Fandom Star Wars: Rising Tide [closed]

[Lucyfer]

Darth Vesta hadn’t really expected any other answer from Kylo when it came to the matter of this attire. If anything, he probably wished more of her was covered – that she wore actual pants and not this skirt. The tunic didn’t go all the way down to her ankles, though it did give her a reminder of how much larger Kylo truly was.

She still hadn’t gotten close enough to appreciate that.

Though she could appreciate his attempt at a taunt, a smirk cutting across her lips before she lit her blade on both ends and rushed him as her response, the blade twirling rapidly around in her hand to be a confusing mess of light and threat as she made a downwards slash that would keep the pressure going if he opted to block, rather than dodge, from the spinning mechanism.

And if he dodged, she would just keep going, of course, and keep it spinning while making sure to keep herself well out of its range.

It required some tricky maneuvering of her body, but she was used to it by now.

~***~

Poe wouldn’t encourage more, or less, drinking. Azra had had that bottle around for six months, which he considered pretty good. There had evidently been more than rough day, but he knew people who went through bottles in days, or weeks, rather than nearly half a year. She was managing okay, then.

Poe followed to the couch, as BB-8 returned to the area, apparently deciding he’d given them enough time. Poe silently took the data drive out of his pocket as he sat, and offered it to BB-8, who took it without a thought and put it away within its hard casing.

“Usually I drink when I know I have a few free days. Flying makes it hard to drink whenever. And definitely not after bad days,” he chuckled a bit. Usually that was when he had to do even more flying, and there were more issues ahead. He could drink after all of that, when he knew he wasn’t going to be flying at a whim.

“Not much luxury as a commander,” he chuckled, “but I’m used to it, and the jet juice is more than worth it. Usually.”

BB-8 let out a low whistle, wondering what he’d rolled in on.

Poe just patted the top of BB-8’s head, but wouldn’t answer, “If you think you’ve seen enough of the Order, perhaps you’d like to come see the Resistance?”

 

[cleopat]

His saber ignited in a flash, and Kylo swung the blade to block hers, but the twirling motion of hers forced Kylo to continue blocking while avoiding the blur of lights that threatened to singe his clothes.

Somehow he didn’t think Myka would mind it one bit. Not like he did with her.

They hadn’t specifically mentioned if they would utilize the Force to their advantage in this match, but Kylo decided to do so. It may throw her off and give him the upperhand, if only momentarily.

Kylo blocked her saber once more, and pushed back on it with his in the hope to get a few seconds to reach one hand out and sent a pulse of the Force her way, with the purpose of getting her to pause or stumble back a few steps.

~~

Azra chuckled at the droid’s comments, just now noticing he came back. “I think I’m gonna have to try that jet juice one day.” The whiskey wasn’t doing exactly what she wanted, which was to erase any shame or regret she held. She tipped back the remaining alcohol and finished it in one swallow.

At least she felt warm and pleasant now, and not because someone warm and pleasant was sitting next to her. Maybe.

With a sigh, Azra leaned forward to place her empty glass on the floor next to the couch, before returning to her original position. “Somehow, i knew you were going to ask me that.” He had wanted her to see the Resistance’s side of things since the beginning, but she refused.

Even now, the thought made her feel uneasy. “Do you mean, see the Resistance as in come to the base?” That she couldn’t imagine she would turn down, but if this was a question of recruitment, Poe would be left disappointed.

 

[Lucyfer]

The use of the Force was not expected in this fashion. In some respects, some aspect of the Force was necessary with the way she dueled with a lightsaber, but she hadn’t been planning on pushing Kylo or doing any sort of thing.

With him doing it, and not asking permission?

That just Myka permission to act on it until told otherwise.

She did stumble those first couple of steps backwards, but retaliated immediately by sparking lightning and throwing it at Kylo Ren. She was certain that would be considered ‘too much’, but he did start it without setting ground rules, so she didn’t feel at all in the wrong for following up.

~***~

Poe knew that question would come, and he gave Azra a nod, “Yeah. Obviously, you have an open invitation to join us, but I figure you’ll never say yes to that if you never get to see things, and meet people besides me,” Poe said, “and even if you say no, at least you know what you’re saying no to.”

She had given over, potentially, First Order information.

He supposed he also wanted to get that to base, and have people start going through it, too. Make sure everything was on the up and up, but he thought this might also be good for Azra.

She didn’t know much about the Resistance. She ought to see what was out there, and who they were, before she made too many judgment calls based on him alone.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo expected retaliation from Myka with his unannounced use of the Force, but he expected maybe a push back, or an attempt to halt him in his steps.

A thrill of victory went through him when she had stumbled back, but she was quick to regain her footing and retaliate with a spark of lightning aimed in his direction.

Kylo jumped out of the way, diving and rolling on the ground and immediately back on his feet with a loud huff. He didn’t say anything about the lightning in the moment, even if he did think it was unfair.

Instead, he headed towards Myka, lightsaber up and aiming to strike down at her in a series of blows to keep her on the defense.

~~

“Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, my career as a journalist would be over.” Not that Azra could see herself staying a journalist forever. She enjoyed her art, and wanted to get back into it, but she also felt it important that the people knew what was going on, let them know that there were some atrocities committed by the First Order that were so heinous, they kept their own officers in the dark.

