Blaring alarms rang throughout the cockpit of the quadjumper, alerting Finn that he was approaching his destination. The cacophony of the alarm abruptly jerked him out of his sleep he had drifted off into a deep slumber, propping his feet up on the console and watching the vastness of hyperspace flash before his eyes. The sporadic streaks of white against the darkness of space consumed the ship as he traveled past the Perlemian Trade Route, a well-known smugglers' course that was said to be the best route for making fast deliveries among many core planets.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the palms of his hands, Finn hit the 'OFF' button to the alarm he was greeted once again with the piercing silence of solitude; although tinnitus in his ears remained.
Upon exiting out of hyperspace he saw the planet come into sight, being surrounded by the far-off twinkling stars that were light years away leaving the view absolutely breathtaking. A substantial ocean consumed much of Chandrila's surface, yet there was still vast lush green lands in the south and white and purple mountains to the north throughout the large planet. Absently, he wished Rey had been here to see it; this planet was so green that he had ever seen before.
Dancing his fingers across the various controls he plugged in the coordinates given to him by the client named Fulcrum that he was meeting in Hanna City. Removing the auto pilot he gained full control of the ship Finn navigated the vessel towards his destination.
He circled low along the vastness of the planet's countryside as it came into prospect, revealing trees and meadows blanketed with snow that appeared to go on for miles. It was wintertime in this hemisphere, everything coated in a fresh blanket of snow and he never would have guessed based on the amount of green he had seen before entering the planet's atmosphere. The view was exquisite; snow dusting the needles of the evergreens and carpeting the ground, the lakes frozen over from the subzero temperatures, and the twinkling flakes of snow that glistened against the sunlight as they fell from the sky.
However brief his sight-seeing, it was cut short when an alarm rang throughout the cockpit, various controls flashing red to alert him that something was incredibly wrong. Searching for a possible answer his eyes flashed across the counsel, pushing various buttons and controls hoping that the ship would snap out of its current state of despair. Nothing worked, and the ear-piercing sounds of the alarms continued showing no signs of stopping.
Shit! Shit, shit, shit! He scrambled forward trying to silence the alarm and simultaneously identify what was wrong with the quadjumper
To no avail he grabbed a hold of the steering, seeing that he had no choice but to guide the ship in for an emergency landing; a very rough landing at that considering a majority of the land was overgrown with trees. He aimed for a spot with the least amount of plant growth, holding his breath and praying to the gods that he would survive this.
With his entire body tensed for impact, he grit his teeth as he steered the quadjumper so as to not hit the surface nose first. He could feel the tops of the trees scraping and breaking along the underside of the ship, causing it – and himself – to violently shudder from the friction. Surfing along the treetops to attempt slowing his speed the ship bounced off the last few rows before roughly crashing into a meadow clearing, skidding along the surface before eventually coming to a stop.
Panic engulfed him as his chest heaved, his eyes, flashing around the cockpit wondering what in the hell had gone wrong. His arms and shoulders ached from pulling the controls in the tense moments of landing, steering the ship with the best of his abilities to not get himself blown to pieces. All he needed was one solid penetrating hit to the hyper drive and he'd be vaporized in an instant.
His head throbbed from the darker thoughts that had raced through his mind: Would I ever see Rey again? Is this really the end? Thank gods the latter never happened; he was still very much present and alive. The ship on the other hand, was in dire need of repairs from what he could surmise just from the semi-crash landing.
Looking across the console he saw that none of the controls were lit as they previously had been, none of the interior lights of the ship were aglow giving him the indication that the culprit of the crash was a failed power generator. He ran his hands down his face as he fell back into the pilot's chair, trying to regain his composure before heading out to inspect the damage.
Silently, he prayed that the ship was still salvageable while all in the same breath, hoping there would be an inhabited town nearby to get the parts he would need for repair.
Of course, luck, as it appeared was not on his side today. The lower wing on the co-pilot's side of the vessel had been completely obliterated; probably from the trees he had mowed over before landing, if it could be called as such, since there was no sign of debris within his sight radius.
Taking a moment to ponder over his surroundings, he set off in a direction that seemed to be a good way to go. He was glad for whatever foresight he must have had to have winter coat in the quadjumper's emergency storage. Warm breath puffed from his mouth as he exhaled, surveiling the landscape before him.
