The last month of training with the Knights had been going well. Kiarie's skills were increasing everyday the more practice she had. Ushar had even apologized to the apprentice on the second day when he showed up to training with a black eye and a busted lip. Kiarie hated that the Knights had fought and that it had been about her. She of course accepted his apology and the group moved on from the previous day's events.
Kiarie was in the center of the mat with both Kuruk and Cardo circling her. Trudgen had been put in charge of the apprentices hand to hand training while Kylo was dealing with First Order business. Kylo had not been present for the last two days of training. The Knights had been on their best behavior and had done all they could to make the apprentice know she was safe alone with them. Kiarie had noticed their effort and was more comfortable with the Knights now, so while she definitely missed the Commander she was no longer anxious about being alone with the Knights.
"Kiarie, don't let anyone get behind you." Trudgen yelled from the side of the mat. Trudgen was taking the apprentices training very seriously. He was the most patient of the Knights and the most disciplined which made him perfect for the apprentices training.
Cardo rushed towards the apprentice while Kuruk tried to slip behind her. Kiarie waited until the last second and ducked, tripping Cardo over her back and sending him flying into Kuruk. Jumping up she spun and piled on top of the heap of the two men and pinned Cardo's arms behind his back while his weight pinned Kuruk.
"You're crushing me!" Kuruk yelled with a laugh as he attempted to shove Cardo and the apprentice off of him.
"That's good for the day. Kiarie let them up." Trudgen shook his head from the sidelines. "You're just getting sneakier you know. You'll have to engage in full hand to hand eventually."
"Yeah well I don't want to hurt their pretty faces." Kiarie laughed as she released Cardo and climbed off of him.
As Kiarie stepped back she offered Kuruk a hand to pull him from the floor. He gratefully took it and she helped him up. Kiarie noticed his eyes dart behind her head and she spun to meet what she knew was coming. Ap'lek barreled into her at full speed knocking her down and pinning her.
"Still can't sense me can you little apprentice." Ap'lek teased.
"No." Kiarie groaned. "But, I can do this." With a flick of her wrist Ap'lek went flying ten feet back and landed with a thud.
"That's a dirty trick," Ap'lek grumbled.
"And sneaking up on me isn't?" Kiarie laughed to him.
"Come on fuckers it's lunch time!" Vicrul hollered from near the door as he jumped up and down in anticipation.
The Knights and Kiarie exited the training room and headed for the cafeteria. The second the large group entered all the tables around the Knights table cleared. Everyone got in line and picked out their food before heading to their table and sitting down. The Knights removed their helmets and set them on the table in a neat little row. Kiarie sat in between Vicrul and Trudgen with Ushar on Trudgen's left side. Ap'lek was directly across from the apprentice and Kuruk and Cardo sat on either side of him. This was how they had sat everyday Kylo was not present. When Kylo did come to lunch Vicrul scooted down one and Kylo took the seat on the apprentices right. It was their routine now. One they had fallen into quickly as the Knights all welcomed the girl into their daily lives.
The cafeteria was mostly silent as the conversations around them were barely above a whisper. The Knights were tired today after an extra hard week of training and mostly ate in silence. Ap'lek and Kiarie were the only ones talking though no one could hear them.
"How do you really feel your training is going?" Ap'lek asked.
"Good. Trudgen's a great teacher. I miss when the Commander's not here though." Kiarie took a bit of her porg sandwich as she spoke to her friend.
"Well he is really stressed right now. The scavenger has the map to Skywalker so he'll have to go after her at some point."
"Will we all go with him?"
"Doubtful. It's just a scavenger girl, he can handle her." Ap'lek kept his eyes on his food as he communicated with Kiarie. He loved being able to talk to her in secret. Everyday they grew closer and closer. And yet he knew he would never see her as more than a friend or maybe a sister. She did remind him so much of his little sister who had died when she was six and he was ten. A freak accident of some kind had killed her and his parents. He had been on his own since then until he found Ren in his late teens. Since then he had been a Knight of Ren. And now under Kylo Ren he actually had a sense of normalcy. The first Ren had been exceedingly cruel in his ways and Ap'lek had suffered at his hands. Kylo was no walk in the park and had his tantrums but he was not the monster everyone thought he was. At least not to the Knights.
Kiarie laughed silently and smiled as she looked down at her plate. "I was a scavenger once and I'm a girl. Kylo can't handle me."
"This is true."
Kiarie could hear someone thinking her name and looked up. Lieutenant Irvine was walking into the cafeteria with a package in her hand. Kiarie raised her hand in the air and waved. The Lieutenant paused when she saw the Knights but Kiarie's smile made her go forward. "Captain this arrived for you today." The Lieutenant handed the books wrapped in brown paper and twine to Kiarie.
"Oh thank you!" Kiarie pulled the books to her. "I've been waiting for these. Lieutenant have you eaten yet? Would you like to join us?"
"Umm" Lieutenant Irvine looked over the Knights and swallowed. "No thank you."
"They don't bite you know." Kiarie laughed. "Guys this is Lieutenant Irvine she works on the bridge I'm sure you've seen her up there."
"Yeah I've seen her around." Vicrul spoke up. "Hard to forget such a pretty face."
Kiarie elbowed Vicrul in the ribs. "I'm sorry, some of their brains are in the wrong part of their bodies."
The Lieutenant blushed as she gave Vicrul a small smile. "It's okay." She whispered as she locked eyes with Vicrul.
