Serenity reigned in the interrogation room as Rey did her meditation. Kylo could feel the peace just oozing from her like a spring. He had opted to skip meditating with Rey this time. Her compassionate crusade in an attempt to save his soul was starting to worry him. He liked to think it was a pathetic waste of time, that his soul was beyond redemption at this point – but he feared now that there was a chance he could be redeemed – that maybe deep down he wanted to be redeemed by her.
Thinking back on their breakfast meal together, he had enjoyed their surprisingly average conversation about piloting ships. It had truly marked something remarkable – that they were capable of conversing like normal people. That not everything they talked about had to be excruciatingly personal or overly emotional. Even now, he replayed the conversation back in his head over and over again, like a hologram he would never tire of.
Ren almost liked the memory as much as the first time he'd seen the mysterious girl who had a knack for sending his meticulous plans into disarray – like back on Takodana. He had thought of her as defiant, righteous and beautiful then, and his opinion had only intensified in the time since he had gotten to know her.
He was shocked that Rey had opened up a bit since their last encounter. She had allowed him glimpses of her past and what drove her passion for technology and flying. There had been a frigidness between them when he'd first entered her cell – which he had anticipated. And he couldn't argue, Kylo had wronged her in more than one way when he'd pushed her closer to the Dark Side and then nearly killed her. Rey had been consumed with thoughts of him being a monster, and it had stung at first – the potency of her dislike toward him. But by the end of their meal, she had remained as determined to bring him to the Light Side as before.
Kylo's whole reasoning for their meal had been for him to remedy the situation and end the distress he'd caused. But by the end of their meal turmoil had rose again, and it had been in the form of a name – Ben Solo. Rey had been so adamant about calling him Ben that she'd even denounced his name Kylo Ren as fictional. That had caused him to snap more than her talking about his family. He hated being called Ben and no matter how many times he reiterated that point, Rey seemed to ignore that. She was hell-bent on making him accept his former identity and he was still too stubborn to allow her to say the name Ben.
There had certainly been fervor in her declaration for him to forgive Han Solo and return home. Rey had told him how she foresaw his inevitable loneliness if he continued down his current path. It had annoyed him, for she was right, anyone who had ever embraced the Dark Side had done so alone. And since he'd met Rey, he found himself slowly enjoying being around her and basking in the peace she emitted. It lead him to worry that he craved her companionship – and that he longed for his family too.
Often times he could feel his mother and Luke calling to him, begging him to return home. It was always tempting, just the thought, but he always chose to block it out. In truth, there was an intense fear that was buried inside himself – anytime he thought of returning home that fear was unwrapped and exposed. There would be a reckoning if he ever went back to the Resistance; they would make him pay for the things he did. For the people he killed, for the treasonous crimes he'd committed in the name of the First Order.
The idea of submitting to the light always seemed like a step backward, there was so much unlocked power he could still attain from the Dark Side. But he needed his master to show him, and he had to wait patiently; he had to prove his devotion and continue to foster his own anger and pain.
But when he thought of Rey's pain – like when she had mentioned her own family, that had sent him spiraling back toward sympathy. He had nearly broke down and told her the truth, that her father was dead, and she was the last of her known line. But she would blame the Supreme Leader for her father's demise, and she would despise the First Order forever. Was it selfish of him to withhold the truth? He also didn't want to cause Rey any grief, he wasn't sure he could stand to see her suffer again, not after he'd nearly killed her himself. Was it wrong for him to want her to not be bothered by such burdens?
Kylo's thoughts drifted back to their normal conversation. He had found himself, during their talk, wishing he could take her out flying in his ship. He probably would if it wasn't so counter intuitive. If they were in different circumstances, he would have loved to take her out flying for an afternoon, maybe stop at a planet his mother had taken him to during their tour of the New Republic camps when he was a child. Instantly he shook the silly notion from his head. Rey would possibly try to kill him, and take his ship wherever she liked, back to the Resistance no doubt.
Ren looked back at Rey who was sitting on the floor connecting with the Force around her. Kylo didn't think it was necessary to meditate, just to vex Rey he'd been focusing on hating her, but he was starting to find it harder and harder to maintain his distaste of her. So he didn't partake in meditating altogether to avoid looking weak.
