04 | consequences of choices

"I'M NOT GOING TO JUST SIT IDLY BY WHILE KYRA'S PUTTING HER LIFE ON THE LINE. SHE'S DONE THAT ONCE- I'M NOT GOING TO LET HER DO THAT AGAIN."

RESISTANCE FLEET, NABOOIAN SYSTEM-

"For the record, I really am sorry about this."

The last thing that Poe could remember hearing after being kissed, then cut with a knife, and then shot by Kyra- the woman that he had loved, and now, probably ran off back to the First Order on a suicide mission were words that he didn't want to remember. It was an apology for something that shouldn't have happened, that Poe shouldn't have been such an idiot to let pass by him.

But there he was, laying on the ground, suddenly jolted back to reality as he laid on the floor, his head pounding and frustration dripping off of every bone of his body. Pushing himself back up off of the ground, Poe stared at where the escape pod should have been- where it had been before he was rendered unconscious.

Now the only thing that was in its place was an empty space, a glass screen dividing the empty place and the stars of the galaxy.

Running as quickly as he could while recovering from the shock and injury on his hand, Poe placed the injured hand up to the glass, staring out at the cosmos that were just beyond the other side. The ebony black sky and the twinkling of the white and yellow sparks of light were peaceful, almost as if nothing had just happened that had rocked the Resistance and the world as he knew it.

Poe had never hated the stars more in that moment.

Straining his eyes out to stare deeper into the space that he could see, Poe tried to find any sign of life or indication of any First Order ship. He couldn't see where Kyra's ship had gone- she had faded into the stars along with her ship, (or maybe the First Order had already jumped to lightspeed with her inside), almost like a distant memory that was too good to be true.

But he could still feel the warmth of her embrace, the last lingering moments of their kiss on his lips. How was Kyra so quickly whirled into Poe's life and then abruptly taken out of it as fast? How had it all come to this moment- everything they had worked for, everything they had done- just for her to return so easily?

Soft footsteps padded through the hallway, indicating someone else had come to where Poe still stared out into the galaxy, the man not caring who it was exactly. His mind was full of emotions that he couldn't convey, and regrets that could fill an entire galaxy of stars.

There were so many things that had gone unsaid- so many things that Poe wanted to do with Kyra. He wanted her to feel a comfort in his arms that she knew that the nightmares that haunted her wouldn't ever harm her again, he wanted to teach her how to fly an X-Wing, how to finish their dance lesson that they had started on Corellia all those weeks ago. But, like everything that the two had ever wanted together, anything they ever wanted in life, they were split apart.

Poe wondered if there was any universe that he and Kyra were destined to be happy, really.

The guest in the room, tired of seeing the X-Wing pilot and Commander beat himself up, cleared his throat, finally speaking at last. "I told you Dameron. Once she sets her mind to something, she's not going to change it." It was easy to recognize Fox's voice for Poe, the man slowly peeling his hand away from the glass, a small stain of a handprint remaining on the view to the open stars.

Turning to see Fox, who had settled himself on one of the cargo boxes inside of the room, Poe wasn't exactly sure what to say. Fox was right- of course, he was almost always right when it came to Kyra and her instincts- something that Poe appreciated and hated at the same time. The two had spent so much time together, had so many experiences with each other that they knew the other inside and out.

Poe had just thought that he knew Kyra better than what his gut instinct (and Fox's instinct) had been.

Giving a deep sigh as he looked down in shame, Poe shook his head softly, his eyes shut as he tore his gaze away from Fox's steely glare. He wasn't sure what to say in that exact moment, everything that he was thinking was probably the wrong thing to say. "I just- I thought that-"

"I know." Fox mumbled, threading his hands together as he leaned forward in his seat, hands resting right before his knees. "But if there's one thing that I've learned about Kyra- it's that she'll do anything for the people she loves. Before all of this- the Resistance- we were everything to her. Her best friends, her family- she's not going to let him die for her."

"And I'm just not going to let her die!" Poe exclaimed, a sudden wave of fury taking him over as he thought about the prospect of Kyra just giving her life up so easily. If he was in her shoes, he would've figured some other way out of this. There was always another way- he had always believed that. It was what had always allowed him to keep up hope. "I can't let her just do that for him- for us."

"Poe, I hate it as much as you do. But this was her decision to make. She knew what the consequences of those actions meant, and we have to honor that." Fox spoke slowly, carefully considering his words as he weighed Poe's reaction to everything that he was saying. He knew that the man was highly irrational at the moment, desperate to get Kyra back.

But desperation and recklessness would get them nowhere in the long run.

