"Aldereya." Her mother's voice echoed through her head. "Can you hear me?"

When Rey opened her eyes, first she couldn't see anything. The darkness that surrounded her was deep and pleasantly calming. Then slowly her vision became clearer and her eyes found Maul's and then her mother's.

With a look of worry on her face, her mother glanced at Rey and then she asked again.

"How did you know to bring the ring with you?"

"He showed it to me in a vision." Rey replied.

"Oh yes, the vision." One of the Whill's spoke up. His deep, raspy voice carried over the large room. Quickly, Rey's eyes found his and for a second she thought she was looking into Snoke's deep-set eyes. He looked fairly similar to Snoke, but not exactly the same. His features were rounder and without scars. Also, his eyes were a warm deep brown, instead of ice blue. But the way he moved and talked was just like the Supreme Leader.

Bowing in front of Rey, he introduced himself.

"My name is Kortul. I am the eldest of us all." Saying that he slowly motioned around with his long arms toward the other Whills. Then he continued. "We deeply appreciate your help. Without you, we would have stayed as statues for who knows how long."

"What did I do?" Rey asked astonished.

"You are his flesh and blood. That is why you were able to withstand the awakening." Kortul replied.

Rey quickly sized them up and then she asked.

"Who put you in here? And why were you all turned into stone?"

"Let me show you." Kortul replied. Suddenly the whole room turned into pitch-black darkness. Then a dim light appeared in front of him. As the light grew brighter, Maul's and everyone else's eyes grew wider. From the bright light, a clear picture of an unknown universe emerged. An astonishing image of another planet came into view. It shimmered in the air above their heads, and then suddenly it expanded, engulfing the whole room with its breathtaking holographic landscapes.

With astonishment, everyone looked around and found themselves surrounded by this alien world that was somewhere in a different dimension.

Lifting his hands in front of him, with awe, Kenobi lightly touched a small glowing orb that floated in the air. It looked similar to the one Rey's mother had in her hands earlier. Running his fingers through it, he felt a cold shiver passing through him. Just like melted icicles, he thought amazed.

Looking over to Maul, his fiery yellow eyes curiously sized up the holographic images. Then turning to the amazed Savage, he asked.

"Is this some kind of magic?"

"Magic?" Kortul turned toward Maul. "There is no magic. Only reality and the Force."

"What is this place?" This time Kylo Ren spoke up.

"This place is our home." Kortul replied. "It's in a different dimension. I'm not sure if you would be able to understand what I'm about to tell you, but I would like to explain who we are and what happened to us."

Staying quiet, Kylo Ren and the others waited for him to continue.

"The Force is a crucial element, not just to you but also to my kind as well. It flows in me; it flows in all of us, around us, as a living entity. We do not know its origin, but one thing we did find out over thousands of years, was that this organic element needs to be balanced. Otherwise, it could morph itself into an unpleasant state that would change everyone and everything around it. We the Whills found the perfect balance to keep it in check. However, we were not able to contain it on our planet. As nature takes its course, that is what the Force did as well. Somehow, it found a portal between our world and yours. Through this wormhole, part of the Force escaped, and ended up here."

Looking around, for a few seconds he watched everyone's amazed expressions. Then he resumed.

"We were curious and wanted to see what it could do in your world. Therefore, seven others and I were entrusted with this important mission. Throughout the years, we watched and learned about your kind. We have found you extremely interesting. The way you were bending the Force to your wills was something extraordinary to witness. We have never thought that your kind was capable of such a skill. Oh, how wrong we were. As the Force grew, your capability to harness it grew as well, but on what account?" Kortul asked, looking from Kylo Ren to Maul.

"Your greed and extremism outgrew your boundaries. The precious gift that was freely handed to you was abused over and over again. In my opinion, you should have never acquired such a gift. However, there is still hope for you all."

"Hope?" Rey asked astonished.

Turning to her, he continued.

"Yes. We know that there are a few, such as yourself that can bring back the balance to the Force. With your help, this entity can be restored back to its original form. When we realized the damage it was causing to your kind, we tried to stop it. However, in the process, we were betrayed by one of our own."

Rey didn't have to ask who betrayed them. She already saw it in the vision, making a pact with the Sith that cruelly backfired on Snoke.

