CRUEL HEART
Synopsis: During a raid on a forsaken planet, Kylo Ren finds a Force-sensitive teenager. The boy is defiant, hungry, desperate, and unpolished, but Kylo Ren decides to bring him along. Snoke gives the boy as a present to Kylo – to develop his abilities, break him, or even kill him – as he sees fit. But the boy is hiding a secret...Dark story, mature content.
READ THIS BEFORE YOU DELVE INTO THE STORY:
This story is set in an Alternate universe, in which Kylo Ren has not met Rey and he has almost finished his training as Snoke's apprentice. It is also an unbetaid story, sorry for that – if you find weird expressions/mistakes, it is because I'm not a native English speaker. I just had this idea for another Star Wars story and couldn't wait to get to my computer tonight.
Warnings: dark fic, alternate universe, sexual situations, angst, dubious consent, violence.
Feedback from you is important for me, since I will invest a lot of time in this story, therefore please let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
Now that you've been warned, enjoy!
Prologue
It was a strange, small, reddish planet, a world of violent sandstorms and a known hideout of precious metal traffickers. From where Kylo Ran sat on the deck of the Finalizer, it looked insignificant, forsaken, uninteresting. He'd never been down there before, although the planet had been raided several times by the First Order over the years, and a lot of precious material had been confiscated. Whenever they had passed close to the Outer Rim, they would stop there to get supplies, and ensure that the planet was still under the tight control of the First Order. It was an easy mission, always.
However, the men sent on the planet earlier today were behind the schedule. The Finalizer should have already been on its way to Moraband. Supreme Leader Snoke was expecting Kylo Ren for his final trials. Soon, the Sith apprentice would become a Sith Lord in his own right.
"What's keeping them, captain?" Kylo inquired. The officer turned to him, trying to suppress a pang of fear as he was addressed by the most dangerous person in the First Order. With his very tall and dominating frame, always dressed in his dark knight attire and the mask modulating his voice on, Kylo Ren was a sight to be held. As if the appearance was not intimidating enough for his interlocutors, the man was known for possessing some kind of magical powers, long extinct in the Galaxy, that only the Supreme Leader was rumoured to have as well. No wonder that in just a few years the temperamental commander had become Snoke's apprentice and second in command. But, Kylo Ren was also known for his dreadful temper. Countless officers and troopers had lost their lives at his hands, sometimes for the tiniest mistakes. For this reason, most officers on the ship tried not to get in his way and were terrified in his presence.
"We have been informed that a new illegal mining colony was discovered, commander. The men we sent are investigating the matter."
"I don't remember giving any specific instructions to investigate. It was not in their mandate," Kylo said and discontent was already detectable in his deep, modulated voice.
The officer hesitated. "Sir, General Hux ordered to look into the matter," he said, staring at his feet.
Bloody Hux, Ren thought. Of course, he would, without even consulting the leader of the Finalizer. Even from the other side of the Galaxy, Hux was trying to control every little detail in the First Order. Ren looked for a moment at the frozen captain before him, then back to the little red planet on screen.
He had a bad feeling about stopping here. About taking a ship down on that planet. About everything. He tried not to dwell on it, pushing the paranoia away, and said: "Fine captain. Let's see what General Hux is worried about. Prepare my TIE-Fighter."
Down through the thick reddish clouds of sand and other debris rising from the planet's surface, Kylo Ren could vaguely distinguish the mining colony that his troopers were investigating. He repressed an aggravated sigh as the ship landed and the doorway fell open, letting them through. He was happy for his mask and armour. The heat outside was unbearable, and his suit at least provided for some protection.
The men had surrounded the place and were pointing their blasters at a large group of miners – perhaps miners was not the right word to describe that pathetic crowd of men, women and even a few children, most of them forced workers, perhaps slaves. They had been pushed to their knees, hands behind their necks, and looked frightened beyond belief.
As if there is anything more frightening than being trapped in this hellhole forever, Kylo mused. For it was really a hellhole. Behind them there was the entrance to the mine, abandoned old droids scattered around, and beyond that only darkness. A pitch black fall into the void.
Captain Phasma, a tall woman in an armoured uniform, who was in charge of the mission, saluted him. "Commander," she said in her modulated voice behind her helmet, "we have found the owner of the illegal mining colony. His name is De'Leag. He's known for several other minor offences. What shall we do with him?"
