Fandom The Apprentice

[timber]

It was about mid-day, 13:05, specifically, and Commander Kylo Ren was already in a foul mood. Annoying, lazy, incompetent generals coupled with the intense lack of sleep he had experienced these past few days dropped his tolerance level from about knee-height to non existent.
His last mission had proved to be trivial at best. General Hux had him infiltrate and destroy a nearby Resistance freighter. It didn't take very long, they kept one hostage (of which he wasn't even granted the pleasure of interrogating himself) and it was an annoyance more than anything. He couldn't even recall if his light saber was ignited once during the whole mess.

Although there was seemingly a constant need for his abilities somewhere in the folds of the Order, today he had the rest of the day off.

Somehow he had managed to hole up in his room aboard the Finalizer, which was the major space bound base used by The First Order. Ren couldn't quite say that it preferred it to his own ship, but he was provided a spacious and concealed space for him to just sit and think. He was grateful for that, not that he'd admit it.
The room consisted of a spacious bed that was was neatly made with all black sheets. The furniture was all metal and reflective. His dark image displayed across the shiny surfaces as he meandered about the space. His favorite spot was a large desk that he spent the majority of his alone time. He kept his personal belongings, which were few, and other secretive intel stored away inside of it.
As the tall man was able to seat himself, his holopad beeped to life on the desktop to his right. With a grumble, Ren leaned slightly over and wrapped his leathered fingers around the tablet-like device. They were quite convenient little devices. It allowed for human contact to be at a minimum. All he needed could be transponded directly to this little screen.

He felt his breath catch as the message title displayed across the screen. "Urgent: Presence Requested by Supreme Leader Snoke". The words played over and over on a rolling loop. He was fixated by it, his fists clenched slightly by his side.
The need to please the Supreme Leader was so deeply rooted in Ren's self-worth that he visibly shook at the thought of meeting with Snoke. It was, perhaps, the only time the Commander felt anxious. He needed to present himself in such a way that gave off an aura of nothing but complete confidence. He always tried, most of the time he succeeded.

Ren stood, his knees cracking slightly under his weight. Not getting enough rest really took a toll on his joints and physical health lately. With a sigh, he replaced his helmet, as was custom. Hardly anyone ever saw the man without it. Most assumed it was a way to intimidate others or hide some sort of gruesome face hidden beneath it. Maybe they were right. Maybe they were not.

His heavy footfalls echoed throughout the metallic hallway as Commander Ren stomped toward Snoke's throne room. It was on the same level of his own quarters, which made the trip quite convenient. It would be a neusiance to have to walk clear across the ship, he decided. Besides, his knees hurt.
As he approached the room, he straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin. His posture was usually not a huge issue when he presented himself to anyone. His height and reputation alone demanded complete respect from anyone he encountered. The mask and all black garb helped a bit. Snoke, however, was a different story.
Snoke was perhaps the most formidable "man" in the galaxy. He didn't feel the need to respect anybody, despite their number of kills or missions succeeded, or their horrific reputation. Snoke saw right through all of it. He saw right through Ren.
With one last effort to raise his confidence, he reminded himself that: He was Kylo Ren, Commander of the Knights of Ren. He was bold. He was terrible. He held the Force, and most importantly, he was a monster. Whatever Snoke needed, he would be pleased with the sight of him today.

 

[a z u l a]

Cold. It was all Kataly'a had felt since stepping aboard the Finalizer. Drumond Kaas, her homeworld, was gruelingly hot and humid. Naturally, her wardrobe consisted or airy dresses and outfits that barely covered any skin. Apparently, she'd need a new wardrobe. The battle armor she wore now scarcely constituted an outfit, protecting her most vital spots and leaving her unencumbered to move with freedom needed when fighting.

It didn't do much to prevent chills, however.

Despite the unforsaken chill of the ship, Kataly'a was excited to be aboard the First Order ship. Though this was far from her first time aboard one, it seemed the most important. The Sith descended princess was well acquainted with the First Order, she was the heir to the throne of a Sith planet after all, but to become a Knight of Ren was the highest honor she could be given.

