The Brighter Dark (Kylo Ren X Reader)

Ch. 9- No More Hiding

The First Order was nothing if not consistent. True to its brand, it had provided no shortage of awkward silences since the onset of your involvement with them.

You sat in the Night Buzzard, your heart feeling as if it were soundlessly constricting in on itself with the anxiety that permeated the air.

The Knights of Ren were not a talkative bunch, but they were anything but shy.

All around you- sitting on crates, leaning against walls, sharpening cleavers and- was that an axe? -were every member of Kylo's leather-bound boy band.

Kuruk was flying the ship, as to be expected, leaving you to sit uncomfortably in the common area and be subjected to the rest of the Knights' stares. Each one felt like a tether that had been shot out of a grappling hook and into your body. Even under your multiple layers of gray garb, you felt stripped bare under their penetrating collective gaze. No one had said a word to you since you had boarded the ship, and the fact that they were all staring was making the silence that much more maddening. 

It didn't help that Kylo had taken your helmet. Here you were, sitting in the center of a troupe of murderous masked men and you didn't even have a barrier to hide behind.

Stop hiding in the fucking shadows.

Well, not much of a choice now, was there? Your new Master had made sure of that.

Master. Did you really just call him Master? Wow. You hated that. Even in your own head, you had already accepted the consequences of the decision you've made.

You'd taken his hand. You'd said 'okay'. You had agreed to be the apprentice of Kylo fucking Ren. And you still weren't entirely sure what that meant.

***Earlier***

"The Knights will take you back to Coruscant to get your things." Kylo had said. After you'd extinguished your saber, he had quickly taken it from you and clipped it to his hip. Kylo Ren didn't seem to like doing things slowly. You had only just taken his hand before he started tapping away at his datapad. You surmised he was contacting Kuruk to deliver the same message to him.

You weren't sure what to say; you were still processing what had just happened.

"Then what?"

Your voice was smaller than it had been before. The power to say yes or no to his question had been exhilarating, but it was lost once you'd said that one little word that'd tipped the balance of power back in his favor- 'Okay.' The ball was in Kylo's court now.

He continued to type as he spoke. "Then we will begin your training."

You quirked an eyebrow. "Which will consist of...?"

He finished typing out his message and pocketed the datapad. "Whatever I decide it will consist of." He placed his helmet back on his head, then paused as if remembering something. "Oh," he said, outstretching his hand towards you. "I'll also be needing the one in your boot."

You tensed, thinking of Dorothy. You knew kyber crystals radiated a Force signature that Jedi could sense, so you weren't surprised he had known it was there. However, you were still hesitant as you reached into your boot and withdrew the sleek, silver cylinder. You hadn't parted with Dorothy since the day she'd first become yours. Even before you had constructed the small plasma dagger, you had worn that crystal around your neck as a child. You didn't want to simply hand her over.

"Kylo..."

"From now on you will either refer to me as 'Supreme Leader' or 'Master'."

You snorted; you couldn't help it. The idea of calling him "Master"... it felt ridiculous.