Starwars Nightmare

Kylo killing Han wouldn’t be the same as Anakin killing Padme and in that context. Padme and Obi Wan were Anakins primary ‘attachments’, his big emotional connections to his humanity. If Hux and Phasma are Kylo connection points, then Kylo and Leia have to reconcile the notion that Ben was never actually all that connected with his parents for some reason. Kylo also kills Han over a massive misunderstanding of how the Force works; he thought he was severing his humanity, but it wasn’t actually all that deep. It damages Kylo but not in any useful way. Ben/Kylo has to dig in and figure out if he could kill his friends who would happily follow him into the Dark. Who love and support him and he has little animosity towards. Could Anakin have brung himself to kill Padme if she followed him?

Tarkin destroyed Alderaan for his own political power; Hux destroys Hosnian Prime to save his friends. Phasma and Kylo (everyone in the Order) would be sent to the front lines in an endless war (functionally a Clone Wars 2) for The Order to take power unless a weapon of mass destruction is used to end it before it starts. Hux is an Imperial Remnant; his entire existence has been a cold war against the New Republic. He is tired of losing the people he loves, tired of fighting, to the point that he will do anything to get the control he needs to protect those around him.

Phasma is Nobody (Sorry ignoring the novel here); some war orphan with no family, no world, not even a name. But her skills let her rise, let her begin to form relationships with those above her. Kylo and Hux start to treat her differently; like she’s special. Like she might matter. And once she feels that, she can’t let it go. She will do whatever it takes, be whatever it takes, to stay in their orbits. If she has to kill civilians, fine. Those under her? Just stormtroopers, they aren’t ‘special’ like her. Her ego is fragile and built entirely on Kylo and Hux’s validation; a threat to them is a threat against her entire personhood.

I also just like the drama that could come from that. What would be worse for Leia? Kylo passing out mid battle and then one of Kyle’s friends using their body to shield him, or Phasma or Hux going down and Kylo using his body to shield them? Knowing that they get the luxury of protecting each other while she has to destroy whatever remains of Ben’s humanity.

It could be a useful way to explore how Leia attempts to reconcile her family with her identity. Because Darth Vader did a number on Leia’s self perception in supplemental material (Bloodlines) and that would still probably be less impactful than Kylo/Kylo having a relationship with Hux. Leia wasn’t raised by Vader and most of what he did doesn’t say much about her. Even when it comes to Alderaan, Vader was apathetic, not an active force in its destruction; he didn’t care if the Death Star succeeded or failed. Leia’s still right to be disgusted by Vader but Kylux would push that a step further and could actually say something about her. Leia’s son caring for and actively supporting someone who would look at the Death Star and go ‘Again but worse’ might really shake her perception of self.