Lira groaned. She was completely exhausted. If it were possible to curl up into a ball and sleep for the next century, she would.

Probably. After breakfast.

She ignored the mild burning in her stomach, happy to be free of her restraints. The fatigue and hunger were worth it if it meant she was no longer strapped into that stupid chair. A quick massage of her wrists had her purring with pleasure.

As soon as I get to a Resistance base, I'm getting a massage. A deep one. Maybe I'll even coerce Jae into getting one, that guy is too wound up. Gah! Stop that. Focus on the priorities: escape first, massage and comradery later.

Now was not the time to get distracted. Even though she wanted to reach out and see if he'd made it to Takodana, she was unwilling to try it with Kylo Ren this close. The fact that he'd been able to read her intentions last night and kill TR-1530 before she'd even entered his mind, was terrifying.

"That was a mistake," he'd said. Well fine, she wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Pompous, arrogant, jerk.

She gave the room a quick examination, looking for anything that could be used as a tool, or better yet, a weapon. If anyone– especially Kylo Ren – walked in, she wanted to give them a proper welcome.

Wampa Balls.

There was absolutely nothing she could use.

He probably hid my sabers…or worse, took them with him….

Huffing, she sat down on the floor and crossed her legs, focusing on her breath. Unlike Ben Solo, she hadn't trained at the temple with Master Luke. She'd studied under the tutelage of her father, the secret son of Ben Kenobi. Like she'd done so many times over the years, she wondered what it would have been like to study with Luke; to learn his methods and styles as opposed to her father's strict discipline.

It must have been better than spending that year on Dagobah. That was ridiculous. Maybe….maybe I could have helped Ben…..Nope. Don't go there, Lira. Ben made his choice, and there is no undoing the past. Focus. In. And out. Feel the air fill the lungs, the Force around you, release.

Her father always insisted that the best way to find a solution was to meditate. And right now, she had a lot of problems she needed solutions for. At least she'd gotten free of that stupid chair. Unfortunately, she still had to contend with getting to a ship and flying out of here.

Because let's be honest, I can't fly. The next time I see Poe Dameron, I'll put my stupid pride aside and take him up on his offer to teach me the ways of the pilot.

Tipping her head back, she glared at the ceiling and groaned. Meditating was not helping. It was just making her think about things she couldn't control, undo, or learn in the next hour.

Let's just do this the old fashioned way – fly by the seat of my pants and hope for the best. But first….I need to blend in.

Five minutes later, she glanced down and winced. The only set of clothes she'd found in her cell had been all black. Black pants, black bandage-style top that exposed her abdomen, and a black hooded vest.

At least they match.

She pulled her hair into a high ponytail and fidgeted. Without her weapons or her own clothes, she felt exceptionally vulnerable, and she hated it. There were only a handful of times she'd felt like this….once, the first night she'd slept with the boy she loved; and a few times after, when the universe had proven a dark and brutal place.

Emotion, yet peace. Passion, yet serenity. Let the past go, Lira.

Having the use of her hands, she was able to make quick work of the cell door. However she was not expecting to be in someone's private quarters. Glancing around told her whose quarters they probably were – Kylo Ren. Everything was black and metal.

She shook off the odd feeling of being in his personal space and waited to make sure he wasn't somewhere in the rooms. The power he radiated was absent.

Now is the perfect time to run. Don't waste it.

Once outside, she felt a mild surge of panic. She had no idea where the hangar was or how to get there from Kylo's quarters.

Not the time, Lira. You're a Jedi, aren't you? Figure it out.

The halls were quiet, no guards or patrols; which struck Lira as strange. Either Kylo Ren wasn't giving her enough credit, and didn't think she could escape; or he was giving her too much and didn't want her around anyone she could influence. It didn't matter; he'd regret his decision either way.

"Lord Ren?"

Ren turned at the sound of Captain Phasma's voice, annoyed at being interrupted. He'd been mediating for hours, trying to quiet the thoughts that tempted him back to the light, back to Lira. He did not want to give into temptation like Anakin Skywalker had. To fail Vader.

"What?"

Phasma shifted her weight from foot to foot, taking a moment to speak. A stall tactic Ren had discovered long ago.

"Spit it out, Captain. I'm busy."

"We've detected a woman trying to enter the flight hangar."

Ren swore and got to his feet.

"Is there something we should know, Lord Ren? The woman seems to have come from your quarters…." Phasma let the insinuation ask the question for her. Ren's temper was notorious and she did not want that red crosssaber anywhere near her.

From behind his mask, Ren narrowed his eyes. His mechanical voice came out calm and measured. "There is nothing you need to know, Captain Phasma. That woman is my guest. Keep the bay doors locked so she can't escape, but do not let your men anywhere near her. I'll take care of it."

