I'm not too sure why I wrote that the Knights of Ren were not Force-users back in Chapter 4 - regardless, I meant for them to be. I've already gone and changed it, and it should be more understandable as the story progresses as to why they are Force-sensitive.
Here's another chapter! It'll start to pick up after this. Lots of action in the upcoming updates and even a reunion with...with the Resistance.
Rey woke up.
It took her a few seconds to gather her bearings, and a few more for last night's memory to return to her mind. Last night…everything was so vibrant. She could remember his warm body, slightly smelling of damp body odor from their mock fight. His hand were calloused, hardened over the years of his training, yet she found her fingertips melting in his hand. She was lucky that the nightgown she was wearing came up over her shoulders. If the hand on her back was touching her bare skin…
The coarse fabric of his tunic also had not been the most pleasant to lay her face on, but the rhythmic movements of his chest as he breathed in and out of his slumber was more than enough to lure her to sleep as well.
Rey lifted her fingers up, tracing the memory of Kylo Ren's figure lying in bed next to her. She let out a deep breath and followed it up with an even deeper one when she realized what she was doing. She pushed aside the small feeling of disappointment.
The sheets that he had laid on were cold, symbolizing his departure from her room at least an hour ago. She raised herself off the bed, squirming in uncertainty.
She was unaware of what time it was, given the enclosure of her room, but she estimated that it was already morning.
Her bare feet slushed through the carpet and stopped at the foot of the sink in the refresher. Rey began to brush her teeth, her mind in shambles.
After yesterday, she didn't know who she was anymore. She felt lost, uncertain about her role in life. The thin line separating right and wrong had begun to already blur, and after last night, it was dangerously close to vanishing. She could barely visibly see it anymore; in her mind, it was nothing but a single, thin strand threatened to be swallowed by the sides it distinguished. In her mind, she was loyal to the Resistance. But her heart was another story.
She rinsed her mouth and dried it before stepping in the shower. After, she slipped into her nightgown again.
The droid delivered her breakfast not long after she selected her usual, but she had no appetite. Last night was a mistake. Human hearts were fragile, and any disruption from its homeostasis led to vulnerabilities that furthermore led to mistakes.
Then why did she feel so conflicted? Rey thought to herself. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Kylo did have a valid point. If their kiss felt so perfect and right, then did it really mean that it was wrong? Was it really a mistake?
It was a war between her emotional state and her mentality. Except this war was all internal.
Rey wiped her mouth and had the droid take the plates away. Getting on her knees, she pulled out a small lump from under her bed.
The First Order were all entitled to their own predilections and opinions. Not really caring about what others thought of her anymore, she slipped on her old, washed clothes and fingered the material, sighing at how nostalgic it felt. She missed this, her old self. Before she was tangled in this messy war. She was far hungrier back then, but at least she had her solitude.
It felt like forever ago.
After the display on the main deck of the Finalizer, Rey doubted anyone would bother her anymore. Help from Kylo Ren had established her as a member of the First Order, but to skeptics she was a third party, loyal to neither side. She was gray. No one would care if she wandered the ship alone.
Still, it wouldn't be bad to have a weapon in case things got ugly.
Rey found herself retracing her steps from last night back to the training room. Before long, the door slid open. Lights automatically turned on as they detected her light footsteps in the room.
Rey gasped. Her weapon from last night lay somewhere on the floor, but it would be enormously difficult to locate the staff given the scattered remains of dozens of training droids. Each carcass, obliterated into tiny pieces, lay strewn on the floor like a mass of floating debris in space. Navigating the mess would take precision, and Rey winced in pain when her boot crunched on circuitry.
Scouring the floor was a meticulous effort. Rey hesitated to go too fast and skip over it. But then she saw the glint of steel that was of a slightly different shade than the hue of the demolished droids. She pounced on it, gripping one end of it and dragging it out from under the suffocation.
Her back was to the door, and she was so invested in reuniting with the staff that she didn't hear another person enter the room. That is, until they spoke.
"The sand rat."
Rey spun around. Across from her on the other side of the room stood a figure adorned in dark clothes. A large glossy black cloak with waffle weaves draped over their shoulders and dangled down to their ankles, where two small, black utility boots peeked from out under.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice sounding a lot braver than she was.
The person spoke behind their helmet again, and Rey realized with a start that the voice actually belonged to a female. Maybe it was the same female he was on the shutle with. Her stomach churned.
