Kylo Ren nearly collapsed as he, leaning on the small farm girl who had saved him from certain death, hobbled across the threshold of the medical bay. Though his pride had taken a beating when he began to lose, once again, to that pathetic scavenger, being saved by his own apprentice and dragged down seemingly endless corridors because he as unable to walk on his own also took its toll. His failure to strike down the two Jedi attackers weighed him down, dragging him into a suffocating darkness. The thought of Supreme Leader Snoke's forthcoming disappointment terrified him so much that he began to shake lightly. His punishment would be as severe as his failure. Perhaps his survival was not as opportune as he might have wished. Maybe it would have been better had the girl left him to perish forever ridding the galaxy of his future failures. He glanced sideways at Aurora who struggled under his weight. She had nearly carried him the whole way without a peep. She was the small reward in this disaster. She could have left or most certainly left him to his certain death, or killed him herself, yet she chose to save him out of her loyalty instead. She should have finished the scavenger, but he knew before he even commanded her to she would be unable to do so. She had too much light in her, even with all the insistent and grueling training with the Dark Side. She advanced quickly through her training, and he chose to overlook her reliance on the light side. He would now have to rethink his training, if he survived his punishment.

He leaned on her delicate, weary frame as she led him to the nearest table. The tenderness she exercised in lowering him gradually to the surgical table came as a pleasant surprise. He half expected her to drop him, but she was gentle and winced as a deep groan escaped from him. The absence of her warm body pressed next to his left him longing to keep her near as she stepped away from him. Kylo Ren squelched the ridiculous desire as cold rushed to greet him, sending deep chills through his bones. He turned his head and watched as his rescuer explained exasperatedly to the med droid the immediate attention he needed. She tugged at a droid mid procedure from another badly injured solider in her panicked attempt to rush it. A grin tugged ever so slightly at the corners of Kylo Ren's mouth. The girl had spark. He felt a growing fondness for her, though he would never admit she was anything more than an expendable asset. His eyes found her staring back with worry as she walked to his side.

"You will be taken care of now." She declared as if trying to convince herself. "I guess I should report back to my room. I wouldn't want your stormtroopers to find me roaming free. Surely they would think me a traitor and attempt to kill me." Her voice was thick with sarcasm, though her eyes revealed the truth behind her words. She feared she might be targeted for attack due to recent activities.

Before he could process what he should say which would be harsh words to push her away,

"Stay" escape his lips, and he reached a battered and bruised hand towards her, brushing her forearm.

Aurora shivered as his fingers skimmed her skin, leaving an electric trail in their wake. The sensation made the hairs stand on the back of her neck. Why did she care so much about what happened to this man? He certainly did not reciprocate any of her kindness. Though his speech was terribly slurred, she could easily make out what he said, "stay". Gazing at her with such tired, almost boyish eyes that begged from her to stay like a child who yearned to be comforted, he broke her heart. He looked so helpless and lost, she could not help feeling pity for him. She too was weak from her own battle, and she knew it was taking its toll on her physically, but also mentally. She was drawn to him in her weakness, taunted with a dangerous attachment to the monster in front of her. She knew giving in to her moment of desire would be a huge mistake, but a large part of her yearned, if only for tonight, not to be alone. Aurora watched intently the droid who worked on its master. It placed tubes into the broken man's arms, pumping him with several different fluids and positioned bacta patches to close and replace skin where trauma was most evident. Kylo Ren gritted his teeth with clenched jaw as the droid reset his ribs into their proper places. Aurora looked around the room and discovered a chair against the far wall, she reached out to call it to her only to find she was far too weak to manipulate the object from such a distance. She shifted to move when the chair strained then began to respond to its summon. At first, the movement took her by surprise, but the droid spoke to its patient lying on the table,

"For your own safety, please refrain from moving while healing treatment is in process." The order sounded more like a suggestion. She guessed many droids probably came to violent ends by phrasing their words wrong in front of this man. She looked at Kylo's strained face and outstretched hand as the piece of furniture came to rest behind her legs. " Showoff" She mused as she sat down, much to her aching body's relief.

The treatment had begun to kick into effect flowing freely in Kylo Ren's vein and pulsing through his body. Pain began to wash away like sand on a shoreline, each wave dissipating its hold on him. His eyes threatened to close involuntarily and his head was in a spin from the drugs. A few more hours and he would be on his feet once more, a day and the violent events that transpired will be but a reminder of his failure and a deep pool of fuel for his revenge. He would wreak destruction that was never before felt on the Resistance. He knew he must face Snoke for his defeat but not before he brought down swift and unspeakable carnage to The Resistance. He must reclaim the fear and power to control and prove his worth in the game they all played. He gave in to his heavy eyelids. Kylo Ren basked in the pleasure, hanging onto his awareness by a very small thread.

"Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he'll crush you. You know it's true." Han Solo's ghost whispered, seeding doubt for his master deep within him. A mere pawn... the thought disturbed him, even as a child that's how he always felt. The dream continued to play in his head as he countered his father "It's to late."

