Darkness At Dawn • Kylo Ren [1]

Ⅵ

"Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is"

∫

Her brown hair was slicked back with sweat, her breathing heavy and her nose bleeding. A heavy gasp escaped her lips as she sucked in air and wiped the blood falling from her nose.

"Again."

She swung her lightsaber over her head with every ounce of power she had left in her drained body and cut the training droid in half.

Master Skywalker summoned another training droid and watched carefully, a pre-teen Ben waiting patiently beside him. Luke closed his eyes and felt the force surge through Elara like blood flow. "One last time."

Elara was going to scream, she didn't of course but she wanted to. She let the blood drip down her lips and down her chin, swinging her lightsaber with an aggressive yell, blocking the droid's false lightsaber. She quickly did a roundhouse to the droid, defeating him with single blow.

"Ben." Luke nodded, motioning for his nephew to step into the arena.

"Wait." Ben walked towards Elara, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Do you need a break kid?"

"I'm a year younger than you." She shoved him off. "I'm fine."

Ben sighed, igniting his lightsaber. "Tap out if you need to take a break."

Elara rubbed her nose against her sleeve, staining her beige tunic with red. "I know how it works."

Ben struck Elara with his lightsaber, sending her on an unsteady footing. She was quick to come back by striking Ben's lightsaber with her own multiple times before he swung it over his head, causing her to step back. He used his right hand to grab Elara's hand that held her lightsaber and pulled it off, kicking her onto her back.

"Undefeated." Luke shook his head. "Be wary Elara, a Jedi does not always use her lightsaber to attack."

Ben offered his hand but Elara stood up by herself. "Got it Master Skywalker." Then she walked away, angry she had lost, let alone to him.

He took off after her, following her down to the fountain outside the new Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

"Elara." Ben called out after her.

"Leave me alone Ben." She muttered, splashing water from the fountain onto her stained face.

"I just want to make sure you are okay, that's all." He peered over her.

She looked up at him. "I'm fine."

"For fifteen, you aren't bad." He commented. "Especially for a girl."

"That doesn't have to do with anything, I'm twice the pilot than anyone here." Elara shot back.

Ben grinned. "I know, I just like to bug you."

"Well you're doing a good job." She dipped her tunic sleeve into the fountain.

"I think you are also one of the most promising Jedi here, Uncle Luke thinks so too." He added.

Elara blushed, biting her lip. "You think so?"

"I know so."

Elara stood up, mirroring rather short compared to him. She stood on her tiptoes to reach his level of eye contact. "Well you Ben Solo, are not as bad as they say."

Ben put a hand through his dark hair, holding back a proud smirk.

She pressed a kind kiss on his cheek and walked away, turning back to him to quickly add. "You also only won because I went easy on you."

It was Ben Solo's turn to blush. "Whatever you say kid."

∫

Dez took a loud and obnoxious sip of his creamed rishi corn soup, causing Palace to make a sour face as she watched him eat. He looked over at her, soup dribbling down his chin and winked.

"You are disgusting." Elara covered her eyes with her hands, suddenly losing her appetite for the devaronian's food cake in front of her.

Ben flared his nostrils, biting the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't say anything.

Vega had enough and slapped Dez with the book she was reading.

"Ouch!" He yelped. "What did you do that for?"

"You know exactly why." She glared at him as he wiped the liquid off his mouth.

The Jedi sat in a booth at Dex's diner, enjoying the small amount of free time they had before having to go back to training. Ben insisted they started early but everyone else was drained from the mission they had on Naboo. Three other padawan's whom were at the same level as Ben, Vega, Palace, Dez and Elara sat with them. They had just finished a mission themselves, getting rid of any last trace of the notorious Death Watch.

Dahlia Clive was one of them. She was completely and utterly gorgeous, making Elara's cheeks flare up any time Ben ever walked by her. Lennox Hart and Juno O'maramoon came next, cousins who had the same force sensitive blood.

"I for one am amused." Lennox took a sip of her drink.

"Lenny-" Vega sighed. "Try bunking with him."

"Ouch." Juno commented. "You sure do suck at getting any female attention Dez."

"The ladies can't handle my charming personality and ridiculously white teeth." Dez grinned.

Ben rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"Do you even eat Ben or are you too superior for anything like that?" Dahlia questioned.

"Of course I eat." He shot back with a small smile. "Just not around people."

"I can see it." Elara nodded. "Lonesome Ben eating in his sleeping unit all by himself while he prays to his grandfather."

Ben chuckled, getting ready to speak before his transmitter went off.

"Report to the Jedi Temple, it's an emergency."

Dez quickly picked up his soup and drank everything his mouth could hold, dropping the bowl onto the table which earned him multiple stares. "Jedi business, go back to your meals."

Vega slapped her forehead. "Jedi wannabe."

"Laser brains." Palace muttered, slapping down a random amount of credits that would pay for their meals.

Dez wrapped an arm around Ben as they walked towards the XJ-9 airspeeder parked outside of the diner.

Ben looked at Dez, mortified and amused all in one facial expression. "Why are you touching me?"

Elara looked up and nudged Dahlia, whom was beside her to look up as well.

"Because you are my bud, my bro-" Dez squeezed Ben closer to him. "My one true love."

Ben closed his eyes and sighed. "You have three seconds to get off of me before I chop you up and feed you to a wampa."

Dez let go immediately. "Alright! Alright! Don't get your luscious locks in a bunch."

∫

The young Jedi entered the temple, following each other in as they passed the younglings training. Some looked up in complete awe, watching the more advanced Jedi walk by. Luke waited in the conference room and beside him was, two unknown faces: Princess Evie Adelaide and Prince Andrew Adelaide and Leia Organa.

Luke looked up, a glint of excitement in his old and weary eyes. "You have another mission."

But then and there, when Ben laid eyes on his mother, he didn't feel excited for the new mission.

No.

All he felt was darkness.