"We're using those?" Rey said with a yawn, nodding to the two lightsabers. Even with four days of sleep, plus a few hours of restless sleep last night, she felt exhausted and drained. She was dressed in tight, black training gear that covered every inch of her body, except her head. She wore black leather gloves and knee high boots. Her hair pulled extra tight in her signature style.
"I don't have training sabers," Kylo said as he handed her his grandfather's lightsaber. Kylo wore matching black training gear, "never had a use for them as I have been training alone all these years. Besides, if you were to have an enemy approach you tomorrow with a lightsaber, which would you rather have?"
"A lightsaber," she said quickly as she took the saber, "Supreme Leader never trained with you?"
"Supreme Leader has guided my training through holos and a droid we programmed for sparring, but I have not seen him in person for quite some time." Kylo said as he turned to the sparse equipment he had laid out in the room.
"Why haven't you seen him in so long?" Rey wondered how Kylo could have gotten proper training if he didn't have a teacher present to demonstrate skills or make necessary corrections on his pupils. She began having more of a fascination with the mysterious being they called Supreme Leader Snoke.
"The Supreme Leader is a bit of a recluse." Kylo said as he began readying the various training equipment in which Rey had not yet learned the name of, "Too many have tried to kill him over the years, Jedi and Sith alike. I don't even know where he is located. Only Hux knows Supreme Leader's location at any given time."
"You can't just...read Hux's mind?"
Kylo smiled at her naivete, "it's never that simple," He turned to Rey and handed her a blaster, "Snoke has his ways of keeping information from me. He can block memories from being seen by those strong with the Force. Hux's memory of the location is one thing he blocks. The only way I could get it out of him is if he tells me."
"But, don't you think it's strange he keeps secrets from you? I mean, you're one of his top leaders. I would think he would have more trust in you."
Kylo paused, his jaw clenched tight. Rey could see how the answer to her questions affected him, the way he downcast his eyes and pursed his full lips. "Supreme Leader has his reasons for keeping information from me. As I said, both Sith and Jedi have tried to kill him. Past students as well. It's for his own protection. Without the Supreme Leader, the First Order would crumble and our galaxy would still be under the New Republic. The First Order is necessary to return the galaxy to its former glory."
Rey was taken aback by Kylo's words. "Former glory?"
Kylo turned to her, "yes. When the Emperor ruled, our galaxy had order. The Empire didn't have bickering politicians only concerned about their own affairs while crime went unnoticed or ignored. The New Republic was a joke. No wonder they became corrupted so quickly."
"But, the Empire ruled through fear, oppression, they enslaved entire alien races and gained loyalty through manipulative and violent means. How can you say that what the Rebellion, and now the Resistance, fought for is 'glorious.' It's what your mother and father fought for, Ben."
Rey didn't have time to flinch. Kylo's hand was around her throat, but he didn't squeeze. His Force signature pulsed into her body. She could tell he was furious from the violent intensity of the energy. He held her gaze, his eyes black and face twisted with hate and anger, "The only reason you are alive now is because the Force felt the need to bond us together," he hissed, "The only reason I can keep you from being executed by Hux and Snoke is your pledged loyalty to the First Order. That includes accepting the ideals of the former Empire." He paused, "And obeying the rules of the First Order. You know very well that speaking THAT name is forbidden in the First Order."
He released Rey, who instinctively brought her hand to her throat, though it didn't hurt. She could still feel his energy tingling on her skin. "I've never called you anything else. Why hide who you really are?"
"Because it's not who I am anymore!?" He snapped, turning back to her, his fingers twisted into gnarled claws.
"Then who are you, Ben?!" Rey snapped back, taunting Kylo with his birth name.
Kylo clenched his jaw so tight, Rey thought he would break his own teeth in his anger, "Right now," He growled slowly, "I can either be your teacher or your worst nightmare, which do you choose?"
Rey smirked, "If I choose the nightmare, would you experience the nightmare as well, seeing as we are bonded?"
Kylo scowled at her, "do you honestly think I want to be the monster you think I am towards you?" His demeanor was much more calm than before. Rey only stared, seeing the man once known as Ben Solo come back. His temper puzzled her. It fascinated her.
When Rey did not answer him, Kylo turned and walked to the training room. "Shall we start?"
Rey followed, not wanting to speak to Kylo, until she glanced at what was in her hand, "Why do I have a blaster? I thought we were doing lightsaber training today."
"We are," He said as he readied himself, "we are going to practice blocking blaster bolts with our sabers."
"Shouldn't we be starting with something more...basic?" Rey thought back to the little training she received from Luke. It had been very little and she had just started learning basic lightsaber skills before HE had to come and ruin it all.
"For now, I need you combat ready." He paused to smirk at Rey.