It had come as no surprise that Snoke had finally come to seek her out, but the warrior princess had been astonished that he believed she could become one of his most trusted servants and to train under the Kylo Ren. The Dark Knight and she had never met, but she'd heard stories of the insidious man and even witnessed the aftermath of some of his rage's while visiting First Order ships. As the daughter of Darth Caedus, it was inevitable that the Sith would eventually take interest in her, however Kataly'a had never known whether that interest would be friendly or not.

Darth Caedus had been a powerful Sith lord, a fearsome enemy of the Jedi and the Galactic Alliance. His rage had been legendary, but it had been that rage that undid him. While residing on Drumond Kaas he formed relations with Queen Ashira. It wasn't until Darth Caedus had left that the Queen found out she was pregnant, and by the time he returned Kataly'a was already age five. The Sith lord had never wanted children, but now that he had a descendent he was going to train her to be a fierce Sith warrior. While Queen Ashira was no saint, she loved her daughter more than anything and realized the danger she was in. The Queen sent young Kataly'a off world with one of her uncles to protect her, and in his rage Darth Caedus murdered the Queen and in turn was killed by the Royal Guard. Kataly'a had fostered hate for her father deep in her heart the rest of her life, and it had been that fire that had drawn Snoke in. The warrior princess had received little Force training while on her homeworld, but Snoke had finally sensed the awakening in the Force as she grew stronger.

Now, she stood quietly with her head bowed by Snoke's throne, awaiting her fate. The loud creak of the doors opening drew Kataly'a's green gaze up, meeting the man in the mask she had heard so much about. He was strikingly tall, not that she had much to go off of at a meager 5'4, but he loomed large even beside Snoke's imposing figure.

"Kylo Ren, my dearest Apprentice." The elder Sith croaked, the Sith princess' eyes still studying the man before her. "You've served me well, and I believe it is time for the next step in your training. It is time for you to train an Apprentice of your own." The ancient being gestured for her to move forward, her small form coming to kneel before the Commander of Ren, head dipped in the customary fashion.

"This is Princess Kataly'a, of Drumond Kaas. Daughter of Darth Caedus and Queen Ashira. You will train her to be your fiercest and most loyal Knight." He decreed, dismissing the two as if it wasn't the single most important moment of her life.

 

[timber]

The decor that adorned the Supreme Leader's throne room was quite the contrast to that of the rest of the ship. The walls were draped in dark red fabric, red being a symbol of the Dark Side of the Force in many instances. It was such a spacious room, it seemed rather silly that it only served one purpose.
Although Snoke himself wasn't present, there stood two guarding storm troopers outside the large, black door that was the entrance to the room. Kylo Ren kept his eyes forward, hardly acknowledging the two white clad troopers as they pulled open the door. He could feel their apprehension as he approached. He relished in their terror.

There was a sort of... chill in the air. Despite his many layers of clothing, the Commander felt it. It felt like dark tendrils of ice were prickling along the skin beneath his cloak and robes, causing him to involuntarily shiver. Odd.
Before Ren had much of a chance to take in any more of his surroundings, the Supreme Leader's booming, venomous voice echoed throughout the room. Snoke's words were of comfort to the Commander, easing his prior worries. At least at first.
A crackle sounded from Ren's mouth piece as he began to reply, but that notion was cut short by the figure emerging from the shadows.

"It is time for you to train an Apprentice of your own," Those words reverberated in his ears as he stared down at the woman before him.
She had a minuscule figure compared to his rather towering one. Her armor seemed better suited for a much warmer climate than space could offer, and the skin that was revealed beneath seemed to be peppered in goose bumps from the cold.
Ren felt the need to stand a bit taller when his mind began to scream in protest. He kept it quiet, very aware that the Supreme Leader had no reserves when it came to invading his Apprentice's mind.

He was familiar with her lineage, though not closely. He knew of her father, of course, as he was aware of all of the Sith. She, in his opinion, reminded him nothing of Darth Caedus. She was just a small, fragile looking girl. She wouldn't last long under his training, he was sure of it.
Before any protest could escape Ren's lips, Snoke dismissed the two of them. The Commander glared down at this girl, his supposed new Apprentice. And although she may not be able to see his cold, dark eyes or brutal expression, he was sure she felt it bearing down upon her.

