Chapter Text
Not far now. You were almost there. Through the midst of the raging blizzard, the crystal cave came into your eye line at long last. The majority of your facial features, which had turned various shades of crimson, felt numb due to the bleak atmosphere of planet Ilum. It was evident that even your thick snow clothing was little competition against the everlasting swarm of freezing elements. Even though doubt was creeping into your mind as you remembered that what you were seeking had long ago been thought to have been stolen by the Empire, you plodded and stumbled onwards.
As soon as you entered the cave, all was calm. The eternal blizzard, ferocious winds, all of it. You could already feel yourself defrosting momentarily. As your blood began to circulate your fingers once more, you took down your frost-covered hood and stood in awe, contemplating your surroundings. Kyber crystals! Before stepping further into the cave, you recalled Rey (your best friend) explaining how the lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker had called to her. Perhaps it's the same with kyber crystals, you thought to yourself. After exploring for about 10 minutes, you decided you'd just have to pick one up. At that moment, you felt something powerful pull on your mind. Very powerful. Although you were new to the Force, this was unmistakeable. The kyber crystal was beckoning you towards it, and so instinctively you followed. You arrived at the corner of the crystal cave, which to your surprise was shrouded in dark shadows. However, one solitary crystal shone at the centre of the darkness. It felt like a magnet, in which you were the paperclip. You reluctantly picked up the colourless yet bright crystal, even though this moment felt like destiny. For a moment you stared into it, almost as though you were gazing into your very soul. You were abruptly interrupted by what vaguely sounded like ship engines, yet the sound was not familiar. A sense of danger arose inside you, and without a second thought you hastily placed the kyber crystal in your satchel, which included various parts of a lightsaber.
You were about to make a swift exit from the cave but at that moment, you sensed something other than danger. Something about it mirrored yourself, yet it was different. Darker. Dismissing your previous intentions, crouching behind a cumbersome rock seemed like a better course of action. While attempting to calm your breathing, you stayed dormant and listened out for the slightest sounds. There was a pause, then suddenly you could only just make out muffled voices.
"Commander, where do you suggest we search? How do you know where she is?"
"She's here. Bring your squadron and follow me."
The hint of fear was apparent in the first voice. But the second one... That was something different altogether. It was deeper - more robotic. There was no emotion.
Are they talking about me? You questioned yourself, feeling your heart beat rapidly now. No, how would they know who I am or why I'm even here? Multiple heavy footsteps were drawing nearer - you just knew it - and so was that feeling...
You could not fathom what it was, yet somehow you recognised it. There was only one thing that felt like this - the Force. But that doesn't make any sense. Unless...
And that's when it clicked. You knew exactly who it was. Luke and Rey weren't here to save you. And where were you now? Trapped. Trapped in the corner of a crystal cave. There was only one way this could end.
It wasn't hard to interpret his intentions. They didn't call him the "Jedi Killer" without purpose. The continuous footsteps were unmistakeable now, and as if out of nowhere, they stopped. The silence was torture. You squeezed your eyes shut, praying that he would not find you...
"Here."
You heard the fierce crackling of a lightsaber being activated, followed by slow footsteps. Mocking you... Tormenting you... You both knew there was no escape.
At this point your heart was hammering and your ribcage felt like a wooden box containing a dragon. Fight or flight. Anyone with so much as half a brain would know it would be suicide to fight, which just left flight. You hurriedly glanced around for some sort of an exit, all the while desperately attempting to maintain steady breathing. The only exit was ahead of you. The same exit that was your doom's entrance.
Run.
In an instant, you bolted forward, adrenaline pulsing through your body. You sprinted as quickly as your legs would carry you. To your astonishment, you'd made it out of the crystal cave and continued to run in the direction of your ship that you had arrived in. Without any warning, you froze. Muscles tight, feet firmly planted into the thick snow. You couldn't move. A small whimper escaped from your mouth as you knew your means of escape had failed. After a few moments, a black figure loomed over you, his shadow like a dark cloud over a city. You felt yourself shrink at the very sight of him. No matter how hard you tried, your muscles refused to spring into action. The man standing before you was draped in black cloth from head to toe, with a black and silver helmet in which his face hid behind. The only thing you could do was study him, and that's when you noticed the handle of his lightsaber, which had returned to its position on the man's belt after you'd last heard it being ignited. Assuming your fate, you waited for the dark figure to reach for his weapon. However, to your surprise the lightsaber remained stationary. All that moved was the man's arm, which was now outstretched along with his hand towards your fearful face.