"Combat ready?!" Rey shouted, stopping in her tracks,"I am not one of your...your Stormtroopers! I have had lightsaber training!"
"The Resistance could attack us at any given moment. I need you prepared," Kylo said, "and your basic lightsaber training, that I vaguely recall YOU yourself ruining, will suffice for our lesson today."
Rey opened her mouth to protest, but then remembered it had been her who stormed off on Luke on Endor. This made Kylo grin even wider, he even let out a little chuckle as he turned to prepare for training. Rey studied his face. His smile deepened his dimples, making him look boyish. She wished he would smile more, then wished she hadn't wished that as the smile promptly faded from Kylo Ren's face.
"Shall we begin?" He asked, readying his stance. Rey followed suit, but stopped to look around the room.
"Why can't we use the droid?" Rey asked.
"I destroyed the droid."
"I'd hate to know what he did to deserve that," Rey said with a bit of a chuckle, rolling her eyes. She imagined him slicing the droid to pieces in a severe tantrum after it had beat him. Her thoughts earned her a venomous scowl that reminded her Kylo Ren could read her mind.
"If we are going to do this," Kylo said, clearly annoyed, "if I am going to be your master..."
"You're not my anything," Rey interupted defiantly.
Every muscle in Kylo's body tensed and his fists tightened around his saber and blaster. His face contorted as he fought the urge to not hurt her. "Rey..." he whispered in frustration.
"Ben..." Rey sneered back. Kylo pressed his lips together until they turned white, then relaxed with a loud sigh. He looked into Rey's eyes, clearly wanting to shake her.
"Rey, until I figure everything out, it is important that you cooperate." Kylo said in as calm a voice as he could manage, looking deep in her eyes, "I don't want to die. If you would, please, give me a chance...I need to figure this bond out. If you can give me a chance to show you the ways of the Force, to unlock your true potential, I promise I will let you go once I learn how to break our bond."
"Swear on it," Rey demanded, not letting up on her defiance.
Kylo sighed, "I swear I will let you go once I learn how to break the bond. Now, can we get started?!"
Rey nodded, "Yes," she readied her stance, "but do promise to tell me about my life before Jakku. I want to know everything you wiped."
The corner of Kylo's mouth twitched into a small smile as he nodded, "I promise," He readied his stance. He ignited his lightsaber with a loud, crackling buzz and the dark gray room was immediately bathed in red, "now shoot me."
Rey furrowed her brow, "wh-what?"
"Shoot me, with your blaster."
"But wouldn't it..."
"Just do it." Kylo snapped.
Rey raised the blaster. She thought back to the first time she had ever shot one, in the woods on Takodana. How the adrenaline rushed through her veins as she pulled the trigger and she shot down a Stormtrooper. How it felt to kill for the first time. She squeezed the trigger and fired.
A long, red bolt shot from the blaster and towards Kylo with a loud *pew*. Except, it shot several feet to Kylo's right and exploded on the wall behind him. He turned to assess the damage, then turned back to Rey with and scowl, "I said shoot me."
"I did."
"What, are you an Imperial Stormtrooper?" Kylo snapped, "I want you to shoot as if you want to kill me."
"What does any of this have to do with Imperial Stormtroopers?" Rey shot back. Kylo motioned with his hands to never mind his comment.
"Just...try again."
"But, shouldn't I set it to stun?"
"NO! JUST SHOOT!" Kylo bellowed and Rey automatically aimed and squeezed the trigger.
Another bolt erupted from the blaster and shot towards Kylo. Rey nearly missed Kylo deflecting the bolt with a swipe of his saber. The bolt shot away and exploded off the ceiling in bright sparks, leaving a fresh burn mark on the wall.
"Again, and fire at me rapidly this time." Kylo ordered. Rey did so and a stream of bolts shot towards Kylo and all were subsequently deflected. Kylo ordered for her to stop firing and she lowered the weapon. Before she could regain her grounding, he fired his blaster at her.
Rey's eyes did have time to widen as she dodged out of the way just in time for the bolt to speed past her and exploded on the wall behind her. Her breath caught in her throat. She had almost been killed. And it was HE who almost did it. She shot her head back around toward him.
"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!" She screamed.
Kylo only smirked as he disengaged his lightsaber, "you must be ready in a moment's notice, Rey. Or else, you will be dead. Now, get up and try again."
Rey obeyed, scurrying to her feet and igniting her lightsaber just in time as Kylo squeezed the trigger and a blaster bolt sped towards her. She swung wildly at it, but managed to deflect the bolt, which exploded near some terminals. She didn't have time to survey the damage when another and another and another. Rey smiled as she hit another, this time it actually crashed into the terminal and Rey wondered if she would be punished for destroying First Order property. She swiped at another, but this time it didn't shoot toward a wall or terminal.
