In various shades of black, the dimly lit room sat silent. A king-sized bed with neatly folded sheets sat cold in the later part of the chambers. The only sign that someone lived within was the steam from the bathroom and the small assortment of precious items on the floor there. With the use of rare crystals, natural metals, exotic flowers and trinkets, astral projection was a smoother endeavor. Time seemed to fly for her when left to her own devices. Like a brilliant comet, she'd go far and wide to any glimmer or sparkle that caught her eye. Through her travels she discovered lush plants, animals, and encountered races she'd only seen in books. Unquestionably, projecting herself through her mind really gilded her cage.

Invasive chains clank at the edge of her consciousness, unable to grasp at anything. They merely fall limp to the unknown abyss below.

If there was a limit to how much one could gild a cage, she was evidently reaching it. The troops couldn't recognize the way her face lit up when she was brought out of his chambers briefly. General Hux ignored her, therefore he certainly didn't notice the breath of fresh air she'd take when she reached the hangar. One could see straight through her, and he knew what he was doing: Kylo understood how isolation could adversely affect the mind and planned to make her so lonely that she'd be begging him not to leave her side. Azani figured this out some time ago and defiantly refused to give in to his plan.

Regretfully, after a whole month of being alone, she certainly felt isolated. There was no time frame, explanation, or location that he'd give her about the unusual trips. His reasoning being that she wasn't part of the First Order yet, so it wasn't her business to know. She wouldn't argue with him about it and he wouldn't prompt the conversation. Normally, his trips would last about a week, with random messages throughout. It was his way of keeping in contact with her while he was away, Kylo always mentioning how much he longed to see her.

With her mental bubble now visible, the chains return. Gently clanking against the sphere, the chains multiply.

While the messages were worded nicely, she could perceive the intended meaning behind them with clarity: So long as she was on the that ship, she had nowhere to run. Though she wasn't allowed to leave his quarters, she had everything one would need to live a luxuriously comfortable life. The expansive room was like a private palace, with a deep tub, full kitchen and desk area for crafts of any kind. The doors were locked via e-chip and remote control, two things that only he had. All the vents were carefully locked from the outside with no screws of any kind with motion sensors, so those were also out of the question. Stormtroopers were instructed that she should only be removed from the room in case of a life or death event. If there was a possible way to get out of that room, he knew she'd find it, so he made a promise. Kylo swore in the event that he discovered she escaped the ship, Azanis' planet would promptly become nothing but space debris.

The chains grow longer, rising to the midway point of her safe zone. Forcefully, she shoves them back down.

Being the princess for her people, they looked up to her for support in their cheerless days. With her parents' blessing one day, Azani would've been crowned their divine ruler and lead them into prosperity. Her freedom was not worth their destruction, so she made sure Kylo undoubtedly knew her frustration and rejection with him. Conversations were brief and one-sided, meals were eaten alone, and she provided him with no bodily or emotional comfort. In addition to these, she worked very hard using other methods to make him tire of her. Conceivably at some point he'd just let her go or kill her, but if he moved on to another person she'd feel ashamed. Shaking thoughts of the future away, her mind drifts off back to more peaceful times in the past.

Azani now exhibits effort in keeping the chains at bay, her astral body plunging into the peace that once was for safety.

'Peace is to live in harmony with those around you without fear.' Her inner sage spoke to her in a gentle, hushed tone.

In her adolescent years, she would have eagerly agreed with the soothing voice. She frequently used to remark about how easy it was to find the good in every situation, how there was happiness that could be found in all corners of the galaxy. She knew nothing of overwhelming amount of hatred that filled that same dark void. Any place where the First Order existed was devoid of peace, that much she knew from her time on the Star Destroyer. Azani considered what her outcome could've been had someone warned her about the true power of the darkside, about Kylo.

'Agitation against the past will cause stagnation just as worriment over the future causes haste. With such haste, mistakes were made, progress has been lost. Let yesterday be remembered and learned from. Let tomorrow be hoped and prepared for. Let today be fought for and lived within.' Her guide made a point that Azani tried to ignore.

The overall point of the perplexing statements wasn't something that Azani was looking forward to. She was kidnapped from her peaceful home, thrown in a gilded cage, and was now being told to make the best of it. How could she ever convince herself to enjoy staying here? Shaking her head, Azani lost more focus on her astral travels, and settled for just floating outside her body. Her guide always had a deeper meaning within the words, and Azani could decipher it if she just focused.

'There's no way I could have known, that's for sure. But fate provides so many paths for one being to take. Is it really so hard to believe that there was no way around this hardship?'

Azanis' consciousness hovers anticipating a response, but comes to the conclusion that her sage has left her alone.

'Thanks for the advice I guess...'

Azani could still recall their meeting, in the meadow in her dreams. She recognized him from her dreams, the little boy with jet-black hair. He was so small, helpless and isolated. Regardless of the fact that he was in her dreams or that she knew nothing of his origin, she couldn't ignore his cries. She did question it at first, Dizi cautioning her about engaging with unknown life forms in her mental travels, but the boy cared about her. He considered her a big sister at times, coming to her with his frustrations, fears, and hopes. His parents must have not been around to care for him, much like hers weren't for her. They bonded over this fact, trying to fill the holes for each other to make themselves whole. Little did she know that his hole wasn't getting smaller, it was getting bigger and she was falling in.

'I'm getting out of here, with or without your help.'

Looking out the window, she watched the various space objects float around. Azani knew that soon she'd be out there, traversing the cosmos for a new home world. Her planet was depending on her to keep them alive, but it's only a matter of time before he found some reason to have it destroyed. Since his threat, she'd been working with the Republic through the force to discover a new planet for her species. This past month she'd been working every bleak day and sleepless night, communicating with them any plans that were over heard. In addition, there was a small escape route that she perfected on a scratch pad. All she needed was for Kylo to leave for one more extended trip, and she'd be free.

Looking towards the complex map, Azani made a mental trip through the ship on her escape path, practicing for the real deal.

The halls were cold and quiet save the for the sound of foot steps by the trooper occupying their post. As she reached an intersection or corner, her ghostly form would wait anxiously for them to leave. She'd been observing them for so long; she knew their routes and had a general understanding of the layout of the ship. The plan was to get to the control room and alter a schedule for a fighter ship, and hijack it off to another planet. Considering that the computer had a couple of issues and the ship in question was being repaired was almost too good to be true.

Arriving at the hangar, her eyes surveyed the metallic room. The trooped milled about in their usual fashion, tending to the damaged ships and making reports on the new ones being constructed. Only just as she's about to leave, her eyes widen at the sight of one particular ship. The shape of its wings and the little bits of the interior that she could see coupled with seeing General Hux emerge from it were her confirmation. It was Kylo's ship, meaning Kylo was on his way back to her room and she was here, utilizing the force in secret. Hundreds of little voices entered her mind, all terrified of what could become of her if she were found out. This fear of his potential outrage made it impossible for her to focus on returning to her body.

'I have to get back, NOW!'

Azani is violently brought to the abyss by the chains that wrap around her.

Kylo entered the room then; she could hear the main bedroom doors open. Normally, she'd be in the main room looking out the window, but this time she'd been caught off guard. She was still in the bathroom with all her tools splayed out on the ground. He had no idea about her small collection of items, and she' needed to keep it that way. Promptly falling to her feet, she scrambled to collect each object up and thrust them in a pocket. The small thud that came from her fall must have alerted Kylo, as his large foot steps could be heard heading directly towards the bathroom. He pockets weren't very large and he was already at the door. Her adrenaline was already kicking in to make her move faster, but just as she recovered the last item from the ground, the door opened.