Chapter Six

"Are you incompetent or are you simply unable to recall the specific orders I gave you?" Kylo snarled. His knight remained kneeling where he had dropped upon entering the Supreme Leader's chambers.

"Master, I —."

"I do not wish to hear your excuses," Kylo's volume increased, along with his frustration. "You deliberately disobeyed orders."

"Master, what does it matter if the Jedi girl is left alive or not? General Hux has ordered her to be executed for the death of Supreme Leader Snoke."

Kylo felt his anger flare at the knight's remark. Like a wildfire, the flames of his wrath burned within him, consuming everything. Despite the warning Archais had provided him, he was unable to keep his indignation from leaking into his tone. "I am the Supreme Leader," he growled. "General Hux and his armies are under my command. You'd do well to remember that, Cadmus."

"Yes, Master."

Han Solo may have been a smuggler and a thief, but his father had taught him how to bluff.

Or he had tried.

When Han sat him down at the dejarik table, his father instructed him to act as though he had a winning hand, even if he didn't. "You can't allow your opponent to see your strategy, whether by the moves you make or by your facial expression. Be neutral."

Kylo struggled with the concept, overwhelmed by his emotions. He felt too much and not enough all at once. If he lost, he was quick to anger. If he won, he was bashful about accepting the praise, unused to hearing kind words from his father. But by the time he was fifteen, the games stopped. He was sent away, cast out. His uncle didn't want him to bluff about his feelings. Luke didn't want him to feel at all.

Like a house of cards, all his carefully structured plans fell.

Kylo left the remains of the academy with his rage and disappointment clouding his mind. It served as the perfect gateway for Snoke to secure his place in Kylo's life. It wasn't until the Scavenger, Kylo felt the light try to break through. Allowing him to chase after her had been Snoke's biggest mistake and also Kylo's first success with bluffing.

Keeping his true intentions veiled was imperative to save Rey when he had murdered Snoke. It had taken every ounce of his control, but for her, he'd do it again.

"Her execution needs to come at a time when the Resistance will have all eyes on us. The end of the Jedi can be manipulated to solidify our victory. All who continue to fight against the First Order will have no choice but to pledge their loyalty, once the rebels are defeated," he informed Cadmus.

He barely recognized his own voice, so cold even without the modulator of his mask. Kylo had relied on the helmet for years. Like his grandfather, he'd utilized technology to make him whole, especially when it came to completing the image of intimidating enforcer. Yet, he knew there was more than one way to wear a mask. Han Solo had taught him that too.

"Yes, Master," Cadmus nodded dutifully.

Kylo felt the knight's satisfaction through the Force, though a hint of skepticism remained.

"Until then, the Jedi is to remain unharmed," he ordered. "Let the Resistance fall into a false sense of hope. Then we will strike. It will end the war once and for all."

"Of course, Supreme Leader," his knight acknowledged.

"You are dismissed," Kylo kept his eyes on the Thradian until Cadmus exited his chambers.

He was uneasy.

The knights had never openly opposed him before. He felt as though he was perched on a precarious slope, teetering between falling over to one side or the other. There was much to be lost if he failed to get the situation under control, though nothing as costly as Rey's safety.

The boy who once had run to his mother late at night, seeking comfort from nightmares, ached to once again run to the formidable woman. Leia had been an excellent strategist. She would have known what to say, would have known exactly which steps to take to ensure he maintained face, while simultaneously protecting Rey.

He crossed the room to his desk, sinking into a chair and pulling up his holopad. Her face was still shown on the Resistance propaganda. The Princess. The Senator. The Rebel. She'd been all those things and more, but to him, she'd been Mother. And he found himself wishing she was with him.

He needed her now more than ever.

Kylo swallowed thickly. He'd missed her funeral. It wasn't as though he could attend. The Supreme Leader showing up unannounced and uninvited to the burial of Resistance General Leia Organa would surely have caused quite a stir. He could picture Dameron's face, all pinched and exasperated. It might have been worth kicking off another battle if only to see that. He loathed the 'best pilot in the Resistance.'

Regardless of the arrogant man's reaction, Kylo regretted not seeing her one final time. He hadn't properly mourned her, not the way he had for his father. His mother's death was harder to accept.

A sound from the gardens grabbed his attention. In one fluid motion, he was up and stalking to the balcony.

