The Last Knight

Ch. 7: Home Sweet Home

11/28/2022: Edited & reposted 

** Kylo **

As the most powerful man in the galaxy looked down at the girl standing in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of something other than hatred. That was new for him.

She was clad in nothing but a huge white t-shirt and short black shorts that were barely visible under the long hemline. Her hair was piled in a messy knot on the top of her head, and her neck was covered in small purple splotches that hinted at the beginning of bruises. Something about those purple spots gave Kylo satisfaction... knowing he put them there.

If someone would have told him all those years ago, when he had left the Jedi camp, that he would feel anything but hatred for the little girl that followed him to the dark side, it would have been utterly laughable. Heck, not even laughable, purely absurd. But things had somehow gotten... complicated. Out of hand. She had gotten under his skin. Like moss on the side a tree, he could try to scrape it off but it would unfailingly grow back—this time sturdier and more persistent.

That's how she was. Utterly persistent. And the worst part was, she didn't even know it. Her mind was a blank, black wall. It stood in front of him constantly, baiting him, mocking him for his shortcomings. He could extend the tendrils of his powerful force control throughout the base, feeling for any disturbance, and he would meet the wall.

It threw him off. It had thrown him off for years now.

It reminded him of his weakness.

He could have—should have—killed her back at the temple, but he wasn't in the right frame of mind. He'd conceded and allowed her to follow him to Snoke, assured that the Supreme Leader would take care of it for him. Surely he would have no use for a scrawny orphan girl from the Gods know where... Much to Kylo's dismay though, Snoke had sensed her strength in the force.

"I see you've brought a guest." Snoke mused in his usual slow and drawling way. Kylo was already annoyed. Of course, he would comment on the stupid girl instead of congratulating his prodigy on making the irrevocable decision to commit to the dark side for good.

"My apologies, Supreme Leader." He cleared his throat. "She insisted."

"And you couldn't bother yourself to put up a fight against a little girl?"

Kylo swallowed, trying to gain control of his emotions. "I-"

His explanation was cut off by his annoying shadow, who had kneeled to the ground in some stupid show of submission. "With all due respect, Supreme Leader, I would like to join your ranks."

Snoke laughed then, a rare sound. Kylo Ren looked at his shoes, avoiding the dark eyes of his master. Maybe he should have also knelt before the powerful man, but it would look bad to do it now.

"I'll make you a deal," Snoke looked at the girl with a sinister grin. "If you can beat him in a duel again, just as you did this morning, I'll allow you to live."

Kylo pressed his lips into a thin line. Of course Snoke knew about the training session at that gods-forsaken Jedi camp. For the millionth time in his life, he cursed Luke Skywalker. This was supposed to be his moment of truth, but it was already going awry. Kylo's mind was tumultuous, an ocean of doubt and fear and anger.

The little girl was on her feet in seconds, squaring up to face him. She was almost half his size and thin as a rail. Luke had probably picked her up from a starving orphanage in the shittiest corner of the galaxy.