Hardly a moment passed before Ren turned swiftly on his heel and stalked out of the throne room. His strides were long as he once again stomped down the hallway, not checking to see if Kataly'a was behind him. He didn't much care.
He was determined to break her, to make her suffer in the name of the Knights of Ren. No girl had ever succeeded in his training before; no girl had ever been considered.

Whatever the Supreme Leader saw in her, Kylo Ren did not. He couldn't even detect a trace of the Force within her, how could she be such a powerful Sith's daughter? He grimaced at the thought, and made his way back to his quarters.

 

[a z u l a]

Well, that had gone about as well as it could have.

Outrage rolled off of the Commander of Ren like a stormcloud, alerting the Force-sensitive woman to his displeasure. He certainly wasn't the only one who wasn't fond of their pairing. Admittedly she wasn't much upon first glance, while she was well muscled from years of fighting she still held her womanly curves, and her height was her greatest disadvantage.

What almighty Kylo Ren couldn't see was the deadly accuracy with which she fought. She may have been little, but Force was she fierce. A force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, she was a master in all forms of combat and precise with any weapon. She was not yet in possession of her own saber, but she carried her father's old one despite the horror it had caused her. Though she was untrained, the Force was strong within her and he would help her harness it whether he wanted to or not.

The tiny Sith acolyte had to quite literally run to keep up with her new Master, his stride taking three of hers. If this spoiled brat was the Supreme Leader's favorite apprentice, she couldn't imagine the others.

"So, are you going to acknowledge my existence or should I just ask the Supreme Leader to train me himself?" She inquires, voice filled with sarcasm.

 

[timber]

Kylo Ren could audibly sense the running footfalls behind him as he could only guess who they belonged to. He sighed, very loudly, trying his best so that the petite girl could hear the sound through his mask. He was disgusted by the whole idea of this, insulted even. He wanted to make sure she knew that.

As she spoke, he was taken aback a bit by her sarcasm. She displayed no manners toward her superior, and that in and of itself was infuriating.
"I would acknowledge your existence sooner if it were one worth acknowledging," he stated plainly. His heavy gaze settled back onto the girl. She was definitely an attractive woman, despite the circumstances, but Ren didn't allow himself to feel attraction. It has never occurred before, and it wouldn't occur now. He was simply making an observation.

"As I'm sure you can imagine, I'm not entirely keen on training you anytime soon. You can make yourself useful and supply me my lunch, however," he tilted his head slightly, his plump lips curling in amusement behind the mask. "Unless you're incapable, of course. I'll send for a trooper if that's the case. At least they prove their use to me." His tone was flat as he provided her with that last bit before turning toward the doors to his chamber.
He turned back to Kataly'a. "Get on with it, girl. I truly do not have the patience,"
With that, he closed the door behind him.

 

[a z u l a]

While the Knight of Ren had been rude already, she hadn't expected such outright hate from a man she had just met. The contempt he already held for her was astonishing, he barely even knew her name. She was a princess for Force sake! Even if he didn't respect her as a Force-user, she was a powerful ally to the First Order and she thought he would've been more diplomatic as Snoke's first in command.

Clearly, this man was senseless.

Her jaw practically dropped to the floor at his extremely sexist remark. Bringing him lunch was certainly not what she'd had in mind when she'd accepted the Supreme Leader's offer. Kylo Ren was just as much of a nerf-herder as the stories proclaimed. If she was going to coexist with this disgusting creature he was going to need an attitude adjustment.

"I'll gladly shove your damned lunch down your throat." She grumbled after the door had whispered shut, glaring at the spot where her Master had just been. Weighing her options, she deiced that giving in and getting him his lunch was her best course of action. If she played nice for now, she could get him to train her. Or she could poison his food.

After struggling to find her way to the cafeteria and retrieving the brute of a man's portions, she trekked back upstairs to his quarters, cursing him in Huttesse the whole way. Balancing the tray with one hand, she banged harder than necessary on the door to his quarters.

 

[timber]

Kylo Ren had seated himself once again at the desk. This time, though, he kept his mask on in case the girl actually obeyed. If not, she'd hate their first training session more than she already was going to.
As much as it pained him, he would have ro train her and he intended to begin soon. Defying the Supreme Leader was a death sentence, even for the Commander. If he had to work with the girl, he might as well train her hard. She could end up surprising him, but it was doubtful.