It shot towards Kylo's head.
Rey didn't have time to react. She expected to feel a surge of pain as the bolt would severely hurt him. Or worse, kill him and she would die, too. But the blaster bolt stopped in midair before it could hit Kylo. It hummed, quivering in front of Kylo's outstretched hand. The streak of light so brilliant, illuminating the small details of Kylo's face.
Kylo exhaled, and stepped out of the way and the blaster bolt whizzed past him. Rey thought she saw a tiny hint of fear, but was too astonished by what she had just seen. She knew Kylo Ren was powerful, but didn't know he could stop a blaster bolt midair.
"How did you do that?" Rey said, lowering her weapons.
"Stopping a blaster bolt?" Kylo asked. Rey nodded, "I'm...not sure how to explain it, other than I used the same techniques I use when I freeze other people in place. But, it is quite a bit more complicated."
Rey thought back to how she felt when Kylo froze her in her spot on Takodana. How she felt a terrible invisible force thrust her arm backwards. It had felt as if her shoulder was being twisted backwards.
"Can you show me how to do it?" Rey asked. This must have caught Kylo by surprise because he opened and closed his mouth, trying to find the best response.
"I actually learned by accident," He said, "but I can show you what the Force feels like when I do it." He walked to a nearby table and set his blaster and lightsaber down, then walked over to Rey. He stood close to Rey, so close she could smell him. His scent was enticing. There was a muskiness about it, and it had a faint spice to the rich scent. Her heart pounded as he neared. She took and as step backward.
"What are you going to do?" Rey asked, unsure why she was nervous.
"Just hold your hand out as if you were going to block something right now. Aim at...the terminal over there." He said. She turned her back to him and raised her hand. Her fingers trembled as she stood there, still unsure if this was going this was going to hurt her.
She jumped as he placed his hands on her, one on her shoulder and one on her outstretched hand, his chest hovering behind her back. Rey glanced back at him, he was so close to her that he had to move his own head. He nodded, but Rey didn't feel reassured about this. 'Relax and focus.' His voice was calm and comforting in her head. She wished she could communicate back to him, but realized he knew what she was thinking at that moment.
He opened his palm and, immediately, Rey felt a strange sensation pulsating through her fingertips, as if they were melting into liquid. It was pleasant at first, then the vibrations intensified. The power that flowed through her was intoxicating, mesmerizing. She imagined a blaster bolt whizzing toward her and it stopping inches from her by a mere flick of her hand. The idea of that sort of power. Of stopping the bolt with one hand, then reaching out with the other and choking the shooter without placing and finger on them, oh how she craved it. She loved how exhilarating his Darkness felt. She wanted it. She wanted it all.
Kylo suddenly pulled away from Rey, snapping her from her dark thoughts of power. She looked back at him, wondering if he had heard her thoughts. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes had a pained look in them. His breath was heavy as he considered what Rey guessed he heard. They stood there for a few moments, Rey shocked by her own thoughts. How could she be drawn to such evil?
Finally, he moved to the table where he had placed his weapons and quietly asked as he picked up the blaster, "would you like to try?"
"Do you really think I'm ready for that?" Rey's stomach lurched with anxiety, so strong she thought she was going to be sick. The pain from being shot only days ago sunk its claws into the side of her chest, where there still should have been a wound. He had brought her back from the brink of death once, but would he be so lucky this time? With the strengthening bond between them? She didn't know how quickly her being injured would affect Kylo and if he would be able to heal her in time. She looked up at him. Kylo remained quiet, but his voice pushed in her head, 'you can trust me.' Trust him? Why should she trust him? His temper was volitile, ranging from a bit of bickering to being homicidal. It was hard to know what would anger him. Like dealing with a child, she thought.
But, for some reason, whether it was bravery or to prove herself or both, she stretched her arm out in front of her and nodded, "I'm ready."
Rey swallowed as Kylo raised the blaster. Bile rose in her throat and her stomach soured. The only sounds she could hear were her shaky breaths and pounding heart. She closed her eyes, trying to will away the nerves, slowly inhaling the cool air through her nose snd exhaling loudly through her mouth. She could back out now, but would he see this fear as her weakness? And use it against her? She couldn't do that. Not now. She decided to open her eyes to face it.
He had his aim locked. 'Ready?' Kylo's voice was calm in her mind. She nodded again, still nervous.
Then he fired.
Thr bolt exploded from the blaster and immediately, Rey summoned all her strength to recreate the same flow of energy she had felt when Kylo had shown her, but the bolt never stopped. Kylo reached out his hand just as Rey dodged out of the way.
But she had been too slow.
