CHAPTER 48
NO TRUST

WITH tensions growing aboard the Steadfast, it was difficult for Raena to keep her mind at ease. Not only was she constantly berated by Kylo about his empress proposition, but she still had to fulfill her promise to Leia, which was becoming increasingly harder as the days went on. Kylo's anger was skyrocketing. She tried to center herself, tried to forget that everything would soon blow up in her face. It was the only way to get through it. She practiced her meditation more, even though that seemed like a lost cause. It always replayed the same way: her, standing in the dark, on end pulsating a yellow light, being dragged into the blackness by a strong, red string.

Kylo made damn sure everyone was following his orders now. He led a thorough search across the Expansion Region for Rey. The First Order got a tip through a spy that the Millennium Falcon was spotted near that area. They had come up with nothing so far – much to Raena's relief – but everyone knew that Kylo was certainly ready to find that spy and pummel his face in for the wasted effort. He still had hope, though, and that was perhaps the scariest thing.

He was becoming more ... erratic. Since the search for Rey and her friends had commenced, he wasn't letting anyone stand in their way. Not Pryde, not Sawyer, not even Hux. Everyone was a nuisance until they found Rey and he killed her, under Palpatine's orders. Raena noticed that had suddenly had a nervous tick to him: he would tilt his head for the shortest second if anyone questioned his actions. She witnessed him talking to himself often, as if he was arguing with a ghost of some sort. He was suddenly hard to read and unreliable. Kylo became a ticking time bomb and Raena didn't want to be there for the explosion. Knowing her luck, she might be the cause of it.

She was seeing the Knights of Ren more often than not. Kylo always seemed to have them around him, almost like a group of bodyguards, as he strode through the Steadfast. Raena had never been too acquainted with them and she wasn't scared, but something felt so different when they were standing in front of you, with their dark mask, pitch-black capes, and swords that towered over their heads. She almost found herself longing for the days of Snoke's rule. At least he had the audacity to keep their creepy figures off the Supremacy and Starkiller Base.

Speaking of those creepy figures ... Raena almost stopped immediately in her tracks when she spotted Kylo's usual stalk with the Knights of Ren following in tow. She was currently walking beside General Pryde, who felt the need to update her on all the safety precautions they were taking in the case that the scavenger and her rebel fugitives showed up. Raena wanted to tell him that it was stupid to try to outsmart the Resistance, and she also already knew about the safety upgrades they made in the past few days, but she held her tongue. General Pryde was the kind of man who just liked to hear himself talk. It wasn't the first time he tried to mansplain her.

Raena did her best to ignore Kylo's presence, focusing all her attention on Pryde's annoying voice. She was hoping they could just pass by each other with no issue, but then, General Stark rounded the corner, a long necklace of rattling beads clutched in her grip. She approached Kylo, head held high, and offered the necklace to him.

"Sir, we had this analyzed," she said as he Kylo wound his fist around the beads. "It comes from the Middian system. Passana. Forbidden Valley. We believe they're trying to locate the other Wayfinder to travel to Exegol."

Raena turned her head slightly, meeting Kylo's dark stare through his helmet. She swallowed hard, but he moved his head away just as quickly. Raena watched the beads clack together as they dangled from Kylo's tight grip. Passana. Forbidden Valley. The Resistance is trying to find a way to Exegol, to eliminate the emperor. The message had gotten to them.

Kylo held up a finger. "Prepare my ship," he said to Stark before sharply turning his head to the general beside Raena. "General Pryde, alert the local troops. Send a division."

Stark left with a curt nod, while Pryde hissed, "Yes, Supreme Leader," and walked in the opposite direction.

Fuck, Raena thought to herself. She had to get on this mission. This was one of those divine opportunities. The universe was handing her a possibility and she had to decide what to do with it. If she was able to travel to Passana on Ren's ship, that might be a way to get him alone and captured by the Resistance. Easy peasy.

(Well, not exactly. But this was one of the few times where she needed to be optimistic.)

Kylo's back was turned as he continued to converse with the Knights of Ren. Raena took a step forward and cleared her throat. Kylo looked over his shoulder as the knights dispersed from their tight bubble. Raena flashed the knights a snarky grin before she glanced back at Kylo, placing her hands on her hips and asking, "So when do we leave?"

"For Passana?"

"No, for Hoth," she scoffed. "Of course, Passana!"

Kylo turned his helmet back to his followers again, and then chuckled under his breath. Raena's foot tapped impatiently. "I – well –" Kylo shook his head. "I don't think you should embark on this mission, Raena. I need you here, protecting the Steadfast."

Raena felt the world stop. She was hardly breathing; all she felt was the steady rhythm of the blood rushing to her face, and her cheeks flushed a bright red. She was mad, incredibly mad, and that was obvious by the way her whole body began to shake. No one could do anything about the explosion; they all waited for the fallout. The Knights of Ren said nothing, only took a step back.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" She hollered. Everyone within the corridor stopped abruptly and turned their way. "You're treating me like a prisoner again!"