Rubbing his hands together, he blew into his palms to try warming them up, but even that proved insignificant to the planet's snow and icy wind at his back. Failing to warm his hands, he shoved them in the pockets of his brown parka and trudged through the snow.
He took stock of the forest he was walking through, looking over his shoulder as the clearing he'd landed in faded from view. Finn made his way through the maze of trees in the forest, not even aware of which direction he was heading or what he was supposed to be looking for. For all he knew he could be circling the clearing, yet at this point he would be happy just finding a place to get warm.
The normal sounds of the forest were absent, an eerie silence denoting the wintry slumber of the life within. The sound of his boots crunching in the snow rang loudly in his ears as did the whistle of the wind through the trees and resounding groans of frozen branches. His heartbeat thumped loudly with the effort of trudging through the thick snow.
After what felt like forever, Finn came upon a thinning of the snow, revealing a worn pathway that looked like it had not be traveled down in years. The black cobble stones were irregular and poked through the white. Odd that the path had such little snow when all around it was covered in nearly half a foot of the stuff. Almost as if someone had kept it shoveled, only missing the latest round of snow fall. Yet there was no footprints to be found, no tracks or anything of the like.
Uncertainty swam in his gut and his instincts screamed at him to turn around, head back to the ship. But there was something that drew him forward. An unseen force that kept him walking, heading down the path wherever it may lead. Furrowing his brow he pushed forward, despite the suspicious thrill of fear up his spine. His day couldn't get any worse than it had already – could it?
His legs began to ache from the heaviness of the snow beneath him, and still he continued forward until what he could have sworn the iron gate ahead of him had appeared out of nowhere. As if the white of snow and thick of the forest parted to reveal it hidden by something unnatural. He certainly never noticed it before! He stopped and looked behind him, the path looked infinitely longer than it had been before. Turning he looked to the iron gate, the intricate pattern of metal twisting and twirling as it arced several feet above him.
He stopped in his tracks as he vacillated, contemplating the entrance to the unknown. If there was a gate, then it had to enclose around something? Some sort of dwelling, and judging from the path and the gate someone must be there, shouldn't they?
Stepping forward, Finn pressed a hand to the gate, feeling it give way almost instantly, the cacophonous wail of the metal startling him. Yet he moved forward still, The moment Finn stepped through the gate had felt like he took a step into another world, a new dimension even.
As illogical as it was it was the most rational explanation for what stood before his eyes. He definitely didn't notice it as he circled around before making a landing attempt and he certainly didn't see it before stepping through the gate – no, something of this size would have been exceptionally hard to miss with the naked eye. With his eyes as wide as saucers, and his jaw slackened he took in the sight before him. For what lie ahead was the most magnificent palace.
The frontal view of the fortress, two massive round stone turrets flanked each side of the stronghold, the tops flowering out in an elegant flare while coming to a sharp point at the top; a few more turrets were centralized at upper half of the structure - two smaller turrets flanking a larger one in the center all being the same in architectural elegance.
Lining the perimeter of the roof were strategically placed parapets, dividing pathways between each of the turrets. A large dome-shaped structure stemmed off from the eastern side of the palace with a large balcony shadowing the massive dual-doors that could have only been the entrance.
In front of him covered in that fresh blanket of snow were topiaries and shrubs of various shapes and sizes lining the pathway in. A courtyard garden with a fountain, the water in which was frozen solid in the freezing temperatures. Stone benches, and a statue of a cloaked figure stood off to one side of the courtyard, a cloistered monument with it's head bowed and arms folded into the long sleeves of its cloak.
Realization sunk in that he must have looked like a fool standing there gawking for as long as he had been, if anyone had seen him that is, he blinked a few times before taking a step up the pathway. Rounding the small courtyard lay central in the front yard he took in the fountain at the center. How magnificent this place must be in the summertime.
Dazed by the opulence and feeling a little out of sorts he made his way around the side yard hoping to find at least one sentient being that was out and about. Reaching the back of the palace he was once again greeted by the beauty of this place.
Multiple paths, one leading down steps to magnificent gardens, and a slate pathway that led from what he assumed to be the sunroom of the palace, which had consisted of paned windows that rose from the bottom to the top of the structure; fortunately the shades had been drawn so no one could see him freely roaming the property.
Smaller raised-garden beds blanketed with snow were sporadically placed around the property, each holding a different but intricate stone sculpture in the center. A large frozen lake with a stone bridge arched over it lay far off to the western side of the palace grounds.
