The Dark Side (Continued)

I set BB-8 down quickly. There's an intercom port near the interrogation room door I can use to contact Kylo, if he's on the bridge.

"Kylo?" I say into the comm port.

"Rey, get into the interrogation chair. I'm on my way."

"What?" I push the button again but there's no response. BB-8 is still tucked away near the open panel on the floor, just behind the interrogation chair. She looks at me as she silently charges.

"I really don't want to get into that chair," I tell her. The interrogation room door slides open and Kylo walks in with a few large strides and picks me up, like I weigh nothing at all. He doesn't even slow his steps as he carries me to the interrogation chair and plops me down into it without a word.

"What are you doing?" I say as he fastens me in.

"Don't say anything," Kylo replies. Our eyes meet for a moment then the comm system starts up and Hux's face appears on the screen. Kylo turns to face him.

"When we heard Rey was missing we assumed you took her from us," Hux says, looking down his nose at Kylo.

"She's here," he says, clasping his hands behind his back and standing straight.

"We hadn't heard from you." A grin forms on Hux's face. "So we took the liberty of destroying your little Alma Mater."

Kylo's jaw clenches.

"A little planet called... Coruscant, I think?" Hux says.

They destroyed the ?

Hux has a smirk on his face as he watches Kylo. "Your old Jedi friend, Master Dukath was it? He was living out his final useless years on Coruscant was he not?"

Kylo's fists clench at his sides. His back is turned to me now and I can't see his expression.

"Did you think we didn't know about him?" Hux clears his throat. "Now that we have Luke Skywalker, we can find Ahch-To and do the same to that planet."

"No!" I shout at the screen.

Hux and Kylo ignore my outburst.

"Supreme Leader will be happy to know you're bringing the girl," Hux says, seeming bored with the conversation now. "He was beginning to lose faith in you."

"How did you destroy Coruscant?" Kylo asks, his head bowed but his voice menacing.

Hux cuts off communication and there's silence.

I'm not sure what to say. This is far worse than I ever imagined.

"Kylo?" I say softly. He lifts his head and walks over to me, unclasping my restraints without a word. I sit up when he's done and rub my wrists. I must have been pushing against the restraints without even noticing.

"How could they destroy all of Coruscant? Without a Death Star?"

"They didn't just die instantaneously," Kylo says softly. "They suffered." He tightens his grip on the arm rest of the interrogation chair. I want to put my hand over his, to comfort him somehow. But I don't know if he'd want me to right now, so I don't.

He's right. I could feel them too, crying out in suffering. They didn't just die in a blast, they died a slower death.

Against my better judgement, I ask, "who was Master Dukath?"

Suddenly Kylo's light saber is in his hand and he's slashing the control panel below the comm screen, sending sparks flying. I jump in the chair, turning my head away so the sparks don't burn my cheeks.

Kylo stops destroying the panel after a few seconds, his shoulders moving with his breathing. I shouldn't have asked. I don't know what to do now. Should I go over to him? Comfort him? No, I can't see that as being a good idea, with his light saber still activated.

BB-8 is burrowed all the way inside the open panel that she's charging at, as far back as she can go, surrounded by wires. I want to go tell her it's okay to come out, and that she doesn't need to be scared, but I'm not sure what Kylo will do next.

"Master Dukath, was a mentor of mine when I was a teenager," Kylo says. He rests his hands onto the charred control panel in front of him and leans forward, clenching the edge in a death grip. "He was the first person to ever tell me to let go of my internal battle, to stop fighting against my own nature, against the power within me... the anger, and pain... and regret. He said those things weren't dark, they were just a part of me, a part of the Force, and I could embrace them, accept them for what they are... But I was afraid to. I didn't want to hurt more people, or kill them in my rage by accident."

I wait for him to continue but he doesn't.

"What... changed?" I ask quietly.

"Master Dukath said... 'if they die Ben, then they die. And they will continue on in the Force, in eternal life, and will help you in your mission to bring order back to the Galaxy with the Force, which is so powerful within you, that which connects you to them, and to your Grandfather too. It connects all of us, whether alive or dead.' ...he told me the temple on Coruscant will always stand, because of me it will never be destroyed."

I wrap my arms around myself. "Kylo, I really don't think..."

"I failed him," Kylo whispers.

Another incoming transition sound interrupts us and Kylo returns quickly to my chair, strapping me back in. He keeps his eyes down but I can see that they are red.

I lean my head back in the chair and look up at the ceiling. I hate that metal ceiling, and this metal chair. There's a bleep as the screen switches on.

"Supreme leader," Kylo says in a strong voice. "To what do I owe the honour?"

"I wanted to see the girl for myself." Snoke's voice makes my skin crawl. I look over at the screen. A grey and ugly face, aged with evil, stares back at me with black eyes. I look away.

"You've done well," Snoke continues, his low voice unhurried. "I was certain you wouldn't succeed."

Kylo takes a deep breath. "I'm taking her to Hux-"

"Bring her to me. I want to watch you kill her in my presence. The Jedi's are all dead except for Luke Skywalker. And this one. As long as she's alive the Resistance will still have hope."

"I can kill her now, your Supreme Leadership," Kylo bows slightly.

"No. I don't trust you. Bring her to me, or your uncle Luke dies."

The transmission ends.