But she wouldn’t object to knowing the location of the base, information that could be quite valuable. Would she reveal the location to anyone? No, Azra didn’t think she would, even if she did think they were anarchists. She didn’t want to betray Poe like that.

Azra looked at Poe, and in her moment of a loose tongue thanks to the effects of her whiskey, blurted out, “You know, you would make a great poster boy for recruitment ads.” And if she were dead sober, she would’ve blushed at making such a bold, unexpected statement about someone she wasn’t involved with.

Instead, her gaze lingered on the features of his face. “Put yourself on some posters. I bet the Resistance will see a rise in new recruits.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo said nothing.

‘Good.’

His mistake, but that opened the door for Myka to show more of what she was capable of. Rather than stay where she was when he came to launch an offensive assault, Myka moved the Force through her body and bolted away, far faster than any human could move without the Force.

She didn’t anticipate he’d be unable to follow, but did think it would buy her a second as he adjusted his own speed, and no doubt, his own strength, to match her sudden increase.


A breath and her sight doubled, giving her insight into what Kylo would do, three seconds before.

And in the second he moved to follow after, she pushed her hand ahead to stop the Force in the area in front of her, so he’d run right into freezing himself in the Force, as he found a place where it all pushed around him, holding him stiffly in place.

~***~

“What? You think the First Order doesn’t have its own journalist and propagandists on the payroll?” Poe laughed a bit as Azra thought her career would be over if she joined a side. “Picking a side isn’t death to a career, you know. There have been plenty on either side throughout history – some that still reported the negative of their side, or what they could be doing better.”

Tracene Kane was one he could think of quite easily, due to her involvement in the aftermath of the Emperor’s death.

Picking sides was just…natural. People had beliefs about what was right and what was wrong, even those with journalistic integrity – and Poe knew the First Order had plenty. The Resistance probably needed more, really.

He did laugh a bit at her comment on his face, “Yeah, I’ve heard that before,” he admitted. Multiple times, really. People didn’t seem to shut up with teasing him about how pretty he was and how he’d be a great poster boy. It was easy for him to wave it off as nothing more.

“Maybe one day, if we can ever throw away money on something frivolous like that,” he and Leia both had some doubts as to how effective it would actually be.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo blinked in some surprise at the speed of which Myka moved, but it wouldn’t delay his reaction. Force speed was a technique he had trained against, and trained in, so he matched her speed as he moved to follow after her, aiming for another strike.

But there was one issue with that. Kylo froze in the space before her, every limb unable to move as the Force encapsulated him and held him in place.

Gritting his teeth, Kylo tried to reach out with the Force to counteract what Myka held in an attempt to free himself. It faltered at first, but he tried again, exerting more of the Force, and he successfully broke free from the invisible bonds that held him.

In a spark of anger from her attack on him, Kylo extended one hand to push her with enough Force in an effort to pin her against the nearest wall. “Impressive. You are a true adversary with the Force.”

~~

Oh, I know for a fact that they have plenty of journalists and propagandists on the payroll. It was one of the main reasons for her desire to stay neutral, to pay off some moral debt she now owed the galaxy after what she’d done, over what she helped to promote for the First Order.

But what Poe had said brought a small frown to her face. Some that still reported the negative of their side. Some, apparently, had maintained their careers, but weren’t blind to the flaws of their side and spoke of them. Was that something she could do?

Her smile came back as she chuckled and shook her head. “I’m serious! You guys want an increase in recruitment numbers, yeah? Those types of posters are effective. The First Order did something like that for their TIE Fighter program, and they saw a thirty percent increase in recruits.” Azra had worked on that campaign, but Poe didn’t need to know that bit of information.

There was something Poe had said earlier that Azra wanted to go back to, even if just for a moment. “You mentioned that there are some who reported the negative of their chosen side, or things they could improve on. Let’s say theoretically, I join the Resistance and keep my career as a journalist. Would the Resistance allow me to publish anything negative about them, if it was the truth?” That would be one major difference between the two sides, and one Azra would stew over.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘I haven’t even begun.’

Myka did not confess that to Kylo Ren as she was pushed back into a wall, and held there. She could fight him on that, the standard way, as he’d done with her own freezing, but she wouldn’t. She just put on a coy smirk, the promise that she was far from over in that look.

That he hadn’t yet impressed her, either.

His anger was on the rise, and that was good – but she had a feeling he’d lose control over it sooner, and lose his path.

In either case, her version of ‘fighting’ would be to curl her fingers inwards to her palm, and will the Force to start to ‘thicken’ around Kylo Ren. This time it wasn’t to stop him, no, this was far more malleable – and in that way, harder to break free from. Rather than something that broke, this was more like a syrup – it stuck, it clung, and it moved with the assailant who went against it.

Myka was sure his focus would break on her as he tried to regroup.

~***~

‘That’s something you found out about, huh?’ Poe had definitely seen those recruitment posters of the Order. They’d added fuel to the fire of him being a poster boy. He hadn’t realized they had that much impact. “Huh. I didn’t know that,” maybe he would have to talk this over with Leia. He wasn’t opposed to the idea.

