a/n: When I decided to write Kyber, I got the idea for this standalone at the same time. In Kyber, it's established that they rule the galaxy. But I wanted to delve into that rule. This is the result of that world-spelunking. You don't have to have read part 1 of Kyber for this to make sense. But, you know, you should really check out Kyber!
I want to offer my sincerest gratitude to the amazingly talented Poaxath, without whom I wouldn't have been able to make myself at home in this fandom the way I have. Also, go check out her fic, Beneath the Moon I Saw You because it's fucking wonderful!

The command shuttle dropped out of hyperspace and Rey took a deep breath of filtered air. Behind her, Kylo gave last minute orders to a group of stormtroopers, team leaders chosen for this specific mission because of their backgrounds and a willingness to carry out this particular form of justice.

From above, Blaudu Sextus appeared to be like any other planet. It wasn't exceptionally large, had an unassuming landscape that served to disguise old dilapidated mines buried deep underground, bodies of water large enough to be considered seas.

But they weren't here to sightsee.

"Have I missed anything, my Queen?"

Kylo's voice directed at her brought her attention back inside the ship. She quickly scanned his mind for the bits of his orders she'd not heard. No surprise, of course, that he'd been as thorough as necessary. Standing and taking her place at Kylo's side, she addressed the troopers gathered.

"When the Supreme Leader and I created the laws we wanted enforced to shape our rule, this was the first. We've chased the slavers throughout the galaxy and this planet holds the last vestige of their power. The flouting of this most basic law has come to an end. Their time has come to an end. And on this day, they will end."

A cry went up through the shuttle from crew and troopers alike as Kylo slipped his hand into her own. As the shuttle landed, they shared a glance before igniting their weapons; Kylo his cross-guard saber and Rey her saber-staff. The buzzing from the blades brought smiles to their faces as their voices rang out clear and united.

"Shall we begin?"

It was the middle of the planet's night cycle as the Supreme Leader and Queen stepped off of their shuttle. Rey looked to Kylo to confirm the meaning she felt in the Force, that the distinct lack of numerous life-form signatures meant that the first phase of their plan had been carried out successfully.

Using the resources of their Order, they had managed to have the majority of the other planet's enslaved population secured on shuttles bound for their palace on Naboo mere hours before their arrival. Once on Naboo, the freed peoples would be accounted for, given food, shelter, and medical attention if necessary. After their well-being had been assured, they would be reintegrated into Galactic society, either by being given passage back to the homeworld they had been taken from with enough credits to begin their lives anew or, should they wish to remain in the Inner Rim, they would be trained and given jobs with the Order's employ. Though it was impossible to put a price on the years lost in servitude, Kylo and Rey had also decided that substantial financial compensation was in order as well. But those amounts would have to be sorted at a later date.

"My Queen," team leader Oniho approached her side, careful of the glowing staff she wielded, "Supreme Leader, we've received notice that a number of slaves chose to stay behind to await your arrival. They wish to help you overthrow the masters."

Rey bristled at the word as Kylo peered over her shoulder.

"Ensure they are well-armed and protected. We don't want to lose anyone in our ranks this day, including these volunteers." The trooper nodded and turned to go but Rey stopped him with the clearing of her throat.

"Yes my Queen," he asked.

"Do see that you refrain from using the term 'master' when referring to these vermin. It's a title they've neither earned nor deserved. See that your fellow troopers understand this as well."

Oniho Zaya had been a slave in Canto Bight during his youth and seemed to fall easily into the old habits of calling the scum by names they had no right to. Rey knew the habit could be hard to break but break it they must.

"My apologies Your Highness, I'll make sure the others know." Rey smiled softly to let him know that her irritation wasn't directed at him. When he smiled back before returning to his duties, she was satisfied he understood.

Rey felt the electric energy pulsing at her fingertips as Kylo turned and stood behind her. His muscles were taut and the image he shared through the Bond was anything but appropriate for the battlefield. He was remembering the last time she'd used this particular power on him.

