"Commander..."

Ugh, the last voice Kylo wanted to hear first thing in the morning, and after another night of little to no sleep. The First Order Commander stepped out from his quarters wearing a grimace on the face hidden behind his mask. He'd been notified of their arrival almost forty-five minuets ago, pretty much the second they'd entered the same star system as his battlecruiser. Three fresh squadrons accompanied both Captain Phasma and the annoyingly prompt General who now stood to left of his door.

Hadn't he more pressing matters to attend to? Did we have to occupy the same space first thing in the morning? Kylo internally complained.

Ren purposely strode through the door at a pace the General would have to put a considerable amount of effort into keeping up with. If he was going to be subjected to dealing with the General first thing in his day, he may as well have a little fun with it.

"Is there a reason you're already loitering outside my door?" Kylo asked, annoyance seeping through the vocoder of his mask.

Hux cleared his throat, his eyes watching the ground as he followed behind his caped Commander. It was infinitely frustrating to follow at Ren's heels, like some... domesticated troth hound, but he wasn't going to jump through hoops to keep up either. It was amazing how immature the Commander of the First Order fleet, could be when he wanted to.

Hux rolled his eyes, plainly stating, "I'm here for my debriefing."

Kylo neither slowed nor gestured towards the General in acknowledgement. "Since when have you needed to approach me personally for a debriefing?"

Hux scoffed, "Well it's not like I enjoy seeing you either." He sneered.

Kylo let out a deep breath. "I'm sure the staff on the bridge are more then capable of-"

"—On the bridge?..."

Armitage Hux smiled cattily. Oh, this was too good! So his Master hadn't even told him yet. How delightful!

"Oh, I'm not here for an update pertaining to The Order's proceedings." His voice rose in pitch, a clear indication that Hux was finding enjoyment in the evident ignorance provided by Ren's assumption.

Kylo paused and the General lazily but with due caution, traipsed to the side of him, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth and a mischievous twinkle sparkling in his soulless blue eyes.

"I'm here to inquire about the girl." He drawled, his eyes nonchalantly examining the end of the black glove on his usable arm. He fisted and uncurled his hand as though he were adjusting the fit.

It was a dangerous game he was playing, even with a sling supporting the weight of his recently repaired arm, bacta stitches from reconstructive surgery barely applied twenty four hours ago, but when the opportunity presented itself Hux just couldn't miss the chance to provoke the Master's current favorite.

Kylo's shoulders rose and his saber was in his hand before Hux could even finish his purposely provoking announcement.

"Well," His good hand came up haltingly and he quickly continued. "That is, her medical examination was not provided upon her induction to the First Order, as is customary procedure."

Ren's fist tightened around the hilt of his Lightsaber.

"It seems, The Supreme Leader has taken an interest in your little, pet, as well." He happily mused, knowing it had to bother Ren that someone more powerful then he had his eye on his new toy.

It certainly made Hux smile, inwardly anyway— after their last encounter he made a serious attempt to watch his future footing around the unstable knight. The General, cringing at the memory, unconsciously adjusted the positioning of his sling supported arm to a more comfortable one. He'd barely touched that hussy and Ren had reacted more violently then Hux had ever witnessed in the past. It took the flash of an excruciatingly painful second for the Dark warrior to nearly snap his arm in two. He supposed he was fortunate the Knight hadn't used his glow stick on him

Kylo ground his teeth together. "She's not— a pet." He corrected dangerously.

"Just the same, I've been tasked with retrieving her medical status."

Kylo's mask tilted aggressively, his shoulders widening as though he were ready to strike out again.

"You made yourself clear the first time Ren, the girl is yours and what not..." Hux flippantly conceded, flicking his fist in dismissal before turning away from Kylo Ren's foreboding form.

The Knight's stance was aggressive and it set the gingers teeth on edge.

"But..." He turned back around to face his competitor, wielding his next words as a sort of weapon in the duel between them. "I'm not the Supreme Leader... and neither are you." He boldly reminded. "If he wants her records , or anything else, he'll get it." The General lifted his pale face, raising his chin with, as far as Ren was concerned, a stupendous amount of misplaced confidence. "I'm also to inform you that until the girl proves her allegiances to the First, you're not to harm anyone!, in her defense... that means me, incase you're slow on the math."

Kylo's glove groaned against the grip he had on his Lightsaber, his chest now heaving with defiant anger and his power crackling in his free fist's clenched palm.

