Chapter Twenty: Close Call

Kylo found his mood had soured for some reason, and it didn't improve as they located a debris-free hangar. Scanning its farthest corners briefly, he gave the area a curt nod and whirled around, retracing their steps without comment. The idea of training Rey had lost much of its appeal. Bouts of conscience and battling wills with her gave him a headache. He led the way back to the entrance, his strides long with irritation, forcing the girl to run to keep up. She was flushed and out of breath by the time they reached the double doors and wasn't expecting him to spin in place and grab the front of her jacket. His grip at her zipper was rough and excessive as he nearly pulled her from her feet.

"Empty your pockets," Kylo demanded. "Leave everything you've acquired."

"What? No," she refused, trying to shrug herself from his hold. "I didn't take anything dangerous."

"I don't care," his tone dropped low. "Empty. Your. Pockets."

Rey struggled harder, wrenching herself back. "Why are you always out to prove you're in charge? I'm your prisoner. I'm not going anywhere."

Kylo answered by letting his helmet fall from his elbow and shoving his hand into one of her coat's many recesses. She shrieked in protest, pressing the thick fabric tight to her body to stop him, unwittingly pinning his palm to her hip.

"Don't! I need that!" She cried.

"No one needs THREE rolls, Rey!" He shouted back, searching for the bonding tape in an inadvertent grope. "Give it to me!"

Their movements became a tussle as they fought against each other, breaths quickening with exertion and mounting tempers.

"You're a BULLY!" Rey screeched. "You think taking this will put me in my place!?"

"You accuse me of posturing," Kylo snarled. "I'm merely demonstrating there's action behind my words."

Her response was to lean back and swiftly try hiking a knee up between his legs. He leapt aside, avoiding the blow in a rush of relinquished pockets, and she clung to her laden jacket folds with bared teeth and flashing eyes.

Kylo whipped his startled gaze to hers. "You'd break the rules of good conduct for some blasted tape?"

"It's brand new," she countered defensively. "And you're hardly one to mention good conduct."

"I don't do that to my enemies."

Rey scoffed, clearly not feeling the shame he wanted from her. "How noble."

Kylo knew he could take the trinkets from her; he could bring her to her knees, tears streaming as she begged for mercy. Such a flex of power was nothing to him – he was stronger in the Force than she'd ever comprehend.

Instead, he crouched and retrieved his discarded helm, momentarily forgotten in his determination to prevail over her indomitable—and irksome—spirit.

"Look…," Kylo offered. He wasn't going to remain vigilant on such a front again. The galaxy was made up of principles.

He waited before saying more, watching as the ire in her gaze cooled to wary curiosity. "I'll allow you to keep your precious rolls," he began. "If you yield everything else and promise to never attempt such an underhanded maneuver again," Kylo pretended to be consumed by brushing dirt from the chrome visor, as if her answer mattered little.

Rey contemplated, biting her lower lip. "What about the hydrospanner—?"

He flicked his eyes up. "The tape or nothing."

Her expression fell, but it was only a moment before she began grumbling and extracting gadgets. "Unreasonable," she groused. "Arbitrary. Wasteful," the grumbling deepened to unintelligible as a servodriver appeared, followed by two hypersheers and a tuning stylus.

Kylo recognized many of the instruments as ones used for droid service, and wondered if she'd planned on reprogramming the astromech aboard the shuttle. His brows hiked high as she withdrew a fusioncutter next, deadly at close range, and schooled his expression as she shot him a sullen glare.

When did she grab that?! What kind of woman IS this!?