dipped in a brush she had picked up along the way, and began to coat the droid in the new paint. “Soon, you all will look like a million credits.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo Ren was thrown by her comment. She nearly wanted to sigh. Was he that clueless? Probably. Or that good at denial. Reveille was certain both were accurate, in truth. He denied what Nyx was. He had likely denied what Snoke was. He denied that she ever wanted to help him. He’d deny that he was easily manipulated by a gentle touch and encouraging words, too.

No matter how obvious it was.

‘I know that your hair is black. I know that you’ve finally learned to dress yourself. I know that you’re stalling.’

Again, no words, no anger, no acknowledgment of such things beyond a heavy sigh, and returning her gaze to the ground. No denial this time. It was pointless, as well, to deny. He didn’t get hints, let alone actual, coherent, statements.

‘I know that you don’t want to do this. I know that you had a vision and Nyx thinks you want me on this side. I know that she’s wrong. I know you want to kill me. I know you never believed me when I wanted to give you a chance. I know….’

~***~

“Oh, er,” Kos’tel’lanni hadn’t brought enough brushes. She was told it was Karn and Lavinia working on these. “I only bought two brushes,” she indicated. It wouldn’t be too hard to go get another, of course.

Yet Karn took that as a chance, “Good, you can help her then, I’ll continue my overseer duties,” He said. That earned an irritated look from Kos’tel’lanni.

“How did you survive this long?” He was, by far, the laziest of the Cadets. Kos’tel’lanni knew not to actually doubt his skill, but how he hadn’t been fired for insubordination or not doing his duties long before still baffled her.

“If I answered that, someone would kill me, so…pass. Get to painting, Admiral.”

If it weren’t for Lavinia there, she would have walked off and left him to it. But Lavinia was there. And Karn wouldn’t help. So she crouched down and took a paint can for herself to help.

 

[cleopat]

Reveille remained silent, offering no more words. Kylo took a deep breath, and stepped forward with the released sigh. “Okay then.”

He didn’t want to do it. He didn’t know why he didn’t want to do it, aside from the voice in the back of his mind that kept telling him no. But why? With every passing minute, Kylo was only presented with more questions than answers. Nothing made sense.

One arm stretched out, and he took another step closer. “I don’t want to do this,” he whispered, softly enough that he hoped she couldn’t hear him, but yet also wishing she would. And without another passing second, he allowed himself to dip into Reveille’s mind for the answers he needed from her.

~~

Lavinia frowned at Karn. Seriously, how did he survive this long? She paused in her painting to send him an unimpressed look. “Fucking prick,” she muttered.

Kos’tel’lanni hesitantly began painting, and Lavinia wasn’t impressed with how Karn seemingly did nothing. “You should go find a brush and help us,” she began, turning back to her mouse droid. “It would be a damn shame for the security cameras in here to end up in Hux’s possession.”

And prove to Armitage that Karn was doing nothing to help, aside from acting as a babysitter and mediator. But that job didn’t contribute to their cause.

Karn could threaten her about it if he wanted to. He didn’t scare her. In her mind, she had no reason to fear what he could do.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘Yes you do.’

Reveille felt the pain almost immediately after Kylo’s words. Her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned over her knees, nails digging into her arms as she tried to both deal with the pain, and keep him out of her head. Tried not to give him the satisfaction of a scream.

Tried to throw up countless things that she knew, in an effort to detour him from what he wanted. It was a cluster of thoughts, stupid things like knowing how to boil water, to knowing how to cloak a ship.

Personal things, to knowing how easily Kylo was manipulated by touch, how starved he was. To knowing that was the reason he hadn’t listened to her, that she hadn’t been so soft in delivery. To being so certain he hated her, as she hated him, that she couldn't believe he didn't get pleasure from this.

Until, eventually, the scream as she lost the battle.

Until, her thoughts bled into Leia and tears welled in her eyes from the pain. Knowing Leia. Knowing where Leia was. Thankfully, she knew little else. She knew how many Void bracelets Tarkin had left, and she knew he was willing to work with Leia. She knew a few more, small, details on the Resistance, but not much.

~***~

Karn actually laughed at the threats, “See, Lav, this is why you get in trouble with the Order. You make stupid threats like that, and then you make enemies who would kill you without batting an eye. You got lucky with Stella and Hux liking you,” as she probably knew. Stella had made sure Reveille didn’t dig deeper, faster.

If she had….

But that didn’t matter. “Hux already has access to these cameras. He might not be watching every second, but,” Karn shrugged, “I don’t care. And you can tell him. See if he does anything about it.”

