CHAPTER 4. THE GAMES WE PLAY.

The hot water felt good as it beat into his skin, washing away the last traces of his awful nightmare. Resting his head on his hands, he grimaced at the bitter, soapy water which ran down his face. It left a acrid taste in his mouth; if Snoke knew what terrible, beautiful visions he had seen, everything he had built would come crashing down around him. To become Kylo Ren, he had forsworn 'peace' and 'balance'; instead, he embraced emotion, be it anger, pride, shame, hatred, lust, sorrow… or even regret. He had fought tooth and nail to gain his position within the First Order, and he wouldn't allow one nightmare to shake him. If Snoke knew how empty he had felt watching Rey fall and feeling the Force wither as she collapsed on the floor… if Snoke knew his vision self's sudden and irrevocable break with the Dark, it would prove deadly.

But Snoke would never know, and one day, it wouldn't matter what Snoke thought anymore. One day, the masses would fear not Snoke, but Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order. As always, the title had a pleasing ring; however, this time, it also felt… empty.

Pushing the matter from his mind, Kylo Ren quickly finished showering, toweled dry, and dressed. Standing there in his black tunic, he scrutinized his reflection, noting just how pronounced the bruise on his cheek was. Already it was a deep plum purple, the edges fading into a sickly green. Generally he would have a droid tend to it, but with the formal dinner planned for 2100 hours, there was no time. A temporary solution was necessary. Luckily, he still had the cosmetics from when Supreme Leader Snoke had forced him to attend that dinner party without his customary black mask. His thrashing at Rey and FN-2187's hands would have been all too noticeable otherwise, doubtlessly sparking whispers about the efficacy of the Starkiller Base, the Knights of Ren, and the First Order. Those whispers would have undermined not only General Hux's power, but his own. Politics was a dirty, dangerous game, and one in which the mask presented to the world was everything. So, where did his cosmetic kit go?

After rooting around the cabinets, he finally came across the square black bag. He dumped its contents onto the counter, then began pawing through it. Each little bottle burned had its own label and presumably had its own purpose; however, he didn't know where to start. Foundation, primer, concealer, powder, bronzer… what was all this? Half of him — the sensible half — wanted to call a droid, but the other half of him balked. Hux's people kept careful watch over droids' activities, every detail concerning him was reported to their commander. But Hux would not humiliate him before the Supreme Leader again.

Grabbing the bottle of foundation, he squirted some into the palm of his hand and began rubbing it over his bruise. It seemed to be working… yes, it was a little too pale, but the bronzer would certainly do the trick. After opening the small round case, he dipped his foundation-coated fingers into the brown powder, then rubbed it over his bruise. Then he scowled. Now his bruise was a pale, sickly white covered in streaks of light brown. This would never do. Throwing open the door to the bathroom, he snapped, "Rey, come here."

She looked up from where she was polishing off the last remnants of their breakfast. "What is it?" she asked. Then her eyes fell upon his bruise, and he could see her struggling not to laugh. "Can't you put on makeup properly?"

"No, I cannot," Kylo Ren replied stiffly.

She snickered at that, and the sound made his teeth clench; nevertheless, he only said, "Rey, you surely understand makeup."

"Perhaps," she drawled. "But I am only a scavenger, so—"

"I know Leia Organa," he interrupted. "As the Resistance's only Force-sensitive fighter, you were surely forced to attend some formal event. She must have given you makeup. After all, she is a politician, and for them, appearance is everything."

She sighed. "I do know how to use makeup," she admitted, "but before I help you, you'd best say that Leia Organa is your mother."

Rolling his eyes at her stubborn, misguided attempts to bring him back to the Light, he did so. "Leia Organa is my mother," he said dryly, trying his best to ignore the strange heaviness the word 'mother' placed on his chest. "Now cover my bruise."

She smiled wryly, then rose to her feet and stepped into the bathroom. "Well, are you coming?" she called. "I can't cover your bruise if you're not in here!"

Kylo Ren followed her in, then stood rather awkwardly before her. Luckily, she seemed to know what she was doing; after gnawing on her lip and sorting through the various bottles laying scattered on the countertop, Rey began to applying creams and powders to his face. Her fingers skimmed over his cheek, her touch feather-light, her brow furrowed in concentration as she focused on hiding his bruise. After five minutes, Kylo Ren began to feel rather uncomfortable with the entire ordeal and began to shift, but she snapped, "Stop moving! It's not quite right yet," and he stilled. She returned to carefully disguising the blemish, and Kylo Ren stood quietly, a strange feeling in his chest. She actually cared about helping him. That was… strange. To the entire galaxy, he was nothing but Snoke's pet monster, the masked, cloaked figure with terrifying powers. But to her, he must be more. It was… touching that she was willing to see past the cloak and mask.

His eyes snapped open. He couldn't afford attachment. Subject to Snoke's every whim, threatened by Hux's constant intrigue, he was in no position to worry about anything other than survival. He had to get rid of her.

"Get away from me," he spat, batting her hand away.

"What?" she said, looking at him as though he were an idiot and slowly putting down a container of olive-toned cream.