"Who I am makes no difference. I merely exist to serve the Supreme Leader."
Rey's mouth went dry.
"You're a Knight of Ren," she said.
If introductions could dictate fear, then this was it. Rey had heard about Kylo Ren's so called Knights of Ren. Relentless killing machines who mercilessly slaughtered and soullessly obeyed their master's orders…some people called them fiction, and others walking death. What they touched never survived.
The woman unveiled her hood and revealed a helmet much simpler than Kylo Ren's. Hers was simply an oval black piece of thin metal with only one slit that ran from one corner of the top of her ear to the other for her eyes.
"That's correct, scavenger," she said.
Given her body language, she did not view Rey in a promising light. And yet, Rey valued her pride over her safety so much more so that she couldn't keep herself quiet.
"I'm really not in the mood to be called scavenger or desert rat anymore. My name is Rey."
The stranger smirked. This was the last thing Rey saw before her head split out in pain.
Rey gave a short cry and collapsed to her knee. Her head was coming apart, compressing together from the energy that the Knight put into her mental attack. She could feel her invisible hands bypassing into her conscious and probing deeper and deeper. The only time she had ever experienced this was from Kylo Ren when she was captured on Takodana, and this familiar sensation, although executed gentler than Kylo's attack, was nonetheless painful.
She could sense the Knight pouring deeper and deeper, trespassing into her personal space. Rey could feel her memories being ripped and analyzed—her times with Luke on Ahch-To, her experiences with Chewie and the rest of the Resistance…even a few nights where she cried herself to sleep on Jakku—were all made available for her to see.
"Stop it," she grit out, her voice weak. But the Knight didn't listen. If anything, her plea served as stimulant for her to push even deeper. Rey saw her view memories of her distaste with Plutt and her meeting the legendary Han Solo. And she was powerless to stop her.
Until the Knight pushed too far.
Rey felt her probe to the deepest extent of her brain, to the memories she fought so hard to suppress. She sensed memories of Kylo Ren being pushed to the surface, and her stomach dropped as fear overtook her senses. If the Knight discovered their kisses…if she discovered the murder of Snoke…
No! Rey internally screamed. Her fear grew too large and blossomed into a ball of dark energy and exploded inside her, forcefully expelling the Knight away from her mind. She saw the Knight go flying backwards, landing on her back with a rough 'oof'.
Rey didn't know how she did it. How she managed to channel the Force and expel the Knight away from her. She did the same with Kylo, but there were dynamic differences. She was so inexperienced at the time that she wasn't aware of the energy flowing in her as she pushed Kylo's mind-reading back into him, but now she did and she did not like it; it scared her. The energy that stemmed from her fear was dark. It was primal, perched on its feet and ready to act. Ready to maim.
The Knight recovered and stood on her feet.
"Not bad. I expected a lot less."
"Who are you?" Rey asked. She was still tense. As far as she knew, only she and Kylo were Force-users; to suddenly discover another made her wonder if the other Knights of Ren were also Force-sensitive. All of a sudden, the chances of the Resistance winning the war felt slimmer and slimmer.
"You already know who I am. A Knight of Ren."
The Knight flourished her cloak to the side. Rey caught the flash of a metal hilt under the scrutinizing light and she gulped.
"I didn't realize there were any females," Rey said, her voice steadily calm. Inside though, was a whole different story. Rey made sure to keep her staff at the ready, bracing herself for either a physical or another mental attack.
The Knight spoke, "I'm the only one that's been with the Supreme Leader since the start, when all of us were apprentices to Snoke."
"And the others?"
"They were killed. Two by Snoke, and two in battle."
"Battle?"
The Knight slipped off her outer robe to reveal a gray under robe. From under this robe, she protruded two small blades that Rey recognized on the weapon rack from yesterday.
"Kylo Ren was always Snoke's favorite. That, and combined with him being the strongest Force user promoted him to Master of the Knights of Ren. A promotion that I readily accepted after he took the position of Supreme Leader."
"And why are you here?"
"You don't know? I am here to play a game."
"A game?" Rey repeated.
"It's simple. We fight, and you try to stay alive."
Rey's hands tightened on her staff. That was the last thing she had been hoping would happen, but it seemed like her efforts were in vain.
