The next morning, Kylo called in Phasma, Ember, Hux and Fu to discuss rearranging the Base's operational schedule. With Building K at their disposal, the issue wasn't one of available rooms but one of available people. With the Knights training for their own, training in the Force, training the trainees, and helping the Guard train their new formation, they were running a tad ragged. Same could be said for the Guard who had triple duty of their own training, general surveillance of the Base, and Fu's extra training.
All in all, Kylo and Rey had it the easiest, with Kylo taking on his administrative work in the morning and whichever training was needed in the afternoon, and Rey both studying the First Order and visiting the research team in the morning and spending time in training in the afternoon. They both often had a private training session together in the morning, before Kylo sequestered himself in his office with Derek.
They also had to take into account that, if the operation went successfully, the Eery Knights would split into two groups, or even more if the operations had differing effects. Apart from the Eery Knights, there were also the trainees who would start their Force training.
The debate was tiresome and lasted all morning. Phasma and Fu got into an argument about exactly how much and which training the Guard needed. Hux mostly listened to everyone's arguments, only adding his opinion about the logistics of it all. His arrogance seemed mellowed somehow and he was clearly surprised when Rey asked for his opinion at one point. The way Ember occasionally smiled at Hux told Kylo that the change in behaviour was an active choice.
Just before lunch, they finally came to a tentative agreement, open for adaptation if it didn't work out as planned. Derek and Hux would make sure everybody was informed and the new schedule would be put into place the next day.
"Sonea and Mako will be ecstatic," Rey said once everybody bar Derek had left the room.
With the new schedule the two trainees' Force training would also start. They would introduce them to the Dark and Light side of the Force in the afternoon the next day, although at different times.
Derek swiped a few urgent documents to Kylo's tablet as Kylo answered. "Looking forward to telling them later?"
"Aren't you?"
"It will be you telling them."
"You're not coming?"
Kylo looked up after signing a document. "No need. You're their teacher; they should hear it from you." He looked down at the next document. "I do like the idea of you having your own little fanclub."
"What?" Rey asked, perplexed.
"They'll worship you after you deliver the news."
Rey spluttered. "Why?" she eventually managed to say. "It's got nothing to do with me. Didn't we tell them we'd teach them from the beginning? Why would they suddenly wor- start liking me more for it?"
"Don't you worship a good teacher you had?"
"I'm sleeping with him," Rey deadpanned.
Derek coughed and threw a scandalised look at Rey as Kylo looked up again and smirked, teasing.
"Well, those trainees better not try to sleep with you. I would be forced to retaliate."
"Ben!" Rey protested, spluttering some more. "Did you have a teacher like that?" she eventually asked.
"Hmm," he answered, signing the last document Derek deemed absolutely necessary for the day. "Before I got shipped to Luke-" there was still an edge to how he said the name "-a woman from the Resistance helped to teach me. Next to Uncle Chewie, she was my most favourite person."
Rey was smiling at him. Something soft that told him she liked to hear about his childhood. It was still a strange sentiment to him but he indulged her whenever it came up.
"What happened to her?" Rey asked.
Kylo shook his head. "She got ill not long before I was sent to Luke and died a few months later." He clenched his teeth before continuing. "I wasn't allowed to go visit her once it became clear she wouldn't make it. Jedi don't have personal attachments."
Rey growled, literally growled. Kylo thought it was probably a bad idea to tell her how cute it sounded as he saw the scowl on her face.
"That just isn't right," she muttered. "I don't get how that Order managed to survive as long as it did."
Kylo shrugged. "It's in the past," he said. "Let's go have lunch so you can get started on that fanclub of yours."
"Ben," Rey protested again as she smacked him on the arm.
He knew he was right though. The way both Sonea and Mako clearly revered Rey more than him the next day only confirmed his prediction. Of course, neither of the trainees failed to show him the respect he was due, but questions were without fault asked of Rey and not him. It made Rey slightly uncomfortable but whenever she looked at him to see if he was bothered by it, he merely smirked at her.
Despite that they'd agreed Rey would teach the trainees the basics of using the Force, she had insisted he would be the one to guide them through their introductions to the Dark and the Light side of the Force. She had said it's partially because she has no experience doing it, but mostly because he was their Supreme Leader, their main figurehead for both the First Order and the Force. Being introduced by him would leave a lasting impression.
First though, before Kylo could guide them through the introductions, he needed to get both trainees to find the Force within themselves again. He hoped it wouldn't be as strenuous as it had been with both Rogue and Quicksilver because that would mean he could only take on one of them that day. The fact that they were still so close to their training gave him hope that the Force would easily be found.
Both Sonea and Mako had stayed behind after their meditation session to ask their questions before Mako was sent back. Sonea seemed to shift between nervous and excited as she settled in front of Kylo. He smiled in an attempt to reassure her before getting started.
His hope wasn't unfounded and it took Sonea very little time to find her way back to the Force. She was amazed as she touched the Light and shook her head with some distress at the Dark. Kylo thought it a somewhat odd reaction for someone who was being trained as an elite warrior, not to say an elite killer. He much preferred it over her getting trapped by the Dark side though.
