Darkness At Dawn • Kylo Ren [1]

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"How on earth can such pain exist within us without any physical harm?"

∫

To her dismay, Elara sat on the edge of Bellamy and Jude's shared bed with a heartbroken expression on her face. With her best intentions, she began to explain what was going on to them in the dim light of evening.

"My loves, I will sacrifice my ambitions to keep you safe but for me to sacrifice such things, this can only ever be a personal decision about oneself and their nobility." She claimed, trying to convince herself that her decision was the right one. "Do you understand?"

Bellamy shook her head slightly, her small body was tired and needed sleep. "Everyday you tell us to do the greater good."

"That's right my sweet girl." Elara reached over and kissed her daughter's forehead.

Jude sighed. "Will you leave forever?"

"Of course not, home is here with you." She tapped Jude's chest, pointing out his heart specifically. "I'll always be right there."

"Promise?" Jude smiled lazily.

"Promise."

"Can you tell us another story before you leave?" Bellamy pleaded.

"Yeah! One about the Jedi hero Dez Edel!" Jude chanted, snuggling up beside his sister.

"No! We heard about him last time, I wanna hear about Vega Delgado!" Bellamy cried out.

"Hmmm." Elara thought for a second. "I know, how about I tell you another story about Luke Skywalker!"

Jude jumped out from under the covers and into Elara's arms. "The bestest Jedi ever!"

Elara blushed, humming in response. "Okay let's see. In a galaxy far, far away lived an elder man named Luke Skywalker and we all know that he defeated the evil Empire and saved his father from the dark side-"

"Darth Vader!" Bellamy chanted.

"-that's right Bell! Not long after that, Luke Skywalker saved a little slave girl from Tatooine and raised her to become the best Jedi pilot in the galaxy! The girl had a best friend named Ben Solo and the two fought off villains every day, making the world a better place but one day, Ben Solo became a villain."

"Oh no!" Jude yelped. "The dark side!"

Elara nodded. "He destroyed everything in his path to become more powerful than Darth Vader."

"No one is more powerful than Darth Vader." Bellamy pointed out, sticking out her lip. "He's stupid."

"Wouldn't we all like to say that to him?" Elara muttered under her breath. "But anyways, who comes out from the shadows? Why, it's the two new heroes of our story! Jude and Bellamy Jane defeat Ben Solo and save the day!"

"Yay!" The two children cheered.

"That's enough for now darlings." Elara gently kissed the foreheads of both Bellamy and Jude before tucking them in for bed. She then excused herself and turned off the light before exiting down the stairs with nothing but a small bag in her hands. Poe sat at the kitchen table, discussing things with Gail, Sabellius and Amar.

Elara cleared her throat. "Ready to go?"

Poe looked up and nodded.

Gail's wrinkled face reflected doubt and dislike. "Are you sure figlia? I don't want anything to happen to you."

For the first time in a very long time, Elara replied knowingly. "I'll be okay."

Sabellius' white beard scratched Elara's cheek when he went to hug her. "Don't listen to your mater, you were born to do these things and now your break is over."

"Thank you pater." Elara kissed his cheek and walked over towards Amar, wrapping an arm around his robotic waist. "Goodbye Amar, take good care of them for me please."

Amar laughed. "I have for eight years, nothing will change."

"Please distract Bell and Jude from any bad news you may receive, I don't want them to grow up in fear that their mother won't return home." Elara whispered.

"Of course Elara." Gail nodded. "Do send us updates though."

"I will."

"We have to leave now, I have word that the First Order has discovered our whereabouts." Poe didn't mean to nag but they really did have to leave.

"Let's go."

∫

Poe Dameron's x-wing was much smaller than what Elara had remembered. It also made her uncomfortable since once upon a time, she was one of the best pilots.

"So was it like an accidental thing?" Poe's face heated up when he asked, trying to make the question less awkward.

"Pardon?" Elara coughed out.

"Bellamy and Jude...?" He whispered, mainly for the benefit of himself.

Elara chuckled, shaking her head as she flipped a switch. "At the time, it was an accident." She confessed. "But I don't regret anything. They were a coping mechanism and a distraction from my old self decaying into garbage, they helped save me."

"And they aren't his?" He questioned.

A small frown formed on Elara's older but still extremely beautiful and youthful looking face. She slumped back in her seat and rested her cheek against the window, sighing. "They are not." She promised.

"Alright, just wondering." He turned his attention to the meteorites ahead.

"What's the mission I was so desperately needed on?"

"A mission to Jakku." Poe revealed. "An old ally by the name of Lor San Tekka has a map that could help us find Luke Skywalker."

"Jakku? That wasteland?" Elara scoffed.

The sudden beeps from a droid caused Elara to look up, staring directly at a circular droid. For a reason she couldn't explain, Elara thought it was R2 before she got a better look.

"That's BB-8." Poe smiled to himself. "The best droid a man could have."

"I don't need the details of your romance with a droid." Elara teased. "How far away are we now?"

"One sector." Poe replied. "Are you ready to get back in the game?"

"It's not a game kid." Elara bellowed. "It's a lifestyle."

"Forgive me but didn't the famous Elara Jane stop that lifestyle for six years?" Poe challenged.

A returning smile crept back on her lips. "What do you think I did during those six years?"

"Babysit?"

"Ouch, good one. I can admit that the first year was absolutely painful and shocking but the second year, I spent hours perfecting my combat skills and wisdom. I've only become more stronger than I thought was possible. My mother told me I shouldn't tell Jude and Bellamy about my years at the Jedi Temple, training at the academy but the stories just kept coming. I shouldn't tell them about the battle of Endor or the extinction of Alderaan but they know everything. They know that Ben Solo was taken by the dark side and killed, they know about Dez, Vega, Palace, Dahlia and Lennox!" She paused, amazed she was letting this all out. "Hell, they even know about our padawan's lost in the fire of Kylo Ren. Did I mention Jude's favourite is Darth Vader?"

"No, you didn't." Poe exclaimed.

Elara's attention drifted to the nearing planet. "Commence landing."

"Rodger that General Jane!"

A/N: The next chapter will be about how Bellamy and Jude came to be. It explains what happened over the course of six years and how Elara managed even though Ben basically  brutally cut her heart up in a million different pieces. It'll be in the form of a flash back. THANKS FOR READING.