Rey looked so calm in her meditative state – he liked how stray chocolate colored hairs rested against her cheeks. He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath, and how her petite nose twitched every once and a while as she took a breath. Kylo didn't want to disturb her, but he knew it was time to continue their training. If they didn't start soon she would be missing another meal, and Kylo Ren wasn't certain he could handle two meals with Rey in one day – at least not yet.
"Are you ready to continue your training?" He asked gently.
Her rich, hazel eyes slowly opened. She looked very attentively at him. "Of course," she said.
"Today I will teach you Jedi mind tricks. Mind tricks push suggestive thoughts into a weak-minded being's subconscious and they will execute them to perfection," Ren explained.
Rey's eyes widened. "I've heard of this before, but it always sounded very dark."
"It's not dark at all, only the Jedi used it, the Dark Side does not use such a skill. I won't teach you anything dark, unless you want me to?" He was curious – but Rey shook her head.
Kylo held back a sigh. "I want you to try a mind trick on me, it won't work, but I will feel you attacking my mental focus if you're doing it successfully." He instructed her without hesitation.
Rey nodded. "I want you to return to your family, and stop calling yourself Kylo Ren." Her voice was commanding and the dark lord could feel the power emanating from her voice as it passed through him.
Kylo felt her pushing aggressively against his intense focus. There was no doubt in Ren's mind that if he was a Stormtrooper he would be following Rey's orders to the letter.
Her statement had been very risky, since he had just threatened her to stop. But Ren very much liked Rey's boldness, it had bothered him when she'd first arrived. But now he'd adapted to it, and become slightly attracted to her resolute attitude. She was forthright and pursued what she believed was right. It was admirable, even if it was sometimes foolish.
"Impressive. You're nearly a master at mind tricks without training. But you could have chose another phrase though." He said with slight discontent.
He wondered how it was possible she could be so talented at Jedi mind tricks. From what Luke had told him, Obi-Wan Kenobi had been an absolute master at Jedi mind tricks. It could be possible that his abilities had somehow passed on to Rey.
"I thought it was appropriate," Rey interrupted his thoughts. "Is there anything else you can teach me today?"
"That's all I had planned – I thought it would take longer for you to master such a skill," Kylo admitted. "This room doesn't offer much for training purposes. Tomorrow I'll take you back to the training room for more intense training."
"Okay," she agreed. "Will you ever be teaching me how to wield a lightsaber?" There was a note of dangerous curiosity in her voice that worried him. She wanted to learn how to use a saber, and it sounded like she had intentions of using that skill.
"Maybe the basics, but I wish to stay away from lightsaber combat. I can't afford for you to get too powerful," Ren concluded.
Rey almost giggled at him. "You think I'm going to try and kill you? You've taught me a lot, I don't think that would be a good repayment of your services, even if we aren't on the same side."
There again was the barrier – the mention that they were on different sides. Yet they were both in the same boat, part of a dying culture – the Force sensitive culture. He knew which one weighed more heavily to him, and it was certainly his power as a Force user and his connection to the Dark Side. His allegiance to the First Order only existed because he had devoted himself to the Dark Side.
"We are on the same side in some degree," he argued.
"I didn't realize you were part of the Resistance," she stated.
"We are both Force sensitive beings, and that makes us on the same side. There are nearly none of us left, so we must look out for one another a little." Kylo opened the door and motioned for her to leave, he didn't want to give her the opportunity to argue. There was no way he could handle getting in yet another philosophical debate with Rey today.
They left the interrogation room in silence, but Kylo could feel the conflict stirring in Rey – as if she was mulling over what he'd said. To his surprise, Rey actually took the lead back to the cell block. She seemed to be learning Starkiller Base better than he was comfortable with.
They reached an intersection of hallways one lead to the cell block – but the other headed toward the bridge. Usually Kylo was very leery of crossing this hall with Rey in his presence, he opened up his connection to the Force hoping to sense any troopers near.
That's when Kylo felt a familiar, dark presence about. Quickly, he searched deeper in his feelings and almost instantly he knew it was General Hux. Usually the General remained stationed at the bridge, and it was rare that he diverted from that section of the base. It was very surprising to Ren that the General had ventured over here – Hux must have had good reason.