"Why did he do that?" Rey asked.

"His corruption came from observing the dark side of the Force. He thought he was able to control this all alone. However he found out he needed help, and instead of turning to us, he turned against us and found another and very dangerous entity that eventually crippled him and took most of his powers."

"Vitiate." Rey whispered.

"Yes." Kortul replied with a saddened face. Then he added. "While he tortured Snoke, he found out that there were more of us here. He tried to hunt us down and take our powers as well."

"You did this to yourselves?" Rey asked amazed.

Nodding his head, Kortul replied.

"Indeed we did, but not by choice. While we tried to open the portal again to return home, something went horribly wrong and we ended up casting ourselves into stone."

Looking at them, Rey felt sorry for these beings. They were helplessly trapped in here for decades, and the thought of being stuck here for that length of time, not knowing what is happening horrified her to the core. She was glad that she was able to help them.

"Why did he leave Snoke alive?" Rey asked, wanting to know more about this.

"I'm not sure." Kortul replied. "But I know by taking most of his powers away, Snoke was no threat to him anymore."

"What is going to happen now that you are awake?" Kylo Ren asked, stepping closer to Kortul and the others.

"By opening the portal, we are now able to return home." Another replied.

"You are leaving?" Rey asked astonished.

"Of course." Kortul replied. "The longer we stay, the better chance for Vitiate to find us."

"But we need your help to defeat him and my father!" Rey shouted, feeling irritated by the thought of them running away.

Placing his long fingers on her arm, in a calm voice, Kortul said.

"You don't need us. You are perfectly capable of defeating them if necessary."

Then he added as he leaned closer to Rey. "I can see the fire burning high within you. Never let this great flame extinguish."

Then he said something that left everyone in awe.

"I would love you and your mother to come with us. However, it would not be safe for you to make this journey. Not in your condition."

"My condition?" Rey asked perplexed. She had no idea what he meant by saying that. But as she looked into her mother's eyes, Rey noticed great happiness on her face. Then her eyes landed on the surprised Maul. On his face, Rey saw not just shock but also a hint of glee as well. But as she looked past him, her eyes met Kylo Ren's. On his face, she only saw sadness and disappointment. Quickly avoiding his gaze, Rey looked at her mother again and then she asked, stuttered.

"What does he mean by that?"

With a smile, her mother replied.

"You are with child, my love."

Then, Kortul spoke up.

"Children."

"Two?" Maul's astonished voice was heard behind Kortul.

Turning around, Kortul looked at the amazed Maul and said.

"Twins."

The complete shock that overtook Maul was astounding. It was not easy to take in what he had just heard. From Kortul, he looked at the also astonished Rey and then to his brother, who stood there with a wide grin on his face.

"You're going to make a great father." Savage grinned and then pointing to his wide chest he said. "And I'm going to be a great uncle."

"Come closer." Kortul motioned for Maul to step closer.

Walking up to the Whills, he stood beside Rey.

"I want to bless these special children." Kortul said. Placing his hand on Rey's flat abdomen, he spoke a few foreign words that Maul did not understand.

Removing his hands, he turned to Rey's mother and said.

"It's your choice. Do you want to stay? Or do you want to come with us?"

"I deeply appreciate your kind offer, but I have to decline it." She replied. Then she added. "My place is here with my daughter. She'll need all the help she can get."

With a smile, Kortul looked at her and said.

"Thank you for your help. You are a great person. We will greatly miss you."

After saying their goodbyes, a large, bright doorway opened in the middle of the alien landscape. One-by-one, each Whills stepped through the glowing doorway. Kortul was the last one to walk through. But before he disappeared from everyone's view, he turned around and took one more last look at them. Then he was gone.

As soon as the doorway to their world disappeared, the room went into pitch-black darkness again. Suddenly Maul ignited his lightsaber, enveloping the room into a deep shade of red. Then he said, feeling slightly irritated.

"Forget your glowing orb, I'll light the way out of here."

Leaving the room behind, Rey's mind was in confusion. She was pregnant and that thought gave her a mixture of pleasant and scary feelings. The way Maul acted was not what she had expected of him. He didn't say anything to her while they silently walked through the narrow corridor. She didn't know what to think. It seemed like he was purposely avoiding her and that deeply hurt her.

