CHAPTER 47
A TRUE EMPIRE

SOMETIMES Raena assumed that sleep was only reserved for those pure of heart. She always found herself tossing and turning all night, haunted by memories of the past. By the time she woke up – that is, if she slept – her covers would be completely kicked off the bed, with her sheets spilling across the floor like running water.

She thought about the lives she ended, the faces of those now lost in an endless cycle of killing and more killing, only to end up reborn as a star in the gigantic galaxy they called home. You would think – after all these years, after all this numbness – that faces would just blur together. You would think all these people became nothing, but they didn't. No, Raena would be haunted by them for the rest of her life. They were a constant reminder that no matter how much she wanted to be good, she'd never be able to erase her past.

But tonight was different. Instead of repeating visions from the past, Raena couldn't stop her running mind from thinking of the future. I have to eliminate the last of the Jedi, Kylo had said. There wasn't much left. As far as she knew, Rey was the very last that the Jedi had, and without her, who knows what will happen. Kylo said that destroying her was the only way to win to war, but Raena begged to differ. Rey's death would only continue it.

She wondered how he would do it, if he got to her. Raena's dreams usually reminded her almost every night of when Kylo, too, thought destroying someone would give him the power he needed. She felt the searing pain of the crackling, red lightsaber tearing through her chest. The instant, blinding ache as the saber dug deeper and deeper inside her was a feeling she'd never forget. All her nerve endings being obliterated by the heat, before finally dissipating through her flesh and entire body.

This time, her dream warped the scene, and she saw Rey's face there instead of her own. She saw the pure shock covering her face, the immediate trauma as her wounds cauterized upon impact. Raena stood from the sidelines, watching, not being able to move. She tried running, but there was always an invisible wall in front of her. She smacked her hands against the unseen surface, and always ended up with nothing. Her screams couldn't be heard. Her actions were useless. All she could do was watch as Kylo ripped the lightsaber from Rey's chest, her eyes fluttering closed, before crumbling to the ground. Just like Raena had.

And then, there was the empress proposition. That goddamn empress proposition. She didn't give him an answer when he asked days ago, but it was only a matter of time before he brought it up again and her dreams certainly weren't helping her ignore it. They repeated the same imagery: Raena standing beside him as the galaxy fell to their feet before them. She was dressed in precious, ruby jewels and a red velvet gown, her hair done up in such an intricate way that it would make goddesses weep. She was Empress, and he was the Emperor. It was a future possibility that she couldn't ignore, but it was one that made her stomach churn.

She ended up sitting up during the night and pulling her hair back. Placing her hands on her face, Raena debated on screaming into them, just to let out the frustration that was clearly building up inside of her. She wished Kylo had never told her his plan. Now, he was totally going to screw with her own plan. Coming back here was such a mistake. It was all for a good reason, but Raena was panicking now and she was sure nothing could help.

Why did she care so much about Rey in the first place? How did the scavenger's survival benefit her in the slightest? She asked herself this more often after Kylo brought it up, and she still didn't have an answer. Perhaps, he was valid to question Raena. Her outburst didn't make much sense, considering that she had almost killed Rey and her friends several times before, while the other girl had done nothing of the sort in return to her.

Maybe that was the reason. It was the only logical one she could come up in the early hours of the morning. Raena wished she possessed the same type of goodness that Rey was born with. Goodness that came from love and hope, something that Raena desperately wanted to have. Rey had it, as well as Leia, and even Indira.

Indira Beren. That's a name she hadn't thought about since she got back into the motions of this hell. Raena missed her more than she thought she would. While Leia was one of the few people in the Resistance to trust her instantly and welcome her with open arms, Indira Beren took time to see her. She judged her at first, but Raena didn't blame her, and eventually, Indira showed her kindness when no one else did. She was good when Raena had done so much bad. Indira was a good person – one of the best, some might say.

Raena groaned, hopping down from her bed to place herself on the floor. She crossed her legs over each other and rested her hands on her knees. Although Raena didn't listen to Kylo often – really, she'd rather someone hit her over the head with a blaster – she did take his meditation methods into somewhat consideration. She thought it was stupid. She gained nothing for it and it only sharpened the edges of her anger, but Kylo told her that was the point. Jedis meditated to find peace, while those trying to find the dark side of the Force had to harness their passion deep inside. Raena liked to think it was a load of shit, but she'd never tell him that she sometimes sat in her room and tried to find the Force deep inside of her, hoping that it would shift her mood or do something.

She tried reaching out, pushing all her energy into the unknown world of the atmosphere. Raena found the source of anger deep inside – the bubbling pot of hatred and memories that boiled against the surface of her skin – and used that to find the pull of the Force. With a determined expression, she clenched her hands, waiting impatiently for a sign. Please, she thought desperately, help me concentrate so I can sleep.