Kylo looked around the hallway, meeting every stare, before placing a hand on Raena's shoulder and guiding her a few feet back. Raena shoved his hand off as soon as it touched her skin. Just the mere brush of his hand brought all the memories back, and she was struggling to keep it together. Looking down at her, Kylo tilted his head to the side while she continued to glare daggers in his direction.

"You're my Grand Admiral," he whispered, breathing heavily through the voice modulator.

Raena crossed her arms over her chest. "Then why aren't you treating me like one?"

One of the Knights of Ren cleared their throat. They stepped forward, and in a low feminine voice, responded, "You should not question his actions, Grand Admiral. He's doing this for your safety." For a second, Raena wondered why it sounded like she was talking through gritted teeth.

Kylo raised a hand. "I do not need anyone to defend me, Leta."

Raena narrowed her eyes. Leta. Leta Solari. That's who she was. Raena had never once spoken a word to her, but she remembered Kylo usually speaking highly of Leta. He even promoted her as Leader of the Knights of Ren. She was untouchable and ruthless, much like Raena, but never wanted the glory of a stranger knowing her name or face. Raena felt different in that aspect – she wanted the identity, she wanted the fear.

"Bullshit," she finally responded, leaning into his face.

Kylo grabbed hold of her arm again. He began to drag her in the opposite direction, muttering, "We will talk about this in private."

"NO!" Raena continued to shriek, violently yanking herself out of his hands. She snarled into his face, her nose almost brushing against his mask, and replied, "What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you suspicious of me?"

"Can you please keep your voice –"

"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO BE QUIET!" She hissed. "Answer the question!"

He sighed heavily, lowering his voice to a whisper, "Why does that matter?"

Her expression twisted. "Because it means there's no trust."

"Do you trust me completely now?"

She paused, licking the corners of her lips. "I didn't say that."

Despite the people loitering around the corridor, despite their curious, wandering eyes – Kylo heaved and lifted his helmet off, allowing tufts of sweaty, dark hair to cascade around his face. He got close to her, like they were the only two left in this hateful, cruel world, and let his head fall. Kylo buried his face into her shoulder and inhaled her cinnamon-like scent. Raena was so caught off guard that she froze. Kylo spoke then, voice muffled against the collar of her shirt: "I need you, Raena. I always have."

Her conscience urged her to move. Push him away. Shove him off. Do something, you dumb fuck! But it was so difficult. Her soul was exploding into a million pieces, and the memories came back in quick flashes – so quick that she couldn't push them away. Raena wanted to cry. When would she ever forget them? When would she not be burdened by her destructive past with Kylo Ren? Why did she allow herself to fall for people that shattered her in the end?

He sighed, and the feeling of his breath against her skin caused her to wake up, eyes blinking rapidly. "Everything will soon be set right," he said, standing up straight once again, raising two hands to cup her cheeks. Raena heard an echo in her ears when he first spoke those words to her. She was still frozen, searching his haunted, black eyes. For a second – the shortest one she ever felt – Raena missed his touch. She missed being held by him, and that was the saddest part of it all.

"Especially," he continued with a sick, twisted smile, "when I kill the scavenger girl, and then we can rule together."

Raena felt her stomach churn. How could this get any worse?

•••

To answer her own question – very easily. While Raena yearned for a sense of normalcy in her life, for just a simple meal and to enjoy the company of her friends, that wasn't in the cards for her. As she downed a hot bowl of noodles, trying to ignore reality by laughing at whatever dumb joke Gerardo was making, Colonel Datoo approached their table with a serious expression.

Gerardo and Pacey had stiffened, while Raena simply frowned in the colonel's direction. Whatever he wanted, she knew it couldn't be good. She assumed with Kylo currently gone, she could maybe forget all the anger and destruction happening on the ship for a while. But she would always get sucked back in. This place was like a disease with no cure.

"Grand Admiral," he spoke, allowing a fake smile to grace his lips, "General Hux would like a word with you."

Raena swirled her forked inside the bowl of broth and noodles. "I'm on my dinner break, Colonel. I'm sure Hux can wait."

"He said, it's urgent."

She huffed, releasing the fork from her grip. It clattered against the side of the bowl. Gerardo and Pacey didn't move. They watched Raena with bated breath as she smoothed out the lines in her pants and stood. When she turned to Datoo, she realized his smirk hadn't faded. Raena narrowed her eyes into slits. "This better be good," she muttered, following him out of the mess hall.

Sure enough, General Hux was waiting beside the transport ship storage unit, just a few corridors down from the hangar. Once she cornered him, Colonel Datoo saluted the general and walked off. Raena watched him from over her shoulder with an arched brow, before turning back to Hux with a bored expression. "What could you possibly want, General?"