"Apparently, The Supreme Leader didn't appreciate your lashing out on his most loyal subject; especially not over that girl." The General bit his own tongue over not calling the desert whore something more suiting to her actual status. "I've warned you before Ren," He continued in a scolding tone. "...Not to let your personal interests interfere." He patronized, practically wagging his tongue in the same manner a parent would wave a finger to scold a child.

Kylo's hearing was starting to fade, his vision slowly turning to red. This was already going to be a hard day, a day full of restrictions and restraint, and now he had to put up with the General. And what did his Master want with Rey's health results? Results that didn't exist because Kylo hadn't the patience or self restrain to have her properly evaluated sooner... Kriff!

"You'll have the results soon." He said stiffly, conceding not to the annoying red head, but to his Master's demands.

This early in the morning and already his patience were breaching their limits for the day. The General had a knack for that and Kylo was pretty sure he knew it!

"See to it that you do Commander. I'm sure the Supreme Leader has more pressing matters to attend to then wasting his time with your... well, whatever she is to you." He sneered, displeasure plain on his disgust contorted face.

"She's my Apprentice, and you'll do well to treat her with the respect that position merits."

Something unreadable slid through Hux's eyes. "Ah, well that explains Lord Snoke's interest in her. Still, she means nothing until she's proven she's one of us. And best of luck with that." Hux provided a genuine smile, knowing just from his one interaction with the girl that there was a slimmer chance for him to suddenly developed his own sensitivity to the Force then that girl willingly joining ranks with the First Order. "The last time she was here she was no more then a prisoner to be interrogated— I'm sure that was a pleasant experience for her." His smile stretched wider, devilishly lifting his ears along his hair line.

"Of course, our Leader's interest makes adequate sense now that she's to be trained." The General's tone became more serious and he stepped past Ren's still stationary form in the hall. "Since she beat you, left you for dead, and from what I hear, with no previous training at all..." Hux paused to peer back at Ren. "I'd watch my back if I were you, Ren." A viperous smile snaked across the Generals pale lips and he flashed his Commander the slightest hint of his teeth. He raised his good hand to his face, his index finger pulling at the base of his chin and rust colored brows rising with false enlightenment... "You know," He began thoughtfully. "I hadn't thought of her as the newer model— until now." He dropped his hand back to his side. "How intriguing ." He mused.

Through the slit of his visor, kylo's eyes narrowed at the General's sling supported arm. "I'm curious General, why the sling? After the surgery, a couple hours with that arm submerged in bacta should have repaired any remaining damage from our last—encounter." He smiled behind his mask. "Unless... The Supreme Leader refused to allow his most valued subject, to fully recover in such an efficient and merciful way..."

Hux's composure crumbled. He bared his teeth and his face as well as the tips of his ears, grew red in anger and embarrassment. "Some of us don't have time for such... luxuries, Ren." He spit out the last of his Commanders name disdainfully. "Just get me the results so I can present them to the Supreme Leader in a timely manner. I'm sure you can manage, at least, that!"

"Of course, I wouldn't dream of making my Master wait." Ren rubbed the General's nose in his position beneath him.

The power running through him had been the only credentials needed to win over his Masters attention, as far as Hux was concerned anyway. The foolish man would never understand what really came with living under Snoke's unwavering gaze and he'd never comprehend the tally of qualifications needed to get here or the sacrifice it cost to remain...

"See that you do, Commander. See that you do." He seethed before storming off like a child.

Kylo really despised that man. On the plus side it was helpful that Phasma was back. At least now the General could run the bridge and Phasma could handle the new cadets. That in itself practically freed Kylo up for the day.

Kylo had initially been headed to the main bridge but after already being subjected to the sniveling of the General and not wishing to follow him to said destination, he instead decided Rey had been granted enough time between the delivery of the personal items she'd requested and his arrival. If she wasn't appropriate by now it couldn't be put on his shoulders. She knew she was training today and by now she must have assumed he wasn't one to procrastinate his day away.

—Besides, now he had to add a medical examination to the physical evaluation. He internally justified an earlier visit then he'd originally scheduled.

It was a great excuse to see her sooner but there was always down side; Rey had been pretty clear on how she felt about having her personal space intruded on and this was likely to be a more personal invasion of the last check up she had. He supposed he couldn't blame her for not wanting to be inspected like some Jakku slave on the sale line. At that point, he didn't exactly understand what the big deal was either. He was expected to be physically reviewed with every new moon and his Master didn't care to be kept waiting for the results.

