Disclaimer: I do not own the Star Wars character. Original characters are mine.
Katie groaned as she ran the bell to her best friend's house. She told Jenny she did not want to come to her Halloween party. Jenny insisted, saying it was her birthday and that Katie should be there to celebrate. Katie felt bad, but she didn't feel like celebrating. She knew Danny, her ex-boyfriend, would be there. So would Abby, Jenny's twin sister.
She did not have any proof of it, but Katie knew Danny had cheated on her with Abby. Abby was the girl who would open up her legs to any guy. It made Katie mad that she slept with Danny. She felt suspicious after watching The Last Jedi a couple of days ago. She noticed after seeing the movie, she magically acquired a sixth sense. Katie was able to avoid being in a bus accident, because she left on a later bus. She guessed correctly that one of her co-workers was having a baby boy.
"Hi!" Jenny squealed in delight, as she saw Katie come in. Thankfully, Jenny did not make Katie wear a costume. Jenny was dressed up as a naughty school girl.
"Nice outfit," Katie told her best friend. To herself, she said, "That outfit is more appropriate for your slutty sister."
"Thanks." The house was packed with people, mostly Jenny's friends. Katie was a loner. Her parents died when she was eighteen, and the only friend she had was Jenny. Which she feared losing if the truth about her sister came out.
"Katie, I still don't understand why you broke up with Danny," Jenny began to say. "You guys were perfect for each other."
"No, we weren't," Katie replied gruffly. She saw Abby approach. She was dressed as a nun. Katie internally laughed at the irony of her costume.
"How are you doing, Katie?" Abby asked. Katie knew the girl was being insincere.
"I am good," Katie replied curtly.
"Sorry about you and Danny. You guys had a good thing going..."
"Like you care..."
"Katie!" Jenny cried, shocked by the rude tone in her voice. Abby narrowed her eyes. Did Katie know about her and Danny? Was she going to tell Jenny?
"Jenny, it's ok," Abby said to her twin. "Katie is hurting over the breakup, even though she decided to end things. I am going to go mingle." Abby walked away.
"It's not Abby's fault, don't take your hurt out on her," Jenny scolded her best friend. Katie rolled her blue eyes in annoyance. She never liked Abby, and now hated her for what she did.
"Is everything ok here?" they heard a familiar male voice. Both ladies turned to see Danny approach them. He was dressed up as the devil. Katie's heart ached. But she would not allow herself to cry for the man who cheated on her.
"No, it isn't," Katie said with a low growl, staring angrily at her ex. "Jenny, I think I need to go home..."
"Katie, don't leave!" Jenny begged her.
"Please stay," Danny added. He wanted to find out the reason why Katie dumped him. She refused to answer any of his texts or phone calls.
"I am going upstairs to use the bathroom, and then I'm going home," Katie told them. Danny shrugged his shoulders and walked away.
"Don't go. I have an early surprise birthday gift for you," Jenny pleaded with her.
"Sorry. I am not in the mood to celebrate anyone's birthday tonight." Before Jenny could respond, Katie maneuvered her way through the costumed guests and made her way upstairs to the bathroom.
"I feel so alone!" Katie moaned to herself, as she headed to the bathroom. However, the door was locked. She banged on the door, and heard an unknown male voice yell at her to go away.
"Great, people are hooking up in the bathroom! I guess I will have to use the bathroom in Jenny's bedroom."
She walked into Jenny's room, and closed the door behind her. At least here no one would bother her. The tears began falling as she approached the bathroom door. She turned the handle to open it, and almost fell backwards in shock.
Someone was there! The person was startled, as well. They took a step back. They were dressed up as Kylo Ren, Katie's favorite Star Wars character!
"I'm sorry! I didn't know anyone was in here!" Katie gasped. She hoped she wasn't interrupting another couple hooking up.
The person titled their head towards Katie. She chuckled, remembering how Kylo did the same thing to Rey in The Force Awakens.
"The girl I heard so much about," the person, apparently a man, finally said. Katie was impressed. The modulated voice sounded exactly like Kylo Ren. His costume was spot on.
"Do you say that to all the girls you met?" she asked with amusement. Then Katie realized something. This must be Jenny's birthday gift to her! Jenny knew how much she liked Kylo Ren. Maybe she shouldn't leave just yet...
"Nice costume," Katie complimented the strange man. "Very authentic."
"Thank you, Katie." the man replied.
"How do you know my name?" she asked, a little worried.
"I can read minds," the man said, matter-of-factly.
"Of course, you can. You are Kylo Ren. Or should I call you Supreme Leader?"
"You may call me Kylo, when we are alone." The man titled his head again.