Kiarie could hear both of their thoughts and a smile crept across her face. "This is Vicrul by the way. He's the fastest of the Knights. At least in combat anyways." Kiarie turned to Vicrul. "Vicrul this is Ardella Irvine. She's free tonight and tomorrow night."
"Stop reading my mind!" Ardella blushed.
"What you are too shy and he's too stupid. So I have to do it." Kiarie turned to Vicrul who was glaring at her. "He'll meet you here at seven for dinner." A pause. "She'll be here five minutes early."
"Oh my gods! Stop it Captain!" Ardella's face was bright red as the embarrassment flooded her face. She was horrified that the Captain had basically just hooked her up with a Knight of Ren. She would be there tonight though. She had seen Vicrul several times before but only once without his helmet before today. His energy had attracted her to him. Even though he was a Knight of Ren she found him intriguing and less abrasive than the other knights. Ardella nodded to Vicrul and ran out of the cafeteria.
"Fucking hell apprentice." Vicrul tossed his fork down.
"Do you want me to cancel your date?" She looked at him with a tilted head and a raised eyebrow.
"No." He muttered under his breath.
Kiarie laughed as she took another bite of her sandwich. "Good because she thinks your helmet is sexy."
Now it was Vicrul's turn to blush. He stared down at his food while the other Knights all laughed. Trudgen nudged her with his elbow. "What's the package?"
Kiarie had almost forgotten about the books in front of her. "Oh shit yeah." Kiarie pushed her plate aside and began to open the package of books. "I got in touch with a smuggler who found these for me." Kiarie pulled out the first book. "This one is about Sith amulets. I got it for Kyl- I mean the Commander."
"It's cool we know you guys make out all the time. You can call him Kylo in front of us." Ushar laughed.
"What?" Kiarie exclaimed as she looked at all of the Knights who had smirks on their faces. "Did he tell you?"
"He didn't have to. We're all attuned to him. We can feel everything he feels and hear him if he doesn't actively block us out. He can hear all of us too."
Kiarie's eyes shot to Ap'lek and he answered her before the question formed in her mind. "He still doesn't know and neither do they. Still our little secret." He gave her a wink as he saw her release a held breath at the fear of anyone knowing her and Ap'lek had the open connection that was so clear they could now hear each other across the ship. They had even been able to talk in each other's minds while Kiarie was on the bridge and the Night Buzzard had just come out of hyperspace outside of the Finalizer. It had surprised them both. And the more they used their connection the stronger it was becoming.
"Well okay then." Kiarie sighed picking up the other book. "I got this one for me and Cardo." Kiarie handed the book to Cardo.
"Holy fucking shit!" Cardo grabbed the book and began flipping through it. "You're so fucking amazing! Where in the Kriff did you get this?"
"A smuggler who's been to the planet the dish comes from. He went back and got it. He said he can get pretty much whatever we want. There are tons of different ones." Kiarie laughed as Cardo flipped through the book.
"What the hell is it?" Kuruk asked from down the table.
Cardo closed the book and held up the cover for the Knights to see. The cover said '300 Mac & Cheese'. "It's a mac and cheese cookbook with three hundred recipes!" Cardo turned the book back and started to go through it. "Apprentice you're the fucking best!"
"I know." She smiled while she finished the last bite of her lunch.
"Can we try one tonight?" Cardo asked excitedly.
"Yeah I don't have bridge duty tonight. We can do it in my quarters if you want?"
"Perfect! I'll get the ingredients from the kitchen. What time?" Cardo was so excited. He couldn't believe the apprentice had thought of him and got a book smuggled for him.
"She's got flight training after lunch so let's say five." Kuruk spoke up.
"Wait what?" Kiarie turned to Kuruk and gave him a confused look.
"It was supposed to be a surprise. After lunch you start training to fly. Kylo's going to try to meet us there but if he can't I'll be training you in one of the little two seater shuttles. He doesn't want you to have to wait any longer because he's busy." Kuruk explained to the apprentice hoping Kylo wouldn't be mad that the surprise was ruined.
"What? Why can't we take the Buzzard so we all can go?" Ushar whined from down the table.
"Because it's training and she's not ever flying the Buzzard. I don't even let Kylo fucking fly it!" Kuruk snapped.
The Knights were all in their own worlds for the rest of the meal but all Kiarie could think about was how she was finally going to learn to fly. The excitement that filled her was overwhelming. As the meal came to an end Kiarie said goodbye to five of the Knights and followed Kuruk to the hangar. She held the book about the Sith tight to her chest. She hoped she would see the Commander so she could give it to him right away. It had taken her connection in Black Spire at the jewelry store to find the right one and then the smuggler had to track it down. It had taken weeks and a lot of credits but it was finally here. She hoped it would help Kylo once he found the amulet. It would let him know which one it was and what powers it held. She couldn't read the book as it was all in Sith but she knew that Kylo could read Sith.
As they entered the hangar Kuruk steered the apprentice towards a small white unmarked shuttle. Standing at the open ramp was a large man dressed in all black with a black and silver helmet fixed to his head. Kiarie sped up and passed Kuruk to get to her Commander.
"Hi." She smiled up at him.
"Hi." He nodded down at her with his helmet but she knew him well enough to hear his smile.
"I got you something."
"Hmm. Did you?" He reached up pressing the locks on his helmet. The familiar hiss came and the helmet was pulled off and tucked under his arm as he faced the back of the shuttle with his back to the hangar. "What did you get me?"
Kiarie held out the book to Kylo and he reached for it taking it out of her hands. He didn't say anything at first. Kylo opened the book and flipped through it. His expression was hard and controlled while he tried to process what was in his hands. "Where did you get this?"
