The Lady of Ren

Mustafar

To pay your respects, you wear black to Mustafar.

It is a volcanic planet, void with life, but she still lives here. The moment you arrive you sense her agony. And her sadness...it's overwhelming. In your head she is screaming: "Anakin, you're breaking my heart!" The voice echoes. Then an engulfing sense of dread pours upon you when you realize that she is being gripped by the throat.

You stare blankly into the blackness of Mustafar's terrain.

She was pregnant.

You've heard the story before. There were legends, myths...Darth Vader killed his wife, didn't he? But Kylo never talked about it and you never pushed him. You were sure of this place's history and the Force imprint it carried. Padmé Amidala still thrives here and she still haunts the planet with her impossible conflict.

Kylo is staring at you through his visor from the pilot's seat. There were no Stormtroopers aboard. No guards. Nyx does not accompany you. It is just him. He doesn't say a word but you can see him in the corner of your eye. His breathing is steady but stalls when he gazes out into the volcanic horizon. Destruction. Massacre. Death. They all live here.

"Are you ready?" you ask him, voice unsteady.

Kylo is silent. In the distance there is a river of lava spilling over a cliff. Its movement is booming with noise.

"Yes," he says. He stands from his seat. "Are you?"

You examine the landing pad beneath you. It was the same spot. The same spot she died. You nod weakly, a gulp twisting in your throat. You take his hand when he reaches out for you and the two of you step off the ship.

The air is immediately hot. Stifling. You grip Kylo's hand and he looks down at you. You can't see the expression he carries, but it must be something extraordinary if he chooses to wear his mask. There is no one residing here. No one but you will see his face. So why...

"Why do you have it on?" you ask him.

He releases your hand and overlooks the ashy scene. Massive machinery that you are unfamiliar with stands tall in a sea of lava. Some of it is broken, though most of it is rotting away from the atmosphere. You wonder when the last time someone had been here to recover its state.

Then again...who would ever come back to this place?

Kylo takes a moment before answering. His back is turned to you, his cloak slightly blowing in the wind. He is menacing. The lava roars, the obsolete machinery groans in the distance. This scene is familiar somehow.

"My grandfather...he was here once." Kylo takes a deep breath – you can see his shoulders raise, though just barely. "His mission began here."

There's nothing you can say. You know.

He lifts his hands to his helmet. The airlocks hiss and it is removed. He stands before you as a man and not a shrouded figure. His eyes bore into yours. "This is where I need to be."

You stand next to him on the bridge which overlooks the lake of fire beneath you. The two of you don't say anything but instead observe the surroundings.

"Why did you bring me here?" The question is unexpected, even for you.

Kylo turns to you, his eyebrows threading in confusion. "Don't you know?"

There is no reply from you, just a face of puzzlement.

Kylo inhales deeply, letting his hand cup your cheek. "Passion is fuel, as is anger." He pauses, trying to read your eyes. "That is why you are here."

Your mouth barely parts to say, "I make you angry?" It comes out as a whisper.

It is rare, but Kylo smirks deviously. "No." There's a pause and he does not tear his eyes from yours. "I chose you for a reason."

For some reason your stomach jerks at this and, really, it's not the child. You're speechless at his confession and wonder if you should feel frustrated with this answer. But you feel as though he's trying to convince you of something he can't verbally express. You nod at him, shaking in your leather boots.

He takes his hand from your cheek and drops it at his side. You almost sigh in relief, not sure how to react in such a suggestive moment with him.

"The base is old, but there's rooms here. We'll sleep there." He nods towards the building beside the ledge of a cliff. "Don't leave my side while we're here."

"Why not?" you demand instinctively.

"It's dangerous."

"There's no one on this planet," you retort.

The knight before you watches you sternly - your veins run cold. "It's dangerous," he repeats. "And you're in no condition to explore."

"Says who?" Your cross your arms against your chest.

He glances towards your belly. "You're pregnant. I won't have you walking over lava and brimstone."

You roll your eyes. "Kylo, I'm perfectly capable of..."

"Enough," he mumbles, turning towards the base.

You follow him with a groan. The moment of his intimacy before expires in the asphalt air.