Ruby stood before her chamber's massive mirror, adjusting the ancient armor that encased her form. Each scale had been gifted by Toothless himself over the centuries of their friendship, shed naturally and forged into protection stronger than any beskar. The armor shifted from midnight black to deep crimson as she moved, like living flames against her skin. Her kyber circlet remained in place, but now it was joined by additional crystals woven through her dark hair, each one singing with Force energy.

A shadow fell across her room as Toothless appeared in the grand archway, his massive head lowering to her level. His green eyes, so like her own, reflected concern as his consciousness touched hers.

Your Highness, his thoughts resonated in her mind, deep and ancient as the stars themselves. You shouldn't go rushing out there.

Ruby turned to face her oldest friend, their green eyes meeting in the mirror. The dragon's scales rippled with worry, matching the patterns in her armor. She sighed, her fangs catching the light as she spoke aloud, though she didn't need to.

"I know," she admitted, running a hand along the armor's scales. "But he hurt my apprentice. My Kylo." Her fists clenched at her sides, and the kyber crystals in her hair hummed with barely contained energy. "No one hurts a dragon's friends."

Toothless rumbled, the sound vibrating through the chamber. Then let me come with you, his thoughts pressed against her mind. Like the old days, before empires and republics. Just a dragon and his rider, bringing justice.

Ruby's expression softened as she reached out to touch his snout. Memories flowed between them – centuries of friendship, of protecting those who needed it, of flying through stars and time together. The dragon's scales were warm under her touch, familiar as her own heartbeat.

"The galaxy has changed, old friend," she said gently. "We can't solve this with just fire and fury anymore." She gestured to the city visible through her windows. "We built something here. Something worth protecting the right way."

Toothless's ear plates twitched in disagreement. Snoke doesn't care about the right way. He cares about power. Like Palpatine did.

"Then we'll show him true power," Ruby declared, her fangs glinting as she smiled. "The power of loyalty, of balance, of light and dark working as one." She touched the scar on Toothless's neck, ancient evidence of their first meeting. "You taught me that, remember? That true strength comes from protecting others, not dominating them."

The dragon huffed, sending warm air rippling through her hair. At least take the Sword, he insisted, his thoughts tinged with stubborn concern. The one we forged together.

Ruby nodded, turning to where an ancient blade hung on her chamber wall. Its hilt was wrapped in dragon hide, its blade forged from scales freely given and imbued with both their powers. When she gripped it, it hummed in harmony with her kyber crystals.

"I'll be careful," she promised, touching her forehead to his snout in an age-old gesture of affection. "Keep the younglings safe while I'm gone. They'll need their dragon guardian more than ever now."

Toothless's eyes narrowed slightly. And you'll need your dragon too, little one. Despite her centuries of life, she would always be 'little one' to him. Just call, and I'll come. No matter where Snoke hides, no darkness can stand against a dragon's fire.

Ruby smiled, knowing he meant every word. After all, who better to understand loyalty than the dragon who had helped her rebuild an empire from the ashes of tyranny?

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The durasteel floor echoed beneath Ruby's boots as she strode through the gleaming hangar bay, her black cloak billowing behind her like a storm cloud. Her ship dominated the space – a masterpiece of engineering that married elegance with lethality. Its arrowhead silhouette knifed through the artificial light, the hull's polished surface reflecting the harsh illumination like liquid mercury. The wings, reminiscent of ancient dragon's wings from forgotten legends, swept back in deadly grace, their edges honed sharp enough to slice through atmosphere.

General Hux stood at rigid attention, his pristine uniform a slash of black against the hangar's sterile white walls. Beside him, Luke's weathered presence provided a stark contrast, his Jedi robes bearing the dust of distant worlds. Kylo Ren lingered in their shadow, the raw lightsaber wound across his face still angry and red, a testament to a battle barely survived.

In the cockpit, General Bloom's fingers danced across the controls with practiced precision, the ship's systems humming to life beneath his touch. Pre-flight diagnostics cast his face in an ethereal blue glow.

Ruby's green eyes locked with Kylo's dark ones, the Force crackling with unspoken tension between master and apprentice. "You stay behind," she commanded, her voice carrying the same razor's edge as her beloved ship. "That's an order, apprentice."

Kylo's jaw tightened, the scar tissue pulling taught across his features. "With respect, Master," he said, the words carefully measured, "this fresh wound won't keep me grounded. Where you go, I go." The conviction in his voice carried the weight of his stubborn heritage.

The moment shattered at the sound of rapid footfalls. Ruby turned to see Finn and Rey sprinting across the hangar, their faces set with the same determination she'd come to both admire and dread. Rey's staff bounced against her back while Finn's jacket – still bearing the scorch marks of their last mission – flapped open in his haste.

"We're coming too," Finn announced, his breath slightly ragged but his voice steady. Rey nodded beside him, her eyes bright with the same unwavering resolve.

Ruby closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of responsibility settle deeper onto her shoulders. When she opened them again, her gaze swept across the faces of these brave, foolish allies. "I'm walking into the Rancor's den," she said softly, steel beneath the silk of her words. "It's enough that I'm setting myself up as bait. I won't drag the rest of you into this death trap."

The tension in the hangar thickened, charged with loyalty, determination, and the unspoken knowledge that none of them would back down. The ship's engines pulsed behind them, a steady heartbeat counting down the moments until departure.

Ruby shook her head, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Please, you guys," she pleaded, her gaze locking onto Luke. He merely smiled, a knowing look in his eyes.

"They're coming, and you know that," he replied calmly, his tone almost teasing.

Ruby sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I just wish we could avoid this—whatever it is." The weight of impending confrontation hung in the air, thick and suffocating.

Luke stepped closer, his expression softening. "I understand, but we can't hide from what's coming. We have to face it together."

Ruby took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Together, then," she agreed, determination flickering in her chest. She knew they would need each other as they braced for whatever awaited them.