For trope_bingo
Jan. 10th, 2022 11:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: Against The Dying of the Light
Summary: Kylo fails to kill Snoke.
Prompt: AU: Other
The plan to kill Snoke wasn’t supposed to fail. Not really. Not now. But even as the Skywalker lightsaber halted where Kylo was using it to turn it towards Snoke…he already felt like his brain had skidded to a halt in sheer terror.
“You,” Snoke growled. “You ungrateful, abandoning little worm. You vermin. You think you could make a fool out of me?”
“I — ” Kylo already didn’t know what exactly to say. Not here, not now. He wasn’t about to plead for his life as much as Rey’s. She was new to this. He wasn’t.
It was Rey who spoke up in that moment. Certain, despite her fear. “Take me,” she said. “I’m…responsible for this, all of it. If you want someone to punish…take me. He’s suffered enough.”
She knew. Kylo didn’t know, in the end, if he should feel ashamed that he knew.
Snoke’s smile would have looked less scary on a nexu. “Gladly. You…you really do have the spirit of a true Jedi, don’t you? A pity that will be your downfall…"
***
Snoke took a third option, torturing them both. Even as he was forced to kneel, undergoing the same pain that he, Kylo Ren, had been all too used to, he thought back to his interrogations of Poe and Rey both. There was so much he wished he could apologize for. There was so much he wished he could have done. He should have gone with Poe from the Finalizer when he had the chance. He should have just said no. On top of everything else, he was a coward. It was a sick, nauseating thing, being a coward —
That was his last thought before something hit the Supremacy, and everything went black.
***
Kylo didn’t know how long he floated in darkness, intercut with nightmares about him being in the interrogation chair he’d tortured Poe in. It was when he woke that he felt a wet cloth against his forehead, cooling him down.
This wasn’t right. Then —
“Hey, Ben. Sorry this happened to you. Sorry this took so long. We were wondering when you’d wake up.”
Poe’s voice? For one, irrational moment, Kylo wondered if Poe was about to pick up where Snoke left off. But Poe wouldn’t sound and look so very tender, would he? Looking down at Kylo with…worry?
“You should have just let me die,” Kylo said.
“Not in the cards. Rey, the girl…she told me what happened.” Poe…it dawned on Kylo that Poe actually felt sorry for him. He definitely didn’t deserve that. “I still don’t like what you did to me and others, and that’s an understatement, but nobody deserves that. Nobody.”
He sounded so fervent. So very dedicated. And of course Poe Dameron would think like that — him, someone who saved a Republic officer instead of letting her immolate with a ship, even though he didn’t owe her a thing.
“Neither did you.” Kylo observed a barely noticeable scar near Poe’s nose, and he already hated himself even more for the interrogation. Had Poe been suffering? It had seemed like the most merciful thing at the time, the mind probe — no, there was some worse, more fitting name for it — but now…it was abundantly obvious Poe had been hurt by it.
If he had more strength, he’d reach up and touch Poe, if Poe would let him.
“Snoke…he didn’t break any bones, did he? Do anything that…”
“He just shocked me with Lightning.”
“Just?!”
Kylo sighed. “He’s done worse. And I deserved it — I couldn’t kill him. I had a general idea of my plan, but I couldn’t — ”
“Nobody ‘deserves’ that. Kriff, I’d say even Terex doesn’t deserve that.”
Kylo smiled faintly at him. “I heard you called him a drag to his face. He definitely deserved that.”
Poe looked, faintly, like he was trying not to laugh. Force, Kylo really did miss that, with all his heart.
***
It had been Holdo that had rammed the Supremacy. The First Order’s current status was unknown (probably code for crashlanded-on-some-unknown-planet. Good riddance, Kylo thought, and he didn’t care how “redeemed” he sounded or not), but Holdo had died in the attempt.
"I should have said something better to her when I last saw her,” Poe said softly. “I…last time I spoke to her, I was starting a mutiny.”
Kylo smiled wryly at him. “That’s my best friend, walking on the wild side.”
“Your aunt just died, Ben.” Poe said sternly.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” It made Kylo think, despite himself, about Han Solo, impaled through the chest by a red lightsaber. About Leia, shot out into space. Did he just have a talent for hurting people he loved?
"It’s…not okay, but I think I need to apologize to you too,” Poe said. “I…” He looked like he was about to cry. It didn’t feel right, Kylo thought. Poe shouldn’t be crying, ever. He would have done anything, long ago, to keep Poe from being unhappy. Poe continued. “I thought I was saving lives — ”
“I know you,” Kylo said. “You wouldn’t do this, any of this, unless you felt you had no choice. Unless you felt you needed to save people. You’re a good person.”
"I want to be,” Poe said. “Stars willing, I want to be."
***
The First Order had no clear leadership, given what Holdo had done to the Supremacy. It seemed, in the meantime, that the Resistance was free to finish what Holdo started — residing on Crait, as a united front.
Poe, meanwhile, was about to be appointed Leia’s successor in Holdo’s place. Poe already was nervous; Kylo could tell. “I hope I can do my best,” he said. “I want to.”
“You’re a good leader,” Kylo said. “Go now. Make them proud.”
He had no doubt, as Poe hesitantly left the room (allowing Threepio to watch over Kylo) that Poe would do brilliantly.