Force Lightning had always been understood to be a power only available to practitioners of the Dark Side of the Force.

That is, until the Queen used it accidentally during a sparring session with her husband, thus causing the Supreme Leader to suffer an intense panic attack. Until that moment, Kylo's experience with Force Lightning had been solely at the hands of his former Master. It had happened so often in the course of his training, he'd had an electricity dampening cloak made in secret, specifically to wear in the monster's presence.

It hadn't taken long for Rey to learn how to control her new ability; her main incentive being the guilt she felt at causing her husband physical and metal anguish. Before long, she could control the Lightning with an expert precision that would've made even the most evil of Sith Lords both envious and fearful. But even her mastery didn't seem to assuage Kylo's reticence. It wasn't until Rey suggested that she never use the ability that Kylo realized just how deep her guilt went. She was willing to give up a power she'd worked tirelessly to master all for him.

He couldn't allow that. Not only was it amazing that a Force user not aligned with the Light or Dark could use a power legendary for its Dark affiliation, but that Force user was his wife and Queen.

One night, after a particularly intense session in their Reflection room (so named for the mirrors Kylo had ordered installed on every available surface), the topic of conditioned responses made its way into the bedtime conversation. Due to their Bond, the idea formed simultaneously in their minds.

They could use their Reflection room nights to recondition Kylo's response to Force Lightning, to train his body and mind to associate the power with the pleasurable pain and love that came with Rey's touch in their sessions, in their lives together.

Soon enough, mere thunderstorms were enough to send the Supreme Leader's blood south and his hands reaching for her body. They'd managed to cause more than a few scenes during various meetings with their generals but far be it for the subjects to lecture the rulers on propriety.

When a love like theirs could bring relative peace to a galaxy torn apart by wars, they could fuck whenever and wherever they pleased.

"Time and place, husband," Rey whispered with a smile as her hand closed over the fingers he'd placed on her shoulder. "Let's flush out the vermin first, then we can have our fun." A tiny spark passed from her fingers to his causing a decidedly-not-tiny bolt of lust to rush through their bodies.

Flanked by their troopers, the galaxy's leaders made their way towards the center of the city, to the cantina known to be frequented by the slavers of the small planet.

Rey was pleased by every barren street they passed, assured that they had indeed managed to get the majority of innocents out of harm's way. She and Kylo didn't intend for a battle, more of a swift execution, but she knew that it was all too possible to turn ugly and fast. Preparation could only get them so far. Hopefully, it would be far enough.

The door to the cantina was unguarded, apparently the slavers had no fear of an uprising, so Kylo used his comm to make sure the troopers were in place. Once he'd received the team leaders' affirmative responses, he nodded to Rey. The metal door was no match for the Queen's saber-staff, falling to the ground in pieces of molten rust that she lithely stepped over. Kylo followed with a smile on his face.

Whispers went through the gathered patrons like a fine mist.

"Doesn't the Queen carry a staff like that?"

"Are those stormtroopers?"

"Why would the kriffing Supreme Leader be here?"

"They don't look so scary."

"I could use the Force too if I had those legs wrapped around me all the time."

Rey's head turned to see the one stupid enough to make that last comment. She was met with the drunken grin of a man who didn't appear to have bathed in a fortnight. With a glance to Kylo, she promptly disengaged her staff and sat herself down on his lap.

Before anything else grotesque could pass his lips, she used the Force to cut off his air supply. The man clawed at his throat as Rey gave him a toothy grin.

"But, I thought you could use the Force if my legs were wrapped around you," were the last words he heard before a beam of red cleaved his head from his body.

Rey stared momentarily as the head rolled to a stop at Kylo's feet. She'd wanted to have a little bit more fun with the vermin before killing him but her husband had other plans. It was no surprise really, considering what the filth had said.

"Spoilsport," she smiled up at him as she stood from the headless man's lap, giving a final shove so it slumped down onto the floor to join its lost cranium. Kylo arched his brow at her but she could see the grin he kept hidden under the surface.