Karn already knew that he wouldn’t, because Hux was out too many fighters. If it weren’t for the fact that Lavinia was working on the droids, Karn would be doing something useful. As it was, Karn had to watch her. That was what Hux wanted from him, and so that’s what he was doing. Watching her.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo gritted his teeth as he began the mind probe. Reveille attempted to shield him from her thoughts, but it was easy to push past her attempts at blocking him. She wasn’t force sensitive like Rey, and therefore unable to fight back in any capacity.

She attempted to throw him off with the useless thoughts. Then they became about him. Observations she made about him. How she tried to reach out to him, but he hadn’t listened. How she was convinced he hated her and derived a sadistic pleasure from this.

No.

Then the thoughts he sought came flooding out. Where Leia was. Mom. But not much else was given. She didn’t know much else.

And the idea of handing over the whereabouts of Leia to Nyx...

Kylo broke way from Reveille’s mind with a shuddering gasp. He knew he wasn’t able to go to Nyx with the information. His eyes were wide, unfocused as he processed what he learned.

A soft whisper, “No.”

~~

Lavinia scowled at Karn’s words. She didn’t make any further comment on his words, for she had nothing to add. What was there to say? He was right, as much as she loathed to admit it, even to herself.

She silently went back to painting the droid, who looked completely new once she was finished with its fresh coat of paint. When it was done, she motioned for it to wheel away, but not before warning it to not bump into anything for a few minutes, to allow the paint to dry.

The next one came up to her, and Lavinia repeated the process. Painting took a while, as she strived to make sure the droids looked as clean as possible, with not a single spot devoid of the paint. Her stomach growled with hunger, as she recalled she neglected to eat earlier.

After painting is done she told herself. And she would remain silent until the last droid was completed.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo’s break didn’t seem clean. Not to Reveille’s head, and not by his outward reaction. A gasp. If Reveille had looked up, she would have noticed how distracted he seemed, but she didn’t. Her eyes remained tightly shut, a poor effort to stop tears, and to focus inward. It had done as little as ever. She still couldn’t resist.

She’d known that. She’d still refused the easy way.

But he’d leave.

She’d sleep.

And eventually she’d be executed. Her last act hadn’t been treachery.

Except, of course, he didn’t leave, because why would anything be that easy. Reveille barely heard his small little outcry, but she heard it. What was he denying? She didn’t know. Her last thoughts had been on Leia, from what she could gather. Was he upset she had so little? She half-expected another attempt to follow the denial.

“I’m sure whatever you’re denying, the answer is actually yes,” Reveille said, glad her voice at least didn’t sound hoarse, at least.

~***~

Kos’tel’lanni worked in similar silence, though she listened to the various comments from Stabbity and Karn as she did so, Stabbity always examining the shiny coats of paint and Karn trying to describe it like clothes. His relationship with the droid was unusual, but Kos’tel’lanni couldn’t help but think it wasn’t that unusual.

He had been a Cadet, and Kos’tel’lanni had known him in that capacity. He wasn’t an assassin like Schaeffer. If she remembered right, Karn had been more of a thief. She didn’t recall a relationship with droids back with the Order, but she hadn’t paid Karn too much attention.

Perhaps if she had, she would have noticed the trail of death left by him, but never at his hand – and even how she’d played into his game, once.

Eventually, all the droids were painted, with plenty of paint to spare. “Can we keep the paint here?” She asked Karn.

He shrugged, “Sure, I don’t care.” It wasn’t as if this area was hurting for space. “Is it all done now?”

Kos’tel’lanni herself bit back a rude response, “I think so,” she would defer to Lavinia for a true affirmative.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo didn’t register that Reveille had spoken at first. His thoughts remained solely focused on his mother, Leia. He now knew where she was, but every iota of his being screamed at him to not reveal that information to Nyx.

He couldn’t. He wanted to see her, despite how impossible that seemed. He couldn’t see her, but he also couldn’t go to her. It was too late for him.

After a few seconds, his gaze looked up at Reveille. He already knew what he was going to do with her. He couldn’t let her die. Didn’t want her to die. But she didn’t believe him. Her thoughts believed he hated her.

At one point, he may have thought that. But it wouldn’t have been true. It was never true, and he now knew this.

“And you know less than you think.” His voice wavered, not to bely his words, but to shadow his distraction and lack of confidence in the moment. “I want you to get them out of Cloud City before Darth Nyx discovers they’re all there.”

~~

Lavinia stretched her back with the last droid completed. Her spine cracked in protest from staying in one position for too long, but her muscles relaxed once she rose to her feet.

She bit back her own rude remark at Karn’s lackadaisical question. If you had actually helped, you would know. That would do nothing for them now, nor would it help her in the long run.

A sigh escaped her lips. “Yeah, the droids are all painted now. I guess it’s time for a test run, unless there’s anything else we need to do first?”

She imagined they would need to run that plan by Armitage first, before the first droid was sent up. And if it came back a success, the droids would be sent in varying locations throughout the Uppercity.

