Breeder ~ A Kylo Ren Fanfiction

30

I took a moment to collect myself before leaving, deciding, after a moment of hesitation, to take Ren's cloak with me. "Excuse me," I whispered nervously to the Stormtrooper waiting for me. "Can I give this to you?"

"What is it?"

"Commander Ren's cloak, he forgot it."

"Are you insane? He'd flay me alive if he caught me with it."

"Well, who should I give it to?" 

"I don't know, just not me." When he saw my distraught expression, he sighed, which sounded like static through his mask. "Perhaps you could just return it to him at lunch. I'm sure he'll react... reasonably." Even as he said it, we both shrank at the ridiculousness of such a statement; Kylo Ren wasn't exactly known for his cool-headed logic.

When we arrived in the dining hall, I quickly scanned the space, but couldn't find Ren. Slightly relieved, I sat down at the end of the Breeder table. But my peace of mind didn't last long; if I couldn't get this cloak back to the commander today, I'd have to wait till tomorrow, keep it on me, probably in my bed since I didn't have any other realistic place to store it, and have to face Ren's rage right before our next session. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see we'd received a new Breeder, and, judging by the way she let her curtain of black hair obscure her face and didn't touch her food, she was brand new, not just come from the post-natal ward. Any other day, I'd try to make her feel welcome, take her under my wing like Anika did with me, but I worried I'd vomit if I tried to open my mouth.

And then he arrived, less dramatic without his fluttering cape, but still noticeable thanks to his towering height and ominous aura. Taking three long, deep breaths, I folded the cloak several times, clutching it tightly in my hands, and approached the leadership table. I walked with fast, purposeful steps, making it more than halfway there before a Stormtrooper noticed me, clamping a hand around my upper arm, stopping me dead in my tracks.

"What are you doing? Return to your table immediately."

"No, I have to give this to Commander Ren."

"There is nothing you have that he could possibly need, and if you don't do as I say, there will be severe consequences."

I looked up at the dais where the high-ups sat in a line, enjoying finer food than our meager portions. There were too far away to hear me, but Ren didn't need to rely on sound. He didn't look our way, instead choosing to converse with General Hux, something he'd never do; he was purposefully ignoring me. I tried desperately to push past the trooper, catch someone's eye.

"Alright, whore, I've had enough of your insolence." The soldier began dragging me away, my feet struggling to stay on the ground. "We'll see what Captain Phasma wants to do with you; some time in the tank will straighten your attitude out fast enough."

I didn't know what he meant by 'the tank' but the way he said it made my blood go cold. I couldn't let them take me away, torture me. "KYLO REN!"

The entire hall went silent at my words, all heads turned to me, including the one in question. His beetle-black eyes went so wide, I could see the whites surrounding them, his mouth open slightly. The Stormtrooper released me, putting distance between us so only I'd face the wrath of the commander. Ren stood up to his whole height, swiftly making his way around the length of the table and down the center aisle, his heavy footsteps the only sound in the room. He stopped directly in front of me, his angry features softened by the sheer shock at this situation. "Yes, Astrid?" 

He said my name with such venom, I nearly started crying, holding out his cloak with trembling arms. "You forgot this." An outer garment seemed like such a foolish thing to risk my safety and dignity for in hindsight, but it was too late to go back now.

Taking it from me, he never broke eye contact, face unreadable. Carefully, he touched my wrist, index finger taking a pulse. When he realized how fast my heart was racing, he pushed into my mind, gently, and I relaxed, allowing him. 

The only way I could think to describe the sensation that followed was the one time in my childhood I took formal medication. My brother and I contracted swamp-slug poising, a disease that infects the blood, making the patient run a high fever, suffer severe headaches, hot sweats, insomnia, and muscles cramps, and, when untreated, it will eventually cause death. Our local healers insisted cold compresses and herbal tea would be enough to cleanse our blood and break the fever, but my father knew otherwise so, for the first time since he immigrated to Maslot, he went off-planet to find proper medicine. I don't know how he afforded it, or if he stole it, but a single injection into my neck was enough to make the pain in my body and head dissipate, my temperature drop another degree with every passing minute, and I could finally sleep. What Ren did to me was remarkably similar, only with my fear; my heart rate plummetted, palms no longer sweaty, the onlookers' eyes fading from view.

"Thank you." Turning to the Stormtrooper. "Take her back to her table." Then, to the rest of the room, eyes narrowed. "Don't you all have better things to do than stare like idiots?!"

Voices started up again, slowly at first, until the room filled with the white noise of chattering humans. The trooper didn't take me back to my isolated seat, instead plopping me down next to Voss and her friends, perhaps in an attempt to punish me.

"What was that?" the blonde asked, not giving me a second to breathe.

"I needed to return his cloak."

"You shouted his name in a crowded room, you tried to approach leadership, you- you-" She leaned in closer, eyes wide with fascination. "You just don't do that around here. And he didn't even get mad at you or anything!"

I didn't respond, looking over my shoulder at Kylo Ren, seated again, now wearing his cape. He met my gaze for a split second, the corner of his mouth quirking up and down so fast, I wasn't sure it actually happened, then he returned to his meal and I returned to mine, like nothing even happened.