Kyber Heart - Poe Dameron

Chapter 34

In a room tucked away down a network of hallways aboard the Supremacy, Kylo Ren paced back and forth. Black boots stomped and squeaked against the polished floor, gradually increasing in speed each time he turned upon reaching a wall.

He was altogether confused, and that made him agitated. More so than usual at least.

Eventually he paused his patrol of the medical room he had been confined to for treatment, falling back into his seat with angry resignation. He was close to punching the medical droid that moved to continue the treatment of the angry red line that marked his face. Fortunately, the droid was nimble enough to zip out of reach if the dark apprentice ever took a swing, Force enhanced reflexes or no.

He was unable to stay seated for long. He was a caged animal, locked away until his master had need of him. It made him irritable – it was the hand he had been dealt by Snoke for many years.

And now he was plagued with further questions he did not understand. The workings of the Force had always been strange, even to him with his teachings. How had his mind been bridged with another's far across the stars? And more importantly to him: why?

He sighed, a short and heavy huff as he tried not to dwell on his thoughts of the encounter, or of her – Rey. He did not want the Supreme Leader to pry into his thoughts and question him. Not when he was already seeing through him to his conflicted soul, to the weakness he already suspected to be growing.

---

Nova pushed a hand through her hair, forcing it back from her face.

Once more, she found herself alone in her mother's quarters. Apart from the droids and an unconscious Leia that was. Finn and Rose had left for their secret assignment, accompanied by Poe and BB-8 to see them off safely and ensure Holdo was none the wiser.

She flexed her left hand tentatively, feeling the sting of the burn beneath the fresh bandage. A medical droid had changed it when they came by to check on Leia, despite Nova's complaints. She did not particularly care how long it would take to heal – two months without the aid of bacta at the very least if she was lucky. It ached, but at least it was something for her to feel in the silence.

She sighed, letting her gaze turn to what she expected to be the bare durasteel wall. But instead, she was met with a sight that made her blood boil. Her fists clenched tight instinctively despite the pain – the sudden adrenaline rush dulling it into obscurity.

She rose, standing at full height as she walked to face her brother who had inexplicably appeared before her. She took in his appearance, noting his shocked expression and the new scar to his face. She would have to further commend Rey for her handiwork when she next got the chance, feeling a small spark of satisfaction upon seeing the wound in person. Or whatever it was she was being made to experience.

Ren surveyed her with a similar scrutiny, sensing every emotion, seeing every scar. And it almost hurt him that so much animosity was coming from his own sister, pointed at him like shards of glass.

She was angry, and rightfully so. Faced with her torturer, her father's murderer, there was nothing else she could be expected to feel. On instinct, without stopping to debate if she would merely pass through him, she punched him square in the jaw.

Ren recoiled, grasping at the assaulted area that would surely bruise with a grunt of surprise. He had thought a phantom blaster bold passing through him had been bad.

Nova was far from finished.

"Look what you've done," she hissed, gesturing to their unconscious mother behind her. "And what you did to our father. Why? Because they actually gave a damn about you? If you're determined to kill your entire family, why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?"

He remained silent, keeping his composure as he starred her down.

"ANSWER ME!"

"I don't know."

Nova laughed, a sound laced with venom and insincerity. No mirth, only burning hatred. "That's a first."

A tension filled silence fell between the estranged siblings, quickly broken by Nova once more. Silence was the last thing she desired in that moment. "I can maybe understand why you would do this to Dad –"

"I didn't hate him," Ren cut in before she could finish.

"No, shut up. You don't get to talk," she spat. "But how could you do this to Mom? She always saw the best in you, still believed you could come home. You proved her wrong, huh? You proved us all wrong."

He went to counter again, but cut himself off.

The door behind Nova slid open. She turned at the sound, relaxing only a fraction upon seeing Poe.

"What is it?"

Looking back behind her, she was met only by the wall she had initially expected. Her brother was gone as suddenly as he had appeared, and she was all the better for it.

"I'm fine," she said, pushing the remaining anger down and out of her mind. "They away?"

"All clear," Poe confirmed.

"Beebee-Ate go with them?"

Poe frowned, finding his droid companion suspiciously absent. He sighed. "Guess so."

"And now we wait."

It was going to be a challenge for them both. Poe hated being side-lined under most circumstances, always feeling that call to action on instinct. In his mind, there was still a fight to be fought, and he was powerless within it.

"Connix is on side. I was able to get a few of the remaining pilots too, should we need them."

Nova nodded. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

She did not like waiting for her fate to be decided for her, especially when the person in power to control it was not answering her questions. Even if Holdo was a friend to her mother, Nova would need a little more convincing before trusting her to hold her fate in her hands.

"Do you think this will work?"

Poe sighed. "We have to hope it does. It's either that or wait to be picked off ship by ship by the First Order. And I don't know about you, but I think I prefer taking my chances on this one."