All eyes in the room were on the couple as they turned to face the crowd. The names and faces of every known slaver on the planet had been committed to both of their memories and she recognized many present in front of her.

"It has come to our attention," Rey began, her voice hardened with determination, "that Galactic law is being ignored in pursuit of greed, cruelty, and the abomination that is slavery. Those of you—"

"You don't have any authority here," a man near the back of the room suddenly shouted. Before Rey could respond, his body was thrown violently against the wall behind him, leaving cracks in the rotting plaster as he slumped listlessly to the ground with a groan. She knew that, if she were to look behind her, Kylo's hand would be lowering from his attack.

"Your Queen is speaking," he growled.

Silence fell once more and Rey continued.

"As I was saying, those of you taking part in the slave trade have been given ample time to get your affairs in order. You were commanded to free those kept in servitude on pain of death and these commands seem to have fallen on deaf ears."

Rey felt the energy change suddenly as yet another man stood, one she recognized from the list she'd memorized.

"You can't just waltz in here demanding that I give up property I paid good credits for!"

The Force gathered itself in her hands, knowing her desires as she knew them.

A bolt of electricity shot from her fingertips and hit the man between the eyes. The impact forced him to his knees as his mouth hung open in a silent scream. Rey didn't ease up until his hair started smoking, made all the more flammable by its oiliness. By the time his life force left his body, he'd become barely more than charred remains. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of burned flesh as she stepped over the body and surveyed the room once more.

"Would anyone else care to tell me what I can and cannot do?"

As though a switch had been flipped in the atmosphere, people jumped from their chairs. Some ran for the doors, others ran for the rulers. Kylo and Rey were back to back once more, a position they always seemed to find themselves in when fighting shared enemies, and vastly outnumbered. Rey used one end of her staff to skewer a slaver attacking her from the front while the other end deflected a blaster-bolt meant for Kylo's head. He leaned forward as she pushed out with the Force, knocking one of his attackers off balance. She didn't see the way he fell into Kylo's upturned saber but felt her husband's satisfaction through the Bond.

Blaster-fire suddenly filled the room from all sides, every doorway alight with it. A frisson of fear snaked its way up the spines of the couple. Would this be their end? On a backwater planet carrying out the laws they'd created to make the galaxy better?

One by one, the slavers fell. As soon as Rey realized what was happening, she dropped her defensive stance and looked up towards the balcony, fully expecting to see one of their stormtroopers laying down the cover-fire. What she saw instead caused her heart to cry out.

The railing partially covered the girl's sparse clothing but Rey could see that her bare arms and face were streaked with blood. She looked young, seriously under-nourished, and wore the metal band across her forehead that designated her as a slave. Rey met her eyes as the girl gave a small wave. In that hand, she held an Order issue blaster.

Ensure they are well-armed and protected. Rey gasped softly as Kylo's words came back to her. The girl was one of the slaves who had chosen to stay behind to help bring the slavers down.

Kylo was panting behind her, looking around wildly for enemies that were no longer alive. Once he realized what had happened, he disengaged his saber and followed Rey's gaze. The girl had made her way down the stairs to join the rest of the group that had very likely saved their lives. As Rey and Kylo walked up to them, they immediately bowed their heads in the manner most slaves were accustomed to. It made Rey wonder if they thought they would be trading one master for another.

Kylo took another step towards the man closest to him and lifted his head. There was fear in the man's eyes, but also hope. Carefully, as if dealing with a skittish animal, Kylo pulled the metal band away from his head and threw it to the ground. Kylo moved to the next person and then the next, removing their bands one at a time.

Once the bands had been removed from each member of the group, Rey walked up to the girl from before and took her hand in her own.

"We owe you our lives," she marveled. "What are your names?"

"With all due respect Your Highness, introductions might best be saved for after the battle is won." The girl smiled softly but Rey could detect a small touch of trepidation in her mind.

