Till there are no stars left in the sky

Part 6

Aurora found herself in endless fields of pain as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her straight to a steep cliff, the brink of consciousness. Unable to stop herself in time, she tumbled over the edge, spiraling down into a seemingly endless, black chasm. A deep lake broke her fall, and she plunged to its depths. Resurfacing only brought horror as she heard the screams of billions of souls crying out. Suddenly, the chasm was lit brightly, and she saw bodies pouring over the edge of the cliff into the lake. The lake was not full of water, but of blood, the blood of the billions she had killed. She looked at her blood soaked hands in horror and screamed.

When her eyes snapped open she found no relief. The dull pain in her side served as an unwanted reminder of the nightmare she now lived in. She glanced around the room finding it sterile and spotless. White instruments and monitors lined the far wall behind an invisible shield made known only by a dull hum. Cold liquid filled her veins from a bag filled with a translucent liquid. She followed the thin tubing as it ran from the source winding its way down and under her skin via a small catheter. Impulsively, she tugged hard to dislodge it from her forearm in one swift movement; she hated the idea that something foreign had been pumped into her body. She sat up from the white padded table she awoke on. She sat for a moment to gather her bearings when her eyes came to rest on a medical droid.

Upon seeing her, the droid passed unharmed through the shielded barrier. "Oh, wonderful! I had hoped you would recover. You know, it had been a close call for a while. I was afraid if I failed the master I would be...well... decommissioned." It said in a monotone, automated manner. It began to scan her while encircling her. "Tell me, how do you feel?" It questioned.

"I don't have words to describe how I feel." Aurora barely recognized the words as hers and they came out of her mouth in a sad and pained whisper. She grasped desperately for something to hold on to, for hope of some kind, but none was found. Kylo Ren had ordered his men to kill her, only to revive her. Dread grew in her belly; she felt suddenly sick and wretched off the side of the bed. What game was he playing? Why did he torment her so? Would this be her new life for eternity: Kylo Ren bringing her to the brink of death only to taunt her and lengthen her misery? The droid scuttled over to clean the vomit from the floor. It paused only for a moment to reassure her it could give her something to help with the nausea, but it would still be a few days before she felt completely normal.

Aurora began to search her immediate surroundings for anything she could use to bring an end to her miserable existence. She wouldn't give that monster the satisfaction of watching her suffer again. As she tried to concentrate, her thoughts became fuzzy. Somehow she couldn't focus, like she wasn't alone. The main door located across the room clicked and began to open. She knew before she saw him that it was Kylo Ren. His presence was tangible and thick. "Get out of my mind," she moaned as she clutched the sides of her head. The pain this time was not as turbulent as it had been in the past. It was almost as if he was trying to be less harsh, like he was coaxing the information her instead of ripping it out.

"I feel what you are contemplating. You wish to die. I will not allow such a thing to happen." He breathed smoothly.

"You are a coward." Aurora snapped as she began to find her voice again. "You want me comply, and when I do you torment me. You stole everything from me and ordered your lackeys to murder me. You put blood on my hands, and..." She paused as she tried to make all the pieces fit. He made her kill, but there were four of them and she killed three. "You killed the fourth, you must have. But, that doesn't make sense." She shook her head in confusion. Reason hurt as she tried to make sense of it. She felt him step closer; unease settled over her. Aurora felt emotions rage in her like chaos. "I hate you." They were the only words she could formulate.

Kylo Ren halted his approach at her words. He watched them swirl together amidst the whirlwind of emotions that churned in her mind before she spoke. He inhaled deeply, calming the anger threatening to lash out at her. Hate was a powerful tool of the Dark Side, however, he had distain for the venom in her words coupled with the knowledge that she knew he had spared her life. Could her new found courage have sprouted from his showing weakness? No, he decided. She could not possibly have known his true motives.

He crouched down in front of the invisible barrier. "Hate makes you stronger. You hated those who tried to kill you. In turned you used that power to end them. I could have let you perish. I still may, however, I foresee a destiny of greatness for you. You need only surrender to the power I can show you." He said each word with precise calculation watching her gauging both her outward and internal reactions.

"You are a nothing but monster, hiding behind a mask. The only reason I would ever want such a power would be so I could rid the galaxy of you." Her eyes were fixed on him, full of angst and resentment.

He responded with something that could only have come across as a chuckle in her mind. This only served to heighten her temper. "You will try, and I would expect nothing less." He could feel the resolve within her that she would indeed train. "I am not the monster you think I am. The Order does everything according to necessity. You will come to see that in time."

Kylo Ren stood once more to his feet. He raised his gloved hand and at once the shield ceased its humming and disappeared. He strode into the room toward her. As he did, Aurora tried to shuffle back away from his presence and toppled over the side of the table, falling to her knees on the hard floor. He slowed as he invaded her space stopping a mere foot from her; a gloved hand stretched out to her.

For reasons she didn't understand, Aurora placed her small hand in the cradle of leather before her. A surge of strength flowed from him as his fingers gripped her firmly and pulled her to her feet. As soon as she stood, he released her, and the sensation was gone. She felt small as his dark figured towered over her. Her heart pounded in her chest from an odd sense of excitement. She was going to avenge her planet, but first she would learn how to harness the strength to do so, and to do that she must follow his guidance. As he stepped away from her she paused. "I will show you to you quarters," He explained. "Unless of course you prefer the cell."

Kylo Ren walked from the room with Aurora following steps behind. He led her through a labyrinth of long hallways that seemed to extend endlessly, each looking just like the last. She was lost from the first turn and knew if she ever managed to escape, she would never find her way out of this intricate maze.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kylo Ren stopped in front of a door. It slide open at the push of a button, and he motioned her inside. Walking through the door, a sense of amazement and wonder took over her as she looked around. A plush bed sat in the corner alongside a dark stained table. The room was lit a soft blue by a halo lamp set. Gray was the dominant color that decorated the bed spread and fur looking carpet in the middle of the room. A small dresser matching the dark table held a standing mirror. In the other corner was a door with connected to the bathroom. Most notable was the large viewing window that held an exquisite view. She felt her heart relax. It was the most normal thing she had experienced since this whole thing started. "You will be confined to this room when not training. If you need something you may request it."

With that her captor turned to leave. The words "Thank you" escaped Aurora's mouth before she realized what she was saying. It horrified her that she would in any way show gratitude after everything she had endured because of him. If her words were heard, Kylo Ren made no effort in showing it because before she could say something mean or ungrateful, he left and the door slid closed leaving her alone once more.

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