Without waiting for her answer, he left the room, black cloak billowing behind him.

How the in the name of the Dark Side did she get out of her cell?!

It wasn't hard to locate her. Stormtroopers had cornered off the corridor she was in, keeping anyone from entering or exiting.

"You," Ren hissed, pointing to the nearest guard, "take three of your best men and provide a distraction. I'll come around from behind and subdue her. Absolutely no harm is to come to her, understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Ren let them sort out who would enter the hallway as he doubled back to the opposite side. Hopefully, they could keep her distracted long enough that she wouldn't notice him until it was too late.

After all, little Lira, you're not the only one who knows how to hide their presence in the Force.

Her back was to him, stance cautious as she watched Phasma's men approach. He waited for the moment when they charged to do the same, being careful not to make too much noise. It was almost disappointing how easy it was to surprise her. Ren wrapped one arm around her waist, the other across her arms and chest, as strong as possible without cracking bone.

"Now, now, Lira. You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" he asked, enjoying the way she stilled in his arms. "We've been watching you since you left my quarters."

"Let me go!" she hissed, struggling against him.

"No." Ren leaned back, lifting her off her feet. "If you want to make sure they stay alive, you will stop struggling and come with me. Otherwise, I'll kill them now, and we can see just which one of us is stronger with the Force."

"You can't keep using that as a threat against me, Ben. Sooner or later, I'm going to get off this ship."

He chuckled. "Maybe, but we both know it's not today. Now, do they live or die?"

She stopped squirming instantly. His body was grateful. Her wiggling had triggered a physical response he did not want her to know about.

"Good girl." Her murmured, setting her back on her feet. He let one of the guards place shackles on her wrists before sending them back on patrols. He would deal with her on his own, and as far from the reaches of the First Order as he could manage.

If Lira was expecting Kylo Ren to shove her back in that tiny cell, she was sorely mistaken. Instead, he marched her into a larger, more luxurious room. Dark, cool stone stretched across the floor. A massive window in the far wall offered a breathtaking view of the galaxy. Shelves covered the left wall and were lined with various artifacts and holocrons. The right was bare, except for two doors leading to a closet and restroom. Near the door they'd just entered was a small table, lamp and chair. And in the middle of the room, commanding as much attention as its owner, was a bed.

Oh, sweet Yoda. I'm in his bedroom. Nope, not okay.

She stopped and tried to turn around, intent on walking back into her cell, but his vice-like grip caught her above the elbow and hauled her back.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ren asked, his voice amused.

"I'm not staying in here, with you, if that's what you're wondering."

He pulled her hard and closed the door behind her. "You're not leaving until I get some answers." He crossed his arms over his chest.

Now that's an interesting look.

"Well, that sucks for you. I'm not talking to some First Order masked man."

A low rumbling came from him, and for a moment she wondered if he'd actually just growled at her. In a smooth motion, he released and removed his mask.

"Satisfied?"

She snorted, exceptionally uncomfortable. "Hardly."

His dark eyes glittered dangerously. "I could help you with that."

"Don't flatter yourself. Nothing about you could ever be satisfying."

His mind brushed against hers softly, causing her to break out in chills. You'll come to me eventually, Lira.

Instantly she threw her mental walls up, shoving him out. It was easy, too easy to fall into the familiar banter of their youth. "Are you going to ask me questions, or just continue harassing me? Because if you're going to harass me, I'll just tell you now that it's pointless." Even to her own ears, her voice was tight, unnerved.

His nonchalance was infuriating. He shrugged and gestured to the chair, being far more civilized than she would have expected from Snoke's henchman. "You may as well make yourself comfortable, you will be here for a while."

That's what you think.

She dropped into the chair and curled her legs up under her, trying to keep as far from him as she could. "Just get to it."

"Let's start with the most obvious one, then. How are you still alive? I watched you….I watched you die. I felt you leave the Force."

"I can't really explain it. It'd be easier to show you, rather than tell you." Lira murmured, looking away from him. Her mind already drifting to the night she'd become a ghost and Ben Solo had become Kylo Ren.

"Show me, then."

Ren felt her thoughts instantly, as familiar to him as his own; though she was careful not to let anything else open to him except for what she wanted him to see.

The night was clear, perfect. Stars littered the shadows above her and Lira pulled her cloak down to savor the beauty of it. A storm was coming. She could feel it in the charge of the air; its energy making the hair on her neck stand up, but hopefully it wouldn't hit for several more hours.

Ahead of her lay the back entrance to the temple. Luke had always insisted she have the shuttle drop her off where she wouldn't startle the younglings – which they both knew she loved to do. It had been a year since she'd last been here, and she was eager to show Luke and Ben what she'd learned on Dagobah. To recount her adventures on the swampy, wet planet.

