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Chapter 7:

Kylo Ren

After their talk and stopping the fight between Zer-o and Gear Kylo got Rey to agree that it was time for them to get back to real training.

Training with the Knights would resume on the same schedule as soon as possible which as it turned out was the next day. Everyone seemed to be glad to be back to it. Kylo led half of the group in lightsaber training, showing them different forms and techniques that he had learned over the years from both sides of the Force. Rey led them in meditation and the use of different Force techniques that she had perfected.

After a couple of hours, they would switch off so that they all got a balanced training session. Then for the last part of the day they went over battle tactics and worked on pairing different members of the group together so that they would all be familiar with each other. They were shaping up very well according to both Kylo and Phasma.

Even Zer-o who seemed to have no trouble in battle even with the loss of his eye. Kylo truly believed that it his incredible connection to the Force made up for whatever he had lost. Watching him spar with Cade made Rey believe it.

One night after Rey had returned from working with on speeders in the hanger she asked about her last trial.

"You are certainly ready for the Trail of Skill. We can do this tomorrow. I think I have the perfect spot," he told her with a smile.

"Really?"

He could feel her excitement and it was actually pretty contagious.

"Yeah. Then you and I will technically be on the same level. I was never a master but I'd at least made it to Jedi Knight before…"

He trailed off and Rey offered him a reassuring smile.

"If we aren't Jedi, what are we? We should really come up with a name for this…movement we are starting shouldn't we," she asked changing the subject.

He hadn't really thought about what they were. He was still struggling with the fact that his entire being wasn't made up of the darkness that Snoke had stoked in him.

"Well you are teaching the others more of the Jedi way of thinking than anything else. What really makes this different," Kylo asked.

"Well for one I don't fully agree with the Jedi code: There is no emotion, there is peace.There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force," she said and as she said it, it sounded as though she were doing a fairly good impression of Luke.

Kylo laughed.

"I mean come on now in a galaxy ravaged by war who could actually stick to that. It's no wonder so many Jedi fell to the dark side," she said with a frown.

"Not all Jedi fully adhered to the code. Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker's master Qui-Gon Jinn believed that the Jedi had to feel love and compassion for the masses that they defended in order to fully do their job and keep people safe. That was the only reason Qui-Gon wasn't on the Jedi Council. I think had he lived and went on to be Anakin's master instead of Obi Wan; Anakin never would have fallen to the dark side. Qui-Gon wouldn't have condemned his love for my grandmother and never would have allowed Palpatine to manipulate him so," Kylo said and it was the first time he'd ever admitted that out loud.

Rey touched his hand. This was the first time they'd ever talked about his grandfather as anything other than Darth Vader. Down the line of the bond he could feel her checking to make sure that he was okay with the way the conversation was going.

"Well the Sith Code is just the opposite of the Jedi code. Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me," Kylo said imitating Snoke's own nasally tone and laughed.

Rey laughed with him.

"I know the Jedi forbid familial connections as well as romantic ones which I don't agree with obviously," she said with a slight smile. "Were the sith the same way?"

"Yes but not for the reasons you'd think. The Jedi forbid such connections as they saw those emotions as a way to be corrupted by the dark side. The sith however saw love as a weakness. Passion, yes but not real true love. That was never allowed," he said.

"So was there ever an order that matched more of what we are trying to do here? If we aren't light and we aren't dark, what are we," she asked.

"The Grey Jedi order would have taken you all. They did not accept Jedi who had fallen to the dark side and had been redeemed," Kylo explained as they started eating.

"And who were the Grey Jedi," Rey asked.

"They were Jedi who believed in the balance of the Force, that there was no dark or light side. The Sith and Jedi referred to any Force user who walked the line between the light and the dark without surrendering to the dark side or any Jedi who operated outside of the strictures of the Jedi code. Their code is one I think you would like: Flowing through all, there is balance. There is no peace without a passion to create. There is no passion without peace to guide. Knowledge stagnates without the strength to act. Power blinds without the serenity to see. There is freedom in life. There is purpose in death. The Force is all things and I am the Force," Kylo recited from a book he'd read recently while he was recuperating.

Rey nodded.

"That does sound more like what we are trying to do here. The Jedi cut themselves off from too much of what it means to be mortal and that is why it was so easy for so many of them to fall and the Sith had no constraints what so ever. The two extremes failed obviously but whatever happened to the Grey Jedi," she asked.

"They are still around though not as many and even harder to locate than they were before the Great Jedi purge."

"So you mean there are other Jedi out there they might help us fight Zoroyais and the First Order," she asked excitedly.