Honestly, it amused him far more than it should.

And if he got some fangirls or fanboys to join the Resistance, he would get to enjoy all that attention, too.

‘Wonder if anyone tried to talk Ben into it.’ Kylo. Not Ben. Kylo.

“Well, we’d prefer you bring it to our attention, first. If it’s something we’ve overlooked, we’d like to fix it, and then you can publish it with what was done. If we, for some reason, choose to ignore it, then we’d just ask that you leave the, uh, specifics – like locations – out of anything published. But you can roast us – just kind of, keep in mind, we’re in a war, and if you publish anything that’s a location that could get to our enemy, we’re probably going to have to take that as a serious breach.”

There’d be a bit of a give and take. Actions and beliefs could be mentioned, and published, and condemned, but locations, or top-secret information, shouldn’t be getting out there.

 

[cleopat]

Oh no, Kylo did not like the coy smirk Myka put on. He had quickly learned that it always meant she was scheming something he would not like.

And he was quick to figure out what she had been planning, as he unwillingly slowed down in his approach to her form.

It could have been comparable to wading in water, but it felt even slower than that. Like a thick syrup that completely enveloped him.

This was a technique he hadn’t learned, nor did he think any of his Knights with true Force abilities knew of it. Did Snoke? It was frustrating, as Kylo felt like he could move, and yet he couldn’t. Nothing of use for him in a match.

And as Myka predicted, Kylo broke his focus on her to center on himself and to break free. He huffed, and an eye twitched, as he focused the Force to move over him and push away Myka’s influence. Once he did break free from its malleable grasp, Kylo’s fists tightened with his rising irritation over such nuisances.

~~

Azra listened to Poe, and to her slight surprise, she could agree with the stipulations he laid out. It was reasonable and sensible, and if someone in command was actually willing to listen to complaints and alter things accordingly, then Azra wouldn’t publish the hypothetical article condemning their actions.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” she nodded. Giving locations would not only be a security breach for them, but against her journalistic integrity, as it greatly aided the other side, and she still wanted to remain neutral in the war.

But seeing what she had, and knowing what she had done for the Order, could she remain neutral with a good conscience? Or do I want to try and help stop them? The missing children, the dead and dying planets, there was no justification for any of that.

She felt tears welling up, and the sudden rush of sorrow and anger she blamed on the alcohol. “Shit,” she hissed, leaning forward and resting her face in her hands. Azra does not cry. She hadn’t cried in years, and she wasn’t about to start crying in front of Poe Dameron.

But she had been lied to for so long, and she just could not process that.

 

[Lucyfer]

The plan worked. Kylo’s anger was growing, and Myka drew on that, able to focus better on his actions, on what he would and wouldn’t do.

Five seconds out.

That gave her an idea of what she’d do, and enough time to reconsider it.

Of course, that started to cross over lines in the Force, and Myka knew she was risking tapping into foresight that would pull her too far out, and the spiral from that was far too often painful and disorienting. Not useful for battle, and not often useful in reality, with how influx everything was.

And it did come over her a moment, as she got free.

The man in front of her was a walking, living, breathing, shatterpoint, and as she felt into the cracks of him, her vision blurred black, sensation shifted, the world practically moving underneath her.

And she caught herself before she fell, though there was a faltering sway as she pulled out of it.

Time enough to see Kylo had freed himself of the Force, but not taken action yet.

Time enough for her to move first, as if nothing had happened, and try to re-establish that connection, as well.

Even so, she lunged for him, paying attention to how he would react in her doubled-sight to anticipate the best way to respond, to bring him off his guard quicker, keeping the Force speed in play.

It would lead her to trying to slow him once again within the Force.

~***~

Poe figured the stipulations would make enough sense. Of course, she still had to come see things for herself, and decide if she wanted to join. ‘Maybe that would be another reason for the posters.’ His good looks and charm probably had something to do with this. Maybe.

And then she cursed, and covered her face.

The posturing was so familiar to Poe, that he didn’t even need to question why she was covering her face – but he wondered why she was crying. He knew they’d gone through a lot in a short period of time, but enough to cause tears? ‘Maybe you’re already too jaded, Poe.’ He moved, though, to sit at her side almost immediately, and again to put a hand on her back.

To rub circles around the upper back.

“Hey, hey, it’s going to be okay. We’re not going to make you join, and you’ll get to consider everything, I promise.” Poe said. “Whatever you decide.” He didn’t know if those were the words to say, hardly knowing why she was crying, but he had to say something, right?

Or at least just stay by her side, he supposed.

BB-8 rolled forward to nudge her knee.

 

[cleopat]

Nearly as soon as Kylo broke free from the invisible syrup that seemingly surrounded him, Myka lashed out again with the same intention as before. This time, he would send out his own pulse of the Force to shield him and push against her efforts in containing him.

“Not this time,” he growled. With a show of his speed enhanced by the Force, Kylo rushed towards Myka, and with a display of strength aided by the Force and his anger, brought his lightsaber down on her from above.