"No, it's not. Leave here with me. Come home. We miss you." A pang hit him in the stomach at the old man's words. It had to be a ploy, a trap! How could a father who was barely there, a father who was embarrassed by his son's strange connection to the force possibly miss him. He left whenever he had the chance. Ben never felt like anything he did was good enough in his father eyes, but still, hearing the plea in Han's voice moved him. All he ever wanted was his father's approval. Tears threatened pour as he responded "I'm being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?" As the words fell from his mouth his heart ached and shattered. He had to follow this path, there was no going back. He had done too much, pushed too far. He had to kill the light in him once and for all, and become the most powerful being ever. That was his destiny.

"Yes. Anything." were the last words his beloved father said to him. Words that haunted him whenever he slept. He tossed and turned trying to wake from the nightmare, but it was to late. He fought every fiber in him to chance fates design but the damage had been long done. History repeated and the fiery blade ignited and pierced the worn man's heart. When facing his doom Solo tenderly touched the side of his son's face, the look on his face tied Kylo Ren's stomach in knots "Father!" He gasped, crying out. Tears poured from his face as he reached for the man who was no longer there; sweat beading down his face and chest. He panted as the dream faded and reality pushed forcefully back to his senses. He looked wildly as a soft touch fell at his arm.

Aurora didn't know how to respond as she watched Kylo Ren begin to turn and moan. He had just fallen asleep ,letting the drugs kick in, and looked so peaceful, almost childlike. It showed a youth she had never before seen in him, casting an alluring attraction that would have made her blush had he been a young man from back home. However, as distress made its way back to his defined facial features, she began to worry something in the treatment wasn't working correctly and caused him to suffer. She turned toward the nearby medical droid who had begun to help other wounded soldiers and opened her mouth to summon it when small mumbled sounds came from Kylo Ren's mouth. The sounds were mostly indiscernible, but gauging from the way he clenched his jaw and furrowed his eyebrows while turning his head back and forth, she realized that this dark lord was having a nightmare. The irony would have been humorous had she not been witnessing his clear distress. The most feared man in the galaxy, who struck terror in the hearts of the bravest of men at the mention of his name, was haunted in his dreams, the land of no escape.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his movement became more desperate. He jerked from side to side as if he was trying to pull himself away from the scene that haunted his dreams. Aurora moved to wake him but hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should, or if she even could, pull him from his torment. Once again she was deeply bothered by the suffering of the man who made her suffer so much. Her stomach filled with lead, and she wanted to turn away, but she found herself unable to peel her eyes from the scene in front of her. His hair, now soaked with sweat, clung to his face as he thrashed violently about. Breaths came deep and jagged through clenched teeth.

"Father!" He wailed with pure agony, tears now streaming down his face. He sprung up and grasped out with his hand as if reaching for a person he could clearly see. Sobs racked his body as Aurora watched him escape the haunting dream and find reality, his chest heaving heavily. Wetness cascaded down her face and she could not contain the emotion of what she had just witnessed. His emotion swept over her, and it proved to be too much for her. She reached out and rested her fingers lightly on his forearm. He flinched and looked frantically about until his eyes found her. She watched silently as his eyes, still wet, intently locked on her, the conflict in him evident. He wanted comfort, but anger flashed in his eyes and his jaw clenched. She reached for his outer thoughts and felt his reaching into hers. Terror took hold of her as she remembered his warning the first time she let him into her mind. Her fear quickly dispersed when his thoughts flowed openly into her. She had seen him vulnerable and weak, watched him battle his demons and fail. Aurora saw how he feared she had seen him as weak. He despised how she must have pitied him. He now thought to rip any memory of the encounter from her mind; he would take it from her just as Skywalker had her past. Guilt flashed across his face like lightning, and she knew it wouldn't stop him even though she could see the sorrow in his eyes. Something about her presence soothed him, and he almost-. Kylo Ren cut the connection mid thought; coldness crept into his stare. He held up a shaky hand which froze her in place.

"You shouldn't have seen that," he seethed, his voice like a dull blade cutting through her chest. She winced, unsure if he meant the dream or the thoughts in his mind. He swung his legs over the side of the table and stood before her. She knew he decided he would wipe her memory either way and hurt her, so she began to tremble as she spoke.

"I know what you are going to do, I'm begging you if you truly mean I'm not a mere pawn to you, you will not do this." He took another step towards her face unchanged of its determination. A big tear rolled down her face as she continued. "You are not weak Kylo Ren, I see you and I'm terrified." His hands found the sides of her face thumbs resting at her temples. "Please don't do this." She pleaded, she could feel his presence forcing into her mind breaking her defenses. Sobbing she closed her eyes pushing past the familiar pain then opened once more. "I thought you were worth saving, I still do."