When he finally turned his attention forward down the path he finally saw where the pathway had led. A massive archway carved out of solid granite, completely if not almost covered in vines, brown and hibernating in the winter, lined with various shrubs and floral beds that were lying dormant for the winter provided the entrance to another section of the palace's gardens.
Two wall sconces flanked each side of the archway's entrance, providing just enough light for anyone passing through at night. Making his way under the archway, he saw what may have been the most beautiful rose garden he had ever seen. This was not just any rose garden, but one that consisted of ultra-rare stardust roses. Their petals as blue as sapphires, twinkling and glistening as the sunlight penetrated through the wintery clouds, giving them the appearance that they had been plucked from the stars themselves.
Rey loves flowers, he thought to himself. A splash of color and life would surely brighten her day when he would return. For nothing like this could ever grow on a planet as desolate and barren as Jakku. He made a mental note to grab one for her before he left. A pergola was centrally stationed in the garden, completely succumbed by vines that come spring would flourish to thick green leaves of ivy for anyone to sit and enjoy the beauty of what the garden had to offer.
Making his way back down the pathway towards the palace, he heard a faint but distinct tinkering sound coming from another building positioned off to the side of the main household. His feet followed the sound, he was curious where it was coming from, what must have been the hangar bay where all of the ships were kept.
The large door to the hangar was open taking it upon himself to be let inside. Inside there were a few different classes of starfighters ranging from a few rebellion era X-wings to a silver Naboo Star Skiff that hadn't been seen since the Old Republic days.
The clanking grew louder the further he went, being too engrossed in his search to notice the object following him. After what sounded like a tool being dropped, he stopped short causing the object behind him to bump into his legs.
"What the..." whirling around on his heels he was cut off when he noticed the spherical-shaped astromech droid, a BB-unit that was orange and white. The sudden jolt had set it off in to a tangent of crazed beeps. Letting out a deep sigh of relief he went to kneel before the droid's eye level when he heard the clanking from within the hangar stop. He jerked his head towards the source he saw the head of a young dark-haired man appear from the cockpit of one of the starfighters: a black X-wing with orange stripes streaking down the sides.
"BB-8 I thought I told you to-," he trailed off, realizing his droid had been accompanied by an unfamiliar face. A look of surprise overcame his features for a moment, but then softened as he remembered seemingly forgotten sense of decorum. "Oh, um, I'm sorry I wasn't expecting company. May I help you?"
Biting the inside of his cheek Finn walked toward the young man, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude. My name is Finn. I was on my way to Hanna City when my ship crashed not far from here. I'm not sure where I am exactly as I'm not from the area and this was the first place I came across."
The young man stared at him, completely dumbstruck as if this place wasn't exactly used to visitors. Finn had to crane his neck back as he drew closer to the man occupying the cockpit. Biting his lower lip, the pilot began making the endeavor of climbing down from the vessel. He wiped his greasy hands on his orange flight suit, he extended his hand towards Finn. "I'm Poe," he said giving him a reassuring smile that stretched up to his dark, but kind brown eyes. "Poe Dameron. It's definitely not every day that we get visitors around here. To be honest it's been years."
Finn smiled in reply, glancing downwards before returning the gesture with a firm handshake.
"Unfortunately, Hanna City is quite a ways away from here; even longer without a ship," Poe continued, biting his lower lip as if in deep thought, "but I think I can definitely arrange a ship for you to take."
Letting out a huff of relief Finn gave a light laugh before replying, "Thank you so much! You have no idea how grateful I am. I swear when I get the chance I'll pay you back somehow."
Poe chuckled, his hands on his waist as he shook his head in reply, "That won't be necessary. It's really not a problem. Are you hungry Finn?"
Finns eyes lit up at the question and unspoken invitation within it. His stomach was growling like that of a hungry Sarlaac from the Pit of Carcoon. "Actually, yes I am."
--------------------------------------
Poe led Finn to a very rustic-looking door inside the hangar, soon learning that it was an entrance to the catacombs underneath the palace. Finn would have been lying to himself if he didn't find the place creepy, the walls lined with sconces that gave very little but enough light to see where he was going.