"I hired a smuggler once I knew what I was looking for. It was easy. It took him a few weeks but he found it." Kiarie tried to keep the smile on her face but the Commander almost looked mad that she had given him a book. "Do you not like it?"
Kylo heard the distress in the apprentice's voice as she assumed he did not like the gift. In fact it was the exact opposite. He wanted to grab her and kiss her for being the sweet and thoughtful person that she was. On the outside she was a sarcastic brat to everyone. But to him she was kind and gentle. She knew how to handle him somehow and it perplexed him. She was all he thought about when he had to be away from her. One day she would be by his side for every second of every day but they weren't there yet. She had a lot of training to get through and he had to find the damn scavenger who was wreaking havoc across the galaxy. And in his father's ship no less!
"No. I don't like it." Kylo looked at her with a deadpan. "I fucking love it." Kylo let a huge smile spread across his face. He watched the apprentice's face go from crushed to elated in seconds. He knew it was mean but with all the shit he put up with from her she deserved it a little.
Kiarie hopped up and down clapping her hands in front of her chest. "I'm so glad! The jeweler in Black Spire helped me figure out which book I needed and then I hired a smuggler to find it."
"How much did this cost you?" Kylo knew it must have cost the apprentice a shitload of credits to both the jeweler and the smuggler.
"That's a rude question Commander. You never ask how much a gift is." Kiarie shook her head.
"Don't spend your credits on me Captain." He looked down at her dying to pull her into a kiss but he was in the middle of the hangar and it wouldn't be appropriate.
"Bite me." Kiarie grabbed Kylo's hand and pulled him up the ramp of the shuttle.
"Don't tempt me Captain." Kylo growled as he watched her walk up the shuttle in her training clothes. His eyes focused on her ass as the tight fabric stretched with every stride she took.
"It's rude to stare, Commander." Kiarie turned at the top of the ramp once they were out of sight of the troopers in the hangar.
"Wear your cloak and I won't stare." Kylo raised his eyebrows with a smirk.
"I forgot it in the training room. I didn't know I was coming here until after lunch. I thought I was going back to training. I don't need to wear it when I have six scary Knights around." Kiarie pulled Kylo to her by his belt until their chests were touching. She tilted her head up and head a clang of metal as Kylo dropped his helmet. He reached behind him and tucked the book into the back of his pants. As the apprentice leaned into him his hands found her hips and pressed her body into his. Kylo tilted his head down to meet Kiarie and pressed his lips to hers. He let Kuruk know through his mind to stay in the cockpit which Kuruk acknowledged.
Kylo pulled away for a moment. His right hand came up and held Kiarie's cheek in his gloved palm. "I have to leave tonight on a mission. I don't know how many days I'll be gone. But the Knights will watch over for you." Kylo watched as his apprentice's smile turned into a full on pout. "Don't do that. You know I can't it stand when you pout."
"Then stay or take me with you." Kiarie pleaded.
"You know I can't stay and I can't take you either. Not this time." Kylo held her face with both hands as he bent down to kiss her forehead.
Kiarie wrapped her arms around Kylo's stomach and pressed her cheek into his chest. The material of his tunic smelled like leather, fire and cinnamon. He wrapped both arms around her shoulders before resting his cheek on top of her head. They stood holding each other for a few minutes before Kiarie pulled back. "Kuruk's bored and ready to go. Can you come with us?"
Kylo exhaled heavily. "No. I wish I could but I need to head out now."
"Okay." Kiarie hung her head as she sighed. She hated being away from Kylo when he was on the ship and now he was going to be off the ship for days. It sucked and she hated it.
"I'll be back, don't worry." Kylo put his hand under his apprentice's chin and tilted her head up until he could look into her green eyes that gave him life every time he saw them.
"I know you'll be back. I just hate you being gone." Kiarie stood on her tip toes and Kylo bent down to meet her lips. His lips moved against hers in a soft and passionate kiss as Kiarie reached up threading her fingers through Kylo's hair and pulled him down to her. Every time she kissed Kylo it was like the first time. Her stomach fluttered and her breath caught in her throat. She knew it was something she would never tire of or get used to. There was something about him that he only showed to her. And over the weeks they had grown closer together everyday.
Kylo pulled back for a breath and took Kiarie's bottom lip between his teeth. He pulled gently until he got a moan from his apprentice, the moan he had been listening for. "You drive me fucking crazy you know that?" He growled as he released her bottom lip.
"Good." Kiarie teased back. "You drive me crazy too."
He shook his head at her before pulling her in for a deeper kiss. His tongue pushed past her lips and she parted them for him allowing him entrance into her mouth. Kylo's tongue explored all of his apprentice's mouth as he tasted every bit of her. Kissing her was definitely his favorite activity and as much as he wanted to push her into the wall of the shuttle right now he wouldn't. He gripped her hair in one hand and her waist in the other, more to ground himself than anything. As much as she hated him being gone he hated being gone from her even more. She was like a beacon in the dark than grounded him to his sanity.
The search for Skywalker had been picking up and now that he knew where the other part of the map was he could get it and be done with it. Skywalker would be finished and the scavenger girl would be too. Kylo was also close to finding the amulet and once he had that he would be able to harness dark abilities not seen for generations.
"Kylo?" Kiarie pulled from the kiss and looked up at her Master. "You better go. The sooner you leave the sooner you'll be back."
"You're right." He kissed her once again. Just a peck on the lips as he straightened himself up. He pulled the book from behind his back and handed it back to her. "Will you keep this safe while I'm gone? I don't want to lose it."
