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Drawing energy from deep within himself, Kylo Ren made a gesture with his hand. The powerful wave of the Force swept away the debris blocking him like a violent gust of wind. He was finally able to climb out of the wreckage of his ship. Panting, his face smeared with soot, he threw off his heavy cape, which was preventing him from breathing fully and whose weight was pulling him toward the rocky ground. He finally managed to stand up, still a little unsteady and dizzy, and maintain his balance. A low ringing sounded in his skull. He blinked. His eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness.
Steep peaks rose ominously all around him. Some had ripped open his TIE silencer during the crash. But miraculously, he had not impaled himself on one of them. Eadu's cloud cover was so dense that the planet seemed plunged into night even in broad daylight, and the visibility was reduced as terrible storms lashed out at any spacecraft attempting to reach the surface. Pilots as skilled as him had lost their lives there. Kylo could only make out the surroundings when lightning intermittently tore through the dark sky.
Perhaps he would have been better off not acting like a reckless fool and waiting for an escort of soldiers instead of rushing in without thinking, as impulsive as he was, into this thundery, isolated, rugged, and hostile world. But he would rather die than prove General Hux right. Kylo was nevertheless forced to use the radio in his wrecked ship, which he patched up as best he could, to send a distress call to his men. He could already picture that miserable redhead under his command giving him a scornful look, as if to say, "I told you so." The castaway briefly fantasized about snapping his neck. But for now, he wasn't there yet.
The First Order received his message and advised their Supreme Leader to take cover until they came to rescue him. Kylo almost replied sarcastically, "Lucky you're here! I couldn't have thought of that myself! I've always wanted to know what it feels like to be struck by lightning!" However, he said nothing. Although anger, the anger that had always been inside him, boiled in his veins.
The young man took deep breaths. Then he moved away from the wreckage, looking for shelter. He thought of the old laboratory, where scientists had once designed the destruction system for the Death Star, which was located there, somewhere. His initial destination, in his quest to follow in the footsteps of his powerful grandfather and learn more about the Empire he had once served. However, he doubted he would be able to reach it in this weather.
Torrential rain poured from the sky. Its smell reminded Kylo of the earth, fertile but acrid. And even acidic. This water was probably full of lead and mercury. He wouldn't dare drink a single drop, for fear of dropping dead. Yet he was dying of thirst. He closed his eyes, emptied his mind, and let the Force guide him through the jagged rock formations and wide mesas. More than once, he nearly slipped on the wet stone. Yet he managed to catch himself just in time, thanks to his natural agility or his powers.
Could he reach a village of nerf herders by continuing in this direction? Kriff! What a humiliation it would be for the Supreme Leader of the First Order to come and ask for help from the local hillbillies! Well, at this point... Kylo remembered when his mother, whenever she was upset with his father, would call him a nerf herder. An insult frequently used throughout the galaxy. And he also remembered her warm, fiery gaze. The same gaze Rey had given him in the throne room of the Supremacy. And in the Millennium Falcon on Crait, before slamming the door in his face.
Kylo mentally scolded himself. His chest tightened. He grimaced and shook his head. He tried to banish the image of his parents from his mind. To stop thinking about the young Jedi and her beautiful hazel eyes. Her disappointed, sad, and angry eyes. Why was he still thinking about them anyway? Why did they still haunt him, months after the battle of Crait?
Finally, the castaway reached a crevice in the side of a mountain. He slipped inside cautiously and found himself at last in the dry shelter of a cave. Relieved, Kylo let out a long sigh, ruffled his thick mass of damp black hair, then took off his gloves and his soaked tunic. He stripped off the dark gray sweater he was wearing underneath, wrung it out, and put it back on. He was shivering and wondered if he could light a fire somewhere while the storm subsided. If the storm could subside on this cursed planet.
It was there that he spotted a distant orange glow at the end of the dark tunnel. Could the cave already be occupied? On his guard, Kylo approached. He found no one there. Nothing but a kind of altar, on which many candles were burning. Curious offerings also littered the wooden surface. Fruit, bouquets of crimson flowers, objects carved from volcanic rock or precious metals. And even a few fragments of Kyber crystals. Above the altar stood a strange stele bearing the image of a symbol Kylo did not recognize. Did the local inhabitants worship at this place? What did it all mean? Should he be wary?
