Note: I own nothing accept my OC character.

There was blood everywhere. From the corner of his eyes he could see it. It had spread out from behind his back in a pool he now lay in. It was hard to breathe and the ground was shaking. Moments from now the planet would blow up and take him with it. Would they find him? There was a tracker in his belt, but the only person who still might come for him was Hux. Of all people! It would be so embarrassing to owe his life to him that he almost wished he'd die. The Supreme Leader would not be happy about this. Not happy at all.

A hovercraft purred amidst the quakes. He tried to get up and signal them, though they couldn't be out there for any other reason than to save him. His body wouldn't obey. There was too much pain. The hovercraft's lights blinded him. Too feet peaked out of the glare and ran towards him.

"Sir, we're here to transport you." He looked up to see the white helmet of a Stormtrooper. He helped him up, and carried him to the ship. There was another Stormtrooper there but no Hux. That was lucky, he thought. At least he wouldn't have to suffer him carrying him to the ship, bandaging him, playing nurse. He winced.

"Sir, are you alright?" asked the Stormtrooper who'd carried him.

"Fine, fine."

The ship took off.

He laid back against the metal wall. He'd already left a bloody stamp on it. He looked at his gaping wound from the blow caster. The hole on his sides was as wide as a fist, and nearly pierced through his body. He took his belt off, dropped it on the side and raised his eyes to the Stormtrooper who was standing there looking at him in indecision. No one would dare to touch him.

"I need help," he said. The Stormtrooper gave a jump and ran to the first aid kit and came back with bandages and antiseptic. There was a thought that pressed on his mind but he wouldn't let it. He filled his mind with other things. The fight he had just lost. Rey. She bested him. She almost killed him. The ground split sinking split them apart but he had felt her anger. He gritted his teeth. The bile was rising inside him, his heartbeat screaming in his temples like a siren. She'd let him live! The Stormtrooper took his hands off the wound and looked at him.

"Continue!" he hissed. The man let a sharp breath out and reached for the burned flesh. Suddenly, a thousand bleeping noises came from the cockpit and they both turned their heads. The whole ship was shaking. The Stormtrooper ran to the cockpit in alarm, but he could feel the damage without being told. The plasma blast had hit their ship. They didn't get off fast enough. It took too long to find him.

The ship got slinged into the vast and empty space. It was spinning uncontrollably. The Stormtrooper who was helping him ran panic-stricken to the cockpit, where the other was just standing over the consoles, clutching his helmet with his hands. He didn't manage to do much. He pulled some levers and pressed some buttons, and soon enough he too was clutching his helmet in despair.

Too young, he thought. Too young to die. He had not lived, had not accomplished any of the things he dreamed of. Fear roared into his heart and in his mind. But it didn't last long. So strong was the shame that consumed him. He grabbed onto a handle on the metal wall and closing his eyes, he called upon his birthright: the Force. He smirqueezed his eyes shut and still heaving, let his senses free to roam, feel the burning energy around him and inside him.

As if by a miracle, the floor stopped shaking and the panels wouldn't squeak anymore. Ren looked up, streaks of cold sweat running down his face, and felt hope. Maybe he'd survive this after all. The two stormtroopers looked around for a moment and then started squealing with joy. They embraced each other while cries of relief muffled by their helmets escaped their mouths.

Ren looked at them. Even though he could hold off the imminent explosion of the shuttle, he knew he couldn't steer it through space using the Force. He wasn't strong enough for that, especially after having lost nearly half the blood in his body. He was getting more and more drowsy by the second. Even if they sent a distress signal, he didn't know if he'd make it till someone picked them up.

"Sir, SIR, we're picking up a planet!"

Ren immediately looked up.

"It can't be. There is no sun. What's this planet tied to?" he growled. Idiots.

"I don't know sir but it's definitely a planet. We're saved!" the stormtrooper cried. Ren felt a tiny glimmer of false hope inflate his chest but chose to squash it. "There can't be a planet out here. We're millions of lightyears away from any solar system" he yelled.

"Sir the computer shows we're definitely approaching a planet. We've picked up speed! It's a miracle!" At that last statement Ren got so infuriated he grabbed the handle above him and gave it all to pull himself up. Limping to the command panel and the stormtroopers shied away from him. He looked at the screens. They did seem to be approaching a medium sized planet at an incredible speed.

"This vessel couldn't achieve this kind of speed even in top condition" he murmured to himself. It can't be… The stormtroopers were too happy to pay attention to him. They were patting each other's back, congratulating themselves on their great luck. Ren fixed his eyes on the gigantic dark orb. With no light from anywhere there was no knowing what this planet really looked like. It was just standing alone there in the middle of the pitch black nothingness. And they where heading towards it with immense speed, which he wasn't causing. The realization hit him like a meteorite.

"We're not speeding towards it! It's coming towards us! It's a rogue planet!" he said with eyes wide open at the terrifying reveal. Even if this rock had no atmosphere to incinerate them, they'd be crushed on impact like bugs. The exploding fuel would vaporize their bodies. The stormtroopers stood frozen with terror. He glanced at them. It was all so unfair, finding death in such a pointless way.

The stormtroopers started banging the console and he moved his hands off of it. He didn't even feel like yelling at them for their weakness. Instead he slouched back into his bloody corner. His clothes where drenched in his blood and his head felt so heavy. It was hard to concentrate but he made a last, teeth-cringing effort. With his palms he touched the metal floor and tried to summon the invisible energy through it. If he was going to die he wanted to feel one with the Force. He didn't want to think of his life, of his beating heart that was about to cease forever or that look on his father's face when he killed him. That disbelief and sadness… his father's hand on his cheek.

The shuttle tore through the milky clouds while flames scorched its metal planes. From the front window the ground seemed to be coming at the with unimaginable speed, growing more and more clear by the moment. The stormtroopers where shrieking and yelling something he wasn't listening to. Ren closed his eyes and was suddenly alone in the dark, feeling his trembling fingers and roaring heart. Hundreds of times he had reached into his senses like that and tried to navigate the thousand horrifying images that roamed in his mind, but now his mind was empty. None of it mattered. That pain that tore him apart disappeared now when he was nearing his end.

Thousands of piercing bleeps emitted from the console warning them that the heat had penetrated the shuttle's shield. It would be mere seconds till the whole thing was engulfed in flames. A tremendous sound from the convulsing ship overpowered every cry from the troopers. He pushed his jaw shut to keep from making any sound. Desperately he tried to prevail upon his fear and touch the Force. The heat radiated through the floor to his sweaty palms and even through the thick fabric of his clothes.

His end would be a fiery one.

Author's Note: Thank you so much to anyone who reads this story. Some trigger warnings: child harm, drug use, violence, medical procedures (needles and stuff). There will be trigger warnings that apply to specific future chapters. Those will be included at the beginning of each chapter.

A very special thanks goes to my editor Hamliet, author of such wonderful stories as Boarded Up and Schism. Her unending patience and kindness is what makes this story possible.