The ship lurched as it took off, and Kylo Ren led Rey further inside with his hand still on her back. The command ship featured one fairly large room with small seats lining the sides. A door in the back led to what Rey assumed was the pilot's room. Six other Stormtroopers stood at attention in a formation of two columns, and the four that had gone to the exchange with Kylo joined them. Another trooper in silver armor stood off to the side. The voice was distinctly female as she addressed the Knight of Ren. "Sir, the pilots say the trip will take just over an hour."
Rey shrugged Kylo's hand off her back and moved to sit down on one of the chairs, fiddling with the holocommunicator for something to do. The former Jedi moved toward her, holding out a gloved hand. "Your communicator, Rey."
Rey frowned up at him, wishing he would take off his helmet for once so that she could read his expression. "Why do you want it?"
"I cannot have you contacting your Resistance friends if you happen to find some useful information. I will hold onto it for your check-ins." His hand remained open, and Rey sighed before placing the round device into his palm. She was surprised that he had not just used the Force to take it from her.
His hand disappeared inside his cloak to presumably place the communicator in his pocket, and his lightsaber hilt glinted in the dim lighting. She watched it curiously as he took a seat across from her. Luke had not had time to tell her anything about the weapons, and she wanted to learn more about them since she had successfully used one on the Starkiller Base. She did not ask Kylo, however, as she wanted as little interaction with her new captor as possible.
They sat – or stood in the Stormtroopers' case – in silence for nearly a half hour with Rey fiddling with her Jakku clothes. She was just starting to examine the ceiling when the ship shuddered out of hyperspace and suddenly banked hard to one side. Rey tipped out of her seat, and the Stormtroopers stumbled to the side in surprise. Kylo Ren managed to catch himself with the Force and opened the door to the pilot's room, his boots pounding against the metal as he walked. Rey looked up from her new spot on the floor, seeing the ship's twin laser cannons firing at a small ship through the windows. "What's going on?"
One of the pilots addressed Kylo, ignoring Rey's question. "It's not a Resistance ship, sir."
Kylo's hand fingered his lightsaber as if he wanted nothing more than to jump across space and cut the attacking ship in half. "Those blasted pirates again. They think capturing me will get them a hefty ransom from the First Order. Get close to them." The ship surged forward, and his gloved hand rose. The red cannon blasts began shifting upwards, unnaturally angling into the underside of the ship. The pirate ship fired back as its shields flickered off. The pilot turned the ship on its side to avoid the enemy fire.
The co-pilot examined a screen in front of him, pressing a few buttons. "Their shields are down, sir. Scans show a crew of thirty."
The raised hand turned so that Kylo's palm was perpendicular to the ground, and the rest of the Knight's body was completely still as he focused upon the Force. Rey felt a curious pressure in the air around her, similar to when Kylo had invaded her mind. The blasts from the command ship's cannons easily hit their targets and destroyed the cannons on the pirate ship.
"We will need to meet with a larger vessel to capture them, sir."
Kylo turned away from the pilot, his tone almost bored through the mask. "They are only a nuisance. Destroy them."
The two pilots complied. Rey watched with wide eyes as the pirate ship went down in flames under the blasts of their cannons. She stood as the ship took off into hyperspace once again, fury bubbling up inside her like the fizzy drink Finn had introduced her to at the Resistance base. "You just murdered thirty people! They were only trying to make a living; you could have let them live! They probably had families, childre-"
She was cut off as the Force enveloped her, freezing her in place with her mouth open. Rey tried pushing back with her mind as Kylo stalked over to her, his hand raised again. "Those pirates would have tried to kill everyone on this ship for I certainly would not have gone with them willingly. As much power as you think you possess, you would not be able to hold off fifteen trained pirates without a weapon. You would likely be dead or captured, and your little Resistance friends would go to war for you. Are you telling me you would have risked them in favor of thirty men you have never met?"
The Force dropped her to the ground, and he stood over her, his dark figure imposing as his mask stared lifelessly down at her. Rey looked up at him, her jaw set. She would not have someone who practiced the Dark Side give her a lecture on morals. "Then are you saying you are not strong enough to fight off thirty people with that lightsaber you seem so fond of?"
She felt the pressure envelop her again, and this time it began to hurt. He knelt down next to her, his voice low and dangerous through the mask. "I am saying I could not fight them with my full power because I would need to be protecting a weakling girl who could not defend herself. Those filth would not hesitate to steal you and sell you in the far reaches of the galaxy." He stood, but the Force remained around her head. "I think you need to rest and cool off before we arrive." His power forced her to fall unconscious before she could bite back her scathing retort.
()()()()
She woke in a spacious bed and sat up as she heard movement to left. Before she could see what made the noise, she let out a small gasp. The room she was in large, about the size Finn's quarters had been, but that was where the comparisons stopped. Sunlight flowed through white curtains that hung over wide windows. The covers she was under were a dark green, the color of thick grass. A white vanity sat to her right with a circular mirror, and next to it the door to a large refresher was open. She turned back to her left as she heard someone clear their throat.
