Kylo Ren and Astra stand side by side as they await the descent of the shuttle ramp. As soon as it touches the ground, Kylo Ren takes Astra's elbow and leads her down the ramp and onto solid ground. He does not leave her ample time to take in her surroundings, walking briskly and stopping about 20 feet from where the ship had landed. To an unknowing eye, there was nothing particularly special about this clearing. But Kylo Ren knew better. Concentrating, he lifts a gloved hand and centers himself within the Force. With his will, a grass-covered rectangle rises from the earth, revealing a staircase. When the way is shut, it is almost impossible to find the seam of the door as it is covered in dirt and greenery. He glances sideways to see Astra's impression of the bunker, and he cannot help but feel a swell of pride at the astonished look on her face. Unable to stop himself from a small amount of preening, he adds, "The doorway can only be opened by the Force, there is no other way in or out."
She nods, mouth slightly ajar while still focused on the opening in the ground. Satisfied with her reaction he urges them forward. Contrary to his actions, Kylo Ren does not quite understand why he is so concentrated on approval and praise from the girl, when he is powerful without her acknowledgement. In his mind, he slashes at these thoughts with a knife—the thoughts this girl conjures up when he is in her presence are exhausting and trivial, he must focus on the task at hand.
Once they have descended the staircase, and the way is shut behind them, Kylo Ren removes his mask. Looking around her, Astra takes in the two hallways that are presented before her. Without a word, Kylo Ren walks down the second, and she hurries to follow.
"The other hallway leads to the weapons, training, and storage rooms," he opens a door to the right with the Force, "this is the kitchen," a door to the left flings open, "these will be your quarters," as they walk a third door to the right opens, "a living area," and finally they stop at a door at the end of the hallway, "these are my quarters."
Unsurprisingly, the door to Kylo Ren's room does not swing open. Turning around, Astra heads back down the hallway to her room and hesitantly enters the threshold. The lights automatically flick on, and she notices that the interior is very plain: grey walls, grey floor, black bed, black dresser, and a door to a crisp white bathroom. This place is cold and empty, nothing like the home she had made for herself on Akiva. This thought makes her wrap her arms around herself, missing the warm wooden walls of her hut and the ever-present hum of the forest. The air is stagnant and thick, and having been outdoors almost her entire life, it is thick in Astra's throat. Without warning, it hits her that most likely she will never return to her safe place among the trees, and the thought makes her hands shake. She can feel the presence of Kylo Ren lurking in the doorway, gauging her reaction to her new home. She believes that he is truly trying to help her, for she has seen the inside of his mind. But he still frightens her, she is not naive, she knows that he is a dangerous man. She has heard tales of the Force and the Jedi in her youth, and she knows who wears the dark robes and who wears the light. She will not take sides in this fight for now, and she will not condemn Kylo Ren for choice, he is saving her life and for now that is enough. In her dreams she has seen what lies within him, knows how different it is from his stark exterior. It is a shell, that is all. A hard, empty casing, protecting the weakness that lies within. Turning her head, she looks into his eyes for a long moment and he stares back. She tries to read his gaze, as he has been closed off ever since they arrived to their destination— but before she can determine what she sees, he is nothing but a streak of black around the corner.
A few moments after Kylo Ren had vacated the entrance to her room, the door swished shut leaving Astra in a cold, lonely room. She turned on her feet for a few moments, unsure of what to do with herself in this new place, when her eyes fall on the bed. Normally used to a mattress stuffed with straw, this bed looked disgustingly inviting. Unable to resist the pull of a comforting sleep, Astra shuffled over to the bed and crawled beneath the blankets. She was out before her head even touched the pillow.
Kylo Ren stood, pacing the floor of his quarters rapidly. What was he thinking bringing her here? He had no right to blatantly disobey— no, betray— the Supreme Leader like this. He should have followed his orders and brought her straight to the Master as he was commanded, instead of committing treason and blaspheming the Supreme Leader for-for some jungle girl. What was he thinking? She is nothing, nothing in comparison to the work of the First Order, to the legacy of his grandfather. How could he have jeopardized his future, his mission, for some sad girl he saw in his dreams? She is strong in the Force and her power must be fostered within the Dark Side or she must be eliminated as a threat. What does he, Master of the Knight's of Ren, care about a girl suffering in his dreams? He has ended lives, slaughtered villages, and he is compromised by his dreams? He is a disgrace, he must fulfill the Master's wishes, he must—
His internal rant is interrupted by an image flashing across inside of his mind. Red. A vision invades his consciousness, this time more clear. He sees the girl, Astra, being swallowed by a dark mass. The mass is moving, pulsing, and sloshing on the ground. Her legs are engulfed by the black matter, and she is being dragged into the heart of it. Ropes of the substance shoot from the mass and latch onto her arms. She is screaming and thrashing, and unable to move her extremities, she is helpless against the assault. Among her garbled shouts, he can make out one word, "Kylo."
He is thrust from the vision abruptly, even staggering at the force of the repulsion. Before he has time to think of what he just saw, a scream echoes off of the metal walls of the compound, emanating from down the hall. Kylo Ren is on the move in a heartbeat, running towards the horrible sounds. The door to her chambers opens for him, and he rushes to her bedside. He grasps Astra's shoulders and tries to gently to shake her awake, not wanting to disturb her further. She jolts awake, her eyes unseeing, and she continues to thrash under his grasp.
"Astra-Astra, it's all right, you're safe, it was only a dream-" his feeble attempts at comfort are cut short by the huge gasps that are being released from her lungs. Her eyes are now clear, but are flooded with unshed tears. Before he can even comprehend what he is doing, Kylo Ren reaches out and pulls the girl toward him. Slowly, he wraps his arms around her back and pulls her to his chest—she does not respond to the awkward embrace at first, but after a moment she tucks her head under his chin. He can feel her tears soaking his collar, and the press of her lips against the skin of his neck. He is not strong enough to suppress a shiver at the feel of her soft lips on his skin, and at his shudder, her small hands fist into the front of his robes.
As he holds her in his arms, he knows that he will not be taking her to the Supreme Leader. His weakness makes him sick, but the thought of this girl being anywhere else but in his arms far outweighs the feeling. He loathes to admit it to himself, but it makes him feel as though his soul would split in two.