After rounding a few corners and up a flight of stairs he found himself in a massive dark room. The interior looked older than that of the palace itself with columns rising from the marble flooring to the ceiling on opposite sides, dividing the first and second levels of the room. The lighting was very limited with the only light being that of the sun peeking through the cracks of the drawn curtains made of heavy thick material.
Blinking a few times for his eyes to readjust to the low lighting he was finally allowed to see a variety of paintings lining the walls, but he could only make out the details of the ones that were met by the suppressed sunlight.
He found one painting in particular the most intriguing: the silhouettes of two Jedi, one yielding a blue lightsaber the other green, were heavily engaged in a one-on-one combat surrounded by eruptions of fire and lava behind them and in the foreground. The fiery insignia illuminating the sky made it as if the sun had been shining at high noon.
Intrigued, he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. He knew of the Jedi from stories that he had heard as a kid being passed down from locals and travelers on Jakku. Once the peace keepers of the galaxy and the defenders against evil, but this – oh, this was something new.
"Hey!" Blinking a few times Finn was suddenly jolted from his thoughts by Poe, his voice echoing through the large emtpy space. Finn didn't realize that he had fallen behind him while being engrossed in the decor of the room. "Sorry, I just-," Finn replied apologetically, offering a sheepish grin. "What is this place?"
Poe considered him, crossing his arms over his chest before he finally answered, "It's one of the last of the original Jedi temples, built back during the ages of the Prime Jedi." He gestured towards the floor at the center of the room; the limited light revealing what looked like a yin-yang symbol etched into the marble flooring. "Back when times weren't so...complicated. There was an early period of when things weren't strictly good versus evil before the beginning of the wars between the Sith, and the Jedi. After most of the Jedi had been eradicated during Order 66, those who remained, Guardians of the Whills mostly and Jedi sympathizers built this palace over the temple to conceal the few remaining Jedi that were left after the purge during the rise of the Empire."
Finn raised his eyebrows clearly impressed at the knowledge Poe held of the Jedi Order's history and that of the force. "You sound like you've known a few in your time - the Jedi I mean, like you're speaking from experience." It wasn't necessarily a question.
Poe pursed his lips having been focused on that one spot on the floor before allowing his face to fall into what Finn could only describe as pensive yet dismal. "Yeah," he smirked still holding the same poignant expression, "I knew a couple."
Biting the inside of his cheek, Finn couldn't help but push a little further on the subject while furrowing his brows, "Knew - as in past tense. So how many are there now?"
Narrowing his eyes, Poe clenched his jaw. Thoughts of when things had been less complicated came hurling back at him like a whirlwind. Time of his flight academy days and when his best friend, whom he considered a brother, had been Luke Skywalker's apprentice, one of a baker's dozen of students, some of which had died in battle against the First Order, six others who became the Knights of Ren.
If only he had been around a little more during those days maybe - just maybe - things would have turned out a little differently. If he'd only been there, maybe he could have seen what was happening to his friend. Could have said something, helped him somehow. But it was no use to dwell upon the past. They had chosen their paths. All he could do now was everything he could to steer him back from the darkness.
All the while he looked at Finn from as distance, "Just one an old master, kind of a curmudgeon in his old age. The kitchen is this way," changing the subject Poe gestured towards the opposite end of the room. "Try to keep up. I would advise against falling far behind." Finn watched Poe walk away for a moment before falling in suit. Although he couldn't help but think that Poe's last statement seemed more like a warning than a casual remark.
Poe led Finn through a series of inter-connected rooms: a large training room that had been filled with an assortment of weapons ranging from bladed staves to combat training swords that highly resembled lightsabers. Interesting, Finn thought to himself as they continued passing through what were to be the servants' chambers before entering a door leading to the kitchen.
One thing that Finn found the most odd about the place was that every window had the drapes drawn; leaving the place in complete darkness if it wouldn't have been for the dim interior lighting. What he had not been expecting was the commotion of the workers occupying the kitchen.
One he identified immediately as a Wookiee, the others, a very petite woman with a round face, almond shaped eyes with black hair framing her face and the other a rather tiny, orange female with large lenses sitting atop her head.
A stunned silence fell over the room when they finally noticed Finn's presence. Finn shifted on his feet, shoving his hands into his pants' pockets feeling uneasy as the sudden source of attention.
