Chapter 6: The Man Behind the Mask

                                    

                                          
The executive dining hall was different than you had expected. Unlike the large, busy, and questionably sanitary mess hall, this was fit for the most elite of the Supreme Leader's guests and officers. The large table, built for at least a dozen, felt excessive, considering it was only the two of you in there. You were seated immediately next to Kylo Ren's left. He sat there, staring ahead, silently. You wondered for a moment if there was even someone in there, behind the mask.
The doors opened, and in came servers. You didn't even know servers like this were on the ship. They must've existed for the sole purpose of serving the Supreme Leader his dinner. As the food was placed in front of you, you felt a pang of jealousy, that for years the Supreme Leader was eating so well while you and the other workers struggled to sustain normal levels of nutrition.
You realized what was happening as the servers left. What else he wanted to show you. Kylo Ren couldn't eat with the mask on. Butterflies erupted in your gut with the anticipation of what was to come next. He looked at you through the mask.
"You are this excited, just to see what I look like?" He mused, seeming to enjoy your eagerness.
"It would be nice, Master, to know what you look like. To see who I serve."
You hadn't forgotten about earlier, and you were still struggling to find it in you to get past your feelings. A gloved hand reached to your face, you flinched back, but his touch was gentle. He pushed back a strand of hair behind your ear.
"I.." He hesitated, he was choosing his words carefully. "I lost my temper earlier." He rested his hand on your cheek, holding it there softly. "You have quite the attitude, and it would appear, I haven't properly adjusted it...yet."
Wow, what a poor excuse for an apology.
"You see, that." He stood quickly, his chair flying back and hitting the wall. He stood close to you, his masked face not far from yours. "I will not apologize for your inability to follow simple orders." He pushed your chair out from under you and Forced you to a kneeling position. "You need to learn how to act properly if you are to be my apprentice, and I would presume that your lack of respect and knowledge will only be rectified with time and training."
"I..." you hesitated and decided not to finish your sentence. It wasn't going to make him happy, and you didn't want a repeat of the hallway incident.
"Speak, you're allowed to speak you know."
You knew you were allowed to speak, but you weren't allowed freedom from consequences. "I, um, I didn't ask for this." You felt a relief as he let go of his hold on you. You felt another tear slip out and it made you feel embarrassed. You didn't want to show weakness in front of him again. Your tears seemed to upset him further.
"Of course you didn't." He said sternly. "There are a thousand well qualified people who would feel great privilege to be where you are. You should be grateful. Maybe I should've taken one of them instead." He stomped over to his chair and brought it back to the table. He put you back in your chair as well before sitting back down and facing you once more. "Enough crying, you look ridiculous."
You did your best to control the tears filling up in your eyes, "I'm sorry, Master. I'm really trying."
He placed his hands on either side of his helmet, you heard the sound of a suction release, and he slowly removed it. You covered your mouth with surprise. Every part of you hoped he was hideous and deformed, that he was a disgusting literal monster. It would make your suppressed longing for him to ravage you again much easier to control. He was beautiful. Brown glistening eyes in the dim light, dark, black hair falling to his shoulders, full lips, he looked nothing like you had expected. You noted the scar over his right eye, the infamous scar from his battle against Rey, something about his imperfections made him all the more attractive to you.