He didn’t actually expect to get a strike in. And once Myka blocked in some way, whether from her saber or the Force, Kylo shot one hand out to physically grab her neck. He hoped it would stop anything she was willing with the Force in a moment of pause for him to gain an upper hand.

The other hand still held his lit saber, a silent threat as he drew it near her torso, but not touching.

~~

A few tears slipped down her cheeks, but she swallowed the lump in her throat that threatened a full-on sob. The silent gesture of comfort from Poe’s hand encouraged her mind to release that sob, but she withheld. Instead, Azra took a deep, shuddering breath.

Poe just didn’t get it, and it frustrated her, because she wanted to desperately tell him the truth, but she also feared how he would react.

There was a light nudge to her knee, and that pulled Azra from her hands to look at BB-8. “Thanks, Beebee.” She reached a hand out and gently touched the top of his head in a show of gratitude.

She turned her focus back on Poe then, even if she didn’t look at him. Instead, her gaze focused on the floor in front of her, her form still hunched over. “That’s not why I’m upset.” He probably knew that, though. Maybe he just didn’t know what else to say in that moment?

“I’ve-” another deep breath, “I’ve done some really bad things in my life.” Her throat closed up before she could say anything more.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lines and cracks continued to cross in Myka’s mind, in Myka’s vision.

She’d seen herself react without attempting to slow him.

She hadn’t known the results of slowing him when she took that, going against her initial sight. Now she knew, and it blurred the original sight as well as the process of what she’d seen before. ‘Stop, stop, stop.’ But shatterpoints were rarely so forgiving, already teeming with potential to impact the future in ways that radiated far beyond their locus.

She blocked the lightsaber by virtue of its sound.

Kylo’s hand was unexpected, but she still responded, turning her saber towards him as he put hers near her in a silent threat to how he’d continue this.

Her own was a mirrored threat, angled up at his chest, but it didn’t last.

Her grip faltered on her saber as her focus on the present moment was lost to a laugh she didn’t know and visions she couldn’t interpret in the least, thousands upon thousands of starships above a broken world and the Sith language repeating in her head, in a chant.

~***~

BB-8 was a good, empathetic little droid. Poe knew that was based on the model, but he still thought it was special to BB-8. He thought it helped, and it seemed to, as Azra started to speak, started to explain what was up and why this impacted her more than it seemed it ought to, from his perspective.

Apparently, he wasn’t that jaded.

Azra didn’t need to put it all together. Given the subject, and some of the information she’d casually dropped, Poe could guess that these bad things tied to the First Order. And that meant…well, it meant that she’d worked with them. Or for them.

He felt himself stiffen a bit, and he fought against that reaction.

The Resistance should want First Order defectors. ‘And you have no confirmation.’

“Everyone’s done shitty things,” he said, as if that could possibly help right then. “That doesn’t mean we can’t learn from them, and fix those errors,” he encouraged, without asking what the things were. Encouragement first.

He had to show he wouldn’t take too many steps back when she told him.

He didn’t want to.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo tensed with the swing of her saber, but any further attempt at a fight stopped. Her grip wavered, and he could sense that something was wrong with Myka. She looked...lost.

But was it another trick? A cheap shot to try and gain control over Kylo in their match?

Since her grip faltered on her saber, Kylo lowered his, but his hand remained around her throat in a gentle grip. Nothing threatening, but it served as a way for him to keep her face turned to his. As he tried to determine what was going on.

His brows furrowed. Her gaze was distant, focused on a subject far from this room. Far beyond the stars. “Myka.” And if he would be proven the fool for thinking something was actually wrong, then he would learn. Don’t trust anything she does with a goal in her mind. “What’s going on?”

~~

Azra shook her head, tears slipping from her eyes. “This isn’t some minor thing caused by lack of judgement or whatnot.” She wanted to look at Poe...but she also didn’t want to see what emotion his eyes held. Or what they will hold if he learned the absolute truth. Or when.

“I do want to fix things though, but I don’t know how.” All of the recruitment ads, all of the propaganda posters and videos...the morale speeches she wrote for officers, would there be a way to fix that? It’s not like I actually shot someone…

But the new recruits she helped usher in, she may as well have.

“I-” Her throat closed up when she tried to tell Poe everything. She still couldn’t, but she knew she had to. It could be the first step in attempting to fix her mistakes. “If you want answers, look on the flashdrive.” That should have been a big enough clue for Poe, but then he would see the confirmation if he looked.

 

[Lucyfer]

Just this once, Kylo Ren wasn’t a fool. Myka would be disappointed, in hindsight.

She heard him, although at a distance. Sight of him was blurred, the touch was barely there. Her senses had all but left her, making it nearly impossible to react to the present. It wasn’t an ideal situation for anyone, and Myka was aware enough to be furious with her own situation as she fought against the pulling visions.

Until, eventually, it started to clear without her blacking out. She had been more concerned with that possibility; it would hardly be the first time.

But she did shut her eyes. It was too much to take in all at once, the lights of the room, the feel of his hand, the hum of the lightsaber – she could at least block out the sight, if nothing else.

‘Focus.’ She picked his hand, and touch, to focus on, to ground her in the moment once more. Breathing. He’d spoken earlier. She rewound her thoughts, trying to tear reality from potentials. “One skill I implement,” she found her voice, “doubles my vision so I can see seconds ahead. It is useful in knowing how an opponent will react and reading them.”

