Happy Sunday! Touching on a few things here. Carissa, you are absolutely right about both things: Rey's confliction makes hardly any sense, and Kylo was obviously going to knock her out. In this next chapter, we are going to begin the building blocks of their relationship. I'm going to warn you: this is not going to be pretty. Please please please let's get up to 10 reviews, and at least 5k views. SHARE this with everyone you know. Make them review. Great prizes await! Please. For me.
Chapter 4:
Location: The Absolution
Her face was raw, untamed beauty. It held the wisdom of a Jedi Master, yet the longing of a Padawan. Kylo studied her, much like he had studied her before when they were in this almost exact same scenario. That felt so long ago. He had marveled at her beauty then as well, but didn't expect to be spat at and resisted like she had. This time, he was more cautious. She would awake when he wanted her too, but not a moment before. This gave him all the time he needed to prepare himself for the certain backlash that awaited him.
How would he even begin to explain himself? Surely he had betrayed her trust already. But, he would make up for it with fulfilling his end of the bargain: he would give her anything and everything she wanted, as long as she stayed by his side. Then came the inevitable question: What place did she hold in his broken, shattered, unforgiving heart? What role did she play in his ridiculous, melancholy, bitter life? These were the things he needed to unravel before he flicked her mind on again. Kylo needed to prove his value to her because she was a Queen that didn't need him, but he was a King that absolutely needed her.
Even after hours of staring at her, he couldn't make sense of his thoughts or feelings. If anything, he felt more dumbfounded than he had before. The question that was the most troublesome was where Rey belonged. He was certain that it was next to him, but something in the back of his mind was poking at him, making him think that maybe that was not the case. The realization was terrifying so he chose to ignore it.
It was time to wake her up, after all.
Rey awoke with a start, her hazel eyes frantically opening to reveal a black and silver blur. She blinked to clear her vision, her head pounding like she had been hit in the head with a million bricks over and over again. She had only ever felt this way once before… but, she couldn't place when. Instead, she attempted to focus her eyes on her surroundings.
She was in a room, a dark room. The black and silver blur slowly faded into a ceiling, and there were red lights on either end of her vision. She slowly turned her head to the left to not nauseate herself, and saw a small black table with a black lamp on it. Beyond the table was a door a little off to the side. There was a feeling of cushion underneath of her which could only mean she was lying on a cot or a bed. When she looked down, her suspicions were confirmed. Rey was lying in a huge bed clad in black sheets. The pillows beneath her head were black with silver lining and felt so comforting against her pounding brain.
Her skin was warm, which meant that wherever she was had to be somewhere quite comfortable. She was beginning to relax now. There was no immediate threat and she wasn't in danger for the time being. Her headache was beginning to lessen as well. She decided to turn her head the other direction to see more of her current situation, and was met with… a flood of wild emotions that she couldn't control.
"You!" Rey screeched and jumped to her feet. The moment she did so, her brain felt like it was sloshing from side to side in her skull. She was dizzy, lightheaded, and her vision was fading rapidly.
Kylo leapt from his chair at the side of the bed to catch her before she hit the hard tile floor. His arms caught her gracefully as she fell forward, only lightly bumping her head against his shoulder. She grasped onto his arms absently in order to pull herself up, but Kylo held her steady. Her head was still pounding and all she felt was impulsive anger. She knew where she was now: on Kylo's Star Destroyer, in his quarters… and she was lying in his bed. Her stomach was in knots, and it wasn't because she was nauseated.
"You shouldn't move; it will only make it worse," Kylo advised her. He liked her closeness this way, even though she was squirming incessantly and rightfully mad at him.
"You tricked me!" she sputtered out against his chest, bringing her hands up to beat on it to no avail.
Kylo looked down at her thudding fists and had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at her typical female response. "Rey, I didn't trick you."
"You knocked me out!" came her rebuttal.
"I did, but listen," he said, put his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her away so she could look him in the eyes. Their hazel and brown orbs met, and the moment they did, he did not let her pull away her gaze from him. "I did it as a precaution."
"I'm surprised you didn't lock me up like you did last time," she replied squarely, never wavering her gaze from him.
Kylo tilted his head ever so slightly and narrowed his eyes just a tad for effect. "You're making awfully coherent sentences for someone who almost fainted just a minute ago."
"Oh, piss off," Rey said and pushed him away from her.