She was only mildly surprised to see Master Luke waiting for her at the top of the staircase. "How did you know?" she asked, wiping a strand of hair from her face. "I wanted to surprise you."

Luke's blue eyes winked back at her. "I could feel your excitement as the shuttle landed." He smiled at her. "How are you, Lira? You've grown so much since the last time you were here, and I don't just mean physically."

Lira beamed at him. "Thank you, Master Luke. Dagobah was everything you said it would be and more. Although, the humidity and hallucinations sucked! I don't know how you managed it. We saw Master Yoda's ghost – he sends his hellos and says you should visit more."

Luke chuckled, pulled his hood down. "He always says that." He didn't miss the way the young girl's eyes searched the hall for her friend.

"Master Luke, where's Ben? I'd like to tell him about my trip as well."

Luke flinched, as if she'd physically struck him. "Lira….there's something I must tell you. I didn't want to upset you during your training, but there's no keeping the truth of it from you now."

Lira froze, her heart pounding in her chest at the pain she heard in his voice. "What is it?" she studied his face, searching for any information that lay hidden there. "What's happened? Is he okay?"

Luke sighed, his age seeming too much for him to bear in that moment, despite the fact that he was still in the prime of his life. He turned; his blue eyes sad and distant. "Lira, Ben….Ben has been seduced by the Snoke and the Dark Side. He left us not long after you went to Dagobah."

If Lira had expected anything, it hadn't been that. Injured, perhaps. Captured, maybe. Grievously ill. But not that. Never that. She stepped back. Pain gripped her heart, making it hard to breathe. "You're wrong….he can't have. He wouldn't have!"

Luke reached for her. Rested his hands on her shoulders until her tear-filled eyes met his. "I'm sorry. I wish I could spare you the pain of his betrayal, but you needed to know. Ben Solo has chosen to follow in the path of Darth Vader."

An odd burning sensation prickled the back of her throat, and she shook her head. Unwilling to believe it, desperate to refuse the truth she felt in him. "Why? Why would he betray us like this? What ha-happened?" She fought the quake in her voice, tried to put on a strong front.

Luke straightened and began walking again, guiding her to the staircase that led to the archives. "More than any other youngling or Force-sensitive, Ben has always faced the challenge of choosing between the Light and Dark. Because of his lineage, both sides are constantly at war inside him. We knew this, as did you. For a while, we thought - and hoped - that if we showed him enough of the Light, he would choose to fight alongside us, or at worse, become a Grey Jedi. However, there was always a possibility the Dark would win. Snoke took that and manipulated it, slowly corrupting Ben until he was seduced to the Dark Side. We didn't realize it until it was too late."

They continued walking, passing younglings and other Jedi who offered quick greetings.

"How did you miss it? You are his uncle, his teacher. You should have seen it." Lira regretted her words as soon as they left her lips. "I'm sorry. You must have asked yourself the same questions….and as both of those things, it must have hurt you the most. Forgive me."

Luke waved away her apology. "It's okay. You're right. I should have seen the change in him. Felt Snoke's manipulation in him; but Snoke, for all his faults, is a devious and cautious individual. He took his time with Ben, until the moment was right and he was able to sway him."

"Is there no way to find him? Bring him back and make him see reason?" she asked, setting her pain aside in place of a plan of action. If she could focus on that, she could get past the heartbreak.

Luke shook his head. "Unfortunately, we don't know where they are. Ben has learned how to hide himself from me in the Force."

They came to a stop outside the entrance to the archives. "Truly I'm sorry, Lira. I know you were close – that you loved him. But perhaps now….now you can understand why Jedi are not permitted to form such strong attachments to others. To fall in love. Such a bond can cloud our judgment, lead us to corruption."

Lira said nothing; felt only the ache in her heart that seemed unmanageable.

"Perhaps some time here will help. You can add your experiences to a holocron or study some of the lessons from the Masters to seek counsel." He placed a hand on her shoulder again, drawing her attention back to him. "Despite the gloomy welcome, I am very happy to see you; and I hope you will stay with us for a while, even though Ben is gone. Truthfully, I could use some help with the younglings."

She nodded, attempted a weak smile. "Of course. I'd be happy too." Luke said something in reply, but Lira didn't hear him, her mind already drifting back to Ben.

She spent hours in the archives, lost in her own thoughts until she heard the screaming.

What in the world?

Grabbing the training lightsaber her father had given her, she ran for the entrance to the archives. Silently cursing herself for having wandered all the way to the back for solitude. It was going to take her forever to get back to the main floor and see what was going on. The building shook. Rattling and cracking as if it, too, were screaming.