Aware of his unease Poe broke the silence of the large, but suddenly very small room, "I'm sorry this is Finn. His ship crashed and he was just looking for another means of transportation." Issuing Finn a smile in reassurance Poe introduced the other members in the kitchen. The Wookiee, whom Poe acknowledged as Chewbacca, replied in a series of short friendly groans towards Finn's direction; he had no idea what the giant harry thing was saying.
The tiny, orange humanoid female – Maz Kanata as Poe had called her – had been the next to speak in a genuinely curious tone, "So what brings you to Chandrila, Finn?"
Finn provided a brief summary of his time and business on Jakku: how he had come to Chandrila to meet a member of the Resistance for a business deal and confirming that his ship did indeed crash upon his arrival on world. "So yeah, I guess you could say that I'm kind of a big deal with the Resistance," he boasted, shrugging his shoulders while holding a smug expression on his face.
"You're with the Resistance? I've never met a Resistance member before!" Rose exclaimed, her voice filling with the same awe and wonder that filled her expression.
Finn shifted uncomfortably on his feet, glancing around the room at the eyes that still remained focused on him, "Yeah, well this is what we look like. Some of us anyways." Poe stood with an arm across his chest while his fist covered his mouth to stifle a chuckle at the obvious white lie that Finn had told to impress Rose.
Rose remained ignorant, still completely awestruck replied with a simple mesmerized "Wow."
Maz narrowed her eyes a little as if to consider Finn's allegiance before issuing a small chuckle of her own, arms crossed over her tiny abdomen while remaining seated at the central table in the kitchen, "Well Finn, would you like something to eat before you head out? Rose here was just cooking us up some bantha stew for dinner."
Scoffing at his own humiliation, Finn cast a glance at Rose before replying with a simple please.
He could have sworn he saw a hint of a blush creep across Rose's cheeks before she turned back towards her original task at the large stove. Poe approached Finn with a highly amused expression on his face, crossing over from his opposite stance in the kitchen, and leaned in to whisper in Finn's ear, "You know Finn, women always find out the truth." Clapping Finn on the shoulder he added for extra assurance with a wink, "Always."
--------------------------------------
After thanking everyone for their generous hospitality and sharing a few more stolen glances at Rose, Finn followed Poe back out to the ship hangar. Poe had been generous enough to allow Finn to take an X-wing to Hanna city, to his meeting and to secure the parts he needed to fix the quadjumper before returning to Jakku. Seeing several of the historic Republic starfighters sparked his memory and decided to ask what he had wanted to mention earlier during dinner, furrowing his brow before speaking, "Rose said that she had never met a Resistance member, where exactly does the loyalty of Chandrila lie in this war?"
Stealing a glance at his friend, Poe bit his lower lip and narrowed his eyes as if concentrating on his choice of words. "Chandrila was never loyal to the Empire. For years our leaders have managed to keep the façade of remaining neutral in the war, but they have always secretly funded the cause of the Rebel Alliance and now the Resistance. The First Order has been waging war on our sister systems in the core. We've had battles with them, but it's been at a tense armistice for several years now. The heart of our leadership lies in Hanna City, which I'm sure you were already aware of, Big Deal," Poe added, nudging Finn's arm with his elbow mocking his earlier comment to Rose.
Finn chuckled, at the reminder of his desperate attempt to impress the chef in the kitchen. Poe offered a genuine smile to his friend before extending his hand to bid farewell. With a smirk Finn returned the gesture, firmly shaking Poe's hand. "Thanks again, for all of your help."
With a curt nod, Poe reminded Finn to take care of himself before taking his leave of the hangar bay. Finn was just ascending the ladder of the X-wing when he remembered the roses in the garden he had discovered earlier and his silent promise to bring one back for Rey.
Biting his bottom lip in thought he figured it wouldn't hurt to take just one. Certain no one would mind, he made his way back down and checked thoroughly to see no one was around before treading back out into the darkness that had descended with nightfall on the planet ignorant of the fact that he was already being watched.
The garden was even more beautiful at night with nothing more than the soft glow of light from the sconces reflecting off the snow as the thick snow clouds in the sky blocked out the moon for the evening.
He walked over to a particular spot in the garden where the roses seemed to be twinkling more than the rest, receiving the most direct sunlight in the day they heavily reflected the moonlight at night, yet tonight they refracted the light from the snow and what dim light could be gained from the moon behind the clouds. These stardust roses also appeared to be larger than the rest, truly stunning and Rey would surely appreciate one.
