Kylo Ren places his hands behind his back, pacing to and fro across the floor. He clenches his jaw repeatedly, gritting his teeth so harshly that it was a miracle they hadn't shattered. His dark cloak flutters and snaps at his ankles. It felt as though it was putting a heavy weight on his shoulders. He fights back the urge to rip it off and go on a rampage around the Supremacy's medical wing.

There had been no news about your health condition for quite some time now. The last time he saw you, you were passed out in his arms with blood drenching your robe. Kylo had scrubbed your blood from his hands with tears in his eyes and his heart in his throat. Deep wounds didn't usually make him sick, but the sight of blood pouring from your body made his stomach churn. He had lingered around a trash can just in case but fortunately the contents of his stomach remained in place.

For the past two hours, the doctors had been slamming doors in his face and turning him away. No matter what he did or who he threatened, they didn't let him inside to see you. They were insisting that he just lie down and get his mind off of the incident. But how was he even supposed to just forget? He didn't know what he would do if you didn't pull through. You were strong and stubborn, but you weren't immortal either. It was difficult enough when you got snatched up by Kess, but this was an entirely different threat. Seeing you nearly dying in his arms made him more riled up than he thought it would. That only proved to him how deep into this relationship he had gotten himself.

Despite the horrible weight about to crush him, some of the stress had gotten lifted earlier. Saying those three little words to you had given him a lot of relief, especially when you said them back. He couldn't bear to see you walking away. A part of him still doubted those words. For him, saying 'I love you' was a big step forward. He had been denied of affection for such a long time and when you returned to his life, it pushed him into an unknown world. Well, not quite unknown. He knew affection from when he was Ben, but he had completely pushed those memories aside. They still made their way into his brain, but now Kylo had you for comfort. What was he going to do if you were ripped away from him? Again.

"Supreme Leader," a voice interrupts his train of thought.

Kylo whirls around, his heart pounding in his chest. "What?"

The doctor shifts. "She's a little worn out, but she's awake. I would recommend waiting until she's fully recovered before you just-"

He pushes past the doctor without further hesitation, tuning out the man's shouts of protest. Kylo wasn't going to wait one more minute to be with you. The nurses try to hold him back, but they were no match against him. He storms through the small medical ward, making a beeline for the room that you were being held in. Kylo bursts through the doors, his eyes falling on you.

You were laying down with your back slightly propped up by fluffy white pillows. A light blue hospital gown hid your body from his prying eyes. An IV-tube was running into your wrist, feeding you what you had been deprived of. Your face was still a little paler than normal and there were dark circles under your eyes. You looked absolutely miserable and weak. It was just like when Kylo had seen you return from the Black Sun.

Kylo slowly approaches your bed slowly, wearily watching you avoiding eye contact. He carefully sits down on the edge of the thick mattress, reaching out for your hand. His fingers tenderly touch the back of your wrist. "Are you alright?"

You press your lips together. "I am now."

He shifts. "Did you piece together what happened to you?"

"Who was that?" Your voice wavers.

Kylo chews on the inside of his cheek. He hated that he couldn't give you a straight answer. "I don't know. He said Gido Corr hired him... to target you."

Your brow furrows. "Why?"

He takes your hand in his. "I was hoping you would know. Did something happen when you were with the Black Sun?"

You shudder at the memory of it. Sometimes you swore you could still feel Gido's hands on your skin and his cold voice murmuring into your ear. "Dorno appointed me to be Gido's personal slave for one day. He brought up a lot during that meeting, but I didn't think it was enough for him to send an assassin after me."

Kylo runs his hand through his hair. "We'll figure it out. Until then, you're staying here and I'll handle Gido."

"Why did you bring me here?" Your tone turns rather accusing.

"The doctors on Naboo did as much as they could, but the Order has some of the finest in the galaxy. I had more confidence in them." Kylo crosses his arms. "Is there a problem with that?"

Your grip tightens on the blanket draped lamely over your hips. How was Kylo going to take this? The First Order was the very thing you were trying to avoid and now he had brought you back. You would have never allowed it had you been awake. Merely looking around the medical wing was enough to make you sick. "I can't stay here, Kylo."

He swallows thickly, his brows furrowing in confusion. "What? Why not?"

"This isn't my home. I made a home for myself on Naboo." Shifting at the look on Kylo's face, you quickly add "you can come with me, if you want to. Choose some general to take over and move on from the Order. We can leave everything behind."

Kylo stares at you. "Are you being serious?"

You lick your lips dryly. It was always clear to you that he wasn't going to take this very well, but now you had a sinking feeling in your stomach. "I-I'm sorry."

He pulls his bottom lip through his teeth and nods stiffly, taking a step back. Kylo backs away and finally turns away from you. You quickly toss the blanket aside and swing your legs over the edge of your hospital bed, softly wincing at the tugging sensation from the fresh stitches in your side. Kylo's fists tense at his sides as he walks away but you couldn't just let him go.

"Kylo-" you fumble with the IV needle in your arm, ripping it free. "-wait."

