Writer's note: Tragically, I still don't own any of the characters. They all belong to Lucasfilm and Disney; I just like to play with them. Haven't written anything like this in ages and I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Rey glided along a side street in the Senate District, blending in perfectly with the bureaucrats and members of high society in an opulent eggplant cloak that she had procured upon her arrival. She'd always wanted to go to Coruscant, and had jumped at the opportunity when the Resistance had asked for a volunteer for this mission. The planet was every bit as magnificent as she'd imagined it; old and new architecture mixing together flawlessly, towering buildings glinting in the sunset while beings from every corner of the galaxy mingled below. She was on her way to the hotel suite that General Organa had somehow reserved for her stay. Rey was unknown to nearly all members of the New Republic government, which certainly worked to her advantage, but blending in with the tourists and aristocracy was still crucial, and Leia had spared no expense in this department.
For a moment, she considered taking the long way to the hotel, perhaps even stopping at a restaurant. Her meeting with the Senator's confidant wasn't until tomorrow afternoon, and an exploration, however minor, of the bustling hub of the galaxy was tempting. Her gaze swept the area around her, and as she watched the long shadows of dusk dance across the street, she resigned herself to heading straight for the hotel. After all, this was a mission, not a vacation, and everything must go according to plan. Pulling on the hood of her cloak as a soft breeze blew through the air, she quickened her pace, anxious to arrive at her suite without incident.
Two long, muscled arms reached out as Rey passed by an alleyway, snatching her from the street and pulling her into the darkness. A hand nearly the size of her face clamped over her mouth while the other arm wrapped around her torso and her arms, pulling her flush against the unseen assailant and preventing her from inflicting any damage. She was about to scream when an invisible hand pressed down on her throat, choking off her air, and a gravely, mechanized voice whispered in her ear "Don't scream, Rey. I'm not going to hurt you."
The color drained from her face as Rey recognized the voice – and the cold fury of the Force aura that accompanied it, and her astonishment caused her to momentarily stop struggling against her captor. As she tried desperately to draw a breath, she again began to fight against the man restraining her, gasping for air as she felt the last bit of it leave her lungs. Instantaneously, the invisible grip around her throat loosened, and she drew a long shuddering breath before his hand tightened over her mouth. His rhythmic breathing sounded in her ear as he bent his head toward her again. "I don't want to have to immobilize you or render you unconscious, but you must understand that I can't risk us being seen or heard," he murmured calmly. 'Of course you can't! It would interfere with your kidnapping attempt!' Concentrating intensely, Rey shouted the thought as loudly as possible, hoping she could force it into his mind.
Her efforts were rewarded with a low, rumbling chuckle. "Silly girl," he started, voice barely audible. "I can see you haven't gained much wisdom during your time with the Resistance. A pity, really." Whether or not he was trying to push her buttons, he had succeeded; though her attempt to elbow him in the stomach was easily prevented as he gripped her arm tightly with his gloved hand. "Now, now, Rey, that's no way to thank the man who's saving your life," he chastised. "You need my protection, so I suggest you cooperate." She snorted against his hand at his last statement. The idea that she needed protection from anyone other than him was preposterous, and the thought of him protecting her from anything was downright laughable.
"Rey," he started, more gently than before. "You're in danger. I'm going to remove my hand from your mouth, and turn you around to face me. I'll do the best I can to explain, but so help me, gods, if you so much as think about screaming, fighting or making a run for it, I will knock you out cold and carry you to my apartment thrown over my shoulder in the most undignified manner possible. Do I make myself clear?"
She tried to nod in response to his conditions, but found the back of her head pressed so tightly against his chest that the most she could do was move her jaw slightly against his hand. He seemed to take that for her agreement, and gently released his hand from her face, though he kept it a few inches away in the event that she decided resistance was a better option. Slowly, he spun her around to face him and, with one arm still restraining her torso, maneuvered them to sandwich her between a cold metallic wall and himself. Rey's breath became shallow and rapid as she felt even more trapped than before. "An insurance policy," he tried to reassure her. "I'm still not going to hurt you." He sighed and shifted against her. He shouldn't have expected this to be easy; of course she'd be terrified and unwilling to cooperate with him after their first encounter.