Settling on one that he deemed ideal enough to take home, he pulled a small knife from the holster on his belt to cut the flower free. He never considered that moment was going to be the biggest mistake he ever made. Slipping his knife back into its holster, he turned to leave when he saw the silhouette of a tall figure cloaked entirely in black, the light of the sconces at the entrance to the garden reflecting a golden light off the chrome of the figure's mask with a hood covering the remainder of the figure's façade.
For a moment the menacing shadow stood stone still, hands clenched in tight fists at the sides, before reaching a hand to retrieve a hilt hanging from the belt: a lightsaber.
A look of sheer terror crossed Finn's face when the figure ignited the blade to reveal a crimson jagged-edge lightsaber with a crossguard that flickered and crackled like an open flame. The sound reverberated from the weapon was tremulous, unsteady almost rumbling like it was ready to combust at any given time.
Thinking quickly about his current situation Finn reached for his blaster from his holster, firing off a few shots at the figure to only see them be deflected by the lightsaber at lightning speed while extending a palm of the opposite hand, firmly cementing Finn and a single bolt from the blaster in place. He struggled against the sudden loss of all mobility of his limbs: neither his arms or legs were responding to what his brain was telling them to do.
The figure began to approach him, stopping within a few feet in front of him; cocking its head to the side as if to contemplate what to do with him next. Although Finn had been froze in place he could feel every single muscle in his body trembling with fear.
"I'm impressed," the figure finally spoke, "You managed to enter my force concealed home, receive such hospitality from my staff while at the same time, giving you a transport, and now I find you stealing from me like some common thief," his voice was eerily calm, low and distorted through the mask's modulator as he spoke; stepping closer towards him as if to intimidate him even further with the significant difference in height; he towered above him. Finn fought to keep his face expressionless not wanting to project his fear, but the cold and emotionless gaze of the mask's manifestation made it nearly impossible. "Tell me, thief, why are you here?" The figure demanded.
Finn actually considered telling him if it meant letting him go, but seeing the chances of that happening were slim Finn grit his teeth before replying, nearly spitting out his words, "I'm not telling you anything."
"We shall see." A low chuckle came through the modulator of his helmet as the figure turned his head askance, as if to signal the other two figures forward that Finn had failed to notice earlier; both sporting similar black clothing as the one wielding the lightsaber standing before him.
The shortest of the pair had a simple knee-length tunic, a mask that he could only describe as being close to, but not nearly as menacing, as the tall figure before him. A larger pistol hung holstered at their chest while wielding a long, narrow staff. The same figure also sported a variety of other weapons at their disposal, reminding Finn of a mobile armory. The other figure, the tallest of the two, wore longer robes with a single petite-sized blaster holstered at the hip; the helmet resembled that of a Mandalorian with a narrow visor just barely wide enough to see through.
"Search him," commanded the man holding the saber. Whether or not he was humanoid was still to be determined.
The approaching pair flanked from both sides, the shortest one snatching the blaster from his hand while the tallest of the two patted him down to inspect for any other weapons Finn may have had on his person, coming up empty handed. "He's clear, sir," spoke the taller one; the non-modulated voice identifying this one as a male as well.
Sheathing the lightsaber, the man who had been standing before him spoke, "Take him inside, and find out anything you can from him." The two figures nodded in acknowledgment of their orders, each seizing Finn firmly by his biceps and led him back towards the palace.
--------------------------------------
Poe was finishing his nightly routine of rounds throughout the interior of the palace, making his way to the servant's quarters he was half way there, passing a corridor that lead down to into the catacombs when he heard the yelling and desperate pleas of a familiar voice; it sounded like...Finn?
Concerned, the young pilot headed down the main hall, he followed the source of the voice until he saw Kylo following his two knights as they dragged Finn forcefully down the hall by two of Kylo's knights, kicking and horribly failing at his attempt to free his arms of their firm grasp.
Horrified, Poe realized what was happening, and in the same moment feeling bewildered as to how Finn had managed to get caught. He had just been with him in the hangar bay to see him off, and now he was witnessing his newest friend being sent to his bleak fate. Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Poe took off in a jog after them, grabbing Kylo's attention as he approached.
"Lord Ren, may I have a word with you?" Poe hated the name his oldest friend had given himself. Effectively shoving away his true self no matter how dark that man had become.