One of the nurses notices your struggle from across the room. She hurries over to you and grabs onto your forearm, trying desperately to get you to sit back down. "I must insist that you stay in bed. Too much movement and you could tear right through your stitches. Commander, please-"

You rip your arm free and give her an icy glare. "I'm not your commander anymore."

With her in momentary shock, you manage to get away. You must have looked like a fool running through the Supremacy in a hospital gown and with bare feet. The cold ground against your skin sends shivers up your spine. You furrow your brow, realizing that you had lost sight of Kylo. This ship was massive; you didn't exactly want to ask for help but you didn't have a choice. It wasn't your job to give orders anymore, but the officers and Stormtroopers didn't know that quite yet.

"You there-" you point intimidatingly at a Stormtrooper. He snaps to attention, but you could feel his judging stare. "Which way did the Supreme Leader go? I know he went this way."

The Stormtrooper nervously points down one of the corridors that branched off to the side. You give him a curt nod and push away from his armored chest, hurrying down the hall after Kylo. It was then that you realized which direction this corridor would lead you in. His quarters. He must have been fuming or pacing around again.

You scurry around the corner, ignoring the curious looks of passing officers and maintenance workers. Feeling uncomfortable as your gown begins to ride up, your fingers pull at the thin hem. The fabric scratches at your skin and crinkles with your every movement. You were lucky that the back had ties to keep you decent.

The closer you get to the quarters you had once begun sharing, the more your nerves begin to bubble up. How was Kylo going to take this? Would he even let you go? Surely he wasn't foolish enough to start another argument over this. Especially not when he had just won you back over. It was upsetting that he had brought you back just because he didn't 'trust' the doctors on Naboo. You were sure that he knew Naboo's doctors were just as qualified as his own.

You couldn't really seem to wrap your head around this whole incident. Why would Gido go through the trouble of hiring an assassin as an attempt on your life? What you had heard during your time as a slave was troubling, but it didn't exactly qualify you for attempted murder. There was something else going on here and you knew you had to connect the dots. What was stopping Gido from trying again? Even if you went back to Naboo, it wasn't a guarantee of your safety. Kylo had said he was going to deal with the situation, but Crimson Dawn wasn't as simple as the Resistance. They had ties all over the galaxy, even in the most unexpected places.

As you come to a halt in front of the door to Kylo's quarters, you pause hesitantly for just a moment. The blaster doors slide open for you, giving you access inside of the room. The sight of it made your heart pang. You had so many memories inside of these quarters; both good and bad.

And there stood Kylo in the middle of it all. He was staring down at a shining object in his hands. You recognize that item to be your lightsaber. At the sound of the door sliding back shut, Kylo looks up at you and drops his hand back to his side. You shift your weight and swallow, picking at your nails with a sense of uncertainty.

"I think we should talk about this." You finally say. When he doesn't respond, you take it as an invitation to continue. "I don't want to leave you. This isn't something I'm doing with ease. I just... can't stay with the First Order. Please tell me that you understand."

"I don't." Kylo says flatly. He was trying to sound angry, but it only came across as pained.

"The Order has caused me nothing but pain. It's not you that I'm leaving behind. That's why I want you to come with me. You don't need this role as Supreme Leader. I know that it's hurting you just as much as it's hurting me." You take a step closer to him.

He scoffs softly. "It's not that simple. If I abandoned them, they would see it as treason. Besides... this is where I belong. I left everything for the First Order. I'm not going to give up my sacrifices."

"Then you realize this is another goodbye." Your voice nearly cracks and betrays your emotions.

Kylo shakes his head. His voice comes out in a low whisper. "I just... got you back."

Tears form in your eyes. "I don't want this. Please understand that I don't want to leave. Especially not after this."

"Then stay. I can help you." He extends the hilt of your saber towards you. "You and I can rule side by side this time. You know what you need to do. You know."

"I left it behind me." You whisper, glancing between the saber in his shaking hand and him.

"It's just us now. You have that look in your eyes. I know you're tempted. The dark side has always been a temptation for you deep down. I first saw it in you at the Temple... just like how you saw it in me. Take it." Kylo shifts closer, pushing the saber further towards you. "There's so much pain in you. I'll help you get through it if you help me."

"Kylo."

"Butterfly."

Your breath becomes shaky as you slowly reach towards the saber, your fingers inching towards the hilt in Kylo's hand. His eyes glimmer with hope and fill with happiness. If only you had known seconds earlier that happiness didn't remain. It was a fleeting moment oftentimes overcast by dark clouds or brewing storms. Happiness could be replaced with a horrible feeling of dread. That was exactly what you felt the moment the doors to Kylo's quarters slid open a second time.

"Supreme Leader!" An officer comes to a screeching halt, bracing his hands on his knees to catch his breath. In the hallway behind him, Stormtroopers run back and forth, their armor clanking noisily together.

Kylo glares at the man, but you knew that he could sense something was horribly wrong. "What do you want?"

"The Resistance fleet has just made the jump to Hyperspace. They're rapidly approaching with their shuttles in attack formation." He pants. Judging by the look of pure terror in the man's eyes, this was no run-of-the-mill attack. This was serious.

Kylo doesn't waste any time. He pulls his own lightsaber into his hand and tosses yours onto the bed before turning to you and tipping your chin up with his pointer finger. "Get changed and meet me on the command deck. And hurry."