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille did not trust what Kylo had to say. It was a trick. A trap. Somehow, they’d track her, they’d learn what she would find, because Kylo had to know one thing, “Kylo, they aren’t there any longer.”

And she had no idea where they would go, but Leia wasn’t an idiot. “Your capture of me wasn’t exactly quiet. I’m certain everyone knows what my fate would be. They’ve left Bespin behind by now, or they soon will.” If she showed up there, there’d be nothing for her, and no one to find.

Except maybe death, because she’d have a tracker on her, or something to let the Order figure out where the Resistance had gone.

Reveille wasn’t certain if he was genuinely concerned about his mother, or not. But she was at least certain of Leia’s intelligence. They’d be gone. The Exigency would be lost, just as well. Tracking anything or anyone of the Resistance down would be exceedingly difficult.

The words weren’t meant as a comfort, but she supposed, in some ways, they could be one.

~***~

Karn shrugged at Lavinia’s question, “How would I know that? Hux sent me here because I was good with modifying droids, not because I knew much about spycraft,” but he could have given the droids flamethrowers or other cool things, but noooo, there was a budget. Spy droids was the next logical conclusion, but he’d figured it would be simpler than Lavinia made it out to be.

So did Hux, apparently.

“We’ll probably have to check with Armitage to see if he needs us to do anything before we figure out this test run thing. You can tell him how we’ll go about it – he’ll understand better,” Karn rose, taking up his datapad to send a message ahead about needing to debrief about the droid mission.

Kos’tel’lanni also rose and offered a wane smile, “It seems I’ll be needed elsewhere, then,” meeting Hux had been uncomfortable enough earlier. She wasn’t keen on a second round.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo couldn’t describe the immediate emotion he felt upon the news that Leia and the rest of the Resistance wouldn’t be on Cloud City anymore. He ultimately decided he felt relief. So if Reveille couldn’t leave, and the information was forced from both of them, they would still be safe. Leia Organa would be safe.

There was a sigh of great relief. While he wouldn’t vocalize his content at the news, the sigh was enough. Only because Leia didn’t deserve to end up in the hands of Nyx. He feared what would come of her. His mother.

Once that concern passed, the overwhelming emotion of disarray overcame him. Kylo leaned against the wall and allowed his legs to buckle, his body slowly sliding down the steel wall. And Reveille’s own thoughts practically yelled in his mind.

An unfortunate side effect of pulling thoughts from someone’s mind.

And in that moment he didn’t know what to say to her. Or what to do. He could go back to Nyx, deliver what he knew of the Resistance and their location, but once they arrived to an empty shelter, Nyx would demand him to turn back on Reveille. Or she would deal with her herself.

~~

“You’re not even that good at that,” Lavinia did end up mumbling. She was displeased with how he acted with, well, everything. How did he even survive the First Order? Was there anything he wasn’t lazy with?

Perhaps she could ask Kos’tel’lanni later about him.

“I’ll leave you to message him, then,” she said before noticing Karn pulling out his datapad to do just that. While she wanted to be the one to message Armitage, she didn’t image the man still wanting to willingly engage with her in any form, unless absolutely necessary. Like updating him on the droids.

With a sigh, Lavinia turned to Kos’tel’lanni, a weary smile on her face. “Thank you for your help. I truly appreciated it.” She placed one hand on the Chiss’s shoulder, and offered a gentle squeeze before removing it.

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille observed Kylo’s emotions, going through a range, from relief, to something like destitution. “Not Snoke 2.0, hm?” She couldn’t help but return to that as he slid down the wall. Another life, she might have considered comforting him, but now? Stars no. “And yet so afraid she’ll get her hands on Leia. I wonder how she’ll react to knowing what you wanted to do.”

To ‘save’ Leia from Nyx.

Did he consider that? Or did he truly believe Nyx wouldn’t tear through his own mind, when Reveille ended up missing?

She relaxed the grip she had on her own arms. Half-moons decorated her skin, a few bloody from the grip, but that wasn’t anything. “The floor cannot be that comfortable that you want to curl up there.” He shouldn’t get to be comfy and sleep when she couldn’t. “I know you have at least one comfortable bed.” A poor way to try and get rid of him, but she didn’t want to know what Nyx thought was necessary between them. What history there was.

Kylo’s reactions were already unnerving in unfamiliarity. She almost wanted to infuriate him just to get a reaction she recognized easier.

~***~

Kos’tel’lanni paused a moment as Lavinia reached for her. She smiled down at her, “You’re welcome. I haven’t had much else to do,” Armitage kept her at a distance from anything, more than the others. Kos’tel’lanni had suspicions as to why, but she wouldn’t call Hux on it. “I hope things go well.”