And there it was. That tug again. She saw a thin, red string ahead of her. The area was shrouded in darkness, but behind Raena was a blinding light that hypnotized her to walk forward. She took a step towards the light and felt a pinch on her finger. Looking down, she noticed her pointing finger was now knotted in the string, pulling her back to the dark. Raena yanked on it, but the string only jerked her back. Raena gasped, stomping towards the light, but it was too late. The red string was hauling her through the dark, and Raena wanted nothing more than to scream and cry and spew curses of hate. She couldn't speak, though; her voice was a pit of silence. Her face dragged across the black floor. Lifting her head up, she saw a gloved hand beckoning her forward, before a devilish cackle echoed in her ears.

There was a snap, and her eyes opened instantly. Raena looked down at her hands. No red string. "Fuck," she muttered, running a hand down her face. She didn't know what that was; she didn't know what any of this was. She was a complete stranger to the Force, and that couldn't be it. Raena felt it within a minute. It seemed too easy to grasp, and yet ... she felt something.

She leaned her head back against her bed frame. Maybe it was a load of shit after all. Sleep definitely was not gracing her tonight.

•••

Kylo forged himself a new helmet, one that he hoped would look more menacing than before. Raena tended to think otherwise.

After smashing the old helmet into the wall of an elevator, Raena thought he was going to go helmet-less for the rest of his life. It wasn't like he had anything to hide anymore. Besides, the loss of the helmet only furthered her theories that he was falling deeper into the light, and even closer to his mother's embrace. But then, he brought in Albrekh, a Symeong metalsmith, and that kind of threw her suspicion out the window. Using the remains of his helmet found within the wreckage of the Supremacy, Albrekh used Sarrassian iron to mold it back together. The helmet was now stronger than ever, accented with glowing, red lines from where Albrekh had forged the shards of metal together.

Kylo had a new stride to him, she noticed, as he stomped into the emergency meeting he called that late afternoon. He arrived with the Knights of Ren, who barricaded the doorway with their large figures. Raena hardly knew any of them, seeing as the Knights of Ren had always been kept on a different ship when Snoke was in charge. All bets were off now, and Kylo was free to travel with them wherever he pleased. What do they even do anyways? She thought to herself, hoping he hadn't tapped into her mind. Thankfully, he was busy instructing one of the knights to come forward.

The shortest one stepped into the meeting room, trudging over to the long table in the middle of the room. Raena sat up in her seat at the end of the table. The knight lifted their hand and threw the head of an Ovissian male on the surface. Leaning in, Raena noticed that one of his eyes was open, while the rest of his insides spilled around his head.

With a curt nod, Kylo whispered, "Thank you, Leta." The knight saluted him before departing the meeting.

Whipping his head towards the table of generals, colonels, and the rest, Kylo paused, taking in their nervous expressions. But one remained different among the rest. Of course, Raena Nhagy looked completely unfazed. Granted, she had seen a lot during her time here, but not as much as others. She also had nothing to hide – at least, that's what Kylo assumed. He didn't think anything of it.

Kylo began to circle the room. "We have a spy within our ranks. Someone sent a message to the Resistance through this man." He jabbed a finger in the direction of the Ovissian's head. "Whoever this traitor is won't stop us."

Raena leaned herself back in her seat, eyeing Kylo as he made his way around her chair. Once his back was to her, she swallowed, hoping he didn't hear it. She looked up and met Hux's stare from across the room. He narrowed his eyes menacingly, like a warning, but all Raena did was snarl in his direction.

"With what I've seen on Exegol ..." Kylo huffed, lacing his gloved hands together. He paused behind a colonel, who looked like she was quaking in her boots. "The First Order is about to become a true empire. One that everyone will bow to and worship."

Raena clamped her teeth down on her bottom lip.

After a moment of hesitation, Kylo sighed and tilted his head to the side. "I sense unease about my appearance ..." He flickered his blackened stare to the corner of the table. "... General Hux."

Hux straightened, but his expression remained blank. Clearing his throat, he replied, "About the mask? No, sir. Well done."

"I like it," General Stark proclaimed, which elicited a round of nods from the rest of the table.

Kylo moved his head towards the head of the table. For a long moment, both he and Raena stared daggers in the other's direction. Kylo placed a hand on the back of a colonel's chair, causing them to sweat. "Grand Admiral," he addressed her, "tell me. Are they lying?"

Raena blinked, glancing back at Hux. The general's face hadn't changed, except for the fact he was now widening his eyes, silently begging her to lie. She was getting quite good at it. Kylo was a smart man, but also very easy to fool.

"Well, um –" She licked at the corners of her mouth. The black-metal stare would never stop haunting her. "No, I believe they are all telling the truth. The new helmet is ..." She plastered the best fake smile on her lips. "Unique."

Kylo stared at her for a second longer, and finally, looked away. She released a soft breath of relief.

"Forgive me, sir, but these allies on Exegol," Major Sawyer announced, "they sound like a cult."

So he informed everyone else of Palpatine's return, she realized. He really couldn't learn to keep a secret, could he? On the other hand, if he did give them a whole armada of Star Destroyers, that was worth informing everyone.