When they arrived back at the Nightsisters lair, Rey's mother proudly hugged Rey and Maul and congratulated them. Then Savage and Kenobi congratulated them as well. However, when it came to Kylo Ren, he was not as enthusiastic about this revelation as the others were. Reluctantly he hugged Rey and shook hands with Maul. But deep inside he was fuming with jealousy and rage. Then he said.

"We have to get back to the Supremacy. I have some important matters to attend to."

"I'll take you back." Maul replied.

"Are we staying?" Rey asked, confused.

"Yes." Maul replied. He still had a hard time trusting Kylo Ren and he wanted to stay instead of being on the Supremacy. He hated that ship. It brought nothing but bad memories for him.

"I'll go with you." Savage said, sensing Maul's uneasiness.

After they dropped Kylo Ren off on his ship, Savage went to look for Asajj. When he told her about the Nightsisters and what happened down there, she wanted to come down with him to meet the sisters.

Leaving the Supremacy behind, Maul, Savage, and Asajj headed down toward the planet. But before they left, Asajj asked Shae to keep an eye out for Kylo Ren. If anything suspicious happens while they were gone, she was entrusted to let them know. Agreeing with them, Shae stayed behind.

On the way to the planet, Savage approached Maul and said.

"I know you brother, and I have never seen you like this."

"What are you talking about?" Maul asked feeling agitated.

Placing his large hand on Maul's shoulder, Savage said.

"You are nervous."

"You're wrong." Maul replied with defiance. However, deep inside he was indeed nervous and he hated this new and unpleasant feeling. The very thought of him soon becoming a father, to not just one but to two children, terrified him to the bone. He had never thought that one day he'd be a father. However, after hearing his mother's prophecy, this was something he knew would happen. But to experience it first hand was something totally different. The moment Kortul told them Rey was expecting, a feeling of extreme nervousness rushed through him.

Squeezing Maul's shoulder, Savage said.

"Don't worry. I will be glad to help."

"You will?" Maul asked, his desperate voice betraying him.

Winking at him, Savage gave one extra shoulder squeeze to him and then he went to look for Asajj.

Later that day, Maul found Rey walking on the shore of a large, crystal clear lake.

Admiring the beauty of the water, Rey didn't notice when Maul approached her and placed his arms around her midsection. Leaning his head on her shoulders, she let out a small, surprised scream as she swiftly pulled her head away from his.

"Ouch, Maul." She said, touching the side of her face. "You did it again."

"Sorry," Maul replied with a meek smile. "Did I scratch you again?"

Turning around, she embraced him and in a low frightened voice, she said.

"I'm scared."

"Me too." Maul replied, feeling completely out of his comfort zone. He was not good at sentiment or compassion. But this time it was about his unborn children and the woman he loved, even though he never admitted freely to her, he did love her.

"Are we going to stay here?" Rey asked gazing into his worried eyes.

"For a while, yes." Maul replied. Then he added. "I want to return to Dathomir. I want our children to be born on the planet that we were born."

"But there is only devastation there." Rey said, feeling sad just to think about it.

"We will start over." Maul reassured. Then he added. "I will send my brother after Darach to bring back my people to Dathomir. My mother would have been happy to raise our children there."

Feeling a little better about his behavior, with a mischievous smile, she looked at him and teasingly she said.

"Do you want to go for a swim?"

"Now?" Maul asked surprised.

Quickly removing her clothes, she waded into the water, but abruptly stopped when the mushy bottom beneath her feet was no longer present. She was just not good at swimming and was afraid to go deeper, even though she wanted to. Removing his tunic, Maul followed her into the cool water. Grabbing hold of her waist, he pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers. While their entangled bodies gently floated in the water, up in space Kylo Ren was pacing in his room.

He had a hard time staying calm after finding out about Rey's pregnancy. Even though he wanted nothing more but to have Rey for himself, after finding this unexpected news out, he felt betrayed and annoyed. This, he didn't see coming. He felt like he was punched in the gut. Then he heard a knock on the door.

"Supreme Leader." The voice said on the other side of the door. "The prisoner wants a few words with you."

