ladyofleithian (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladyofleithian) wrote2022-01-12 05:23 pm
ladyofleithian) wrote2022-01-12 05:23 pm
Entry tags:
For allbingo
Title: Tactical
Summary: The First Order makes a different choice regarding D’Qar.
Prompt: Hypothermia
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
They drag him into medbay with his cheek split open by the lightsaber he should have had, and him in particular freezing like mad. He can still feel the cold all but clinging to his skin, to his clothes, even as the med droid gets to work on treating his wounds, on stitching up his cheek.
He doesn’t miss the fact that the scar is in the same place that Han Solo (Dad) caressed his cheek. He doesn’t miss that at all, in the slightest. It’s like a final, spiteful touch to what the scavenger did.
Of course, Kylo Ren thinks, he invited this on himself. He was the one who pursued her and the traitor into the forest. They, bless them, had just been trying to get away — and Kylo wasn’t about to be cheated of an opportunity to bring Rey back to Snoke and make up for his failure in the interrogation room.
***
The interrogation room is a blur in his nightmares. The girl’s voice, taunting him. You…you’re afraid that you’ll never be as strong as Darth Vader! Him, recoiling like he’s been burned.
Poe’s voice. The Resistance will not be intimidated by you. An interrogation that Kylo all too much regrets. It was undesirable, torturing Poe. This he knows. It seems that he, as Kylo Ren, has an uncanny talent for hurting those he loves. Han Solo, Poe Dameron…
His dreams shift between subject, and for a moment when he wakes up, he can’t tell what was real and what was a dream.
***
He wakes up to fragments. Fragments of speech. Things such as “Leader Snoke has ordered that D’Qar not be attacked.”
Another voice. “Is he sure about that? The Resistance is still there.”
“They are still there, but Leader Snoke believes it may be foolhardy to attack in light of our previous defeat. The Resistance did best us in battle. He isn’t about to waste more ships in the name of being a sore loser.”
A sore loser. Snoke isn’t — always — that; he’ll give the glittery gold know-it-all that. Even as he settles back into bed, smarting, at least being relieved his mother will be safe. (It’s too late for his father) And, of course, Poe Dameron.
He knows he has no right to feel this way, but he hopes they at least love him even a little bit.
***
A week passes. Kylo is glad when he’s able to get out of medbay and meet with Snoke. He wishes he still had his helmet (it was woefully stupid leaving it at Starkiller Base. To think he’d been that close to accepting Han Solo’s offer. Would things have been better? Worse?) but at least he can get Snoke's rebuke out of the way.
“How’s your wound?” Snoke says, with sincerity that would be more convincing coming from a Senator.
“It…is nothing.” That’s a lie, of course.
“Don’t lie to me, young Solo. You know I hate lying, and you know that I can read your every intent no matter how much you try. Now…let’s try again.”
“It is healed, at least.”
“I see. The actual wound lies deeper. I thought killing Han Solo would have made you stronger. Instead, it split your spirit to the bone. You were unbalanced — bested by a novice who never held a lightsaber in her life. You might as well have been bested by a youngling.”
Kylo has to keep from snarling. “There were…extenuating circumstances,” he says.
“Excuses, you mean.”
“I killed Han Solo.”
“And yet still you do not understand,” Snoke says. “ ‘He will immortalize his love.’ There. That’s on one of the tassels. As slippery as your mind is, surely you would have remembered it? Or were you too busy being conflicted to notice?”
Kylo lunges at him.
He doesn’t miss how Snoke fires a blast of Force Lightning at him, shooting him across the room, skidding on his back across the floor. Or how the Praetorian Guards draw their weapons. Them, Kylo has nothing against. They’re only doing their jobs.
“You failed,” Snoke sneers. “Skywalker lives. The seed of the Jedi Order lives, and so does hope for our enemies. Unfortunately…it seems we have to regroup in order to strike back, as it were.” There’s probably some pun in there Kylo is too angry to appreciate. “So you’re staying. I will train you further; I promised General Hux I would complete your training. And this I shall do.”
