Kylo looked at the delicate object, glass with metal sides. It sat neatly within the palm of his hand, approximately the size of his hand both in width and height. The three sides met in a point creating a 3D triangular prism with a triangular base- a pyramid. The metal was intricate and engraved with symbols holding the glass which had similar etchings on its surface. It emitted no light yet within it Kylo could see a dark red mist or energy pulsating and twinkling.

"Where did you get this?" he asked angrily, hoping to hide the fear he could feel catching in his throat.

"Where we got it, isn't of any consequence," Poe stated curtly.

"Do you know what it is you've been carrying?" Kylo asked looking to each of them in turn, tense haughty expressions greeting him from all but Rey.

"It's a Holocron. A Sith Holocron," Rey spoke calmly and assuredly as though what they'd been carrying was nothing noteworthy. She paused, however, before she said the most relevant piece of information, but Kylo already knew what she was about to disclose- the owner of this particular device.

"Palpatine's Holocron."

Kylo placed the Holocron on the floor and leaned back where he sat looking at the seemingly innocuous object before him- it was anything but. He could hear that thready laugh, feel those spidery hands; the pull to the dark. He was not of the Light; he had been once a long time ago it seemed now. He would never really be of the Light again, but nor had he truly ever allowed himself to submerge fully within the depths of darkness. During his training on Dagoba, Snoke had demanded he deny his family, destroy his compassion for them; Kylo had annihilated the ancient cave instead. Snoke had believed he had destroyed it all- his attachments, his compassion as well as the cave, but Kylo had deceived him; he had often deceived his former master. Murdering his father was the worst thing he had ever done, one at the time he'd thought was necessary, but it hadn't secured his place within the dark, it had had the opposite effect splitting his spirit to the bone. Every Holocron was unique and based on the teachings within, the contents of this Holocron beckoned him. Kylo continued to view the object before him; it was beautiful, crafted perfectly, but it contained evil, and Kylo wished nothing more than to be away from it.

"Why am I here?" he asked again, not to anyone, in particular, his gaze fixed on the crimson essence within the object.

"We need you to open it; you're the only one who can."

It was Rey that answered him, he turned to her, her face concerned but purposeful, the concern he sensed was for him. For his immortal soul perhaps? Her concern was misplaced; his soul was beyond saving.

"No, I'm not the only one," he responded darkly. In his mind, Kylo spoke the name of the other person who could open this device, should he ever acquire it, the galaxy as they knew it would end; everything would end. He couldn't allow that to happen. He paused, considering looking back at the prism.

"We cannot know what is inside. If I open it, there is no knowing what will happen."

"Can we destroy it without opening it?" Finn asked. It was a reasonable question, and one Kylo was considering himself.

"It cannot be destroyed by anything other than dark energy or opened by anyone who doesn't understand the teachings of the maker, so I guess I just have to try and see."

Kylo changed his position to kneel before the prism, like a religious monk about to pray to his deity, but Kylo was not about to pray. He gave Rey a mildly anxious look, a be ready just in case look, in case of what he could not say. He removed his gloves and brushed his hands anxiously upon his trousers before he closed his eyes and reached one hand out towards the object. He knew from training with Luke he would have to hear the Holocron, hear what it was telling him before he could will it open with the Force. He probed at it with his mind, felt the essence within. Suddenly his eyes shot open, and he flinched his hand back at though he'd received a shock. He'd seen destruction, fire, burning, countless bodies of dead Jedi, murder, planets of death, war and Darth Vader. He'd heard screams, lightsabers clashing and that laughter that hideous cackle. He let out a shuddered breath, hands on his thighs to steady himself as he hung his head and breathed.

Without a word, Rey knelt beside him concerned and placed a hand on his shoulder; he turned to her slightly. Her eyes couldn't hide her perturbed regard. He turned from her and took a deep breath; he was not giving up. She could be his anchor, a light at the back of his mind to flee to, to grasp hold of should the essence within try to drag him under. Sidious and Snoke's darkness had attempted to pull him under before, but he had faced that darkness and defeated it, he could again. He closed his eyes again, meditating for a moment concentrating on the warmth from her hand trickling through his core. Slowly he reached out again, and this time when he heard those screams, that laughter, felt that cold burning fire he did not flinch from it, he let it wash over him. In his mind he pictured the prism, traced the glyphs and symbols on the metal and etched into the glass, he turned it about in front of him, and slowly he willed it to open.

Behind Kylo, Finn and Poe stood watching as the object rose from the floor and turned this way and that as though being inspected, but Kylo's eyes were closed, his head lowered.

"Poe, I have a bad feeling about this, do you have a bad feeling about this because I definitely have a bad feeling about this," Finn muttered.

Chewie had joined them, too interested in the discussion to remain amongst the books any longer. He grunted and moaned to Finn in agreement. Poe silently continued to watch Kylo knelt in front of him, his arms folded against his chest, his face tight and grimly set. He did have a bad feeling, more than bad, downright wrong.