Exhale.

Inhale.

“I sought to see too far ahead to try and adjust my own actions before I took them, altering the future after seeing it. It usually does not have this negative of a result, but you’re…unusual.”

~***~

Poe didn’t move his hand off of her back as she spoke around what it was she’d done. As she felt some need to atone for it, which, in the context, made sense. Particularly as she offered the flashdrive up for having the answers. It seemed, then, she was already prepared to come clean with the Resistance.

With him.

“I’ll look at it later,” he said, making a shooing gesture with his free hand as BB-8 silently asked if he should open it up. No, the droid shouldn’t, not yet. “You were with the Order, huh?” He said it as blandly as he could, as if it were an easy mistake anyone could make.

Given the brainwashing…he supposed that, yeah, it was.

And she couldn’t really pick her parents, either, if they were old Imperial officers. Poe was lucky to be born to rebels. “Lemme guess – the pin-up TIE Fighter thing was your idea?” He kept his voice as neutral as he could, but saying that back, with humor – there was still a bite to it. An edge of frustration.

 

[cleopat]

Myka slowly came back to the room. Her eyes closed, but she didn’t go limp in his hands, which Kylo saw as a good thing. She was still there.

And there was the explanation of what happened. She used precognition to try and see what Kylo would do next in their match, and it failed her. Apparently, because he was unusual, and she hadn’t expected it.

He smirked and breathed out a huff of laughter. “I’ve been told that before.” The way the Force grasped onto him was peculiar, he knew. The way the Light and the Dark tugged at him. Kylo could use precognition the way Myka did. He could ‘feel’ some events before they happened, but he never learned to try and actively see into the future to know what his opponent would do next.

His lightsaber turned off, but his hand remained on her throat, the soft, warm skin under his touch inviting. “Maybe you shouldn’t try that again.” But he wouldn’t be shocked if she tried with some claim of knowing how to control it this time. “Are you better now?”

~~

Poe figured it out on his own, and kept his cool as he confirmed it with her. Azra hated it. She wanted more emotion, more anger, than the hint of frustration that came through. It was what she thought she deserved.

She didn’t directly answer his questions. “My father was a young officer at the end of the Empire. When it fell, he went with those who remained to help form the First Order. I was born into this, and it was all I’ve ever known.” And for all those years, Azra saw the New Republic in the same manner as many saw the First Order. Criminals who wanted to destroy the galaxy.

“Ever since I was thirteen, it was just me and my father, and I was so afraid of losing him, that I did anything I could to make him proud, which included blindly following him into the First Order. I truly thought we were doing good for the galaxy.” She shrugged, and her eyes remained downcast.

Now that Poe figured it out, it felt easier for Azra to tell him the details.

“The only issue is that I loved art and wanted to make a career of it, so we found the solution with my position as a propagandist.” She paused, allowing Poe a chance to take everything in. Allowing Azra a moment to calm herself down. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt her hands shaking.

 

[Lucyfer]

Myka’s master would have loved Kylo Ren, although Myka wondered if she wouldn’t have broken him, if she found him as a child. If she wouldn’t have ruined what he was now, that caused him to laugh and acknowledge it. She had a feeling that Kylo didn’t truly understand what it was.

Then again, how could he, when Myka hardly understood where her vision had taken her? When that laugh was, decidedly, not Kylo’s own laugh.

He hadn’t been in that vision at all, even if the starships resembled Imperial design.

‘Sith Eternal.’ The Sith language. She tried to reflect on what had been chanted as she opened her eyes, on what brief information she’d gained from the Knight of Ren before his demise. It wasn’t enough, but perhaps it all tied back to this idea he left behind before he died.

It was the only thing that made sense, even if she didn’t know what that was.

“Mmm,” she let out the hum of confirmation, cocking a smile at him, “Lesson learned,” at least in combat against him. She reached one hand up to rest along his, still wrapped around her throat, a strange gesture to take as gentle or warm, given the original connotations of it.

~***~

Azra went back into her history, explaining how she got to where she was. It wasn’t some brainwashed, kidnapped infant, but someone born into it who had only their father. It was easy to understand, but Poe still didn’t like that part of it. Even if he knew, really, that many in the Order weren’t given the chance to see the world as it was.

It was always easier to demonize – but the Resistance couldn’t afford that.

He couldn’t afford that.

Because there would be more people like her, who saw things for what they were, and they would need a place to go. The Resistance would have to be careful with those sorts, but they’d done it with the Empire.

They would do it again with the Order, and take in their broken, their confused, their lost, and their agonized.

“Most in the Order think they’re doing good. Most in the Empire thought they were doing good. That’s always the problem; it’s those at the top who are controlling things who really know what’s going on.” People like Snoke, like Wilhuff Tarkin, like Palpatine.

Like Kylo Ren.

“We know how they operate. We know they don’t tell everyone, everything. You can’t blame yourself for what you didn’t know, Az. Too many other people are going to do that for you.” Unfortunately, not all would be so understanding.

