Bonded

Chapter 8: Fuel

He doesn't hear the man move.

"GET OUT!" He whips around.

The cadet flinches, then scurries away. He orders the rest of the cadets to return their equipment and leave. They all peel themselves from the floor, grabbing their weapons and affixing them to the wall before hobbling out. A minute later, the room is empty.

Kylo strides over to a built-in comm and presses a button.

"Bring me four sentry droids," he commands. He turns away, but abruptly whips back, pressing the button. "No, six." He casts the towel off angrily, not seeing where it lands. He closes his eyes, taking a breath.

This has been a catastrophically bad day after a string of bad days. He feels that burning itch in his body, a fire in the blood. He needs some sort of release to regain a modicum of control over his desire to kill every source of incompetence he encounters.

Suddenly, the door whirs open.

"I thought I told you to—" He stops after he turns to see the visitor is not a cadet. It's an orderly carrying a trey covered in what looks like mostly fruits and vegetables, a heaping mass of green peppered with red and orange.

"What the hell is that?" He points to the trey.

The orderly gulps.

"Sir, the Head of Nutrition asked me to bring this to you. She noticed that you didn't eat anything this afternoon." He pauses for a moment. "Or this morning."

Kylo growls, turning away.

"Just because she can't catalogue every one of my meals doesn't mean I'm not eating," he snaps.

"Sir." The orderly straightens. "The Head of Nutrition asked me to remind you that a liquid diet does not provide the human body with all of the vitamins and minerals it needs. She told me to tell you that certain nutrients can only be absorbed through solid food and—"

In an instant, Kylo Force-slams the trey across the room, the fruits and vegetables flying in all directions, some landing on the floor, some on the shelves affixed to the wall.

"GET OUT!" He rages forward in full-throated fury.

The man instantly turns to run.

"And tell that bitch if she ever tries to manage my eating habits again, I'll blast her into space with the evening garbage dump!" Kylo doesn't finish before the door whirs shut.

He charges to the entrance and changes a setting so no one can enter the room without his express permission.

Then, for a minute, he just stands there, jaw set, fists clenched, blood raging through his veins.

Finally, he covers his eyes with a palm and slides it over his face, trying to reset himself. He turns to the back wall and walks forward, shoulders hunched, looking down at nothing in particular.

Where the hell are those sentry droids?

Suddenly, he halts, caught off guard. He'd been too lost in himself to recognize that feeling welling within, a subtle warmth creeping into his chest. It stretches into his limbs, overwhelming him, then melts away as quickly as it came.

And just like that, he's not alone anymore.

He turns to face his unexpected guest.

Rey's not looking at him but around at the room, turning to face the front wall.

"Is this a training room?" She steps to the weapons lining the shelves.

"Hello to you, too." He crosses his arms.