Entwined (A Reylo Fanfic)

Of Pain and Power

~Several months later, somewhere on the outer rim on the MegaStar Destroyer~

Kylo's eyes flew open as his body jerked back into consciousness. They darted around him, taking in his liquid distorted surroundings. His hand pressed against the cold glass of the bacta tank he'd been soaking in for hours. Immediately he recognized the room he was in. He was getting used to these surroundings. Being in the tank itself however, wasn't something you ever got used to. At least he hadn't. Now he was here so much that he had his own personal med bay set up, courtesy of The Supreme Leader himself.

The first time he'd woken up in this tank had been three days after the destruction of the Starkiller base. The hole in his side had taken some time to heal and he'd lost an exceptional amount of blood. His right shoulder and face had suffered extensive trauma, but the healing properties of the bacta had taken care of most of that. He'd have scars, but he didn't really care.

He was a knight, a warrior, what was another scar to him?

His hand unconsciously moved to his face. It was a habit he'd developed after the first time his mind had accidentally touched hers. This was his most prized possession and often he found himself longing to trace the now fine line of this, his most prized scar. He was glad it had taken General Hux so long to get him to the infirmary. He didn't want to loose this one. This one was hers and he wore it with pride. He found himself taking his helmet off every chance he was alone just so he could eye the scar or run his fingers over it like he did now. It was the only time he allowed himself to think of the girl who so viscously branded him, forever making him hers.

Not that she was ever willingly seeking him out, never willingly, but in defiance of his own urges he had to constantly shut her out of his mind. Barring her away in the deepest recesses of it until his training was complete. He despised going against what he felt was another part of their intertwined destiny, but this was his burden and with the rest of his responsibilities, he held the added weight of it heavy on his shoulders. Of course that didn't stop him from seeking her out in private, assaulting her mind whenever he found an opportunity that wouldn't put her at risk of being invaded by his Master. And these past months his Master was never to far, always summoning his apprentice to continue their training, so Kylo was immeasurably careful. He wouldn't leave his end of their connection open long and never more then just slightly. He couldn't risk the Supreme Leader finding and tunneling into her mind.

Remembering the first time he kneeled before his Master after the destruction of the Starkiller, Kylo squeezed his eyes shut. He thought for sure his life would end the instant Lord Snoke peeked inside his thoughts. He was dumbfounded as he kneeled in the darkly lit chamber looking up at the flesh and blood of his merciless Master. Kylo waited for a torturous death, for anger, for anything but what he got.

Snoke waited silently, eyeing his apprentice for what seemed like hours. Ren knew better then to speak before he did. He knew his Master was watching him closely, he could feel it. kneeling before him, his body began to fight against the stiffness left in his limbs from the obedient position he held himself in. With nothing else to focus on he felt the betraying strain of the fatigue in his leg muscles, the biting pain in his knee from the cold hard steel beneath it, and the pull of his aching back and arched neck from holding his head bowed down for so long. Still his loyal apprentice did not falter. Not an inch. Not even after spending much time in silence waiting for his Master to finally speak to him.