Confronting Fear

Mustafar

A voice inside of me that keeps on teasing
As sweet as like a whisper from the lips of pain
And so many steps that I can't make
I can't take the chance, release the break
And the breath just keeps on getting away
Am I dreaming it all? I will never be afraid

Survive - Lacuna Coil

The rest of the flight passed peacefully. Mustafar was on the other side of the galaxy and it took nearly eight hours to get there. Kylo had timed their departure to coincide with the day cycle aboard the Steadfast so they were able to sleep for much of the trip. After their reconciliation in the cockpit they had each chosen a bunk and settled in, the room so small that they were practically side by side. They had woken to the ship's alarm informing them that they had dropped out of lightspeed.

Rey could feel the Dark Side emanating from the foreboding world before they even entered the atmosphere, like a thick black cloud encapsulating the whole planet. It filled her mouth with a metallic taste, making her nauseated. Kylo noticed her discomfort and began explaining the history of the planet and Fortress Vader itself.

"The planet is a locus, a place in the Force where the Dark Side originates. The Fortress itself was built on top of a Sith cave where an old temple used to be. The spires function like a tuning fork for the Dark Side. As a Jedi, it will be uncomfortable for you but should pass in time."

Rey took a swig of her water and nodded. "I hope so."

Kylo deftly steered the shuttle over the Gahenn Plains towards the dominating  structure. The Fortress itself would have been imposing even without the waves of Darkness emanating from it. It was built of obsidian on a long stretch of rock that spanned a river of magma, acting as a dam for the liquid fire. The center was a blocky sort of pyramid atop a base that reminded Rey of two sharply clawed square paws resting on either side of a spout from which magma flowed like water. The aforementioned spires stretched into the sky from either side. Ren circled in to land on a small pad between the paws, making Rey feel like she was about to become the Fortress's dinner.

Ren handed Rey her saber and motioned her to follow, the smoke and heat burning her eyes. She was used to heat, being from a desert and all, but this was completely different. She wished she had her old goggles, they could probably keep out smoke as well as sand. Ren, on the other hand, looked nonplussed as he waved to open the huge double doors to his ancestral home.

Upon crossing the threshold, Rey's head feel like it was going to explode, her body suddenly drenched in cold sweat. It was like Snoke was ripping through her mind again, only worse. She could hear strange voices inside the agony itself, whispering of power and release from the pain. Would power really be so bad? She could use it to bring the peace she so desperately wanted...

Rey mentally shook herself. That was what the Dark Side wanted her to think.
You're a Palpatine. You belong here, with your true family. The others will never understand you, will condemn you. Accept who you are.

No! Rey reached into the Force. It was like wading through muck as she searched for the deep pool of Light within herself. It would be so easy just to let go, why must she be the one to fight? She hadn't wanted to be a part of it anyway. Why couldn't the Resistance save itself?

I'm not doing this for the Resistance, I'm doing it for the people I love. She pictured Finn and Rose and Leia and Poe. An ember appeared in the distance and Rey trudged toward it, fighting back the urge to stop. With the power we offer, you could protect them from everything, even death.

No, that's wrong. That's what Vader thought and it wasn't real. As Rey reached towards the ember, it pulled back from her hand, constantly out of reach.

Vader was weak. You are not. You will be able to perform miracles he could not. Miracles? Miracles were good right? Was the Dark bad, or was it just that bad people used the Dark? Could it be used for good? Could the Light be used for bad?

Yes, child. The Light will only constrict you. The Jedi could have created an everlasting peace, but didn't. The Light corrupted them, told them lies. Luke said something like that too, didn't he? That the Jedi failed? They needed to end.

Rey could hardly think as the shadows wrung out her mind like a rag. She was crawling in the muck now, the tiny light further away than ever. Yes, Rey. Even Skywalker knew it. Finish his work. Bring peace. We'll help you.

Finish his work... No, no. Luke had wanted to end the Jedi, but not like this. Not with the Dark. Why does it matter? The ends justify the means.

She was tired, so tired. She just wanted to lay her head down and rest. She couldn't chase the flicker anymore, it was too far, much too far. Rest now, you have earned it.

As her eyes closed she saw Leia crouched in front, her voice like liquid gold. "Don't give in Rey. Fight the Darkness."

With new resolve, Rey stood, the ember dancing in front of her. The Dark voices screamed in unison as she used all her strength of will to banish them to the void from whence they came. Taking the tiny flicker into her hand, Rey felt it grow into a bright sun, it's warmth and Light chasing the Dark and cold from her soul.

Kylo observed Rey with interest and concern as she struggled within herself. The Dark Side was affecting her more strongly than he anticipated. He knew she was hearing the seducing voices of the Darkness, hoping they would finally make her understand what he had been unable to voice; that she belonged in the Dark. The things that made up her essential self - fierceness, passion, independence, and pride- were the very things the Jedi teachings would try to snuff out of her. She belonged in the Dark where such things were celebrated.

He watched her aura flicker like a candle, Darkness and Light vying for control. He was inwardly disappointed as the flickering stopped and she once again lit up like a star in the night. He had known of course, that she would not turn so easily. He did find some small satisfaction upon noticing that the slight shadow at her edges had grown. The seed was there, it just needed nurturing.

Rey felt a strong hand on her shoulder, steadying her as Kylo handed her their water bottle. She took a deep swig before handing it back. "We should keep moving. Any idea what we're looking for?"

"No, but we'll know it when we see it." Kylo replied as though he was commenting on the weather.

"That's what I'm afraid of." She muttered to herself as they entered a huge foyer with a hallway leading off to the left and right and a set of obsidian double doors in front. They were smaller than the entrance, but carved with ornate images. Words in Aurebesh were inscribed into the stone across the double doors at eye-height. A thin line of red lacquer, identical to the substance that held Ren's repaired mask together filled the center of each letter:

Peace is a lie. There is only Passion.
Through Passion I gain Strength.
Through Strength I gain Power.
Through Power I gain Victory.
Through Victory my chains are Broken.
The Force shall free me.

"The code of the Sith." Kylo stood close behind her, staring at the words with reverence before waving the doors open. They entered what appeared to be a throne room, lit with the eerie red light of the magma through the duraglass windows.

The throne itself was carved from the obsidian wall behind it. It was polished as though it was expecting it's Master any moment. Supposedly no one has been here in years, but there isn't so much as a speck of dust anywhere in this castle... Rey realized, her mouth suddenly dry.

Kylo didn't seem to notice anything out of place as his quick strides surpassed her smaller ones. With the hellish light tinting his pale skin, billowing cape and pitch black hair, he looked as much a part of the room as the throne. The Prince of Darkness in his Castle of Nightmares

"Kylo, something is wrong. We need to leave!" She pleaded, though he appeared not to have heard her. She shook him by the shoulder, hard, digging her finger's into the solid muscle.

"What the hell Rey?" He asked, irritated at the interruption of his thoughts.

"Something is wrong. I can feel...." Her words were cut short as the saber at her belt began to wail, the metal feeling like a hot brand through her tunic. She barely had time to register as the floor beneath them broke apart in a cascade of rock before everything went black.