Surrendering to the Dark

Somewhere Safe

AN: Sorry I'm late publishing. I had a mind-bogglingly busy week and another ahead for next week. Enjoy.

The training droids buzzed around us, more than Ren and I had ever used. I was tired, but Ren kept pushing me. I didn't complain because I knew his reasons. Tomorrow, we would face an opponent that we didn't fully understand. Our efforts at reconnaissance had ended with many lives lost. We knew what planet Vitiate's consciousness appeared to be located on. We knew the Star-Forge was controlled by Vitiate and produced robotic warriors and ships at a mind-boggling rate. We knew Vitiate could kill us by draining our life-force. The facts we didn't know were how easily his consciousness could escape and how exactly to destroy the Star-Forge.

Twelve hours ago, on Ren's orders, General Pryde attempted to use the First Order's planet killing weapon to obliterate the Star-Forge, but instead of blowing the war factory up, it absorbed the energy from the weapon and produced its deadly products much faster. One good thing about the ships and droids it manufactured was they were easily destroyed. The problem was the sheer volume of them. Rough estimates by the engineers studying the little round ships put the projected ratio tomorrow of allied ships against them as 1000:1. It would only get worse if we waited.

Someone suggested we blow up Desicco, the planet believed to be the core of Vitiate's power and where his consciousness inhabited. Ren vetoed that idea, believing it would fail like attacking the Star-Forge, making Vitiate that much stronger. He felt that Vitiate would have to be destroyed in person by Force wielders. My instincts told me he was right.

Preoccupied with worry, I allowed the droid to zap me right in my ass. "Ouww!"

Ren disengaged the droids and asked if I was tired. He already knew the answer, so I glared at him. "Little Princess, you can't lose focus no matter how tired you get." His big hand massaged my ass cheek, relieving some of the pain. He could of healed me, but I understood why he didn't. I needed to know what it felt like to fight when in pain.

"I think it may be a good idea for you to practice blocking me out of your mind. Our connection could become a weakness."

Reading his thoughts, I knew he meant if one of us was overcome by Vitiate, the other could be made vulnerable by our mind connection. The thought scared the crap out of me.

"Can you block me out?" I asked.

When his thoughts suddenly disappeared, I got my answer. I hated the feeling of being cut off from him for even for a few moments.

Over the next two hours Ren taught me how to close my mind to him and defend it against others who may want to intrude. I was exhausted by the time we stopped, more tired than with physical training.

"Come on, let's get cleaned up and make that visit to your father," Ren stated. I needed to fill my father in on what was happening and if I was being honest with myself, tell him goodbye.

***********

Admiring the beauty of my home planet, it was difficult to fathom it and all other planets like it could soon be lost.

We had to win. If not for us, for every other living thing in the cosmos. Some really evil entities existed in this galaxy, but so much beauty too. Every time I looked at Ren and saw his redemption from Snoke, from himself, I knew this galaxy was worth fighting for—for him and others like him.