Chapter 9

Kylo's first order ship

His threatening words were stuck in my head for the whole journey. They had infested my brain and constantly been on my mind. Yet I felt too afraid to ask him what he had meant, knowing his answer would not be pleasant. However, it didn't look like I would have to worry about finding out anytime soon, as Kylo tried his best to avoid me for the whole journey.

He was more focused on piloting the ship through hyperspace than attempting to make conversation. Kylo had said we would explain everything to me once we were on board, but seemed to have changed his mind. The fact that he was hiding something from me left me edgy the whole time. My anxiousness came with a wave of insomnia, preventing me from sleeping that night.

Despite the day stuck on the ship being extremely tedious, it was still a luxury compared to the star killer. I for once had some privacy, which I appreciated more than anything. There were also no menacing Stormtroopers occupying the spacecraft. It was as if I had escaped the dire reality I had been plunged into, and now I was freer than ever.

It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders as Kylo announced that we would soon be docking at Bakkah space port in the next few minutes. The whole 24 hours we had spent travelling couldn't have gone by any slower. I noticed that the ship had already dropped out of hyperspace, giving me a good view of the planet. I squirmed at the sight of it. Bakkah looked barren, hostile and dangerous; all things which had probably attracted Kylo to it even more.

The presence of the dark side felt overpowering in this part of the galaxy. I could sense it all around me, slowly closing in. We drifted into the atmosphere of the planet where Kylo began to land the ship on one of the countless docking stations. I reluctantly walked up to the cockpit to meet him.

"Ana, do not say a word to these people. I will sort everything out with them," Kylo stated.

I scoffed at his request, but followed it nonetheless. I knew that I was out of my depth on a planet such as this. There would be no escaping whilst I was here; my main objective was survival. Kylo turned away and pressed a small switch adjacent to the door, causing it to swiftly open. Only now did I get my first look at the surface of Bakkah.

Despite the hot rays of the sun which I could feel penetrating my skin, Kylo still remained in his mask and uniform. He stepped ahead of me and marched out of the doorway, along the metal railings. I sheepishly followed behind him, hesitating to leave the safety of the ship. As soon as I stepped out of the door I felt the crisp air hit me. It was a thrill I hadn't experienced in a while. Even the scorching heat was somewhat soothing.

Once we reached the end of the railing, towards the centre of the large spaceport, an officer addressed Kylo and myself. He was dressed in a light uniform, which was much more suited to the climate than Kylo's heavy robes. His composure looked incredibly professional as he stood with authority, yet I wasn't intimidated by him whatsoever.

"Nice for you to visit Mr Ren. We weren't made aware of your arrival. Is there something urgent we need to be informed of?" he greeted.

"There is nothing to worry about. I am simply here to visit with my apprentice, nothing more. But I would appreciate your confidentiality, officer."

It was evident that the man who had welcomed us had a torn look on his face. He looked well – trained, and could probably tell that Kylo was lying to him. I knew that he was desperate to inform his officer as soon as we had left. Kylo was quick to realize this too, but didn't let it bother him. Instead, he took advantage of his force powers to ensure that the officer wouldn't be a liability.

"You will walk away and forget that we landed here. You will not remember meeting us."

"I will walk away and forget that you landed here. I will not remember meeting you," he monotonously replied.

I stood in shock as the officer marched away and did just as he said. It concerned me how powerful Kylo was at manipulating other people's minds. I also wondered whether he had used it to influence my own mind over the years as well. Kylo checked that I was still with him before continuing on his journey. It caused me to snap out of my thoughts and follow his determined pace.

I had no idea why he was so paranoid that I would escape. It wouldn't be possible even if I tried; I was completely new to this menacing planet. I knew that any attempts to run away would ultimately fail. However, it didn't stop the thought from teasing itself in my head every so often. My hope was the only thing which gave me the will to live.

I took fast steps the keep up with Kylo's large strides. He was certainly in a rush to leave and get to whatever place that he was planning on us staying at. I didn't blame him for his hastiness after the scene we had just caused. Our presence was obviously not wanted on this planet; it would only lead to an army of Stormtroopers following us and destroying everything in their path until we were found.

I thought about what our new residence would be like. I knew that Kylo had always lived in luxury, but from the year I spent on Jakku I had grown used to living off the bare minimum. Wherever he was planning on taking us couldn't be worse than my small shack that I used to call home. I was snapped out of my speculations as Kylo came to a halt by a small transporter ship and swiftly opened its hatch.

"Ana, we'll be making the rest of the journey in here, get in."

He didn't give me chance to reply as he proceeded to seat himself in the piloting position. I was frustrated by the way he had been purposely eluding me, but spoke nothing about it as I perched myself next to him. Inside the ship was much quainter than Kylo's own first order spacecraft. It didn't surprise me, after all Kylo was only ever given the best of the best from the supreme leader.

Kylo made no delay before launching the cramped ship into full throttle. The speed at which we travelled threw me back into my seat with a strong force. I was still deliberating over his adamant urgency and obvious stress throughout our entire journey. The desolate landscape flew past as we sped across the planet. I felt an urgent need to know why I had been brought here.

I never even attempted to fill the long silence with small talk as I continued to watch the limited scenery through my window. I had given up with Kylo. Whenever I thought I was making progress, I would always end up taking another few steps back. He shut me away, like he did with everyone. He had even turned his back on his own parents. I sometimes wondered about how lonely he must have felt; but he chose this life and therefore deserved the consequences of it.

My daydreaming made the time fly by. Before I knew it, Kylo had stopped the ship and landed it by a simple clay house. This was far from the lavish quarters he had on the star killer, yet I still preferred it. However, I wasn't sure about how well Kylo would adjust to the change in lifestyle. It amazed me that he had picked this place himself. It would definitely feel cosy with the both of us occupying it.

But for some reason I found myself smiling at our new abode. It was a reminder of my old life and most importantly, my freedom. Yet Kylo's attitude towards me had already ruined my mood. I couldn't believe the way he had cut me off all of a sudden. The only time he spoke to me anymore was to give me an order or another one of his vague warnings. The way he purposely evaded my eye contact caused me to finally flip over the edge; I was tired of him ignoring me.

"What's your deal Kylo? Why drag me all the way here with you, when you can't even find it in yourself to look at me?"

He glared in my direction, making me wish I hadn't opened my mouth. Whatever Kylo was thinking, certainly wasn't pleasant. Despite my temptation, I held myself back and bit my tongue. It was a painfully long wait before Kylo finally responded.

"There are many things you need to know Ana. I knew that I told you everything before we left, then you would have never come. Even if that meant your own death."

"What could possibly be so despicable that I would sacrifice my life to avoid?" I questioned.

His answer caused a violent storm to brew within me.

"I'm going to bring you to the dark side and show you its beauty. Then once your training is complete, we will kill Snoke together."