Summary: Kylo fails to kill Snoke.
Prompt: AU: Other
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
The plan to kill Snoke wasn’t supposed to fail. Not really. Not now. But even as the Skywalker lightsaber halted where Kylo was using it to turn it towards Snoke…he already felt like his brain had skidded to a halt in sheer terror.
“You,” Snoke growled. “You ungrateful, abandoning little worm. You vermin. You think you could make a fool out of me?”
“I — ” Kylo already didn’t know what exactly to say. Not here, not now. He wasn’t about to plead for his life as much as Rey’s. She was new to this. He wasn’t.
It was Rey who spoke up in that moment. Certain, despite her fear. “Take me,” she said. “I’m…responsible for this, all of it. If you want someone to punish…take me. He’s suffered enough.”
She knew. Kylo didn’t know, in the end, if he should feel ashamed that he knew.
Snoke’s smile would have looked less scary on a nexu. “Gladly. You…you really do have the spirit of a true Jedi, don’t you? A pity that will be your downfall…"
***
Snoke took a third option, torturing them both. Even as he was forced to kneel, undergoing the same pain that he, Kylo Ren, had been all too used to, he thought back to his interrogations of Poe and Rey both. There was so much he wished he could apologize for. There was so much he wished he could have done. He should have gone with Poe from the Finalizer when he had the chance. He should have just said no. On top of everything else, he was a coward. It was a sick, nauseating thing, being a coward —
That was his last thought before something hit the Supremacy, and everything went black.
***
Kylo didn’t know how long he floated in darkness, intercut with nightmares about him being in the interrogation chair he’d tortured Poe in. It was when he woke that he felt a wet cloth against his forehead, cooling him down.
This wasn’t right. Then —
“Hey, Ben. Sorry this happened to you. Sorry this took so long. We were wondering when you’d wake up.”
Poe’s voice? For one, irrational moment, Kylo wondered if Poe was about to pick up where Snoke left off. But Poe wouldn’t sound and look so very tender, would he? Looking down at Kylo with…worry?
“You should have just let me die,” Kylo said.
“Not in the cards. Rey, the girl…she told me what happened.” Poe…it dawned on Kylo that Poe actually felt sorry for him. He definitely didn’t deserve that. “I still don’t like what you did to me and others, and that’s an understatement, but nobody deserves that. Nobody.”
He sounded so fervent. So very dedicated. And of course Poe Dameron would think like that — him, someone who saved a Republic officer instead of letting her immolate with a ship, even though he didn’t owe her a thing.
“Neither did you.” Kylo observed a barely noticeable scar near Poe’s nose, and he already hated himself even more for the interrogation. Had Poe been suffering? It had seemed like the most merciful thing at the time, the mind probe — no, there was some worse, more fitting name for it — but now…it was abundantly obvious Poe had been hurt by it.
If he had more strength, he’d reach up and touch Poe, if Poe would let him.
“Snoke…he didn’t break any bones, did he? Do anything that…”
“He just shocked me with Lightning.”
“Just?!”
Kylo sighed. “He’s done worse. And I deserved it — I couldn’t kill him. I had a general idea of my plan, but I couldn’t — ”
“Nobody ‘deserves’ that. Kriff, I’d say even Terex doesn’t deserve that.”
Kylo smiled faintly at him. “I heard you called him a drag to his face. He definitely deserved that.”
Poe looked, faintly, like he was trying not to laugh. Force, Kylo really did miss that, with all his heart.
***
It had been Holdo that had rammed the Supremacy. The First Order’s current status was unknown (probably code for crashlanded-on-some-unknown-planet. Good riddance, Kylo thought, and he didn’t care how “redeemed” he sounded or not), but Holdo had died in the attempt.
"I should have said something better to her when I last saw her,” Poe said softly. “I…last time I spoke to her, I was starting a mutiny.”
Kylo smiled wryly at him. “That’s my best friend, walking on the wild side.”
“Your aunt just died, Ben.” Poe said sternly.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” It made Kylo think, despite himself, about Han Solo, impaled through the chest by a red lightsaber. About Leia, shot out into space. Did he just have a talent for hurting people he loved?
"It’s…not okay, but I think I need to apologize to you too,” Poe said. “I…” He looked like he was about to cry. It didn’t feel right, Kylo thought. Poe shouldn’t be crying, ever. He would have done anything, long ago, to keep Poe from being unhappy. Poe continued. “I thought I was saving lives — ”
“I know you,” Kylo said. “You wouldn’t do this, any of this, unless you felt you had no choice. Unless you felt you needed to save people. You’re a good person.”
"I want to be,” Poe said. “Stars willing, I want to be."
***
The First Order had no clear leadership, given what Holdo had done to the Supremacy. It seemed, in the meantime, that the Resistance was free to finish what Holdo started — residing on Crait, as a united front.
Poe, meanwhile, was about to be appointed Leia’s successor in Holdo’s place. Poe already was nervous; Kylo could tell. “I hope I can do my best,” he said. “I want to.”
“You’re a good leader,” Kylo said. “Go now. Make them proud.”
He had no doubt, as Poe hesitantly left the room (allowing Threepio to watch over Kylo) that Poe would do brilliantly.