Kiarie smiled and took the book from him. "Of course." A pause. "Oh. I had invited the Knights over tonight but since you're not going to be here I'll cancel with them."
"What did you invite them over for?" Kylo summoned his helmet from the ground with the Force and held it in his right hand while his left hand stroked Kiarie's cheek.
"Well I also got the smuggler to get a recipe book for mac and cheese for me and Cardo to try some recipes. We were going to try the first one tonight but I guess we can wait." Kiarie's lip curled up on one side as her disappointment was not hidden.
"Nonsense. The Knights can come over whenever you want. No one said you couldn't have friends." Kylo laughed. He thought it was sweet she didn't think she should have the Knights over while he was away. If it had been anyone else he would have agreed but the Knights would never lay a finger on his apprentice. They all knew it would cost them their lives if they did.
"Really? Okay awesome!" Kiarie hopped in place as her excitement for the evening grew. "Oh actually I almost forgot to tell you. Vicrul has a date with Lieutenant Irvine at seven in the cafeteria!"
Kylo was shocked and it showed on his face. "What? How the hell did that happen?"
"She came to the cafeteria to give me the books and I heard both of their minds. They both like each other. She thinks his helmet is sexy. So I hooked them up."
Kylo laughed as he held up his own helmet. "Do you think my helmet is sexy?"
"Yes." Kiarie blushed as she answered the question. It was true though. In the beginning she hated that stupid helmet. But now it was so much a part of Kylo that she couldn't help but love it. Plus she had her own version on her cloak so his helmet connected him to her in a way.
"Sexier than Vicrul's?" Kylo leaned down and hovered his lips over hers.
"Definitely." Kiarie slipped her tongue out and licked the Commander's lips quickly.
"Tease." Kylo growled as his left hand gripped her hip tightly.
Kiarie laughed and stepped back. "You have to go." She reached over and took Kylo's helmet from him. Standing on her tiptoes she reached up and pulled the helmet down onto his head pressing the buttons to secure it in place. "Now you look scary and sexy."
Kylo shook his head at the apprentice as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. He stood staring down at her trying to memorize the smile on her lips and the sparkle in her eyes. If his mask had still been off he would have kissed her again but he knew he needed to leave. He wanted to find the scavenger girl and get the map quickly. Like his apprentice said the sooner he left the sooner he got back. Kylo turned abruptly and marched down the ramp. He knew if he didn't leave then he might not go at all, and he had to go.
Kiarie watched the Commander as he stomped down the ramp. She sighed in frustration watching him leave but she knew he had to go. He couldn't stay for her. She couldn't distract him from his mission. From what his purpose was. If she could go along for the ride fine, she could never change his path though.
Kiarie clutched the book to her chest and headed for the cockpit. She sighed as she lowered herself onto the co-pilot chair while stowing the book in the compartment to her right. She turned and found Kuruk staring at her with a sympathetic expression.
"You good kid?" Kuruk asked as he sat sideways in the pilot chair.
Kiarie turned and put a smile on her sad face. "Yeah. I just hate being away from him. He's going on a mission for a few days."
"I know. I heard. It's okay though, you have the Knights while he's gone."
"Thank you Kuruk." Kiarie sat for a minute and thought about the Knights. The other five had gone back to the training room and would meet Kuruk and her in her quarters at five when they returned from flight lessons. Kiarie suddenly remembered her cloak she had left on the table in the training room. "Ap'lek?"
"Hey you. What's up?" Ap'lek responded in her head immediately.
"If you're still in the training room can you grab my cloak and bring it to my quarters tonight? I don't want to lose it."
"Yeah we're still here. I'll make sure I bring it tonight. You out flying yet?" Ap'lek had already noticed the forgotten cloak and was planning on returning it to the apprentice.
"No Kylo just left. He's headed on a mission for a few days."
"Oh damn. Well we can keep you company. You'll be training so much you won't notice he's gone." Ap'lek laughed in her head.
"Doubtful. See you tonight."
Kiarie turned her attention to Kuruk and began to listen and watch as he pointed out different systems and buttons and all their functions. The plan was that he would pilot the ship out and back and then she would try to do it after watching him for a while. She watched intently as Kuruk piloted the shuttle out of the hangar and into space. She followed his every move with her eyes. Once they were out in space it was simple. It was the take offs and landings that would be difficult. Her Force abilities did give her a slight advantage but she still had to learn the systems so she could pilot properly. Kiarie knew she'd never be as good of a pilot as the Commander but she needed to be able to fly in case of an emergency.
"Any questions so far?" Kuruk asked after ten minutes in space.
"No, not yet. It seems simple when you explain it. I'm sure once I'm doing it myself I'll have tons of questions though." Kiarie laughed at herself. It always took her a few tries to get anything down.
"That's okay. Trudgen is patient in combat training. I'm patient in flight and sniper training." Kuruk relaxed in his seat as he headed for the nearest planet to circle before heading back to the Finalizer.
"Will you be teaching me sniper training at some point?"
"Maybe. You have the Force and your saber so you don't really need it. But if you want to learn I'll teach you." Kuruk talked Kiarie through the landing as he set the shuttle down in the hangar. She hung on his every word not wanting to miss a thing. "Okay kid, your turn." Kuruk stood up and moved aside so Kiarie could sit in the pilot seat. He strapped into the co-pilot chair and waited to see if she could remember everything from the take off.
Kiarie concentrated on the controls, remembering everything that Kuruk had shown her. She lifted the shuttle and slowly exited the hangar. Once she was in space she started to get the hang of it all. The Force definitely helped her when it came to figuring out the controls. It was almost like she had been piloting her entire life. At least when it came to basic flying. She could never do the maneuvers she had seen Kylo do in his Tie-Whisper, maybe someday but not anytime soon.