Kylo should have assumed it wouldn't be any different with her? Not as long as his Master kept himself involved.

In the same thought he realized this was also one of the reasons he detested med bays so much.

Those Kriffing bots always poking and prodding. And always so frequently. It was bad enough he was there so often for physical injuries; the evaluations were intrusive and impersonal and med bots weren't exactly gentle either...

Before approaching Rey's door Kylo allowed himself one deep, centering breath. He wouldn't let his frustration over last night's failed attempt at a pleasurable release poison his time with his new apprentice. He also couldn't allow any of the lewd images he'd constructed in his mind to swim to the surface while in her presence, he expected this to be challenging, when they were around one another their bond had the tendency to flicker like a candle between their minds. He didn't need flashes of those images damaging the already frail situation he found himself in with her.

He was bottled himself up and sealing their bond off tighter then the compression around his battle cruiser's ports. He'd rather be sucked into the cold black abyss of pace then face her wrath over how he'd constructed a phantom of her in his mind last night for the sole purpose of getting off...

At least, she would have been the cause of that release if he could have reached it before he'd lost whatever held him so securely in that fantasy's enthrallment.

...She'd murder him with her eyes alone. Over that thought, a slight quirk of his lips surprised him.

Hidden away in the folds of her luminous light, tucked safely inside somewhere deep, was a little of her own Darkness. He'd felt it before. Whenever they exchanged Force with one another he could feel it. And when he fueled her, it had practically danced with his in her eyes. This intrigued him as much as it worried him, but that was neither here nor there. He had a busy day ahead of him, vastly improved by Phasma's arrival, but still a busy one.

                                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rey woke from her sleep feeling worn down and groggy. Sleep... if you could call the short uncomfortable nap before the morning droids arrived, sleep. Not a great way to start her first day of training but after last night she supposed any sleep was better then none. Even as her insides twisted with a guilt over the aftermath of her unintentional eavesdropping, there was a lingering sense of a deeply disturbing longing. A need she could no more understand then try to explain sat in the pit of her stomach and she agonized just as much as she anticipated having to face Ren today.

She popped up to her feet the moment the droids came fluttering in. Ignoring her once again, the cleaning bots immediately set to their work. Rey followed suit, effectively ignoring the droids as she found herself leaning in on her toes to peek around the still open door to eye the three stormtroopers guarding the exit. Only seconds later two new droids came gliding in and then the door finally shut. They hadn't accompanied the first set of bots the day before and these much larger droids held some kind of boxes in their hands. Each container was similar in shape and different in size but all relatively small.

Rey suspiciously eyed the boxes, only letting her guard down after the two additional droids retreated to the exit agin. Shortly after, she realized they were personal trunks. They were something she'd rarely ever see and only really belonging to the wealthiest of passer throughs on Jakku, usually when their transport ships needed emergency care.

Because why else would the wealthy ever stop on a junk heap like Jakku?! Rey bitterly mocked the site of her former home.

Rey waited for all of the droids to leave before deciding to rifle through the unmarked trunks, the palms of her hands first running along the smooth surface of the tops and then over the simple latches that secured them shut. It was silly, God's she knew it was; appreciating something so simple. But she did. She'd always wanted a trunk of her own. It meant she'd likely have enough of something to fill it with and maybe even a reason to do so.

Perhaps a place she could visit and enough credits to her name to get her there. She mused with a daydreamy air about her.

Rey swallowed at the weight of the emotions filling every crevice of her chest cavity. She'd always hoped that the use for one of these would come from the need to return home with the family that finally came back for her. The family that was supposed to come back... but never would because they never left her there in the first place. The deep rooted longing was for a lie fabricated to keep her just as deeply rooted to a planet that she never had a true home on...

Rey scrunched her nose as though trying to discourage a sneeze or an itch but her eyes watered up anyway.

She wasn't going to do this, she decided. Not today, maybe not ever again. There was no point getting angry over the past. After all, there was nothing she could do to change it anyway.

Her fists locked into balls before she dragged them across the hollows of her eyes. Rey wiped with the back of her arms and hands, erasing any traces of wetness with the sleeve of her tunic. There was a time and a place but this wasn't it. Besides tears and anger wouldn't change anything anymore then all the time she'd wasted waiting. She couldn't even be mad at the man who left her there... Luke Skywalker was gone now. His past had finally caught up with him and it would do her no good to harbor resentment towards a ghost.

