Rey was not good at forced inactivity. In the last hour, she had spent so much time squirming around in the bed, the Emperor was amazed she hadn't fallen on the floor. He forced himself to look back down at the numbers under his hand. Troop reports. Fleet movements. Rey draped one arm above her head on the pillow and he felt his eyes dragged back to her. Every restless twitch and annoyed noise felt like a miracle.

Troop movements, he reminded himself. She stretched one foot under the blanket, pointing her toes and then relaxing. He watched the fabric rise and fall.

He should go to his office.

But when he couldn't see her, all he could focus on was the connection between them. Seeking it out again and again to remind himself that she was there, she was alive. Like the first time he was allowed to carry a lightsaber. He had done everything with one hand for a week, while he rested his other palm against the metal and felt the hum of kyber under his skin.

Now, Rey was scowling at the ceiling like it owed her money. With a loud sigh, she flopped onto her side, away from him so she was facing the door.

Standing guard was a slight figure in a dark helmet.

Rey rolled over to glare at him. Her sudden attention felt like a shove. He swayed just a little in his chair.

She demanded, "Why is that person always here?"

Kylo glanced up from his datapad and answered, "That is Azalon Ren. She will act as your bodyguard until we feel you are ready to defend yourself-"

"I can defend myself!"

"Really?" He asked in a cool voice, "Get out of bed."

Anger was clearly the fuel that allowed her to fling the covers off and then swing her legs over the edge of the cot. But even her fury could not keep her standing upright.

Kylo caught her as she attempted to lock her knees and the maneuver failed. Scooping her up, he tucked her back among the blankets.

Her jaw was set tight, but she managed to hiss out, "Tomorrow!"

He nodded mildly, "Tomorrow. But for today, Azalon will stand guard."

Rey continued to glare at the ceiling, as the knight stared at the door and Kylo pretended to work quietly on his data pad. She turned toward Azalon, watching her with fierce eyes. Then gazing back at the ceiling, she huffed in annoyance. Suddenly, Rey pushed herself up in the bed, so that she was leaning back against her pillows. "If Azalon Ren is my bodyguard, does that mean she'll follow my commands?"

Both women turned toward him.

The emperor set the data pad aside and answered patiently, "As long as your requests do not interfere with your safety, she will comply."

"Good." Rey turned toward the knight, "Please, take off that silly helmet."

Raising slender hands to her head, the knight released the catch and pulled the helmet free.

A wave of shock washed over Rey's face.

It had been months since Kylo had seen Azalon's uncovered head. The young woman was only a little older than Rey herself with a pretty fine-boned face. No doubt what had shocked Rey was the mangled eye; dead- white and blind. The left side of the knight's face was bisected by a heavy rigged scar, as though something had cut or burned her deeply, passing down her forehead and right through her eye to end in a ragged mark on her cheek.

The Emperor's hand tightened into a fist. He had killed Vedek Ren himself but whenever he thought of Azalon's lost eye, he longed to put his lightsaber through Vedek again.

"What happened to you?" Rey asked softly.

Heard without the helmet mic, Azalon's voice was unexpectedly deep and rich. She answered, "A lightsaber." Pulling the helmet back on, she turned toward the door. Rey stared at her back, a wrinkle between her brow. She settled down amongst the pillows.

"Where are we going?"

"Dureshk."

"I've never heard of it." Rey announced in a tone that indicated the planet couldn't be much good then.

"It was terraformed by The Ten of Kuat during the time of the New Republic. The New Order seized it for Snoke's use."

"Why are we going there?"

"It's the capital of my empire. I thought you might like to see where I am making my home. The weather is very nice at this time of year."

Rey stared at him like he had gone mad. The corner of his mouth rose just a little as he scrolled through the report.

"Three days," He told her when her mouth opened again.

"Don't do that!" She snapped.

"Do what?"

"Don't answer my questions before I've asked them!"

He nodded gravely, "I beg your pardon. I was trying to save you some effort. You should be resting."

"Resting," Rey said in disgust, "I've rested so much I feel like I'm rusting! Aah!" She threw herself back onto the bed in utter frustration.

"You need something to occupy you." He tapped his chin, "Would you like to learn to read?"

It took several hours before Rey was tired enough to sleep.

There were so many things he should do- but first he made his way through the ship, deep into its belly. He passed through access tunnels and narrow corridors, descending and descending until it hardly seemed possible that he could still be in the ship and not falling through the vacuum of space.

Finally, behind a heavy bulkhead door guarded by an ancient strategy droid, he found Master Ka'Mar. The droid opened the door for him with a soft tinny explanation, "He has been expecting you, Emperor." The room beyond lay in total darkness. When he crossed the threshold, a light clicked on and he could see the gnarled hand and bound eyes of the master.

"Emperor," The old man offered him a bow.

"I do not require obeisance from you when we are in private," Kylo reminded him.

"And yet I offer it freely," Ka'Mar answered. He gestured Kylo forward, "Come and observe what I have been working on."

The emperor approached the bench curiously. The master had an odd mind, terrifyingly good at ferreting out that which was concealed. When he offered to show you his work it could be anything- an improvement to the cultivation of bacta, an ancient text about Jedi meditation, or a thermo-nuclear detonator. Now, it held several fragments of metal in different vessels.

Cold gripped Kylo's heart, "What have you discovered about the weapon?"

Ka'Mar sniffed, "Primitive. A slug thrower propelled by a chemical explosion." He poked at the shards of metal impatiently and frowned, "This business with the projectile is an old Mandolorian trick. They learned it during their crusades."

"What of the poison?"

"Hmm. . . that is another matter. Rare. Expensive. And not found on any core world. The resources to find an assassin who knows how to kill Jedi and comes equipped with a poison like this. . . . I fear your enemies sense your tightening fist and are becoming desperate."

The Emperor's jaw worked, "Canto Bite."

The old man nodded, "They must not see you coming."

"They won't."

Despite the fact that Ka'Mar no longer had eyes, Kylo could still feel his gaze. He raised one eyebrow as if to say, 'Well, ask'.

The old man responded to the prompt, "How else can I serve, Emperor?"

"The Lady Rey is in need of a tutor. I can think of no one . . . better equipped to instruct her than you."

There was a pause, "And what subject would you have me instruct her in?"

"She would like to learn to read. But beyond that- anything. Anything she wishes to learn, teach her. If your knowledge isn't sufficient on a particular subject, find her someone who can teach her."

Again the slow, eyeless regard. "Of course," The old man bowed his head. He added, "Your ability to play the long game never ceases to surprise me, Emperor."

Kylo frowned repressively, "I only offer Lady Rey a gift that I would see any citizen of the Grey Empire enjoy- education."

"Of course." The master answered mildly, "I assume you wish for me to instruct her in the medbay for now."

"Yes."

"Then I will prepare to meet the eminent lady tomorrow. It will be my honor."

Author's Note: Dureshk is not a planet recognized by Star Wars cannon. I made it up.