Till there are no stars left in the sky

Part 4

Sleep eluded Aurora. Terrifying possibilities of her future flooded her mind when she closed her eyes. Her heart pumped adrenaline in her veins, making sleep impossible. The cold steel table to which she was bound brought little comfort. She had spent days, she guessed, unable to move anything but her head had left her stiff and weak. She wondered if her muscles would remember how to move were she able, by some miracle, to free herself. How long had she been here? She was unsure. She had no real way to keep track of the time other than shift change among the stormtroopers. She wondered how much longer she could bear her current predicament. Each visit from her masked tormentor left her more exhausted and weak than the last. His presence alone seemed to drain the room of life. As the hours crept on, all that hinted at an end to the "night" was the faint sound of footsteps marching from beyond the door. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, trying to chase away the fear that bombarded her. It would be of no help to her. Any weakness she gave in to made her less likely to escape. She wanted revenge. In order to achieve that, she had to find strength.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the door hissed open, her captor's boots thudding past her. He strode in, his mask never turning her way. He paused a brief moment, still facing away from her, before tilting his head toward the ceiling as if it held great interest to him. Aurora watched him intently. Taking slow, deep breaths, she tried to steel herself for the unknown trials she knew she would face. Kylo Ren's voice, distorted by his mask, broke her train of thought.

"I am going to release you, but I feel it is fair to warn you that any attempt to escape is futile, and will result in severe punishment. It would be a shame if I had to amputate your leg because you thought you could escape me. You would be wise not to test me. Do you understand?"

Aurora's mouth fell open, but only silence accompanied the gesture. It was then that he turned to face her. He studied her face intently, his eyes intent to decipher her intentions. He did not want to mar his prize, though he would if he must. Her face was a complex display of emotions. She was taken aback by his offer to release her from the bonds, and, she was also calculating, if only briefly, her chances of escape. This brought a grin she would never see to the corner of his mouth. He gave her a moment to ponder her plans, but any plans of escape in this moment would be a death sentence. The shift in her countenance brought him satisfaction; she had drawn the same conclusion. He then saw that familiar look of surrender in her eyes. Kylo Ren was no stranger to a those eyes, full of defeat. His presence demanded them, and no prisoner had been able to resist him and all his power. She had fight in her, but she would not be rash and let it provoke her in this moment. Her face turned up, eyes looked upon his mask as if she could see through the tinted visor right into his eyes. She nodded her head in a small gesture to acknowledge her understanding. It was all he needed, and with that the cuffs that held her clicked and unlocked as if commanded by a silent voice or removed by nonexistent hands.

Aurora was astounded by the feel of air around her wrists in place of metal. She slowly brought her right hand by her left wrist, her fingers gently caressing the raw skin in small circles to coax the circulation to return. She looked to her captor for assurance she was not in defiance to his wishes. His silence was approval enough for her to move her legs. As she tried to step down from the small ledge that served as a platform she felt the full effects of being inert for so long. Her legs buckled and gave way sending her swiftly toward the floor, pulled by the artificial gravity of the vessel she was trapped on. She held her breath, bracing for the pain. To her surprise, she did not hit the floor. She lay weightless, inches from the floor and was swept up and carried swiftly towards the form in front of her. Her feet hovered from the floor unable to touch. In suspension, she hung in front of him, close enough to hear his distorted breath enter and escape his mask.

"What do you want from me?" She managed

"I am going to show you the Dark Side. You have the power of the force within you. I know you feel it. Do know that if you try to resist me again, it will only bring more suffering upon you. First I must break you because you are weak. Rely on your instincts and you will survive."

She felt him hesitate for only a moment by the force he used to hold her there. She didn't fight him but tried to process the words he had just spoken as he lowered her gently to the ground. Bringing both arms out in front of her, she steadied herself, crouched on the cold hard floor. She now stood on her own, somehow knowing if she fell a second time, he would let her. Her head tilted up to meet him as he walked towards her. Crouching a couple feet from her, he reached into his cloak, withdrew something, and laid it before her. Looking down, dread swallowed her as she studied the primitive, staff-like weapon. A long, curved blade protruded from one end of the shiny metal shaft that was riddled with copper knobs to give the user a better grip. At the other end was a long cylinder the size of her forearm with holes covering the sides every few millimeters. Wire ran sporadically from the cylinder end to the shaft weaving every which way connect to what could only be a switch. Her eyes dart back to Kylo Ren who was now standing. "This is the first step." There was no sympathy in his voice. She heard the door open and she instinctively grabbed the weapon. " The dark figure left the room, walking past four stormtroopers who now stand in the doorway. "Kill her." He ordered as the four armored troopers entered the, blaster rifles in hand. The door shut behind them.

=bJ