"Kylo, I guess I should congratulate you on killing both of your masters. That must of been hard for you..."
"They mean nothing to me."
"Of course, they don't." This was actually fun, interacting with someone dressed up as Kylo.
"You are my favorite character," Katie admitted, a little embarrassed. "I will have to thank Jenny for the early birthday gift." The man stepped carefully forward, so that he would not scare the girl.
"You are strong with the Force," he said smoothly. "Untrained, but stronger than you know."
"No, I'm not..." Katie said sheepishly.
"You are, Katie. You need a teacher. I can show you the way to the Force."
"Wow, you have all the lines down." She was taken aback when his gloved hand touched her cheek. She shivered in nervous delight.
"So now you are going to mind probe me?" Katie said, arching an eyebrow. "There is nothing interesting in my mind. Sorry to disappoint you."
"I disagree. You are so lonely, so afraid to leave. Family is your greatest weakness, and your friends... they are traitors and thieves."
"But not murderers." The man nodded his head. His gloved hand traced Katie's cheek.
"Did Jenny tell you my whole life story?"
"No. I... sensed your loneliness."
"I see. I guess you can relate, since you have been lonely most of your life. We actually have a lot in common."
"We do." Katie could not see it, but the man smiled underneath his mask.
"Can you remove your mask for me?"
"No," he sternly replied, stepping back from her.
"Why?"
"I have a scar on my face."
"Yes, you do. From when the scavenger sliced you with her lightsaber..."
"That lightsaber, it belongs to me..."
"It was your grandfather's lightsaber. When he was Anikin Skywalker."
"My grandfather was Darth Vader..."
"Yes, he was. Can you explain to me why you destroyed the mask after facing Snoke? I liked it..."
The man was intrigued by the girl. She should have been afraid of him. But instead, she was giving him compliments!
"I was angry," he explained to her. "I killed my father for him. I was loyal to him ever since I turned to the Dark Side. And what does he do? He ridicules me, calls me a child, shoots Force Lightning at me... He thought I was weak. He was wrong!"
"No, no one can say you are weak now."
"Katie, why are you here instead of downstairs with your best friend?"
She was surprised that he changed the conversation. She took a deep breath and said,
"Promise you won't tell Jenny what I am about to tell you," she said to the man.
"I promise." Katie knew it was crazy, but she needed to tell someone what she was going through. So she told a perfect stranger what had been happening to her since watching The Last Jedi, and her suspicions about her boyfriend cheating on her.
"It is the truth," the man finally responded, after Katie was done speaking. "He slept with many girls, not just your best friends' sister." When Katie heard this, she began to cry.
"Don't be afraid," the man said, drawing closer to the girl. He saw her tears, and wiped them away with his gloved hands. His touch was soothing.
"I feel it, too," he added softly. Katie could only stare at the masked man.
"You are powerful. You don't need them. Come with me. We will rule the galaxy together," the man said to her.
"You wouldn't want me," Katie argued with him, tears brimming in her eyes. "I am no one. I'm nothing!" She was surprised when he pulled her close, his body touching hers.
"Not to me. Come with me. Fulfill your destiny and take your place at my side."
"Is this your way of asking me out on a date?"
"I suppose it is."
"I can't. My boyfriend..." She bit her lip, remembering Danny was no longer her boyfriend.
"Forget the past, Katie. Kill it, if you must. That is the only way you will become who you were meant to be."
"I can't. I don't know you..."
"Yes, you do. I am in your dreams, when you are desperate to sleep at night."
"Wow, this guy is a really good actor!" Katie thought to herself. As much as she was enjoying their interaction, she knew Kylo Ren was not real.
"I am real," the man insisted, as if he knew her thoughts. "Just like our bond is real. The Force is bringing us together."
"The Force? Or is it the physical attraction to each other?"
"To me, it is one and the same."
"I can't go out on a date with someone if I can't even see their face..."
"You will run away, if I remove my mask."
"Take off the mask. You don't need it. Not with me."
The masked stranger broke the hold he had on her. Katie was confused. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe the guy was not interested in her.
"I am locking the door, so that we won't be disturbed," he said. Katie heard the click of the lock, and her heart raced.
"Come," he motioned to her. She did, and he gently laid her against the wall. Although she couldn't see it, she felt his intense gaze on her.
"Close your eyes," he whispered. Katie did so, and the stranger removed his mask. The sound was very similar to when Ren removed his mask for Rey. He tossed the mask aside, and held Katie against the wall. His hand came and grazed her cheek. He could hear her heavy breathing as his face came closer to hers.
"You're not alone," he whispered before his lips found hers. Katie groaned in pleasure. She should not be enjoying this stranger kissing her, caressing her. But she did.