What felt like ages later, he heard obnoxious banging coming from the corridor. So she had returned. He half heartedly expected her to jump ship. It wouldn't be terribly surprising.
"Come in," he growled. He had purposefully left the door unlocked. It wasn't like he was going to exert any more effort to open the door for her.

"I suppose I should thank you, but I won't. I'm not hungry," he stated matter-of-factly. Really, it was a test of her obedience. She hadn't been able to hold her tongue, which would serve to be an issue, but she complied nonetheless.

Ren rose to his feet, relishing in the fact that he was so much larger than she was. "It's time to start your training. I see you have your own saber," he gestured with a leather clad hand to the hilt secured to her armor. "Let's see how well you can use it."

-- (small time skip)

Commander Ren stood lazily on the side of the small training facility while motioning for Kataly'a to stand in the middle. The entire room was enclosed, granting no one permission to see inside.

"Attack me." He ordered.

 

[a z u l a]

Fury bubbled up within the Sith Apprentice so quickly she was afraid she might explode. This arrogant jerk had made her go get his lunch, something he had plenty of droids and servants for, just to tell her he wasn't hungry. It took all of her self-control not to dump the tray onto his head.

"You're welcome." She grumbled anyways, setting the tray down with a clatter and turning her gaze to the weapon clipped at her belt.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

Though untrained in the Force, Kataly'a was not oblivious to the art of war. The Kass princess had lead her people into war and returned victorious many a time, but fighting a Force-user was much different than anything she had ever experienced. Her mother had been an even fiercer fighter than she, but her inexperience with the Force had let Darth Caedus easily overtake her.

Never a fool, Kataly'a took up a proper fighting stance, drawing the sheathed blade from her waist and igniting it. The crimson blade was much too long for her small frame, but years of practice had acquainted her with the weapon. Green eyes swept over his form as she deduced the best way to attack. Kylo was much larger than her, meaning she would have to rely on her agility.

Propelling herself forward, the raven-haired warrior lunged towards her Master, falling into one of the few saber forms that she knew.

 

[timber]

Kylo Ren was, genuinely, a bit surprised that the girl actually attacked despite the circumstances. He could feel something radiating off of her, though small, but it was there. It felt... warm, almost. Comforting maybe? He knew exactly what it was, as everyone who held it within the reaches of the Galaxy was connected in one way or another. But, her Force was weak. He'd change that.

With a small sigh, the Commander stepped swiftly around the girl and her overbearing saber, not igniting his own blade. Her stance wasn't terrible, but it would need improvement. He could sense that she was a fierce fighter, of which he was grateful. Again, he'd never admit that.

"Decent. Try again. Force me to defend myself this time," he barked back, his cold metal gaze staring her down.
He wasn't going to bring his own three-pronged saber into this training session, it would be a bit too dangerous. However, if she decided to piss him off...
He'd retriever wooden replicas for the next one, he decided, cutting off his thoughts.

 

[a z u l a]

Shockingly, he hadn't pulled his saber on her, something she was almost grateful for. Combat was her specialty, but lightsabers were entirely out of her league. In theory, it wasn't much different than a sword, a sword that could burn holes through you. Where she lacked in saber technique, she made up for in agility and determination.

If running towards him with a crackling lightsaber wasn't enough to make him defend himself, she wasn't sure what was. The young apprentice circled her Master warily, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Instead of lunging in a straight shot, she arched her weapon and hurtled the blade towards his shoulder.

 

[timber]

Commander Ren smiled to himself as the girl tried again, though of course Kataly'a couldn't see it. It was a better attempt, and had he been anyone else that saber would've cut through his shoulder. But he's not, so it didn't.

He chuckled lowly through his modulator, making the laugh sound much more menacing than it actually was. With a flick of his wrist, he pushed the girl backward; more like an energy wrapped around her and guided her body backward, away from his.
"Force users always have the upper hand in battle," he exclaimed. He whirled around her, twisting her body with that same energy so that she faced him. "Always be on guard."
With that, he thrust her backward, just enough so that she wouldn't hit the wall, and he held her body in place there.

