I Bet My Life || Kylo Ren

Prologue

Tesla lay there, waiting to die at the hands of her best friend. Or rather at the lightsaber of her best friend. The fiery blue end was right at her throat, the heat of it radiating to an almost tangible burn on her neck.

Tesla tapped her hand on the floor of the gym three times to signal her defeat. She looked up to Ben Solo, watching as a small smile spread across his lips. 

"I'll spare you," He spoke lightly, "today." He turned the lightsaber off before quickly offering his hand to her. She took it gratefully, letting his strength lift her up. 

"Thanks," She smiled up at the large boy she called her best friend, "for sparing me" Tesla laughed. 

"To kill you would be to kill myself" Ben reminded her with a playful smirk on his face. He spoke of the force bond between the two. And it was no lie. Breaking the bond wasn't something tangible or easy, not a choice that can be made. If one of the individuals were to die the other would feel their pain and be left with a hole within them for the rest of their life. 

Tesla looked up at Ben again, studying the way his lips turned up into a smirk whenever he talked to her, as if a conversation with her brought him so much joy it was impossible to contain within himself. 

Oh, here he comes. Tesla heard Ben's thoughts in her own head, his voice as clear as if he had spoken. The emotion behind it was clear as well, the phrase meant to be a joke. Tesla tore her eyes away from Ben and looked forward to see her smiling young cousin, William. 

His floppy black curls fell into his face as he ran towards the duo happily. His freckles were more visible now more than ever because of a sun burn on his cheeks. 

"Tesla! Master Luke said I'm growing in the Force much faster than anyone else!" William happily boasted, his crooked teeth on full display. 

"William, don't brag!" She laughed, unable to stop from smiling at the boy that had become more like her brother than anything else. He ran into her tent many nights because of his fear of the darkness still. 

"Let him brag, he's growing." Ben spoke then, crouching down to William's height. "I think Tess might just be jealous she wasn't as quick to catch on" Ben whispered loud enough for you to hear. 

Tesla shook her head but couldn't hide her smile, "William, go get ready for bed. Ben and I need to get ready for the Padawan Cantina trip."

Tonight was the night everyone looked forward to in their training with Master Luke. It was the night in your training before the Jedi trials when all the Padawans ready for their trial went out to a local cantina to have fun one last time before entering the true Jedi Order.

Later that night Tesla found herself smiling giddily for what felt like the hundredth time that day as she danced next to her friends to the cantina music. 

She could feel Ben watching her dance from the other side of the cantina, whether it was through their bond or pure intuition she wasn't sure but in that moment it didn't really matter to her. She stopped dancing to look over at the tall boy. He was holding a bright green drink in his hand, his eyebrows furrowed. She knew something was wrong then. She must have been too occupied in herself to feel it in the bond but she could see it in his face now. 

Outside. She heard him in her head again. It was more of a plead than an order. She quickly dismissed herself from her dancing friends and followed Ben outside. The planet they had been living on for the past few years was gorgeous now at night even more so than in day light. The tropical landscape now lit up with glowing plants around the edge of the cantina.