Allegiance | Kylo Ren

XXVI

The next few days passed quickly. Another mission had been announced at the end of the week—this was another raid on a city who had pledged allegiance to the Resistance and was confirmed to be sheltering Resistance fighters. The point of these raids was purely to convey the notion that the First Order didn't stand for traitors. If you weren't with us, you were against us, and all ties to the Resistance must be cut off.

I spent much of my time in the hospital wing, trying to follow Mason and observe his duties without getting in the way. I enjoyed learning about medical procedures, and it was interesting to see how complex certain treatments could be.

Mason clearly didn't mind having me shadow him; he gave a thorough explanation of everything he did, showing me which tools he used and what details to be careful about. I admired his extensive knowledge—it went far beyond using stitches to hold a wound shut.

The nurses didn't seem bothered by my presence, either. I tried to help them when I could, whether it was retrieving materials or reaching something on a high shelf that they were struggling with. They were friendly enough; I didn't expect to be completely accepted into their group, so I wasn't overly disappointed when I was ignored most of the time.

On my fifth day, I noticed an extra white coat draped over an empty bed. Curious, I walked over to examine it. It was a doctor's coat, identical to Mason's, but instead of his name embroidered across the chest, it was mine. I grinned, running my fingers over the neatly-stitched letters.

"You like it?" Mason spoke behind me.

I turned, smiling broadly and nodding. He helped me pull on the coat over my black base layer clothing.

"It was the nurses' idea." He admitted as I looked down at my new coat. "I guess they figured you've spent enough time here to earn one, or maybe they're just tired of confusing you with the other patients."

He gestured for me to follow him to a guard sitting on a bed in the back. I sat on the empty bed across from him as Mason performed a basic routine, checking on an old wound that had become infected but was recovering. I had seen this done plenty of times, and I was not watching as closely as I might have in the days before. Neither of us noticed a new guard approach us.

"CL-1823," his voice was gruff. Mason and I exchanged an irritated glance before turning to address the newcomer. "I've been instructed to escort you to the training facility."

Mason's confused glance mirrored mine. I shrugged, sliding off the bed. "I guess I'll see you later."

He nodded, giving me one last look as I followed the guard out of the medical wing and through the winding hallways to the training facility. He swiped his access card to open the door, and motioned for me to enter.

Inside, the room was empty. It was a long rectangular room, with a raised platform in the center and racks of weapons lining the walls.

Kylo stood in the center of the platform, donning a sleeveless black shirt. He looked up as I entered, his unlit lightsaber in his hand. The door slid shut behind me, and I approached him cautiously, stepping up to stand on the platform beside him.

"Hello." I glanced around, curious as to why I was here.

His eyes were fixed on my white coat as he clipped his lightsaber to his belt, a slight frown creasing his features. "Are you a doctor now?"

I gave a light laugh and quickly removed the coat, tossing it off the platform. "I think Mason and the medical staff want to adopt me."

"Mason?" His eyebrows rose. "You're still seeing him?"

"Yes, he's my b—" I stopped myself. "I've been spending time in the medical wing. He's been teaching me about all kinds of medical procedures. It's quite interesting."

Kylo's eyes darkened as he read my thoughts and finished my original statement. He turned away, stepping off the platform. I watched him go, chewing the inside of my cheek.

"Why am I here?" My quiet words seemed to echo through the large room.

He ignored me, retrieving something from the corner of the room. When he returned, he was holding a small box. I eyed it cautiously.

"What is that?"

He ignored me again.

"On the previous mission, you used my lightsaber." His eyes were on my face.

"Yes, I remember you throwing it at me without warning." I stared down at the box.

"Did you enjoy using it?"

I shrugged. "It was alright. It was very... effective. Probably handier than a blaster, at least for close-range combat."

He nodded. "It worked well for you. You did not hesitate, and it delivered results." He removed the top of the box, revealing the black handle of a lightsaber.

I stared at it with wide eyes. "I-Is that—"

"This is yours." He said simply, removing it from the box and handing it to me. I took it with a careful hand, feeling the cool smooth surface against my skin. "You will be receiving training in the following weeks so you can use it to its full potential, and so you will no longer have to use mine in battle."

My eyes were glued to the item in my hands, admiring the vibrations of power running through it. "Training? From who?"

Kylo gave me a dubious look. "Me."

"Oh." I nodded. "That makes sense."

He took a step back. "Go ahead, ignite it."

I pressed the button with my thumb, and it blazed to life. It was a single blade, unlike Kylo's cross-blade, but I didn't mind at all. It burned with great intensity, its scarlet flames somehow darker than his despite the blinding light it gave off.

"It's beautiful." I whispered, captivated by the crimson light.

His eyes gleamed with my spoken approval.

"We'll start with the basics."

I nodded and deactivated the lightsaber, following Kylo to the center of the platform where he began to instruct me on things like balance and stance. He was a surprisingly thorough teacher—he adjusted my posture and mistakes with gentle bumps, and was patient with my errors.

At the end of the first lesson, I had still not actually used the lightsaber. My mind swam with everything that I had learned, trying to absorb everything before I forgot.

"Meet me here again first thing tomorrow morning." Kylo instructed, handing me the box.

I nodded, carefully placing the lightsaber back into its silken case. I still could not keep my eyes off of it. It was so beautiful, so powerful—and it was mine.