"I doubt they would help me as they wouldn't see me as anything other than a fallen Jedi. If you could find them, they would more than likely help you," he said and even to his own ears he didn't sound very happy.

Rey smiled at she gazed over at him and said, "They either take both of us or neither of us Kylo. The moment you asked me to marry you we stopped being individuals and became a single unit. We don't need the Grey Jedi if they haven't come to our aid at this point. We can start our own Grey order with no labels and no standards other than not fully embracing the dark side."

Kylo agreed and they talked more about the three known branches of Force Users; Sith, Grey and Jedi and their similarities and differences.

After listening to Rey talk Kylo came to the conclusion that Rey never would have lasted long with his uncle; she was too passionate about things especially when it came to the First Order, Hux and Zoroyais. He didn't see her falling to the dark side either though. She cared too much about people and the state of the galaxy to ever be a self-absorbed Sith lord. She fit perfectly into the category of Grey as did most of the members of the Knights of Rey.

It seemed that only he and Gear were the only ones who wouldn't be fit to join the Grey Jedi but Kylo had a feeling that wouldn't be a problem for what Rey wanted them to become.

After Rey had gone to sleep, Kylo stayed up thinking over the trial. After a few hours Kylo left their little hut and went to the spot he wanted to use as Rey's trial site. It wouldn't be hard to transform it to resemble the trail site from Luke's school. He knew his spot would no longer be private but there were other spots on the island to be discovered.

By the time Kylo headed back to the hut the suns were coming up. He laid down with Rey and slept for a couple of hours until she woke him up with kisses all over his face.

He groaned and rolled over.

"Go get some food and meet me near the forest in an hour," he said.

She looked at him funny and asked, "You didn't sleep much?"

"I had to get the trial site ready. This is usually done at a ritual trial site usually years old. This trial is much more difficult than the previous trials. I had to prepare your trial site while hiding it all from you so that you don't have an advantage," he said with his arm over his eyes blocking the light.

"Okay. Get some rest," she said and kissed him on the lips.

He was asleep again before she'd even left the hut.

A little while later Kylo drug himself out of bed and went to shower. By the time it was time to meet Rey he was dressed for the humid jungle heat and ready to begin what was sure to a long grueling day. He went to the meeting spot and stood there.

He didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later he sensed Rey's energy coming toward him along with several others. Rey came up the path with all of the Knights of Rey, Dameron, FN-2187, the Tico girl, Connix, Taliah, who still made Kylo think of Thalia, and surprisingly his mother trailing behind her.

He knew this was going to end up being a spectator event but he hadn't expected this many people to show up. Rey threw herself into his arms when she reached him.

"Hi," she said excitedly.

"Hi. Are you ready," he asked.

"Of course," she stated and her fans cheered.

Kylo chuckled at the sight.

"Most people don't have a cheer squad when they are running through their trials. It's a bit distracting," he said.

"Should I tell them to go back," Rey asked suddenly worried.

"No, they can watch from where I am standing so they aren't in the way," he said and kissed her on the forehead. Then he turned to the crowd and said, "I expected the members of the Knights of Rey to be here, however I didn't expect the rest of you to be so interested in Jedi trials. I'm gonna lead Rey to the trial site and then I will come back to lead you all to a safe spot to watch."

When everyone nodded Kylo took Rey by the hand and began leading her through the jungle. For a second it felt like they were back on Florn. Kylo missed it just being the two of them all alone on a relatively deserted planet but he knew Rey was much more at home here.

As they walked Rey slipped into Kylo's mind just as they'd done many times on Florn. He had to wrap the details about the trial in a box made of Mandalorian Iron as he felt her searching his thoughts. He just smiled at her.

"Nice try, sweetheart. No cheating allowed or you automatically fail the trial and then you'll have to wait six months before you can try it again," Kylo explained.

"That's not in the Jedi handbook," Rey said matter-of-factly.

Kylo laughed.

"It's not but we have 6 others that need more training and to be put through their own trials while we are still in the process training our non-force sensitive troops and preparing for the next battle. Unfortunately, we can't spend all of our time and effort on just you," he said as he led her through the jungle.

"I know. I figured that once I didn't have any more trials to worry about that we could kick the training for the others into high gear," Rey said and Kylo nodded.

After 5 minutes of walking they came to start of the path that Kylo had created for her. He let go of her hand and took a step back. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"This is where I leave you, sweetheart. I'm gonna go get the group and we will be waiting in a spot where they'll be able to see you," he said.

"And what about you," she asked.

"I'll be watching over you using the Force. You'll feel me but just barely," he said.

"Okay. I love you Kylo," Rey said.