"Look, Rey." He stated matter-of-factly, trying a different tactic. "If I was here to kidnap or eliminate you, I would have already done so. Holding you alive and conscious like this would be a huge liability." He instantly regretted saying it as her eyes grew wide and he felt her take a panicked swallow. With only one final approach left, he tried again. "There's a First Order assassination plot against you, and I'm trying to prevent it from succeeding," he spat at her, temper rising. The longer they stayed here, the more danger they were both in.
"A what?" She asked incredulously, failing completely to keep quiet.
"Shhhhhhhhh!" he hissed back, glancing nervously at the street from the shadows of the alley.
She fell silent, glaring up at him resentfully and setting her jaw. "Fine, I'll keep my voice down," she whispered through clenched teeth. "But how do I know this isn't a trap, and you're not trying to talk me into going with you so you don't have to fight me before you kidnap me again?"
"I wouldn't be sneaking around this blasted planet in such a ridiculous mask if it was," he countered. As Rey's eyes struggled to compensate for the darkness, he tilted his head, and moonlight played across his face. Underneath the cowl, she could see that his usual black and silver mask had been replaced with a clear one designed to imitate the apparatus used by beings who could not breathe oxygen. The mouthpiece and ornate decorations covered enough of his face that one would be hard pressed to recognize him in passing. Taking her silence for agreement, he slipped his palm down to her lower back. "Good, then. Let's get going. My apartment is only a few blocks away. Take my arm, and keep your head covered. We can pretend we're out on an evening stroll, and I'll explain everything when we're safely inside."
He took a step toward the street, but she remained in place, pressed against the wall. "Rey, come on," he urged, trying to nudge her forward with the hand resting on her spine, to no avail. He suspected she'd used the force to help her anchor herself to the spot. Glaring in her direction only earned him a stubborn shake of her head, and he exhaled angrily. "What is it going to take for you to-" He stopped short as an idea popped into his head. She was likely fully focused on keeping herself in one place, to the detriment of protecting her mind. With one swift move, he shoved a memory into the forefront of her consciousness.
Rey's head swam as, suddenly, she was no longer in the alley, but was staring up at a towering hologram of Supreme Leader Snoke's twisted figure as he hissed orders at her. "The girl will be on Coruscant in a fortnight, Lord Ren. Though I have already arranged for two teams to carry out the assassination, I'd like you to go along. To ensure that there are no… unforeseen difficulties," he finished slowly, glaring to her left. She glanced in the direction of his gaze and saw a fuming General Hux. She felt herself bow slightly before the words "Of course, Supreme Leader. As you wish," issued from her mouth, and the apparition dissolved.
She wasn't aware she had fallen until she felt her knees colliding with the ground, and she cried out softly, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. A strong hand closed around each of her upper arms, and she was gently pulled back up to her feet. She wobbled unsteadily as the remnants of the memory still partially obscured her sense of the present, though she recalled enough to know that the person supporting her was Kylo Ren, and she was in some sort of danger. "What- what did you do?" she asked shakily.
"I'm sorry," his altered voice murmured from behind her. "You weren't cooperating, and it was either that or render you unconscious and carry you." He paused, loosening his grip slightly to check whether she was regaining her balance. "And a man carrying an unconscious, respectable, looking young woman would draw considerably more attention than two young lovers out for an evening walk." He surprised even himself with how easily the idea slipped from his mouth, and, had Rey not still be slightly disoriented; she might have caught the slight hint of a smirk dancing in his eyes as he articulated it.
The thought of being thrown, unconscious, over his shoulder made Rey scowl; "I don't appear to have another choice, do I?" she asked indignantly.
"No, I don't suppose you do," came his amiable reply, which only served to further incense her.
Her scowl deepened, and her fiery hazel eyes nearly shot blaster bolts into his. "You're enjoying this, aren't you!" she shot back, enraged. "You're getting off on wielding this much power over me you sick, murdering little-"
Rey's insult was cut off as he dropped his hands, paralyzed her with the Force, and swung around to plant the hilt of his lightsaber solidly in her lower back, all in one fluid motion. "I warned you, Rey," he growled, inches from her ear. "You are going to walk with me, now, or I will slice this through your spinal cord and leave you paralyzed in this alley." He pressed the handle of his saber even harder against her spine as he spoke, leaving little doubt to his sincerity.