Still... it was hard not knowing who to be anymore. Upon discovering she was Force sensitive, Rey built up this future for herself where she finally got to be someone. She imagined training under the legendary Jedi Master and she knew her life would never be the same. There was no telling how her life would change but she never imagined this. She never imagined being where she was now!

Her life was supposed to be devoted to the Jedi, supposed to be in service to the Resistance. It was an easy dream to think up and even easier to accept. It sounded so noble and fulfilling, dedicating herself to the light and the way of the Jedi. Living her whole life knowing nothing but waiting and Jakku, waiting and Jakku... it didn't take much to sell her on any kind of existence that wasn't comprised of that way of living. 

Who was she supposed to be now? What would motivate her? —Define her?

Rey's thumbs flicked at the first latch and she pulled the trunk lid open. Her cheeks instantly heated, flushing an embarrassing pink as she looked down at the rows of undergarments that lined the chest. All Black...

Of course.

Rey was beginning to wonder if Ren knew there were  more colors in existence then just black but then imagining him selecting different colors for her undergarments suddenly sent butterflies rushing through her. As though hoping to dislodge that idea and the feelings it caused from her head, she almost physically shook it.

Rey turned her attention back to the trunks in front of her. It was a good distraction, she decided.

Panties and breast-bands of a few different sizes lined each box. Rey had owned the same few pairs for so long she had to try a couple different sizes on just to discover her own measurements. Knowing where these came from bundled her nerves in the most confusing way. Her insides rolled in a mixture of curiosity and excitement, the two emotions rocking gently through her tummy in an unfamiliar sea of slightly pleasant waves.

Rey emptied the contents that fit her form into the top drawer of her new wall-built wardrobe and stacked the remaining boxes on the table. Of course she'd return anything she wasn't going to use, even while the Scavenger in her drew up plans to dissect and reconnect the extra garments into something else she could use, like arm wraps, goggle bands, nets and other useful scavenging gear. She did keep one trunk, though she decided she'd give it back as soon as she found another safe place for the contents to go. It was the smallest of the boxes and it housed oral tabs, soaps in a scent so clean she'd thought it was plucked directly from a summers day sky, and of course, menstrual suppressors.

A ridiculous smile pulled at her lips, even while she fought against the urge. Kylo had actually listened to her needs, then he'd gone about procuring the sensitives that may have made a lesser man uncomfortable. He was really attempting to do this. Really committing to "caring" for her. That was as terrifying of a though as it was endearing. It could be nice to be looked after, if only she thought it would last. He wasn't even close to the first man who tried to offer her security but he was certainly the most adamant and so far, the most successful.

She still couldn't help but feel like it wasn't just his tutelage that would be the expected compensation for accepting these things but for once in her life, she really held onto the hope that it was.

Rey had just finished tying off her boots when the steady sound of his knocking came at the door. She quickly stood, practically jumping to her feet before leaping forward to wait at the center of the room for the man on the other side of its entrance.

She wasn't ready to see him yet. Physically sure, but mentally, not for a few light years... not after last night. And she knew with out a doubt that it was him. Even with their bond closed off she could feel the weight of his presence close by. Feel his Force pulling her forward like the undeniable compulsion of a powerful magnet.

Her tongue felt suddenly dry in the hollow of her mouth.

Nope— don't even think of it! She wouldn't allow herself the embarrassment of acknowledging anything about last night! She'd play the soldier, the apprentice to her—

Entering Rey's chambers, Kylo expected to find her unprepared in some way, or maybe just her usual color of opposing. But much to his surprise, she stood before him ready for the day. Her First Order issued clothing fully donned, his cape included—much to his delight, and she was waiting for him. She stood only a few feet away, her hands overlapped within one another, settled anxiously at the level of her stomach.

"—Master."

She calmly greeted him and his eyes literally fanned from left to right as though he were searching for whom she was addressing, or at least to see if this woman in front of him was an impostor. Keeping his mask front and center and level with her, kylo's eyes traveled the space of the room. He half expected to find signs of a struggle. Some kind of evidence of the fight his fiery Scavenger would have put up before this near perfect copy could take her place.

Then he noticed the trunks. He'd ordered the set and garments they housed so early this morning that he had to wait hours just to have them delivered. They were now all neatly piled up on the table just behind her. Assuming she'd already rifled through them, his left hand twitched nervously at his side.

