Kylo's mouth felt dry as he stood in front of the interrogation chamber. He clenched his hands into fists, from what he had felt from her she was not trained in the Force. Her Force signature shone brightly but she couldn't use her gifts - not yet.

He could offer her to teach her. If the intelligence reports were true she had been nothing but a simple scavenger who had to work hard to get enough food. How could she possible reject his offer to become powerful enough not to bow to anyone anymore - well, at least anyone save Snoke.

Come to think of it… why should they bow to Snoke? If they worked together they could certainly overthrow the old tyrant! They could rule together, yes… and then he would promote Hux to become his Grand Marshal so that he could finally get rid of Pryde. Hux would like that.

He unclenched his fist. Hux… how would he react to it all? He pushed the thought aside. There was no point in musing about this now. First things first.

He punched his codes in and the door slid open. The woman was bound to the same interrogation rack like the resistance pilot, she glared at him, there was anger palpable in the air. It should be easy to seduce her to the Dark Side.

"Where are my friends?" she spat.

"Your friends? You'll be relieved to hear that I have no idea."

He could sense her relief at the same time the sour taste of fear started to tinge her emotions. So only her concern for her comrades had kept her defiant?

"I'm not really interested in them. What I want to know is where that coward Skywalker is hiding. I know that the droid has shown you the map, give it to me."

"I'm not giving anything to a creature in a mask!"

He reached up and unlocked his helmet. If he wanted her to come to him, he needed to show her a certain level of trust. He pulled the helmet off and put it on a small table usually reserved for interrogation tools.

"I'm not a creature, I'm a human - just like you." He noticed with satisfaction that her eyes darted from his eyes to his mouth and back again, he had taken her by surprise.

"You may not be a creature but you're still serving the Order. You are evil!"

"Terms like good and evil are reserved for idealists and children. Fairy tales for grown-ups, nothing more." He leaned in, scanning her face. She was indeed beautiful like Padmé, and there was so much determination and fire behind her eyes that he couldn't help but smile a little. "You should know better than to believe in fairy tales. You slaved away in a hell hole, struggling to survive. Did other people care about you? No, they did not. They stole your rations whenever they could, cheated you out of water... "

She gulped but didn't say anything.

"I know that you are Force-sensitive. You are a goddess among insects, you should not concern yourself with them. We are meant to rule them for we are their betters."

She frowned. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

His eyes went wide. "What?"

"I can sense your inner conflict," she said in a firm voice. "You are not the only one able to read feelings."

"Be quiet!" hissed Kylo. How dare she? She was barely trained and she dared to lecture him?

"You are still drawn to the light, aren't you?"

"Enough! You will now give me the map to Skywalker!"

"Never!"

He lifted his hand and focussed on her mind, just as he had done with the pilot. She gritted her teeth, struggling in vain against his intrusion. He saw her talking to the Stormtrooper and to- Han Solo! His concentration failed him for a short moment but it was enough for her to push back. Suddenly she was in his mind, seeing him kneel before Snoke, staring at Vader's mask, him standing in front of Hux's quarters-

No! This was his! His alone! He pushed her out, taking a step back. He could barely control his ragged breathing as he stared at her. He was panting too but there was a determination on her face that surprised him. How could she resist him? How could she have learned so fast to overcome his mental defenses?

He had been weak! When he saw his fath- Han Solo he had lost his grip on her!

"You don't have to bow to Snoke," she said with a pleading look on her face. "Help me escape and-"

"No! No this isn't supposed to happen! You are supposed to follow me to the Dark Side! I have seen it!"

She frowned and scoffed. "Bantha shit. Why should I follow you? You tortured my friends, you kidnapped me-"

Kylo stared at her in horror. This wasn't at all what he thought would happen! Quick, he had to think of a comeback… but nothing came to mind.

"You will join me!" he growled, grabbed the helmet and literally fled the room.

He thrashed a console right outside the room, screaming in anger. This wasn't like it was supposed to be! Snoke had shown him that she would fall to the Dark Side! She had bested him! Him! He was supposed to be special- 'You think the galaxy owes you some kind of justice simply because you're so special. I know you and your ilk. You are dangerous because you don't think that others are only there to cater to your every woe. And if not… you lash out like a spoiled child!'

He howled in anger, keeping on slashing the already destroyed console with his lightsaber. Hux had been right! Why was he always right?

He put the lightsaber away and marched down the hallway to the lift. He needed to get in the gym or he would wreck at least three other consoles.

-o-

Down in the gym he didn't even bother to change his clothes. He stormed into the room and started to bench-press about five times before he threw the barbell into the next wall. He grabbed a dumbbell and threw it on the floor, then he used the force to bend the weight laying next to the bench.

A few minutes later he had calmed down. He stared at the mess he had made. Kriff! Kriff! Why couldn't he pull himself together? He needed to see Hux, he needed him to make him- he sat down on the floor, pulling his helmet from his head and throwing it away.

He really was pathetic. No wonder that Hux considered him a mistake - all he was good for was being a blunt weapon for people a lot smarter than him. 'Not the sharpest vibroknife in the weapon racket'. 'Why are you getting so angry?'

He didn't know - by the stars, he didn't know why he lost his temper like a bantha on glitterstim. No wonder that nobody respected him, they only feared his tantrums. He would never command respect like Hux.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He hammered his fist on the floor until it hurt. He was so frustrated that he could feel tears sting in his eyes.

He sniffled. No, no, he couldn't stop. He was Vader's heir - what else was there? After what he and the Knights of Ren had done at Luke's academy he could never go back. And he didn't want to anyway!

They had all been afraid of him, told him off when he tried his best! Nothing was ever good enough! That's why his father had left for all these missions in space, that's why his mother had sent him away!

Only Hux had looked straight at him! Only Hux had bothered to really talk to him, not using some empty platitudes about morality and the Force. He checked his chronometer - 20:13. He checked Hux's calendar and saw that he had no entries. He was probably working in his quarters.

He briefly thought about calling him but then he decided against it. What was he supposed to tell him anyway? That he felt lost? That he needed him to make him feel good again? No, he just needed to go to him and grab him and get him to give him what he needed.