Feeling already annoyed, he yelled back.

"Tell her, I will come to see her on my terms!"

"As you wish, my lord." The voice replied. Then the man was off, walking toward the prison cells.

After a few hours, Kylo Ren decided to go and visit Vaylin.

Standing on the other side of the glass barrier, he watched her as she peacefully slept on her bed. Looking at her face, he wondered what she would do if she wasn't restrained. The only thing that kept her away from everyone was her cell and the collar she was forced to wear. Kylo Ren was no fool and he knew how dangerous she was. He still wasn't sure what he really wanted to do with her, but one thing he was certain of, she couldn't stay a prisoner on this ship forever. However, her being a very valuable hostage, Kylo Ren knew he could use her to his advantage.

He was about to leave when she spoke up.

"I knew you would come."

Opening her eyes, she looked at Kylo Ren and then slowly she sat up.

"What do you want Vaylin?"

"I want to confess." She replied with a sly grin.

"Confess?" He asked puzzled.

Standing up, she approached him. Placing her hands on the glass, she looked into his eyes and with a flirty smile, she said.

"I have known you for years now. And I can tell when you are upset."

"I didn't come here to talk about me. What is it you want to confess?" Kylo Ren said irritably.

"Even though my brothers made fun of you, I always liked you, Ben." She said in a silky smooth tone. Then she added. "I thought that you knew that."

Feeling a little uncomfortable under her gaze, he looked at the ground and then he said.

"Yes, I suspected."

"Why don't you come in and I can show you how much I like you." She said, beckoning him to come inside.

"That will never happen Vaylin." He replied gazing into her surprised eyes. "I am no fool."

"Fool?" She said laughing. "What would you call yourself when you are helplessly and foolishly in love with a woman who will never return your pitiful affections, huh? What would you call that?"

"Stop talking!" Kylo Ren shouted.

"Oh." She said amused. "Now I made you mad, right?"

"You are wasting my time." Kylo Ren replied, annoyed.

Suddenly, her demeanor changed and the way she looked at him gave him shivers down his spine. With a malicious tone, she purred.

"My family will turn this galaxy upside down just to find me. And when they find me, I will let my brothers gut you for fun."

Not wanting to stay around her any second longer, Kylo Ren deftly spun around and rushed out of the prison hold.

Feeling extremely angry and frustrated, he went to look for Shae. He found her in the armory. She was checking out her favorite flamethrower weapon when her arms were grabbed and she was violently spun around to face Kylo Ren. Not caring who was watching, he pressed his lips to hers and roughly kissed her.

Shae tried to push him away but to no avail. Holding her firmly, his hands hungrily roamed all over her body, feeling every perfect little curve. The desire to have her became unbearable. Breaking the kiss, he said to her.

"Come."

Holding her by the wrist, he pulled the astonished Shae with him toward his room.

Once inside his room, he shut the door and started to remove his clothes, while he ordered her to do the same.

In a way, she missed his touches, and without protesting, Shae removed her clothing and allowed him to kiss her again. Cradling his wide shoulders, she enjoyed this close contact with him again. Then he swiftly picked her up and placed her on top of the sheets. Pulling him on top, she arched her pelvis up, letting him fill her with his length. Slowly and rhythmically he started to move with her. Quickening his pace, he wanted to enjoy this great feeling she was giving him. Hearing her pleasurable moans, he quickly removed himself and turned her around. Taking her from behind, he grabbed hold of her hips and closing his eyes again, he imagined it was Rey's perfect body squirming beneath his. As soon as Shae reached her peak, he swiftly pulled himself out, finishing on her shapely backside.

Slumping down beside the breathless Shae, Kylo Ren ran his fingers through his dark locks and then letting out a satisfied sigh, he looked at her and with a mischievous grin, he said.

"I hope you're not mad at me."

"How could I be?" Shae replied with a flirty smile. Getting up, she went into the bathroom to clean up. Then, lying down beside him, she cuddled him until he fell asleep. While listening to his shallow breaths, she heard him mumbling in his sleep.

"Rey...oh….Rey."

With a frown, she got up and after putting her clothes on, she left his room.

