A Dimensional Affair • Kylo Ren x OC

Chapter 7

It had been a few days, and I still hadn't talked to Ben.

Since that day he stormed out of the training facility, he had made himself scarce. I could tell he was purposefully avoiding me. Every now and then, I could feel a swell of anger that was not my own, but the sensation was fleeting, as if he was intentionally shutting the bond down. The image of his rage in that hallway played through my mind frequently and I couldn't stop considering the weapon. Later that evening, Ap'lek and Vicrul had confirmed that that was a lightsaber.

Ap'lek and Vicrul lounged in the sitting area, the latter barely uttering any words to me since Ben's threat. The silence was exhausting, but they still continued to accompany me around the ship. We had fallen into an unofficial routine, which basically involved them sharing mealtimes with me and multiple hours spent in the training rooms or just wandering the ship. Even though Ben and I were still sharing the quarters, he was gone in the mornings before I woke and came in well after I was asleep. The last I had asked about him, the Knights had said he had left the ship for a mission.

Rinsing the food remnants from my plate in the sink, I let out an exasperated sigh.

"This is stupid," I stated bluntly, gaining attention from the Knights.

"What's wrong, Mae?" Ap'lek asked, crossing room to face me across the kitchen island.

"I just don't understand why he won't talk to me. He won't even be in the same room as me when he is on this damn ship. Is it because of the altercation with him?" I questioned, gesturing to Vicrul, who turned at my accusation.

Ap'lek sighed, running a hand over his face. It seemed as though he was just as exhausted as I was.

"Mae, I couldn't possibly explain the Supreme Leader's feelings or intentions to you. He is...Troubled, to put it simply."

That was an understatement.

"What do you mean?" I demanded.

"I mean—"

"He means that the Supreme Leader doesn't know what the fuck to do with you." Vicrul cut him off.

I started at his intrusion into the conversation and eyed him as he came to where we stood.

"Look, he's never been in this predicament before," he said, gesturing to me. "To be honest, none of us have exactly had a pretty girl around us nonstop. But it's different for him. You two have this bond shit going on and from what I know of a Force bond, it's probably making him protective over you."

I eyed him. "If he's so protective of me, why isn't he here?"

Vicrul snorted. "Because he's protecting you from him, Princess."

Ap'lek gave Vicrul a look that told him to shut up, causing Vicrul to move back to the couch.

"Mae," Ap'lek started, eyes sad. "You've seen a small portion of his temper. What happened between him and Vicrul is nothing compared to some things he has done—things all of us have done. He's unpredictable when it comes to that side of him, the Darkness that overtakes him."

I started to interrupt to voice all the kindness Ben had showed me, but Ap'lek continued.

"Whatever kindness he has shown you, you are the only person he has ever shown it to. I worry that if you push him or if another incident like the one with Vicrul happens, that it would destroy your perception of him or worse, you would get physically hurt. Our world is very different than the one you are accustomed to; you must understand that."

Considering what he said, I leaned against the counter, lost in my own thoughts as the Knights moved into their own conversation.

If I was truthful with myself, Ben's anger did frighten me, but it also pissed me off. The reality of my situation was that I was the alien in this galaxy. I could've died during that failed experiment, probably should have given the destructiveness of it, but I ended up here.