Chapter 8

Kylo Ren's quarters on Star Killer base

The majority of the last 4 days had been spent meditating. A calm atmosphere had formed between us, despite my initial bitterness. We had even successfully avoided any more tense stand offs. Every day I began to feel more connected with the force. The small spark I once felt had turned into a powerful wildfire.

It was only early morning when I was woken up by the enthusiastic voice of 2R61. "Master Kylo would like to inform you that you will both be taking a ship to Bakkah," it announced. I had heard of the planet from Leia many years ago. From what I remembered, Bakkah consisted of mainly desert terrain and was located in the outer rim. The way it had been described reminded me of Jakku; both planets were similar in many aspects.

However, there were also plenty of dark rumours about the planet. It was a well-known legend that a valuable sith amulet had been located there a few decades ago. Legend had it that it was given to emperor Palpatine before he was killed; now its whereabouts were unknown. Bakkah's history concerned me of Kylo's true intentions. I was suspicious as to why our destination was a planet greatly linked to the dark side.

I knew that now I had to be more alert than I had ever been before. I couldn't let Kylo take advantage of my blossoming power, or the consequences would be catastrophic. He would stop at no expense to bring me to the dark side, but I would sooner die before that ever happened.

When I finally hauled myself off of the bed, I noticed more of the metallic boxes situated next to the droid. "Master Kylo wanted to deliver these to you," 2R61 promptly spoke. I murmured a short thank you to express my gratitude, before starting to pry open one of the lids. It was then that I remembered the box which had been locked when the first set of deliveries had come. I never questioned Kylo on it, presuming the contents had been for him. The box had disappeared now, and I was clueless as to what he had done with it.

By the time I had opened all of my new supplies a small smile lit up on my face. I had gained new desert attire, similar to my old clothes. However, it was evident that my new outfit was of a much better quality. The silk tunic was composed of elegant white drapes, which would help to keep me cool. Unfortunately, the first order emblem was still largely noticeable on the fitted black belt which it had been accompanied with.

I was also given a mask with a set of safety goggles, likely to protect me from any of the volatile sand storms we could experience. Yet again, Kylo had thought of me when planning this new trip. But his blunt words from last time bounced around in my head. Stop expecting the best of me, or you will just end up hurt. I took his warning seriously.

After I was finished scavenging through the new deliveries, the droid kindly served me a plate of breakfast. The taste of the fresh bread and butter was mouth-watering. The treatment I had been receiving since I discovered my force sensitivity was a dramatic improvement. I couldn't help but feel like I was being used.

"Thank you 2R61. Did Kylo say when we would be leaving?" I politely asked.

"In 1 hours' time mistress."

"1 hour?!" My eyes bulged at the short notice I had been given. The information caused me to snap into action and briskly get dressed into my new outfit. After that I began to hurriedly pack the rest of my limited belongings into a dark leather satchel, found in one of Kylo's cabinets.

Despite my suspicions, I couldn't help a small sense of relief at the thought of being able to breathe in fresh air once again. The idea of leaving the Star Killer base thrilled me. I would once again be able to roam the natural landscape of an actual planet. I knew that I couldn't let myself get carried away, or I would be more vulnerable to whatever scheme Kylo had in place.

It only took me 15 minutes to hastily get ready for the spontaneous trip. The droid had patiently waited for me to prepare myself, something that I couldn't see Kylo ever doing. I nodded to 2R61, signalling that I was ready to go and meet Kylo before we set off to the lonely planet. Bakkah wasn't a very populated place due to its extreme climate, and therefore most of the planet was completely isolated.

"Master Kylo said that he would meet you by the flight deck. His ship will be there ready for you both."

"Who is flying the ship?" I curiously asked.

"I am aware that Kylo will be piloting the ship himself. The crew for this journey will consist of only you and my master."

I couldn't deny that I was shocked by the droid's statement. Being alone on a planet with someone as unpredictable as Kylo could be my death sentence. I had no idea that he even knew how to fly a ship, especially to a planet as distant as Bakkah. Even with the hyperdrive, the journey would take well over a day. I decided to stop interrogating the droid and leave all my questions for Kylo once I met up with him.

