AN: You know I don't own Star Wars. This is different from what I usually write – it's a prize fic request for the winner of a raffle a friend of mine hosted on DeviantArt. The winner requested a fic about Kylo Ren and her OC Talithia. I've never written about someone else's OC before, so yeah, new territory for me. This story takes place pre-TFA.
"Connected Minds"
By EsmeAmelia
Why was this prisoner still alive?
Kylo Ren had successfully interrogated her weeks ago – her mind had been simple to probe for the information the First Order wanted. Theoretically, she was still alive because it made sense to make sure the information she gave them paid off, but so what if her information didn't pay off? It wasn't like those artifacts were crucial to the First Order's success.
However, he had heard from a stormtrooper that she had made an interesting offer in addition to the information. Perhaps she hadn't yet expended her usefulness.
There she was, slumped down against the wall of her cell, her light blonde hair tangled up in knots around her dotted face, vaguely tapping a finger on her knee. Pathetic. Kylo opened the door to her cell, but she didn't stop tapping, as if it were a source of entertainment for her.
"Talitha," Kylo growled her name, though his mask would alter his voice anyway, "I heard that you have offered your services to the First Order."
Finally the tapping stopped. The prisoner stared up at him, her breath shortening, her eyes widening, fear flowing off of her in waves. Delicious fear.
"Well?" Kylo persisted. "Is this true?"
The prisoner was trembling. "Yes," she said in a whisper. "I offer you my services."
"And what makes you think we have need of your services?"
The prisoner called Talitha inhaled through her nose in a feeble attempt to gather her strength. "I'm a thief," she said. "I can get in and out of a place without anyone noticing. I could be very valuable to you."
Kylo smirked inside his mask. "Do you realize how many prisoners have given a similar speech in a desperate attempt to stay alive?"
"I have no loyalty to the Republic." Her voice was bolder now. "If you don't believe me, you can probe my mind again."
For a moment Kylo was taken aback. What kind of fool would ask to be probed a second time? "You wish to be probed again?"
She was blinking up at him. "No, of course I don't wish it, but if it's required to get out of this hellhole, I'll take it!"
Kylo would have found this amusing if the prisoner didn't look completely serious about it. "Fine. Let's see where your loyalties truly lie."
He strode up to her, reaching his hand out until it was inches away from her head, harnessing the Force and pulling her thoughts into his own mind. Her mind was so easy to probe that he almost felt sorry for her. She whimpered a bit as her memories flowed into his mind.
Interrogations were always unpredictable. Kylo never knew what the first memory would be. It was often some memory from childhood, as if the prisoners retreated back to a time of greater innocence when they were confronted with their minds being invaded. Other minds immediately went to the private thoughts they were so desperate to conceal, which was actually lucky for them since it shortened their interrogations. Still other minds went to completely random memories that had nothing to do with anything, which always led to Kylo intensifying the probing and pain for the captive.
This time it was a childhood memory. Kylo almost rolled his eyes, but as it became clearer his breath slowed.
There was a man in his late thirties or early forties with hair a shade darker than the prisoner – the prisoner's father, Kylo assumed – giving a crooked grin from the pilot's seat of a ship. "So Talithia baby, what do you think of Daddy's ship?"
"I wanna fly it!" came a small child's voice, presumably the prisoner's.
The man laughed. "You can someday, but you'll have to wait till you're a little bit older."
"So Ben buddy, what do you think of Daddy's ship?"
"I wanna fly it!"
"You can someday, but you'll have to wait till you're a little bit older."
Kylo ground his teeth, thankful the prisoner couldn't see him sweating under the mask. No, no, that life was gone and that boy was dead. Forget the past and concentrate on the task at hand.
He pushed harder into her mind, this time seeing the streaks of hyperspace through a viewport, feeling through her mind the sensation of sitting in a large, comfortable lap, held by protective arms, hearing a deep, roaring chuckle.
"Yeah Ben, hyperspace is fun, isn't it?"
"It sure is!"
Kylo growled, now Force-pushing her head back against the wall, making her cry out. "You can't distract me with childhood memories. I will find what I want, however long it takes."
The prisoner Talithia somehow managed to stare up at him. "Your . . . your hand . . ." she gasped out.
"What about it?"
"It's shaking."
He refused to respond to that insipid comment; instead he started skimming through her mind, refusing to linger on any memory and just looking for any signs of loyalty to the Republic. He saw that she had an older sister, but wouldn't study her long enough to learn about their relationship.
Ben Solo used to want a sister . . .
No, no! Concentrate. He saw her father teaching her to fly a ship . . . Han Solo taught his son how to fly a ship too . . . NO! He skimmed faster, ignoring her cries and his own stomach flipping.
Finally he broke the connection, panting behind the mask and leaving the prisoner gasping against the wall. She stared up at him, eyes reddened, face pale. "Well . . ." she said in an exhausted whisper, ". . . did you see what you needed?"
Kylo had never been more grateful for the mask that made him look intimidating no matter what the circumstances were. "You were telling the truth," was all he said.
The prisoner still stared at him. "Your hand . . ." she whispered between labored breaths, "it's still shaking . . ."
Kylo considered Force-choking her then and there, but decided against it. Perhaps she could still be a useful asset to the First Order.
"Well . . ." the prisoner continued, ". . . what do you say about my offer?"
Kylo abruptly turned around and headed for the cell door. "I will . . . think about it."
He left before she could comment further about his trembling hand.
THE END