That's when he heard voices – specifically Hux's commanding tone. Rey was walking ahead almost unaware of what was going on, and she was about to walk straight into the intersection where the voices were coming from. If she took another step forward she would be walking right into a trap, and Kylo wasn't sure if he would be able to shield her from this storm.
Instantly Kylo sprang into action. He used his Force pull to yank Rey back toward him. He caught her directly in his arms and protectively wrapped his arms around her. For a few seconds she struggled in protest and hastily Kylo covered her mouth so she couldn't make any noise. He could feel her teeth digging into his gloved hand as she fought for her freedom. But Ren accepted the pain as a payment for her safety – he couldn't allow her to escape.
Kylo pinned himself against the wall with Rey in his arms – so passing patrols wouldn't spot them. He could feel Rey against his chest struggling, and she was trying to elbow him in the ribs, But once she heard General Hux's voice resonated down the hall, Rey stopped fighting him.
It seemed that pompous ass was talking to someone. The dark lord strained his ears the best he could, to hear what the General was saying.
"Have you seen Kylo Ren or our prisoner?" General Hux inquired.
"I saw him yesterday, he had sliced the walls in the prisoners' block. I had to call maintenance to fix them, General." It was definitely Captain Phasma talking to Hux.
"He's like a temperamental child." He heard the General sneer. "Ren has always been out of control. But lately he's been surprisingly secretive, and I want him back on my radar. From my understanding his one task was to get the map to Skywalker, but he still doesn't have the map. I blame the girl – she's a distraction to him, and she needs to be removed from the situation as soon as possible."
"I agree, sir. Her presence here is a disturbance to the flow of things," Captain Phasma agreed.
"Yes, she is causing a disruption. I fear he's using her as an object of entertainment rather than doing his job and getting the map for the Supreme Leader." He paused for a second before continuing. "If you see the girl without Kylo, bring her to me."
"May I inquire as to your need for this girl?" Phasma was treading on very dangerous water with her questions. Hux didn't like giving his motives away.
"It seems Kylo Ren is fond of our new hostage, and I would like to use the girl to reign Kylo Ren in. That's all you need to know – just bring the girl to me." The General sounded highly irritated by Phasma's questions.
The dark lord saw glimpses of Hux's intentions for Rey. They were extremely dark, filled with long hours of inflicting torturous marks that would scare her permanently. Flashes of Hux torturing Rey for the map played in his mind like a hologram, as her screams filled his ear drums. Ren could feel the pleasure Hux was deriving from his sadistic thoughts and Ren found himself unintentionally squeezing Rey tighter. Rey was shivering in his arms – she must have been exposed to the General's thoughts too.
"I'll bring the girl to you, General." The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall.
Kylo and Rey remained where they were, tightly pinned against the wall. Ren could feel the heat Rey's body was emitting through his robes, and it was unexpectedly comforting in their situation. They both saw the back of Hux as he walked down the hall perpendicular to them. He was headed back toward the command bridge, probably to continue tormenting his men.
It sounded as if Captain Phasma was heading in the opposite direction, back toward her quarters. Ren relaxed his grip on Rey, and she struggled free right away.
"What was that about? Have you made me a target? What's going on?" Rey started spurting out questions uncontrollably. Her voice was filled with high levels of fear.
"I think the General is trying to use you as leverage, so that he can control me. He's always thought I'm outside his range of control, but he's never had anything to use against me. And Hux is a man who demands order." He stated frankly. "You need to get back to your cell before anyone sees you."
Kylo checked the hallway – which was surprisingly empty. He lead her straight to her cell and input her security code. He took a step in and waited as Rey followed and sat on the metallic floor. Her eyes were wide from shock and her breathing was more sporadic than usual.
She was looking at him with a fearful gleam in her eyes. Ren was a little uncomfortable as her light brown eyes raked up and down his figure – almost scanning him. "Hux said you were fond of me, to what extent did he mean?"
Ren knew some type of question like this would arise, and he had been anxiously awaiting it. "He's upset I'm not torturing you for the map. He thinks I'm being too kind to you; Hux doesn't know of our agreement and I'd like to keep it that way."