Kylo Ren watched as two troopers brought forward from the crowd a short, skinny human male. He was wearing a rich attire and protested when the stormtroopers pushed him to his knees, blasters menacingly behind his head.
"Kill him," the Sith replied, without any trace of hesitation.
While his order was executed, he continued to look at the crowd of frightened people before him.
"What are they?" he asked captain Phasma.
"Slaves mostly, Sir," she replied.
He nodded, the feeling of uneasiness returning to him. His senses screamed in unison that he should not be here. Still, he could not take his eyes off the crowd. The hungry, desperate faces before him fascinated him. He noticed an old man before him, in rags, wild white hair, trembling hands, his body dirty, his shoes rumpled. He was staring at Kylo, almost vacantly, but the tremble of his hands betrayed his fear. Kylo could feel it, the fear irradiating from every one of them. His eyes skimmed over the crowd, drawing power from their fear.
"What shall we do with them, Sir?" Phasma asked, pointing at the crowd, while the body of the owner was dragged away , a trace of blood from his wounds staining the grounds.
Kylo Ren already had the answer to that, but he stopped short opening his mouth to reply. His eyes fell on a teenage boy who was staring back at him defiantly. Suddenly, the whole crowd before him evaporated, and Kylo and the boy were the only people in the whole Galaxy. There wasn't a trace of fear in those hooded eyes looking up at Kylo, a slight scowl marring the boy's otherwise agreeable features. The frown between his brows was replaced by a leer, as the boy saw Kylo staring back at him.
Something stirred in Kylo's chest, as he stared at him with fascination. There was no doubt the boy was gifted: he radiated through the Force. Kylo took a calming breath, trying to cool down his excitement at his unexpected discovery.
"Sir?" captain Phasma insisted.
"Bring him to me!" Kylo ordered, ignoring her initial question.
Phasma identified the person her commander was talking about, and signalled a trooper to bring him forth. The boy was thrown unceremoniously at Kylo's feet, the dark lord towering over him curiously. The boy looked up at him, without bothering to get to his feet.
He could not be more than fifteen-sixteen years old, Kylo thought. He was scrawny, even too scrawny for a boy of that age. He was dirty beyond belief, even his face had traces of dirt. He wore a sleeveless green tunic, and knee-long, brown pants. His knees bore traces of old wounds, and new bloody scratches blossomed where he had just hit the ground. He wore no shoes at all, the soles of his feet bruised and bloody. And still, that defiant look in his eyes...
Kylo crouched at his level, his stature still dominating him.
"Your name?" he asked.
Up close, he noted the colour of the boy's eyes was very similar to the colour of the most sought after and expensive gem in the Galaxy. Dark green with specs of gold. Framed by thick, dark lashes, they would have been sort of fascinating, if not for that look. Or perhaps because of it.
The boy blinked and seemed to study Kylo's helmet. He did not give an answer.
"I said, your name, boy?" Kylo repeated, in his modulated voice.
The boy bit his lip and seemed to ponder for a moment, still appraising Kylo, before he said in a flat tone: "Why should I tell you anything? You'll kill all of us anyway."
Kylo flinched at the certainty in his voice, suddenly understanding that this uneducated boy in the ways of the Force had found a way into his mind, while he had been not protecting his thoughts earlier.
A whisper broke through the crowd, people panicking.
Kylo suddenly stood and extended his hand in the boy's direction, lifting him off the ground. The boy's body struggled, and his hands clutched desperately at his neck, as Kylo used the Force to choke him.
"I asked you a question," he said coolly. The boy continued to struggle in his Force grasp, and Kylo did not let go until he sensed the boy was very verge of death. Then he released him, the teenager falling to the ground with a loud thud.
Kylo crouched again, watching him curiously. The boy slowly gathered his wits, looking dizzy.
"My name is Jace," he said distinctively, through gritted teeth. And with that, he had the audacity to spit on Kylo Ren's mask.
Everyone around gasped in fear, and Phasma watched in disbelief, then aiming her blaster at the boy. Some looked away as Kylo Ren instantly slapped the boy hard on the side of his face, sending him face first into the ground, coughing blood.
This was not enough bloodshed to satisfy the thirst for revenge of leader of the Knights of Ren, though, especially after being thus offended.
Kylo stood and looked at Phasma. "Kill them all," he ordered. "And put him on board."