Kuruk let Kiarie fly around the system they were in for two hours. He knew the more time in the pilot chair she had the better she would get. And she wasn't bad for someone who had never flown before. She picked up the controls quickly and was able to navigate around the planets he had her circle. He even sent her over the top of an asteroid field and just when he thought he would have to jump in she easily avoided a rogue asteroid headed for the shuttle. Her energy was calm and focused as she concentrated. He could feel her emotions so clearly and they only got clearer the more time he spent around her. All of the Knights had been feeling it. The apprentice carried a raw power, a darkness inside of her. There was no doubt to the Knights or Kylo that the shadow lived in her and she embraced it. But it never clouded her mind or took control. She was able to balance her darkness and her light so easily.
The Knights had been basically feeding off of her energy but she would never know it. They barely noticed it themselves unless they were away from her for an extended period of time. Somehow her light energy made them more balanced. Even Kylo was more balanced the more he was around his apprentice and all the Knights had noticed. His temper was not as short when she was around. Kuruk watched the girl in the pilot chair as she smiled and laughed while focusing on flying, but the second that asteroid had been headed for them her energy had shifted. It went dark and focused and she steered expertly around the space rock and guided them out of the field to safety. Once all was well her light returned and it was almost overwhelming to the dark Knight that sat in the co-pilot chair.
"Okay. I think we can head back now." Kuruk turned to the girl next to him.
Kiarie nodded and piloted the shuttle back to the hangar. The landing was much rougher than anything Kuruk would have done but it wasn't bad for the first time ever landing a ship. "How'd I do?" She turned to him and asked with a sheepish grin.
"Actually you did better than I thought you would kid." Kuruk was impressed by the girl, he couldn't deny it. "I look forward to seeing what you can do in one of Kylo's ships but he has to teach you those."
"Why?"
"There's only one seat." Kuruk chuckled.
"Why does that..." Kiarie paused. "Oh never mind. I get it." She laughed. One seat meant sitting in someone's lap. And as much as Kylo didn't mind her spending time with the Knights she knew sitting in one of their laps would most definitely piss him off. Not that she wanted to be in anyone's lap other than Kylo's anyways.
Kuruk stood up and exited the cockpit. Kiarie followed after retrieving Kylo's book she had stowed away. They exited the shuttle side by side and headed for her quarters. As they entered the hallway just outside the hangar they were stopped by General Hux as he was headed into the hangar.
"Ah Captain." Hux began and stepped to her. "I will be leaving in the morning for Star Killer Base and be gone for a couple days."
"Oh. Okay." Kiarie wasn't sure why the General felt he needed to inform her of his leave.
"I will need you on the bridge in the evenings until I return." Hux stood stiff as Kuruk eyed him.
"Of course General. Who will be in charge while you are gone?"
"Rear Admiral Yeong will be the highest ranking officer aboard." A pause. "Followed by you." Hux's lips curbed into a tiny smirk.
"Me? I'll be second in command?" Kiarie was terrified of being in charge.
"Yes. Yeong will cover mornings you will cover evenings and Lieutenant Irvine will cover over nights. You will all have some overlap. I expect my ship to be in one piece when I return, Captain. You will stay in sector 7G while I am off ship."
"Of course sir." Kiarie saluted the General and he turned to head back to the bridge.
Kiarie stood silent for a few moments before Kuruk nudged her forward. They walked in silence until they reached her quarters. It was only four thirty so Kuruk left to go change while Kiarie went in to take a shower and change out of her sweaty training clothes.
Five o'clock came and true to their word the Knights were right on time. Kiarie stood in her kitchen drinking a glass of whiskey as she thought about Kylo and wishing he was back already when her door chime went off. Walking to open the door she found the Knights standing outside her quarters. Ap'lek walked in first handing her her cloak which she put on its hook to the right of the door. Cardo came next with a crate of ingredients and the recipe book and head for the kitchen. Vicrul followed with two cases of beer and the rest of the Knights were empty handed.
"Hey guys!" Kiarie greeted them with a big smile. She was growing rather attached to the Knights. She liked spending time with them now that they all had the proper respect and their minds no longer wandered. Every now and again during training one or two would have the random thought while taking in her sweaty body but they usually stopped themselves once they realized what they were thinking.
"You ready to cook little apprentice?" Cardo yelled from the kitchen.
"Hell yes! I'm starving." She replied with a huge grin.
Ushar noticed the glass of whiskey on the counter. "Looks like you got a head start on us. And with the hard stuff no less."
"Yeah well it's nerve racking to have six giant assassins in your quarters." Kiarie teased the men.
Ap'lek came up and put an arm around her shoulder. "You know you have nothing to fear in us right?"
"Oh I know. Kylo would murder you all." Kiarie laughed.
"That is true." Kuruk spoke up as he cracked a beer open.
Kiarie turned to Cardo. "Okay which one are we making?"
Cardo opened the book and showed Kiarie two recipes. "I can't decide which one so I brought the ingredients for both."
"Both it is then." Kiarie laughed.
Cardo and Kiarie began to make dinner following the directions precisely as the other Knights found comfortable spots in her living area which was dwarfed by the size of the men in the room.
"So Vicrul are you excited for your date tonight?" Kiarie asked with a mischievous grin.
Vicrul got up from the couch where he had been sitting and walked across to the kitchen. "No. I'm nervous. What am I supposed to say?" Vicrul took a swig from his bottle. "I'm not a dater. I usually just bang a chick and move on."