Rey's eyes widened. "They don't know I'm your student? To them I'm just a prisoner who receives special treatment. So you've unintentionally branded me a target."
"Unfortunately." It was hard to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Rey was right, he had made enemies for her, specifically General Hux. "But I plan to fix that, you won't be a target much longer."
The dark lord was about to leave, but Rey got up and stepped in front of him. Rey looked directly toward his eyes; she was always a little off, since his face was concealed. His mask separated them and for once he wished he wasn't wearing it.
"Wait, you are going to leave me in my cell? Isn't that dangerous now, they could just snatch me from here."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure that doesn't happen, I have devised a countermeasure already," he assured her.
For only the second time since Kylo had met her, Rey gave him a small but a genuinely warm smile. "Thank you – for protecting me. I saw flashes of his dark intentions and it was terrifying."
"Hux is a man who is desperately grasping at anyway to control me, but I won't let him harm you – you have my word, as your teacher," he said as sincerely as possible.
"I believe you," she murmured softly. "I really do believe you." Rey looked at him like no one had in a long time – he saw trust and hope in her eyes. That was something he hadn't seen in a few years, no one looked at his with hope in their eyes anymore – it was always fear or resentment. And in that moment Kylo knew he won't let Rey down – he would protect her from Hux if it was the last thing he did.
Kylo approached Captain Phasma's personal quarters alone. Ren had decided his first course of action was to skip Hux and go straight to the middle man – who happened to be Phasma. If he could convince the Captain to leave Rey be, she would be fairly safe from Hux's prying grip. The General was too lazy to actually do his own dirty work, and he usually pushed it upon the peons.
The hallway over in the female's quarters was dark and eerie. Kylo had to suppress a small shiver as the cold steeliness of the base soaked straight through his robes. Finally Ren reached the door he believed was Phasma's. Gingerly, he knocked on the door, he couldn't be certain it was Phasma's room or if she was present. Fortunately for him, Phasma was.
"Come in," she prompted.
Confidently, Kylo walked in and stood there in her wake, as a show of assertion he used the Force to close the door behind him. Ren's eyes traveled to the cramped, bland metal walls, which were a dull gray. There was no decorations on her walls and the place was surprisingly tidy. Her bed was just propped up in the corner of the room and the only distinct furniture was a small desk. At the tiny desk sat Captain Phasma, she was wearing her traditional metallic armor, except her helmet was removed.
For many months Kylo had worked closely with the Captain, but never before had he seen her actual face. She had a hardy, stern face with very severe, almost masculine facial features. Her cheeks, forehead and chin were very broad, and surprisingly rosy. She had short, perfectly combed blond hair that only just covered the tips of her ears and fell halfway down her cheeks.
The Captain's argent, blue eyes were fixated on him with sinister curiosity. "Lord Ren – I had a feeling I would be receiving a visit from you this evening. You're here about the girl, I presume."
The mask he wore disguised the contempt he felt toward her arrogant attitude. "Yes, I'm here about Rey – the prisoner in cell 110."
There was a very dark smile on her face, as if she had been waiting for this day for a very long time. "We're both impatient people, so let us get down to business, and skip beating around the bush. You want me to not hand the prisoner over to Hux, am I correct?"
"Yes," he confirmed. He didn't like that she was very abrasive about her knowledge. She was flaunting her power over him with such pride that it was sickening. He just wanted to choke the life out of her, but he knew he wouldn't get anywhere harming her.
Captain Phasma gave Kylo the wickedest smile. "Well, I can temporarily keep the scavenger out of the General's hands, but it will come with a price."
"What do you mean by temporarily," he cut in. He watched as the Captain's smile disappeared with his anger. "Because I don't deal in temporary agreements."
"Hux will discover in time that I'm not fulfilling my duty, and he might pursue the girl himself. That's the only instance in which I can't guarantee her safety. But we both know Hux doesn't usually do his own dirty work." A ghostly smirk skimmed around her face. "So are you willing to hear the price?"
Kylo stood there for a moments trying to repress his anger. For a few seconds he considered just choking her nearly to death and asking if letting her live was a sufficient payment. But if he threatened her, Phasma would send Rey straight to Hux, and exact her own revenge on him. If he killed her, Kylo would still have to worry about some officer coming after Rey. And if he got caught killing multiple officers, he was certain he would be reprimanded by the Supreme Leader – and then Hux would take Rey from his custody. Ultimately, trying to intimidate or threaten her was counterproductive and a waste of time.