"Neither are you," she softly replied, as her hands found his soft hair.
Suddenly, the man stopped kissing her. He turned his back on her before she could see his face. Katie was about to ask why he stopped when she heard Danny's voice call out to her.
"Katie, are you okay?" Danny asked. Katie saw that the man put his mask back on.
"I am, now that you are out of my life," she sharply told him.
"Katie, I don't understand..."
"I know you cheated on me, Danny!"
"Baby, no..."
"Yes, with my best friend's sister. Amongst the many girls you slept with. Why, Danny? Why did you hurt me this way?"
"You refused to sleep with me. I couldn't wait..."
"Then you should have broken up with me from the beginning!" Katie was furious.
"I couldn't. You were lonely."
"I don't need your pity, and I certainly don't need you. Now go away!"
"Open the door, Katie!"
"No!"
"Would you like to borrow my lightsaber?" the masked man offered. He could feel her anger.
"Open the door, or I will break it down!" Danny demanded
"I have nothing more to say to you!" Katie screamed back.
Danny furiously tried to open the door. Suddenly, to his shock and Katie's, the door was unlocked, and he tumbled to the floor. Even though it was terrible, Katie couldn't help laughing.
"Katie, let's talk..." Danny began to say, before noticing a familiar Star Wars character standing too close to Katie.
"Who's this guy?" Danny huffed in jealously.
"He's Jenny's birthday gift to me, if you must know," Katie replied, her arms crossed defiantly.
"No. That is not what Jenny got for your birthday..."
"And I am suppose to believe a word you say, you cheating bastard!"
"Katie, I do not know who this is, but I swear, he is not a birthday gift from Jenny!"
"Shut up!" Then Katie did something that amazed them all. She extended her arms, and force pushed Danny out of the way. Her eyes bulged in disbelief, and ran out of the bedroom, frightened.
"Move!" she screamed at the couple trying to go up the stairs. She could hear Danny chase after her.
"Katie, come back!" he yelled, as he followed her down the stairs and out of the house. He was able to grab her arm.
"Let me go!" she screamed, struggling to break free from his grasp. Jenny joined them outside.
"What is going on?" Jenny asked, full of concern.
"Jenny, please tell her you did not rent an actor to play Kylo Ren for her birthday!" Danny desperately pleaded.
"Katie, I didn't. I swear to God.." Jenny replied, wondering who was upstairs with her best friend.
"Liar!" Katie screamed. "You are just saying that so that I will get back together with him. It's not happening!"
"Katie, please. We beg you, come inside with us..."
"No. Let me go!"
"You heard her. Let her go," a soft spoken but stern voice told them.
The three of them turned around to see the unmasked man. He had wavy black hair and brown eyes. He was tall, and wore all black. As he told Katie, he had a scar on his face. They knew a few guys that fit his physical description.
However, none of those guys had a fiery red crossguard lightsaber in their hands.
"Oh God!" Jenny cried out in terror.
"We need to call the cops," Danny moaned, afraid himself. His eyes widened as Katie started walking forward.
"Katie, no!' he screamed, before he was forced pushed to the ground.
"Katie, don't do this!" Jenny yelled. "He's... he's..."
"I know," Katie said to her best friend, but her gaze was on Kylo Ren. He extended his hand out to her, just like he did to Rey after they killed Snoke's guards.
Jenny tried to run towards Katie, but Danny held her back.
"Don't," he whispered. "I don't want to lose you, too."
"I know what I have to do," Katie gasped, as she shorted the distance between herself and Kylo. Speaking to her best friend, but still staring at Ren, she said,
"My boyfriend cheated on me with your sister." Taking deep breaths, and closing her eyes, she added,
"You knew about it, Jenny. And you were never going to tell me!"
"That's not true..." Jenny denied. Kylo was impressed. He did not even know that fact!
"That's impossible!" Danny countered. He and Abby were careful about sneaking around. Or so he thought...
"Search your feelings, you know it to be true," Katie stated with a smirk on her face. Kylo nodded in appreciation of a phrase he knew his grandfather uttered in the past.
"Katie, if he is Kylo Ren, he is dangerous! He could kill you!" Danny argued.
Turning around to face her ex, she said,
"You don't have to be concerned about me anymore, either one of you." She turned to face Kylo, who still had his free hand extended to her.
"No!" both Jenny and Danny screamed. Kylo extended his hand in their direction. They tried to run towards Katie, but he had frozen them in place. He turned off his lightsaber. He saw Katie shiver in fear. He knew her thoughts.
"Don't be afraid. It's just us now. You're not alone anymore," Kylo softly spoke to Katie. She took his hand, and he led her to his TIE fighter, to a galaxy far away from the life she knew.