"I love you too, Rey. For the first part of this trial I want you to follow this path to its end. I will let you know if you get off track. This is more dangerous that what we did on Florn for reasons you will understand before the end of this first part. I will meet you at the end so that we can begin the second part," Kylo said and headed back for the group.

It didn't take much time to get the group to the overlook point that would allow them to see the whole obstacle course. The others all looked slightly worried as they got an overhead view of what Rey was facing. Leia shot him a worried look but didn't say anything.

The same couldn't be said for Poe and Finn.

"Ren, what the hell is all that," Poe asked pointing to the first part of the path.

He had rigged trees to fall in her way, had dug pitfalls with spikes and there were rope traps just waiting for her to step on their triggers. There was a giant cavern where a piece of the cliff face had fallen away that would require more than your average Force Leap to cross. But Kylo knew it was the end that everyone was worried about. The platform that the path was leading Rey to was another trap, one that would lock her in a cage and drag her under the water.

Kylo was nervous about that part too but from where he was standing he could easily jump in and save her.

"That is an official trial site or as official as I could make it and too be honest it's nowhere near what my trail site was like. Luke had built his Trial of Skill site for his school with the help of a dozen students over the course of a year. I had to do this all by myself in the space of a night," Kylo said.

"What if she gets hurt," Finn asked.

"Nothing until she either gives up or completes this first part," Cade answered.

"And if she gives up," Rose Tico asked.

"Then she fails and Asera can fix her up," Zer-o said.

"And then she'll have to wait a while before she can attempt this trial again," Kylo said.

The group was deathly silent for a second then Eshreal walked to the edge of the cliff.

"GO REY! YOU CAN DO IT," she screamed.

The rest of the group joined in on her cheering. Rey looked up at them and smile and waved. She looked to Kylo and he nodded.

You may begin, sweetheart. May the Force be with you, he said and turned away from her.

He would track her using the Force. If he had to sit and watch her run through the course he may slip up and let her know what was coming next. He focused on the sky and the sounds of the jungle around them. He could feel Rey moving through the jungle as though he were right there with her.

"How bad is it," Leia asked coming up to stand beside him.

"I set the traps as if my life depended on it," he said.

Leia nodded and then said, "She will be fine."

"I hope so. It would be a shame for her to die before we can tell everyone we're getting married," he said casually with a smirk as his mother caught his words.

Her mouth dropped open and she put her hand on Kylo's arm.

"Did I hear you correctly? The two of you are getting married," Leia asked.

"I asked her last week but I don't have a ring to give her so we haven't told anyone yet," he confided in his mother.

"I think I have the perfect thing. Once she's done with this trial bring her to my rooms," Leia said with a smile and went back to watch Rey complete the last leg of the physical part of the trial.

Kylo could feel that she was about to step onto the platform at the end of the path. He had to focus very hard not to run for her when the cage sprung up and she was drug underwater. He could feel her panicking at first but after a few seconds she began trying to figure out how to get out of the cage.

After a few moments Rey surfaced and everyone began to cheer. Kylo let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and let down his mental walls so that the bond was open again. He could feel Rey's pride at having obviously passed the first part of the test, but now was not the time to celebrate.

"The second part of the trial will begin immediately," Kylo said stepping toward the edge of the cliff. "Rey, if you would climb up on that rock there under the waterfall," Kylo called pointing to the one he meant, "and have a seat, we can begin."

Everyone watched grip as she moved into position.

"Now I want you to levitate those 9 boulders around the lake for 7 hours," he called as the winds began to whip up faster than before.

"Finn will you keep time," Kylo asked. When Finn nodded Kylo said, "You may begin."

He felt her hesitate as doubt entered her mind.

I believe in you, sweetheart, he said.

Suddenly the boulders began to float. The group behind him was surprisingly quiet as he continued drawing the small storm around Rey and the waterfall. He'd only learned the technique while he was recovering and couldn't hold it for every long. It would be even harder to throw small rocks at her as well as distracting sounds, disturbing images, and voices from her past.

But he did it. The storm whipped around her harder, the rocks came faster, more people called to her begging for her help. The fact that she didn't even flinch, the noise and pain of it all didn't even affect her calm gave him the strength to keep it going for the allotted time.

Rey's mind radiated calm the entire time. But just before the time was up Kylo pushed the image of him dead into her mind, putting his cooling blood on her hands, making her feel the cold settling into his body and for a moment the boulders faltered for just as second before resuming their position far above her head.

Distantly Kylo could hear FN-2187 counting down, "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"

Kylo let the illusions fall away first and then the rocks. Finally, the storm eased off and Rey slowly began to lower the boulders back to their original placements. Once they touched the ground Rey was up and climbing the side of the cliff to where the group was waiting.