 

[cleopat]

Myka was back in the room once again. Her eyes opened, and a hand reached up to rest on his still lightly wrapped around her throat. The touch, even as simple as it was, was enticing.

Kylo was aware of how close they stood near each other, of how he could easily lean down to kiss her in the moment. And he wanted to. Kriff, he wanted to. But they were in a training room, not his quarters.

Yeah, that was the reason why he didn’t.

His hand let go of her neck and slowly trailed down her torso, over her chest, before resting by his side. “Good,” he said, clearing his throat after. Kylo took a step back to give them both some space, but mainly for his sake. “Will you need a moment?”

~~

Azra truly thought she had been doing good, but like Poe said, those at the top in the First Order didn’t tell everyone, everything. Which she knew was just a part of war; everything was compartmentalized. She just hadn’t expected exactly what they hid from her, and from the others. “And there are so many others like me in the First Order. Those who think they’re doing good, but don’t know any of these horrors you showed me.”

But it would be impossible to save them all, and there were those who would be too afraid to switch sides, or too stubborn to admit the wrongdoings. Azra couldn’t focus on that. Focus on how you can tell the galaxy what is truly going on.

In a small attempt to comfort herself, Azra wrapped her arms around herself. “I guess I should start preparing myself for others to blame me,” she lightly chuckled, though none of the humor was there. She imagined that if she stayed with the Resistance for any length of time, people would eventually find out what she was, and some of them would want to have a few choice words with her.

“Thank you, Poe.” Azra finally looked at Poe. “For a lawless flyboy, you’re a good man.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Myka would have time to start to wonder about Kylo Ren, her methods, and everything else when she returned to her quarters. For the moment, she could only think that he was too gentle, and that in spite of that qualifier, she liked that. She liked that he was thrown by her appearances, she liked that he didn’t just grab her when she showed a bit of skin and interest.

She also despised it, because what was she doing wrong?!

The tunic was too thick to appreciate his trailing hand as anything more than a visual.

She wanted more.

But, then again, she always wanted more. She didn’t quite know how to be content.

But she knew how to continue on, and so as Kylo added space and asked if she was all right to continue, she pulled her lightsaber back into her hands and lit both sides of it once again, “Of course,” and she’d give Kylo only a moment before rushing forward to engage once again with the lightsaber.

~***~

Poe was certain that Azra was right. That most of the Stormtroopers actually thought they were doing a good job, that many of the Officers had been led to believe that after the Empire, the galaxy was crying out to be redeemed from the New Republic. He’d heard enough from overhearing them, and from what Terex thought.

At least Terex hadn’t fully deluded himself, but then again, Terex was a proud criminal.

Poe let his hand trail down her back as he drew it back to himself and let it rest in his lap, cocking a smile at her words of him being a good man, even if he was a lawless flyboy. “Well, I learned some things from my parents.” He supposed neither of them could be called anything but lawless, but they were good people, too. “I was born in the Resistance, so I have my biases,” Shara Bey and Kes Dameron were both rebels.

“If anyone does give you too much trouble, though…tell me.” He added, “Some of it’s expected, and we can’t handle all of it, but if it’s anything severe, we can nip that and make it stop. The Resistance is responsive, when we know what’s going on.”

What he’d told her, about more serious matters of her reporting things, too.

“And if we can get others like you, we don’t want them to think they’re unwanted. Not that you've agreed to join, but...hey, I can't stop my recruiting efforts, right? And you've got to design a poster for the Resistance, with me."

 

[cleopat]

The touch hadn’t been enough for Kylo, and he wanted more, just as Myka had. The fabric hid her figure too well, and created a thick barrier that prevented him from truly grazing over the curves he was more than aware she had.

He would push past the desire, at least for now. Later, he could contemplate the mixed thoughts he harbored over Myka and her more than obvious suggestions.

Myka had seemingly cleared her head and was ready to start anew with their session. Alright. She would be the one to initiate their match, her dual-ended saber lit and aimed to attack.

Kylo activated his saber and swung it up to block her attack. He would then attempt to push back her saber with his own before swinging on the offense himself and leave her with little opportunity to attack back at him.

~~

Azra let out a faint gasp as the hand trailed down her back, the sensation sent unexpected shivers up her spine. But it had been nice, and Azra found herself missing the warmth that radiated from his hand. Just don’t let him know that.

Poe had a big enough ego as is.

She leaned back against the couch with a chuckle. “We all have our biases, don’t we?” Poe born in the Resistance, Azra born in the Order. In some twisted way, she found it funny.

“Thank you. That’s...appreciated.” And it was a reason why she hoped no one in the Resistance would ever learn she was from the First Order, but once they started looking through the flashdrive, she wondered how quickly that bit of information would spread.

There was another chuckle. “I’ve got to design a poster for the Resistance, do I?” There was almost a teasing note in her voice, as her mood started to improve a bit. “Why is that?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Again, sabers and the Force clashed, though Myka didn’t do much with doubling her vision again, she did bring out more of the Force. Lightning, slowing, stopping, or just throwing up walls with it – she didn’t let Kylo win a round where she could avoid it, and she let his anger drive him into stupid actions.

It empowered him, of course.