Trying not to think of Ben was as pointless as praying for rain on Jakku. No matter how stubborn she was, Rey couldn't hide from her true feelings for long. They had an annoying way of rising to the surface, demanding to be dealt with.

Walking along the stone pathway, she focused more on how their bond had changed than her actual bond mate. It was the less dangerous train of thought.

At least, that's what she told herself.

When Cadmus landed his strike, the bond altered. Or she believed it had altered, but as she revisited the events, Rey wondered if in fact, the Force shifted or if Ben had.

His fury was unmatched in the galaxy, the fearsome Kylo Ren, who had lain waste to whole settlements in his search for the elusive last Jedi. His hunt for the map to Luke Skywalker caused their paths to cross and since that day they'd been undeniably tied together. His search became less about Luke and more about her until she was the one chasing after him.

And now...

...now Rey wasn't sure what either of them was chasing. Power? Control? Belonging?

The way he'd reached for her across the bond had felt far more intimate than their hand touch, even more intimate than when he wiped the juice from her lips this morning. She blushed, remembering how gentle he'd been, so unlike the dominating force she knew he could be.

Her blush deepened again at that particular thought.

Rey understood what happened between a man and a woman. Jakku didn't have much of an education system, but life lessons were readily available. If she hadn't been aware of sex before, the Resistance certainly would have supplied her with plenty of material. Most of the rebels went at it like rabbits. She didn't understand the appeal, or more accurately, she didn't find anyone within the Resistance appealing.

Ben, on the other hand, with his gorgeous hair which was the color of a starless sky, was attractive. She chewed on her bottom lip. Even with the remnants of the scar bisecting his face, he was handsome, unfairly so.

Her traitorous mind replayed the conversation she'd had with Archais.

Kylo is lucky to have found you.

I'm sure the Supreme Leader has other consorts.

None he would consider.

Rey struggled to swallow, her cheeks practically burning. The knight couldn't have meant...

No. She was no one. Ben told her so.

As her thoughts warred internally, she came upon a gazebo, standing alone in the center of a circular clearing. Her instincts told her this was the center of the maze. While Rey was pleased to have made such progress, she was also filled with dread. She'd only battled two of the twelve knights. And there were only so many hours left for her to complete the challenge.

What if she failed? What would happen to Temiri? What would happen to her students? What would happen to her?

As if hearing her thoughts, four dark figures stepped out from behind the gazebo pillars. Their black robes billowed in the breeze, a stark contrast to the white marble columns. Like their predecessors, their faces were completely covered by masks, giving her no indication of their race or gender. Not that those details mattered. Their intent was the same regardless.

Rey came to a halt, eyeing them warily as each withdrew a weapon.

The tallest of the group wielded a long blade. Counter-clockwise from his position at the front of the platform, the shorter three converged together. There was one with a pair of numb-chucks, another with a pair of short sticks, and the last held twin blades.

Offhandedly, Rey wondered if they were related, triplets perhaps, considering their similar build and choice in weaponry.

As with her attackers from before, they didn't utter a word. If they wanted to scare her, they would have to try a different tactic. Rey had already squared off with four Praetorian guards. A few knights weren't going to frazzle her.

The tall one stalked towards her, his long blade grasped firmly in his left hand. She'd seen one like it before, holstered at the side of a Quarzite Warrior who was passing through Jakku. She envisioned the pale skin and cat-like eyes the Kage species was known for. There was a good chance her attacker was one.

Electro swords were deadly in battle, but they were no match for a lightsaber. Rey engaged hers, watching as the violet beams shot out from both ends. If the unique color struck the knights as odd, they veiled their reactions beneath their masks.

The Kage swung his blade at Rey. She dove out of range, back-stepping to bring her lightsaber over his head and drawing the hilt up against his throat. Behind her, she heard the other three charge.

Rey used all of her body weight to flip the long blade-wielding knight around, leveraging his body as a shield so she didn't lose her hold on him.

If fighting on the desert sands had taught her anything, it was to take down the largest opponent first. If the victory didn't scare off the other attackers, at least the worst one was out of the way.

The other three, who she was already referring to as the triplets, stilled. By the way their heads tilted slightly, Rey guessed they were reassessing their strategy.

They began circling her, Rey dragging her larger attacker around with her as she turned in response. She kept the three in her sight at all times, never lingering in one spot long enough for them to be at her back. The triplets moved closer, in range of their fellow knight's long blade, which coincidentally put them in range of her saber staff.

