A/N: Hi all! 2nd half of 11 is up, the last part will go up tomorrow. Anyway, enjoy & let me know what you think :) xoxo


For the first few hours he was back in his quarters, Ren ignored her. Not that it had been hard. She'd kept quietly to her room, and he'd let himself slip into an old holobook that recounted the rise of the Empire. For the briefest moment he thought she'd tried another escape attempt, but he told himself it didn't matter.

If she did, it proves she's a liar – like the rest of them. If she didn't, I'll know soon enough.

When the sound of metal hitting metal reverberated from the hall, he frowned. Time to get his answer.

A slate colored droid stood at his doorway. Modifications had been made to make this one female, but despite that, the androgynous features and monotone voice always put him on edge. Personally, he preferred the droids that beeped and whistled, not the ones that reminded him of C-3PO, and ultimately, his family.

"Good afternoon, Master Ren. I am D-3PO – though some people have taken to calling me DD – General Phasma said you needed to see me. "

He glared at the droid. Most of the ones he came into contact with always talked too much. "My…guest…is in the room to the right. Take her measurements, make some suitable clothes and come back. Keep your interaction with her to a minimum and don't aggravate her, she's stronger than she looks."

After a pause he ground out an extra set of instructions, remembering what he'd decided to do about finesse. "I'll also need one or two personal solar lamps…..and bring back a few holobooks, anything you can find."

The droid offered him a slight bow. "Of course Master Ren."

He stepped aside and let DD enter, berating himself for telling the droid bring her things that would make her more comfortable.

But finesse might be the key, so focus on that. If it doesn't work, I'll hand her over to the Supreme Leader and be done with all this.

Without a word, the droid entered her room and Ren returned to his. He'd barely settled back into his chair with his holobook when a scream ripped through the air.

For the first time in years, Kylo Ren felt fear; and he hated it. In moments he was across the room, the bitter taste infuriating him. Fear was one thing Kylo Ren was not supposed to know. Ever.

With a flick of his wrist he opened his door and stopped dead, stupefied by the scene in front of him.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Lira yelled, standing awkwardly in the living room, looking disheveled and annoyed. A blanket clutched tightly around her.

"Ah, Mater Ren." DD said, turning to him and wringing her hands. "She was asleep when I entered. Since I only needed her measurements… I was attempting to take them without waking her and – "

"What do you need my measurements for? You gave me a heart attack. Do you have any idea how lucky you are that I didn't BREAK you?!" Lira hissed, her skin flushing as she glanced at Ren.

Ren glared at both of them. Though he'd never admit it, he could still feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins, feel his heart slam into his chest as he tried to calm himself. Remind himself that she was safe. "DD is here so that we can get proper clothes made for you."

DD nodded. "Exactly. As I tried to state earlier –"

"I don't need clothes made for me, Ben. I just need clothes. Period."

Annoyed, he crossed his arms. "Damnit Lira, stop arguing and let her take your measurements. It's not easy to find clothes that may fit you from among the female crew." Before she could unleash the retort he knew was sitting on her tongue, he pointed a finger at her. "Either DD measures you for clothes, or you wear what you have and that's it."

Lira's mouth fell open. "W-what? How does that even make sense?!"

"Take it or leave it."

She glared at him, her eyes a dangerous kaleidoscope of green. Reaching out, she grabbed DD's arm and began dragging the droid back to her room, muttering under her breath.

When all else fails, get angry and then make her angry.

It was an unhealthy way to deal with his emotions, but he'd rather do that than wonder why she had triggered such a response from him. The Light whispered that it knew, but he stuffed the gleeful voice and made for his room. He did not want to explore his emotions.

His bedroom door hissed open and another set of knocks sounded on his door.

Now what?!

His hand instinctively clenched, and he desperately wished it was around the neck of whoever was bothering him, now.

But you've already exceeded your allotted number of "expendable" crew.

Grabbing his mask off the table in the living room, he put it on. Whoever was out there would expect him to be fully dressed, even in the sanctity of his personal space. When the door opened, a fleeting moment of gratitude for foresight hit him. Phasma was standing in the doorway.

"What was th–" Lira's voice died from where she'd stuck her head out her door.

For the love of…

He didn't miss the way Phasma's helmet ticked, ever so slightly, over his shoulder.

"Captain." If there was one thing he loved, it was the way his mask altered his voice, hiding nearly every giveaway he'd let slip without it.

She focused on him again. "Lord Ren, might I come in?"

No.