The young man continued on his way, tiptoeing carefully. Soon, a clear water spring appeared before him, illuminated by the blue light of the crystals adorning the cave walls. Water. Praise the Force. Kylo rushed towards the object of his desire, then stopped dead in his tracks. It was an underground spring. Probably not contaminated by the acid rain outside. Pure and drinkable. He therefore had nothing to worry about. At least, that's what he convinced himself.
The thirsty man knelt at the edge, leaned over, cupped his hands, and dipped them into the water. This simple gesture caused ripples to spread across the surface of the previously still pool. Luminous ripples, for some unknown reason. Kylo froze and looked around, his senses on high alert. A very bad feeling suddenly gripped him. He swallowed hard. A presence. He sensed an unsettling presence, perceived a sweet song, a disturbing but lovely melody through the Force.
"I know you're there," he whispered ominously. "Show yourself."
No sooner had he uttered these words than swirls formed in the center of the spring. Then, from a boiling mass of foam, a sparkling crown emerged, on the head of a beautiful young woman. She rose, dripping wet, out of the water. Her long auburn hair cascaded down her back. Her piercing eyes, an unnatural green, contrasted with her dark skin. Her neck bore the same scarlet symbol, glowing in the gloom, as on the altar's stele. The mysterious girl wore a long, flowing white dress, embroidered with a myriad of tiny gemstones that sparkled like stars. At the sight of her, Kylo jumped to his feet. A tension ran through him, twitching every muscle.
"Here I am," the water nymph chirped.
"Who are you?" her visitor asked through gritted teeth.
A smile stretched across her pearly lips.
"My name is Tava. I am the guardian of this spring. I allow all lost souls to come and quench their thirst here, as long as they leave me an offering in exchange."
Gently, she crossed the distance between them. Her bare feet seemed to float on the surface of the water. She walked as if it were solid and not liquid. There was something hypnotic about her feline gait. Her eyes slid over Kylo, giving him the unpleasant impression of being a piece of juicy bantha meat.
"And you? What do you have to offer me?"
In response, the Force user drew his lightsaber and activated it. The red, flaming blade hissed and threatened the woman named Tava. She froze. The tip of the weapon was an inch or two from her throat. Despite this, she merely raised her eyebrows, unimpressed.
"Well... Mind your manners."
"Don't come any closer," Kylo warned her. "I know what you are. You're a siren. Offerings aren't enough for you. You lure people into your deadly waters with your deceitful words and promises too sweet to resist, only to devour them."
When he was a child, his mother sometimes told him this legend. Clearly, it wasn't just a legend. He would not allow himself to be easily seduced to his death. Tava raised a hand slowly and pushed the lightsaber aside without even touching it.
"I would never harm a man as brave and powerful as you," she promised him, her gaze languid, her pout contrite, her voice flirtatious.
She moved closer. Her palm closed around his muscular chest. Kylo flinched.
"Especially when there are so many other, much more enticing things we could be doing together..."
As she murmured these words, he could feel her hot breath on his mouth, which she was leering at. But the young man immediately pushed her away, his patience at an end. She had to back away as he brandished his red lightsaber in her direction again as a warning.
"I told you to stay away," he growled.
Tava stifled a wry laugh and walked away abruptly.
"Well, well... You're immune to my charms. Interesting..."
It was indeed disturbing. In the stories Leia told him, no one could resist the sirens' bewitching charm. So why did he feel nothing? It didn't matter. Good for him. As Kylo debated whether to flee or kill the creature so he could finally drink, he noticed that she was watching him intently, a wicked smile on her lips. Her emerald irises pierced him, as if they could read his soul. As a precaution, the water nymph's prey instinctively walled off his mind. But it wasn't his mind she was probing. It was his heart.
"Oh... I see," she said enthusiastically. "Yes, that is why..."
With these noble words, she knelt down, scooped some water from the spring in her hands, stood up, and sprinkled it on herself. Her long, loose sleeves hid her face. And when she lowered her arms, Kylo swallowed, white as a sheet, and almost choked on his own tongue. It was no longer her face. Her skin had paled. Her eyes had dulled, taking on a hazel hue. Her hair had darkened, now brown.
"Like me more now, Ben?" the young woman asked in a new voice.
A lovely, crystal-clear voice he heard in his dreams. A voice capable of soothing him even when darkness engulfed him. The unfortunate man stiffened. He lowered his lightsaber. Let go of it. The weapon struck the bank with a dull thud. The blade retracted upon impact. Kylo clenched his fists. Tears stung his eyes. His heart leapt in his chest. No. It couldn't be.