"Supreme Leader sees something of value in you. I fail to see what it is," the Knight said. She walked past Rey and to the spotless training floor.
"What Kylo thinks is none of your business," she retorted, feeling a sudden need to defend Kylo.
The Knight of Ren stared at her for a moment before gesturing with her hand.
"Come."
"Why?" Rey asked.
"You certainly have a lot of questions," the female Knight tsked. "Hesitancy can get you killed in war."
"Like you would know about playing victim." Some of the fear was replaced by anger at the Knight's nonchalant display.
"And that is why you don't see me hesitating," she said, her voice still modulated from the helmet. "Now come and show me what you, a little scavenger from Jakku, can do."
Rey found her feet moving of their own wills. She followed the unnamed stranger to the black floor, taking the same position as she had against Kylo yesterday.
"Just so you know," the Knight said, "You have no lightsaber and I do. Hardly a fair fight."
She unstrapped her weapon and Force-tossed it into the weapon rack. Returning her attention back to Rey, she disengaged the blades from the hooks on her coat. She bent her knees and held her elbows up with a karambit in each hand.
"In battle, the tips are coated in poison. You are lucky you won't get to experience that."
Rey pivoted her foot. Adrenaline took ahold of her and refused to let her go. "I don't believe in luck. There is only one power and that is the Force."
The voice behind the helmet chuckled, "Typical. I heard you trained in this room already."
"And if I did?"
"I was just wondering exactly how much of the room's assets you used." The Knight clicked her foot on the floor in a rhythmic fashion.
Rey felt the ground shake before she saw it move.
"What the—"
The floor that they were standing on, where white met black, suddenly detached from the same elevation that they were merged together in. The black training floor suddenly launched itself upward, and Rey had to unexpected lower herself on one knee to match the shaky, gravitational force that was threatening to throw her off the edge.
The floor continued rising until they were far above from the ground below. Rey took a chance and peered over the side. Big mistake. Her head grew dizzy at how small the weapon rack was. If she fell from here, she would be seriously maimed. There was no doubt about it.
The platform rumbled again, and if she thought the surprise was over, she was wrong. The flat surface they were on began distorting itself, morphing into small and large lumps left and right that obscured part of her vision. They formed miniature mountains and miniature valleys wide enough for just two people to squeeze through, and at some intersections, only one. She could no longer see the Knight.
Rey did some quick calculations. She was at a severe disadvantage. Her staff was a lengthy one, and it would be very difficult to hold the weapon perpendicular to her body. The only way she could attack is if she held her weapon parallel in front of her.
On the other hand, the environment was perfect for her opponent. All she had was two knives, and there was more than enough room for her to swing and attack.
Rey heard the Knight's voice. It was raised, yet still sounded far off from all the obstacles and synthetic terrain around them.
"Here I come!"
Rey didn't know what to do. There were three paths for her to take. It was like being trapped in a large maze.
She selected the most open path—the left one—and ran into it. A few seconds passed where all she could hear were her footsteps, and then suddenly, she wasn't alone.
The Knight appeared in front of her as quickly as she could blink. Rey was astounded by her agility, and had to block her attack by lifting the staff to her face. Even still, she was not able to escape a tiny corner of her attack.
The blade felt hot against her skin of her bicep and she gasped, stumbling back. Her instincts brought her uninjured arm to cradle her injury and examine it. A thin line, the length of her pinky, spread across from one end to the other. A moment later, red began to well.
Something about seeing her own blood set her off. Rey had never bled. Not during her years on Jakku, not during her fight against the First Order. Never had she bled. The hot liquid trickling down her arm was like lava, and instead of weakening her, it strengthened her.
Oh, the stinging was sensational.
Rey hissed, savoring the moment. She gripped her staff, giving it a small twirl before holding it parallel to her arm and pointing it at her opponent. She lunged forward, stabbing forward with the tip of the staff.
"You missed," the Knight taunted, standing a few paces away from her, having dodged her attack. She smirked, the only sign Rey received, before disappearing again.
The fight continued. Rey pressed forward. The mountains were small enough to fit in the training room, yet too big to scale without the proper gear. She had to continue to push forward, swinging by the mounds and ignoring the valleys. Having a ground disadvantage was just about the closest thing a person could do to openly surrendering.
Behind me!
