Kylo pulled his cloak around his shoulders and looked into the mirror. His uniform was, as ever, pristine. But his eyes said something different. He felt the familiar dull grip in his chest, his throat. Would this pain ever end?

"What is happening to me?" he asked himself out loud, for the hundredth time. He looked every part the Supreme Leader, with his fragile, white skin, red eyes and thin blackened lips. His temples showed yet more black tendrils, snaking across his forehead and down his neck. He raised his hands and let a crackle of electricity spark on his fingertips.

The Dark consumes me, he thought to himself. Yet I grow weaker.

He looked across as the warm body laying on his bed. They thought he wasn't aware of her purpose. But he had felt her watching him, lying quietly as if asleep, but spying, reporting. Yet, he didn't care. He needed not to be alone.

He started, as suddenly his desk unit buzzed. Phasma. "Lord, could you please come to the throne room. General Hux requires your presence."

Here it comes.

Kylo spun on his heels and moved, heavily, from his chamber into the public hall. As he swung around, he felt the Stormtroopers guarding his door eye him closely. Another troupe marched towards him, their weapons held tightly to their chest. He flexed his leather gloves, and felt for his sabre. It hung against his thigh, as heavy as the foreboding in his heart. His hand clung to it as he swept towards the throne room. A hiss, as the grand doors opened before him.

Hux. The General stood close to the throne, his thin white face contorted into a rictus grin. All around him, spanning like a red flower, were eight of his own Knights, dressed in the red garb of the Praetorian Guard. A further four stood uneasily to the side, their eyes on him as he entered the room. Their hands were tied. His mind reached for the four. They reached back, and told him all he needed to know.

"Eight should be enough, don't you think?" said Hux, in response to the grim understanding slowly filling Kylo Ren's face. "Afterall, its not as if they are facing a worthy opponent."

As he spoke, the eight Guards stepped forward, and drew their weapons. He felt their combined minds press against him, as they moved as one, just as he had taught them.

Why? he thought, simply.

Because you are still of the Light, they replied, as one. You must die. You taught us this.

Kylo felt almost relief as his familiar rage started to build. This is what he needed. "No. You are wrong," he said, and he spoke the truth.

He drew his lightsabre, and lowered himself into a crouch, holding the sabre alongside him. His eyes glowed. His set his mind to the closest Knight, and lifted him from his feet. Quickly, he threw the body against another red solider, causing both to fall back into the wall, their weapons sparking as they clashed and melted. Kylo roared. He then threw himself upon a third Guard, effortlessly twirling his red laser around his head before plunging it into the Knight's leg. The Knight cried out in pain, and fell to the floor.

Kylo sensed a new doubt in the room. He could still do this...

"Such a shame," Hux began to speak, as Kylo stepped back to recover his footing. "That your own Knights have so little belief in you. But its a pattern, isn't it, Kylo? Even Snoke lost faith."

Hux stepped forward and glowered. "Isn't that why you killed him?"

Kylo felt his rage tremble. The fear glittered beneath it, its tendrils snaking into his heart, like the black veins on his face. His sabre flared, and dulled. Flared, and dulled. One of the Guards stepped forward, and swung with all his might. His sabre cut through Kylo's cloak, sending up a cloud of smoke as the singed fabric fell to one side. Kylo instinctively raised his own sabre to meet the red solider's, but as they clashed, he felt a resistance.

"Isn't that why you also killed your father?" Hux continued. "Solo wasn't really convinced, was he, Kylo? When he was there, of course. And the same with your mother. Even she gave up on you, in the end. Even..." he smiled, maliciously, "Even the girl rejected you."

"Shut UP!" roared Kylo, his rage again feeding him, like a fierce, painful shot to the heart. He threw his mind towards the General, pushing him onto his back as he stepped towards him. The remaining Guards stepped forwards to meet him. Together, they pushed Kylo back, causing him to drag his feet back towards the throne room doorway. Their minds came together, and lifted him from his feet.

In shock, Kylo's temporary rage once again subsided. Instead, he felt again the icy fronds of fear. He looked down in horror to see not just his feet dangling below, but a great black hole suddenly appear below him. A vision. It pulled at him, once, again, opening and closing like a great toothless maw. He felt his arms weaken.

General Hux rolled onto his belly, and lifted his head. "FINISH HIM!" he yelled. The remaining Red Guard stepped forwards, as one.

Kylo's eyes widened, as he surveyed the scene. The hole beneath sucked at him. Come to me.

For a moment, he looked again. Why...why not.

Then... he remembered. A similar fight in a similar throne room.

How easily she had slipped to his side, rolled onto his back as she kicked out against their foes.

He could still feel her light touch on his thigh...

Rey.

He looked down. The hole beneath him shimmered, reduced. He shook his hair back from his face, reached within himself and pulled, hard.

For an instance, his lightsabre glowed red, then flashed purple. Then, he streaked his left hand towards his remaining four Knights, and shouted. A rush of power smashed their chains into smithereens. All four immediately moved towards him, moving as one. Hux yelled, and scrambled to his feet. the Red Guard raised their sabres and ran...

Kylo moved forwards. He pushed back hard, sprawling them all across the floor. But then, just as he strengthened, his heart remembered.

"Don't do this, Ben."

Her face, as the door closed. The humiliation. His sword glowed red, and dulled.

Then he saw his father's face. His hand, reaching for him, touching has face, as he slipped away, falling...

He gasped, and staggered backwards - once, twice. The four loyal Knights, sensing retreat, fell in with him, stepping back faster and faster before all five broke into a run. Kylo, leading the way, blinked back tears of frustration as he set his feet and his mind upon his command shuttle, and escape.