With Hux.

With the droids.

With Taris.

She would leave, just before Karn got the response back, “Well, looks like he’s willing to see us now and hear about the test run idea, so,” Karn shoved the datapad back into his pocket and started to walk towards the doors, cocking a grin at Lavinia as he passed her by, “Ya know, one thing you might want to consider if you try to be a spy again? Don't let people know you're good at spy-things, like, ya know...slicing." He winked. He caught her comment about what he wasn't good at.

The comment held a threat, as much as a tease.

“C’mon, we don’t want to keep him waiting.”

 

[cleopat]

Kylo registered the comment Reveille made. No, Nyx wasn’t Snoke 2.0. She was wrong about that. Nyx, although still powerful and thus terrifying in her own way, actually sought to help Kylo for his own good, and not for hers. And he would claim the title of Supreme Leader one day.

But then why did he doubt his own thoughts?

Because you can’t trust your own thoughts.

A frown crossed his face. She was concerned about a fucking bed. No, she wasn’t. Reveille wanted to distract him and make him leave. Yet he still had his own Force vision to figure out, and Nyx never set the parameters for that.

“And I’m sure you would like a bed as well.” He looked back up at her. His gaze held no malice in them, not like they once did when he lashed out in anger. Instead there was a lost boy, who didn’t know how to proceed. “Would you like to sleep in a comfortable bed? No tricks, just pure honesty.”

~~

Before Kos’tel’lanni walked away from Lavinia, she would offer her one more thing, “I know Tanis and Borran enjoy your company greatly.” If she felt like she had nowhere to go on the planet, or nothing to do, her friends liked Kos’tel’lanni, and could always find a way to put her to work if she grew bored enough.

She then allowed Kos’tel’lanni to leave, and her attention shifted towards Karn when he mentioned Armitage’s answer to the message that was just sent. Nodding, she started to the door, pausing briefly as he passed her by with a message.

Lavinia stared at Karn with one eyebrow raised. She quickly caught on to the hidden meaning in his message. Instead of annoyance or a sense of dread, she felt amusement. “You’re still irritating,” she responded before heading out of the warehouse.

But her own light smile hinted at her own tease.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘No, Ren, I want to sleep on the cold floor.’ For better or worse, Reveille was starting to come around again. She managed not to say that, as she stared him down, claiming no trickery to his question. “What would it matter if I did, Ren?” Was how she answered instead. “Are you going to have a bed dragged in here?”

More likely, he was just going to tell her ‘too bad’ or the equivalent of it, and be glad to know he’d deprived her of something desired.

Even with that lost look on his face, that helpless expression, she found it too difficult to consider trusting him. She’d seen that look before, and then a day later he was torturing Lavinia for the hell of it. He may indeed be confused with thoughts of his mother in his head, but it wouldn’t last.

He’d be back to his old self only too soon, and she’d regret any small mercies tenfold for believing in him again.

~***~

Karn offered a cheeky grin, “I know.” He was intentionally irritating most of the time. Just as he was intentionally lazy, and intentionally not a show-off. He wouldn’t explain himself further than that, though as they left the warehouse, he did decide to ask, “You don’t really think I was in there doing nothing because I wanted to be, right?”

‘You don’t really think my job in there, once you arrived, was to work on droids, was it?’

He hadn’t gotten around to modifications of hardware when she arrived. Hadn’t gotten around to much at all, and then she showed up, and he had a new job – watch the spy. But he wouldn’t believe the spy was that stupid to believe his job had been to actually help her. “You’re not that daft.”

And she saw how Hux reacted to her. Even if Hux let her play around with droids, he was still quite suspicious.

 

[cleopat]

No. Kylo shook his head, and his fists by his side slowly uncurled and relaxed. “No, I won’t.” It would create too much attention, not to mention the rumored implications of dragging a bed into a cell.

Neither of them needed those whispers echoing in the corridors.

“If you wanted a bed, I could take you to my quarters.” He cleared his throat, and his eyes flickered away from her icy ones before shifting back on her. “I wouldn’t stay in there, so you need not worry about waking up to me with you.”

That had brought him back to that night with vivid details. How warm Reveille felt. How soft she was. How she smelled.

Neither one of them needed that again, and he was certain Reveille would be more than happy to slit his throat while he slept.

~~

Lavinia scoffed at the question. Honestly? “I had briefly entertained the thought at first.” But the more she thought about it, the more she knew there was more to the ex-Cadet than he was letting on. Even if he was downright irritating with how lazy he “appeared” to be.

“But I figured there’s more to you than meets the eye aside from the galaxy’s most annoying babysitter.” Based on what had been said earlier and her own deductions, Karn was keeping an eye on her for Armitage. To make sure she didn’t turn into a spy again.