Sawyer tsked, "Conjurers and soothsayers –"

"They've conjured legions of Star Destroyers!" General Pryde exclaimed, glaring towards Sawyer. "The Sith Fleet will increase our resources ten thousandfold. Such range in power will correct the error of Starkiller Base."

General Hux met Pryde's scowl with one of his own.

"Alright," Raena said, raising a brow in Pryde's direction, "let's tone it down, General. No need to throw mistakes back in anyone's faces."

Pryde scoffed. "You're one to talk, Grand Admiral."

Raena's eye twitched. Her hands formed into fists. "Say that again –"

"We'll need to increase recruitments," General Stark said, silencing the rest of the table. "Harvest more of the galaxy's young."

Turning to Stark, Raena arched a brow. "What? Like for the stormtrooper program?"

"For whatever we please."

Now that was a bold statement to make. Raena opened her mouth to speak, but no words emerged.

"This fleet," Sawyer continued, muddling his expression, "what is it? A gift? What is he asking for in return?"

Raena agreed that those were valid questions. When turned her head to agree with him, she was hit with a wave of shock as Kylo whipped around and held his hand out. Major Sawyer was suddenly choking on air, clutching at his neck, as his body flew up to the ceiling. He struggled against the invisible grasp that held him there, knocking his head against the hard metal. Sawyer screamed bloody murder. Raena didn't dare to move. Gods.

"Prepare to crush anyone that tries to defy us," Kylo announced. "We are now on the hunt for the scavenger girl."

Clutching at the neckline of her turtleneck, Raena tried to force down the scream that lodged itself in her throat. The rest of the room nodded at Kylo's order before he raised his hand and dismissed them for their evening duties. Major Sawyer fell from the ceiling and was carried out to the hospital wing by one of his fellow majors. Raena still couldn't move, as if she was glued to her chair. Kylo followed the group out the door before hesitating by the frame. He pushed the door closed and slowly turned to face her from across the room.

"Why the new mask?" She asked, surprising herself. "Didn't think I'd see it ever again."

"It's a combat mask," he said, breathing heavily through the vocoder. Raena didn't miss the way it made him sound deeper, more intimidating. "The end of the war is on the horizon, Raena. We must all be prepared."

She cocked her head to the side. "Are you sure it's not because you're trying to hide from something?"

The words had come out before she could stop them. Once they had fallen from her lips, she clamped her mouth shut, too afraid to speak again. The room became eerily silent. Raena felt a shiver run up the back of her neck and goosebumps crawled across her skin. Kylo walked forward, dragging his hand across the tops of the chairs. She had to remind herself not to scream, not to show any emotion, but it was getting hard as he stalked her way.

Kylo stopped abruptly, pausing a chair down from her at the head of the table. "Have you thought more about my offer?"

Raena arched a brow.

"About becoming empress," he finished.

"Oh," she replied, clearing her throat softly. Raena finally managed to rise from her chair and smoothed out the creases in her pants. "I didn't know that was still on the table."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because you don't know if that's actually going to happen," she quipped, refusing to meet his eyes.

Kylo drummed his fingers against the leather chair. She could already tell that he was getting angry, and she didn't want to be here for the destruction. "Are you doubting our victory?"

Raena felt her mouth go dry. "I ..." She shook her head. "I just think you need to be open to several possibilities. Things are not going to go as easy as you think."

He sighed heavily. Striding forward, Kylo stepped right in front of her, waiting for her to continue as her mouth fell open. Raena's stomach was currently doing flip-flops as she continued to stare into the dark window of the new mask.

"There's still pain in you, and so much anger." His voice came out as a whisper, but the modulator only heightened it. Kylo reached out and placed her hand in his, running his gloved fingers over the scars and scabs on her knuckles. "Which is why I don't understand why this is such a hard decision for you. Months ago, I offered you my hand and you took it. How is becoming empress any different?"

"Because it is," she said, slipping her hand out of his grasp. Raena moved around him, brushing up against his shoulder, and headed for the door. Kylo abruptly stopped her in place and wrapped a hand around her arm. She whipped her head around, shooting him a scowl that would make even the strongest man wail.

Kylo loosened his grip, but his hand didn't falter. "You just asked me if this mask was made because I'm hiding from something," he breathed, staring her down. "What are you hiding from, Raena Nhagy?"

"Nothing," she spat and yanked her arm away. "Don't grab me like that again, do you understand?"

He nodded, but he couldn't stop his overwhelming suspicions as she walked out of the meeting room. Just because he trusted her didn't mean he didn't know when she was hiding secrets. He hoped that his doubts wouldn't come to fruition.

•••

A/N: nothing to say other than undercover boss memes are back 🤪

did y'all like that little appearance of dazzIers' lets solari???? she'll be returning in a couple more chapters!! we stan angry space girls and ONLY THEM

also!!!! made a cool boss ass raena playlist if y'all wanna listen 🤓