Rey dropped her weight to the right, before slamming back up to the left. She knocked the taller knight to the ground, shifting around to face him. Standing over his form, she kicked the long blade out of his hands, while twirling her saber staff to slice through one of the triplet's short sticks and destroying the other's numb-chucks.

On the ground, the Kage reared up, grabbing hold of Rey's ankle. She swung her blades in a downward arch, resting one end at his jugular and keeping the other end up to protect the side of her face. The Kage froze, but his fellow knights continued to close in on Rey.

Spinning on her heel, she rotated around, stepping away from the tallest knight and windmilling her arms around to keep the others at bay.

When the first of the triplets charged at her with his twin blades, Rey ducked, flipping her saber staff over her back to catch in her opposite hand, before coming back around to slice through his weapons. The pieces of the twin blades clattered to the ground.

Rey would have smirked had it not been for his brother charging at her. The second triplet brought down his remaining short stick. She slid across the gravel on her knees, wincing at the brush burn it caused. It was minor compared to the pain another direct hit would have caused.

Facing them, Rey remained low to the ground, allowing them to come to her. Her size gave her speed and agility. She only needed to be wise enough to save her energy for critical blows.

When the triplet with the short stick lunged for her, Rey stood. Slicing her saber staff through the air, she barely missed her attacker's chest as she cleaved his weapon in two. He came to an abrupt halt.

The four weaponless knights crowded her. Rey stared at them all, eyes narrow, jaw clenched. Her hands twisted on the hilt of her lightsaber.

Let them come for her. She was outnumbered, but she wasn't weak. She knew how to defend herself.

Rey waited for them to attack, expecting them to converge on her all at once.

They didn't.

Together, they knelt before her in the gravel. She furrowed her brow, unsure if this was submission or a trick to get her to let her guard down.

Slowly, they removed their helmets. As she suspected, the largest of the four was a Kage. The other three were identical in appearance, down to the dull color of their skin. They were Geonosians, which explained why they operated as a unit. Geonosians were known for their hive mentality.

"Jedi," the Kage addressed her in Galactic Standard.

"It's Rey," she sighed, wishing the knights were bonded so she could stop repeating herself. "Who are you?"

"Baccaus Ren," he replied, bowing his head.

"Genesis," the first Geonosians informed her. He had been the one with the numb-chucks, probably a weapon of his own design.

"Henus," his brother introduced himself, no longer in possession of his short sticks.

"Icarus," the last one announced.

"If you are done, I'll be on my way," Rey declared, not sheathing her blades.

Her lack of awareness during her last battle had cost her. She wouldn't make the same mistake again. Despite the bacta patch, her side still burned. The recent influx of physical activity wasn't aiding the healing process, though the patch had kept her wound from opening.

Infection could be a cruel killer. Just as cruel as dehydration or starvation.

Rey shivered, not wanting to think about that at this particular moment.

"We will take our leave," Baccaus rose first, signaling his fellow knights to do the same.

She waited patiently for them to go, her weapon at the ready while they disappeared from sight. It wasn't until she felt their Force signatures depart from the maze that she finally holstered her weapon.

He would never grow tired of watching her fight. Snoke had called him raw, untamed power, but the more Kylo saw of Rey's fighting techniques, the more he believed his former master's praise should have been bestowed upon her.

While Rey lacked finesse, the strength she emitted was unparalleled. She managed to cover for her weaknesses by adapting to each opponent, anticipating their strikes before the attacker fully committed to them. Her true gift was in her ability to pick apart their fighting styles and respond accordingly.

The fear he had held onto at the start of the trials lessened. It no longer suffocated him like a massive weight bearing down on his chest. Instead, he could appreciate her style for what it was: successful.

He watched her walk away, a bit winded but otherwise unharmed.

There was a knock and then, "Supreme Leader," Carsmica called through the door.

"Enter."

"Someone wished to see you," she announced, leading Temiri in.

The boy had become less hostile towards the palace staff since Kylo had taken the time to discuss Rey's Force-sensitivity with him. Carsmica continued to keep an eye on him, reporting to the Supreme Leader often. It seemed Temiri had taken a liking to the library, pouring over old texts in a corner window overlooking the city until he'd been summoned for lunch.

"And how has your day been?" Kylo addressed Rey's student, hunching over so he could be eye to eye with the boy.