Kiarie scrunched up her face at Vicrul. "Well do not do that to Ardella. She's my friend and I won't let you hurt her. It's better to be honest though. If you don't want to date and you just want sex, be upfront. Maybe she'll be down for it. But I know she really likes your energy and thinks your mask is sexy so take it with you and set it on the table."
"How the hell do you know all that? She told you?" Vicrul was surprised by the apprentice's words and watched as she tapped the side of her head. So she had read the Lieutenant's mind, great. "What else can you tell me?"
"That's all the stolen info I'll give you. The rest you'll have to figure out on your date mister." Kiarie laughed and turned back to help Cardo stick one of the dishes in the oven.
Thirty minutes later four Knights sat at Kiarie's small table and two Knights and Kiarie sat in the living area on the couch and in one chair. The two dishes seemed to have turned out okay as Cardo and Kiarie inspected them when they had been finished. One was a white cheese sauce with broccoli and grilled chicken and it was baked in the oven with a breadcrumb top. The other was a spicy version with chilies and ground nerf and an orange cheese sauce.
"Holy shit this is amazing." Trudgen spoke up. "We're doing this every night right?"
"I wish. I have bridge duty until Hux gets back from Star Killer." Kiarie sighed. She liked her bridge duty but if she was honest with herself between that and training she was getting tired.
"Damn." Trudgen grumbled.
"You guys have the book, you can make it without me you know." She laughed.
The Knights all grumbled as they continued to eat their meal. They would never tell Kiarie that it was the company they liked. Someone who saw them as more than a pack of attack dogs. The apprentice saw them for the individuals they were. And no one had ever given one of them a present much less paid a smuggler a shit load of credits for one. Sure the book had been for Cardo but in extension it was for all of them. They all got to eat the food that was made from the book so it was a present they all enjoyed.
Trudgen watched the apprentice as she sat next to Ap'lek on the couch. All of the Knights had noticed that the two had a special connection. It was almost like they communicated silently but since they could all see into their brothers mind they knew that wasn't the case. Every time it looked like they were sharing a silent conversation Trudgen had pushed into Ap'lek's mind which was not hard for him. But he found nothing relating to the apprentice. She was definitely most comfortable around him which struck the others as strange since the energy Ap'lek put off usually scared grown ass men away. But the apprentice wasn't scared of any of them and they knew it.
Vicrul stood up and set his plate in the sink. "Well I'm headed to the cafeteria. Will you guys still be here?"
"Yeah probably." Ushar laughed. "I'm not leaving till I eat all of the spicy one it's so damn good."
The room erupted in laughter as Vicrul picked up his helmet and headed out the door to his date. Kiarie could tell he was nervous so she pushed into his mind. "Vicrul. Just be yourself. You're funny and charming when you want to be."
"I'll never get used to you being in my head. But thank you I will." Vicrul replied with an audible smile.
It was the next afternoon and Kiarie had bridge duty. Ap'lek had walked Kiarie to her quarters after lunch and stood watch outside until the apprentice was changed and ready. She emerged from her quarters after thirty minutes, she was in full battle gear tonight. Ap'lek knew she normally wore nicer clothes to the bridge and was curious as to the reason for the change.
"What's with the battle gear?" He asked as she secured her door.
"Well with me being basically the highest ranking official on the bridge tonight I wanted to be ready for anything. I just feel uncomfortable about something." She replied as they began the walk to the bridge.
The Knights had decided that with Hux, the Commander and most senior officers down on Star Killer base they would stand guard on the bridge with Kiarie. No one really knew Vice Admiral Yeong yet. He had recently transferred from another ship and the Knights didn't want Kiarie alone anywhere on the Finalizer. It wasn't that they didn't think she couldn't take care of herself. It was that the Commander and Hux had enemies even on their own ship and they weren't here. So the Knights would not put it past anyone to try to get to the apprentice to get to them. It was common knowledge how Kylo Ren felt about his apprentice but people had also started to recognize the unlikely friendship that Kiarie and Hux shared.
"Well don't worry it's just nerves because you've never been alone and in charge. If anything the Knights kinda out rank you so we can always step in if you want." Ap'lek teased.
"Ha ha, so funny." Kiarie sarcastically laughed as she nudged him with her elbow. As the two rounded the last corner. Trudgen and Kuruk stood outside the doors to the bridge. They were in full battle gear with helmets on and weapons at the ready. It was an intimidating sight if you didn't know the men personally. Kiarie greeted them before walking into the bridge to start her duties.
There wasn't much to do tonight since they were simply patrolling the system where StarKiller Base sat. Kiarie descended into the pits to check on all the technicians like she always did. Then she stood by the front windows and watched the planets go by until StarKiller base was in view. The base had been built into the planet Ilum. The entire planet was a weapon based off of old technology from the Death Star. Kiarie had seen the weapons test as she stood next to Kylo on the bridge when the First Order wiped out five planets at once. The power of the base was immeasurable.
The apprentice wondered where in the galaxy Kylo was right then. He had only said he was going after the map and the scavenger girl, but she didn't know where that was. She felt like she could feel him nearby but she knew she was just being hopeful. Ap'lek had taken position at the back of the bridge and was making the bridge crew uncomfortable with the energy he was exuding. She knew even if she told him not to, he would still do the same, he liked making people uncomfortable.
"So what did the Lieutenant say about Vicrul?" Ap'lek asked Kiarie
"She said he was kinda shy and that she had a great time and hopes he asks her out again. She likes him. She thinks he's super sexy." Kiarie laughed. "What did Vic say?"