"You're going to want to follow me, Nhagy," he responded, already embarking down the hallway. Raena frowned. "You'll want to see this."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it doesn't interest me." She pointed her thumb from over her shoulder. "Can I go back on my dinner break?"

Hux rolled his eyes at her tenacity. Trudging back over to her, he muttered, "I think you might know our newest prisoner we captured on Passana."

Raena's back straightened. An alarm went off in her head. A prisoner ... from Passana? That could only mean ... Oh, fuck! It's Rey. Please, don't let it be Rey. Raena felt a sweat form on her brow. The second Kylo got his hands on her, the Jedi Order would be over. The war would've practically been won.

She didn't have the strength to respond. Raena simply nodded for him to lead. Hux spun around and guided her down the long corridor. They passed groups of stormtroopers with dust and blood littering their armor. Raena hoped it wasn't completely obvious that she was sweating. The sight of these troopers wasn't doing anything to calm her nerves. After walking for a minute too long, Raena managed to spot General Pryde waiting for them by the end of the hallway.

"Thank you for finally joining us, Grand Admiral." He said, a hint of malice in his tone. Raena had to bite her tongue. "We recovered the scavenger's ship, but she got away. Under the command of Leta Solari of the Knights of Ren, we suffered tremendous losses at Passana. A transport was also destroyed."

Raena held back her breath of relief that Rey had gotten away. Maybe Kylo wasn't that close to winning after all.

"Good to know," she quipped, "but it still doesn't explain why I was rudely interrupted during my dinner break."

Hux glanced in her direction before casting his eyes down. Raena arched a brow and noticed the wide grin spreading on Pryde's lips.

"General Hux informed me that you've been acquainted with the creature we captured on Passana," Pryde chuckled. "Perhaps, you could help with the interrogation."

Raena nudged the general's side when Pryde looked away and murmured, "What's he talking about?"

Hux didn't respond.

The door before them flew open, and Raena felt all the oxygen being knocked out of her lungs at the sight of eight stormtroopers crowded around a cuffed Wookiee. But not just any Wookiee. Pryde had been right – Raena had listened to stories about this one straight from Leia Organa's mouth.

"Chewbacca?" She whispered loudly.

The Wookiee roared in response.

"So you do know him. Excellent!" Pryde exclaimed. "I've been told this beast used to fly with Han Solo. Take him to Interrogation 6."

"Move it!" One of the troopers shouted, shoving Chewbacca in the opposite direction. The Wookiee looked over his shoulder, meeting Raena's stare, and bellowed.

They had never once met before, but maybe he recognized a goodness in Raena that she didn't know of herself, a person he could trust. That could also just be her wishful thinking.

General Hux followed Pryde down the length of the hall like a lost puppy, not once looking back to question why Raena was frozen in place. She didn't know what to do. What were they going to do to the poor thing? What information could he bring that only a translator could understand? Was he only supposed to be a mere hostage, or were they actually going to kill him?

She watched them round the corner. Raena didn't have a plan – when did she ever? – but she allowed her legs to carried her down the corridor and follow the pack of stormtroopers to the interrogation wing. She sprinted, trying to catch up with their pace, and passed by dozens of prisoners screaming for her help. Some pounded on the walls, some shrieked as medics performed operations to get them to talk. Raena had heard a hundred – no, a thousand different cries during her time with the First Order, and they never seemed to change. She was able to drown them out as she trailed the crowd in front of her. Maybe there wasn't a lot of good in her after all.

The stormtroopers came to a halt by the sixth room in the interrogation hall, shoving Chewbacca inside before he could make a rebuttal. The group stormed inside to restrain the creature. Raena slid to a stop at the door, breath ragged and heavy. She watched the troopers strap him down, and then one of them lifted their heads. Raena's eyes went wide when they met with the shadowy stare of a stormtrooper's helmet. They approached the doorway and with a cocky laugh, they said, "Don't you have something more important to do, Grand Admiral?"

She couldn't respond. The door had already shut in her face.

•••

A/N: henlo!!! long time no see 🥳 sorry y'all had to wait like 2 weeks for this mediocre update lol. if you didn't see on my mb, I took some time off writing, especially with this story in particular. 2 weeks ago, I got sick with a cold, so I didn't write. the next week, I made the decision to take a break from updating both PRISONER and BAD BLOOD to focus on bettering my mental health for a week. it was such a great decision and I'm in a much better mindset now!!! I've never felt more motivated! thank you guys for being so understanding 🥰💞

if you didn't notice, our girl leta from dazzIers fic, VENDETTA, made another appearance!!! she'll come around a few more times too. I love that angry space gorl 🤩🤩🤩

also more memes hehe

the quality is high def I SWEAR wattpad just ruins everything 😜