Allegiance | Kylo Ren

LXVIII

I took Malia's advice and returned to active duty the next day. I needed to get away from Kylo, to forget everything that had ever happened with him.

When an extended mission was announced, I was among the first to volunteer. The assignment was to monitor activity in a city suspected to be harboring Resistance sympathizers; it was a two-week mission, and I was eager to be a part of it.

Both Malia and I were selected to be part of the twenty-person crew. We packed small travel bags and were shipped out the next morning, crammed into a small plane along with our other travelers. As the ramp to the ship raised, I caught a glimpse of Kylo standing across the boarding dock, watching me leave. I looked away purposefully.

When we were in the air, Malia shifted excitedly beside me. It was her first extended mission, I realized—and mine as well. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, glad that we were able to experience this together.

The flight did not take long. We landed on a planet with a mild climate, scattered trees speckling the city's grounds. A few clouds hung in the blue skies overhead, providing occasional shade. We were greeted by a city official who quickly bowed before offering to show us to our quarters.

He seemed nervous at the sight of twenty troopers deplaning. I didn't blame him—we were intimidating at the very least. Nevertheless, he led us quickly to a building not far from the city center.

"There are two floors of living quarters." The man's voice was taut. "You may disperse as you please. Once you have settled in, I will give you a brief tour of the city."

I pulled off my helmet and offered him a smile. "Thank you."

He nodded and left quickly. Troopers were already claiming beds on the first floor. Rolling my eyes, I climbed the narrow stairs to the second story. I selected a bed against the wall with a large window above it, dropping my bag of possessions on its neatly folded covers. Malia took the bed next to mine, standing on her toes to peek out the window at the view of the street below.

"This is a cool city." She observed.

I hummed my agreement, pulling my helmet back on. "Ready for a tour of it?"

She nodded and followed me back down the stairs. Troopers had begun to congregate near the door already, but they stepped aside to let me outside. The city official was waiting outside, looking no less nervous than he had before. He looked up as I appeared, flashing me a strained smile.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded, and he started down the walkway in the opposite direction of where we had arrived.

"The city is organized in layers, with a square composition." He explained as we walked, motioning with his hands to illustrate his words. "The outermost layer, which is where your housing building is, is comprised of all of the citizens' homes. The next layer," he pointed to the buildings on our left, "is made up of shops. Our city is run on a bartering system, so we trade for everything we need, whether it is food, clothing, textiles, or other necessities."

We turned a corner and passed through a narrow alleyway, entering a broad courtyard. "This is the city center." Our guide explained. "The buildings around the exterior are our schools, hospitals, and nurseries, and the building in the very center is our government building."

I followed his gaze to a regal-looking structure standing proudly in the center of the courtyard. It was elevated, with white marble stairs leading to a pillared front entrance. It was a beautiful piece of architecture—its smooth white surfaces were detailed with gold edges. Surrounding it was a perfectly-manicured green lawn, completing its image of perfection.

"You have a lovely city." I informed him politely, tearing my eyes from the government building.

"Thank you." He seemed caught off guard by my compliment. There was a pause before he continued. "I understand that you will be monitoring our home. You will be granted almost unlimited access to all structures."

"Almost?" I raised an eyebrow. "Which will we not be allowed into?"

He didn't meet my eyes. "For sanitary reasons, we ask that you stay out of the hospital unless you need to use its facilities, and out of respect, we ask that you remain out of the government building. It is a highly-regarded structure, and it symbolizes this city's pride."

I narrowed my eyes, not entirely sold by his explanation. Nevertheless, I gave a curt nod. "We will respect your wishes so long as we are not given a reason to disrespect them."

A brief look of relief crossed over his face. "It is greatly appreciated."

I glanced around. My troopers were filing about the courtyard, examining its buildings. Malia stood faithfully by my side. I quickly instructed her to inform the others about our limitations, and she hurried away. I turned back to the guide.

"I sincerely hope, for your sake and for ours, that you are not harboring any Resistance here." I kept my voice even. "It would be a shame to see this city go up in ruins."

"I-I agree." He swallowed shakily.

"Is there anything else we should know about your home?" I watched him carefully.

He glanced around. "There is a mandatory curfew each night at sundown for all citizens. I recommend you follow it as well." I could sense his yearning to get as far away from me as possible. "B-but that is up to you, of course."

"Very well." I nodded, dismissing him. He gave a quick bow before scuttling away. I watched him go with suspicion blooming in my stomach.

I hope for my sake you aren't harboring any Resistance here. That would... complicate things.