Rey twisted around, raising her staff just in time to deflect the sharp scrape of one of the Knight's karambits. Rey pulled the staff closer to her, and because the Knight had a firm grip on the karambit, which had a slight curve to it, it latched on.
Losing her balance, the Knight came tumbling toward Rey. She stepped to the side, pushing her staff forward to release the pressure of the karambit's hold. Her next intention was to pummel the Knight's back from above with the tip of her staff, and she did just this. However, her staff was met with sudden resistance when it stopped just shy of the Knight's back. One of her arms had twisted behind her and the other karambit had caught the staff, preventing Rey from driving it down anymore. It had to have taken impossible strength, and if the Knight had miscalculated the energy needed to stop Rey's attack, the back of her blade would have been driven into her clothes and possibly her spinal cord.
Surprise at her defense caused Rey to loosen her grip on her staff, and the Knight used this to her advantage. She twisted the karambit and yanked Rey's staff out of her grip and flung it over her head, where it hit the surface of the terrain with a dull thud.
Spinning back around, she bent her knees and held her knives up.
"You have no weapon," she sneered.
Rey was trapped. There was a wall behind her and the only way forward was through the knight. The mounds were too tall to be scaled.
Her worry gave away to a plan. She was in a situation like this before, when she and Kylo were fighting in Snoke's throne room. What had she done then?
Rey pressed the bottom of her right boot against the wall behind her.
The Knight roared and surged forward. At the same time, Rey pushed off at an angle that sent her toward the flat surface of the path they were on. The Knight was taken off guard as she slid into her legs, knocking her off balance.
Rey heard the Knight curse, but she knew it was only a matter of time before she recovered. Running over to staff, she picked it back up.
"That doesn't mean it's over."
"Hmph." The Knight took one calculating look at her and then sprang up with such finesse that she disappeared over a mound. Something Rey could never do.
"Are you going to find me?" she heard. It sounded like the voice was coming at her from the left. Rey's non-dominant side.
"What are you waiting for? Find me! Attack me!" the voice rang out again.
At her words, Rey paused. What sounded like a taunt actually was a tactical advantage. When Rey did get into a fight, she did have a tendency to act rash and charge it. There was no finesse in her fighting. It was all a clumsy mess of limbs swinging.
Obviously, the Knight would not attempt to face her head-on for a prolonged period of time; she needed the element of surprise. The blades she held were made for close-quarter combat, but Rey's staff was too bulky to slip past. This Knight scaled off of sneak attacks, and she wouldn't fall for the same tricks again. But how would she win in this environment?
"What are you waiting for?!" she repeated.
"No!" Rey answered. The response seemed to surprise her, and Rey could actually picture in her head the Knight's body language as she did a double-take.
"No?" she repeated.
"I know how to win. I won't attack you."
The Knight said, "So be it."
There was a few moments of silence. The lights dimmed above her, shadowed by something, and Rey noticed this just in the nick of time. The Knight was high in the air, having jumped off the peak of a small mound. Her arms were perpendicular to her body. Rey contemplated for a split second.
The Knight crashed down, missing with her right but striking with her left. Rey managed to deliberately dodge the brunt of the attack but this time, she allowed herself to get sliced again. Oh, the pain was pleasurable. Her life matter oozing out awakened the Force in her.
And it was angry.
Rey raised her arm and called upon the Force. A burst of power so strong that it ricocheted on the terrain and made an explosive sound burst out of her being and literally caused the Knight to fly, coming to a stop right before she hit Rey's unwavering gaze.
"Let go of me!" the Knight struggled. Rey could feel a disturbance with her Force, as if there was something countering it. But hers was stronger, augmented by the thrill of being in a fight with a stranger.
Rey dropped her hand, but the Knight remained in her frozen hold. For the first time in Rey's life, she had done something dramatically new with the Force.
The walls reverberated with the sound of Rey's scream as she lashed out with the staff and collided with the Knight's shins with it so that her opponent buckled on both knees and sank to the ground in defeat.
Rey pointed her staff at the helmet.
"Take off your helmet," she growled. "I want to see the face behind the mask."
"This fight isn't over!" the Knight spat. She lifted her blades, but winced in pain when a pair of boots kicked them out of her hands.
"Yes, it is," Rey affirmed.
The Knight stared at her for a split second before unsteeling Rey's demeanor by chuckling. "You are full of surprises."
