THE MONSTER INSIDE - KYLO REN

vi - isolation

In one motion, I twist around and flip as many switches on the walls and control panel as I can. I manage to tear out some of the buttons along the roof above me, and I kick the controls out by my feet. Kylo Ren turns around accusingly, surprise and fury etched in the lines of his face before frantically trying to restore the ship to the stable level it was flying at before my outburst. Immediately, lights flash red inside the ship.

As the ship hurtles to the surface of the planet, I wear a wan smile. This outcome is better than being tortured, anyway.

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nb - this chapter is in the perspective of alena.

I was confident in my decision to tamper with the ship's controls for about half a minute, but when the ship began to hurtle at speed towards the planet I realised that it might not have been my best plan.

In front of me I could see Kylo Ren desperately flipping switches, fiddling with the controls, his eyes searching for a way to slow our rapid descent. I could sense the conflict in his mind. I could feel his thoughts flitting between the belief that the situation was futile, the desire to destroy the control panel and anything else in close proximity, and the rationality in his mind, the determination to solve the problems I had so deliberately caused and restore the ship to normal functionality. The rationality miraculously seemed to prevail as he inspected the controls with assumed composure.

At this point I could see flames beginning to dart around the edges of the ship. They grew higher and higher as we shot towards the earth, making steady progress up the sides of the ship until it was completely engulfed with searing flame. I began to feel increasingly overwhelmed. I wasn't sure if it was the spinning of the ship or if it was inside my head, but the void around me became somehow both flat and intoxicating at the same time. I could feel myself losing control of my limbs and the world dimming before my eyes. I thought I saw a shadow at the control panel glance back with uncharacteristic concern and give a helpless, final scan of the control panel before what I could see went completely black.

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'With all due respect, Master Ren, it was foolish of you not to check the ship before you left.'

'I remind you not to disrespect me, General. The ship was perfectly fine before we left. We simply encountered a few... complications on the way back. After the treachery of the Dathemians and the loss of the majority of our fleet I think this setback is completely understandable.'

I had woken up about twenty minutes ago, but decided to keep quiet due to the conversation going on outside of the wooden structure where I was lying. It sounded like Kylo Ren was talking to a General from the New Order base on a holocron, discussing what to do about our current predicament. I tuned out his words for the moment. I found myself marvelling at my continued survival for the second time in one day. 

I was lying in a metal bed, entangled with supple cotton sheets. The clothes I was wearing for the ceremony in the morning were nowhere to be seen, and instead I was wearing a basic woven tunic and woollen shorts. They felt coarse against my skin and I found myself longing for the silken garments of a few hours before.

My eyes travelled across the dirt floor, examining the rustic wooden walls and ceiling above it with interest, until they landed on a metal chair in the corner. Draped across the chair were a black turtleneck, combat trousers and leather boots. I decided to go and get dressed - the clothes looked more comfortable and practical than what I was currently wearing anyway.

Tentatively I stepped out of the bed and walked barefoot towards the chair. I slid on the turtleneck, which fit comfortably, perfectly almost, against my sides. Next were the trousers and then the boots, which fit similarly, like a glove. 

Once I had finished dressing I made my way cautiously towards the door. Kylo Ren was still speaking into the holocron, but it seemed like he was reaching the end of a conversation with the General. He was wearing the mask he held in Dathemia yesterday so his emotions were harder to read, but I could hear from the cold and clipped tone of his voice that the General and him were not in agreement.

I had so many questions I needed to ask him about the events of the past 24 hours. Why was I taken? How did we survive the crash? What planet is this and why are we here?

I heard the General speak once more. 'We will send transports as soon as we can, but I'm sure you can understand that there is currently a larger threat we must face. The protection of the Death Stars must take priority over your little crash. We do not know what the Dathemians will do next, so we must be prepared to defend ourselves to the best of our ability. I'm sure you'll be kept updated by the staff here at the Death Stars and we will inform you when it is safe for us to send transport.'

And with that, the General disconnected from the holocron. 'Bastard.' I heard Kylo Ren growl, as he clipped the holocron roughly back onto his belt. As if just sensing me there, he turned around to find me standing in the wooden hut just behind him. 

'I am aware that you have questions. I have neither the time nor desire to answer them all. All I can tell you is that we are here because you decided to tamper with my ship, and it crashed on this planet, which you may or may not recall, since you were out cold.' His voice dripped with condescension. 'Until the transports arrive to take us back to the Death Stars where we can commence official training, you will be trained here, by me. You will do everything I tell you to do. If you try to escape you will be killed. We will begin training now, as I see you have already dressed.' He looked me once up and down, and then he walked briskly in the opposite direction, towards a clearing with a pile of training equipment on the grass. 'Follow me.' he ordered, over his shoulder.

Reluctantly, I did.

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hi everyone! I literally had the inspiration for this plot line (the crash) as I was writing it and I'm psyched about where it's heading. It's exciting for me to write - I don't want to give too much away but Kylena (a perfect ship name I came up with) being alone on this planet gives them a lot of alone time... ;)