***Trigger warning Violence***
I opened my eyes and the only thing I registered was mind numbing pain as my blood leaked from every orifice. My bones ached my muscles burned, though still I managed to wield a small amount of Force energy. I had within me to dig myself out from beneath the stones. Everything hurt yet I knew I had been through much worse. I'd had mountains of rock upon me many years ago and I lived to talk about it. With a great heave of strength, I was finally free, but my body was still broken. I clenched my side a metal rod impaled me jutting out at an odd angle and my breath came in wet gasps. I needed to find a way to get off this planet and to find myself some help.
My ears rang so loudly that I did not hear the sound of a ships approach. I only managed to take two steps towards the destroyed landing pad before I collapsed again. Laying in the red dirt I reached frantically for my bag I put my hand within the folds of fabric and pulled out the old wooden box clumsily I opened the lid the object of my desire still within its confines. I caressed the object reverently before lifting it with shaking hand and pressed the secondary switch a small light dagger burst from the end of the Great Uncle's lightsaber a modification, I was now very glad I had added in my years here.
I took a deep crackling breath and quickly I pulled the metal rod from my side the blood a torrent now a steady stream seeped from me down my side drenching my trousers. Without pause I impaled the hole in my side with the light dagger effectively cauterizing the wound. My scream echoed across the barren landscape, but the bleeding stopped. My vision was edged with black but I was determined to forge onward.
My clothes were damp with sweat, and blood and tears fell from my eyes like a stream as the wound burned like lava. I tried to get up only to fail again. I let loose a cry of frustration as I tried to pull myself up on shaking arms.
I felt myself being lifted my eyes blurred as I looked for the source afraid that it was the Night Mother back for revenge but when I turned, I was surprised and strangely relieved to see the masked figure of Commander Ren beside me pulling my arm up over his shoulder.
"I don't know what happened down here, but if I don't get you back to the Finalizer you will die."
There was nothing to say, I looked to him and nodded my lightsaber still in hand. I disengaged the blade. It tumbled from my grasp the cry that fell from my lips gave him pause and he looked down to it and my discarded bag and using the force he pulled them easily to his hand and guided us back to his ship.
There was little I could recall coherently for the next seventy-two hours as the medical officers repaired my body. Flashes of consciousness broke through fevered dreams of nearly strangling a medic who stitched my wounds, and I threw myself to the floor in an attempt to escape the corpses that chased me in my dreams.
My body was wrecked but it healed, quickly and soon I awoke in a comfortable room clearly designed to meet First Order standards. Nowhere near sick bay where I was no longer welcome. I could not complain however because the bed was wonderful. I paused as my brain struggled to recall how long had it been since I slept on a comfortable mattress? I turned my head and only with a quick glimpse out the window I could see that Dathomir was not even a spot in the distance.
Good riddance.
I could not recall a single reason I had stayed on that forsaken planet for as long as I did. Hopefully the First Order still had use of me because currently I was in their debt, and I wanted nothing more that to see Dathomir crumble into space dust.
I sat up slowly my body felt like a cloud too light to be alive. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed noting I was only in loose black shirt and underpants. I groaned as my body protested the movements. I stood taking small steps at a time my muscles ached in protest demanding I should lay down again. I moved to the refresher I took care of my bodily needs, and I placed my mouth under the tap drinking hungrily from the fountain of water my stomach feeling bloated and sloshing when I eased slowly from the refresher to sit on the edge of my bed exhausted.
I touched my dark hair the braid had been removed and it had become a nest of knots and blood, but I did not have the will nor desire to attempt even looking for a brush.
The door to my room slid open with a mechanical hiss and a small woman stood in the entry way.
She seemed familiar.
"I am here to help you get dressed." Her lips quivered slightly when she spoke not looking in my eye.
"I do not need your help," I absolutely did but would never admit that I did.
"Your presence had been requested In the briefing room." She stepped further into the room.
'How do they know I'm even conscious' I thought.
I stared at her realizing who she was I grit my teeth, The Generals Assistant. This task must be below her pay grade, yet I did not sense any malice toward me just the need to please Hux.
I narrowed my eyes. "I will need my clothes."
She stepped to a hidden compartment in the wall and pushed a button the wardrobe slid open revealing neatly pressed black uniforms. Her hand fell upon one and made to pull it out.
"No." I halted her, and she froze, "I want my clothes."
She turned to me fear in her eyes.
"But ma'am," she began, "they were destroyed."
I closed my eyes irritated, "where is my bag, I know that Commander Ren had my bag."
She blinked. She didn't know.
"Fine." I snapped, "help me to the shower." My hair had begun to itch from the dried blood on my scalp.
Her eyes went round. "I, perhaps I should get- "
I cut her off, "you are a woman correct?"
She nodded confused.
