Dark Knights: Knights of Ren XReader

Chapter 23: Some Kind of Game

You wake early, and groan as you put your work uniform on and tie your hair back in a tight bun. You slept poorly, having woken every time Kuruk experienced a rush of adrenaline. Not to mention Trudgen's constant twitching, like his unconscious body is desperate to escape your touch. You assess your wounds in the mirror. Your bruises are turning yellow. No doubt your fresh cut will scar just as the others. I'll be just as rugged as the Knights soon enough. You laugh at yourself, and feel a quick mental embrace from lightyears away.

Trudgen escorts you to work, always walking a half-step behind you. Your heart slowly falls all the way down to your feet as you approach the hanger station. Mahri will never be there to greet you. You wonder if she's still alive, rotting in a cell, or if Kuruk already.... There's a shiny, new datapad waiting for you and you spend several moments configuring it to your liking.

There's only one message from General Ginger, dated early this morning. You are to float around section one of the hanger and assist engineers with TIE fighters. Trudgen keeps himself nearby, but invisible. You try to put on a friendly face as you interact with engineers, but it doesn't last long. Every single one of them stares at your face and asks what happened. You have to explain the hostage incident over, and over again. On the verge of tears long before lunch, you try to help without much success.

"Aaarrggghh!"

You chuck a small hand tool at the malfunctioning navigation panel. Never have you been so unfocused you couldn't solve a simple TIE issue. Your rage is like a quick, red flash, only to be replaced by a dark pit of grief. From Kuruk, all you've felt for hours is a cold, calculating focus. You hop down to retrieve the tool off the hanger floor, but you close your eyes instead, frozen to the spot.

"Are you...alright?"

You assume Trudgen came to check on you, but instead, you see a small wiry man when you open your eyes.

"Oh, Daggar, hey. Yeah, I'm fine. Just having a rough day."

He approaches you and stops an uncomfortably close distance from your rigid body. His face is sympathetic- innocent.

"I heard about the hostage situation. And Mahri. I'm really sorry. I can't believe it was her, we've worked with her for years!"

You take a step back, looking away in attempt to control your tear ducts. He looks like he wants to close the distance between you again, but instead says,

"I'm here if you want to talk. Or if you want to go to the cantina to forget about it for a night."

"uh- no, but thanks, Daggar." You move to pick up the tool, but he reaches it before you, lingering his hand on yours as he drops it in your palm. You're grateful to see the back of him as he walks away.

You take a deep breath, and power through the repair. As soon as you finish, you find a secluded corner of the hanger and sit as you scroll through your datapad mindlessly, trying to distract yourself. You jump when Trudgen approaches, silently carrying food, having forgotten about his presence. He plops down next to you, and you eat together in silence. Unlike yesterday, he wears part of his armor and has a blade slung over his shoulder in a holster.

The rest of the afternoon and evening are much the same- silent. It's obviously too soon for Hux to have you back at work. He only cares about productivity. After putting Deneb to bed, you stay in the bathtub long after the water goes cold, allowing yourself that time to mourn your friend, and worry about Kuruk and the Knights.

Shivering, you finally get out, not pausing to check on your wounds- unable to look at yourself. Wrapped in your towel, you crawl under the covers, which are warm from Trudgen's heat. He breaks the long evening's silence.