Awkwardly, "I didn't know what size you were..." He blurted unexpectedly, suddenly feeling the need to defend why he'd sent her so much of the same two items of clothing. It wasn't that he though her too big or too small, he just didn't know a damn thing about woman's clothing and it had been too late, or too early depending on who you asked, to find a good source of assistance.

"I took what I needed." She nodded, her cheeks reddening in a way that once again brought Kylo's lecherous mind back to the scenario he'd created for them last night.

"Thank you, Master." She added sheepishly, so sweetly that he felt himself already physically responding to her display of innocent bashfulness.

Those words again... how had he not seen this coming; the use of that title from between her lips... maybe because he'd never thought he'd actually here those words from her mouth while directed at him. Gods it was killing him. Literally, every time she called him Master, a twisted desire pulled at him. Drove him deeper into his longing for her.

At the mere sight of her his heart beat furiously. It was ridiculous for a grown man to react this way. Ridiculous for a Knight of Ren, Commander of the First Order, and a Master of the Dark side to be standing here— dumb founded by the simple sight of a blushing girl. And again he'd caught himself thinking about what he'd imagined transpiring between them last night... He clamped his fists shut and lifted his chin in defiance of his own roaming mind. Jumping right into the safety of routine and to flustered to respond in any other way, Kylo skipped greeting her. He skipoed inspecting her uniform for imperfections or "missing" patches, which all seemed to be accounted for from what he could visually roster, and he went right into Commander mode.

Giving one affirmative nod of approval, Kylo turned on his heels. "This way." He directed and still to his surprise she followed without hesitation. There was not even a rebellious twitch as he headed out the door with the expectation that she'd just follow, passing a small troth of stormtroopers who'd been marching in squad formation down the same hall they headed. The troopers all halted to salute their Commander with respect and bade him verbal recognition as he cut his own path down the hall.

Kylo Ren's new, unmasked apprentice following tightly at his heels caused the troopers to linger longer then normal. Once the soldiers where clear of their leaders sight they carefully scrutinized the girl following the respected and more so feared, Knight of Ren.

It didn't take long to reach the med bay and while Kylo had expected to get grief from Rey over once again being here, he was uncomfortably surprised to find that she hadn't complained or refused the exam that was currently taking place. He should be happy that she was allowing what was already the third droid to poke at her, but instead he was suspicious. He didn't need to utilize their bond to see her discomfort, but she hadn't even shot him a single defiant glance over it either.

She was silent, clearly inwardly distressed by the whole situation but non the less compliant. Physically there were signs of stress too. Her fingers continuously tugging and pinching at the bottom hem of her uniform and her glossy hazel eyes starring downward nearly the entire exam.

Kylo himself would have been more comfortable if she'd have verbally resisted or at this point, even physically! Compliance just didn't suit her. Not since he'd known her had she ever been this accommodating. She allowed the droids to collect her stats and whatever else was needed for the exam, including a few samples of her blood and not once had she objected or even questioned why she was here. Rey had only looked up at him once in the entire time; this was when the droid at the head of the exam requested she lie back on the table with her knees up and parted. Her startled eyes shot up to his mask for nearly a fraction of a second before they darted towards the floor again.

Kylo swallowed deeply. This was wearing him thin. She was his apprentice and he felt these exams while probably necessary, at least the first, were also  too damn invasive. No one needed this much information on her. Rey and her health was his concern. His responsibility. No one else's! The bots were as impersonal as could be, yet he still found them threatening. They made her uncomfortable which in turn made him want to crush them! His possessiveness loomed over him like a mid day shadow. He wanted no one and nothing touching her! Nothing hovering so close to his territory! Including the droids that were seconds away from permanent decommission.

After hearing of Snoke's interest in her health, Kylo just knew she would be expected to undergo the same exams as he was and if that was the case then repeats of this data collection would become a recurring event.

A smaller droid fluttered above her, waiting for her to follow their instructions until finally and reluctantly, Rey laid back. Her hands were now fully fisting the hem of her shirt as she fought to breath regularly through the invasion of her most personal space. Even though Kylo knew the drill he found himself at odds with the whole exam. His patience was waning and his right hand was moving dangerously close to the hilt of his saber. He reminded himself that the droid would simply scan her, taking one hundred percent accurate inferred images of her internals without the inconvenience of having to remove even a single layer of her clothing. This organization was nothing if not efficient and there was no need to lash out if he could help it.