In his dream, Kylo Ren was hugging Rey and he was about to kiss her when suddenly her face morphed into Vaylin's. Trying to push her away, he realized he was not able to do that. With extreme force, she held him tight, almost to the brink of suffocation. Feeling paralyzed by her gaze, he tried to speak up and tell her to go to hell, when her mouth opened and a long, black tongue slithered out and touched his face. Sudden nausea came over him as the wet, black tongue forcefully protruded into his mouth and went down deep inside his throat. Gagging, he tried to push her away to end this horrible nightmare, but her firm grip was unbreakable and with petrified eyes, he looked into hers and then he heard her smooth voice in his head.

Dream on, big boy. Dream on.

When Kylo Ren woke up, the first thing he did was to lean over his bed and gag over the floor. The feeling of nausea was so strong, he wanted to throw up, but nothing came out of him. Breathing heavily, he looked over his shoulder to realize Shae was gone. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he leaned back and rubbing his face, he tried to forget about his peculiar nightmare.

The next day, he decided to take Vaylin down to the planet. For some reason, he felt her very presence on the ship was immensely disturbing. The dream that she most likely has caused was still lingering in his mind. Every time he thought about it, he kept reaching for his throat.

Taking his personal shuttle and accompanied by some of the Knights of Ren, he smoothly landed the ship not far from the cave. In the back, Vaylin was caged into a secured container, silently watching them all.

After ordering his men to stay behind, he asked Shae to accompany him. While walking toward the cave, he asked.

"What happened the other night? Where did you go?"

"I just wanted to get back to my room." She lied, not wanting to tell him about him whispering Rey's name.

Looking at her, he said.

"You could have stayed. I didn't mind."

Sending him a reassuring smile, she said.

"Good to know."

Then, they kept walking until they reached the cave.

After the Nightsisters greeted them, Kylo Ren pulled Rey's mother aside and said.

"I have a dangerous person with me on my shuttle. She is restrained and ready to be disposed of."

"Disposed?" Lylea asked.

"I don't mean to hurt her." He started. "What I would like to do is to keep her here locked up until I return. Can you keep her here?"

"How dangerous is she?" Rey's mother asked again.

"She is dangerous just like her father." Rey's voice was heard behind Kylo Ren.

With accusing eyes, Lylea looked at Kylo Ren and said.

"You brought Vitiate's daughter here?"

First, Kylo Ren didn't understand the remark. Then Rey quickly explained to him who Vitiate was. After hearing about the Sith lord, he now understood how she was able to get inside his head. He was glad when Lylea agreed to keep Vaylin here with the Nightsisters. Placing her in the same room where the Whills spent decades sitting on their thrones, Lylea locked the door and instructed everyone to keep their distance.

"She'll get food and water on a daily basis." Rey's mother assured Kylo Ren. Then she added. "Her powers should be dulled by that room. It's deep within the mountain and is sacred. She will never get out unless one of us lets her out. But that will never happen."

"I'm glad I could place my trust in you." Kylo Ren replied with a small smile. "Thank you."

Already feeling better about her being locked away, Kylo Ren hugged Lylea and then looking at Rey he asked.

"So when are the babies going to be here?"

Instinctively placing her hand on her stomach, Rey replied. "In seven months, give or take."

"I'm happy for you." Kylo Ren lied, embracing Rey.

"What are you doing here?" Maul said as he and Savage entered the cave with their kills.

Letting Rey go, Kylo Ren turned around and said to Maul.

"I'll let Rey explain it to you both. I have to get back to my ship." Then he asked. "How long are you going to stay?"

"Not long." Maul replied. The suspicious feeling he felt when Kylo Ren was around was getting to him now. He hoped Rey didn't say anything about them returning to Dathomir. Maul wanted to keep this information a secret. He didn't want anyone to know where they headed next.

"Alright then." Kylo Ren said with a grin. Looking at Shae he said. "Let's go."

To his surprise, Shae said.

"I'm going to stay here with them."

Not wanting to make a scene, he just nodded his head and stormed out of the cave. On his way to his shuttle, his mind was in great turmoil. He felt betrayed again, and the person he wanted to blame for all this was none other than Maul. Oh, how he wanted to tear him apart!