"Rey..."
The siren had vanished, replaced by the scavenger who had haunted his every thought since they met in the forest. The Jedi apprentice. His enemy. His temporary ally. For whom he had killed Snoke. To whom he had offered his hand and the entire galaxy. Before she betrayed him and rejected him. Rey grinned at him. She too wore a sparkling crown. Was tattooed with a cabalistic and luminous symbol on her neck. Dazzling in her white, flowing dress embroidered with tiny precious gems. She looked like the queen she should have been. The queen he wanted her to be. This enchanting vision initially disoriented him, but then he shook his head vigorously and managed to pull himself together.
"No... No," he said firmly. "This isn't real. You're not her. You're just an illusion."
Rey's smile broadened. She approached him. This time, he made no move to stop her.
"But it is me, Ben. And even if it weren't... Sometimes illusions are better than reality."
Her palm rested on his chest. Right where his heart was beating. Kylo didn't move, trembling, unable to take his eyes off her. Without him noticing, the water from the spring was already lapping at his ankles. Rey slowly circled around him. Her slender fingers slid over his sweater. She slipped behind him, stood on tiptoe, and rested her chin on his shoulder.
"You have everything," the Jedi said softly. "You are the Supreme Leader. The most powerful being in the galaxy. You freed yourself from your last master. You have absolute power. Like Vader before you. Everything you ever wanted. And yet... you are not happy. You are not free. And you don't understand why. Which frustrates you to no end. You are missing something. Someone. This cruel need rings out from you."
She stood in front of him again and gently caressed his face. Her touch sent a shiver through him.
"It's her. The only person who sees you. The only person who understands you. Who accepts you for who you are."
Little by little, Kylo leaned toward her. His breathing was ragged. Tears beaded on his eyelashes. He sniffed. His brain screamed at him not to let himself be seduced. But that echo was drowned out by the flood of emotions that overwhelmed him. Hope and despair. He had sincerely resented Rey. When he saw her again on Crait, however, once inside the abandoned rebel base, all that anger, all that bitterness, had immediately evaporated. And he felt the same way now. She could trample him, bring him to his knees, do whatever she wanted with him. He couldn't care less as long as she finally came back to him.
"But that person broke your heart," the young woman lamented. "You've been suffering terribly ever since. And you hate that suffering. Why in the Force's name would the Supreme Leader let himself waste away for the pretty eyes of a pathetic, insignificant scavenger who dared to make him believe she was surrendering to the enemy for him, but who, in truth, only wanted to use him for his powers? In order to overthrow Snoke and guarantee victory for her damned Resistance?"
With the back of her cool hand, she brushed his cheek, his scar and his hair. How long was she going to keep torturing him like this?
"Those days are over. Everything your heart desires and is so unfairly denied you, I can give you. All you have to do is tell me you want it."
The distance between their lips narrowed considerably. Kylo closed his eyes and opened his mouth slightly. He felt a slight resistance.
"No..."
The next moment, Rey kissed him full on the lips. And he succumbed completely. He let himself be carried away body and soul by this unexpected kiss. A moan died in his throat. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his around her waist and pulled her close to him. Their teeth clashed in their eagerness. Their tongues explored each other, caressed and entwined, beginning a slow and sensual dance. Rey pulled back. Kylo moved forward. The water was now dangerously halfway up his legs.
"I love you, Ben," his beloved promised in his ear as he tightened his embrace and nestled his head in her neck, breathing in her delicious scent. "I wanted to take your hand. Now I will stay with you forever. I will reign by your side. You will never be alone again."
Those words. Those words he had despaired of ever hearing. He felt like he was dreaming. Like he was finally living one of his most secret dreams. The most intimate ones. The most undisclosed ones.
His dear scavenger broke away from him, clasping his hands in hers, and guided him to the middle of the pool, while humming a sweet melody. Her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief. Adorable dimples formed at the corners of her beautiful smile. Her small, fine, pointed nose wrinkled cutely as she pulled him closer to her.
Kylo followed her, touched, his heart pounding. The water rose to the top of his thighs. It grew colder as he sank deeper into it. The icy sensation triggered a flash of lucidity in him. He stopped dead in his tracks and clenched his jaw. Rey frowned.
"I don't want an illusion," he sighed. "I want reality or nothing."
"And this isn't real enough?" she protested, kissing him again.