Adhering to Rey's command, her nimble hands approached the helmet. There was a detaching sound, and then the helmet clinked on the floor when the Knight set it down.
Sleek platinum hair curled from their confines and rolled down to the Knight's waist. Her eyes were of even lighter color, a pale silver that was so striking Rey felt like they were staring into her soul. She had alabaster white skin, thin colorless lips, and a neck so slender that Rey knew most of the clothes she was wearing was bulky and hiding her thin frame underneath. It was hard to believe she was human.
No wonder the Knights of Ren wore masks. If they didn't, then there would be no productivity amongst the personnel.
"It was a good fight. You put up a much greater fight than I'd expected."
"Who are you?"
"I'm Sula. And you're Lady Rey." When she spoke, her lips barely parted.
"Lady?" Rey stressed, taken by surprise. Part of her acknowledged the title Sula addressed her by her cheeks turning pink, and the other part was confusion, but there was also a third party; something wasn't right. She had her suspicions.
"Wait a minute. This was all a test, wasn't it?"
"That's correct," Sula said, getting to her feet. She tapped something off to the side and the platform began morphing back to its flat surface and sinking. This time Rey was prepared for it and she didn't have to concentrate on not toppling over.
"Seriously?!"
Sula waited until the room was back to normal before smiling softly.
"You passed with flying colors."
"Let me guess. The Supreme Leader."
Sula nodded once and called over her lightsaber to her. Rey flinched, ready to accept the worst, but she was proven wrong as the Knight simply attached the weapon to her belt.
"And why would the Supreme Leader commission this so-called test?" Rey asked, growing aggravated again. Lady Rey. Maker.
Sula shrugged. "It's something you'd have to ask him yourself. Your injuries—are they okay?"
Rey completely forgot. She tilted her head down and saw that although they were no longer bleeding, the lines were still thin and raw, pulsing as if they had a life of their own.
She flexed. "Yeah, I'm okay."
"You could always use your Force healing," Sula suggested.
"Force healing? How did you know about that?"
"Everyone knows about Jedis and their skills. To be on the edge of bringing someone back from the dead…it isn't something a user on the Dark Side could do. The Supreme Leader tells me you are an adept Force-user."
Sula checked her wrist.
"Time passed quickly. Supreme Leader requests my attention, and you are to come along."
"Numina?" Rey asked, watching as Sula put on her helmet. "Sula, can you go by without wearing that thing?"
The woman stared at her.
"If that is what Lady Rey requests."
"Rey. Just Rey."
Sula tucked her helmet under her arm and opened the exit door, gesturing for Rey to leave first. Rey still wasn't comfortable on turning her back to the enemy, but she realized with a heavy heart that the Knight did not relent. She walked forward, her hand firmly gripped on her staff and her feet ready to turn at a moment's whim.
But an attack did not happen. Sula brushed past her, and grabbed her hand. The touch threw Rey off by surprise. She was not used to making contact with anyone, especially after an hour of learning about their existence. In her entire life, she had gone by with only a few individuals she was comfortable around to hold. Yet, it didn't feel so bad, and she let it slide.
"Let's go."
Sula dragged Rey to the main cabin, much to her protests. The area was busier than Rey had last remembered it, a testimony to how serious the First Order was taking Damesh. Officers of different status alike rushed in and out of the main cabin. There was an endless chatter as the Finalizer communications crew made contact with whoever they were contacting with, which turned into hushed whispers when they took a look at Rey and Sula. And on the bridge was…
"Sula. You know the rules."
"Yes, Supreme Leader!" Sula complied, placing the helmet on her head. Rey's heart sank. Sula was still the same person, but it was disconcerting, seeing her face hidden behind a mask that symbolized nothing but ruination.
"Rey." Kylo's gaze flitted to her injuries and he hissed. Rey realized this and brought her arms up to cover them, but it was too late.
"Kylo!" she shouted, but it was useless. The Supreme Leader's Force grip pushed Sula against the wall, choking her.
"I gave you explicit orders to not harm her!" he said, squeezing tighter. The helmet on Sula's head dampened sympathy that may have manifested in Rey, but when she thought about the face behind the mask a second later, she jumped to her defense.
"Kylo!" she shouted again, standing in front of him as a blockade and diverting his attention to her. His orders? "Enough! It's only a surface injury!"
"She injured you!"
"I can't have you choking everyone who displeases you. Let her go! Wasn't it your idea of a test anyways?"