But a spy for whom? The Resistance and First Order were both obviously out of the question, and she hadn’t had any contact with any elite people in several years.

They wouldn’t know that though, nor had they any reason to believe her if she told them.

“There’s a reason why you’re here.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo would not bring a bed to her, but he offered his quarters. False promises of not being there. ‘As if Nyx would let me go unwatched in your room.’ Perhaps she wouldn’t know immediately, but she’d know soon enough. Kylo would have to be somewhere nearby, even if it was just outside the room.

Too close for comfort.

“I’d rather freeze on the metal floor with several walls of metal between us.” Kylo’s mercy wouldn’t be accepted. She’d been sleeping in far more uncomfortable places, hangars and ships. She could deal with a cold and sterile floor. Unlike Kylo, such soft gestures were hard to win her over with.

She mistrusted them more than he did and feared them far more than she craved them, when they came from the wrong hand. It was the thought that this was the sort of thing he’d relent to that caused a crooked grin to touch her lips. This was the language he knew, wasn’t it? Genuine offers or not, he was trying to offer comfort in the only ways he knew how. “Why? Why do you care how well I sleep? Or where I sleep?”

Why was he wasting his breath with offers she’d refuse? So he could say he was the good guy, at the end? Say he’d done everything he could?

Or was he looking to break her with some sharp treachery, if she relented?

~***~

At least Lavinia had dispelled any notion that he was there to actually help with the droids. He chuckled a bit as she seemed to get it, referring to him as babysitter, “I’m wasted watching you and Hux knows it,” he agreed, “I’d have more fun teaching these idiots how to fight,” even if the way he carried himself suggested he wouldn’t be skilled at that, either.

He was.

Of course, he was good at killing, even if he didn’t like to use his own hands. He’d do better in the Uppercity in a disguise. He’d do better causing in-fighting, and misplacing valuables. Erupting old rivalries in old families.

But, not yet.

“Let me know when you figure it out,” he said with a wink, “Why I’m here, that is. Besides watching you. And you are entertaining. I’m glad I wasn’t tapped to get rid of you.” They had reached Hux’s area by then, and were granted easy passage into the building.

 

[cleopat]

There is that stubborn spirit. In another context, Kylo would’ve been thrilled to see it once more, but in the moment, it, once again, proved frustrating.

She goaded him and questioned his motives. Why did he care? Kylo frowned. He couldn’t answer the questions himself. How could he then even offer a false answer for Reveille?

“We all live with regrets,” he answered cooly. “And sometimes we try and atone for those in any way we can find.” Kylo wasn’t fully aware of the words that came from him, but they just...spilled from his lips.

He paced along the wall like a trapped predator. “But if you would rather sleep in here, where I can’t be sure of anyone who could come in and take you away, then go ahead.” And the realization crossed his face simultaneously as the words spilled. He feared for her fate on the ship if he couldn’t get her off.

~~

Lavinia had a similar thought of doubting Karn’s fighting skills, but that was a part of the act. She had a feeling that he has a body count behind him that she wouldn’t have ever guessed at.

Make people underestimate you. It’s a great tactic to come out on top and survive.

She smirked. “I’ll be sure to immediately tell you when I have a guess.” There were already some ideas swimming around her head, but she imagined she would be spending more time with him, and thus will have more time to figure him out.

“And I’m glad you didn’t decide to get rid of me regardless of what you were assigned to do.” The remnants of a smirk still donned on her lips, but when they entered the building, all traces of her playful tone disappeared. They walked up to the familiar guard, and Lavinia took a step forward.

“We’re here to see Armitage.” Obviously.

 

[Lucyfer]

Regrets?

Atone?

Oh, Reveille had her regrets. Too many to count by now, and adding more to it. She had gone to the Resistance to atone. To get rid of him, after she allowed him to ruin so much. She could have changed everything, if she had acted sooner. Now here she was, trapped, unable to do anything about it – at least, so far as ending his life.

If he felt regret? If he wanted to atone, and feared for her life? That meant he doubted Nyx. “You do not think Nyx will honor her word to let you figure out your supposed vision of me?” There was more to it than that simple question, implicit in it. If he didn’t trust Nyx with that, why trust her with anything else involving his interests? “Nyx seemed to think it was possible to turn me. Why wouldn’t you trust her to want that, Kylo?”

Perhaps she was testing her luck with questions. It’d certainly never done her any good before, but what was the worst he could do – kill her?

She was already looking at death. She’d looked at it during their last encounter. She was long past being afraid of that.

~***~

Karn doubted Lavinia would guess that quickly, but he still nodded and offered a thumbs up to her spirit, anyways. He tucked his hands back into his pockets as they arrived in front of the guard, and Lavinia addressed him with a demand to see Armitage. There wasn’t much discussion – Armitage was already expecting them, after all.

