Rey sits quietly, staring into the bright lights that shine down above her. She sits on a hard metal chair in the middle of the small interrogation room. There's a plate of glass in front of her and she can't see through it, but she knows there are others on the other side, watching her.
"You are one, Rey from Jakku?" a male voice says over a speaker.
"Yes," she says calmly, feeling Kylo's anxiety through the door behind her.
Will you calm down? She growls at him through the force.
There's twinge of defiance as his response.
"At eighteen hundred hours, two men attacked a prisoner and in your attempt to save him you killed them. Is that correct?" the voice continues.
"Yes. It was self-defense."
"There was no other way to defend the prisoner besides death to them both? One would argue that there are many means of stopping an attacker that doesn't involve murder."
Rey bites the inside of her lip, but she doesn't lose confidence. "Of course there are other ways, but those men came at me to kill me, and I acted on instinct."
"It's your instinct to kill?"
Rey shrugs. "Should it not be? When someone comes at you with a knife, meaning to slash your throat, do you simply knock it out of his hand and hope he doesn't try another way to kill you?"
There's a silence for a moment and Rey feels a weird tingling sensation creep up her body. The words that had come out of her mouth hadn't sounded like something she would say. Though she felt her words rang true… to some degree.
"I grew up alone on Jakku. You either learned how to kill or everyone else would kill you. Nobody left their victims alive. Those men who went after Kylo, had the intent of killing. When someone is about to kill, a darkness surrounds them and all I could see was black. For me, it was either kill, or be killed. There was no other way."
There's another long, deafening silence, and Rey thinks perhaps Leia was wrong, and that they were going to condemn her. But after the few moments had pasted, the voice spoke again.
"The council has come to an agreement. We are sad to lose those men, but they broke one of the most severe laws. Rey acted in self-defense. She is declared 'not-guilty' for the crime of murder."
The door opens behind her and she stands up, wiping her sweaty palms on her pants. Two guards walk in, not making eye contact with her as she walks out. Kylo stands just outside the door, wearing a straight jacket. Several armed guards stand around him, ready to shoot on any sign of movement.
Rey gives him a hard look. "I'm glad you decided to be reasonable."
He gives her an equally hard stare. "What if they still decide to execute me?"
"Then you'll get the death you always wanted."
His eyes twitch at the remark.
"Give them everything they want and they'll let you live," she adds flatly, before turning away from him and walking towards the door that led to the audience of the interrogation room.
She opens the door, and the people seated turn to stare at her. Some of them have fear in their eyes. Mal, Cassian, Finn, and Poe, however, do not. They smile widely at her entrance.
"I liked the whole 'my instinct is to kill' part," Mal chimes.
"Rey, I didn't know you could be so dark," Finn mutters as she sits down next to him.
She slumps down into the chair. "It wasn't intentional. Sometimes things just come out."
Kylo enters the room, along with the several armed guards. They don't leave his side. He has a smirk stained on his face and it irritates Rey.
What? I can't have a little fun with this? He pokes at her when he feels her annoyance.
You could at least try and look like you care. This is serious.
Well, you need me more than I need you. So even I'm found guilty and sentenced to death, you'd swoop in to save me.
Rey clenches her fist, letting her fingernails dig into her skin. I see your attitude runs in the family.
This causes a flicker of rage to light within him. The smirk twitches with anger, but he gracefully holds his façade.
A voice rings out over the speakers, the same one that interrogated Rey. "Are you one Ben Solo, alias Kylo Ren?"
"Yes," Kylo states lamely, his eyes flickering around the room, taking in his surroundings.
The man clears his throat. "Kylo Ren, you have been found guilty for the destruction of the Hosnian system, the gross violations of the rights put in place by the Republic, including the massacre of millions of civilians, the torture of prisoners, and not to mention the cold-blooded murder of Han Solo."
There's a pause, and the man continues. "Of course the list could go on but that would take us weeks to cover. Do you oppose any of these accusations made against you?"
Kylo sighs, a little too dramatically. "Well, if you want to get technical, I didn't actually aid in the destruction of the Hosnian system. I just watched."
There's an irritated murmur in the audience.
"Can we just kill him already?" Mal whispers. "He could give two shits about all the lives he's taken."
Rey ignores her comment, concentrating on Ren. She pushes him lightly through the force.
"Very well," the voice states. "As you are probably aware, the consequences of these crimes are punishable by death, and the Council has decided in much argument and discussion that you are to be executed in time for these heinous crimes."
Ren stiffens in his chair, his smirk falling quickly into a hard, emotionless face. Rey sends him calming thoughts, reassuring her confidence.