He stepped aside and waved her in; knowing that not doing so would raise more questions than just getting whatever this was out of the way. Whether Lira was able to pick up his thoughts, his mood, or just had common sense, she slipped back into her room and remained quiet.

Probably trying to eavesdrop.

"Lord Ren, please forgive the intrusion, but…..well, some of the crew are concerned." Phasma said, trying to hide her fidgeting. It was painfully obvious to both of them that being alone with him in his rooms was making her uneasy.

"Concerned about what?" He didn't bother to hide the anger in his voice. People questioning his abilities or authority was something he refused to tolerate.

"They are wondering why you've been neglecting your duties. It's been days since you've commanded the bridge or spoken with the Supreme Leader, and you seem remarkably concerned with the welfare of your guest." She said dryly, her helmet again ticking in Lira's direction.

"Is it the crew that's concerned Captain, or you?" he asked, fury beginning to take over the adrenaline.

Phasma went still, obviously taken by surprise. "Er….The crew, Lord Ren, of course. I shouldn't care why you're interested in your guest, should I?"

Ren knew it was supposed to be a rhetorical question, but he couldn't help rising to the bait. Turning, he began to pace the room. If he didn't work off the extra energy, he'd end up doing something he'd regret later.

"Not at all, Captain. While I understand the Supreme Leader has expressed certain….inclinations…for the two of us and our future together– at this moment, I have no interest in you or any woman. So let me be clear: my business with my guest is my own, and I expect you to keep your curiosity about the matter to yourself. It has nothing to do with you, the Supreme Leader, or the First Order. When I have tired of her company, I will remove her. Understood?"

Ren wasn't sure if it was the way his voice dropped to a low growl, or something else in his demeanor, but Phasma stood at attention and saluted, her previous nervousness gone.

"Of course, Lord Ren. Please forgive me."

He ignored her and continued speaking. "And if any of the crew have any more concerns, send them to me. I'll be sure to put their worries at ease. Is that all?"

Phasma stood perfectly still, the desire to say something more practically pouring off of her, but she held fast and said curtly, "No."

With a wave he dismissed her and waited until her footsteps had receded before he removed his mask. Whether he'd meant to or not, Lira's presence was affecting him and he'd need to be much more cognizant of that if he wanted to avoid any more problems with the crew or Phasma. Or worse, Hux and Supreme Leader Snoke.

"Excuse me, Master Ren?"

Ren tensed. DD was standing a few feet behind him, wringing her hands again.

"What?" he hissed.

If he wasn't careful he'd destroy the droid just to vent.

"Well….I was wondering if you had a preference about your guest's clothes showing her scars." She said quickly, gesturing at Lira's door. "Because if you do, I can make sure the back isn't shown so that way –"

It took a moment for DD's words to sink in, but as soon as they did, he narrowed his eyes at her. Trying to recall if Lira had had any scars when he'd known her; she hadn't.

"What scars?"

DD tipped her head, as if trying to understand him. "Haven't you seen them, sir?"

Grunting at the droid he made for Lira's room. He had no idea what DD was talking about, but he was going to find out.


Quick note - adult(ish) things will happen in the following section, so if you need to skip them, you'll have to wait until tomorrow when the 3rd part goes up!


Lira glared at the floor, trying to tamp down her anger and failing. She couldn't tell if she was angry that Ben had told her what to do, or that she'd listened.

Or maybe both? Probably both. Whatever, it doesn't matter! Who the hell does he think he is? Telling me what to do. 'Get measured for clothes or what I gave you is all you get.' Jerk. It's not that hard to find a pair of pants and a decent top for a woman….and then buy in bulk so they won't run out. Unless you're Ari. If you're Ari you have no business buying a woman clothes because you'll drown her in fabric or end up suffocating her with clothes that are too tight….

Snorting, she felt her frown twist into a lopsided smile. Luke's friend – her friend – had tried to buy her clothes after he'd rescued her, only to pick the ones that never fit. After two attempts he'd given in and let Qui'lea, his wife, pick some out. Lost in the memory, she failed to hear the quiet hiss of her door. But she felt the change. The subtle hum of electricity that hadn't been there before, the way it raised the hair on her skin and made her shiver.

DD?

She turned, expecting to find the quirky droid standing there. "Did you forget some–" her voice faltered, died in her throat. Every nerve ending inside her came alive, and she wasn't sure if it was with fear or something else. Not that she wanted to know. She had a sinking she wouldn't like the answer.

Ben was standing just inside her doorway, his left white knuckling his mask. But this wasn't his usual anger or mood swing. This was different. Lira could taste the sharp tang of the darkness coming off of him and wondered what had changed in the last few minutes.