"Then there is nothing you have not seen before." Living with the Nightsisters had spared me of any and all of shame long ago. My naked body had been painted from head to toe with their Magicks multiple times the black tattoos on my skin as proof.
She blinked.
"Come here and help me my side burns, help me take this off." I had stood and made my way to the bathing room and waited for her at the door.
She steeled herself and stepped to me and helped me pull the shirt over my head.
She gasped when she saw my form, I cocked my head then turned to the mirrored wall to see what horrors she saw. A smirk played on my mouth, other than the lightsaber burn on my side that I refused to let the medics heal as a reminder and the healing bruises and cuts on my body it was the same as it had been for years. I admired my reflection it was a map of my accomplishments, my skin pale, and adorned with black swirling tattoos and Magick symbols over its entirety. My breasts round and heavy not spared by the markings either nor where the curves of my hips or the plains of my stomach. There was not a single part of me spared from markings not even my face two pale black marks mirroring each other starting under my eyes and down my cheeks, marks so light with ink that it showed that I had not completed the rituals that made me a full Nightsister. There were short marks that extended from my bottom lip to my chin and an inverse crescent between my brows. I frightened her I could feel her fear rush through me, fear, and something else...
Awe.
I was after all the Red Witch.
I turned the water on and stepped under the hot stream hissing with pleasure. "Ready some clothes on the bed and wait outside my room I will call you if I have need of you."
She and her pale face scurried away relieved to be discharged from my presence.
I took my time under the hot water, a luxury I had not been afforded for so long. The dirt and dust and blood washed from me I was now ready to leave the glorious confines of the shower. I wrapped a towel around me and padded into the room, the mousy woman now gone from the room I noted.
Black leggings and long-sleeved black tunic, I smirked she was trying to cover me up. My boots were sitting by the door they had not been before but my bag still not in sight. I flash of power scolded though me suddenly and I stretched uncomfortably. I dried and combed my hair plaiting it in a single braid over my shoulder I made me to exit the door.
It slid open.
I smirked, I thought I had sensed him.
"Commander Ren, to what do I owe the pleasure?" I cooed.
He bristled.
"I take it you are here to escort me to the briefing room," I paused, "did I scare the little dove off?"
He said nothing but turned and walked away from me I could feel his irritation at fetching me I had indeed frightened the poor girl. I followed rolling my eyes at his back.
I had assumed this walk to the briefing room would be as full of conversation and our last walk down this corridor which I why I was surprised when he spoke turning to me. "I think you will find people are much more conservative here then you are used to."
Was this a warning, his tone suggested it? The little Dove must have run off and tattled on me. I smirked.
"Why bother sending someone to help me dress if she is going to get uncomfortable when I take my clothes off." My tone clipped. "I am not embarrassed by my body. It has gotten me through much." He turned his head to me, I thought he might speak. I sensed his curiosity at my words. I raised a brow it him playfully, "I assure you Commander what she saw was not frightening."
He grunted irritated again and used his hand to open the door storming through.
I walked in behind him spying General Hux and his assistant attempting to look anywhere but at me smirking to myself I noted the absence of a conference table.
"It is good to see you up and about," Hux noted as he looked at me.
"Where is my bag?" I asked I would not let them hear the desperation in my words because I myself didn't quite understand how much I needed to make sure that the rest of my belongings were not destroyed, I did not need him knowing it either.
Showing more weakness was not an option.
"You bag?" Hux turned to his assistant who was frantically searching through her data pad for an answer her eyes wide.
"I have it," the Commander spoke, "why do you have a lightsaber? Where did you get it? I thought Nightsisters didn't have need of them"
Relief filled me, I ignored his questions, "Where is it?"
"Answer my questions!" He demanded.
"No." I hissed though my teeth.
Hux sighed already tired of our antics and worried perhaps we might break more furniture. "Listen here the both of you. We are all here by the grace of Supreme Leader Snoke's discretion so, if we could please attempt some form of civility, it would be greatly appreciated."
I sneered at him silently pleased as I watched him flinch back. "I will do nothing for anyone until I get all of my belongings back into my possession." I hissed turning to the Commander's direction.
"You will answer my questions then." He hissed right back at me.
I crossed my arms under my breasts I could feel his eyes on me. Taking a deep breath, I spoke turning back to Hux, "thank you for helping me after the events of Dathomir, I would surely be dead without the assistance of your medics."
Hux puffed himself up a little, "it was rather a feat, the energy emissions from Dathomir sent the gyroscopes on the the main engines into full power failure we nearly lost an entire engine to a fire by the end of it."
"What happened?" It was the Commander's deep commanding tone that wove under my skin willing me to answer. I fought against the rise to argue with him.
"I explained to the Night Mother that I wished to help the First Order, she did not approve." I oversimplified my answer.
"The amount of Force that was wielded still leaves it's mark." He stated.