Giving a long exhale, Poe's head tilted towards the sky, the man bouncing a little in anger and frustration as he placed his hands on his hips. Why was everyone around him just giving up so easily? Why was there no fight inside of them to get Kyra back- especially when she had saved everyone around her, Fox included? It baffled his brain. "The general-"

"General Organa already gave you a talk about this Poe." Fox interrupted any idea that was beginning to formulate inside of Poe's mind, careful to consider every action that was going to be a consequence of this conversation. "The First Order threatened Silas's life if any of us follow her and try to rescue her. And I don't know about you, but I really don't want to risk another person's life in the process of getting Kyra back."

"Yeah, well, at this point, I don't really care." Poe's tone turned hostile and aggressive, his blatant disregard for another human's life shocking to Fox. Had losing Kyra really brought him to the edge? Was this really going to be the turning point for the man?

"I just got her back. I'm not losing her again."

Turning around out of the scene, Poe stormed out of the escape pod corridor, weaving his way through the now busy halls again to find the main room. Already waiting for him there was an impatient General Organa, Finn by her side, silently studying maps of places that they could go next, things that they could do and people they could contact and reach out to for help.

"I take it that you couldn't stop her from leaving." General Organa remarked, her head inclining to one of the many open windows in the command center. "The First Order ship jumped into hyperspace a couple of minutes ago. I had to watch as Kyra's ship met up with theirs." Her eyes met Poe's, immediately seeing the hurt flash in his eyes as he stared back out at the stars for a moment before shaking his head, turning his attention back to the conversation at hand.

"General, I really don't believe that it's-"

"Best to leave her all on her own? Believe me, I don't like it either." The general interrupted Poe's thought, taking the words right out of his mouth. "But she gave up her freedom to give the Resistance another chance to fight- and to save one of her friends. I'm sure that the Resistance wouldn't have made it out of this system alive if she hadn't done what she did."

"I just-" Poe rubbed his lips together, his mind contemplating how to put the things that he wanted to say in a way that wouldn't seem reckless or hurtful. "I just have this bad feeling that nothing about what the First Order wanted is black and white- it isn't as simple as an exchange and we get our freedom."

"Believe me, I have that same exact feeling." Leia reached out her hand from where she sat to grab Poe's, seeing him flinch at her touch, finding the injury that Kyra had left him quite easily. "But if they're that desperate that they want her back, it means that the First Order is getting weaker. There's a chance to slowly start chipping away at their foundation. With Kyra on the inside now, maybe-"

"No, General, I don't think you understand." Poe moved away from Leia's touch, the man seeing a flash of insult in Leia's eyes as he moved away. "This isn't some good thing. This isn't like the last time when Kyra was able to feed us information. This time around, they know what she's done. What she's capable of doing. They aren't just going to let her get away scot free. I saw- I saw what they did to her the first time that she betrayed the First Order. Her going back? They're going to destroy her. Killing her would be a mercy."

"I'm well aware of the horrors and the stories of what the First Order has done. Kyra has told me lots about them in meetings that I had with her every week while we were on base. She's told me all the horror stories." General Organa scoffed at Poe, his insolence quite astounding to her. She understood why he was feeling this anguish, but to act upon it was something that was out of the question. "Believe me, we all want Kyra back with us. But this was her decision. And if she was so deadset in her decision that she had to slice your hand and knock you out to let herself leave, Kyra might not be the one in the wrong."

"General-"

"Mark my words, Commander Dameron. If I find out that you make any attempts to rescue Kyra, without my permission, it won't just be my anger and wrath that you're facing. You're going to be up against a whole lot of other people that are risking everything to make sure that Kyra can complete this mission that she's created for herself." General Organa cautioned, a stern look falling upon her eyes, much like a mother scolding her son. "So whatever you're thinking of doing- don't even consider it."

Giving a nod of understanding, the conversation between Poe and the general over, Poe turned away from Leia's steely gaze, eyes making contact with Finn, the two of them having a conversation between their eyes. Poe's gaze fell upon a hallway that fell to their right, a small indication of what was to come before he moved in the direction of where he was intending on going.

If the General wasn't going to support what he wanted to do- who he wanted to save- there were other people that would.

And Poe was willing to do whatever it took to get her back.

WHEN KYRA FELT her ship latch back onto the First Order's dreadnought, she wasn't exactly sure what to expect. There was this feeling of desperation and fear that was hanging over her like a cloud, anxiety just overwhelming her as she reached for the blaster that she had stolen from Poe, gripping it tightly.