What did the shiny tin can say to you?

Something the trooper had said,had put her in the crosshairs of a very pissed off Kylo Ren, and for the first time since she'd arrived, she didn't know how to react to him.

Humor or snark is probably a death sentence given his current mood….but I really don't know what to say….

When he spoke, his voice was low and cold, rumbling over her skin like thunder. "I want to see your back."

Hu?

She blinked at him and tipped her head to the side, doing a quick double-take to make sure she wasn't somehow hallucinating.

"Er…I don't –"

Dropping his mask on the floor, he closed the distance between them and used the Force to hold her in place.

What the hell?!

She tried to yell at him, to demand he release her but his hold was so strong she couldn't speak. Not that it would have mattered.

He was ignoring her.

Impatiently, he removed his cloves and tugged the back of her shirt over her shoulders. Furious, she tried to move, to keep him from seeing what DD had, but failed.

His sudden hiss of breath and the way his hand holding her shirt clenched, trembled, told her he'd seen her scars. Lira felt the sting of tears, and for the smallest moment in time, wished she were dead again. Whether he'd heard that thought, or it was something else, his hold on her lessened enough that she could move. Not wasting the chance, she spun around and slapped him as hard across the face as she could.

"How dare you?" she whispered, unable to be louder for fear of losing control.

"Who did that to you?" he asked, focused so intently it made her uncomfortable.

When he took another step towards her, she instinctively backed up, not wanting him anywhere near her. But he continued, slowly inching closer until there was nowhere for her to go and her back pressed against the wall.

"Back off, Kylo Ren, or so help me…."

Before she could finish the threat, he was in front of her, slapping his palms against the wall on either side of her head. Keeping her in place. When his eyes met hers, they glittered so intensely, that for a heartbeat she thought they were glowing. However, it passed so quickly that she dismissed it.

"You will tell me, Lira Kenobi, how you got those scars. Now."

Oh…excuse me?

Glaring at him, she snapped. "No. It's none of your business what scars I have or how I got them."

Whatever satisfaction she could take from his surprise didn't last long.

"IT IS MY BUSINESS!" he bellowed, shoving away from her. Shooting a dark look at her over his shoulder, he paced in front of her. "It's my business because…..because it's my fault."

Lira felt her mouth fall open and the anger dissipated into confusion. "How, exactly, is anything that has happened to me your fault?"

He stayed quiet for so long that she thought he wouldn't answer her, but eventually he said, "You didn't have those scars before the temple fell…that tells me you went somewhere dangerous, probably alone, on a reckless mission. If there had been more Jedi….maybe you wouldn't have gotten hurt. You certainly wouldn't be a bounty hunter in enemy hands."

Lira narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't be so cocky, Kylo Ren. There's a good chance I'd still have these scars even if you hadn't destroyed the temple. So you can take your moping, guilt trip and shove it –"

Coherent thought scattered from her brain. The only thing she could focus on was the sudden sensation of his body pressed against hers. His lips silencing her words as his mouth worked fervently for access to her own. The heat one hand as he cupped her face, the other pressed against her hip to keep her in place.

Unlike other kisses she'd had, this was neither gentle nor rough. His teeth nibbled and grazed her bottom lip, his tongue flicking the pain away; demanding, urging, persuading her to let him in. Some tiny corner of her mind begged her to stop him. To throw him backwards and scour the sensation from her memory, but then he touched her.

Wherever his fingers touched her, heat seared her. Trailed a path of fire from where he let his hand drop to cup her breast. The pad of his thumb brushing light circles over the center, making her gasp, her body reacting to him immediately.

Taking advantage of the opening, his tongue slipped inside and tormented her. Tasting and teasing every corner until she was sure she'd never get the taste of him out of her mouth. Dimly, she was aware of the hardening of his body against her thigh, it's presence demanding attention. The way the hand on her waist was stroking fires along her hip, trying to get lower; and the one on her chest dipped under her shirt so his hand could cup her.

A moan escaped her. Everything he was doing seemed to be aimed at driving her mad. Even if somewhere in her mind she knew better, her body betrayed her. Reacting to his touch in every possible way until she was sure she would burst into flame and melt into a puddle on the floor. Each stroke of his thumb over her breast, each flick of his tongue or tug of his teeth destroyed her. Sent her spiraling into an oblivion she never wanted to return from.

It was only when he broke the kiss that she was able to breathe, to try and pull her scattered mind back together. She took some satisfaction in his own shortness of breath, of the way his dark eyes seemed wild and lost.