Underneath it all

Leaving Chandrilla.

Kylo walked slowly away from the clearing, his mind spinning. His mother was dead, her light completely gone from the force when he closed his eyes. Rey was alive and his General was missing. "Supreme Leader we have searched the area, no other life forms found" a trooper said as he emerged from the trees. "Any sign of General Hux?" Kylo asked. For a moment the trooper stood silently, clearly unaware of what had taken place. "No Supreme Leader, do you wish us to locate him?". Kylo shook his head. "No. All troops onto their shuttles and all tie fighters back to base. We are leaving now". The trooper stood quite still, before clearing his throat, "Leave without the General?" He said, his voice trailing off as Kylos head spun towards him, "We are leaving immediately, that is an order".

As the troopers filed onto the shuttles and the tie fighters lifted into the sky Kylo took one last opportunity to go back to where his mother had fallen. He stood for a moment, staring at the fallen rocks and then with a deep breath he walked closer, stopping when he saw his mother. She was lying as he had left her but now the whole of the front of her clothes were a deep red, her face as white as snow. Kylo crouched down and leant closer to her, his hand moving to her face. He leant back on his heels, thinking of the way she had looked at him, even in his mask her eyes had been full of love and forgiveness as though she had seen through the mask and recognised her child before her. Kylo turned as the last troopers shuttle lifted into the air and once it was out of sight he turned back to his mother, pulling off his glove. He looked at her, hesitating before he reached out and touched her face, his bare fingertips feeling the cool skin. A rise of emotions swelled within him and without thinking he lifted off his helmet, setting it down next to him, the warm sun on his skin as he leant slowly down to his mother and kissed her cheek, pausing for a moment as he tried unsuccessfully to stop tears from falling. He allowed himself a moment longer before standing up, wiping his eyes and pulling on his glove and helmet.

Kylo sat silently on his command shuttle, his eyes scanning Chandrilla as they rose into the sky, looking for any sign of Hux. Kylo saw nothing, that thought alone sending a chill up his spine, where was he?

Back at base Kylo walked wearily to his private quarters but not before informing the officers that if they located Hux he must be contacted immediately.

Kylo closed and locked his door, stripping off his helmet, boots and gloves before dropping down onto his bed. He rolled onto his side, thinking of his mother, thinking of what she had said to him, that she loved him. He squeezed his eyes shut, the pain of her words staying with him.

He had food brought to his quarters and then he showered. He stood under the spray and thought about Rey, not in the way he usually did at this point in his daily routine, but in a heavy, anxious way. He wasn't sure if he would see her again and if he did what would she say to him? Would she hate him, scream at him? He wasn't sure.

Back in his room he pulled on pyjama bottoms and climbed into bed. His last thought before he fell into a troubled sleep was his mother's face, lifeless and cold.