Chapter Thirty Seven: Mercy

Disclaimer: I own nothing here, but we'll figure it out, we'll use the Force!

AN: Short chapter is short. Anyway, I'm nearly done with chapter 38 so I should (hopefully) post that next Saturday. If not, then I'll shoot for 11-2-19 at the very least! Who's excited for the new trailer dropping on monday during the Patriots game? I know I am!

-

In typical lock-down fashion, the doors to the Supremacy's bridge were sealed shut, with the access panel rejecting anything Ben might have tried to input. Not that it mattered. Sharing a silent nod, he ignited his weapon and Rey hers as they symmetrically cut their way through the durasteel doors, letting the melting metal slab fall to the floor behind them with a crash. They stowed their sabers with clipped efficiency and a bolstered confidence as they stepped forth to claim victory.

Their first steps into the expansive chamber was met by a volley of blaster fire from a semi-circle of troopers. Ben raised one hand and froze every single bolt in mid air while Rey made an inward sweeping motion with her left hand, snatching every blaster out of the squad's grasp and then made a flicking gesture with her right, sending the troopers flying simultaneously into walls and panels with startled cries and shouts.

Together, Rey and Ben moved forward as if sharing one mind, one goal. Weaving around the red, crackling bolts of plasma, they walked with authority towards the catwalk, where Hux and Peavey stood, above the data pits. Aside from the groaning of injured soldiers, a dead silence had overtaken the bridge as all eyes were trained on the Force users.

Ben was not concerned with the officers and technicians below, but had his glare trained on the two men practically trembling with terror before him. The captain, at least had enough self preserving instincts to begin inching back from Hux, beads of sweat rolling down his face despite his stoic expression. Ben knew Peavey's thoughts well enough by now that although he chafed at taking orders from a younger leader, he would at least obey whoever held his leash.

Hux, on the other hand, knew he had been cornered by his own designs. And like any rabid cur having turned on its master, he was not about to be put down without snarling and snapping to the last breath. " are you still alive?" the general raved, his face lighting up with fury as he gestured at the wide viewport. "I watched your ship !"

"Your eyes can deceive you, General," Ben jeered with a sadistic smirk, his steps looming ever closer. "You shouldn't trust them."

With his jaw tensing with a stubborn defiance, Hux made one final gambit for the blaster at his hip, but his arm seized up halfway there and he was promptly pulled across the catwalk until his throat met with Ben's grip. "Oh yes," the dark warrior hissed with satisfaction. " give me a reason to defend myself."

"Ben," Rey started gently, her voice holding a note of warning and concern as she stepped closer.

Scrabbling at his suffocating hold, Hux still managed to growl his utter contempt, his hate-filled gaze flicking between Ben and Rey. "Sorcerer scum!" he wheezed and writhed with rage. "I would have the galaxy rid of you!"

Ben made no indication that he heard Rey's intervention, tipping his head as if mildly interested in his squirming captive's declaration. "We'll see about that." Turning, he thrust Hux across the chamber, right into the line of fire where the wildly surging blaster bolts still hung suspended in the air. , he would have his revenge for the plot that had nearly taken Rey's life.

"Ben!" she shouted this time, though her voice barely reached him, as if she were an ocean away. ", come back!"

Ben's focus faltered and a single laser beam was loosed from his hold, resulting in a strangled howl from Hux as the red plasma sunk into one of his shoulders. He felt Rey's warm hands grasp at his outstretched arm, only then realizing how absolutely cold he felt. He blinked and met her concerned, hazel gaze, her stern voice suddenly close and clear in his ears.

"You said it yourself, we've already won." Rey chanced a glance at Hux, who was still hissing in pain. "We've killed enough." Her eyes softened as they returned to Ben's. "We can rest now."

Ben felt himself groan inwardly as he wavered in holding everything in place with the Force while engaging with her in a moral debate. "You don't understand. He'll bribe himself out of any cell and he won't stop until you and I are both ." It was his turn to glance and sneer at the wounded general. "He's too dangerous to be left alive."

"He's tried to kill us, but failed," Rey argued with a shake of her head and a sad smile on her lips. "He can't hurt us anymore."

Ben grit his teeth in consternation but felt his determination wane, as if her reasonable voice were a calming drug in his torrential bloodstream. "You would have me offer mercy to the most undeserving being in the galaxy?"

"This isn't about well-being, Ben," Rey replied solemnly, gaze intent and sincere. "It's about ."

Ben stared right back, brown eyes searching hers as a long, profound moment lapsed between them. "Fine," he finally sighed out in defeat. He let his outstretched arm fall along with Hux an instant before he released the numerous blaster bolts to ping violently into bulkheads and consoles. "But he's free game if he tries to escape."

"I suppose I can't argue with that," Rey deferred with a weary sigh of her own as Hux sputtered and moaned on the floor. "Oh, now you're just ," she observed with an eye-roll after the general started to push himself up on hands and knees only for Ben to push him back down with a simple gesture.

"Am I? Are you sure he isn't just prostrating himself out of sheer gratitude?" Ben wondered, playfully sarcastic as he turned back toward the bridge, where everyone, including Peavey, still watched stock-still. Addressing them, he made an indicating gesture at the still struggling, former general on the floor. "Would anyone like to partake in the cur's mutiny?"

No one so much as twitched for what seemed like a long, drawn out moment, until finally, Peavey spoke up, somehow without a stutter. "Long live Supreme Leader Kylo Ren!" The proclamation was quickly followed by a resounding repetition from the officers, workers and even a few of the troopers that had recovered with enough sense to kneel and submit.

"," Ben grumbled with a frown, causing the room to grow silent once more. "Kylo Ren died on his ship." His gaze locked with Rey's and he spoke the words with such conviction that it was as if he were just realizing the shift himself. " name, is Ben Solo."

Rey's smile shown so brightly with pride that Ben had to forcefully tear his gaze away when Peavey cleared his throat to address him. "What are your orders, sir?"

Turning to the officer fully, Ben made a show of glancing about the chamber languidly, as if everyone wasn't staring at him with a rapt and morbid fear. "It has come to my attention that this empire requires some reconditioning." He held Peavey's steady, yet nervous gaze. "Therefore, my first set of orders are for all forces to cease and desist any and all planetary subjugation, resource endeavors, and hostile engagements. I want every single ship, soldier and droid recalled to our coordinates, ."