Chapter 18
Kylo Ren knelt next to the bed holding Rey's hand as she lay sleeping on the bed. They had attuned to each other through the force so that he could continue instructing her while she slept. Being so connected to her was exhilarating, but he focused on the task at hand. She still had a ways to go yet before mastering the mental shield while sleeping.
Kylo thought to her. Rey, you're doing well blocking your emotions, but your memories are still accessible when I-
Rey! The knights are coming!
Kylo Ren jerked back from his examination of Rey's sleeping shield, and Rey's eyes shot open. They had both heard the cry.
"Rose," Rey said. "The knights have her. She's in trouble." Rey immediately got up and rushed to pull her boots back on.
"Wait," Kylo Ren said, taking her arm firmly. The knights could learn entirely too much from Rose. He had to think this through. Depending on how he reacted, he might expose the truth of what happened with Snoke, and then both he and Rey would be in danger.
"She's in trouble," Rey snapped, ripping her arm free from him and heading for the door. Kylo Ren quickly pushed against the door with the force so that she could not pull it open. She tried anyway, failed, and glared at him. "Let me go."
"We need to plan first," Kylo said. His heart raced. There was too much he could lose. "Rushing in will only make things worse. This is why Snoke spoke against compassion. It makes one weak and foolish." Why didn't Rey understand?
"Compassion is what gave you the strength to destroy him," Rey countered, and the truth of it sunk deep, but he did not see how it changed things here. "Stop this, Ben. Let me go to her!" She took a step towards him with tears in her eyes, reaching her hand out.
Kylo Ren shook his head, though his heart ached to see Rey so distraught. "Not without a plan."
Rey stared at him a moment, then glanced at where he had left his lightsaber on the table. He reached for it with the force, but not before she had already pulled it to her, ignited it to slash apart the door, and jumped through the broken doorway with lightsaber still in hand.
Kylo Ren stared at where she had been in shocked silence for a second before leaping up and chasing after her. Plan or no plan, he could not let Rey face them alone. He startled Finn in the hallway, who was outside Rose's door.
"What's going on? I just saw Rey run past with your- Hey, wait!" Finn said.
Kylo Ren did not even turn around. He had no time to explain, and involving Finn would only make things worse. He had to protect Rey.
He reached out in the force to locate both Rey and Rose. Rose was in the starport with a dim signature, as if unconscious. Rey was running straight for it, deactivated lightsaber in hand. She had discovered how to locate Rose through the force on her own. He shook his head, amazed yet again at her ingenuity and skill with the force.
Kylo sprinted to catch up to her, but Rey was faster than he expected. She reached the airport well before him.
If his knights had followed him here without notifying him and bothered to take Rose prisoner, they were likely investigating him. Rose knew more than he should have allowed, but he might still be able to spin this as part of his ploy. He had told Banto that he would be feigning interest, after all.
The starport was incredibly crowded, but Rey slipped through it like an eel through water. He projected an aura of fear ahead of him to clear a path, and he ran along it, catching up to Rey just as she found the ship.
Teva stood on the ramp with his purple lightsaber lit at his side. Rypo was sitting with a blood orange lightsaber extended over the neck of the unconscious form of Rose. They had clearly been waiting for them.
Rey froze at the sight and backed up to Kylo's side. He wondered if he and Rey would end up fighting the knights just like they had Snoke's guard-perfectly synced and back-to-back. A moment later, Finn joined them from behind, surprising both of them and disrupting Kylo's reminiscence.
"What's going on? Are those the knights you talked about? Why do they have Rose?" Finn asked in a rush. "Is she dead?" Finn squeaked this last part.
"Not dead. Just unconscious," Rey said, keeping her eyes on Rypo's blade at Rose's neck. "Ben, what do you suggest?"
Kylo gazed at her. She had his lightsaber lit in her hand, and it was clear she did not plan to give it back while Rose was in danger.
"Come any closer and I kill the girl," Rypo said.
"What do you want?" Rey said, fury hardening her voice.
"Order," Rypo answered. "Master Kylo Ren. I would not have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself, but this girl's mind shows that your heart has been consumed by chaos. It is our sworn duty to uphold order, even when it means eliminating one of our own. What defense have you?"
Kylo said nothing as he thought furiously. He had to get Rypo farther from Rose before he could attack them, and that meant eliminating Rey and Finn from the equation. He quickly covered Rey's hand where she held the lightsaber, turned it off, and commanded her body to sleep. Rey fell limply to the floor at his feet as he took his lightsaber from her hand. He dared not cushion her fall given the eyes on him.
"What? No! You betrayed us! You monster!" Finn cried and pulled out his blaster. Kylo Ren knocked the blaster down with the force and put Finn to sleep a second later. Finn hit the floor with a hard thump, but Kylo Ren was already looking ahead at the knights. He could not afford to reveal his concern for either Rey or Finn while they were still in danger.
