Allegiance | Kylo Ren

XXVIII

A deep ache had settled into my muscles as I slept overnight. I sat up stiffly, stifling a groan as my body screamed in protest of my movements. Every inch of me seemed to clinch with pain as I moved; even the smallest twitch sent ripples of pain through my arms and legs.

Unwillingly, I slipped out of bed and limped down the corridor to the training room, dreading what faced me in today's lesson. Kylo was already there when I arrived.

"I'm sore." I complained as I made my way to the platform, stiffly climbing up onto it.

He lit his lightsaber. "Good."

We fell into another sparring match, my muscles tight and begging for relief at every turn. Kylo fought just as viciously as he had the previous day, keeping me moving quickly and ducking occasionally to escape another burn from his lightsaber.

When we finished, I had managed to come out with nothing but a light singe across my collarbone. It wasn't bad enough to require Kylo's healing. We stood silently, panting and dripping sweat. I leaned against the wall for support, grimacing at the new aches in my muscles.

Still breathing heavily, Kylo picked up a box I hadn't noticed before and handed it to me. I clipped my lightsaber to my belt before taking it carefully. Inside were several pieces of black clothing. I gave him a curious look, slowly placing the box on the floor so I could better examine its contents.

"The base layer clothing you've been wearing is intended to be worn under armor, and doesn't have the same movement capabilities." He explained, his breathing starting to even out. "These are a few custom pieces that are better suited for lightsaber fighting. They're lightweight and better fitting, better for when you're in constant movement."

I held up a sleeveless black shirt. The material was soft and thin, save for two leather panels that ran down the sides. "These are lovely." I breathed, admiring the masterful stitching. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He responded simply. "We are done for today, so you are free to leave if you wish."

I blinked, taken off guard by his sudden dismissal.  I felt his eyes on me as I nodded, quickly thanking him before departing. I dropped my box of clothes off at my bed before leaving for the hospital wing.

Mason greeted me cheerfully, pulling me in for an affectionate hug. "We were worried when you had to leave yesterday."

"We?" I teased.

"Okay, me. I was worried." He grinned. "Where did you go?"

"Kylo decided it would be a good idea to start training me to fight with a lightsaber." I explained, feeling a bit self-conscious.

His green eyes widened. "That's... wow. That's really impressive."

A wide smile made its way across my face at his approval. "It's pretty difficult. I'm really sore from all the new movements he has me doing."

We began to walk through the medical wing to Mason's next patient. "Is he a good teacher?"

I laughed to myself, thinking of how Kylo had given up on verbal instructions and instead turned to physical teaching. "Surprisingly, yes."

"Maybe someday you can show me some of this new stuff you've learned." Mason began to examine a patient's shoulder, checking for range of motion and sore spots.

"Definitely." I watched him as he worked. "It's amazing how much power is in the lightsaber. I never would have guessed how destructive it could be."

Mason glanced up. "You haven't gotten hurt, have you?"

I shook my head, glad that my shirt was covering both my shoulder and my collarbone. "No, we're being careful."

He returned to focusing on his work. "Good. Lightsaber burns are nasty, and difficult to heal quickly."

The image of my rapidly-shrinking burn under Kylo's touch flashed through my mind, but I didn't say anything. Instead, I sat on the bed behind me and watched as Mason's masterful fingers prodded the patient's arms in precise places, searching for possible muscle tears.

My mind kept wandering back to my training with Kylo. Did this mean I could bring my lightsaber on the next mission? I wondered how it would feel to wield such a powerful weapon for the entirety of a battle. I couldn't help but smile a bit to myself at the mental image of a Stormtrooper swinging around a lightsaber; something about that just seemed off.

I shifted slightly, then cringed at the pain that shot through my muscles.

"Mason, what do you recommend for sore muscles?" My hand rubbed my shoulder absentmindedly.

He spared me a glance. "Which muscles?"

I grimaced. "All of them."

Mason chuckled lightly, finishing up with the patient and then turning to me. "Unfortunately, there's no magical cure. Make sure you drink lots of water and get plenty of rest. Only time can really take care of that."

I groaned, thinking of my daily lessons. "What do I do if I don't have time?"

He gave me a sympathetic look. "Sorry, not much I can do then. Really focus on the water, I guess. But as time goes on, your body will adjust to the new movements, and it won't be as taxing."

He dismissed the patient and took a step closer to me, putting his hands on my knees and leaning his face close to mine. I couldn't fight off a smile as our proximity became unnaturally close. He planted a quick kiss on my lips.

"You know, you don't have to take these lessons. If you tell Ren that you don't want to do them, I'm guessing he won't force you."

"But I do want to take them." I gazed earnestly into his eyes. "They're making me stronger, and a better fighter."

He eyed me for a moment, unconvinced. "Doesn't being alone with him scare you, even a little?"

I shook my head firmly. "He's my friend. He doesn't scare me."

Mason frowned slightly, then pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I just want to make sure you're safe. Just because you trust him doesn't mean I do."

"I know." I sighed. "I wish you could know him like I do, but..."

"He hates me with every ounce of his soul?" Mason guessed, flashing a grin.

"Yeah, that's it." I laughed.