Encounter on Lothal (Kylo/OC)

Chapter 13

The rest of the trip was harrowing as they flew through rogue magnetospheres, black holes, gravity wells, and other interstellar hazards. When the holocron finally brought them to their destination, they found the environs were bizarre. It was night and the skies were alive with lightning, bolts streaking perpetually across the sky as the clouds roiled with darkness.

They planned to await daybreak to begin their explorations. Throughout the night the ship was rocked constantly by the buffeting winds, and sleeping was difficult, especially in the small bunks, and specifically for Tana. She rose from Kylo's bunk and went to the cockpit to watch the rain. She found Kylo already there, doing the same.

"When is sunrise?" Tana asked as she peered through the front canopy and watched the rain blow sideways.

"There's no way of knowing," Ren replied. "This isn't a planet so much as a place; it's not within the confines of normal space as we know it, so it has no measurable orbit in which to determine the start of day or night."

"That's bizarre," Tana replied, pulling her jacket around her shoulders.

They each sat in a seat, separated by the consoles, quietly watching the rain for a while until Tana finally looked at him.

"You weren't there when I awoke," she said, rebuking him lightly.

Kylo didn't answer her, instead blinking as he stared through the viewport for several minutes.

"I won't tell you I love you," he finally said solemnly. "That's not my life, Tana. I care for you, I want you, but don't ask me to say that to you. I need you to know that before this goes any further."

Tana now felt terribly awkward and excused herself. As she went to pass by behind him, Kylo reached out to take her fingers. He lifted them to his lips, kissed them, and then let her go gently without looking her in the eye.

Returning to her cabin, she pondered everything that had transpired between them the last couple of days and tried to make sense of it, but she was tired and she dosed herself with a sedative in order to push Kylo out of her mind in search of much-needed sleep.

~~~~~~

The crew assembled at the foot of the ramp the next morning in a world so beautiful, Tana thought it was the afterlife.

Mortis was abloom in lush greenery while the mountains were topped by floating monoliths. There was life everywhere, and the light was pleasant but filtered – coming from no specific direction. 'This couldn't be the place we landed last night,' she thought to herself.

Kylo had his helmet on today as he started pulling his team together, directing a handful of troopers to assemble. Turning to the crew, he said, "I want Vicrul, Ap'lek and Talurra, with me,"

"Me?" Tana asked, pointing to herself. "I'm not a scout," she objected.

Kylo grabbed her by the arm and pulled her aside.

"Have you seen me studying any maps of this place?" he asked her impatiently.

She realized you'd seen him doing it for Lothal, but not here. She shook her head in the negative.

"Do you know why? Because there aren't any," he whispered sternly at her. "If one of us is hurt, we may not be able to make it back here in time for help before night comes. I need you with the team so you can be there when we need you."

What he said frightened her, and she nodded in compliance and went to get her field kit.

When she returned, the team was loaded up and ready to head out on foot to where Kylo believed they would find the dagger.