The Prettiest Star - Star Wars - Kylo Ren

XXV

For the first time in years, Kylo awoke gently. The ship hummed peacefully and the distant sound of running water could be heard. His sleep had been peaceful and dreamless. He had almost forgotten what it felt like. For the first few seconds as he awoke, he remembered nothing. Relishing in the peace that sat within him, he pushed his face further into the unfamiliar silk sheets of the bed.

His mind was tranquil, free of any thought. The feeling was foreign. However it was interrupted by a slow wave of memory. As he slowly recollected the events from the night before, he opened his eyes to allow the dim light to seep in. He was not in his quarters. He was not lying in his bed.

Panic waved over him yet it didn't quite have the full effect. White noise and panicked thoughts began to seep into his mind, but it was all shrouded in a sense of peace. Despite everything, Aya managed to overrule the conflict that raged in his mind. He revelled in it, and allowed it to dominate him. He needed to see Supreme Leader Snoke.

Slowly, he sat upright to stare out at the multicoloured stars gently passing the large window opposite. Before him lay a galaxy that displayed every colour of the spectrum. Each blinding light held a universe of possibilities. Yet none of it could hold a candle to the beauty that sat within his mind. He wanted to hold Aya and never let her go, to maintain the tranquility of his thoughts. He wanted to conquer the galaxy with her.

But he could not do so on that day, his responsibilities held him back. Still, there was a part of his mind that was screaming for him to leave. But he was muffling the screaming with an invisible hand. Suddenly the screams seeped through his fingers and he froze. The extent of what he had done dawned on him. Before he could gather his thoughts into comprehensible sentences, he was on his feet.

Worry soon blinded the tranquility that Aya had put in place and he raced for the door, gathering his belongings on the way. Minutes later, Aya emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed and bathed. She didn't even spare a glance in the direction of her bed. It didn't surprise her for a second that he had left. She had expected him to leave as soon as they had kissed, let alone stay for the entire night.

She hadn't expected this new development to take place so quickly. It had occurred to her days ago that he was falling in love with her, however she hadn't anticipated his sudden actions, it appeared that neither had he. Unable to sleep due to worries of her failure, she had decided to try on the hideous dress that General Hux had supplied. As soon as Kylo had burst through her door, she knew how the night would end.

However, she gave no thought to where he had fled, her mind was focused on the island she had seen in his mind. She had the key to saving the mess The First Order had created. She knew where Luke Skywalker was hiding. Already, a plan was forming in her mind. It was important that she acted as quickly as possible before neither Kylo nor Hux grew more attached to her.

A smirk played at her lips as she strode out of the door, sliding the black glove over her right hand. It was nearly over.

It took her less than ten minutes to find the correct room. It was completely empty yet filled with humming computers and monitors. With a wave of her hand, she locked the door behind her, not bothering to hide her use of the force. She needed to get this done as quickly as possible.

Sitting herself in front of one monitor, she began by separating it from the rest of the ship, making her actions invisible. She stared at the monitor with a face of pure concentration, her hands working away at the buttons and keys before her. The Force guided her actions causing her to work at an impressive speed. Her mind was on nothing else.

Quickly, she inserted the correct coordinates that led to the location of Luke Skywalker. Within minutes of sitting down, the map she had created popped out of the computer by her side like the shelves in her room. After she had swiftly but carefully deleted any trace of the map on the computer, she reached down and pulled it out of its socket.

In the palm of her hand sat a shiny new rod about the size of her forefinger. It seemed small and innocent, even pointless. However, it would change the course of the galaxy and let her go back home to the other side. Slowly, she bent her fingers around it, straining her hand in a claw-like shape. The air around her fingers rotated like an oncoming tempest, she felt the force grow and throb around the small map. Letting out a small crack, it snapped into two perfect pieces. She knew exactly where she would be taking them.

Aya slipped them into her pocket and turned to the computer once more. This time she began to break into the main controls of the ship, allowing her easy access to a TIE fighter, she was already planning her exit. It would be swift and silent; they would hardly notice her disappearance. However, she stopped in her tracks when the door to her right slid open. She was viciously pulled out of her thoughts as she swung her head toward the sound. In her distraction she hadn't noticed the approaching figure. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was. She froze when she saw what lay in his outstretched hand.

In the dark doorway, Kylo stood, helmet-less, with an unreadable expression on his face. In his right hand, he tightly gripped the silver hilt of Aya's lightsaber. Maybe her exit wouldn't be so easy after all. 

He looked from the lightsaber to Aya, betrayal and confusion pouring into his eyes. Pain radiated from him; a lump rose in her throat. Everything he knew about her was a lie. The feeling of tranquility she had given him was synthetic, false. "What are you?" He spoke softly, his voice was quiet and defeated. He sounded like the confused boy he truly was.

A familiar feeling rose in Aya's chest. She felt like she was standing at the docking bay of the rebel base staring into the eyes of Poe after she had told him about her betrayal. However, this time the room didn't close in on her; her eyesight was perfectly clear.  She had changed since then. That didn't stop the pain from rising inside of her. Despite everything, she still cared for him.

"I'm so sorry Kylo." She breathed out quietly.

Without raising a single finger, she molded the force around him into restraints. It moved like invisible smoke that only they could feel and gripped every muscle that belonged to him. Kylo couldn't move, yet his mind still screamed out. Never before had someone been strong enough to use the force against him. He was helpless. He felt like the scared little boy who was travelling alone to the Jedi temple of his uncle, away from his parents and his life, helpless and terrified.

Aya slowly walked towards him in his frozen state. She could feel the pain she was causing him and guilt began to wrack her every bone. "I'm so sorry." She said again, as quietly as before. Slowly flicking two fingers of her left hand, the lightsaber slid from his grip like metal on ice. Still, he could not move.

The lightsaber flew into her fingers . Gently, she raised her right hand and cupped his cheek. It was soft but as still as stone. Mixed emotions bubbled in her chest as she stared into his pain-filled eyes, knowing that, if they could, tears would be spilling from them. He could feel her breath fanning onto his skin yet he couldn't respond to it. A war raged in his mind, louder than it had ever been before.

Aya leaned towards him and brushed her lips against his. They were still warm and soft yet lifeless in their lack of movement. As she did so, a single tear escaped from her eye and raced down her cheek. It caught on his nose as she drew back slightly, He could feel it sitting there, yet he couldn't brush it away. Her lips were millimetres away from his as she spoke. "Not all of it was false," The sound of her voice sat between the small space between them. "Please, don't forget, some of it was true, and that is the reason why I will never forgive myself for this."

With that, she pulled away completely. Guilt constricted her throat as she walked out of the open door. Gripping her lightsaber even tighter, she brushed the salty trail of the tear away, none followed it. Behind her, Kylo collapsed to the ground, unconscious. She didn't spare him a glance as she strode down the corridor.