Kylo raised his eyebrows as she took a moment to steady herself. His smile was inside, though; he had won that little fight, and she knew it. As soon as she had righted her body and her vision had cleared, Rey took in her surroundings. She was definitely in his quarters. There was his bed (which she had unknowingly laid in for goodness knows how long); around the corner, a small kitchenette with a grey mug sitting on the marble countertop (a strong smell came from it – something rich and nutty that arose from the brown liquid), and around the corner from the kitchenette was a small living area with two black couches with thick blankets on them. Rey looked back to Kylo, who had followed her at a safe distance. His hands were behind his back in military position, and he looked at her quizzically, as to ask her what she thought of his home.
"You live here, then?" she asked.
Kylo nodded. "It's sufficient."
Rey stood for a moment, then ran her hand over the lush black blankets on the couch, savoring the softness of the fabric. "It's much nicer than anything I ever had."
"It's yours," Kylo told her, his voice raising a pitch. Rey turned back to stare at him with a confused look on her face. "You came with me, and I promised that you could have whatever you wanted, so… I gave you a home."
Rey didn't know if she should feel honored or appalled. Home was not this; not on a Star Destroyer with the people who she justly hated, the people who had tried to kill her and her friends on countless occasions. But, at the same time, Kylo's quarters were exceptionally better than her AT-AT on Jakku. Her heart was happy when she turned to face him with a genuine smile.
"So I'm living with you then?" she asked.
If Kylo's cheeks grew warm, he hoped she couldn't tell. "Yes. We will be living here together."
Rey noticed the hint of red creep over the pale skin of his cheeks, and inwardly grinned. "Will I be confined here?"
"No," Kylo finally moved from his rooting on the floor over to the kitchenette. He opened one of the dark cupboards, searched around for a moment, and then pulled out a clear bottle with a light brown liquid in it. Rey watched him carefully and he set the bottle on the counter, opened the refrigerator, pulled out a purple juice, and mixed the two drinks together in two glasses. She had seen this technique before by a Bothan who visited Nima Outpost many moons ago. Kylo was mixing a drink for her. Slowly, she approached him, cautious of the liquid he was pouring.
"What is that?" she asked softly.
"Sullustan gin and Bribb juice," Kylo replied casually, and offered her a cup.
Rey took the cup and gingerly took her first sip of the drink. What tasted on her tongue was sweet yet with a bite, and a fire in her throat as she swallowed it. It stung going down, but she found herself eagerly taking another sip and another and another… Kylo only chuckled as she drank, taking slow drinks of his cup.
"This is very good," Rey said, raising her eyes at him over the brim of her cup.
Kylo reached out with a gloved hand and lowered the glass back down to the counter, earning himself a whine in protest from Rey. "Careful there, or you'll get intoxicated."
"What if I want to be?" Rey demanded, crossing her arms.
Kylo let out a breath. This shouldn't have surprised him; she was so argumentive. "I wouldn't be a very good host if I allowed that to happen, now would I? Besides, you have to see the rest of my ship."
Rey's eyebrows raised.
Kylo jumped in before she could say anything else. "You'll need to change. I had the tailor make up some robes for you. But, please finish your drink."
Kylo turned to get her robes out of his closet, and Rey raised the cup to her lips once again.
"If I do, I may become addicted to it," she said dangerously, her voice low and cunning.
Kylo sighed. "I already am."
Kylo patiently waited for Rey to come out of the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the bed with his hands clasped tightly in front of him. He took the time to meditate and listen to the Will of the Force, but as hard as he tried to clear his mind, there was something blocking him from reaching the Force. He couldn't place what it was, but he certainly had a good idea. He tried asking what the Force wanted from him, what it wanted him to do, the very nature of it… but as hard as he tried, he was met with absolutely nothing.
The door creaked open slowly, and Kylo's eyes shot up. Rey slowly emerged from the bathroom, a look of disgust on her beautiful face. Kylo stood when she came from behind the door, like any gentleman would. She had been made a pair of black robes that laced over her bodice in two straps, leading into two pieces of material that hugged her body closely. She had on black trousers and black boots that covered her legs but laced up to above her knees. Her black wraps were wound tightly around her arms, exposing the tops of her shoulders and interlacing through her fingers. She had taken her hair out of her normal buns and instead, it was only half way up out of her eyes. She looked decadent, delicious, so delectable…
"These are hideous."