At her words, he paused. Sula slid down the wall, crumpling to a heap on the ground. She took off her helmet, her hair tousled, and began wheezing for air.
Rey ran to her and took her hands. Her eyes were full of an unspoken apology, and she could tell that Sula understood that by the tiny tilt of her head.
After making sure her health was in no immediate danger, Rey turned her attention back to Kylo.
"I am so done with your cruel, jurisdictive ways!"
"I am the Supreme Leader!" Kylo yelled.
"She is a member of your own legion! You can't punish your own Knight like that! How will they remain loyal to you?" she argued
"It is my duty to punish as I see fit!"
"It is your duty to deliver punishment when it is appropriate, not when you see fit! Maker, you really are a stubborn arse, aren't you?"
A First Order officer approached the three of them warily, uncertain of how to proceed. Neither Rey nor Kylo said anything, and the officer took this as a sign to speak.
"Supreme Leader, we are awaiting your orders," he said, voice timid.
Rey was going to answer on behalf of him in case Kylo decided to lose his temper and choke another innocent person, but before she could, Sula, somewhat recovered, waved him off with a, "Thank you."
"I am having second doubts about taking you to Numina," Kylo suddenly admitted. Sula stood nearby, and Rey knew she could hear every word in their conversation. "If I don't take you, then the entire First Order will know that my trust in you is not as engrained as I made it out to be. There is danger that may await us, and I do not want to put you into that scenario. That, and especially so after an extensive check on your injuries."
"As you made it out to be!" Rey laughed. "Maker, Kylo, are you really the Supreme Leader or just a child? You're more concerned about undermining your own authority than me returning to the Resistance!"
Kylo sneered. "Do not bring them up. They are nothing. The Resistance has ceased all forms of communication."
Rey balled her fists. "You fail to see things from my point of view. I was almost looking forward to getting off this ship. I need air, Kylo. Being held here against my will also doesn't help."
There was a pause.
"You don't mean that," he said, flatly.
Rey sighed.
"No, Kylo, I don't," she admitted. "But at the same time, I don't want to be floating in space forever."
"And you won't."
"Why are you so adamant on this? You can't seriously tell me you're worried about me running away. Isn't there enough security on me with you and your Knights?" she scoffed. "I remember your order. Just you and me on Numina, no one else."
"The Knights are not there to glue their eyes on you."
At his confession, her demeanor changed.
"What do you mean?" she asked, slightly sheepish at her forward assumptions.
Sula piped up.
"The First Order's informants in Rost managed to weedle out some words thrown around in the Sore Child. The city's main bar," Sula explained at Rey's addled expression. "Damesh and his men are planning to make a run for it soon. We're not sure exactly what they have in mind, but whatever it is, it'll be big."
"You could have just listened to Hux and have a fleet of Stormtroopers at your disposal. After all, isn't that what you're used to?" Rey sneered, overcome with a spiteful nature.
Kylo waved her off, but it was Sula who spoke.
"The Supreme Leader hates Hux."
"Sula," Kylo warned.
"So I've noticed," Rey said dryly.
"I apologize, Supreme Leader." Sula turned to Rey. "But a new change in scenery would be beneficial for Lady Rey, wouldn't it?"
"Jakku was a giant sand wasteland. Even the populated areas were nothing more than little settlements. I've never been in a city before," Rey hummed, ignoring her formal addressment.
"Don't get your hopes up."
"Why?"
Kylo answered her.
"Calling it a city is easier, but the place is more like a village than anything else. The environment is far more primitive than real cities. Mud and dirt buildings, with only a few that are anything but. Shabby clothes, shabby technology, shabby lifestyles. It's a tough place to grow up in."
"Why transport ships there?"
"Numina is renowned for their oil. It's a haven for fuel. Almost all of their economy is based off it. But Rost is a terrible place to live. The standard of living could be better for them, but the high officials there have control of everything. Economy, finances…the villager's lives are in their hands," Sula chirped.
"Why not do something about it? The First Order, of anyone I've ever seen, have the highest advances."
"We do not occupy ourselves with the problems of the weak," Kylo input.
"That's—"
Sula interrupted her.
"That's the reason why the general population despises us so. Given the transport ships, they can tell we have the resources to help them usurp. It's a simple city-led government district. Outside the city, the high officials have no jurisdiction. It would be an easy in, easy out job, and that's why our standings with them are far from amicable, because we refuse."