Mako turned out to be a bit more challenging. The Force had somehow managed to camouflage itself in his mind, causing them both to move right past it without even noticing. When they did finally spot it and Kylo went through the introductions, Mako showed very little reaction at all. He merely hummed and answered Kylo's questions about what he perceived, but his entire attitude seemed to be one of neutral, maybe even distant, observance. It was surprising given how excited he'd been to start his training.
"Maybe he's still afraid it will all poof out of existence and doesn't want to get attached?" Rey offered when he brought it up in the evening.
Kylo shook his head with a frown. "Maybe," he said. "The change in his behaviour bothers me, but not as much as the fact that I don't know what to do about it. Do you think they talk to our Knights about the Force? Or anything at all, for that matter?"
"I don't know. Why do you ask?"
"No matter how you look at it, we're still their leaders." He chuckled when Rey scrunched up her nose. "Yes, you too. You're their Supreme Duchess, even if you're the one teaching them meditation and, as of tomorrow, how to use the Force. They might be hesitant to talk to us. There needs to be someone else they can confide in."
Rey sighed and Kylo sent her a wry smile.
"None of us are great communicators," Kylo added in a tone that matched his smile. "Apart from maybe Burman and Shadow."
"And Rogue."
"Rogue?"
"He led fighters in an underground ring," Rey said with a shrug. "You don't do that without being able to communicate, I guess."
"Throwing threats around does not equal good communication skills. I'm one to know."
Rey burst out laughing. "Noted," she hiccuped. "I'll see if I can poke Shadow into initiating something. If she goes 'I heard your training is starting' all bubbly like she does so often, it might not come across like we've sent her."
Kylo nodded and wrapped his arms around Rey, pulling her closer to him and drawing the covers up higher.
"Okay," he said. "Let's hope it's only Mako's nerves." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Let's sleep," he murmured.
He drifted off not long after Rey nuzzled closer against his chest.
The next few days passed by relatively easily. The base settled into its new routine without a hitch. Shadow had followed Rey's suggestion and gotten some of the trainees talking, dragging the other Knights into the project with varying enthusiasm. Rey visited the research team daily to see if they'd made any progress and to chat with Juan. She'd told Kylo she feared Juan would get lonely, unable to leave their section of the base and only having the other, older and snobbish researchers as company. Kylo understood her concern but, as there was nothing they could do about it, decided not to worry about it.
A few days after Sonea and Mako started their Force training, Reor's medical equipment finally arrived. The maintenance team proved invaluable as they installed it all in record time, under Reor's watchful eye and meticulous instructions.
It was late one morning when Reor presented himself at Kylo's office.
"The equipment is ready," he simply said.
Kylo could feel his nerves spiking, causing Rey to nudge him over the bond with worry.
"Reor's here," he said. "He's ready."
"Oh."
He could feel her moving, coming closer to him, which was confirmed only a moment later.
"I'm coming and I'll pick up Ember along the way," she said.
"Sir?" Reor inquired as he wasn't getting an answer.
"Rey and Ember are on their way," he merely said.
Derek, ever one for not wasting any time, swiped another document to his tablet while they waited. He was about to swipe a second when Kylo shook his head.
"They're here," he said.
He watched Reor frown at his statement with some amusement as Derek simply stepped back and started doing his own thing. Reor's surprise as the door slid open less than a minute later was rather comical. Phasma stepped into the office as well, probably prompted by Rey.
"Supreme Leader," Ember greeted.
Rey walked around his desk to lean sideways against his chair, offering her support despite clearly feeling nervous as well.
"Reor," Kylo said, prompting the man to repeat his earlier words.
"The equipment is ready," Reor said again. "I can start the operation whenever it's convenient."
Ember audibly drew in a breath. The air between them quickly turned charged with a mixture of anticipation and dread.
"What do you think?" Kylo asked Ember.
"There's no reason to wait any longer," Ember said, her voice somewhat devoid of feeling. "Waiting will not change anything."
Kylo turned to regard Phasma. "It is not my place to have an opinion on this," she said.
It caused Ember to look at Phasma in surprise but Kylo merely accepted her words. He turned to Rey next.
"I agree with Ember," she said. "Let's just hope it turns out alright."
Taking her hand, Kylo nodded. "I agree as well. When is your earliest convenience, Reor?" he asked.
"It is best if the Knight hasn't eaten anything for six hours or drunk anything for two," Reor answered.
"They had their breakfast three hours ago," Ember supplied.
"In three hours then," Reor stated.
An odd sort of tension settled over the group.
"In three hours then," Kylo agreed. "Ember, go find Quicksilver and inform him. Make sure Sahrsa skips her lunch and doesn't eat or drink anything from now on."
"Yes, sir," she agreed before walking out.
Kylo could see the tension in her shoulders. Phasma followed her out and, after a nod from Kylo, Reor followed as well.
"I guess this is really happening," Rey murmured.
"It is," Kylo agreed.
He tried to return his attention to the paperwork Derek was supplying him with, but he could barely focus. Rey had settled on her pile of cushions but seemed to be equally distracted. The Knights were all on edge, even during meditation, and Kylo felt for Rey having to teach the trainees as if there was nothing going on.
Still, the entire base seemed to somehow sense that something was out of the ordinary and a hushed, tense silence settled as the time for the start of Sahrsa's operation came and went and they all waited for news from Reor.