Kylo is too angry to appreciate it, even as he forces a “Thank you, Supreme Leader” through his teeth.
Summary: The First Order makes a different choice regarding D’Qar.
Prompt: Hypothermia
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
They drag him into medbay with his cheek split open by the lightsaber he should have had, and him in particular freezing like mad. He can still feel the cold all but clinging to his skin, to his clothes, even as the med droid gets to work on treating his wounds, on stitching up his cheek.
He doesn’t miss the fact that the scar is in the same place that Han Solo (Dad) caressed his cheek. He doesn’t miss that at all, in the slightest. It’s like a final, spiteful touch to what the scavenger did.
Of course, Kylo Ren thinks, he invited this on himself. He was the one who pursued her and the traitor into the forest. They, bless them, had just been trying to get away — and Kylo wasn’t about to be cheated of an opportunity to bring Rey back to Snoke and make up for his failure in the interrogation room.
***
The interrogation room is a blur in his nightmares. The girl’s voice, taunting him. You…you’re afraid that you’ll never be as strong as Darth Vader! Him, recoiling like he’s been burned.
Poe’s voice. The Resistance will not be intimidated by you. An interrogation that Kylo all too much regrets. It was undesirable, torturing Poe. This he knows. It seems that he, as Kylo Ren, has an uncanny talent for hurting those he loves. Han Solo, Poe Dameron…
His dreams shift between subject, and for a moment when he wakes up, he can’t tell what was real and what was a dream.
***
He wakes up to fragments. Fragments of speech. Things such as “Leader Snoke has ordered that D’Qar not be attacked.”
Another voice. “Is he sure about that? The Resistance is still there.”
“They are still there, but Leader Snoke believes it may be foolhardy to attack in light of our previous defeat. The Resistance did best us in battle. He isn’t about to waste more ships in the name of being a sore loser.”
A sore loser. Snoke isn’t — always — that; he’ll give the glittery gold know-it-all that. Even as he settles back into bed, smarting, at least being relieved his mother will be safe. (It’s too late for his father) And, of course, Poe Dameron.
He knows he has no right to feel this way, but he hopes they at least love him even a little bit.
***
A week passes. Kylo is glad when he’s able to get out of medbay and meet with Snoke. He wishes he still had his helmet (it was woefully stupid leaving it at Starkiller Base. To think he’d been that close to accepting Han Solo’s offer. Would things have been better? Worse?) but at least he can get Snoke's rebuke out of the way.
“How’s your wound?” Snoke says, with sincerity that would be more convincing coming from a Senator.
“It…is nothing.” That’s a lie, of course.
“Don’t lie to me, young Solo. You know I hate lying, and you know that I can read your every intent no matter how much you try. Now…let’s try again.”
“It is healed, at least.”
“I see. The actual wound lies deeper. I thought killing Han Solo would have made you stronger. Instead, it split your spirit to the bone. You were unbalanced — bested by a novice who never held a lightsaber in her life. You might as well have been bested by a youngling.”
Kylo has to keep from snarling. “There were…extenuating circumstances,” he says.
“Excuses, you mean.”
“I killed Han Solo.”
“And yet still you do not understand,” Snoke says. “ ‘He will immortalize his love.’ There. That’s on one of the tassels. As slippery as your mind is, surely you would have remembered it? Or were you too busy being conflicted to notice?”
Kylo lunges at him.
He doesn’t miss how Snoke fires a blast of Force Lightning at him, shooting him across the room, skidding on his back across the floor. Or how the Praetorian Guards draw their weapons. Them, Kylo has nothing against. They’re only doing their jobs.
“You failed,” Snoke sneers. “Skywalker lives. The seed of the Jedi Order lives, and so does hope for our enemies. Unfortunately…it seems we have to regroup in order to strike back, as it were.” There’s probably some pun in there Kylo is too angry to appreciate. “So you’re staying. I will train you further; I promised General Hux I would complete your training. And this I shall do.”
Kylo is too angry to appreciate it, even as he forces a “Thank you, Supreme Leader” through his teeth.