Rey collapsed to her knees as the excruciating pain shot up and down her arm and shoulder. She shut her eyes tight to will away the tears, grabbing her upper arm. The pounding of Kylo's feet hitting the floor as he ran to her side and knelt down beside her. He placed his hands over where she tight to the pain. He tried lifting her hands, but Rey hissed as more pain shot down her arm from the wound.
"Let me see it," He demanded sharply. Rey relaxed enough to allow Kylo to remove her hand from her arm. She could feel the pulsating sensation of his powers as he touched her skin gingerly. She opened her eyes to look at him. His eyebrows furrowed as he assess the wound, his smooth fingers tracing the angry flesh.
"You're fine," He said in a flat tone, "the wound isn't that deep. I can heal it."
Rey caught her breath finally, sweat pouring down her brow, "so, I failed?"
Kylo shook his head, "we shouldn't have tried that. Not yet anyway," He placed his palm over her wound, "now, sit still so I can do this." Rey met his eye and nodded.
The vibrations were warm, tingling her skin. Her arm quickly went numb. That was when she had a thought. Before Kylo could block her, Rey reached into Kylo's mind.
Rey sped through Kylo's mind, his memories slowly becoming hers. Images from the past overwhelmed her. A flash of a strange face here and there, memories of Han Solo, General Organa, and Luke Skywalker, most from the perspective of a child. Herself as a small child.
Rey lingered on one face. It was the face of a woman, with hazel eyes, and full lips and hair done in the same three-bun style as Rey . Her eyes were full of tears, of anger, of worry. "Sweetheart," she whispered to a little girl with similar features, "sweetheart, you need to hide. Go!" She pleaded with the girl. Rey couldn't make out the shadows behind her, but knew what was happening. Two shafts of light, one green, one red, clashed in the murky background. Two figures circled each other. Rey didn't know who they were, but recognized the hum of two lightsabers as they flew through the air. The dance of the two lightsabers mesmerized Rey, so much that she almost forgot the woman and the little girl she had seen first until there was a piercing shriek and the woman was dragged through the crunching dirt towards one of the figures, his hand outstretched.
"REY!"
Everything went black.
Rey jumped, her body covered in sweat. She was back in the training room. Kylo by her side, panting just as she did. His eyebrows were furrowed, wild with anger and his energy menacing.
"Wha-what was that?" Rey demanded, "Who was that?" She thought for a moment, about how the woman looked so much like her. How she had called her sweetheart, "was that my mother? Look at me!" Kylo looked into her eyes. The rage burnt through him, but he remained calm.
"Our lessons are done for today," He said sharply as he got up. Rey barely noticed that her arm was completely healed, "you may return to your quarters. I will retrieve you when..."
"Not until you tell me what that was!" Rey shouted.
Kylo advanced on her, his fists clenched tight. His face twitched with anger, "I told you never to look into my mind," He snapped, his voice low, "now, you will go to your quarters willingly or I can knock you unconscious and carry you there myself. Which will it be?"
Rey's face hardened and she stared venom at Kylo. She didn't want to look at him anymore. How dare he hid things from her! She didn't have to take orders from him! She felt Kylo push into her mind and immediately pushed him out. Her anger felt out of control and dangerous, "if you want me to keep out of your head," she growled with a murderous tone, "then stay out of mine!" Kylo's expression changed from anger to one of fear and concern as he gazed upon her. Rey felt a power surge through her, one she had never felt before. It was strong and ravaged it's way through her body. She shook with the Force. It felt...good. Like right then and there she could summon the power deep within and kill Kylo Ren for all that he's done to her, right then and there, then escape this wretched place and find Luke and Finn. The power surged through her body, overwhelmingly and profoundly strong, until...
Kylo caught Rey as she collapsed to the floor. The power released its grip from her body and drained from her. She felt...weak. Her heart palpatated as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She struggled to catch her breath. Kylo wrapped his arms tight around her, supporting her head with one hand. Bright lights flashed before her eyes, drowning out Kylo's face. What she could see of his expression was that of concern. "Rey," his voice echoed in her ears, "Rey!"
His voice was suddenly drowned out by the sound of silence and the world around her went black.
A/N: Hey everybody! Sorry I didn't get this out this past weekend! I was very busy! I went to Star Wars Day at the K with the Kansas City Royals (my local team) and I had so much fun! I got a X-Wing Fighter bobblehead of Royals player Eric Hosmer and they had costumed characters and a life-size working R2D2! My daughter dressed up as R2D2 and had so much fun! Also, I received all the books I mentioned in the last chapter and I ordered more. Book Outlet has A LOT of Star Wars books for cheap. I got two from them, both are from the new canon: Heir to the Jedi and Aftermath (which I mentioned I wasn't sure I was going to read). Both books were $6.99 each in hardcover, so check then out if you're interested. Anywho, I hope to have chapter 22 up soon. Back to Kylo's POV.