And once again, he let himself go. He kissed her back with devotion. And broke it off just as quickly when the spring of the water nymph engulfed him up to his waist. His gaze hardened.
"No... You're not Rey. It's the real Rey I want. It's the real Rey I love."
For the very first time, he could put into words what he felt deep inside. Words he had refused to acknowledge, especially after the Jedi apprentice's rejection. Words his heart roared, but he remained deaf to its cries, imprisoned in comforting denial. Not anymore. The siren had read him and allowed him to finally express those shameful feelings he had repressed out of pride. Out of fear. And so as not to worsen the extent of his pain.
"Fine."
Clearly, Tava had finished playing. Her face darkened. Without changing her appearance as Rey, she stepped back and shrugged.
"In that case, she will be the one who kills you."
A greenish glow burned deep in her irises. She suddenly lunged at her prey, grabbed him, and plunged with him into the depths of the pool. Kylo barely had time to hold his breath. He struggled furiously and, to his surprise, managed to break free from her grip quite easily. He turned to face her. The ethereal image of Rey came into view. Her long brown hair floated around her head like scattered seaweed. The sleeves and skirt of her sumptuous white dress swayed in the gentle flow. She smiled at him, as magnificent as ever, and held out her hand.
Despite everything, part of him was tempted to take it. To join her in the abyss for eternity. Then Kylo noticed the grim silhouettes lining the bottom of the pool. A string of skeletons. Some must have belonged to locals. Others wore the tattered remains of what looked like the old uniforms of scientists, officers, or Stormtroopers of the old Empire. All previous victims of the siren. She had dragged them, without any scruples, to the bottom of her deadly waters to devour them.
Frightened, Kylo kicked his legs and managed to reach the surface before running out of oxygen. He took deep breaths of air. A second later, the water nymph grabbed his ankle. And the cursed spring swallowed him a second time. The poor man no longer had his lightsaber, which had been left on the bank. It would be of no use to him underwater anyway. He thought about calling on the Force for help, to repel his enemy, to strangle her, but he felt drained of all energy. In any case, how could he bring himself to hurt Rey? Even if it wasn't really Rey?
Squinting, he noticed the blurry shape of a dagger lying near one of the skeletons. The kind a nerf herder would keep on him just in case. Tava, in the guise of the girl he loved, grabbed his shoulders and kissed him again. Maybe she thought she was fulfilling his dying wish. One last kiss from his beloved little scavenger before he died. She didn't know, however, that Kylo had no intention of dying today. Far from it.
His lungs were constricting. His vision was darkening. He closed his eyes and reached for the dagger. He clung to the memory of Rey. The ill-fated weapon flew through a cloud of sand. It split the water until his fingers tightened around the handle. The blow was much easier to deliver with his eyes closed. Kylo plunged the blunt blade into the siren's chest. It was enough to pierce her heart. Tava shuddered and stiffened. Her blood reddened the water. Her prey broke free from her.
First, the young man was shocked by the sight of Rey's lifeless body, which was now sinking. A lump formed in his throat. He would rather die than kill her. But he had been forced, by a terrible irony, to stab this illusion of her. And then the water nymph resumed her original appearance. This encouraged him to swim to the surface before drowning. Exhausted, Kylo caught his breath just as his lungs were about to burst. He reached the shore with a gentle stroke, retrieved his lightsaber, and was now able to safely quench his thirst.
An hour had passed when the First Order finally came to his rescue. The storm had still not subsided. They covered him with a cloak and invited him to leave the cave and go to the shuttle that his subordinates had managed to land safely nearby. Kylo was eager to finally leave this damn planet. Suddenly, the laboratories on Eadu no longer seemed of any interest to him. Yet his adventure would not be in vain. For today, an important truth had dawned on him.
He was in love with Rey. Refusing to accept it, considering it a weakness, had poisoned him until this moment. He felt better now. And a stubborn thought had allowed him to survive while he was at the mercy of the siren. From now on, he would do everything in his power to find his beloved Jedi. Whatever the cost.
THE END
Hissterically Sat 18 Oct 2025 05:06PM UTC
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BreakOfDawn21 Sat 18 Oct 2025 05:08PM UTC
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LightOrDark Sat 18 Oct 2025 09:52PM UTC
Last Edited Sat 18 Oct 2025 09:56PM UTC
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Amlran65 Sun 19 Oct 2025 07:43AM UTC
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kai_winchester Thu 23 Oct 2025 11:31PM UTC
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