And it empowered her as she drew on it.

In that way, she knew she was treading on dangerous ground as the matches went on – and so that was why she did, eventually, opt to use the Force in a way that would be familiar to their earlier sparring.

As she put a little distance between them, she reached out with it, and used it to grope an area she knew was sensitive, an act she figured would be far more confusing than anything, before she’d rush forward to close the distance once again, and put her saber right against his neck.

~***~

Poe knew the information would spread. No matter how he and Leia tried to contain it, such things always spread. People would have questions regardless about who she was, and eventually, the truth would have to come out. Lying to their own wasn’t top of their priority list.

But for now, that didn’t need to be hashed over.

For now, he would grin at her question about the poster, “Because you’re the one with the know-how to make me a poster boy for the Resistance,” Poe teased, “and you know how to market it to get our recruitment up, at least 30%,” he added.

Of course, it was also just a way to give her something to do that made her come along with him to the Resistance. She didn’t have to focus on meeting all the people, and hearing all the horror stories of what they went through with the First Order. She would hear that. It was inevitable. She’d meet Rose and Paige likely too soon, when they came to see him about his trip.

To confirm their parents were dead.

Problems for later.

 

[cleopat]

Saber struck saber, Force clashed together as time ticked by in the training room. Myka knew a few more tricks in the Force than Kylo did, but he didn’t allow her to win when he could help it. His anger helped fuel him, but it also allowed him to slip up a few times.

Another strike then distance. Kylo began to move forward towards Myka, but he froze from the Force. No, not because the Force itself froze him, but because of what it was doing to him.

Of where Myka touched with those phantom threads.

Oh, how a moan nearly spilled from his lips. His pause was long enough for Myka to rush forward and place her saber at his neck.

“Oh, now that was just unfair.” And also unexpected, even if he never considered using the Force in...such a way. But now he had the idea in mind, something he would file away if they engage in a match again. Maybe it would force her to stumble or pause a moment.

~~

Azra laughed, easing away her earlier struggle and sorrow. Poe made it easy for her to feel better, which was a thought she wouldn’t linger on. He was probably like that with everyone.

“I guess I do, and I already have ideas in mind for how these posters could look.” Nothing that would actually involve showing skin, but highlight his heroism and, of course, his handsome face. Sometimes subtle was the best way to catch people’s attention and garner their interest.

Azra gently nudged Poe’s shoulder with her own. “Or maybe you’re just using that as an excuse to keep me around.” He hadn’t exactly been subtle in trying to recruit her into the Resistance, and she saw this as another way for him to bring her in permanently, rather than observing for her benefit.

But, if she did somehow end up staying, maybe something like that would help people see she was trying to make up for her past, and she in no way wanted to associate with the First Order anymore.

 

[Lucyfer]

“We threw fairness out the window a long time ago,” Myka chuckled, pulling back as it was obvious Kylo wasn’t going to try and move to defend. Another match called in her favor, “We aren’t going to start inviting fairness in now – this is about winning, and you did tell me to do what I needed to do.”

When they had been practicing with just melee fighting, anyways. He’d suggested elements she could use to her advantage, given her height and strength.

It wasn’t her fault she was just a much better fighter, and better at figuring things out, when she had her lightsabers and the Force at her beck and call. Without them, she might be next to useless, but with them? She could absolutely destroy people.

She would move back a fair distance to start again, assuming that was to be the case, “Let me know when you have yourself together again,” a light tease, as she expected that wouldn’t really put him out for long. Even if it did seem to significantly bring down his anger.

~***~

Poe was certain that Azra did, given she’d thought he ought to be on posters. He was probably thinking more scandalous things than she was, if only because of other conversations about this very same topic, but he was willing to accept that. Most people who spoke with him about it weren’t that serious.

And it was always about showing off his looks to get people to join – so some scandalous thoughts were warranted.

“Maybe,” Poe said, “Won’t deny it,” he was, after all, trying to keep Azra around. To get involved with the Resistance, and see that life after the Order was possible. To see the other side of things, too.

Not to mention that in spite of what he’d learned, her company was good, and it was obvious that what she’d learned about the Order was tearing her up. He wasn’t going to be the one to push her aside over that. He intended to show her that she could have her history, and still be welcome, even by the ‘poster boy’ of the Resistance.

Perhaps, especially, by the ‘poster boy’ of the Resistance. If people ought to emulate him…then this was one way they could do it.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo scoffed, but Myka was right. He did tell her to do what she needed to do, and she did. It was just...very unorthodox ways he knew none of his Knights have ever used.

The lightsaber pulled away from his neck, and Kylo should have relaxed, but instead he remained tensed. All he could think of was the grope and how it felt, and how different her hands would feel. Her soft, warm hands.

Well this isn’t helping anything.

“Let’s call it for the day,” he huffed as he realized his problem wasn’t going away like he hoped. Did Myka know? She had to know. Or if she didn’t, Kylo didn’t want her finding out.