He despised the idea of being blackmailed, but there was no other way to keep Hux away from Rey. The First Order was a viper pit – he had known that upon his arrival. But he'd never given the officers anything to use against him in his time here. Now that he could lose Rey to General Hux, he was finally seeing how vicious this arena was. "What's your price?" He tried to keep his voice civil, but Kylo could hear his own bitterness escaping in his tone.
"I want a seat on the Executive War Council, and you will help me get it."
"Deal," he said without delay. "We have a full twelve members, but we could arrange an accidental death."
There was a stern look on the Captain's face now, as they got down to the gross details. "I'm already ahead of you. I've uncovered some dirt of my own – Major Brandson has been having one of my men, KL-2377, smuggle in Lesai. It's a very illegal drug and it seems he's an addict."
"You want me to kill him and make it look like he overdosed?" He asked curiously.
"Precisely. Then you can nominate me as a candidate. And I can proudly be the first woman on the Executive Council," she declared with such pride.
"What about the necessary majority for your appointment?" He'd just remembered that she needed a majority of votes to be placed on the Council. Unfortunately, if she looked over qualified she wouldn't get voted in. The current officers were afraid of being shown up by a newer member. And if she seemed under qualified she wouldn't get enough votes to begin with.
Phasma's expression became less stern the more she spoke – it was as if she was relaxing. "I'm sure your vote is guaranteed, and I have three more officers I'm affiliated with and I know I'll get their votes. Hux I'm not certain about – I don't know the details of the General's business affairs or who he's connected too. But since there are twelve officers total, I will need a minimum of three more votes."
"Do you want me to guarantee those votes as well or is my work done once I've nominated you?"
"Once I have the position your work is done," Phasma scoffed. "I'll send you information about three other officers that will need persuading. You just need to intimidate them into voting for me."
"That's easy enough." Ren had a hard time removing the arrogance in his voice. It wasn't everyday he had a reason to bully officers.
There was a moment of awkward silence between them, before Phasma leaned forward and spoke. "I thought Hux was over exaggerating when he said you were fond of this girl, but you're going to such lengths to keep her safe."
"The Supreme Leader has commanded me to turn her to the Dark Side, and then we will have the map to Skywalker. If Hux gets his hands on her, all my work will be for nothing. She will only see wickedness in the First Order." He stated as gracefully as possible; there was no hint of any emotions. He wanted to create the illusion that he was being as studious as possible to his master.
"True, but we are wicked people and you know this – there is no sugar coating it. I sense this is more personal. Between the two of us, why are you really protecting the girl?"
Not in a million years would Kylo ever want to divulge the truth to anyone, least of all someone closely related to Hux. Deep down, he knew Rey was dependent on his protection here at Starkiller Base.
There was no denying it now, Kylo Ren was fond of Rey, and everyday now Rey grew on him a little bit more. He needed her – she brought him peace – Rey balanced him. It had been a long time since Kylo had felt at home in his own mind, but every time he was near the scavenger – he felt relaxed. Sometimes he got a little irritated with her, but it was nothing compared to the rage he felt without her around. Ren was almost certain it was Rey that brought him peace, and he didn't care if it was her connection to the Force or not.
Even though he had nearly killed her, she believed that he wasn't lost to the dark forever. Ren had forgotten what it was like to have someone wholeheartedly believe in him, and for once he enjoyed the feeling.
Kylo finally answered Phasma's question. "I'm doing this for my own personal gain, nothing more," he stated to the Captain. But in reality, Kylo knew why he was doing this – he was doing it for the hope that Rey would be safe and continue to believe in him.
[A/N]: Hey guys, I finished this chapter a little earlier than intended. I just wanted to thank you guys so much for all the wonderful comments from last chapter, it really made my birthday seem kind of special. You guys have literally been the best followers an author could ask for and have supported this story so wonderfully. I hope you enjoyed the chapter it was a little longer than last time. Next chapter will be from Rey's perspective and it will be interesting, just you wait and see. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to read, please leave some feedback if you have the time. :)