The Prettiest Star - Star Wars - Kylo Ren

XVIII

The ship was a small piece of junk that had been salvaged from the remains of a town the First Order had attacked many months ago. It was rusty and painted in faded whites and reds.The interior was incredibly messy; it looked like a bomb site. Aya sat in the cockpit and brushed the dust from the controls.

Kylo had asked her to join him in a meeting with the Knights Of Ren. Apparently it wasn't unusual to bring servants or 'squires' with them. The scale of what Ren had asked her to do shocked her. The amount of trust he was placing in her was massive. She almost felt guilty.

The ship was necessary in enforcing the discretion of the meeting that was to take place in Mustafar. For the same reason, nobody else would be joining them on the journey. Aya couldn't help but feel somewhat nervous.

From the back of the ship, the sounds of Kylo's metallic footsteps echoed through the body of the vehicle. As Aya began to switch the engines on, he slipped into the seat beside her. To her surprise, he began to join her in starting up the ship. Together, they got the engines running and prepared to take off. Ren's swiftness and ease with the controls surprised her. However, considering he was the son of Han Solo, maybe that wasn't such a surprise after all.

She turned to glance at him before they left. His shadowed figure silently leant over the controls, staring out at the docking bay exit with upost concentration. He contrasted hugely to the white layout of the ship that glowed and beeped on every surface, it teemed with synthetic life. Kylo appeared inhuman, a statue. He had created this character himself, like Aya had done all those months ago. It struck Aya that they weren't so different after all.

Turning back to the controls, they gradually guided the ship off the ground before shooting out of the docking bay. Soon enough they found themselves drifting through hyperspace. Hardly a word was spoken as they flew across the galaxy. Ren's mind was on their destination, not the woman sat next to him.

It was clear that this was not the first time he had made this journey. Kylo hardly needed Aya to co-pilot or help him. Clearly, his intentions with her were different to those he had stated. Before long they found themselves entering the atmosphere of the forsaken planet having not exchanged a single word.

The atmosphere was thick and heavy with various fumes, it obscured the windshield with gloomy shades of grey. When they burst through the layer of gas, they found themselves in a dark, apocalyptic wasteland that was lit only by the lava that covered most of the surface. Even through the solid windshield, they could both feel the heat of the molten rock begin to crawl along their skin.

They landed on a run-down platform that was once majestic. Parts of it had been melted away by the heat and scolded. For a moment Aya feared that it wouldn't hold the weight of the ship. As they began to shut the ship off Kylo spoke with his grainy, robotic voice. "You don't speak unless asked to. I want you to stand behind me at all times." He reached over to flick a final switch. "I would advise that you keep your head down."

Aya raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She trailed after him as he strode towards the exit. The landing was suspended on the face of a dark cliff. It led into a decrepit building that was half submerged in the flowing lava. Something had happened here, and they both knew what it was.

Silently, she followed Kylo as he led her into the building. It was dark inside, lit only by the lava that glanced in through the large open windows. Some parts of it were more damaged than others. It was evident that people had been there since that fateful day as a lot of the rubbish and shrapnel had been cleared away. But that didn't eradicate the gaping holes and scorch marks that dotted every surface. The temperature was slowly rising as they walked deeper into the building. Aya felt a bead of sweat drip down her forehead before catching on the metal of her mask.

Finally they strode into a large open room. It was empty and almost pitch black. Aya could only make out shapes of objects looming in the shadow. Suddenly the room was lighter as Kylo swiftly turned his lightsaber on. The objects became slightly defined by the flickering red glow. He swung it in a large, sizzling arc, catching a makeshift torch.

The room erupted in light. Around the edges of it, a large flaming torch lit up like a river of fire. It had been hastily constructed by flammable material and scrap metal. In the centre of the room, a large table stood, surrounded by high-backed chairs. It was once extremely damaged but had been patched up with odd pieces of metal. Rubble had been pushed to the side of the room to create a clearing around the table. It cast irregular, gloomy shadows that now moved in the flickering light.

Ren strode towards the largest of the irregular chairs. It was made of dark, charred metal and sat at the head of the table. He seated himself and leant back, laying his arms so they hung off the sides. Aya took her place behind him. She clasped her hands behind her back tightly and stared at the scratched floor.

The sounds of resonating footsteps echoed from the corridor in which they had entered. She listened to their heavy footfall as they stepped into the room. Casting a brief glance, she looked up to see a figure sitting down. They were clad in a similar dark attire to Kylo Ren. A metal mask clung to their face and was accompanied by a long cloak that was flung across their shoulders. They grasped a long spear-like weapon. As Aya glanced up they looked directly at her, with a shudder, she quickly lowered her gaze once more.

She didn't look up as the room filled in with similar figures. None of them spoke as they entered. "Knights Of Ren," She heard the recognisable sound of Kylo's dark voice cut through the silence. "It has been a long time since our last meeting. I trust that you are all well."

"We have been very busy in your absence, Master Ren. As I am sure you have heard." A second voice sounded, it was more sharp and dangerous than Kylo's.

"Now is your chance to tell me everything." He replied.

What followed was a torrent of deeds and stories that chilled Aya to the bone. What these characters had done to achieve power was beyond belief. Death seemed pitiful to them; they were willing to do anything. Their plans and discussions were far more malevolent than Aya had initially expected. At the head of them all, Kylo Ren oversaw and approved everything.

"Who is the girl?" She heard a voice sound from the opposite side of the room. Aya froze, Kylo felt it.

"A warrior. The most trustworthy person in my ranks." He stated in response. Aya was shocked by his words.

"She is more than a stormtrooper." A third voice echoed around the room. Their gazes burned into her as she stared at the floor.

"Indeed, the force is unusually strong with her." Kylo said from in front of her. "I plan on her becoming my apprentice, if Supreme Leader Snoke allows it."

Silence set into the room once more. Aya's mind was racing. The thoughts of every single one of the knights screamed suspicion. They didn't trust her like Kylo did. However they didn't dare speak out against his decision with fear of his wrath.

She hadn't realised that he was planning on something as bold as that. It must have been stewing in the back of his mind for weeks, hidden slightly from her view. Guilt began to grow from the back of the door in her mind. In that moment, she saw the face of Poe when she had stuttered out the words of her betrayal. The pain in his eyes had burnt into her mind. As she looked at the scars, she knew that, one day, the same pain would be visible in Kylo Rens'.