Both the postures of Rypo and Teva suggested surprise. Good. The next step was the true gamble. He walked casually towards them, not once glancing at Rose. Rypo glanced down at Rose and back to Kylo twice and deactivated her lightsaber. Teva deactivated his a second later. Kylo hid his relief easily enough. He had years of experience at hiding his emotions. He had hidden much from Snoke. He could certainly hide them from his knights.
"Even Banto knew I was feigning compassion to lure in the jedi," Kylo Ren said, stopping just a few feet short of the ramp and very carefully looking only at the masks of his knights. "Your doubts were not unreasonable, but your actions were. You may have permanently unraveled my plan and set the jedi against the First Order once again. What defense have you?" he asked, echoing Rypo's own question back at her.
Teva stared dumbfounded at him, but calm, collected Rypo responded. "You warned them of us. You were expecting us to interrogate them. Yet you said nothing to stop us."
Kylo Ren cocked his head slightly and narrowed his eyes. "I should not have needed to. I was to be left undisturbed on this mission."
He stared at those blank masks, searching for hints of their feelings, but he had trained them well. Nothing leaked out, and they would notice if he sought past their defenses.
Rypo stood up after a moment and bowed. "Master Kylo Ren, I humbly request permission to inspect the jedi myself," Rypo said. "As she and her companions are already unconscious, you can have no objection. Confirmation of her compassion for you would be reassuring to the knights that your quest is not in vain. If I find deceit or hatred, then we can kill her and be done with her."
Kylo Ren schooled himself not to react. "You overreach. You know my own ability far surpasses yours."
Rypo straightened. "Knowledge provides order. The other knights fear that you may be seduced by the light. Since your own mind is beyond my ability to question, allow me this and I will serve as witness to the wisdom of your plan. Deny me and you will have to kill us both and explain our deaths to the remaining knights."
Kylo had no idea if Rey's shield was up, but it did not matter. This was his best chance to escape without everything falling apart. If it failed, he would kill Rypo anyway. "Inspect the jedi," Kylo Ren said. Rypo stood up and walked over to Rey before kneeling down again. Kylo watched closely, ready to strike Rypo down in a moment.
"Unexpected," Rypo said after a few seconds. "She has a shield up, even though she's not awake. I thought you were the only one capable of that, Master."
Kylo Ren felt pride fill him as he strode forward. "She will be a powerful asset once turned, but she is not strong enough to resist me. Would you like assistance entering her mind?"
Rypo eyed him carefully, then sat back and waited patiently. They had done this routine before in training. Rypo had been one of his best students for mental interrogations, but Rypo's ability still did not compare to his own. There was a reason Snoke depended on him for important interrogations.
Kylo Ren knelt by Rey and gently put his hand on her forehead, seeking the attunement they had achieved earlier during training so that he could communicate with Rey under Rypo's radar.
Rey, remember how I spoke that you would need to pretend regard for me before the knights? I need you to do so now. Create a pocket in your shield and pour desire for me into it. Do not allow any knowledge of my feelings to come through.
Rey didn't respond, but he felt her shield ripple until there was a pocket, just as he had asked. He inspected it and was blasted with an image of himself shirtless during a previous force bond. He allowed himself a smirk as more images floated up, all depicting a very physical desire for him.
"You're smiling," Rypo said.
"I am celebrating my success. See for yourself," he said, stepping away from Rey.
Rypo faced him for several seconds before placing a hand on Rey's head and reaching into her with the force. Rypo almost immediately broke the connection, nearly falling backwards in her rush to create distance. "That was… unexpected. I thought the jedi forbade such thoughts."
Kylo Ren allowed his grin to spread across his face as he eyed Rypo. "Exactly," he said. "Do you still doubt my potential to turn her?"
Rypo shook her head. "No, there is definitely potential. With that passion, I am surprised Skywalker accepted her as a student. She is far too emotional to be a knight though. Do you intend to make her a sith?"
"Or something new," Kylo Ren said. "Regardless, she will be mine."
Rypo nodded thoughtfully and stood up. "My apologies for disturbing you, Master Kylo Ren. I will report what I have found so that you may continue your mission undisturbed. Do you wish to keep the girl's companions?"
"Winning their trust has been part of the ruse. Their disappearance would raise unwanted questions," Kylo Ren said.
"Right," Rypo said before standing. "Teva, move the captive from the ramp to safety. We're done here."
Teva followed Rypo's directions without complaint. Kylo Ren watched in silence as they entered the ship, closed the hatch, and flew away.
Honestly, not feeling super-sure about this chapter, but it's done. Hope you enjoyed it, and please review!
And for those wondering, I've not forgotten Growlie, even if Kylo Ren and Rey did in the rush to save Rose. :)