"I said, get away!" He spun away from her, then said in a tight, controlled voice, "The Knights of Ren will be here soon. I need to finish preparing. Please leave." He heard her walk away and slam the door behind her; however, before the door shut completely, he caught a glimpse of her eyes in the mirror. She looked confused, upset, and… hurt. For a split-second, Kylo Ren wanted to call her back and apologize, but then the door shut with a bang. At the sound, his gaze dropped from the mirror to the cosmetics littering the counter. Rey's feather-light touch, the concern in her eyes as she daubed creams onto his face — with a roar, he swept all the little bottles of makeup on to the floor, watching them shatter. Then he leant over the sink and began combing his hair.

Yet he'd only just begun to style his hair when he heard Rey's voice. "What are you doing?" she shouted, her voice carrying through the door. There was a resounding smack, followed by, "Get your hands off of me!"

"We are following the Supreme Leader's orders," replied a gravelly voice. "You are coming with us, scavenger."

"No, I am not!" Suddenly, Kylo Ren was awash in fear, determination, and desperation. It had to be her, broadcasting her feelings. Unless he acted quickly, there would be a fight in his quarters, followed by a summons from Snoke and taunts from Hux.

Throwing open the door to the bathroom, Kylo Ren shouted, "Stop!" With a wave of his hand, he pinned Rey to the floor, then strode towards the two elite Praetorian guards who stood with their weapons drawn and humming. "Why are you here?"

They lowered their vibro-voulges. One turned to face Kylo Ren, stating dispassionately, "The Supreme Leader has ordered us to detain her." The other stood silently, and although Kylo Ren couldn't see his eyes underneath the visor, he knew the guard was keeping careful watch over Rey.

"I thought she was going down to Cato Neimoidia," he said evenly. Then he paused, suddenly suspicious. Praying that the was wrong, he subtly lifted his hold on Rey. If this was a misguided rescue attempt, she could not be too eager to rejoin the Resistance quite yet. "You are the Supreme Leader's elite guard. Why would he send you to collect one scrap of a girl?"

The guard he was talking to sighed, then pulled off his helmet. "I'm going to have to report this now," he said, "but my orders did come from the Supreme Leader. She's not going down to Cato Neimoidia."

Kylo Ren nodded curtly. "Then take her." He looked away as the two guards grabbed Rey's arms and began dragging her from the room, ignoring her cries of protest.

When the door slammed shut behind her, leaving him alone in his room, Kylo Ren stared at where she had been sitting, then turned away and strode back to the bathroom. She was only a scavenger, and he tolerated her because the Supreme Leader ordered him to. He certainly wasn't attached to her, and the strange uneasiness in his stomach was only his imagination. After tugging the comb through his hair once more, Kylo Ren pulled his battered black mask over his face. With it on, he looked truly intimidating. Satisfied with his appearance, Kylo Ren stepped out of his room and made his way to Supreme Leader Snoke's throne room. From there, they would make their grand entrance on Cato Neimoidia.

Yet he hadn't considered his nightmare. At the sight of Snoke's throne, the image of Rey, bleeding and falling, flashed behind his eyelids, and he stilled, suddenly sickened. Rey. He was leaving her unprotected on the Supremacy. He shouldn't be leaving her — in their dreams, he had promised to keep her safe — he spun, fully intending to find Rey… but then Snoke's voice stopped him cold.

"My apprentice," he hissed. "Where do you think you are going?"

"Nowhere," Kylo Ren answered, his shoulders dropping. He didn't dare rouse Snoke's suspicions. "Are you ready, Master?"

"I am." Snoke rose, his grey robes swirling around him. "Come. We shall remind this rebellious planet of our power." He strode from his throne, and Kylo Ren fell into step behind him, the elite Praetorian guards following behind them. Snoke led them to the shuttle which sat waiting, and from there, they made their way to the planet's surface. It was a quiet, leisurely journey, and Kylo Ren spent it gazing out the window, admiring the slow rotation of the planet's surface, and how the spiralling wisps of fog covered the planet's entire surface. Cato Neimoidia seemed peaceful; however, he knew it was not. Unrest simmered below on that deceptively tranquil surface, for after the First Order had seized control of the galaxy, Cato Neimoidia had subtly signalled its continued support for the Resistance. If Cato Neimoidia broke away from the First Order, its sister planets would no doubt join it, and then the Colonies would be lost to the First Order. Therefore, the Supremacy was paying the unruly planet a visit.

The shuttle landed with a hiss, its doors slowly opening to reveal the imposing Elite Praetorian Guards to the locals. At the sight of the tall guards in shining red armor, the crowd quieted, and in that silence, Snoke strode from the shuttle, flanked by Kylo Ren.

"People of Cato Neimoidia," he rasped, his voice echoing throughout the crowd, "the time has come. Accept the First Order. The Republic is no more. The Resistance nothing. Return to the First Order. We shall welcome you with open arms — secure your future, and the future of your children."

With that, Snoke turned to the portly mayor of the planet. Kylo Ren couldn't hear what was said, but when Snoke turned away, an entourage of gliders appeared. The mayor gestured them in, but as Kylo Ren climbed into the nearest glider, Snoke grabbed his arm with a surprisingly strong grip. "During our stay," he hissed, "you shall watch the mayor."