It was a strange feeling, the first time the Force is used against you. Your body feels paralyzed, yet you could move, your mind just wills you not too. He remembers oh so vividly from his training with the Supreme Leader.
He channeled his anger from the manipulation Snoke used against him. Grinning wickedly, he willed the light saber from her grip and into his own hand. It was a hefty thing, longer than his own. The color was similar to his own wragged blade.

He wielded it firmly, walking toward her as he still held her body up with the Force. He thrust the blade toward her side, barely missing her with the tip of it. Holding it there, he stared down into her. "Again." He dropped it, and her, and turned his back, giving her an easier target.

 

[a z u l a]

Before her blade could inflict its damage, she goes flying across the training room, her shock plainly written across her face. Though she had fought many opponents, Kylo Ren was the first Force user she'd fought in her twenty-five years. The fear that Force-users instilled now made sense. A non-Force user stood no chance against a Sith as powerful as he.

It was apparent to her now that she had much more training to do. Having the blade her father had used to kill her mother used against her made her stomach drop, her brain conjuring the gruesome image of what the weapon could have done, what it had done.

Kataly'a was determined to prove her worth, grabbing the saber as it clattered to the ground and attacking once more, but instead of the skilled precision that usually guided her movements, she let the pent-up rage take over and flow into her attack. Her swings were much more rapid, less striking and more slashing.

 

[timber]

A blur of red whizzed by Ren's ear as the girl lunged toward her master. His eyes grew wide beneath his helmet, and he ducked anticipating the next blow. Damn was she close. He grinned.

"Much better," He called out, backing away slightly out of caution in case she decided to continue whacking away at him. "Took you a while, but I can work with that,"

He knew this little victory would most likely make her feel some sort of pride, and that perhaps she would be distracted. With a flick of his wrist at his side, he willed a small metal crate from the side of the room toward the girl. Whether she would block it or not, he wasn't sure, but these would all serve her as lessons in the long run.

 

[a z u l a]

Surely, someone had drugged her Master if he was offering her a compliment.Caught up in her small victory, it took much longer than it should have for Kataly'a to notice the heavy object sailing in her direction. Her delay gave her much less time to decide how to react than she would've liked, deciding to take a risky approach and test her luck.

Throwing herself out of the way of the crate, the metal edge barely missing the back of her head. She rolled towards Kylo, hooking one of his long legs with hers and sending him tumbling to the ground. However, she hadn't exactly thought her plan through, and the momentum sent the giant of a man collapsing on top of her.

"Oops." The sheer weight of him threatened to crush her, his body double the size of her lithe form. Puncturing a lung was worth teaching her master that she could fight, as painful as it was.

 

[timber]

The Commander observed as the crate came whirling toward Kataly'a. As he suspected, she was caught off guard by his compliment, and wasn't entirely prepared for the impact. Luckily for her, she became aware of the sharp object right before it collided with her small frame.

However, Ren was not prepared for what was to come. His Apprentice rolled out of the way of the projectile, and toward him. Before he was able to react, he felt his legs slip out from under him and he came crashing toward the hard ground. With a gruff, he was a bit surprised to notice he had hit something very soft compared to what he was expecting.
He tilted his head, noting that he was face to face with Kataly'a. Well, face to helmet. He froze, unsure of what to do about the contact. He didn't touch people, unless of course he was going to kill them. Human interaction was very foreign for him, for the most part.

He stared down, dumbfounded. His eyes lingered on the shock in her own eyes, drawing down the peak of her cheekbone...
With a curse, Ren placed two hands on either side of her and propelled himself to his feet.

Now all that consumed him was a fit of rage.

"You vile girl!" He bellowed, his modulator cracking from the volume. He reached forward, wrapping an invisible hand around her throat. Channeling his strength through the Force, he began to press into her trachea. He pushed and pushed until...

Shit.

As quickly as he had begun, he released his grip of her throat and dropped her back down. The Commander turned around, wishing he could run his thumb against his temple. She hadn't deserved the choking, but it made him so angry that she was able to overpower him. To catch him off guard.