Rey stared at the ceiling, the fleshy underside of her cheek clamped in between her teeth as she breathed deeply in through her nose and out through her mouth. She dragged her feet up the table, not understanding what the purpose of any of this was, but recognizing for some reason that had to have been of importance, this had to be done. Why else would she be here again? Ren hasn't seemed displeased with subjecting her to the first examination and though he made no objections to the invasiveness of this one, she had a general feeling that he were at least as uncomfortable with this one as she was.

Her hands shook as she spread her knees to allow the small droid access to drift above her pelvic area. Well, maybe not as uncomfortable as she was, after all...

As the floating droid hovered over her stomach she couldn't help but glance in Kylo's direction. It was some kind of deep seeded need for reassurance that prompted her, his reassurance. Somehow she still felt that as long as he was calm there was no need for her not to remain so as well. Rey was somewhat startled to be met by his cloaked back.

Kylo was turned away from her, his fists clenching into tight balls at his sides. The droid hadn't so much as pushed an inch of clothing aside and he'd still thought to allow her some degree of privacy. At this she found her hands stopped shaking, mostly anyway.

It was small moments like these, little acts of empathy and compassion that didn't fit what was expected to come from a man of his reputation. He'd been closer to her then these droids, touched her more intimately, even if it was only with his knee. And yet he still afforded her this much respect. More respect then almost anyone else in fact. The thought of how she'd found him last night only drove her deeper into the guilt she felt over gawking at him last night. She should have turned away. Allowed him the privacy he allotted her now. He was supposed to be the Dark one between them and yet he offered her more respect and dignity then she did him...

Rey bit the flesh between her teeth harder, not even letting up after the tang of metal seeped into her mouth. She hadn't noticed when the scanning had come to an end. Not even when the droid had announced so. It wasn't until Kylo proceeded to turn around that Rey found herself slamming her knees together before awkwardly pulling herself upright. She scooted to the edge of the table, her thighs clenched tightly together and her hands gripping the table's cold metal edge.

Kylo shifted his stance and a sound that was possibly the clearing of his throat came from under his mask. The two were silent while the data from her check up was thrown together in one tidy report. Rey still stared at her toes as they dangled over the table's edge about a foot above the ground. Even under the duress of her tightly wound nerves she had the urge to kick them back and forth, but she refrained.

Still sensing Rey's discomfort and with his own level of impatience and disproval of allowing what was his to be so thoroughly invaded upon, Kylo instructed the lead droid to file off the data under his credentials. Only the highest ranks would even be able to see the coding then, and even less could access the information decrypted within it. It wasn't as though the droids had collected anything overly personal or sensitive but Kylo had the urge to keep her information as classified as possible, seen by as few sets of eyes as possible. She must have already felt pretty exposed after all the poking and prodding, he wouldn't make her personal information a spectacle for anyone curious enough to look into it.

Suffering still from malnutrition and a few other minor issues that could be corrected by a more consistent and complete diet, the lead droid issued a few vitamins which would be brought daily with her meals and she was given a booster drink to stave off the minor side effects from having a few tubs of her blood drawn during the exam. The only other pressing issue that hadn't been new information to either Rey or Kylo, was the lack of sleep she'd been getting. For that Rey was issued sleep aids; of which she had absolutely no intention of taking. Eventually she had to become tired enough to sleep on her own, she self concluded.

"Apprentice..."

At the sound of Ren's voice Rey's head jerked up. Kylo was standing by the exit, the door sliding open just as his hand lifted to the hight of his torso. His upturned palm gestured towards the opening to effectively motion her attention forward. Rey's heart skipped in her chest. It was the mere sight of his hand that set her off. The simple thought of how he'd used it only just last night...

Rey let out a full breath through her teeth before hopping off of the table to follow his silent lead. When he allowed her to pass him through the door, Rey found her steps quickening, like he were a live wire she had to avoid. The jolts of even brushing against him as she pasted would be enough to ignite her and she couldn't risk the chance. She slid past him in an uneasy rush that he didn't miss the pick up on. His already extended hand shot out for her, and his fingers clasped her right along her elbow. He stepped into her side, matching her haste with an easy stretch of his long legs.

Rey tensed as his hand cupped the underside of her arm and when she squeezed that arm to her torso she felt the brush of his knuckles as they unintentionally skimmed the side of her left breast. She practically gasped at the jolt the slight contact sent through her and when his hand released her arm, pulling away as though she'd been the charged current that she once painted him as, Rey couldn't help but wonder if he'd felt the same zap that she had when he'd grabbed her.

