Chapter 4
Ren did not wait to make the first move. His confidence turned into his first mistake. She was more than ready for his attack and parried, knocking him to the side and delivering a blow of her own which he caught against his weapon.
They circled the floor facing each other, dashing in and out with attempt after attempt to take the other off guard. She was quick on her feet and focused completely on her own movements. Her posture held confidence and caution.
Ren spun, slashing forward and down. Xalaina leaned hard to her left and cut upward knocking his next attack back before the stroke was complete. A fury of movements back and forth between them had the fights pace growing with intensity.
A swing from his blade missed her by a mere inch as she fell to her knees in a spin, her sword catching him across his stomach.
The blow struck Ren so hard that it winded him. He wanted to hate her in that moment. He felt a bite of anger and even humiliation hit him as she bested him. However, whatever it was about her, he couldn't hate her.
Instead, he was intrigued, impressed even. He'd thought she'd be considerably better than the groups of Droids but he hadn't expected her to be this good. She managed to keep up with his fast reflexes.
Behind his mask, he grinned gaining his composure. She hadn't struck after her first blow, which told him she was toying with him. His heart rate was high, it was also growing warm under his helm, but he would not take it off.
He enjoyed the anonymity and the advantage of not having others see his pain or read his emotions. Besides, Snoke preferred he kept the mask on to hide who he truly was.
Ren flexed his fingers on his swords makeshift handle. "In a real battle, your guts would be spread on the floor." Xalaina pointed out smirking.
"Indeed they would," Ren agreed and charged. She beat his weapon upward. Back and forth their weapons clanged. Her face was flushed from the efforts she was exerting. Unlike Ren, she did not have the same stamina that came from being one with the Force. He might not be allowed to use any of his powers in this battle, but he couldn't help the inner changes it gave to him.
In a last move, Ren was once again caught off-guard. The crack of her weapon hitting the backs of his knees before he was able to jump. His feet crumbled out from under him as he fell backwards. He hit the floor hard on his back. In an instant she was upon him her skirt splayed across his body as the tip of her sword pressed into his throat. The pressure with which she pushed the weapon against him was unnecessary and for a moment Ren thought she meant to force it through. He contemplated throwing her off using the force but knew Snoke would look down upon it.
"Xalaina," Snoke's tone was hard with warning. Ren watched her eyes, they'd been fixed directly down at him but it was obvious she was not truly looking at him. She blinked as if returning to her senses and quickly got back to her feet, dropping her weapon.
"You held your own for some time, my Apprentice. I am most pleased." Snoke complimented Ren. For a moment, Ren felt confused. He thought Snoke would be angry he lost. "She has many more years training than you, don't feel bad for having lost, though next time I do expect you to do better now that you've encountered her fighting style."
Ren understood then. Snoke knew that Xalaina would win at least this time. After all, if anyone knew her fighting skills it would be Snoke. No doubt he trained her hand to hand himself. Ren hadn't the honor of battling his master, Snoke always said that would be Ren's final test.
A little of Ren's pride returned. He no longer felt that tinge of shame and embarrassment. He would do his master proud. He would reflect on this battle and learn to counter her. Ren always proved to be a quick learner.
As for Xalaina she received no words of encouragement from her father, and Ren's mind drew to Han Solo. His own father often seemed cold what with his smugness and sarcasm. Ren could only remember a handful of times Han Solo ever said anything encouraging to him.
XxX
Xalaina could be a monster when she wanted to be and sometimes when she didn't. For a moment she felt nothing more than bloodlust as she pinned Kylo Ren to the floor beneath her. She'd wanted to drive that sword down with all her strength and watched him choke on his own blood.
Hearing her name woke her from that maddening feeling, that monstrous part of her that her father had created. She'd felt vulnerable for a second and hoped that Ren hadn't noticed.
She was not used to having to hold herself back. Snoke had taught her to never leave an enemy alive, but now he expected her to just surrender. It went against everything he'd once instilled in her and yet she listened to him.
She stood keeping her head high and a fake expression of calm on her face. Her chest was rising hard with each intake of air she took, her heart hammering in her ears. Sweat matted her bangs to her forehead and caused her dress to stick to her skin. She felt tired now that her adrenaline was no longer pumping.
Kylo Ren got to his feet and Xalaina listened as her father praised him in much the same manner he'd once praised her.
Bait.
The praise was always bait to get you chasing down the next tiny offering of kind words as you worked hard to get to the next level. If Ren failed to do better against Xalaina next time, he wouldn't hear the same praise, he'd hear hard words of disappointment.
She knew all too well how this form of training worked. Everyone wishes to hear how good they are, they craved it. It worked for good motivation but in this case, her father gave praise only because he was a manipulative asshole, not because he meant what he said.