The Holocron opened, and a red holographic image of information filled Suncas's cave-dwelling. Kylo lowered his arm, opened his eyes and looked up at what was before them. He stood and walked amongst the data, occasionally shifting through it with his hand squinting at it. There was so much information, but none of it was in a dialect he could read, but it was in a language he recognised. The others stood and surveyed the material with him, looking at diagrams and bizarre symbols. BB8 quizzically rolled around the images, the droids head spinning in all directions on its spherical body.

"I can't make out any of this," Poe admitted.

BB8 beeped in agreement. BB8 was not made for linguistics but deciphering most languages and information was part of most droids programming. This, however, seemed a random jumble of symbols.

"What language is this?" Finn asked, pointing at the strange characters scrawled throughout the information.

"I recognise these glyphs from Snoke's ring," Kylo said, pointing at some symbols next to four images." I recognise them, but I can't read them- Dwartii," Kylo stated.

"A most ancient language this is," Suncas offered, looking at the hologram information with interest.

"Dwartii?" Finn questioned.

"Yes. The Dwartii were a group of philosophers and lawgivers. History's memory of their work as such is, however, contentious." Suncas explained in a dry whispy voice, making no effort to hide his feelings regarding these supposed philosophers.

"There were four leaders known as the Four Sages of Dwartii. Braata, Data, Yanjon and Sistros. " Suncas referred to each of the four images and their respective symbol as he explained. "They greatly influenced the early days of the Galatic Republic and its constitution. Palpatine was a great admirer and collector of Dwartii artefacts. As Supreme Chancellor, he had all Four Sages as bronze statues within his office. After the massacre of the Jedi with order sixty-six, the annulment of the Senate, and his ascension to Galactic Emperor, he moved his office to the Jedi Temple. The temple became his Imperial Palace, his final revenge on the Jedi- the corruption of their temple. The statue of Sistros joined him there. So it makes sense that he would hide his information almost in plain sight. An ancient language of deep meaning to him."

"Can you read it?" Rey asked.

"Not even one as learned and ancient as I can read this."

Kylo was looking at the glyphs and symbols curiously when an idea struck him, and he turned to the golden protocol droid who stood by the entrance.

"3PO, can you read it?" he knew as a protocol droid C-3POs primary purpose other than protocol was communication. He was fluent in six million forms of communication and dialect.

"I'm sorry master Benjamin, I cannot decipher any of the information contained in the holocron," 3PO stated.

Kylo nodded, that didn't put an end to his musings though, they could reasonably easily introduce some of the Dwartii into a deciphering programme, and add it to 3POs communication database.

"You need to create a decipher programme, shouldn't be too difficult then 3PO can read it. I can try and find some information on the dialect to help you from within the First Order archives," Kylo said. "Until then, keep it closed and hidden. Tell no one what you've seen."

"You can't go back, what if Letan Nex tries to probe you again, control you, it's too risky." Rey was half pleading, half demanding. She'd taken a step toward him looking up at him.

"I have to; we won't stand a chance if I stay, he'll know I've betrayed him. This is the only way. I will come back. I promise we will finish this." As he made his vow to return, he stepped closer to her he felt her fingers against one of his hands. He looked down to where her long fingers lightly glanced against his skin then he looked back at her face, "I swear it; I will return."

Poe, Chewie and Finn watched the exchange confused and then looked to each other to make sure what they'd seen, and that their subsequent confusion was well-founded.

"Poe?" Finn questioned.

"Yeah, I see it," Poe murmured through a tight jaw. He did not like what he saw or its potential conclusion. Next to him, Chewie groaned at what the fuss was about.

Before anyone could say anything else, the member of the tribe who'd brought them here came racing through the narrow tunnel into the cave home speaking in desperate speedy grunts in their native tongue before exclaiming in basic,

"First Order troopers are here!"

Everyone stared in shock at the alien, everyone including Kylo but Poe and Finn reacted quickly taking an angry step forward brandishing their weapons. He pursed his lips slightly at them, arms tight at his side.

"Traitor!" Finn growled.

"Finn, Poe. It wasn't him. He hasn't betrayed us!" Rey had stepped in front on Kylo sheltering him from them. He watched her for a moment before willing the Holocron closed. The information that had been projected across the cave vanished and utilising the Force Kylo levitated it to his hand.

"You need to go! Kylo said interrupting the heated interchange and holding the Holocron out to Rey. She turned to him and took the prism, placing it back in her satchel.

"We all need to go," she affirmed.

"We have sand-skiffs for you outside," the Aki Aki alien said as he led the way back through the tunnel to the entrance of the cave. A complaining C-3PO followed trailed by Chewie, Poe, BB8 and Finn. Kylo paused because Rey had lingered, turning to the aged native gratefully.

"Suncas, thank you," she said before the aged alien took her hand and then took Kylo's.

"Remember what I told you, you are the Dyad; stronger together. Together you will bring balance to the Force. There are no others; this is your destiny. You are our last hope."

Rey nodded, Kylo stood expressionless for a moment looking at Rey, before they took their leave of the wise Shaman and followed the others down the tunnel to the bright sandy world outside.