Neither said a word but their dynamic had instantly changed. Kylo effectively put space between them then, stepping to her side but maintaining a safe distance by keeping to his own invisible perimeter around him. They reached the lift in a matter of moments that was dragged out by the awkward tension between them. Both were starring at the empty space between the open doors ahead of them. To an onlooker they must have appeared to have discovered a new universe within. It was the tingling feeling of Kylo's Force along Rey's back that finally pushed her steps forward. She wasn't running from the feeling per say, just allowing herself some relief from the mind numbing feeling of his Force essence buzzing against hers.

The mercy, and torture, of being less encompassed by his energy was short lived as Ren followed her into the box shaped holding that would deliver them to where ever he was bringing her next. Rey stepped back against the reassuring solidity of the wall behind her but still she hadn't enough room. Kylo placed himself in the center of the already small area, his large frame causing the space to seem even smaller then it was. He was sooo broad, and she knew just how much of that thickness was the man beneath all of that armor. Her cheeks flushed and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. She had to get herself back under control. Had to reinforce the swaying walls of her mind before she inappropriately leaked out a corresponding thought or image of what she'd witnessed last night.

"Rey," He'd quietly spoken her name and of all of the times and places for him to cause her mind to go blank, she was unbelievably thankful for this instance.

Breathing far too deeply for her own good, Rey stared up at him with as much fear and uncertainty as she did the first time he'd caught her dreaming mind wandering through their bond to the place that he was, several months ago, while he'd been in his personal training room. Kylo watched her eyes widen under his attention. He could tell she was nervous. It was glowing in the hazel of her eyes. Her uncertainty over whatever it was she was thinking was highlighted by the way she carried herself. He could almost feel the pounding of her heart through the light pulse of her Force around her. Her power thickened the air between them. And the slight pants of every heavy breath that worked through her slightly opened mouth— His eyes flickered down and he didn't bother hiding the direction his helmet titled to take sight of her mouth. Her lips trembled, her hands slightly shook even as they found there way back to the hem of her tunic.

Did the examination effect her this much? He wondered.

"It's over. And you did well." He reassured her, but now she was holding her breath.

His mask lowered further so his eyes could take her slight form in more fully through the hindering slit of his visor.

—Or was it something else that had her responding this way? He mulled curiously and hoping so much more for this to be the case.

His dark gaze honed in on the fresh color flooding her cheeks. His feet turned until he paralleled her and his body bent into a slight lean as he examined her closer. He opened his mind, expanding his Force outward, reaching towards her thoughts just as the door to the lift slid apart. The near silent hydraulics were not enough to announce that they'd reached their level, but the arrival of their stop had effectively introduced two officers who'd been waiting on this floor for the transport to arrive and now they had full view of this silent interaction between he and his blushing apprentice.

The two new uniforms' discussion halted the second they identified the most imposing Knight of Ren, their own Commander, who inhabited the majority of the space of the room but not before their banter caught his attention. Kylo straightened above Rey. He took a solid step back, allowing the girl to skitter out from the corner she'd found herself trapped in before the doors opened.

Save for the acknowledgement of their superior as he passed, the officers remained silent. The moment the men were behind the now closed doors Kylo turned back to his waiting Apprentice. Her eyes were averted again, her cheeks still harboring a slight dusting of pink. It was a shade that begged him to delve past her defensively raised walls. He knew she was purposely holding back her thoughts and feelings from him. He held their bond under his control but he could feel the focus of her concentration aimed at keeping her inner self hidden from his light probing. He'd felt it when he'd offered that slight push out with his own mind. He could ignore her privacy, fairly easily push through her barriers... but she'd know he was there the second he did. If she fought against him hard enough the process may even slightly harm her. He contemplated how badly he wanted to take what she was hiding from him. If he intruded on her, even while doing so gently, it was still a form of bullying her with the strength of his Force.

He had warned her that until she grew strong enough to keep him out he'd keep popping in on her thoughts but, he didn't need to ignite the fuel on the already too thin wall of privacy their bond allowed between them. Her reticence probably shouldn't matter to him as much as it seemingly did. Not since he'd become her Master and essentially gained himself the rite to eves drop on her thoughts whenever it pleased him. His own Master never regarded Kylo with such petty things as privacy. Yet for some pesky reason Kylo was adamant about not having the same relationship with Rey as he and his Master regarded one another with. His Masters teachings were law. His rules strict and the consequences of breaking them, as well as his random punishments and tests, were harsh.