"Fine," he shrugged indifferently.

"You've spent the past couple of hours alone," Kylo went on. "Why?"

Another shrug.

"I always have to share everything at the camp. And before. I like having my own space," he explained. Then, as if reassessing, he sighed. "But I miss Rey. When is she coming back?"

Kylo smirked. Straightening up, he addressed the Gungan over the boy's head. "Thank you, Carsmica. You are dismissed."

"Yes, Supreme Leader," she left them alone in the room.

"Would you like to see her?" Kylo asked the child.

His brown eyes lit up and the hint of a smile played on his lips. "Can I?"

"Come." Kylo led him to the balcony, stopping at the railing to overlook the labyrinth. "Can you see her?"

Temiri sprung up on his toes, peering over the edge. His ardent eyes darted over the hedges and walls, searching for his teacher. She was hidden from sight, a fact Kylo knew well, but he wanted to test a theory.

"Is she done? I can't see her," the boy complained.

"Don't look with your eyes."

The child scrunched up his face, but after a moment, he inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. Kylo felt him reach out, tentatively at first, then with more confidence as he explored.

Temiri's Force signature was different than that of Kylo's knights. It was unlike either his or Rey's. There was something unsettling about discovering another anomaly on top of his Force bond with the last Jedi. It made his inquisitive mind eager for the trials to end so he could scour over his research for ideas on what was happening.

Ever since Kylo discovered Rey on Takodana, the Force had shifted. A new era was approaching, one Kylo was unsure how to handle. It felt different than when he'd been a child or even when he'd been studying under his uncle. This strand of the Force felt new, like the first bud of a flower, slowly opening up to the dawn. He was uncertain what it meant, but Temiri had it.

The boy was in tune with the Force whether he was aware of it or not, a fact made all the more clear when he shouted excitedly and pointed to a portion of the maze towards the west. "There! She's there!"

Kylo grinned. "Well done."

"She's pretty far," Temiri beamed up at him. "She's going to win!"

"Rey is doing quite well in the trials," Kylo agreed honestly.

Temiri's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "You aren't mad."

"No."

"Why not? I thought you didn't want her to win?"

"I don't want her to leave," Kylo replied. Again, he added silently.

"She doesn't want to be part of the First Order," Temiri reminded him. "She doesn't belong with them."

"Perhaps not, but she does belong with me," Kylo affirmed.

The boy stared at him for a moment, his mind firing off in several directions before he landed on a conclusion. "Because you need a friend?"

"I don't have friends," Kylo grumbled. Just a friend, he thought bitterly.

Friendship was one of many social elements he had failed to grasp. He had bonded with Archais over their shared need to survive. Once the threat had passed, it seemed best to remain allies and over time allies had turned to friends.

As Supreme Leader, friendship wasn't a luxury he could partake in. Anyone who sought him out now was doing so based on one of two reasons: to manipulate his wealth and power or to identify a weakness in order to overthrow him. Having friends was not an option for the ruler of the galaxy.

"Maybe if you did, you wouldn't be angry all the time," Temiri observed.

Kylo nodded, not bothering to suppress his growing grin. "Maybe."

They stood in silence for a time, both following Rey's path through the Force, both invested in her progress. When the top of her head could once again be seen from the balcony, both visibly relaxed.

"Just so you know," Temiri raised his eyes to Kylo. "If I were you, I'd want Rey for a friend too."

The boy turned back to the maze, leaving Kylo alone with his thoughts.

He did want Rey.

But not as a friend.

"She's nearly halfway through," the cloaked figure spoke to the ghostly holo.

"Ahead of schedule?" General Hux snarled, his hands clasped behind his back as he glowered at the screen.

"Her knowledge of the Force is rather...peculiar," the speaker noted. "For someone as untrained as she is, there is an uncanny similarity in her skills to the Supreme Leader's."

"That shouldn't matter," General Hux spat. "She should have given up by now."

"She'll never give up," a second voice joined the first speaker. "She's the hope of the Resistance."

"No?" Hux quipped, eyeing both hooded figures. "Then perhaps we should snuff the hope out of her."

The faceless figures turned toward one another and nodded in silent agreement.

"Send word when it's done," General Hux demanded. The communication flickered off, leaving the speakers alone.

"Rally the others," the first spoke to the second. "We need to incapacitate the Jedi before the coup."