A young woman with orange-red skin stood near her bed, smiling tentatively down at her. Her face was framed by white and blue striped head tails that connected to cone-like horns. Rey had seen a few of her species at the Jakku market once before, and she vaguely recalled the woman was a Togruta. Her horns were fairly small and her head tails fell only a small way past her shoulders, indicating that she was probably a young adult. White pigments accented her face as a diamond on her forehead, and two thick lines started from the top of her nose, arced over her deep blue eyes, and ended in graceful sweeps down her cheekbones that tapered into a swirl. Her thin body was clad in loose-fitting black pants and a black, long sleeve shirt that left her shoulders bare.
The Togruta's voice was soft with a musical lilt as she spoke. "Rey? I am Asarla Tano. Lord Ren has assigned me to be your assistant during your stay here."
Rey raised an eyebrow as she stood, studying the woman. "Assistant? But I am a hostage."
Asarla's laugh was as melodic as her voice. "A political hostage. Since it is assured that you will not escape, Lord Ren has made arrangements for you to be comfortable."
Rey nodded once, not quite believing what her alleged assistant said. "Right... So I am assuming I can get something to eat?"
The Togruta gave a small nod, a smile gracing her dark lips. "Of course, miss. Do you wish to change? Lord Ren has provided some clothing for you."
Rey looked down at her sun-beaten clothes from Jakku. They were dirty and old, but they were hers. She had gone through a lot in the clothes and sand-worn boots. She shook her head, deciding she wanted to accept as little as possible from Kylo Ren. "No. I will wear this."
Asarla gave a small nod and turned, leading her out into a short hall that opened into a spacious – well, Rey was not sure what to call the room. White columns gleamed down a row to her left, casting shadows that tall windows created as they brought in sunlight. A table to her right displayed a hologram that shifted to views of various planets and stars. Another table a small distance down held more food than she had ever seen.
Her stomach growled impatiently as she saw the food, and she took several steps toward it, eager to taste something other than the rationed bread she was used to on Jakku. Rey stopped halfway to the table as an all-too familiar figure approached her from a nearby door.
Kylo – or Lord Ren, as Asarla referred to him – had abandoned his usual battle attire. He had removed his helmet, revealing the scar on the right side of his face. It made significant progress in healing, and it now looked like a dark bolt of lightning had been carved across his face. Rey thought it made him look more intimidating than the mask ever had. He wore black, loose-fitting pants similar to what Asarla had on. Knee-high boots fitted over the pants, and a tucked in, deep red shirt was under a form-fitted black jacket. His lightsaber hung at his hip as usual. His demeanor was different somehow, and Rey took several moments to place her finger on what exactly it was. Relaxed. He was not tense as she had always seen him, but rather comfortable in his surroundings.
He crossed the distance between them swiftly as she watched him. She did not think it was fair that he looked so good. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious in her dirty Jakku clothing.
"Rey. Welcome to my home." Even his rich voice had less of a bite to it than usual.
Rey looked surprised at this, glancing around at the spacious room. The warm, welcoming light was not what she would have expected of Kylo Ren's home. For some reason, she had imagined he would have chosen to live in a dark cave somewhere while he obsessed over the Dark Side and probably Darth Vader. "Your… home. I thought you lived on the First Order's ships?"
He shrugged and beckoned her toward the table of food. "Generally, yes. The Supreme Leader provided me with this house for when I am not on assignments." She followed him to the table more because of her hunger than because of his motion. "You are to remain here for your time with us."
Rey took a seat across from him and picked up the nearest piece of yellow fruit, taking a bite of it. Its flavor exploded in her mouth as he watched her. "I think you'll find everything you will need is here. I do ask that you not venture out into the city without Ms. Tano to accompany you." Asarla stood near the table, giving a small nod.
Rey took another bite of the fruit, taking a moment to swallow it before answering. "Why? Do I need to be watched? Asarla said there really isn't a chance for me to escape, considering I am a willing hostage."
Kylo's dark eyes watched her intently. Rey noticed he made no move to eat the food in front of him. "It is more for your safety. The city is mostly safe, but there are of course criminals that occasionally cause trouble. They know that attacking anyone under my protection results in swift punishment." Rey did not want to think of what kind of punishment he spoke of.
She finished the fruit as a silver droid marched up to the table. "Sir, General Hux is waiting to speak with you on the hologram."
Kylo nodded and stood, glancing back at Rey. "Ms. Tano can help you find what you need. I trust you will stay out of trouble." He followed the droid to the door he had come out of and turned back to her briefly before he entered it. "And change your clothes. I do not care for such… dirt in my home."
AN: And a slightly different side of Kylo comes out. Let me know what you think. Inspired by World Under Siege by lone. Thanks for reading!