They were ushered in.

“Well?” Armitage fixed his gaze on them.

Karn brought up his datapad and showed an image of one of the droids he’d snapped a picture of, “Shiny new droids that should be able to fool the Uppercity people. We think. She thinks.” Karn said, “With all that programming. She wants to do something of a test run. I don’t know why we don’t just send them all—”

He was silenced by a gesture, and he fell silent, tucking his datapad away as Armitage fixed his eyes on Lavinia. “Elaborate on your idea for a test run, Lavinia.” He directed. He didn’t need Karn blathering about his doubts at the proposal, he wasn’t there to do those kinds of things.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo had paused in his pacing. He had quickly come to realize over the last few days that the situation with Nyx was an extremely complicated one, one that he didn’t know what to even think of. Did she truly want to help him? Did she just want his power and his title for herself?

“I don’t know.” It was a broken whisper. His eyes were hidden by the strands of his hair as they focused on the floor in the midst of his thoughts.

He didn’t intend to so clearly show his doubts in front of Reveille. Would she just taunt him with those words and have him regret ever trying to help her?

Who do you believe, Kylo? “I don’t know!” he reiterated into a shout, bringing his fingers into his hair to grip at his strands in his spiraling anger. Kylo had wanted to believe Nyx, and believe the gentle touches she offered that masked the calm anger she could exhibit.

~~

Lavinia rolled her eyes at Karn’s continued antics. Truthfully, she didn’t know what to think of him just yet, but she wouldn’t let her guard down around him.

There was still that very hint of danger around him, and she didn’t want to discover his skillset by being a practice dummy.

They were ushered into Armitage’s office. Lavinia allowed Karn to speak first, as he did before, but bit her lip to prevent herself from interrupting him. Karn was not the best at these presentations…

Her head nodded at Armitage. And why can’t I simply start talking at these meetings? She wouldn’t test her luck. Not yet. “I didn’t want to send all the droids up there at once,” she had shot Karn a quick glance, “in case there is an unexpected glitch in their programming or an unpredicted situation that occurs in general, whether from the droids or from the elite.”

And the test droid could help them gauge what was currently going on.

“We could send the droid to the senator’s office under the guise of carrying a letter for their staff. It’s not far from here, minus a few floors separating us. That way we can see what the droid picks up in their delivery without arousing too much suspicion.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo’s desperation oozed out of him. His confusion was on full display as he shouted, and Reveille again folded her arms over here knees, “If only there was a way to be certain of someone,” there was sarcasm in her tone, “I’m sure Nyx would have no qualms of you wanting to read her mind to find out her true intentions, right?”

Kylo probably couldn’t, if Nyx wouldn’t allow it. Or if she did, she might be able to manipulate the thoughts he found floating about in Nyx’s head.

He’d never have the truth, as he never had it from Snoke, until one day he realized how deep in the trap he was. Until one day he realized all he’d done wrong, for the wrong person. “You should go ask her. Find out. Tell her all about your confusion the matter. I’m sure she’ll reassure you.”

He’d get no reassurance from Reveille. She was convinced of Nyx’s position from a glance, from seeing her first reaction to Kylo’s return after he’d been so afraid. As he remained so afraid.

~***~

Armitage listened to the idea of sending a droid ahead as a courier. He considered that, “There seems to be a problem with the plan,” he noted, “the first being we have no message to send, the second being, you do not appear to have a target in mind.” Armitage would rather not send messages, in truth. Words could be decoded, even if there was no code to them.

Some truth may slip if they were doing too much to hide things.

“We should send small gifts, if anything,” he noted, “and make sure they have names of who they’re going to, even if they take a fairly long time to get there.”

Now Karn lit up. “I volunteer for tribute!”

“Karn you won’t fit in a—”

“I can get the gift. And the name.”

Armitage didn’t even question it. “Fine.” He knew what was Karn was going to do, and he rather approved of it. “Go on then, I’ll expect you back by this evening.”

 

[cleopat]

Kylo didn’t stop the bitter laugh. “Telepathy between two Force users is an intimate connection. It won’t happen. If I want her true intentions, I would need to extract that information, which she would easily be able to counter.”

She may be able to knock him back before he even had a chance to encroach on her mind. He recalled how Rey was able to push him away It was laughable to even think about doing it to Nyx.

Another issues that wouldn’t cross Kylo’s mind was how the Dark Side never proved to be a reliable narrator. She could twist her thoughts and memories to show him what he needed.

“You mock me.” It wasn’t an accusation or question. It was a statement. “I suppose I shouldn’t expect anything else from someone who always wished me gone.”

~~

I had more to add, Lavinia found herself wanting to complain. She had a target in mind as well as an idea for a letter to compose, but she didn’t have the opportunity to speak.