"Yes, well what can I say she really didn't want me to leave." I could not explain hundreds of years of Nightsister history to him. "Let me just say the Nightsisters and The Sith do not exactly see eye to eye."
Ren went strangely silent.
Hux frowned, "Will this be a problem?" He looked between the Commander and I almost eager for me to say yes, even if he weren't shouting it at me though his thoughts, I could see it plain on his face.
I sneered at him, and he blinked. "General Hux, I am telling you if I get my belongs back into my possession, I will gladly do anything you ask of me."
He smiled at me but it did not reach his eyes.
"Ren, give her her things." His eyes flicked to the Commander.
I looked to the imposing man whose anger fell from him in torrents, I breathed it in deeply, his rage could feed my own and I could taste the power in it. My own Force energy began to coil from me reaching out for his, the havoc we could wreak upon the Galaxy was nearly palatable on my tongue.
Unconsciously I stepped towards him.
I was mere inches from him, and he looked down upon me I could feel his gaze through the mask, the shadows tendrils of our energy reaching out to find the source of like power. I felt drawn to him, and I hated it.
Like calls to like.
His hand moved up and reached for my temple and few things happened all at once. As soon and his gloved fingers connected with my skin it was like a vacuum. Flashes of memories burst in my mind not all of them my own and then my rage flared at being touched. I barely handled the little doves' small hands helping me earlier let alone this unwelcome touch that held a sort of intimacy behind it that I had never experienced. Every horrible thing I had ever experienced he was seeing in fleeting images in his minds eye. Which was even more confusing compounded by the strange images that flooded through me that were clearly not my own.
I wrenched his hand away from me and a feral growl erupted from my mouth, and I made to launch myself at him. How dare he touch me? I felt a pair of arms come around my waist pulling me away from the Commander.
My eyes widened awful memories from my past brought forward from the connection only moments ago shoved to the forefront of my mind and the events on Dathomir's surface days ago. I reached within me to crush the offender but before I could gather my powers. The offender was ripped away from me and I turned to see General Hux fly into the opposite wall.
"You do not touch her." Ren's voice shook with rage.
I looked over my shoulder to him confusion clear on my features, no one had ever defended me like that before. It made me uncomfortable.
"Do not make that mistake again." The Commander turned and left lightning his lightsaber as he exited the doors of the briefing room tearing violently down the corridor angry lines of melted metal in is wake. The doors hissed closed before he disappeared from sight.
I turned to see Hux's assistant bent over the General attempting to help him in any way she could her eyes flashing to me with fright.
He shook her off and straightened his tunic a dour expression on his face his own rage in clear display, "We shall see what the Supreme Leader has to say about this. I do not think he will disagree we do not need two unhinged individuals aboard this vessel."
I pushed away the emotions I wanted to lash out with and swallowed my rage to speak, "Two things General, first do not touch me, no one touches me ever."
"I gathered." He replied sardonically.
"Second," my eyes bore at him, "Point me in the direction you need me, I will gladly annihilate any and all targets the First Order desires just get me away from him." I pointed at the direction the Commander had just left.
He smirked nodding, "I think you and I will get along just fine my dear."
I huffed and left the conference centre making sure I took the path farthest from the direction the Commander's destruction led. I needed to get as much distance between him and I as I could.
I did not like the way the Force was drawing us together.
I narrowed my eyes and loudly cursed a pair of Stormtroopers who turned at my colourful words. I still did not have my belongings and Commander Ren had effectively sorted through my mind. In a tantrum of my own rage, I lifted my hand and hurled the two if them at the wall.
Hard.
I stepped over their bodies leaving them watching me helmets askew with fear that would soon spread through the Finalizer. Word had indeed spread that there was another like the Commander with just as violent a temper and as far as I was concerned so be it. The less I had to deal with these plebs the better.
When I finally found my way back to my room, I was pleased to see my belonging sitting on the end of my freshly made bed. I rushed to it and opened the wooden box, I could feel Kylo Ren's energy all over it and a frowned, but it appeared at first glance that everything was there much to my relief.
A thousand thoughts rushed through my mind. What did he know? Or what did he think he knew? I knew that the images of his memories that flashed through my mind had been confusing and left me with an ache in my chest, but I could not discern what they might mean to him. However, I did not have access to holo crystals that explained the entire history of his family. Noting that my journals were missing I frowned, not that Ren would be able to decipher much from them as they were mostly notes from past rituals and honestly, I did not care what Nightsister secrets were revealed to him. I growled at the thought of him having something that belonged to me.
I strange dinging noise from behind me and interrupted my thoughts. A data pad was sitting on the small table behind me. I stepped away from my things and to it seeing a message from the General, it seems he took my offer to heart I was headed to Chandrila. I smiled and gathered my things and left the apartment to make my way to the hanger, this would be glorious.