At the voice of his once most trusted friend, Kylo did an about face, issuing a curt nod towards his knights, granting them permission to continue on without him as he stepped towards the Captain. "What is it, Dameron?" Irritation slicing through his tone at the disruption.
Concern was evident in his face, his brow pinched, and his eyes wide. Poe considered his words carefully, knowing just how unstable and unpredictable Kylo could be when not in the best of moods, "That man with your knights, what is the matter of his seizure?" He questioned staring, into the cold, emotionless gaze of the mask in front of him.
"I'm afraid that is not your concern, Captain," he responded formally, reminding Dameron that his place was not to question him.
Poe softened his stance, hoping to plead his case for his friend. "Finn is a good man. He doesn't deserve the treatment your knights are surely about to give him," Poe stated firmly as he gestured in the direction that Finn had been taken.
Kylo snorted clearly disgusted at Poe's admiration of the traitor, "It appears you don't know your friend as well as you thought. Now if you would excuse me I have more imperative matters to attend to," turning abruptly on his heel Kylo made his way back in the direction of his knights. The thought of where Finn was going made Poe sick to his stomach.
Suddenly feeling bold he took off after his old friend, "Ben, please - don't do this!'
Kylo whirled around to face him so fast Poe nearly collided into the brick wall of his Lord and Master before him, and he would have if it had not been for his relatively quick reflexes. Kylo's fists remaining tightly clenched at his sides; his aura radiating his growing internal rage, "Do NOT address me by that name again, Captain! Since you seem to be on a first name basis with the traitor, when did you deem it wise to not inform me of his arrival?"
Pursing his lips Poe stared into the visor of the mask, clearly not ready to back down just yet, "He wasn't a threat."
"I'll be the judge of that," Kylo retorted sharply as he advanced towards Poe, towering over him to further prove his point. "Question my judgment again, Captain, and it will be the last time that you do." Poe clenched his jaw, defiantly looking up at Kylo while he acknowledged the threat with a short nod. Without another word Kylo turned, making his way towards the detention cell block.
--------------------------------------
When Finn awoke it took a moment for him to identify his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was being dragged into a detention cell, a small dimly lit room with a body length device in the center – an interrogation chair. His arms and ankles had been cuffed down to it with a leather buckled strap crossing his waist, securing him firmly in place.
The knights had tried getting information out of him in regards to who he was, his business on the planet and how he had managed to find such a finely concealed place. Refusing to acknowledge any of their questions, the taller knight began a brutal assault while the other stood guard at the door.
His face hurt tremendously, licking his lips he could taste the iron flavor of blood, and he was certain that he had fractured a rib or two. The ability to breathe caused jolts of pain to shoot through his abdomen. The next thing he knew he had blacked out. It took a moment for him to acknowledge the dark cloaked, masked figure standing off in the shadows of the room; the one who had wielded the lightsaber earlier on.
"I clearly underestimated you," the figure stated coolly as he approached, presenting himself more relaxed than he had been earlier. His hands remained at his sides, but the way he carried himself this time was exuded pride, even dignified. "Comfortable?" He sounded highly amused at Finn's current position.
Finn scoffed, but replied with a smirk even though it hurt like hell to move any of the muscles in his face, "Not really."
Clearly not concerned with his current physical state, Kylo stated as a matter of fact, "My knights were unable to obtain any answers out of you regarding your business on Chandrila. If you wish to remain silent on that matter you may do so. Though what concerns me is exactly how did you find this place?" his voice demanding, yet at the same time genuinely curious.
Finn stared blankly at him before bitterly adding, "Then, I guess you better change your technique."
Kylo cocked his head, considering the man before him for a minute. You fool, he thought to himself. He was clearly unaware of what he was capable of. Finn watched the man before him raise a gloved hand, extending it towards his face his fingers just inches away from touching his temple; that had been when the severe throbbing in his head began. It was as if tendrils had been slipped into his mind, pulling and ripping through his brain. Clenching his eyes shut Finn desperately fought back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks.
"Tell me," demanded the voice in front of him, now low and menacing. Finn fought hard to keep his sanity; struggling immensely from telling the man currently ripping through his mind anything, but the effort was proving itself fruitless. "Tell me," the man demanded again, enunciating every syllable in the two words. With every last ounce of energy in his body Finn let out a blood curdling yell before he finally broke.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top