Karn chimed in, and as soon as they arrived, they were sent away. A spark of irritation flickered inside her at the quick dismissal. By the way the plans for the test run unfolded, she wondered if they would even need her that evening.

Without a word, Lavinia turned and left the office. You just need to relax and eat something. This is why you’re feeling irritable.

When Karn joined her, she would ask him, without turning to look at him, “So what’s this gift you were thinking of?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Reveille’s lip twitched at Kylo’s laughter and the suggestion that with Force users, mind reading was an intimate affair. ‘And with non-Force users, it’s just mind rape.’ And they couldn’t stop it or do much of anything about it except endure. And Kylo wondered why people didn’t like him. Why they wanted him gone.

Why he was mocked.

Reveille resisted her first comment.

Kylo’s statement had a flaw in it. A flaw that could hurt him. A flaw that, suddenly, Reveille wanted to exploit. “Always, is that so?” Because she knew it wasn’t. “My head already hurts, so I’ll make a deal with you, Ren. If you’re so concerned about my safety in this cell, then take a look in my head. Go back to our first meeting. Go back to when I found out what you did, and go through all of my thoughts, all of my emotions, at those times. If you can still say I always wanted you gone, then I’ll go to your quarters and sleep.”

She knew she’d win. “If not, you’re going to return with pain killers and an entire bottle of whiskey, and leave me. Preferably enough pain killers and whiskey to knock me out for a while, but I’ll suffer with enough to kill the pain if necessary.”

~***~

Karn turned on heel, expecting not to be followed. He had understood Hux’s dismissal as just for himself, but only too soon, he heard steps after him. He glanced to Lavinia as she followed, and laughed at her question. “No idea.”

Which was the truth.

He didn’t have a target yet, or a gift, but he would. That was what he was good at – inspiring chaos in the ranks. Something that another loved, would be taken and gifted to a foe. There was the question of the third party who sent the gift, but Karn would make sure that was covered in some small hint, too. “Don’t you worry about it, go get some rest, or some food, you’ve done a lot.”

And he was finally free to do what he was actually good at.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo stilled. He couldn’t comprehend what Reveille was suggesting in her words. Well, he knew. But the implications if she was right? That was why he didn’t want them to be true.

He licked his lips and took a few steps closer to Reveille. “It’s a deal.” He didn’t know if he could get her the whiskey, if she was right. Kylo entertained the thought of just putting her into a Force sleep. She would have a long, peaceful sleep, and if he still wanted to take her out of the cell, he could.

“If you don’t resist, then this won’t hurt.” Kylo didn’t seek to hurt her, even if she didn’t believe him. He crouched, leveling his gaze with hers, before lifting one hand next to her head.

He would gently seek out this encounter in her mind. Kylo recalled how she threatened him that very first time. How could she have wished anything but death for him?

~~

Lavinia merely sighed at Karn’s response. But she wouldn’t offer any suggestions. She was growing tired, and, after all, he said he would do this. So if the test run failed, he would be the one to blame.

“Okay, I’ll see you later then.” She headed off with a wave of her hand. Her first priority would be to seek food, and then a brief nap in the barracks. In her focus on fixing up the droids, she neglected to eat, which she could feel in how her stomach growled.

Lavinia did eventually hunt down food from a nearby food vendor. The food was unidentifiable to her (some type of meat wrap?), but it proved edible enough and satisfied her hunger.

After that she returned to the barracks. Borran, Tanis, or Kos’tel’lanni weren’t anywhere to be seen, so Lavinia was able to lay on her bed without any further distractions. Her datapad remained beside her, in case anyone needed to contact her, but she would doze off as she waited for what would come next.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo Ren humored her on that matter, and Reveille kept her gaze locked with his as he lowered himself once more, prepared to take a look in her mind. Prepared to see whether or not he’d misjudged her. Though Reveille knew she would not be able to truly relax her guard or her mind, she would still try not to struggle.

It was still painful, but she kept her focus not on what he was doing, but on his eyes. His search. She let her thoughts flow freely without disruption, or without thought of what was being seen – without manipulation of it.

And it went back to that meeting, to her request to speak with him.

“The nature of this meeting would be to discuss the matter of direction with the First Order and what has transpired.”​

Events that had transpired, like Snoke’s death, of course. Her threat of letting the Order know of his treasons replayed. Her first experience with the Force Choke. And yet, the reality, the reasons behind why she had gone in that room in the first place, with the threat, lingered behind all of that.

The hopes.

“No one liked Snoke, Kylo. Turning you in for something I would have liked to do myself seems pointless. I did not lie when I said I wanted to figure out the direction of the First Order.”