"We're done for the day." He announced lowly before exiting the training room.

 

[a z u l a]

Thinking things through was surely not the Sith apprentice's strong point.

The rage he exuded into the Force hit her like a Tie-fighter, crashing into her and enveloping her very being. Her throat constricted so tightly her vision began to blur, black spots dancing at the corner of her eyes. There had been many times the warrior princess had come close to death, but this was by far her most intimate encounter.

Just as quickly as it had begun, she was released from her hold, falling to her knees as she desperately filled her lungs with air. Trying to outdo her master was clearly not a good idea, but his condescendence brought out her most competitive side.

"Wait!" She called, after regaining her voice. Her wobbly legs ran the short distance to catch up with him, arm extended but not daring enough to actually touch him.

"What am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?"

 

[timber]

Ren didn't slow down as he felt the girl approaching. He wasn't exactly walking quickly, but at the moment he felt no need to give her any sort of ease.
"I don't damn well care." He said softly, his modulator now cracking because his own voice cracked. He felt so... defeated.

He was so terribly over dramatic it was painful, but he couldn't help it. No one ever got the best of him, let alone a woman. Now she may think she will be able to do it again. Try and take advantage of him. Never again.

"If you want to be useful, stay out of my way until I summon you," he glanced back over his shoulder. She seemed so genuine... so human. Yet she was so dark inside, she was the daughter of a Sith afterall.
He craved that humanness in himself. He felt so torn between the all powerful dark being hat he was, and his very-human past.

His shoulders hunched, and he turned back around.

 

[a z u l a]

Where Kataly'a was proficient in combat, her Force skills lacked, but even with her little knowledge of the Force she could feel the emotions radiate off of him. Hell, maybe even without the Force at all. This man was a walking thunderstorm, but she couldn't help being drawn to him.

"Yes, Master." She agreed, the sarcastic bite gone from her tone as she watched him stomp away. Well, if he wasn't going to train her then she'd find a way to train herself. Turning back to where her lightsaber lay discarded on the floor, she picked it up and began running through the forms she knew. Even if she would not be able to practice with the Force, her body would be in prime fighting condition.

 

[timber]

Commander Ren glanced sideways once more as he heard the footfalls of his Apprentice as she left the area. He sighed audibly and stomped his way down the hallway. He wasn't sure what his destination was, but he'd find it eventually.

--

As he suspected, he ended up back in his quarters. Although he hardly ever used his bed, he decided he needed it. He sat on the edge of his neatly made bed and stared at the metallic wall across from him. Maybe he was being too much? She could probably tell how upset he was. He wanted to crush something, to destroy something, but he was trying to get better about that.

Removing his helmet, Ren set it beside him and ignited his blade. He examined it. The red crystal that was responsible for its deep glow was cracked, as was the light actually emitted from the handle. It was three pronged, unique, odd. Perhaps it was a symbols of himself. Perhaps that's why he created it the way he did, to prove to himself that even in his brokenness, he could find power.

 

[a z u l a]

After working herself into exhaustion, the raven-haired beauty decided to return to her quarters to relax. A long, hot shower was needed and after relaxing her muscles under the warm water she dressed in light black and red robes that still prevented the ship's air conditioned chill. By the time she had braided her long locks, she'd already paced the perimeter of her quarters dozens of times.

Out of sheer boredom, she decided to track down her Master. The ship was still a massive maze to her, and after navigating her way to the cafeteria it was easier to find his room only a corridor down from hers, leaving her little room to get lost. Debating whether this was a good idea or not, she hesitantly knocked on the door and waited to be let in.

 

[timber]

The holopad beneath his slender fingers glowed a bright white. He had just unlocked it to check if anyone had attempted to contact him while he was... training.
At times, seeing himself without his usual helmet or gloves was startling. As almost everything on board the ship was reflective, he caught sure of his long black waves that cascaded down his sharp, angular face. His hooked nose was one of his defining features. But, so were his eyes. They were large and dark, and one might mistake them to be black in color if they were not close enough. Rather, they were a deep mocha-brown, with flecks of gold and amber throughout.
He wasn't sure how he felt about his own appearance. He wasn't sure how he felt about a lot of things, and uncertainty scared him.

