Conflicting Forces

Taken

I have always thought that the worst part of sleeping is when you wake up. When you wake up to the screams of terrified children, it becomes a little bit worse. My first instinct was to wave it off as the younglings simply having a little fun and continue sleeping- today was my first day off in weeks- but when the screaming persisted and I felt a pang in my gut telling me that something was wrong, I threw the sheets off of me.

I grabbed my boots from beside my bed and pulled them on, lacing them up as quickly as I could. My mind seemed to be on autopilot and was already preparing what would occur once I left my chambers. I snatched my lightsaber from the little table next to my bed and hurried out the door. Fear and worry brewed inside of me, causing me to chew on my lip and my palms to sweat. I refused to acknowledge those feelings, not wanting to be distracted at all from trying to save the children.

I creep down the hall despite not having even the slightest clue as to where the screams were coming from, but somehow, I knew that I was going the right way. The hallway was deserted, the only sound apart from the cries were from the squeaking of my boots against the ground. I could feel someone or something dark here. The tug in my gut was leading me towards it. How I knew that, I don't know, but there was not one doubt in my mind that I was wrong.

My gut led me to the training gym which was once used for the younglings to be trained as Jedi, but now it was the place of terror and death. Children lay on the floor, possibly dead. Their killers were just on the other side of the wall as me. They were stormtroopers, three of them.

Just as I was about to activate my lightsaber and put an end to the stormtroopers, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Biting back a gasp which would surely give me away, I whip around, ready for a fight.

"It's just me, Aeris," a familiar voice whispered.

"What the hell are you doing out here, Daos?" I ask, shrugging his hand off of my shoulder and peering around the doorway again to see if our cover was blow. The stormtroopers were still talking amongst themselves. They seemed to be waiting for something.

"I could say the same for you. It's dangerous out here. You shouldn't have left your chambers, in fa-" Daos was cut off by the sound of boots marching our way. They finally noticed us.

Daos and I were both thinking the same thing when we activated our lightsabers at the same time. We rushed through the doorway, initiating the attack before they had the opportunity to call for backup. The first trooper tried to blast me, but I deflected it with ease and slashed at him. A gash was burned into the chest of his suit, but he just ignored it and tried to blast me again. I ducked just in time, the blast just missing my head. I saw the limp body of one of the troopers fall to the right of me. While my attacker was distracted by the fall of one of his fellow soldiers, I swiped through his legs with mine. He fell to the ground, and I finished him quick with a jab of my saber. Daos was fighting the last trooper who was now unarmed. He kicked his chest, sending him in my direction and I killed him with a stab through the chest.

"Are you okay?" he asked me, deactivating his saber and tying it back to his belt. I nod and copy his actions. That was the first time I had ever put my training to use and killed someone. A part of me was horrified that I was capable of doing that, but another small part of me thought that it was exhilarating.

Daos approaches me, concern filling his eyes. He had always seen me as weak and innocent, and even though my actions just proved otherwise, that's still what he thought of me. I could read on his face that he wanted to hug me, to kiss me and tell me that he was always there for me. He never accepted that I only saw him as a friend now. That's what we started off as, and should therefore remain that way.

I shove past him, knowing that he should be the least of my worries right now. Crouching over the fallen children, I check their pulses and pray that they are not dead. To my relief they all still had a faint pulse.

"Aeris," Daos whispers, creeping over to me. I stand up and turn to face him, irritated that he didn't show even a sliver of concern for the younglings who were dead for all he knew.

"Why the hell are you whispering?" I growl and notice that his lightsaber is activated once again. "Why is your-" my question was cut off when I sensed a dark presence enter the room. I look over Daos's shoulder and feel the blood drain from my face.

Of course, I should have known when I first saw the stormtroopers. But I still couldn't understand why all this was happening. I didn't have much time to ponder this, however. Instead I pulled my lightsaber from my belt, preparing to defend myself and knowing how little of a chance I had in doing so.

Daos lunged at him first, saber raised to strike him. Contact was never made, though. Daos was thrown across the room with what I assumed was the force. He was knocked out cold, leaving me to fight alone.

Kylo Ren stood across from me, wielding his infamous red lightsaber. I could practically feel the evil radiating off of him in waves of darkness. He didn't strike me down like he did to Daos. He stood there, unmoving. Perhaps he was waiting for me to make the first move.

"Aeris," he finally spoke, making my mind race to think of ways he would know my name. "I've been looking for you."

I could feel the fear rising in my chest, but I fought to keep my face free of it. "What do you want me for?" I growl to try and make myself seem strong. I felt like he could see right through my façade.

"You'll find out soon enough."

I didn't wait another second before rushing at him. I swung my lightsaber, but he was quick and blocked it. I slashed at him again, only to have it blocked another time. I knew my attempts were pathetic, but I had to try and stop Kylo. What he wanted with me, I didn't have the slightest idea, but I couldn't care. At least not now. I tried once again, but this time, instead of having my blow deflected, the lightsaber was tossed from my hands with the small flick of his wrist.

I cursed under my breath and tried to duck beneath his arms that were restraining me, but failed. As I attempted to wriggle from his grasp, I felt his warm, gloved hand on my forehead and all of a sudden everything went dark.