Just because she was back inside of the First Order didn't mean that they weren't going to get a piece of her mind. And Kyra was absolutely ready to fight whatever the hell was going to come at her when she stepped out of the Resistance's escape pod- although she wished that she had another weapon, one that she had given away, by her side.

Her mind was a jumbled mess as she considered everything that had just happened inside of the Resistance with Poe and Fox- the final goodbyes, the hugs, the kiss, and the words that were said and the ones that had been left unsaid. Kyra had so many regrets and things that she had wanted to do before leaving- but nothing had gone as she had imagined.

Taking in a deep breath, trying to shove every emotion that was screaming at her, every feeling and instinct that said that everything that she was doing was a mistake down into the depths of her mind, Kyra closed her eyes for a moment, finding herself reverting into a place where she hid everything of importance to her. She wouldn't tell or give anything away to the First Order that easily- the days of weaning her heart on her sleeve with the Resistance were gone.

Hearing the door hiss open, someone finally coming to retrieve her, Kyra stood in the middle of the escape pod's entrance, a wave of nothing but determination washing over her as she prepared for a fight. A devilish smirk grew over her face as her eyes followed the door up, seeing a squadron of stormtroopers with their guns aimed at her welcoming her.

"Hey boys." She grinned, immediately pulling her blaster into one hand instead of two, grabbing the other blaster with her free hand that had been given to her by Fox quickly. What happened next all occurred within a couple of seconds, the stormtroopers no match for Kyra's gut instincts and training. Four blaster shots rang out in a couple consecutive seconds, the stormtrooper squadron falling dead as soon as the shots rang out.

"Pleasure to be back." Kyra sarcastically droned, stepping out of the ship and tucking away Fox's blaster again. She wasn't sure what to expect- in all honesty, the First Order was normally predictable in their moves against the Resistance. But everything that they were doing right now? The moves they were making? It was against any protocol that Kyra had experienced before.

Creeping out into the hallway, blaster raised, Kyra tried to tune her ear into every little thing that she heard occur within the First Order ship. But it was strange- the hustle and bustle that was so typical of a First Order ship was gone. There was only silence that remained- and it truly felt like everything had changed since she had been there.

Hearing footsteps click against the linoleum behind her, Kyra instinctively turned and fired a shot off, not even caring to see who it was before sending off a shot. It was a shot that was calculated for how quickly she had done it- aiming for the shoulder to immobilize before she would go into closer range. She assumed that whoever it was- they were probably better off dead.

However, when Kyra turned around, she could still hear the vibrations of the blaster shot echoing, the shot stuck in space as she realized who was standing down the hall from her. Who had stopped the shot from hitting them, and who looked even more angered and pissed off than before.

Her goddamned cousin.

Kylo Ren.

"You know, when I heard you were coming back to the First Order, I expected you to make a fuss. I just didn't expect you to be so bold in already attempting to kill me." There was a hint of surprise in his voice as he spoke through his mask, turning the shot of the blaster around to move towards Kyra, the shot finally being released from his grasp inside of the Force and firing into the wall of the hallway behind the woman. "You most certainly caused a commotion."

"I didn't want to come back without bringing you all a little surprise present." Kyra sneered at the man, her blaster still raised at him out of caution. "After all, I still have no goddamn idea why you would want me back here. Especially after I destroyed your beloved Star Killer base. Are you really so desperate for me to destroy another ship that you'd invite me here?"

"Put the blaster down. You know that it has no real use against me." Kylo Ren spoke blatantly, his figure not moving from where it stood across the hall. He stood without the hood that would normally accompany his mask, a sure indication that he hadn't been prepared for the decision that she would make.

"I don't know. The last time we were together, it was a pretty useful weapon. Although I'm a little disappointed to discover that you didn't die after that whole ordeal. I'll have to tell Rey that we have to finish the job together." Kyra mocked the man, seeing his body language change at the mention of him getting shot with her blaster and at the fact that a young woman had defeated him in a lightsaber duel.

"The scavenger- where is she this time? I didn't feel her presence on your fleeing Resistance ship before we jumped into hyperspace with you in tow." The sith lord in training remarked, curious as to what mission had sent her away. "Neither was my father- which is a curious thing. I thought he would never leave your side."