Her legs burned as she ran up the stairs wondering where all the others had gone. The temple was eerily quiet. No children laughing, no dueling, no chatter. It made her skin crawl. At last she made it to the main floor, and felt her stomach seize.

Bodies of all shapes and sizes lay strewn across the floor. The scent of blood, burnt flesh, and smoke filled the air. She felt her knees give out from under her and she collapsed, retching on the carpet, tears streaming down her face.

What – what is going on?!

A sound across the hall caught her attention. Shakily, she rose and went to it, searching frantically until she saw where it was coming from. A youngling. A small boy no more than six was on the ground, mewling. Blood sputtering from his mouth; a lightsaber had burned a hole in the middle of his chest. His gold eyes stared at her, terrified.

No!

Lira sobbed and dropped to her knees, scooping him into her arms. "Shh, little one. I've got you. It's all right."

She stroked his head, clutching his small frame tightly against her chest, resting her face against his head. His cries quieted in her arms and she rocked him, continuing to coo until he stilled; tears streaked down her face as she felt the breath leave his body. Time stopped, and Lira had no idea how long she stayed there on the floor, rocking the dead boy in her arms, repeating the Code over and over.

The temple continued to shudder around her; and vaguely she was aware that it would give way soon, and she would need to leave or risk dying as well. Bitterly she lay the child on the ground, rose to her feet. She'd only walked a few steps when she came to the training rooms of the other younglings. They were scattered like dolls around the room. Some as peaceful as if they were asleep, others bloody and broken in the way only a violent death could be. Numb, she crossed into the room, unable to understand how this had happened or who could have done it. Around her the walls continued to crumble and shake.

The temple is broken. There's nothing left.

"Lira?"

She turned, empty and hollow to the sound of her name. The voice that had spoken was unrecognizable, mechanical and cold.

A figure wearing a black and silver mask was watching her from across the hall. His tall frame blocking her view of even more bodies around him; yet despite his appearance, something about him was familiar. The way he held himself, the way he seemed to be watching her from behind that black helmet. One that looked so similar to the one Vader had worn…

Ben?

Tentatively, she took a step towards him until she saw the red light of his blade cut down a student who attacked him.

"Y-you did this?" she gasped. Her voice raw and hysterical. "Ben?"

The dark figure turned to her, retracted the lightsaber. "Lira." he said again. "Come with me."

She watched in horror as he began to slowly walk towards her, a gloved hand outstretched.

"I don't understand." She stepped back, keeping the distance between them. "I don't know who are, but I'm not going with you."

"It's me," the voice soothed. "It's Ben. Come with me, Lira. It's not safe here."

She continued backing up, her legs stumbling over the bodies of the younglings. Anger, and something else, something infinitely more painful, came to life inside her. "You did this."

She gestured to the room. "You killed them…these children? These innocents?"

He stopped; his dark hand dropping. "They are not innocent. They are my enemy."

Lira shook her head. The pain she felt in the Force from the colossal loss of life, overwhelming her. "They're children. They are no one's enemy. If they are your enemy, Ben, then so am I."

Before he could speak, the temple gave another, jarring shake. Ben made a move for her, but Lira was ready. She threw out her hands and sent him flying backwards.

"I would rather be dead than go anywhere with you." Raising her hands over head, she reached out with the Force and pulled on the ceiling; willing the blocks to fall. Hoping the end would be quick so the heartache would stop. "Goodbye, Ben."

The last thing she saw before the darkness took her was his shadow running for her, the blocks tumbling everywhere.

For hours, heartbeats, lifetimes, she lingered there, savoring the quiet. The way the darkness caressed her. Urged her to stay within its confines, safe and comfortable; but something was pulling her back. An ache and a rage unlike anything she'd ever known before. Like the rhythm of a drum, someone was beating on her, urging her back to the pain of the light.

Frustrated, she opened her eyes, ready to tell whoever was bothering her to let her die in peace; surprised to find Luke's worried ones staring back at her.

His voice cracked. "Finally. I was worried you were too far gone."

She tried to speak, to warn him of Ben, but he pressed a hand to her forehead, urging her back to sleep.

"It's all right; you're safe, Lira. Rest. I'll get us out of here."

Ren felt the agony of the memory in his own body as Lira's mind pulled back from him, withdrawing into herself. He looked at her, knowing there would be tears in her eyes, but she refused to meet his gaze; instead focusing on the reflection of the light on the stone floor.

"There you have it," she mumbled, her voice quiet. "I died that night, but somehow Master Luke brought me back. Kept me alive and hidden in the Force until I was strong enough to hide from you without him. And it worked, beautifully, until Naboo. Just don't ask me how he did it because I don't know. I kind of wish he hadn't. It would have been better to die with the others than live with your betrayal."