The First Order had raided the main port of her home planet of Lossenova. They corralled citizens and visitors alike, taking them to different sites for interrogation. The action itself wasn't new; the First Order did what it liked. Her brother told her how they would question men about their dealings with The Resistance every few months. He had been questioned on more than one occasion, but her planet provided considerable goods in compensation for peace. She knew something was off when she saw a group of local dealers lined up in an alley; white armored stormtroopers faced them, rifles pointed at them. They opened fire, slaughtering them all. Terror struck Aurora like a Class D freighter. She never came to port, and she certainly would never again. Aurora turned and ran toward the nearest gate of the city.
She hadn't gone far when she rounded a corner at full speed and came to an abrupt halt as she collided with a man who was exiting a local produce building. She tried to spin off the impact, but she lost her balance and fell hard to the ground. The polish on his boots reflected Aurora's terror stricken face as she frantically scrambled to get her feet under her. "Stupid girl" The man spat. He wore a long, dark gray coat with some symbols on the sleeve over a slim shirt of the same color, and his hair was neatly combed. All eight stormtroopers that stood in formation near him were outfitted differently than any she had seen before. Utility belts full of round objects topped with a red button, thermal detonators she guessed from her brother's stories, and extra side arms were worn by each of them, and each trooper had a symbol on his arm Aurora had not encountered before. This man was clearly someone of very high rank. "Kill her." He ordered.
"Yes sir!" they barked in unison and raised their rifles.
"General Hux" A mechanical and deep voice spoke. A tall dark figure emerged from the same doorway. His black full sleeved floor length tunic, with slits up to his knees for ease of movement, showed no rank. The scuffs on his boots served as evidence of the many missions he clearly embarked on for the First Order. While he donned no official branding, his presence demanded respect and sent chills down Aurora's neck. A cylindrical object swung from the belt at his waist. It hung like an upside down "t" with a switch in the middle. It appeared to be some sort of electrical object, a weapon maybe? His attire was unremarkable and plain. She glanced up at the rough partial cape and hood that covered something terrifying. A black mask turned her way, several brushed metal strips curved and framed a thin, darkened visor through which unseen eyes peered at her. The "mouth" of the mask was a solid, black shield which covered his nose and chin as well.
The dark figured paused as if contemplating something. "Take her aboard my ship, she may be of use."
"You can't be serious" Hux fumed "She is a worthless girl, not smart enough to have stayed in a field working where she belonged."
"Do not question my judgment, General; I sense she may contain something of value. I am sure Supreme Leader Snoke would agree with me on this." Hux's glare was fierce and could have set fire to every field on the planet, but the general was clearly outranked by the dark figure on this matter. The masked man raised his gloved hand towards Aurora. That was the last she remembered as a black void swallowed her mind, rendering her unconscious.
She awoke some time later expecting to be in her bed but was quickly reminded by the cold, metallic bed she was strapped to that she had not dreamt what had happened. The dark, masked figure who introduced himself as "Kylo Ren" had visited her each day, asking her questions to which she did not know the answer. When she gave him an answer he didn't like, he forced himself into her mind, digging to the deepest parts. She felt violated and demeaned. She could feel his presence in her consciousness, and the presence was not gentle. She was lost and confused, which seemed to anger him, but she didn't know why. He accused her of resisting him and the dark power he used on her despite her attempts to cooperate. The pain of him pulling information bit by bit was excruciating. He wanted her to submit to him. He threatened her, but with each interrogation she became more resolute to harness this "power" he claimed she had and use it against him. Each time he left her, she cried. How she longed to spend her days working in the warm sun. Those thoughts cheered her but also held her together. She would make it through. She just had to be strong.
Her usual strong and unbreakable spirit shattered in an instant when she stepped through the door and saw her planet though the viewing window on the deck of the ship. She didn't need to read the masked figure's mind to know that her beautiful life and her world were about to be destroyed. What she didn't know was that how it would be destroyed was far worse.
If Kylo Ren could smile through the mask she was positive he was doing so now, the way he stood was smug and confident. Next to him stood general Hux, who had his own air about him, one full of malice and destruction, though not as fully intimidating.
"Nice of you to join us" the mask breathed. "It appears a demonstration of the dark side you struggle so hard against is in order." Aurora's chest was pounding as he paused to let the dread sink in. "General Hux needs to remove the filth from this system, and so the opportunity to teach you has presented itself."
She struggled against the stormtroopers holding her and managed to wiggle free of their grasp. No sooner had she turned to grab the trooper's rifle than she felt the paralyzing force of Kylo Ren. Her muscles froze in pain as though the blood flowing through her veins had tuned to ice. Her heart stopped. She felt like she couldn't breathe but somehow her lungs continue to take in air, revealed only by the frantic rise and fall of her chest. "I'm afraid resistance is futile. And now, to bring forth your hate and anger, you will be the one to end your planet's existence. You should have taken my offer and not underestimated me. Now all you hold dear will pay the ultimate price."
Suddenly, against her will, her body began to move toward the center console. Panic engulfed her as she fought to control herself, struggling to push the gripping force of him away, to no avail. He sensed her resistance and began a siege into her mind. Searing pain blinded her as he tore into her consciousness, as if he had unleashed his lightsaber, causing devastation and chaos in her head, shredding any fiber of resistance against his dominating presence to pieces. She would have grabbed her head in agony if he hadn't had complete control of her body.
"Please don't make me do this" Aurora whimpered. Her eyes burned as hot tears streamed down her face. "I'll do anything you ask, I swear it."
Her tears flowed unashamedly now. She was not able to control them this time; she heard them hit the floor in the seconds of silence before he spoke again.
"That bridge has already been burned, and you will do anything I ask. This will be your first step to the dark side. Supreme Leader Snoke has ordered it to be so". Kylo Ren reached out with the dark side. She could almost see black threads of darkness leave his body and slowly weave and curve their way towards her. She recoiled and thrashed in her head knowing it wouldn't enter her unbidden. In the midst of it all she heard him speak to her. A commanding voice echoed in her thoughts.
"Don't be afraid. I feel it too. Give into the power." A weak "no" was the only response she could manage.
"So be it", the mechanical voice retorted for all to hear as he moved her hand to rest on the trigger.
Aurora then heard General Hux sneer from behind her "No one from your insignificant planet will ever cross the First Order again, and fear will be sown forevermore to anyone who would contemplate assisting The Resistance in any way. This is a victory no one will soon forget!"
Bile rose in her throat as she tried with every ounce of strength to fight the man in the mask, but his power was evident. Every push she made was met with double the force and staggering pain. By her defiance she managed only to add mere moments to her planet, family, friends, and loved ones. Hate, fear, sorrow and despair formed in her like a vast and raging storm clouded with self doubt and confusion raining down with relentless agony that threatened to shatter her sanity. She wasn't strong enough, she thought, and she failed them. Silent tears of defeat paved their way down her reddened cheeks. At the moment of defeat, a grieving moan left her as her hand pushed the trigger. She collapsed from all the souls that screamed out to her before they were silenced forever. Darkness swept over her, even before all the pieces of the planet could scatter out of sight into the vastness of space.