"He thinks she's really pretty and super smart. He 'thought' about her last night if you know what I mean?"
"Eww eww eww. Yes I know what you mean don't even tell me anything like that again!" Kiarie shook her head at the image burning into her brain now.
Last night after Vicrul had left the Knights had stuck around long enough to help clean up the mess from dinner and then around nine had left for their quarters. This morning training had been like every other day. Trudgen had not gone easy and Kiarie was sluggish from the large and heavy meal from the night before, as well as a lack of sleep. Trudgen had yelled as Kiarie got her ass kicked across the mat but every single Knight, it just wasn't her day. None of them had gone easy on her actually except Ap'lek, his win was a little less embarrassing but he still kicked her ass. Trudgen had yelled that she needed to be ready to fight no matter how well she felt or if she was tired. Kiarie had gotten frustrated and threw Trudgen across the room with the Force slamming him into the wall. Lunch had been a silent affair after that. She hadn't meant to throw him but her anger and frustration boiled over and she was still learning control it.
Kiarie was lost in thought when a Junior Lieutenant came up on her left side about an hour before her shift ended. "Captain. There's an incoming transmission for you. It's the Commander."
"Patch it to the conference room." Kiarie walked briskly out the bridge door and into the conference room which was the next door over. She was not surprised to see all three Knights behind her when she stopped in front of the holoprojector in the center of the conference table. She hit the button and a big blue Kylo Ren, complete with helmet, popped up.
"Apprentice." Kylo spoke before she got the chance.
"Commander." Kiarie smiled as wide as she could. "How's the mission Sir?"
"Good so far. I have the scavenger girl."
"What?" Kiarie gasped. "That's amazing. Did you get the map?"
"No. But she has seen it and I will take it from her mind in time." Kylo looked around him before he reached up and pulled his helmet off. "How are you?"
She knew he couldn't see the Knights so she let him know they were there. "I'm good. I'm on bridge duty. Hux went down to StarKiller so I'm technically second in command of the Finalizer right now. The Knights are helping me. Trudgen, Kuruk, and Ap'lek are here right now." She turned the holoprojector to show the Knights standing stoically at the door. "They didn't want me alone on the bridge for some reason." She laughed.
"Because you shouldn't be if both Hux and I are gone. As much as I detest the man, and you know why, he does have a soft spot for you after all these months and that makes you vulnerable." Kylo nodded to the Knights who nodded back. "Knights leave us."
The Knights left to stand outside of the door and Kiarie stepped back in front of the screen so the Commander could see her. "I miss you. When will you be back? Where are you?"
"I miss you too." He smiled into the hologram. "Actually I'm on StarKiller too. Where is the Finalizer right now?"
"Actually we're right above you." She laughed as she paused. "I felt you earlier. How long have you been on StarKiller?"
"A couple hours. I sensed you and the Knights as well." He smiled at his apprentice. "I should be back tonight or tomorrow."
"Okay."
A comfortable silence fell between the two as they just stared at each other for a few minutes. Kylo broke the silence eventually. "I better go get the map's location. I'm sure she's awake by now."
"Have fun."
Kylo laughed and shook his head as the transmission ended. Kiarie walked out of the conference room and back to the bridge and the Knights followed. Walking to the front of the bridge she stared out the window at StarKiller base. Her Commander was down there. Her Kylo. He was so close and yet so far away.
Her shift ended and Kiarie greeted Lieutenant Irvine as she came into the bridge. "Hello."
"Thank you for yesterday Captain." Ardella paused. "He came by my quarters earlier and asked me if he could take me down to a planet on a real date soon when we are near one and we have the time."
"Oh my god. You said yes right?" Kiarie almost squealed.
"Of course."
"Did you kiss? You didn't give me much this morning when I saw you. Tell me more."
Ardella sighed. "He was a gentleman and walked me to my quarters afterwards. He kissed my cheek." She whispered noticing the Knight at the back of the bridge. "Why are they here?"
"Hux and the Commander apparently have enemies on their own ship and the Knights are afraid someone will try something while they're gone." Kiarie sighed at all the overprotective men in her life. It was a huge difference form a few months ago when no one on the planet gave a shit about her.
"They're not wrong." Ardella raised an eyebrow.
Kiarie shook her head in disbelief and headed off the bridge. She was exhausted and would get the nights sleep she had been craving. Doctor Carol had given her some sleep aids that calmed her mind and she was going to take one tonight. Otherwise she wouldn't be able to function tomorrow. Ap'lek followed the apprentice out the door and Trudgen and Kuruk joined them to head down the hallway.
The ten minute walk to Kiarie's quarters was silent and peaceful. She could feel the exhaustion of the Knights as well as her own. "Trudgen I'd like to be on the bridge tomorrow for most of the day. Are you alright with canceling training for the day?"
"That's fine. I know you're anxious, I can feel it. Besides there wouldn't be much of a point training tomorrow if you're going to give another shit performance like today." He growled.
Kiarie wasn't able to hide the hurt look that spread across her face. It wasn't like she hadn't been trying this morning. She was just over tired from lack of sleep and all the training she had been doing lately. And all the mac and cheese the night before didn't help either. Without another word to any of the Knights she retreated into her quarters and locked the door. She headed for the cold storage for some juice. She would skip the whiskey tonight since Doctor Carol was very specific about not having alcohol with her sleep aids. She leaned on the counter sipping her juice for a few minutes while she thought about Trudgen's words. She hoped he was just tired to and wasn't actually mad at her for this morning.