"Of course, let's end this then, shall we?"

Outside the cantina, explosions went off as buildings fell into themselves. More blaster-fire colored the air. Bodies lined the streets, thankfully Rey recognized more faces from the list of scum than from their own ranks. The former slaves used their blasters well, so well that Rey found herself hoping that they would decide to join their trooper program for training.

She knew that Oniho would want to have a hand in their training. Having shared experiences with them would allow them to connect that much better, creating the tight-knit family unit that fought for each other as much as they fought for the Galaxy.

Kylo shifted on his feet before breaking into a run. Rey took off after him as a reflex more than anything but could see through the Bond what he'd seen. A slaver, a very rich one judging by his clothing, was dragging a child by their hair down an alleyway.

"Stop where you are!" Kylo's voice boomed against the cracking buildings like thunder made corporeal to dole out justice.

If Kylo was to be thunder, then Rey found herself comfortably in the lightning.

The scum refused to stop, of course, and he was too far to be reached by one of them alone. The two shared a look before stretching their arms out, extending tendrils of the Force until its fingers clasped at shoulders turned in retreat. The child was dropped unceremoniously as his hands clutched at his closing throat. As Kylo and Rey got closer, it only took one of them to hold him so Rey dropped her arms and ran for the child.

The child was a boy, no older than fix or six. He clutched at Rey's waist with all the strength his small body could muster so she quickly lifted him into her arms. He sobbed into the cloth of her cowl with deep hiccoughing breaths.

"It's alright darling," she whispered to him, "I've got you. No one is going to hurt you anymore." At the sound of her voice, he raised his head and she found the brightest pair of green eyes staring into her hazel ones. She reached up slowly, so as not to scare him, and tugged at the band across his forehead. When he realized what she'd done, he grabbed the band and launched it as far as his little arm would throw it.

"He can't get me now?" His voice was so small with fear, it broke Rey's heart. In her heartbreak, she found her anger.

"I'll make sure of it."

The boy seemed to sense the same safety in Kylo as he'd felt in Rey because he didn't fight her when she handed him to her husband. Kylo wrapped his cloak around the child and tucked him into his side without question as Rey took over the hold on the slaver.

"Look at me," she whispered. He still clutched at his throat despite the fact he was no longer being choked. "I said look at me!" Rey could smell his fear mixed in with the stench of abomination but he still refused to raise his eyes. Instead, he spat out at her, the bloody saliva sliding off the toe of her boot onto the dirt. The last ditch defiance of a man who knew he was about to meet his end.

Rey ignited her staff and, after a glance to Kylo to ensure he'd hidden the boy's gaze, brought it down in one smooth motion. The body fell away, two even pieces of harmless tissue and bone. It was only then, looking down at half of a face, that Rey recognized the man. She'd been much more concerned with getting the child away from harm than with his captor's identity. He was the leader of the slavery ring that controlled the planet.

With him dead, any scum that somehow made it out with their lives this night wouldn't be able to bring the ring back from the blow it had been dealt this night. And those that did get out alive wouldn't stay that way for long. It could actually be over.

For everyone.

With the boy still tucked into his arms, Kylo reached out his hand to Rey and smiled, having come to the same realization she did.

"Let's go home," he whispered against her hair.

They walked, hand in hand, back to the center of the town, noting a distinct lack of blaster-fire ringing around them. Their troopers and new volunteers had all but finished the battle without them. But the next battle still lay ahead.

Rey gently rubbed her hand across the back of the boy's head and noted that he was sleeping quite soundly. She realized Kylo had most likely put him under in order to save him the trauma of seeing the carnage they were now walking through.

"There are thousands of lives to rebuild now," his voice rumbled in the dark. Rey smiled at the prospect as she lifted her hood back over her head.

"Shall we begin?"

I promise Kyber part 2 is on its way. Come say hi on Tumblr, 27vampyresinhermind dot tumblr dot com
Despite the username, I won't bite.