You nod, furrowing your brow in worry as Kylo rushes out of the room. Your feet remain planted firmly to the ground as you scramble to get changed, as though you were expecting the entire ship to rock from the first attacks. The Supremacy was well-equipped with deflector shields but there was only so much time that they could be used. It took a lot of energy and, depending on the size of the Resistance fleet, could give out quickly.

Just as you finish fastening the leather holster to your waist, your eyes catch on the faint glisten of metal lying on your bed. You swallow and carefully approach the lightsaber as though it would jump at you. It had been seven months since you last held one. Was this really a good idea? If the Resistance got on board you would need to defend yourself and a Blaster would only help you for a short while. What if the scavenger was with them? If Kylo's ego wasn't getting in the way, you would be able to help him.

Taking a deep breath, you reach out and scoop up the cold hilt of the saber. You quickly hurry out of the room, elbowing your way through the groups of Stormtroopers running up and down the corridors. It was like swimming against the current. The saber now attached to your hip bumps against your upper thigh rhythmically. As much as it felt like a burden that you would like to be rid of, it felt so natural.

The closer you draw to the command deck, the more soldiers you were forced to push through. A few of them moved aside for you since they thought you were still their commander, but the rest seemed too focused on the task at hand. You flinch as a siren begins to wail and the lights lining the corridors change to a deep shade of red. It made your hands clammy and your heart pounds in your ears.

The elevator doors peel apart for you and you are nearly trampled by a group of officers with panicked expressions. From the nose of the ship, you could hear the faint explosions happening in the vacuum of space. You nervously step into the small metal box while chewing on your lower lip. You could only hope that this was a minimal threat. A pale hand suddenly shoots in between the doors as they close and Hux's unpleasant face pokes inside.

"Ah, Commander." He puts special emphasis on the word. "So good of you to join us. I can only apologize that our happy little reunion took place on such a day."

You give him a sideways glance. "Indeed, General." Realizing this wasn't the time to start trouble with Hux, you fall silent for a moment. "How's it looking for us?"

Hux pauses wearily. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

Your eyes lift as the elevator comes to a halt and the doors open, giving way into the chaos that was the command deck. Kylo was standing in the middle of it all with his hands behind his back. His eyes were trained on the war outside of the massive windows. The star-speckled galaxy was a colorful display of red and green shots whizzing through ships. Small, muffled explosions rung left and right, painting the black with fiery streaks of orange.

TIE Fighters flip and loop between the now-stationary Resistance ships. Their fleet was a mixture of transports, fighters, and X-Wings. The X-Wings were engaged with the Order's Fighters, but everything was happening so fast that it was difficult to keep track of. The Supremacy rumbles beneath everyone's feet as a few rogue shots slam into the shields. Officers inside of the command deck were racing from station to station. They bark orders into their transmitters and wipe sweat from their furrowed brows.

"Kylo-" you hurry to his side, gazing out at the galaxy with parted lips. "-what's going on?"

Kylo shakes his head stiffly. He was clearly locked in concentration. His brain was working to figure out this whole situation. "This is unlike anything we've seen. They're using their X-Wings to attack, but it's not enough to disable the Supremacy. Why attack a ship of this magnitude with no hopes of winning? It doesn't make sense."

You lick your lips dryly. "What if this is a distraction?"

He freezes up for a moment. Kylo whirls around and thrusts his finger toward the officer sitting closest to him. "Divert more of our energy to the radar detectors."

"But sir, that's going to shorten the lifespan of our shields." The officer frowns, his fingers shaking as he hovers over the control panel.

"Do it." Kylo snaps.

The shaking begins to intensify as some of the power towards the shields is lowered. More shots slam into the shields, sending low tremors through the entire ship. The situation would certainly take a turn for the worst when the ship ran out of power.

You glance over to Kylo, as if seeking some form of comfort. Unfortunately for you he looked just as tense as everyone else. His fists were curled at his sides and trembling from how tightly they were clenched. His eyes roam over the horrible scene unfolding before him, the lump in his throat bobbing as he swallows.

"Sir." A confused voice breaks his concentration. The two of you turn simultaneously, but Kylo doesn't give the man a response. The officer looks between you and furrows his brow. "Well... we've intercepted a Resistance pod."

"A pod." Kylo repeats in a low, deathly tone.

"Y-Yes." The man gasps as another shot slams into the shields. Kylo doesn't even blink. "There was only a single person on board. A girl. She's been placed in the throne room under the watch of the Knights of Ren."

At this, Kylo's eyes fill with fires of pure rage. You quickly reach out and grab him by the wrist. It would do little to calm him down, but it was worth a try. His eye twitches as he takes a ragged breath. "My apprentice and I will deal with this... situation."

"But sir, our fleets require your presence and your command-"

Kylo's hand locks around your wrist before the officer can finish protesting. He drags you through the panicking command deck, his teeth grit with determination. There was anger in his eyes now; he was practically seething at this point. The Supremacy rumbles as Kylo pulls you through the bustling corridors. At this point, all doors were open and ready for an emergency evacuation if necessary.