A sharp pain pierced into your very mind. Pain. So much pain. Every thought, feeling and memory flashed before you all at once. That beast was inside your head. Inside your mind. He knew everything. You couldn't shut him out. Burning tears brimmed in your eyes as you felt yourself fighting a battle you were destined to lose.
"It is as I suspected. She is one of them. Return to the command shuttle."
Your flooded mind swiftly became shrouded in darkness and then... Nothing.
~
Chaos. That was the name by which the Jedi Order called you when the three of you arrived at the first Jedi temple. While they were not visible ghosts as you had first anticipated, they communicated to you, Luke and Rey through the Force. The ability to speak telepathically had always been a great challenge for you, especially in your early days as a progressing Force user. Rey had always been a faster learner than you, but also had more experience in addition to her astonishing natural gift with the Force. However, the Jedi Order spoke to you in a way which could not be ignored. They addressed you as Chaos. Why? Were Jedi meant to be chaotic? You were troubled by the negativity that you assumed followed this name, but decided to push it aside.
Rey put her shoulder around you and said "We're gonna achieve wonders, you and me", enthusiasm and confidence radiating off every word. You responded with a half nervous smile, doubt snaking its way into your head. Was there something else in store for you?
~
Your mind snapped back into life as if by the click of a finger. Your whole body jolted all at once. As you regained your senses, you noticed that your surroundings had altered. The whole environment was new to you. The only thing that hadn't changed was the fact that you couldn't move. All four of your limbs were clamped onto a cold metal chair, which felt more like an upwards facing stretcher. From within the shadows there he crouched: the infamous Kylo Ren. Your mind quickly reverted back to what Rey had told you of when she was captured by the First Order. That's when it dawned upon you that you were in a torture chamber. Whether or not this torture would be mental or physical, you already had a taste of the pain Ren could inflict upon your mind.
While all emotion and expression was hidden behind his mask, or by the Dark Side perhaps, it appeared as though he was studying you. Curiously, cautiously, in detail. Attempting to figure you out. Although you didn't consider yourself as anyone special, you were more complex than even you failed to realise. The two of you remained silently staring; him at you, and you at the floor. After a short while, Ren rose to his full height, once again towering over you as you continued avoid his metal gaze. Not a single inch of flesh was exposed - it felt almost inhuman to you. As if reading your mind, he removed his helmet and placed it on the floor, revealing a deep scar slashed across his face. You knew that this was the mark Rey had left him after their lightsaber duel on Starkiller Base during its demolition. You couldn't prevent yourself from staring at it - not out of shock, but for reasons you couldn't explain, you were intrigued.
"Where are Skywalker and that scavenger?" His voice was surprisingly calm for someone with a reputation of uncontrollable anger. A brief rush of fury escaped you as you retorted without hesitation, "That scavenger is my friend!" You realised that this was an unwise remark if you intended on surviving, but kept a stern expression on your face despite your inner panic. Even if it meant you were to die, you would remain loyal to your friends. "A poor choice to say the least." Ren sneered. You could feel your blood boiling at this point but managed to keep your rage at bay with great difficulty. Luke had always taught Rey and you to find your inner peace, which both of you found challenging at the best of times. "You will tell me where they are, or I will just take the information from you." He raised his arm, performing the same gesture as when you first encountered each other on Ilum. The piercing pain flooded your mind for the second time as you gritted your teeth together. Ren searched through your head, ravenously seeking out the information he was after. You squeezed your eyes shut, desperately trying to regain control of your own mind. Shut him out. Shut him out. To your surprise, his arm retreated from your face. Confusion and frustration filled Ren's face as your mind was no longer an open book. You had dominion over your mind once more. Well, most of it.