"Well, there are a lot of things that you'd be surprised by." Kyra retorted, still keeping her blaster raised at the man. If she could catch him off guard again, she could finish that shot that she was never able to take. "Like how quickly I can end your-"

Within seconds, Kylo Ren had pulled the blaster in Kyra's hands away from her grasp, using the Force to bring it to him. Satisfied that the woman was now weaponless, Ren stalked towards her, the distance between the two inside of the hallway growing closer and closer until they were side by side. "I tire of your boring games, Ceydea." He spat her last name out at her, Kyra's eyes widening at the fact that he finally had figured out who she exactly was. It wasn't hard to figure out, sure, but he had never mentioned her name before this. He had never talked about her family before. From the stories that Leia had told, Luke had never explicitly mentioned the name of the family with those powers to his Jedi students. And if he knew about that and had figured it out, well-

It was only a matter of time before he figured out the other thing.

If he didn't already know.

Aggressively grabbing her arm tightly, Kylo Ren was overwhelmed by a different feeling than what he was so accustomed to when around Kyra. Instead of the dull feeling of the Force growing dim like a burning spark slowly diminishing, it was a muddle of the calm and cool fury of the Force that Ren was so accustomed to mixing in with the warmth and fire of Kyra's abilities.

He wondered when that had happened.

Maybe it was because she knew secrets about herself and her family that she had never known before. Maybe it was the fact that she had become a different person outside of the First Order, that Kyra had the opportunity to redeem herself. Or maybe it was something else.

Shaking his mind out of whatever strange things were occurring with Ceydea, Ren gripped Kyra's arm tighter, making the woman give him a nasty glare. Snoke would have all of the answers to the questions that Kylo had circling in his mind, and he would have the opportunity to meet the living descendant of the infamous Luke Skywalker.

As Kyra was shoved down the different hallways of the First Order base, desperately trying to remember what way everything went so that she would be able to escape the ship and leave after finding Silas, she kept an eye on the man that was keeping her on a tight leash. Her eyes looking down at the blaster that he still held in his hand, Kyra wanted nothing more than for the man to shoot himself by accident with her blaster.

"Are you ever going to tell me what the hell you all want with me here and what the hell we're doing right now, or are we going to continue to walk in silence as you make all of the blood drain out of my arm?" Kyra cooly spoke, trying to remain calm and as expressionless as she could, the only indication of any emotion being the annoyed tone that was hinted inside of her voice.

There was no answer from Ren as they continued to walk down the hallways, his non hyperverbal actions pissing Kyra off as they continued to walk. She just wanted some answers- especially since she had given herself up the First Order. It was the smallest thing that she deserved, in her opinion. After a couple of more moments, Ren stopped in front of a hallway with large doors in front of it, indicating something ominous- something that was unsettling Kyra. "So?"

"Well, Ceydea, you're finally meeting our Supreme Leader. I'm sure he'll be pleased to find out that the daughter of Luke Skywalker so willingly gave herself up to us." Kylo Ren spoke, a gleam of pure glee overwhelming him when he watched Kyra's expression fall into one of despair as she realized that the First Order knew the big secret that she had hoped that they hadn't discovered. They knew everything- which meant it would be that much harder for her to escape.

"Well, he doesn't like to be kept waiting." Ren interrupted Kyra's thoughts, his hand motioning forward to where the doors stood, indicating for her to step inside. Kyra stepped forward, placing a hand on the door for a moment, contemplating if now was the time to fight her way out of this situation.

Taking a deep breath, Kyra went against every feeling that she had telling her to run, to fight, a sinking feeling in her stomach swirling around inside of her as she made her final decision. There was no more running away from whatever came next as she pressed her hands onto the doors, another dark hallway meeting her eyes as she could feel shadows crawl around her. Kyra gave an unsteady and unwavering gasp at the sinking feeling that she felt as she stepped inside of the place that she was sure was going to bring her nothing but bad memories.

But whatever she would face next, she would face as the daughter of Luke Skywalker. The daughter of Alora Ceydea.

She just prayed that she had enough strength to get through it all.

<~•~>

hehe hello and welcome back!

this was mainly just a chapter to build up some tension and to set up some plot that's going to happen, sorry it's taken me forever, I kinda ran out of inspiration for a little while so I had to get back in my groove!

I think Wednesday nights are just good for me in terms of writing because I get to watch a good plot unfold on agents of shield and then just wanna write my plot that I have formulating

so yeah, there's some foreshadowing for a TON of stuff hidden deep inside of this chapter, so maybe when we come back and see the results of everything when those events occur you can look back and say, wow!! that's neat :)

anyways, I hope you all are doing okay after the stress of AP test scores coming out this morning happened, and I hope y'all are doing okay! I passed my AP test and I got a really great score, so we're just vibing at this point

alright time to close it all off!! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you guys in the next one!

( comments make me work faster and make me happy because I get to see your comments and reaction like the attention whore I am 🤩)