The memory of her singed clothes helped nothing.

~~~

Azra smiled at his answer, a softer smile that was accompanied by a tinge of pink in her cheeks. She blamed the alcohol for that one. It was totally because of the whiskey. “I knew it.”

But really, despite only having travelled with him for a few days now, she didn’t want to go back to traveling alone, the silence only interrupted when she seeks out her next story, meeting and interviewing people. It would be nice to feel a part of something again. To be a part of something.

A sudden thought came to her mind. “Oh, something else you should know about me. My real name isn’t Azra Durand, it’s Zahra Kaplan. But I still want to be called Azra.” An old nickname, now a symbol of her new self.

He would have learned of her real name eventually, but she felt better telling him right then

 

[Lucyfer]

Myka absolutely knew.

She wouldn’t say anything about it just then, just smile and accept Kylo’s concession for the moment. The end to their play. She deactivated the lightsaber and moved to place it at her hip, before recalling the irksomely heavy tunic that was over her. She sighed.

“At least this gives me a chance to finally change into something proper.”

She and Kylo had vastly different definitions of ‘proper’. Functional may have been a better word for her to use. She didn’t correct herself. “I’m sure you want your tunic back,” now smelling of her, like his bed, like anything she could get her hands on, really. “Unless there’s more to do before I change?”

She didn’t know, and doubted it.

She could at least get changed before there was anything else to do, and so she already started walking back towards the door of the training room.

~***~

Poe wasn’t surprised that there was a different name associated with her First Order persona. Kaplan was familiar, but he couldn’t place it right then. Perhaps he’d seen it on a poster? He just nodded – it was something he could look into, later. “If you’re sure,” he didn’t mind calling her by her actual name, if that was what she preferred.

Zahra was a good name. Had many of the same letters as Azra, so he imagined that made it easy to transition between the two. ‘Wait, is it Azrha? Am I spelling it wrong?’ Poe wouldn’t ask. Maybe he was spelling Zara wrong? Crap.

BB-8 re-greeted her, though still used Azra. Poe chuckled a bit at that. Though, BB-8 did ask if it should be Azra Kaplan or Azra Durand.

Probably a good question.

The surname was more likely to be known. The First Order loved its surnames.

 

[cleopat]

He didn’t trust her smile. Kylo didn’t think he ever would, but Myka agreed to end things. Good. He was still....bothered, and he urged himself to calm down.

But as she mentioned changing into something more proper, an outfit Kylo knew would be the total opposite, her earlier dress flashed in his memories, which did nothing to help his current problem. Kriff.

Knowing he would be getting his tunic back smelling of her, also, didn’t help things.

“No, that will be all. You can go change.” Even if he didn’t want to see her in those revealing outfits. Or maybe he did. Yet he also enjoyed seeing her wear his tunic, enjoyed seeing how small she looked in the fabrics.

As soon as Myka left, Kylo would leave for his room as well, to take a cold shower. A really cold shower.

~~

Azra nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. I prefer Azra, or Az, in your case,” she chuckled. The nickname was nice, and it established a tone of familiarity between them that she liked.

And BB-8 felt the need to re-greet her, to which Azra laughed. “And it’s nice to meet you, Beebee.” It was a good droid. She wanted a droid like that one. The previous droids she worked with didn’t have a personality quite like BB-8’s, though she suspected it truly was one-of-a-kind.

“Please, Azra Durand. Kaplan may garner some unwanted attention, and Durand was my mother’s maiden name.” She wouldn’t have to worry about any negative associations with her mother’s name, unlike her father’s. And while he wasn’t one of the top officers in the Order, she wouldn’t be surprised if some, like Poe, heard the name.

He’d been in the business a long time.

“And I’ve already established myself as a journalist with the name Azra Durand.” She shrugged. “It will be easier in the long run.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Myka would return to her own quarters, enjoying the looks she got for walking around in Kylo’s tunic. There were probably going to be some rumors from that which Kylo didn’t anticipate. Oh the fun! She wondered how long until he caught wind of them. Did he know what it usually meant to send a woman off in one’s own clothing?

Probably not.

It did keep a grin on her face, and when she got to her quarters, she changed quickly, showering off as well, before changing into yet another barely-there outfit.

This one, perhaps, moreso. She could claim Kylo ruined her more decent outfit, which wasn’t entirely false. She didn’t put the tunic back on, at any rate, as she left her room, shoulders bare, but legs covered by tight leather fabric. At least Kylo could appreciate her legs were covered, even if her entire mid-drift was bare.

She had to return his tunic, though, so she made her first stop there, knocking on his door, though with plans to head off elsewhere if Kylo had nothing further for her to do. There were other people to see, and much more of the ship, and the Order, to learn.

~***~

“Az. Got it,” Poe accepted. He liked his own nickname, after all. Even if it was already a nickname of a false name. He thought it worked, and apparently, so would Durand. It was still tied to family, just her mother, in this case. He didn’t know that surname, so it didn’t spark any immediate alarms.

He did wonder if her mother had been First Order, but for now, he wouldn’t ask.

BB-8 also accepted the name.

“Shouldn’t be too hard, we weren’t calling you by the other names anyways,” he chuckled, “so it’s not like I have to stop doing that,” that did make things easier, at any rate. “Have all your stories so far been about the Order? Under Azra, that is,” he knew that, well, technically any propaganda with the Order had been about them, so that was a moot point.