They all congratulated her but Rey just shook her head and said, "I'm not finished yet."

"No. Now you will face the last part of the trial. It is time for the combat portion of the trial," Kylo said.

He looked at her and wanted to take her into his arms. There were cuts and bruises on her arms and legs and she looked tired even though it had only been a little over nine over since she'd awoken. Kylo handed her the lightsaber he had taken from her before she'd started the trial.

"I asked your knights to participate in this part of your trials simply because I do not have the energy to put up a good enough fight after everything else," Kylo said.

He'd asked them last night after he'd finished preparing the trial site.

"I'm am ready," she said.

The rest of the group moved away from Rey and the others. Eshreal, Asera, Cade, Taliki, Zer-o and Gear surrounded her, each with their lightsabers ablaze.

"Sorry about this Rey," Eshreal said as she and Gear moved to attack at the same time.

Kylo wondered if they'd actually taken the time out to come up with a game plan after he'd spoken to them. He watched as Rey ignited her own blade and fended off their attacks while repelling shots from Cade and Zer-o with the Force. Asera stuck out with her spear while Taliki lashed out with her whip.

Rey slowly began methodically attacking them one by one. The knights all put up gallant efforts but about midway through the fight Rey slipped into a Force technique known as Battle Precognition that allowed her to see the Force moving around her opponents which made her able to defend against anything they could throw at her. Kylo moved around the circle watching it all. Even when they would all attack her at once she had no problem defending against them.

She got rid of Taliki and her whip first by moving Zer-o in the path of her attack causing Taliki to try and quickly retract the whip causing it to strike back at her. While Taliki was trying to get her whip straightened out Rey leapt over Zer-o and put her blade to Taliki's chest. They couldn't fight to the death so anything that would be a killing blow was all it took to be considered out.

"Taliki you are out," Kylo called.

She moved away and the fight continued until only Rey and Cade were still in the makeshift ring. Asera had taken the rest of the Knights back to the med bay to take care of the few injuries that Rey had caused. Leia, Poe, FN-2187, Rose, Connix, and Taliah all stood around and watched as the trial was obviously coming to a close.

They were cheering as Rey and Cade hacked and slashed at each other for a while. \Suddenly Rey took her lightsaber staff in one hand and grabbed Cade's throat with the Force using the other.

Surprise showed in the Shistavanen's amber eyes. Kylo was surprised too. He wasn't even aware that Rey could use such a dark technique. While she held Cade in the air she knocked his lightsaber away from him. Cade's feet kicked involuntarily as she continued to cut off his air.

Rey stared up at him with an expression that Kylo had worn on his own face quite a few times. It didn't take long for the others to notice that something was wrong. Leia and the others looked worried and not just about Cade.

Sweetheart, it's over. You won, now let Cade go, Kylo said gently as he moved closer to her and Cade.

The wolfman's face was starting to go blue and for his skin to be as buried in fur as it was the coloring was startling. Kylo stepped up to her and a laid a hand on her shoulder. After a few seconds she looked over at him and Rey's personality began to leak back into her hazel eyes.

She looked startled as she let go of Cade and Poe came forward to steady the male.

"Did I hurt you," Rey asked.

Cade shook his head.

"I've been through worse," he said. "Congratulations Rey! Now we can start partying," he coughed out making Rey and Kylo flinch.

"Yes, Rey's trial is over but now is not the time to celebrate. Zoroyais and the First Order are spreading across the galaxy faster than any invasion we've ever seen. We must come up with a plan to stop them," Kylo said as the group began moving toward the base.

"And what do you suggest," Leia asked.

"Double our recruitment and training sessions for one thing. And for two we need more Force users," Kylo said.

"You wanna start a school like Luke," Leia asked surprised.

Kylo laughed.

"Younglings won't help matters mother," Kylo said.

"Are you still suggesting we go after the Knights of Ren," Poe asked and Kylo nodded.

"What makes you think they'll even listen to you," Connix asked.

"Because they are loyal to me. The only left Luke's school because I asked them to. They only joined the First Order because I asked them to. They only followed Snoke's orders because I asked them too. If I ask them to help us they will do it," Kylo said with surety dripping from his voice.

"Okay but only if Rey agrees," Leia said and that was all he really needed.

"Of course I agree. We need all the help we can get. Plus, an Order implies that there are more than 8 people in it," Rey said and just like that Kylo had the okay to start searching the galaxy for his old friends.

If they were still his friends…


I so didn't mean for this chapter to be so long but here we are. What do you guys think of the Grey Order? I wonder if they'll ever talk about them in the movies..