For the most part Kylo understood this. How else would a creature who'd mostly managed to remain behind the scenes head and lead a massive regime such as the First Order. Let alone, control the powerful Force user he chose as his apprentice.

Though Kylo had no ambitions to lead the Order in his earlier years here, he certainly was finding appeal in it now. One had to be stern and relentless in their rulings if they were to maintain their place upon the seat of such a throne. This war machine demanded nothing less. One needed both tact within the shadows and cunning assault to reign here above the armies it controlled, but more importantly these things were needed to remain out of reach from those who sought to steal such a coveted place of power. The more the Supreme Leader exposed himself the more he put himself at risk to the dangers of opposition. And while he used Kylo as his hand of reckoning and stayed in his private rooms and cloaked shuttles he also ensured Kylo was on the front lines with the troops and this had unexpectedly resulted in cementing Kylo amongst the troops he fought with. It was an over sight that would one day help Kylo's ascension to the throne go much more smoothly then if he'd been shackled to his Masters absent side, hidden away in his red room behind his red guards. Kylo new if Snoke really trusted him that's where he'd keep him, by his side as a protector, another defense should his chosen elite fail. But Snoke didn't really trust him and Kylo knew it.

How could power trust power..? It was Dark side nature for the apprentice to over throw the Master... it was their way. Kylo was certain this "rule of two" was why his Master had never trained Kylo as a Sith. Snoke has always claimed the Sith ideals to be flawed and he wasn't wrong, the Sith were too limited by their lack of anything but hate. But Kylo sensed it was more from fear of succession that Snoke discarded these teachings.

Kylo stared down at Rey longer then he should have but his decision was now made. He wouldn't steal thoughts which Rey obviously wanted to keep to herself. Not so long as she was able to mentally keep them suppressed to silence. That in itself was an improvement for her. It showed determination and control. He was as proud as he was frustrated about the development. He really wanted to know...

Kylo's nostrils flared, his lips rolling together against the sheer temptation of knowing what was going on in her mind. If he'd have simply left their bond open he'd be able to pluck the thoughts from her with out her even noticing him doing so. But then he'd quite possibly be just as vulnerable and that wasn't something he could afford just yet. He clamped his jaw shut, clenching his teeth in frustration before passing her by, leading her once again to their next destination.

Soon he'd be able to loosen the hold he had on their bond but not just yet. Not before she had some proper training on how to protect herself and their secrets from those who would drag them to the surface; Snoke. If he and his bond-mate's minds were truly bound and accessible to one another between their connection, then they were only as strong as the weakest between them. Their Force-bond should be impenetrable. A strength and a weapon usable between only them. But if one faltered they could both be compromised, both become vulnerable. And if that happened his Master would use this weakness to penetrate his mind, possibly even to control hers and that simply could not be allowed to happen... Ren refused to allow Snoke so much power over her, and he'd fight tooth and nail before he'd ever allow the fiend control over his own again. Especially while tied to the girl following at his back.

Once more Kylo found himself reaching out for her signature with his own. It wasn't to read into her thoughts, or to tempt her in a more enticing way. He just... wanted to feel her safely near him. To acknowledge her Force presence calmly existing so close to his. With no panic. No duress or disdain for the monster of a man she'd somewhat chosen to shackle herself to. To just feel her by his side, even as she trailed behind him, her Force essence innocently lingering within reach of his own.

Bringing her here was a huge risk, one he second guessed himself over every second of every day since he had, but so far, one that was worth it— so far.

Kylo stopped before a large double gridded door. He turned to his Apprentice and for a brief moment and even while hidden behind the safety of his mask, their eyes met. Each could feel the weight of their connection burning through one another. Kylo raised his hand to the line of his hips and waved his open palm across the door. It was a small motion, but it easily drew Rey's attention to the heavily shielded door.

"Finally, we begin." Kylo's deep voice commanded her attention, even through his helmet's mechanical cloaking device.

The Force flowed through in a silent command issued by the slight movement of Kylo's had. The two heavy doors spread apart and Rey's eyes grew wider still. The fine hairs along the nape of her neck stood on end as the doors revealed the hidden Force signatures within. Beyond the opening entrance she heard the clashing of weapons and the grunts of fighters squaring off. She peer beyond her Master's large form and she knew what she was seeing the moment her eyes found the black clad warriors training within.

The Knights Of Ren— His, Knights Of Ren... for he was their Master... and hers.

   * If you liked it, you know what to do! ⭐️😍*

  -DarkGuardian-