Kylo Ren glanced at the mayor, who was wringing his hands, a thin sheen of perspiration covering his forehead. "Of course," he murmured. The mayor certainly seemed dishonest, but all politicians were. Even his own mother. Leia may have loved him once, but she didn't, not anymore, no matter what she said. "Your wish is my command."

Snoke's wrinkled face morphed into a ghastly grin. "I am glad to hear that, my apprentice… the scavenger girl will be brought down tonight. Her lessons should not stop just because her teacher is… busy. I would be happy to… instruct her in the Force, apprentice, if you are ever too busy."

His throat suddenly dry, images of his 'training' with Snoke flashing behind his lids, Kylo Ren hurriedly replied, "No, that shall not be necessary, Master." Rey already feared Snoke; there was no reason to terrify her further.

"Good. The dungeons are already prepared; you shall be collecting her from the Supremacy." Snoke pushed him aside and settled into the car-thing. "The shuttle is waiting for you."

"But won't I miss the dinner?" Kylo Ren asked.

"Are you questioning me?"

Kylo Ren nodded sharply, bowed, then spun on his heel and marched to the shuttle. As he boarded, he felt a malevolent gaze; turning, he saw the mayor watching through a glider's tinted windows.

When the shuttle brought him back aboard the Supremacy, Kylo Ren disembarked. The stormtroopers around him paused, straightening to attention, but he ignored them; instead, he strode purposefully towards the bridge. "Hux," he barked, "where is she?"

Hux slowly turned around. "Back already for you little pet?" he asked with a sneer. "You must be desperate for your bedwarmer."

"It's not like that," Kylo Ren said through gritted teeth.

"So you say," the man said with an artful shrug. "I'm still surprised Snoke let you keep her. I paid her a visit while you were gone."

Kylo Ren took a slow, deep breath, struggling to contain his anger. "Where. Is. She."

"In the prison block, where Resistance fighters belong. And I would be careful, Kylo… you wouldn't want anyone thinking you were overly… attached to her."

With a scowl, Kylo Ren spun on his heel and strode from the room, using a short flick of his wrist to slam Hux to the ground. Hux couldn't have — wouldn't have — harmed Rey, but his insinuations that he, Kylo Ren, was fond of her could certainly prove dangerous. After entering the prison block, he punched the control console, opening the door to Rey's cell with a hiss. "Get up," he snapped, grabbing Rey's upper arm and hauling her to her feet with enough strength to bruise.

"Wh-where are you taking me?"

"To Cato Neimoidia," he replied shortly, dragging her from her cell to the shuttle.

She struggled in his grip, wrenching free just as the shuttle came into view. "But why?" she asked.

"Because the Supreme Leader demands it. Now get in, or shall I make you?" He reached out to the Force, his rage fuelling him, and from the sudden widening of her eyes, he knew she felt his power.

"I'll go," she sighed, trudging into the shuttle.

She did not speak much for the remainder of the journey, choosing instead to gaze out Cato Neimoidia's beautiful, blue, cloud-covered surface as it swung into view beneath them. Kylo Ren supposed that to one from Jakku, this was strange; nevertheless, she acted as though she had never before seen a planet with sufficient water. Or perhaps, more likely, she was avoiding looking at him.

The thought stung more than it should have — because it shouldn't have hurt at all, he had offered to teach her, not to be her friend — and when the shuttle landed, Kylo Ren was in a sullen mood. "Follow me," he ordered, grabbing Rey's wrist and exiting the shuttle as quickly as he could. He led her to the dungeons, for Snoke had indirectly said Rey was to stay in the dungeons, his pride soothed by the thought that now she would pay for being disgusted by him.

He punched on the control console, opening the cell's doors a hiss. Nodding at the sparsely furnished interior — there was only a narrow cot — Kylo Ren ordered, "Get in."

"What do you mean, I'm staying here?" She twisted in his grip, glaring balefully up at him. "This is a prison cell, and I am not a prisoner!"

"The Supreme Leader commands it," Kylo Ren replied. "While we are on Cato Neimoidia, you shall stay here. Now that you have begun training, you may not run off to the Resistance." The last word was pronounced with years of bitterness and hatred.

"I won't run off!" she cried, her eyes flashing. "Just please don't put me here." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I— I can feel his presence…."

"As can I," Kylo Ren replied coldly. "The Supreme Leader is powerful."

"Please, Kylo—"

"At 0700 tomorrow morning," he began, speaking over her, ignoring the strange way his stomach flip-flopped when she looked up at him with her big brown eyes. "At 0700 I shall begin teaching you how to meditate. Correctly."

Then he strode away. Even Snoke's reaction when the Supreme Leader learned of his failure to remain civil with Rey did not cow him. He was Kylo Ren, and he had a dinner to attend and a mayor to watch — he would not be distracted by one scrap of a girl.

A/N. Sorry for the late update - this chapter spiraled out of control and then school decided to eat me alive... but I'm back now :)