Stars Between Us

In Which I Mess Things Up - Raven - Chapter 3

Holy water cannot help you now/ I've come to burn your kingdom down/ No rivers and no lakes can put the fire out/ I'm gonna raise the stakes, I'm gonna smoke you out...

- Seven Devils ( Florence + The Machine )

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"You can't eat with a helmet on," I told Kylo Ren with as he sat down next to me in the cafeteria. The chatter of various Stormtroopers and workers filled the room up, noise bouncing off the walls. 

"I know. Do you take me for an idiot?" he asked quietly. Geez, it was fun annoying him. 

"Sometimes," I replied with a laugh. There was quiet for a few seconds, a very long, very tense moment. "Oh, come on, I was just teasing. There's little to no laughter on this ship. Geez. You're so goddamn sensitive." 

Ren reached up to take off his helmet, seemingly accepting my statement. There was a hissing sound and he pulled it off, revealing a young man with black hair, like mine, and dark eyes. "I had a proposal for you," he said, his voice low. 

I raised an eyebrows. "Oh, really?" I was interested, but I couldn't show it. Sometimes I understood why Ren wore a mask- you couldn't show emotion. People couldn't judge you. Then again, I was good at controlling my face so that it was just as much a mask as Kylo's. 

"Your training sessions with Snoke's haven't gone all that well, have they?" he asked as I took a bite of my food. "You're quite impatient. And he often gets angry with you." 

I swallowed and stared at him blankly. "Infuriated is more like it. Murderous. Absolutely totally ready to destroy every single particle of me and-"

"I get the idea." Kylo stopped me with a wave of his hand. He slid a plate of food towards himself. "Look. I suggested to Snoke that you take a little time off your Sith training until I finish mine. Then I can train you."

"And he agreed to this because..." I trailed off with a sigh. "Also, you had this idea... why?" 

Kylo waited a bit before responding, elevating the tension. "Snoke is at his wit's end with you. He agrees that you have potential to become powerful with the Force. Incredibly powerful. But... how do I put this lightly... You're incredibly annoying."

"One of my biggest assets," I said in agreement. 

"It's not only that. He could deal with your sarcastic remarks. No matter what you do and how you react, you still tap into the Light." Kylo sighed and stared at me for a few moments, the chatter of the cafeteria filling the silence between us. "Snoke isn't able to get rid of that, no matter what techniques he uses. I suggested I train you personally after I finish my training. I know I can stamp the Light out of you. It's possible." 

I shook my head and processed what he had just said. "What do you gain?" I asked, studying him through narrowed eyes. 

No response. 

"Are you trying to make up for your past mistakes?" I asked. "Cause that does seem to be your ultimate goal." 

"Are you going to accept my offer or not?" Kylo asked. 

I stood up angrily and slammed my palm on the table. "Do you take me as some weakling? I am NOT going to turn to the Light and I sure as hell can get rid of it myself!" I told him, on the border of shouting. 

"Snoke arrives in one week. You had better have an answer by then, Raven," Kylo said, pushing his plate away and and standing up. He was as infuriated as I was, but for different reasons. I hated myself for being like my sister. Ren was angry because I refused to listen and he didn't like things he couldn't control.