"They cannot do anything about it either," Kylo inserted. "As they learned the hard way."
"B—But that's wrong!" Rey spluttered. "How easy it would be for the First Order to just lend a helping hand and let it be done with!"
"Balance must be obtained. If the weak is truly weak, then they will stay weak. Strength is earned, not given."
Rey shook her head. "Unbelievable." Whenever he talked like that, things were hopeless. She wouldn't be able to get through to him like this.
"I called the two of you here for separate reasons. Sula."
"Yes, Supreme Leader!"
"I am placing you in command of the Finalizer until further notice. Keep us in orbit until tomorrow. I have a task I must preoccupy myself with this evening." Kylo's eyes shifted to Rey and she felt herself squirm under his gaze.
If Sula thought the command was strange, she did not voice it. Instead, she gave a firm nod.
"Good. You are dismissed."
The air was clogged with thick silence until the sound of Sula's boots faded from their hearing.
"Walk with me, Rey," Kylo voiced. He began to move and Rey followed, wondering what was going on.
The two of them walked away from the center deck and toward a new hallway Rey was unfamiliar with. Butterflies swam in her stomach. She wasn't sure where they were going. Was it another training room? Why did Kylo want to be alone with her? Her eyes widened. Maybe he wanted privacy to discuss what happened between the two of them yesterday. Maybe—
"Relax. Your mind is in shambles and projecting."
Rey's thoughts were jolted out of a reverie and she found Kylo firmly staring at her.
"Maybe you wouldn't hear my shambling if I learned how to protect my mind."
Kylo hummed. "I take it Sula tested you this morning."
"Tested!" Rey blew up in his face and Force-spun him around. Kylo growled at her manipulation but she stood her ground.
"You insensitive arse!" she shouted, taking two steps forward. "And to think that I thought you were even slightly concerned about my wellbeing!"
"You will not raise your voice to me!" Kylo barked.
Rey glared at him.
"The test was done as part of your training. You were under no real danger."
"She is a Force-user and got into my head!"
"So?"
Rey grit her teeth and tried her hardest to reel herself in. She was so angry that she wanted to punch him in the face.
"You realize she could have seen us both at the throne room."
"I was not worried. I had solid faith that you would be able to reject her advances in the same manner you did to me after I captured you on Takodana."
Rey paused, his words instantly snuffing out her anger. "You knew."
"Of course. As someone who trains in the Dark, I could sense your fear. You utilized it to your advantage."
"I'm not proud of that," Rey said. "I don't know what or how I did what I did, but it is not something I am proud of."
"But you should be. You have never received proper training on how to build walls around your memories. And yet you flushed Sula out even when she was giving it all. Granted, she is the weakest mind-invading Force-user, but to deal with her as successfully as you did was no easy task."
Rey huffed, her cheeks beginning to betray her again.
"I don't want to use this. As much as I want to protect my mind, I don't want to do it this way."
"Your first defense mechanism was to utilize the darkness inside you as a tool for retaliation. It was a subconscious decision by your mentality to do so. This, out of anything, speaks the truth of who you are inside. You may see it as hindrance, but I assure you: it is not something to be ashamed of."
Rey's heart sank. He was right. She had never learned to mentally protect herself, and if the first form of defense she gave was a skill that stemmed from the dark side, then…
"No," she whispered.
"It is a much stronger method, befitting for a strong individual as yourself. You will understand momentarily why it is necessary," Kylo said. He gave her a small smile to appease the whirlwind of thoughts inside Rey, but it failed.
They stopped at a door. Kylo waved his hand on the scanner and it opened. He gestured for Rey to enter first, and she did so with a sinking feeling.
Rey's mind immediately flitted to the worst at the sight of Kylo Ren's quarters, but she hardly had any time to wrap her head at the thought of something bad happening. Her brain bypassed digesting the furnishings in the room, for there was one focal point that gleamed in its own right and dulled the surroundings around her.
On the ground in the middle of the room, splintered into small pieces, were the remains of the hilt of her blue lightsaber. And in the midst of it all was a glowing blue crystal.
Rey's mouth opened but no sound came out. Kylo's voice filled the void.
"You will not go into Numina unprotected. I was not expecting this day to occur so soon, but it is time to make your own weapon."