Her words snapped Kylo out of his trance, and he tried to speak, but his mouth was dry. He cleared his throat. "They suit you."
"They do not," Rey pointed a finger in his face as she walked by him towards the door. "Are you coming?"
Kylo grinned and followed her to the door. He waved his hand, and the door opened, revealing a hallway. He jogged to keep up to her, making sure she stayed in his sight. Rey looked over to him, eyeing him cautiously. Rey noted that all around her were officers, Stormtroopers, and droids. They gave Rey an uneasy feeling, but none of them seemed to be concerned with her. They bowed at Kylo however, mumbled "Supreme Leader" here and there, but they paid no attention to the girl at his side. She kept trying to get ahead of him, but he couldn't allow that.
At the nearest supply closet after making sure no one would see, Kylo grabbed her waist quickly, resorting in a yelp from her lips, opened the door using the Force, ducked them both inside the small room, and shut the door so his back was pressed against it. A small light dimmed above them, reflecting Rey's furious hazel eyes. She had such fire, such anger, and such passion. She was perfect in every way.
"You have to stay by my side at all times," he commanded her strictly.
"Why?"
They were close. Too close. Rey could feel his breath lingering on her forehead, and she gazed up into his eyes, questioning him, rebutting him, and hopefully making him back down. But, she quickly realized that her blood had turned to slush at their close proximity, and she was more concerned about keeping her breath steady than fighting with him.
"I don't want you to run off."
"I wasn't going to run off."
"It certainly seemed like it."
"It doesn't surprise me that you're having delusions."
Kylo noticed that her breathing pattern had changed… and so did his. Something was telling him to pull her closer, but he pushed it out of his head. Not here, not in this supply closet. Did he even want her in that way or did he just want her power, as an ally? He took a deep breath to calm himself, before realizing that he could use her lust against her and exploit it. She was naïve, and she definitely didn't know any better.
He took a gloved hand and brought his index and middle fingers up to raise her chin so she was looking him in the eye. Kylo could tell that she was struggling to control herself, but deep inside in a part of him that he never knew existed, so was he. He leaned down so his lips were only centimeters away from hers, his gaze drifting from her lips to her hazel orbs, and his lips opened slightly.
"Do not wander away from me."
He opened the supply closet door and stepped outside, gesturing for her to come out. Rey stood awestruck at what had just transpired, not knowing whether she should want more or smack him across the face for even trying. The look on Kylo's face said to hurry, he wasn't waiting for her. She blinked a few times, and stepped out beside him, noticing two Stormtroopers on patrol had noticed them come out of the closet. She watched as Kylo noticed this as well. He didn't have to say anything to the stalled soldiers; they nodded their heads at him and moved on with their patrol as quickly as they had stopped. Kylo closed the door with the Force and began to lead her through the hallway.
"What ship are we on?" Rey asked with genuine curiosity.
"The Absolution," came his response. They rounded the corner into the conference areas. "This is where we hold our meetings."
"So you can plan to destroy The Resistance?" Rey asked. Her question was innocent enough, but the fire in her tone angered him. Rey sensed his both through the Force and physically. "I'm sorry, I'm your guest."
Kylo was surprised that his tactic made her learn quickly. "We plan lots of things here."
"Like?" she pressed.
"Military strategy, if we have to send aide to a planet, where we need to deploy garrisons –"
"Wait, wait," Rey stopped him and held up a hand as they walked through the corridor. "You help planets?"
"Yes," Kylo replied, a tone of surprise in his voice. "We help planets."
"But you slaughter innocent people," Rey said blankly.
"Maybe those people weren't as innocent as you once thought," Kylo said. "The Jedi slaughtered many people to create The Republic before it fell. The Rebellion slaughtered the Empire's army, and the Resistance slaughtered The First Order's army. Everyone slaughters 'innocent people', and everyone has their own opinion on how the galaxy should be governed. But, when it comes down to it, Rey, no one is really innocent, and everyone has killed. Your friend, the pilot, he has killed at least six hundred of our troopers, and the traitor killed Captain Phasma. And you, Rey… I saw you kill two of my troopers on Takodana."
Rey bit her lip. He was right – she had killed those troopers, and she would have killed him too if Starkiller Base wasn't collapsing around them. But, Master Luke… had he killed? He was always preaching to her that violence wasn't the Jedi way. Kylo seemed to sense her thoughts, and pushed her a little farther.
