Holy City - Kylo x OC

Chapter II

All he sees is red. He's enraged with Hux's troopers for lacking the capability of finding the map. His interrogation with the pilot revealed that it's in the hands of a droid on Jakku. A droid. Then, a traitor helped the pilot escape, and they crashed back on Jakku. And of course, as if the Force hadn't mocked him enough, they survived. He's fallen another step behind. The Resistance has pulled ahead. He won't have it.

Kylo Ren doesn't bode well with losing.

When Officer Mitaka informed him that not only did the traitor and rebel pilot survive the crash on Jakku, but they'd found the droid and brought another fugitive: a girl, with them in their escape, he thought it was a joke. When he searched the officer's mind to find it was not, in fact, a joke, his rage had overpowered him and he channeled it into destroying the panel in front of him. As well as Mitaka's esophagus. But Kylo couldn't bring himself to care even the smallest amount.

Long strides and heavy footsteps carry him to the Training Center. Kylo has never been one to confront his anger in a productive manner, he usually just reduces a few dozen practice droids to scraps.

He lets his anger fuel his movements, keeping them fluid but harsh and deadly. He feels the blood pumping through his veins, so hot he feels like he'll explode and he is. He doesn't shy away from the Darkness anymore, he leans into it like an old friend. He let's it consume him, like a tree struck by lightning. Burning from the inside out.

After he's thoroughly destroyed the Training Center, he heads to his quarters to prepare for any last minute updates on the droid. He's still fuming, but his rage is no longer explosive, it's settled to a low simmer.

He stands in front of the mirror, his helmet removed on the counter, looking at his tired eyes with circles as dark as the vast expanse outside of his window. A sign of the sleep that he's never gotten, his night terrors refusing to let him fall blissfully into unconsciousness. He's never considered himself particularly attractive anyways. Moles and freckles scattered like constellations on his cheeks and forehead and chin. His nose long and protruding and harsh. His lips more plump and pink than the typical man. The tops of his ears stick out of his hair slightly.

He thinks he's just... a lot. He's too much.

And simultaneously not enough.

After showering, he walks out of the refresher to his bed, and lies on his silk sheets. Maybe when he closes his eyes this time he won't see what he'd done that night on Ach-To. He wouldn't see the look on his uncle's face when he realized his nephew had been called to the Darkness. When he realized his nephew was too weak to keep resisting it.

Maybe it's the combination of his emotions and the events of the last 24 hours, but he falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. His nightmares continue their assault, but he's too exhausted and numb to care. So, he lets them attack his mind for a few hours. It's not the best night's sleep he's ever had, and it only lasts a few hours before he's awoken to the sound of his datapad notifying they've located the droid.

But he sleeps. He's finally slept.

--- D'Qar ---

Jedha hardly sleeps that first night. Or the night after. After hearing the news about Poe, she can't bring herself to leave the Control Center. She waits and waits and waits for any news that he might be alright, or even just alive.

Both nights, Jedha dozes off in her chair for about 20 minutes every hour. During the day, she goes to the mess hall twice for food. Sometimes BeeBee-Three would stay to chirp positive affirmations to her, or Threepio would check to see if she needed anything. Otherwise, she stays in her quiet section of the Control Center and meditates. All day.