“But you killed him.”​

Behind those words, as true as they had been that day, were further hopes. Further truths. Reveille had believed that Kylo’s choice made him a better Supreme Leader, or had the potential to be one. She had never wanted the position. She had wanted to put her faith in him. She had wanted to work alongside him, and she had thought by letting him know she agreed with his choice to execute the Supreme Leader, she would be also be showing herself as someone who would work with him.

Who he could, eventually, trust – because they would want to turn the Order from that path.

Away from the senseless abuse. Away from the fear. Her hopes for him had been entangled with her hopes for the Order, hopes that didn’t extend to Armitage because of one truth – Kylo had come from outside the Order.

Like Kos’tel’lanni.

Like Rani.

He could have done more, because he knew more.

And he hadn’t. Every interaction after that had broken her faith, bit by bit.

~***~

Karn felt a sharp pain go through his ankle and he jolted up, blaster in hand from under his pillow in a second, flat, before he realized that, first, he’d fallen asleep in the warehouse again, and second, that his datapad was glowing in the light of the warehouse. He groaned as he realized that Stabbity had done so. “No one should be messaging me at this hour,” he complained.

Still, he grabbed the datapad and saw a message from Lavinia there, about the return of the droid and that Hux wanted to see them. “He doesn’t sleep,” he complained again as he got to his feet, favoring one leg immediately, “You’re an asshole,” he told Stabbity, who simply beeped a complaint that Karn had told him to wake him for anything important.

“I know, but still. This could have waited.” He also didn’t see why he had to go, Lavinia had the droid and the information. So, he found some slippers rather than proper shoes, given his new injury, and threw on some loose fitting clothes as he hobbled his way to see Lavinia and the Ex-Supreme Leader of the First Order at his office.

Armitage wasn’t even waiting behind a closed and locked door, but waiting in the doorway to the room that was usually closed off. He noted Karn’s arrival, and the method, “You’re bleeding.”

“No shit.” He offered, “Things happen.” He gave a one-shoulder shrug, “but I did the thing and now we have info, so you should be happy.”

“What, precisely, did you plant in the droid?”

Karn gave a devious grin, “Oh just some family heirloom that got sent to some rival that knows nothing about said heirloom.” So they’d ignorantly wear it one day, and be caught wearing it. A new blood/old blood issue.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo didn’t know what to expect in Reveille’s mind. No, he knew – he expected to uncover the lie she told him and herself. That she planned his demise since day one, like everyone else did.

He stared into the blues of her eyes. Those eyes he could still see in his dreams. The flashbacks started flickering in his mind, a familiar scene set up, but this time, in her own point of view, with her true, unfiltered thoughts revealed to him.

The scene was exactly how he remembered it, with her threat, followed by his own. But her thoughts flowed into his mind.

Her hopes.

Her belief in him.

Her lack of desire to claim the throne for herself.

Oh, how that one stung. Everyone who ever grew close to him used him and manipulated him and tried to kill him. But she held none of those thoughts. She truly wanted to work with him to help the First Order.

She wanted to help him. And because of his own paranoia in those who expressed desire to help him, he pushed her away and lashed out at her.

The last thought flittered in his mind, and Kylo broke the connection with a sharp inhale. One hand shot out to keep himself propped up, as his body trembled.

Trembled from anger at himself. From fear. From regret.

He wasn’t aware of the drops of moisture that dripped onto the floor beneath him. He wasn’t aware of the broken I’m sorry that spilled from his lips.

Every utterance of the phrase You’re a monster ever directed at him echoed in his mind over and over. And every time he would cruelly throw back at them that yes, he was, but for the first time, he truly believed in the monster they claimed him to be. The monster he had mutated into.

~~

Lavinia was disturbed from her slumber not by a ping on her datapad, but by a light zap on her arm, which hung over the side of her bed. She was startled awake, and looked for the cause of her sudden disturbance. The droid they had sent on the test run was there, beeping at her that it returned from its mission.

“You haven’t told the others yet, have you?” It beeped the negative. “Alright, you can tell me everything that happened after I get everyone together.” Another beep, and Lavinia grabbed her datapad to first send a message to Armitage, detailing that the droid had returned.

Not at all surprised that he was still awake, she received a response from Armitage almost immediately. For her and Karn to come see him for debriefing of the mission. Sighing, she a short message to Karn of the same nature. She wouldn’t complain that he wanted a mediator with them.

Lavinia had just slowly become...numb to the entire situation.

She didn’t have to rush to put on any clothes or shoes, as she fell asleep with them on. Her hands did smooth over the fabric of her outfit, and made her way to where they were meeting, the spy droid rolling behind her.

Karn had beaten her, and Armitage was also standing there. So he does know how to get away from that desk. “Now it’s a party,” she commented dryly, to which the droid beeped.

A sigh. “Yes, I know that there are no balloons here.”