VII.
***
I awoke with a start, thrown from unconsciousness once again because of a nightmare. It was the same as always, Snoke commanding me to join the darkside and threatening if I didn't. As I sat alone in the dark trying to catch my breath I could hear the sounds of someone else sleeping restlessly. My old instincts kicked in and I knew that Kylo was being kept up by nightmares as he had been years ago. He had assured me that night that the nightmares would go away if I joined him, but that clearly was not the case.
My first instinct was to go to him, to comfort him, but he was no longer the boy I knew. I sat listening to him screaming loudly enough to pierce the thick walls, feeling torn about what I should do. Deciding that I should at least go check on him, I pulled on a cloak and reached for the door. It was locked. He deserves to be alone then, I thought in annoyance. He had to stop locking me in here.
The hoarse screams stopped and I was once again left in silence. Without thinking I reached out with the Force to see if he was awake.
"Kylo?" I called tentatively.
"Get out of my head." He warned, he was definitely awake.
"Are you ok?" I asked.
"Of course." He scoffed, I could tell that he was lying.
"Sure, that's why you were having violent nightmares just minutes ago. You're completely fine, of course." I was tired of his 'I'm fine, I have no emotion but anger" act.
"So were you." He countered.
"I never claimed to be fine." I said.
"But I am, so drop it." He growled, trying to intimidate me as usual. It was the middle of the night and I was tired and pissed off, I wasn't going to be intimidated by him.
"Do you need me to come to your room?" I asked, not quite sure what I wanted the answer to be.
"No. Go to sleep." He said after a moment of silence. Had I been able to see his face I would've seen a slight smile appear and his eyes widen at the thought that after all these years I still cared enough to comfort him.
"Ok, I couldn't anyways because you locked me in again." I said resentfully, trying to hide the hint of sadness that had come from his rejection.
He didn't respond again for some time and I almost thought he had fallen asleep when he said "Goodnight." so quietly I might have imagined it.
"Goodnight."
***
The next morning I got dressed as usual and went to check the door without thinking. I assumed it would be locked but to my surprise the door opened easily, showing the empty hallway in front of me. So he had listened to me after all. I pulled my cloak around me more tightly as the cold air from the hallway hit me and blew my dark hair everywhere.
I leaned against the doorway and braided my hair quickly as I decided what to do with my newly found freedom. Following no particular direction I walked aimlessly through the corridors in an attempt to make sense of the layout. I was still secretly plotting an escape, but the idea seemed improbable and I now had nowhere left to go.
Turning left I found myself in a brightly lit hallway full of Storm Troopers and other members of the First Order. Nobody payed any attention to me as I walked anxiously down the hall, sure that somebody would try to apprehend me again. It seemed as though I had really been given my freedom. I peeked into a door on my right to see a windowed control room full of computer operators and officers. General Hux himself was discussing something with another First Order officer.
I looked back down the hall to see Kylo walking towards the control room with an entourage of Storm Troopers in tow. I moved away from the door and watched Kylo curiously as he passed me to enter the door. He didn't acknowledge my presence at all and I couldn't help but wonder why he had let me out in the first place. He walked over to General Hux and the two seemed to argue over something.
"Kaia." A booming voice called from inside the room. It was Kylo, his mask making his voice different as usual. I hesitantly walked inside and towards him.
"What?" I questioned, slightly fearful under the eyes of so many officers and higher-ups.
"General Hux wanted to meet you." Kylo explained briefly.
"Hello Kaia Dameron, I've been waiting to meet you for some time now. It's a pleasure." The red-haired man said, his voice as rigid as his posture. He reminded me a lot of a rat or some other creature that sought only to protect itself.
"Um... same to you?" I wanted to be polite but I think it came off as sarcastic instead. I could hear Kylo trying to suppress a chuckle as General Hux's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yes, well then now that we are acquainted I have business to attend to. I hope you will prove to be worthy of the First Order's trust." He said before turning on his heel and walking out to the hallway.
"That went well." I said awkwardly. I seemed to put my foot in my mouth every time I needed to say something important.
"You should go back to your room." Kylo instructed.
"Why? I just got out! Why'd you leave the door unlocked if you didn't want me to leave?" I questioned angrily. He kept changing his mind and it was so frustrating.
"It's safer for you in there, not everyone here sees the potential you hold. They see you as a prisoner, as Resistance scum." He said in monotone.
"They clearly don't know me then, I would never join the Resistance." I muttered. It was still difficult to believe that the group I had once believed in and trusted had now become my enemy. A man dressed in First Order uniform approached Kylo nervously.
"Sir, the Supreme Leader would like to see you." The man said, walking away quickly as soon as his message had been delivered.
"Kaia, go back to your room." Kylo ordered. I knew he meant well, but I was too curious. Though the idea of meeting Snoke made me feel sick to my stomach I needed to know, needed to see the person who held so much unwanted influence over me. I nodded, agreeing with his command, then proceeded to hide in a nearby doorway to wait for him to pass.
I knew if I followed too closely that he would see me or sense me. It was only the barely disguised fear present in his mind that kept him from being able to read my mind loud and clear. I walked after him as quietly as I could, my heart rate increasing tenfold as he stopped in front of a nondescript door in a deserted section of the base.
He opened the door and I slid in behind him seconds before it closed. I hid behind a pillar and watched as he walked across the room to stand in front of a stone platform. Though I wasn't trying to read his mind I could hear it loud and clear, Kylo was terrified.
My eyes widened in surprise as a gigantic hologram appeared on the platform, the figure from my dreams incarnate.
"You wanted to see me, Supreme Leader?" Kylo asked, his voice steady despite the internal fear I knew he felt.
"Yes." Snoke replied in an all too familiar tone which sent shivers racing down my spine. It was terrifying to finally see the person who had haunted me since childhood. "It's about the girl."