A shrill sound pierced the quiet room. The holodisk on the counter was lighting up and screaming. Kiarie reached forward and pressed the answer button. A hologram of Ardella appeared. "Captain! StarKiller is under attack. We need you on the bridge!"
Kiarie did not answer, she ran for the door grabbing her cloak and ran to the bridge without bothering to secure her quarters. She made it to the lift and paced back and forth waiting for it to get to the right level. It opened two levels early and six Knights stood in front of her as they pushed into the lift.
"What's going on?" Cardo asked aggressively.
"StarKiller is under attack." They were the only words she could get out.
The lift doors opened and she pushed all of the Knights out of the way. Running full speed she found Ardella and Yeong on the bridge. She ran to the window and looked down on the planet. Rebel ships were everywhere and the Finalizer had already launched Tie-Fighters to counter them.
"Do we have any communication with the planet?" Just as Kiarie asked the question an explosion could be seen on the planet's surface. A pain ripped through her soul as she felt Kylo's distress. She could sense his pain and it was tearing her apart.
"Captain we have been unable to contact the base." Ardella came up beside her as Kiarie gripped the window ledge.
Kiarie spun to the six Knights now standing in the back of the bridge. "Take the Buzzard and go get him!" She screamed as they all stood there.
Kuruk walked up to her first. "We wouldn't get there in time."
Another explosion shook the planet and as Kiarie turned back to the window she could see the ripples running through the planet's surface. "What the fuck is happening?!"
Yeong walked up beside Kiarie. "Captain the planet's oscillator had been damaged. Without it the planet cannot contain the power of the sun. The planet will implode."
"No." It came out as a whisper. Within seconds the Knights were surrounding the apprentice. They attempted to exude positive energy but it was not helping. The Finalizers Tie-Fighters were returning so the ship could make it a safe distance from the planet before the inevitable final explosion. "Where are you going we have to get him!?"
"We have to move the ship Captain. There is nothing we can do." Ardella tried to console her friend. The energy from the Knights was easy for even her to read. They were terrified for their Master's safety but they were also worried about the apprentice in front of them. Ardella felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Vicrul next to her. He pulled her gently to his side as they all watched something none of them could do anything about.
"The General and the Commander of the First Order are down there and you're telling me there is nothing we can do!!??" Kiarie screamed. Her skin began to flush and turn to an unnatural red. Ap'lek noticed immediately, he had been in her head reading her every thought. For the Knights it was easy to detect the increase of the darkness inside of the apprentice.
Ap'lek knew what was coming. He watched in horror as the planet exploded leaving behind a new burning star where the once cold ice planet had been. Kiarie almost collapsed in front of him as a scream began to build inside of her. Ap'lek got in front of her and threw her over his shoulder and ran from the bridge. She was going to explode and the Force wave that he knew was coming would damage the entire bridge if it happened there. Ap'lek ran down the hall in a straight line. He just wanted to put distance between the bridge and Kiarie before all hell broke loose.
The rest of the Knights followed. They all knew what was coming. Kylo and Kiarie didn't know it but they had been in the hangar when Kiarie had been whipped. They had just returned from a mission and witnessed the second half, so they had all seen the Force wave come off of her as the last lash hit her back. Ap'lek's skin was burning through his cloak as the apprentice's body heated up. He had never experienced anything like it in all his years. Kylo had been doing research on the ability to see how his apprentice could control it better but his research had not gotten him very far.
Ap'lek stopped and set Kiarie down and backed away. She looked up at him and the other Knights as they came to a stop a few feet down the hallway. A scream ripped from her lungs as a bubble of the Force burst from her. A dent in the shape of a sphere surrounded her. The walls floor and ceiling all took damage and stormtroopers down the hall were thrown back. The Knights were all knocked off of their feet. It took them a minute to pull themselves off of the floor. When they did they saw the black cloak of the apprentice flying out behind her as she ran for the hangar. The Knights jumped up and gave chase. Vicrul was the fastest and able to almost catch up to her as she paused, scanning the hangar, before heading straight for Kylo's Tie-Silencer. Vicrul watched as the apprentice flew the hatch open with the Force and jumped into the cockpit. Before she could close the hatch he pushed in holding the hatch open.
"Where are you going?" He yelled.
"I'm going to kill some fucking rebels!" She snapped.
"You're overreacting. You need to wait and make a plan. You can't just fly off the handle you'll get yourself killed!" Vicrul yelled back. By now all six Knights surrounded the Silencer.
"Kiarie come out of there. You've had one lesson, you'll get yourself killed." Kuruk tried to stay calm but he was devastated.
"Kiarie I can't lose you too." Ap'lek chose not to speak out loud. "Please don't do this. We'll make a plan and take the Buzzard, all of us. You're basically in charge now." He tried to joke but she definitely wasn't in the mood.
"I can't live without him." Kiarie whispered to everyone, letting the tears take over as her anger died and the devastation hit her.
Vicrul pulled Kiarie from the pilot seat and handed her down to Trudgen who stood waiting with his arms out. She curled into a ball against his chest as she gripped the edges of his jacket. Her cries came out as screams and her whole body shook. The Knights formed a tight perimeter around her as they began to march out of the hangar.
Their apprentice was broken, she was no longer Kylo's, he was dead, so she would become theirs. They no longer had a leader and they all mourned him. All of the Knights fed off of each other and the apprentice. They felt the grief as a single unit. They were one, all seven of them. She would be theirs now. They would take her in. They would stay on the Finalizer, for her if that's what she wanted. If not they would follow her anywhere.