"Even Skywalker killed," Kylo said. The two rounded the corner to black stairs that led up to a large blast door. "My mother and father, especially my father, killed. Don't think that one side is worse than the other because both sides are equally evil, just in different ways."
"If you truly think that, why are you leading The First Order?" Rey asked him.
Kylo pressed his lips together. "I chose the side I thought made the most sense. Come on."
When Rey entered The Bridge of The Absolution, the chatter immediately stopped. All eyes in the command center stopped their assignments and gazed up at her as if they had never seen a woman before. Rey felt uncomfortable as she followed Kylo slowly. She wondered why they paid attention to her all of a sudden when the troopers in the hallway didn't seem to even notice she was with him.
At the end of the Bridge was a large window, to which a man wearing a black cloak with red hair was standing, hands behind his back. She could tell by Kylo's stance that he didn't like this man, whoever he was. Rey tried her best not to look at all the wandering sets of eyes, from men and women alike, and stayed close to Kylo, to where she felt the most secure. Why had he brought her here?
When they reached the man in the cloak, Kylo stood beside him, also putting his hands behind his back military style, and looking out into the stars out the window. Rey had never seen a more beautiful sight than all the twinkling lights about her. She realized immediately that she would stay here and gaze out into the galaxy if she could. She was so perplexed with her view that she hardly realized that Kylo had begun speaking.
"General Hux, this is Rey."
"Nice to know she has a first name," Hux sneered at his counterpart. "I take it your mission was successful then, Ren."
"Fairly," replied Kylo, his tone unwavering.
Hux turned his attention to Rey, and she felt herself shrink considerably under his gaze. "I've heard a lot about you… mostly that you cause us a lot of problems."
Rey had to bite her lip from making a snide remark. "Some see them as problems, I see them as solutions."
Hux laughed and shook his head. "You're young and naïve yet. Soon you will realize that you were in the wrong and that we will prevail."
Kylo turned to look down at Rey with nothing but an annoyed look in his brown eyes. "General Hux is second in command."
Hux gave Kylo a stare worthy of death itself before turning his attention back to Rey. "Do you know where your friends are headed?"
"No, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you," Rey replied crossing her arms over her chest. Hux looked from Rey to Kylo and then back to Rey. "Besides, it doesn't matter. I'm what you wanted."
Hux chuckled. "No, dear girl. You are what Ren wanted. To wipe out the Resistance once and for all is what I wanted."
Rey clamped her lips shut and her eyes drifted out towards the stars once more. What could that have possibly meant? Kylo excused Hux from The Bridge and walked forward so he was out-of-earshot of the officers working tirelessly on their tasks. Rey followed him, taking her place beside him. The two looked out over the glass to the many stars in front of them.
"What did he mean by that?" she asked him softly.
Kylo focused his vision on a star that he knew to be Naboo, the home of his grandmother. He visited there once with his parents when he was but a boy, and remembered the vast fields of purple flowers, beautiful waterfalls, and lush foliage. He thought of it as an exuberantly remarkable place. It was calming and beautiful. He wanted to take Rey there so she could experience it as well.
"My mission was to come for you and you alone," Kylo offered his explanation to her. "You are my first priority. My mother and her pitiful band of traitors come second."
Rey let out a low breath. "Why? Why did you come for me?"
Kylo hoped that he could've avoided this conversation all together, but it was obvious that he couldn't shut her down. He turned to look at her, her big hazel eyes, the way that she saw things was entirely different than he did, and he knew that. And he could exploit that.
"I can't explain it," Kylo told her honestly. "Call it the will of the Force. It wants me close to you."
Rey nodded, understanding the feeling and situation very well. She knew in her heart that it was time to let the subject go, and focus her energy on something else. She looked out to where Kylo had returned to staring, seeing a bright star amidst its other glowing counterparts. She was curious as to why he was staring at just that particular one when she had so many questions about every single one.
"Which one are you staring at?" she asked.
"Naboo," he replied. Rey raised an eyebrow; that was an interesting name. "My grandmother was born there. She ruled as Queen for quite some time before The Trade Federation tried to infiltrate the planet. My grandfather saved them by destroying their droid control ship when he was just a boy. It's quite an interesting story."
Rey was interested indeed. "Was that how they met then?"
