Rey's eyes snapped open, immediately taking in the room around her. She was lying on an uncomfortable black couch within what seemed to be a small living quarters, judging by the single bed shoved in the corner of the room. Dim lights shone from a crevice running around the top of the walls, and a blaster hung by the door to her right. She began to sit up, the process made more difficult by her bound hands. What had happened? Last she remembered was a snow-covered forest, and then the ground trembling beneath her.
"You're awake. The medic droids weren't sure how long you would be out." The voice sounded from her left.
Rey's head whipped toward it, and her vision immediately blurred so she could only see a figure in black sitting in a chair near her. "What…?"
Kylo Ren, who was the only person she knew who wore all black and who had a voice amplified by a mask, stood and walked to a small table near him, pouring some dark liquid in a glass. "I'd offer you some Corellian brandy, but the medic droids would probably shock me if you drank some with that head wound."
Rey's vision finally stabilized, and she squinted at the former Jedi. "What are you doing?"
"You are my guest. Perhaps this time you will not offend me by leaving early." Kylo's hand moved up to his helmet, and Rey heard it unlock before he pulled it off. He took a deep drink from the glass and turned to look at her, allowing her to see the red scar running from his right jaw to under his right eye. "Or by cutting open my face."
Rey frowned and pulled at the cuffs on her wrists. "Do you commonly restrain your guests?"
Kylo sat back in the nearby chair, and Rey could see he was moving stiffly. She felt a surge of triumph, knowing that the murder in front of her had been injured in their forest fight. "You did give me this scar." The left side of his mouth twitched, and Rey could not decide if he was amused or holding back a scowl. "I thought I would give you another chance to accept my offer to teach you. You know nothing of the Force, and I am the only one in the galaxy who knows how to properly use it."
Rey met the young man's eyes, trying to read his intentions. "I am assuming you're only offering because you couldn't get into my head with your little tricks the last time."
Kylo's dark eyes narrowed, and his expression became stormy. "You're powerful. I'll give you that, but you can do so much more with the dark side. Trained, you can do anything. Even find your family."
Rey hesitated at his words. He'd touched on her deepest desire, but he only knew that because of those mind tricks he played. Her mind was the only thing she could count on, and he had just invited himself in. There was no way in hell she would allow him to become her teacher, and she was certainly not going to allow herself to learn those tricks to impose upon others. "No."
Kylo Ren's gloved hand came up, and the Force closed around her mind. Her eyes closed, and she concentrated as she had before to keep him away from the map that BB-8 had shown her. Her head wound throbbed, and she grimaced, trying to pull as much of the Force as she could muster to keep him out. Flashes of her short time on the Falcon came to her mind, and she saw Finn grinning at her after they'd escaped Jakku. Finn. Suddenly all her thoughts went to her friend, and Kylo gave a low hiss as he was shoved out of her mind.
Reasoning that he had already invaded her mind, she tried to do the same to him as she had managed before, but the wound on her left temple was beginning to bleed again, and she couldn't muster up enough concentration. Glaring at the Knight of Ren, she demanded, "Where's Finn?"
Kylo snarled and stood, and the Force gripped her neck, slamming her into the wall behind the low couch. "You're in no position to demand answers from me!"
His free hand went to his lightsaber, and it had just crackled to life when to door opened, and a redhead with an arrogant expression sauntered inside, looking like a child eager to tattle on a classmate.
"Ren, the Supreme Leader has ordered that the prisoner is to remain alive. Since you can't control yourself, I will take her off your hands."
Rey's last memory before the Force forced her unconscious was the red lightsaber slashing at the small table of drinks.
AN: I have lurked in the fanfiction world for years, but I have never written a story, much less one that I have been extremely excited about! Please note that much of this story is inspired by World Under Siege written by lone, with her generous permission. Thanks for reading!