Entirely Different

Chapter Twenty : The Void

His beady eyes landed back on you.

"How long have you known, child?"

You choked, your airway constricted, and you suffocated inside your own skin. You could sense Kylo urging you to be calm, finding some solace in remembering that he couldn't do that so well. You sensed someone who could, however. Cardo must have been close by, or close enough to sense your fear. You felt the calm of his influence and suddenly you were able to speak.

"The Commander knew before I did, Supreme Leader." You were surprised by the levelness of your own voice.

Snoke peered at you, narrowed his eyes as he looked for signs of dishonesty. With Cardo's influence backing you, the fear dissolved into nothing.

"I never believed in the Force." You explained. "I wasn't raised to."

Snoke smirked, the smile making him seem oddly grandfatherly. Gross.

"Well, do you now?" He asked, his voice sounding warmer.

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

He appeared pleased, looking back to Kylo to exchange some knowing, wordless glance.

"Take her to the Temple." He instructed. "Keep me updated on her training."

Kylo nodded to his master.

You bowed your head in response, showing him your cooperation.

"We'll make a Sith out of her, a weapon." His words resonated as the call ended, no goodbyes spoken, only the promise of what you would become.

Kylo and Cardo both waited to feel your response. Both men waited to feel a tidal wave of fear, confusion, perhaps even rage; but what came had stunned them both. Acceptance. Belonging. Purpose. Excitement. Kylo watched as he expected Cardo's influence to fade from you, thinking it might have been his emotions that Kylo could sense rolling off of you, only to realize that Cardo had accidentally been influencing Kylo the entire time. You weren't in need of assistance. You weren't afraid. You found wholeness.

The pair of you were silent during the ride to the Temple of the Sith. Kylo hadn't said a word after the conclusion of your meeting with Snoke. Cardo had accompanied you to the speeders, having been close in the nearby hall when you had decided to leave the conference room.

Didn't need me after all. Cardo projected to his master.

Kylo's brain was fuzzy, trying to understand everything that just happened.

He picked up pieces from your all-too-shielded brain waves.

Strong. Temple. Kylo. Sith.

Words swam around your thoughts which Kylo couldn't piece together to make much sense.

She's okay, master. Cardo tried again.

Kylo nodded once in his direction as the two knights lead you to the hangar bay. Before you knew it, the pair of you were swinging your legs over a shared speeder and abandoning Cardo in the empty hangar bay. Your eyes were wide on the sunset and snow; were things not so strangely tense between Kylo and yourself, you might have asked him to stop so you could touch the snow, but you were oddly contented to look and feel the chilly wind on your cheeks.

Kylo navigated in silence through some green fir trees, stirring up snow in his wake. You hadn't noticed your speed until the two of you slowed considerably, nearing a rocky mountain side. The two of you came to a stop at the mouth of a cave, you could feel the warm energy coming from within. Finally, you felt the need to speak; starting to worry Kylo was something less than contented, but perhaps upset.