At her words his hold on her wavered. Her small body trembled before him and her eyes held the same sadness and longing he saw the moment he drove his lightsaber through his father's chest. He would never forget those eyes that haunted him each time he closed his. His resolve faltered, and he pulled his presence from deep within her mind, lingering just on the edges. Being so close to her was unnerving, but he stood where he was. His hands fell at her cheeks as he continued to focus on her eyes, searching them for answers. "Why did you save me? I've murdered countless, I've tormented you, destroyed your planet, your home, family." Those last words dripped heavily with disdain and regret. "There is no light within me, nothing to save," he said, failing to hide the despair he felt. He tensed, waiting to read her response. Her eyelashes, long and dark, fluttered, damp with the tears she had shed, something he never seemed to notice before. He found them to be quite stunning, along with the other features of her face, now that he was at proximity to study them.

"Because in spite of all of those things I see pieces of you that are not that man. I truly believe if the galaxy was yours to rule apart from your master things would be different. I believe in some ways there would be peace. Am I wrong? Would you still massacre the helpless? Would you continue to prey on the fear and destruction of the weak? Would you needlessly destroy entire star systems? Do you enjoy it?" She said each word with conviction. "I had a chance to leave with the Jedi, but what they did to you…How does that make them any better?" She said the last part conflicted, and he knew then how close she was to leaving. He also knew he should rebuke her for the treason that escaped her mouth at the mention of him without his master, but he couldn't in this moment. Her hands raised to his face, and her fingers gently held it. His body flexed in tension under her touch. "I don't know how to describe to you how I feel, but I can show you."

Kylo Ren knew she was letting her guard down to him; if he wanted to take her memories at this moment he could before she even realized he had. The Force flowed fluidly between them, the warmth of her light calmed him like he had never experienced. He was nearly overwhelmed by a feeling he had not felt in a very long time..peace. It was not all peace and light, however. He could also feel her darkness, the strength and power that fed him. He let his forehead rest against her as he felt waves of darkness flow toward her, begging to add to her energy and bravery. He reached out to her mind. She was conflicted by the continuous raging battle within her. She loved the light but somehow she continued to let the darkness in. She felt she was on the brink of breaking apart and being consumed in her battle. She didn't belong with the Jedi. She feared they would push her away when they learned of the darkness in her. The violence they displayed scared her. She did, however, long to have the comfort that Skywalker exuded. The embrace they shared flashed in Kylo Ren's mind, and jealousy jabbed at him. She had felt safe, something he had yet to show her. She stayed because she felt like he understood her, like he had gone through the same feelings she struggled with, and even though she had the light in her, he didn't punish or rebuke her for it. He accepted that as a part of her, and didn't try to change that. She saw that he was consumed by the darkness but could never truly stay hidden from the light. She saw through his though exterior to the deep, bleeding wounds that drove his search to expel them with darkness.

"You feel like you are being torn apart." He finally broke the silence. The feeling was familiar to him. He wished he had the solution to give her, a way to end the conflict within her, but he had not yet overcome his own raging storm. He closed his eyes. The memory of his final encounter with his father briefly flashed in his mind and brought with it a stinging pain. He was sure killing his father would have removed all light from within him, but it seemed only to strengthen the tempest that raged inside him. He withdrew from her, placing distance between them in hopes of postponing his nightmare. Oh, how he wished to help her.

He was treading a very fine line. A bond had taken hold of him, a bond he could not afford to have. Supreme Leader Snoke would tear her apart to bring her to the dark side, and she would never pass his tests. For now, he would bide time to train her and to remedy his mistakes. He wanted Aurora by his side, but he knew that Snoke would not allow such a thing. He would see the compassion and light in her and demand her death. A traitorous thought slithered into his head, the one the girl spoke of. A galaxy in which he ruled free from his master. He shook the thought from his mind but the shadow remained, nurturing the seed of distrust his father planted within him. I will not be cast aside he thought not now or ever.

He looked once again to Aurora. "I will escort you to your new room, your previous quarters are no longer suitable." He could see the hurt in her eyes at his sudden coldness. "I appreciate your candor and your loyalty," he tried. With a fatigued sigh he decided to give her one more moment of honestly. He closed the space between them and embraced her, pulling her gently up against his solid form. She gasped in surprise at his arms encircling her waist, but she didn't push him away. The warmth of her body burned through the fabric between them, making him squeeze his eyes shut to keep new tears at bay. The last embrace he had was when he said goodbye to his mother before Luke took him away to become a Jedi. He never knew how bad he missed the gesture until now, this was weakness, but in this moment he didn't care. "I am consumed by darkness, Aurora, death will always follow me. I can and will protect and train you to become powerful. I will not force my fate on you nor drain the light from you, but do know I am not weak, you will never see this side of me again. You would do best to forget this, but that choice is yours. Darker days are coming, and I need you embrace the Dark for you to survive. I cannot coddle you like Skywalker would." As he spoke she leaned into him, her body welcoming this small gesture toward her. He almost added something but held back. He squared his shoulders breaking the embrace. The moment was over. He walked her to her new accommodations in silence. As she walked in, the door closed promptly behind her, and he simply turned to leave. It was time he planned his bloody revenge on the Resistance. He would bring the girl and watch the horrifying shock cross their faces as they realized the waste of resources over the girl who didn't want to be saved. A grin fell upon his face at the thought as he retrieved a new helmet and placed the mask over his head.