Venus & Mars

Chapter 11 ~ Opening Up

After that night, Kylo was less tense during training sessions and I was more considerate in my actions and words toward him. Maybe if I didn't give him such a hard time he would be more open to me. Though he seemed less stressed, he didn't seem very happy considering the fact that we were going to be attacking the Resistance in less than a week. "Now, there is something I haven't taught you yet. Blocking your mind." He told me, sighing. "Block my mind? I can do that?" I asked. He nodded. "You can keep other people from entering your mind, or at least stop them from seeing certain things if you so choose. I didn't teach you that at first because it would've been unwise for you to use it against me. But since you've proven yourself mostly trustworthy, I will do so now." I snorted. Me? Only mostly trustworthy? As if! I snorted in reply. "Exhibit A." He murmured, smirking. My eyes widened and I blushed, knowing he had heard me. "Sorry." I grinned. "Please continue." I motioned for him to go on. "As I was saying, in order to do that, you must pretend there is a wall of some sort between the thoughts you don't mind being seen and the ones you don't want other people knowing. It's not very hard. Go ahead and try it." He told me.

Closing my eyes, I tried to do as he explained. Thinking of my recent conversation with Orusa, I pictured a stone wall shrouding the memory, enclosing it to keep it out of Kylo's head. "Ready?" He asked. "Yes." I felt Kylo poking around in my mind, searching my thoughts. I could see what he was seeing, and it was all unimportant. But the conversation with Orusa never came up. Nor my feelings for him. I felt the intrusion hurt a little more, meaning he was prodding deeper, trying to find out what I was hiding. I could hear him grunting in frustration as his attempts to search more thoroughly were thwarted.

After a few moments, he pulled away and I opened my eyes. "So? How'd I do?" I asked. "You did well, at least I believe you did. Did you see what you were hiding come up?" He inquired. I shook my head. "Nope." "Good." He said. "May I ask what exactly it was that you were keeping from me?" I grinned back at him as he stared at me curiously. "That's for me to know and you to find out." "Touche." He smirked back. A knock came at the metal doors, and they slid open to reveal an irritated General Hux. "Ren. Supreme Overlord Snoke requests our presence at once." He said, refusing to look at me. "For what reason?" Kylo asked. "How am I supposed to know?" Hux replied seethingly. "Alright. We're coming..." Kylo grumbled. Hux put a hand up to stop us from moving. "Only us, Ren. Snoke said that he doesn't wish to speak with the apprentice." He told us. Kylo and I exchanged a glance. "Very well." Kylo murmured, then turned and gazed at me with a stern expression. "Stay here. I'll be back after the meeting to continue training." He told me. I nodded in understanding, watching him pick up his mask and stride out of the room.

Patiently, I waited for Kylo to return to finish our lessons. An hour went by, and I waited, and waited, and waited. Boredom taking over, I repeatedly practiced some defensive and offensive lightsaber moves. I whipped around, fighting an imaginary opponent. I blocked a blow to the hip and shoved the lightsaber through a fake torso. Dropping to the floor, I rolled across the metal ground and leaped back to my feet. I pretended that my enemy had aimed for my head, and did a low spin and slash trick. Soon though, play fighting grew old, and so I took to throwing a chair around the room. But even that became irritating. By now, at least a couple hours had passed. "So much for the importance of never forgetting what you're supposed to do. Apparently, I need to go hunt him down." I spoke to myself, groaning inwardly.

Once I left the room, I walked around the wing, asking the stormtroopers if they had seen him. "No, sorry Miss Kalane. Last we saw him was hours ago." One of them said. I rolled my eyes, stalking around. I even went as far as to find Captain Phasma. "I apologize Miss Kalane, but no, I haven't seen Master Ren. Come to think of it, I haven't seen General Hux either." "Thanks Captain. Please, let me know if you hear anything." She dipped her head in acknowledgement, and I went to Orusa's chambers. But even she didn't know where he was.