Kylo took a step closer to the window, losing himself in the story that his mother once told him. "In a way. My grandfather had been freed for slavery on a planet called Tatooine, and he met my grandmother when she was escaping The Trade Federation with two Jedi escorts."
"Your family is nothing short of intriguing," Rey said, her thoughts betraying her. She wanted to learn so much more about him, about his family, about Master Luke; and this was just the beginning. Kylo had knowledge far beyond her capability, and she could listen to him, learn from him. "Tell me more?"
"The Jedi were tasked to stop The Trade Federation from taking over the planet," Kylo began. "So, the Jedi Council sent them to the Viceroy of the Federation, who tried to have them executed. He was working under the Emperor, who was just a Senator from Naboo at the time. The Jedi made contact with my grandmother, and they escaped the planet, but their ship was in disarray. They landed on Tatooine to repair the ship where she met Anakin, my grandfather. The Jedi freed him, and once their ship was repaired, they continued to Coruscant, which was the Capital of the Republic. My grandmother pled her case to the Senate while Anakin was denied training by the Jedi Council, even though he was Force sensitive. The Senate didn't take action against The Trade Federation, so my grandmother went back to her planet on her own to fight them. They drove them out in a fierce battle, and Anakin destroyed the control ship. That battle was important, though, because it finally revealed that the Sith had returned after being extinct for close to a thousand years."
Rey blinked a few times, taking in everything Kylo had just told her. She had a thousand questions, but was on The Bridge the right time to ask them?
"Naboo is a serene place," Kylo told her. "I would like to take you there, just the two of us."
Rey was taken aback. "Why?"
"You have been to four planets besides Jakku," Kylo said convincingly while turning to face her. "Besides, like I said, my main priority is you and only you. Hux can handle the day to day operations while we are gone."
"We are going there? When?" Rey asked, her eyes wide.
"We will leave immediately," Kylo suggested. He reached out and scooped her hand into his from its resting place at her side. "This is a place that's very important to me, and I want to share that with you."
Rey wondered what it would be like to decide to go to planets at a split second, to have such freedom to do anything and everything you wanted, whenever you wanted to do it. If she stayed with Kylo, this was her future. She could go anywhere, do anything she wanted. But, she didn't want to be feared. She did not want people to bow down to her or be afraid when they saw her. Rey wanted to experience the galaxy freely, as a tourist, not a conqueror.
Rey looked from her hand in his up to his brown eyes, and gave him a small smile. "Fine, but I have a few conditions. You can't go as Kylo Ren. You're going as Ben."
She knew that the comment would make him angry, but she sensed that his fury was nowhere near what it was the last time she had called him Ben.
She continued quickly, "I want to explore the galaxy without being feared, but I want you next to me. No killing, no conquering, no fear. I just want Ben Solo, not Kylo Ren."
Kylo studied the young woman's face, considering her stipulations. This was important to her, just as taking her to Naboo was important to him. Trust did go both ways, and this was the first step into her larger life. "Fine. I will make the necessary arrangements."
As the two turned and walked down the center floor of The Bridge, Rey felt her lips turn upwards into a small grin. "So, did you take me so we can explore planets together?"
The two exited The Bridge. As soon as the blast doors closed, sealing them off from the onlookers who stared at them for far too long, Kylo turned to face her, bringing a gloved finger up to her cheek. He ran his thumb over her skin; over her lips, feeling the protruding of her bottom lip; down her chin; and then under her chin. Rey stood mesmerized at his touch, a look that made Kylo's insides flip over and clench as though they were on fire.
"I told you I would give you anything you wanted," he whispered. "You have a home now, and the freedom and ability to do anything you want and have anything you want. You told me when you were on Ahch-To that you always wanted to explore the galaxy. I can do that for you. I can do anything for you… if you let me."
Rey closed her eyes as Kylo spoke to her. It was like being lost in a dream-like state, where all she could think about was how much she wanted him, and how content she was with the world and everything at that very moment. Slowly, her hazel orbs opened and the view of a handsome man came into her vision. She could feel the warmth of his leather gloves on her chin, and how his Force presence swarmed around her like a flock of bees, surrounding her, and pulling her closer to him in every way.
"Say it..." Kylo pushed her, whispering so low his voice vibrated through her being. "I know what you're thinking, Rey, what you know. Say it… you're mine."
Without another thought of remorse or doubtfulness, Rey locked his eyes. She didn't have a shred of reluctance in her body.
"I'm yours."