2R61 proceeded to lead me out of the room and through the ever confusing corridors of the Star Killer. With my white uniform, I blended in with the masses of Stormtroopers we encountered on the way. However, it didn't prevent me from still being intimidated by their inhuman outfits which stripped away any of their personality.

The flight deck was a 10 minute walk away from Kylo's bedroom. The length we had travelled made me realize the extensive size of the station. It worried me that this weapon could be used to wipe out the resistance, and most importantly, all the close friends I left behind on Chandrila. Kylo surely knew the location of his mother, the general. I was grateful that he had managed to hide this away from Snoke.

As we stepped onto the flight deck, I saw many large ships occupying the area. It was bustling with various officers and soldiers who were all working on the complicated mechanics involved in maintaining the fleet. I found myself disoriented by the chaos, but thankfully 2R61 seemed more composed as it led me to Kylo's spacecraft.

I noticed him still wearing his hooded black suit and looked at him in confusion. His dark uniform would leave him sweltering in the desert heat, yet he still chose to wear it out of pride. It said a lot about who he was. Too busy preparing his vessel, Kylo didn't notice us as we walked upto him.

"Master Kylo, Ana is here and ready for departure," 2R61 announced.

He seemed startled by the droid, but almost instantly managed to hide it from everyone. Kylo took a long look at me in my new clothes, I couldn't tell his expression from underneath his mask. It bothered me when I was locked away from his emotions like this, but there was nothing I could do about it. The mask only fuelled Kylo's impulsiveness whenever he wore it.

"Thank you 2R61," Kylo responded. "Did you take care of my other request?"

"Yes master Kylo. No one knows the rendezvous of your ship. I disabled the tracking system last night as you asked."

Kylo continued to ignore my presence as he spoke to the droid. I stopped listening as I heard the revelation; not a single person would know where we were headed to. I wondered why Kylo was so desperate to hide from all of his crew, including Snoke. My mind became distracted and was lost in thought by all the possibilities I created in my head.

"Ana, give the droid your luggage to load onto the ship," Kylo interrupted.

I suddenly focused and did as he asked, handing my bag to 2R61. The droid then left us both alone, wheeling itself away to the hull of the ship. Kylo briefly looked around the room, checking that nobody was listening in. I raised an eyebrow at this gesture and wondered why Kylo was suddenly being so secretive. Once he noticed that we were out of hearing distance from any of the crew, he began to share his plans with me.

"We will be visiting Bakkah for the foreseeable future," he quietly murmured in his robotic voice.

"Why does no one know where we are going? What are you planning to do with me?"

"Keep your voice down Ana!" he harshly whispered, "I will explain everything once we board the ship."

I took that as my cue to remain silent whilst we waited for 2R61 to return and give us the all clear for taking off. I had no clue how I would be able to spend 24 hours in such a confined space with Kylo. I could tell that he was feeling tense about the journey, but I thought that this probably was related to the secretiveness of the situation. Going against the supreme leader would cause anyone to feel nervous; even Kylo.

After a tedious 5 minute wait, I spotted the droid heading towards us. 2R61 addressed Kylo and started to have a mind-numbing conversation about all the technical checks it had completed. I felt incredibly impatient as they both went over all the system data and co-ordinates Kylo would need. The thought of finally getting away from the first order had my stomach doing back flips. Even though Kylo would still have me captive, I couldn't help but feel liberated from the menacing grip of the Star Killer.

"Master Kylo, your ship is one of the most advanced in the galaxy. Please ensure that you return it in one piece once your mission is complete," 2R61 concluded. The aim of his 'mission' was still a mystery to me, but despite that I wasn't foolish enough to think that he wouldn't try to pull me to the dark side whilst he had me alone. A simple nod from Kylo ushered the droid away. He firmly grabbed my arm and began to pull me onto the spacecraft. I speculated why he felt the need to force me to go with him seeing as I had been compliant the whole time.

"Kylo, you don't need to drag me onto the ship, I'm not going to run away," I stated.

"Trust me. When you find out what I really have planned, you will."