The soft, hesitant knock at his door startled him from his thoughts. Who could possibly need him now? He wondered bitterly.
With a huff, Ren quickly reattached his helmet and placed the holopad on his bed. He did, though, forget his gloves.

He seated himself at his desk and used his abilities to crack open the door, holding it open barely enough for someone to speak and perhaps peek in through. He wouldn't allow it to budge any further.
As he did this, he sensed that familiar warmth trickle into his room, mixing with his own energies. He fought against it, and annoyedly spoke his Apprentices name. "Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?"

 

[a z u l a]

"I thought you might want dinner." Kataly'a offered, debating whether or not she should use the Force to barge in through the cracked door. His reaction in the training room made it safe to assume that he wouldn't take to kindly to that, so she waited patiently in the hall instead. Her years training as a diplomatic leader were coming in handy more than she'd expected, he was certainly testing her patience but she wanted this to be as painless as possible and if that meant sucking up her pride then so be it.

"I figured we could eat...together?" She half suggested, half asked. Kylo Ren was truly unpleasant company, but he was more entertaining than eating alone in her room.

 

[timber]

Kylo Ren looked up at the door quizzically. What could she possibly gain from that? Furrowing his brow, the tall man rose and stepped toward the door. As he walked, he willed it all the way open and stepped maybe a foot away from the petite thing. He towered over her, so much so that he had to arch his neck downward in order to speak to her.

"I don't consider you ample company for a meal," he spoke. He couldn't quite figure out what this about, but then again, his social skills lacked greatly. "Have a look around, if you must, but that is all." He stared her down a few more moments before stepping away, gesturing with his barren hand around his room.

"There isn't much here for you to entertain yourself with," he explained, which was true. His quarters were dark and plain- just how he liked it.
He couldn't ignore the slight rumble of his stomach at the thought of food. He was accustomed to consuming the bare minimum in order to keep up his muscular physique and health, and he hadn't had a decent meal in a day or two.
Ren moved to sit back down at his desk, shutting the door to his bed chamber as he did. That, he decided, she could not see. He folded his long, pale hands across his lap and looked at Kataly'a sideways, still unaware of his lack of gloves.

 

[a z u l a]

Kataly'a held her head defiantly even as Kylo practically broke his neck trying to meer her eye-level. Despite his flow of insults, she entered his quarters curiously, setting their trays upon the table before exploring his rather baren living space.

"I didn't come here to inspect your quarters, though I must say I wouldn't gain anything if I was. I came to seek your company." She tried to smile, but it was rather weak and unconvincing. "If we're going to be training together on a daily basis, we should better acquaint ourselves."

Her attention was quickly drawn from his dull space to the milky white skin of his hands, the first time she'd seen him without gloves. For some reason, seeing flesh made her realize just how human he really was. He might be a deadly warrior, but he was still as human as she was.

 

[timber]

Kylo Ren followed the movements of the girl as she meandered about his room. Her exclamation that she was seeking his company was oddly... nice?

He cocked his head as she seemed to stop, staring at something. Following her trail of eyesight he noticed that she had caught sight of his hand. The pale skin wrapped around slender digits and a rather big hand. He cursed himself and got up to grab the protection that always stays on his flesh, but realized he had closed the door to his bedroom. It wouldn't be worth opening and risking her seeing inside at all.

He was, in a way, defeated. Grumbling, Ren moved to retrieve his own tray of food. Once again close to Kataly'a, the man couldn't help but size her up, craning his neck down at her petite self. She had changed since they'd last met. He couldn't help but prefer this new outfit over the old one.

That strange energy began to lift into the corners of his dark mind. She couldn't have been in control of it, the Force moves upons its own will. This time, he didn't fight it. Instead, very much in charge of his own, he pushed the same warm energy toward her mind. He wrapped the comforting tendrils of the Force around his Apprentice's brain, feeling her emotions.
She was difficult to read, he decided. He couldn't stop there, it was far too easy to push further. The overwhelming desire to know her every thought consumed him as he pushed onward, curiosity getting the best of him...

Stopping, Commander Ren stood back, straightening his shoulders and coughing lightly. He dipped his head, staring back at her intently. "I apologize."