Reaching his ship, he ordered his men to get ready to return to the Supremacy. He wanted to forget about Rey and about everyone else. He had more important matters to attend to than to dwell on the Zabrak and his mate. He needed to get ready to attack Zakuul and finish the twins and their Empire for good. He hoped that keeping Vaylin locked away as bait, he could lure them into a trap and kill them all. Then he would return here and finish Vaylin as well.

A few days later, Maul decided it was time for them to return to his home planet. While Savage, Asajj, and Shae were getting ready to leave for Iridonia, Rey's mother was also getting ready to leave the planet. She wanted to stay close to her daughter. She knew how important was to have someone around after the babies are born. The years that she was forced to spend apart from Rey could never be unmade. Therefore she wanted to spend as much time as she could with her.

Saying goodbye to her sisters, with teary eyes, Lylea stepped into the Sith Infiltrator, while Rey, Maul, and Kenobi said farewell to Savage and the girls.

Using Lylea's old ship, Savage and the other two were ready to leave.

"I'll see you soon, brother." Savage said, and then hugging Rey as well, he lightly squeezed her. Then Rey heard his voice in her head.

May the Force be with you. We'll see each other soon, sister.

Yes, we will. Rey replied in the same manner.

Then Savage walked up to Kenobi and after smacking him on the back, with a mischievous grin he said.

"Keep them safe."

"I will." Kenobi eagerly replied.

When everyone was inside the ship, Maul turned on the machine and after setting the coordinates, they left the planet behind, with Savage's ship in tow.

Up on the Supremacy, Kylo Ren silently watched as the two small ships left the planet. He truly wanted to find out where they were heading, but he had a feeling that their paths will cross again. Turning away from the window, he made a call. Through the holographic image, a man with silver armor showed up. After exchanging a few words, the man's image disappeared, while a sly smile appeared on Kylo Ren's face. Everything was going the way he planned it.

That night before they departed, he had another dream. This time, he was back in the Arena, fighting with the twins. As he defeated them one by one an extreme satisfaction rushed through him. Grinning, he looked at their destroyed bodies lying on the ground in front of his boots. Then suddenly the light went out, leaving him in complete darkness. Swiftly igniting his weapon and looking around, he was expecting someone or something to pounce on him. But there was nothing, except a dull, swooshing sound that became louder as it got closer.

Firmly holding his lightsaber, he felt his heart rate accelerate, while his breathing became shallow and uneven. Then suddenly several of the Nightsisters rushed at him from the darkness. One of them held a long spear that made a whooshing sound as she spun it around above her head.

Even though they dressed and looked like the Nightsisters, Kylo Ren realized their skin was identical to Maul's and to Savage's. They all had red or yellow skin with jet-black intricate tattoos. In a split second, a brutal fight enfolded between Kylo Ren and the sisters. This time, for some reason the dream felt real. Every blow and cut sensation were received as if this was a real fight. He didn't understand why they fought against him and why they looked the way they did, but he was certain that if he didn't defeat them, they would kill him.

Putting all his strength into the fight, one-by-one, he successfully defeated them. Breathing extremely heavy, Kylo Ren looked at his trembling hands and then his eyes gazed upon the mangled corpses of the Nightsisters.

Then suddenly he heard a loud evil laugh. Opening his eyes, Kylo Ren found himself standing in the Nightsisters lair with his weapon still in his hand. With petrified eyes, he looked around to realize that he was not in a dream but instead he was in the cave surrounded by dead Nightsisters.

With shaky breaths, he kept spinning around not wanting to believe his eyes.

"What have I done?" He whispered into the cave.

Then throwing up his arms, he roared toward the ceiling.

"WAKE ME UP! WAKE ME UP, YOU BITCH!"

Suddenly, he heard Vaylin's cynical voice in his head.

You are already awake. Thank you for your cooperation. Now come and let me out.

Deftly spinning around, Kylo Ren looked in the direction of the narrow tunnel. Slowly, he started to walk toward Vaylin's cell. In his mind, he wanted nothing more than to run away. However, his body betrayed him like he was under some sort of spell. Unwillingly, he kept walking, until he reached the wooden door.

Standing in front of it, he heard her voice again.

Now open this damn door. We have work to do.

To be continued...