"Return here tomorrow Xalaina. I quite enjoyed watching the both of you." Snoke's grin angered her, but she nodded and walked away. She had to admit she actually enjoyed that. Xalaina always enjoyed the rush she got from fighting, so in this case, she wouldn't defy her father.
XxX
With Ren and Xalaina now gone, Snoke took some time to reflect. Xalaina still showed such potential and it pained him that she was not what he needed her to be.
She'd have made a great Sith. Her ego had grown though. Up until Ren, no one was a match for her. She was ruthless and deceitful in all the ways Snoke had trained her to be and he wished that her training had not been such a waste of his time.
Xalaina had the potential to turn on him, which was his own fault. Her darkened mind gave him reason to pause and sometimes even worry. He could not read her as he could when she was younger. She'd learned to hold in her emotions almost too well and somehow had developed some form of immunity to the Mind Trick.
Truth be told, he should have killed her the second he took Ben Solo as his apprentice. At that moment she had become obsolete, but he couldn't just wash away all those years of hard work.
He'd kept her around counting on her rocky loyalty. He allowed her to travel just to satisfy her yearning to get away but never let her be gone for too long. Too much freedom could cause problems. He had hoped that her short travels would calm her mind in a way he hadn't taught her to do. He almost wished he hadn't taught her some things, but it was too late now.
Watching her fight against Ren reinforced the fact that he had done a spectacular job with her, too good a job.
Even though he'd made an arrangement with General Hux, Snoke was not worried about breaking it if need be. Xalaina was unpredictable, even more so lately. The first sign that she would betray him and he would send her to the grave.
He still saw potential in his daughter, though. Snoke was beginning to think of other things she might be good for. He could place her in Kylo Ren's employ. She could hold her own in a battle. The two of them could make a menacing team.
If she continued to show that she was obedient to his commands, Snoke might consider doing something other than marry her off. If Xalaina could help them secure a win against the Galaxy, Snoke was more than willing to reconsider his options.
But for now, everything would remain as it was. He would keep an eye on her and on Ren whose mind had been a whirlwind of turmoil since his return. This confliction inside his apprentice worried Snoke, but Ren was easily brought back under control.
XxX
In her room, Xalaina remained in quiet contemplation. Her earlier fight had finally made her realize the opportunity it had opened for her. Before now, Ren had been difficult to talk to, but perhaps after a few more bouts of sparring, she might just get his attention.
The biggest question was, how could Xaliana convince Ren to turn against her father? It was something she desired now above many things. The freedom to be in control of her own life. To go anywhere, do anything. She would never truly be free as long as her father lived. To have Ren be the one to kill him would be a most fitting end and an honor to behold.
She was glad she could keep her thoughts to herself, they were her only salvation among all the horrid things she'd endured. It had been her greatest triumph against her father's wickedness. She could still remember the look on his face when she's first begun to resist. He often used the mind trick as a form of torture on her. She remembered the pain. The feeling that her head might burst open with the pressure as he probed and wrecked havoc on her thoughts.
She no longer had to feel that pain, but the force was full of many ways to inflict pain and suffering, a fact made well known to her by Snoke.
She was like her father in some ways. Over the years she'd learned to take a certain amount of pleasure in the suffering of others. Unlike her father, however, she would experience a flash of guilt quickly reconciled by a quick death. After being the victim of torture in the past, Xalaina almost always made sure to kill fast and clean, but there had been times she'd let the suffering linger just a little longer, for those who she felt deserved it.
She was also methodical like her father. Always considering all her options and whether or not her decision was worth her time or effort. Sometimes the best choice was to do nothing.
Xalaina's thoughts drifted back to her training days. 'If you turn your back on an enemy, leaving them alive, they will turn on you.' This warning was followed by a lash to her back that burned while she screamed in pain.
A lessened learned the hard way as her father belittled her for feeling sorry for her victim who lay bleeding out in the dirt but still living. Xalaina had been only seven at the time. When her father had been finished discipline her she'd been released to finally finish the job.
As quick as the thoughts of her past came, she pushed them away as bile rose in her throat at the memory.
Her father would pay for what he put her through, this she was determined to see happen before she died.
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Thank you's
Shattered Soul 46: Isn't every chapter interesting :P lol Just kidding. I hope you enjoyed the outcome in this chapter.
Anime Chick 247: I'm pretty sure anyone can use a light saber, but they are more of a force user sort of weapon of choice. Xaliana does not have her own. I'm happy you're here even if Star Wars isn't your thing! It makes me feel very loved!
Phycho The Cat: Glad you found me once more! So happy to have you here! I hope you enjoy this new fic. I'm pretty pumped about it.