"However," the man clears his throat again, obviously displeased. "There are some here who believe you are most advantageous to our long term cause. They have come to agree on the following proposition: tell us everything you know about the First Order. It's resources, strategy, weapon installations, locations, major bases, and anything else you may have of value to share. I mean everything down to what material Hux uses for his uniforms. Everything."
"They're going to let him live," Finn whispers in shock next to Rey.
She touches his arm to calm him, but she can already dread the conversation they will have later when he finds out it was Rey's idea.
"You will tell us everything, in exchange for your life," the voice finishes, leaving the crowd in an approar.
Rey is the only one who stays sitting quietly, unaffected by the sudden announcement.
"You can't be serious!" Mal shouts, standing up in a rage. Cassian stands with her, grabbing her arm tightly.
Several guards come into the audience stands, forcing everyone to quiet down. Rey looks over and notices Poe staring at her. He knew too. It's a look of sympathy. Finn finally calms down and Poe lovingly pats his shoulder.
"They have no idea," Finn exclaims softly, shaking his head. "They have no idea the things that monster has done."
Rey looks down at her lap, trying to remember that what she was doing was the right thing. She had to remind herself that tragically, there was someone much worse out there.
"Upon agreement," the voice continues, still irritation laced with his words, "you will be injected with a tracker chip with a max range of one mile from the base walls. Any other movement will be pre-approved by one of the council members, and you will be accompanied by an assigned party at all times. Any breach of these guidelines will release a neurotoxin into the bloodstream that will have you dead in seconds. Your only purpose at this base is to assist Council members in the destruction of the First Order, and any information pertaining to that. You will be constrained to only a few selected areas of the compound. Other than that, you are restricted to your personal quarters, where you will stay with two armed guards outside your door at all times. Step out of line once, and this proposition will be revoked."
Kylo sits quietly in the room, and the audience is silent. Rey can feel his emotions swirling, though his face stays emotionless.
Make the right decision. Please.
"This of course is a life sentence, and will continue until your death."
Rey sits up slowly in her chair, her fingers locking together in worry. She can feel his heavy contemplation, his fear, his anger, his defiance. Her stomach is twisting in knots.
She wants her enemy to live.
"So I have the choice to die a martyr or to live the rest of my life as a traitor?" he finally speaks, letting his cool façade snake back into his features.
"That is correct," the voice states flatly.
Kylo's eyes flicker to Rey's. He could see her through the glass, and he could see her desperation. His eyes don't leave hers for a second.
"Traitor it is then," he snorts, the smirk popping back up on his face. "Let's talk First Order."
Rey is relieved. She relaxes into her seat, letting the air she had been holding in to rush out.
"Man, I can't believe this," Mal spits, standing up. "I'm out of here."
Cassian gets up with her and follows her out. Several others follow them.
Finn sighs, shaking his head. "The only reason I'm staying is because I'm actually almost interested in the dirt he's got."
"I just want to know where he's hid his Upsilon-class command shuttle so I can go steal it. Star, that's one hell-of-a beauty," Poe chimes lightly.
Rey chuckles softly at his comment, grateful at his attempt to lighten the mood.
"Of course you'd be the only one to care about his damn ship," Finn jokes.
After the room has mostly cleared out, Rey turns her attention back to Kylo. He's begun talking. He speaks for hours about Hux, possibly to the point of nausea. The man on the speaker has to redirect him several times, informing him that making a list of all the times Hux annoyed him wasn't necessary information.
After about four hours, Kylo's voice begins to go hoarse, and they decide to reconvene in the morning.
"I never thought he'd agree to this," Finn remarks as they make their way out of the auditorium.
"You'd be surprised what people would do if given the right incentive," Rey responds.
"Yeah, but we didn't even have to torture him for the information. He just gave it up like that."
Rey stops just outside the doors. "Well I think all the strict rules he's been placed under will be torture enough."
"You coming to lunch?" Poe asks, changing the topic quickly.
"In a second," Rey nods, "I just want to make sure they get Kylo back to his cell without any problems."
They go their separate ways and Rey follows Kylo's pull in the Force to find him. He's walking back down to his cell with the guards all surrounding him. She catches up to them and stops them before they reach his door.
"I told you they wouldn't kill you," she boasted.
He scoffs. "Well you did have me there for a second. They have a flare for the dramatic I think."
Rey rolls her eyes. "Look who's talking."
A droid from the med bay rolls up, a syringe with the tracker on a tray in its hands. Rey grabs it and wiggles it lightly in the air.
"Luckily your one-mile parameter includes our training facility," she announced.
She reaches up and places one hand on the side of his neck. An electric shock seems to jolt through her at the touch of her skin on his. Her other hand reaches up and inject the syringe into his neck. She doesn't fail to notice that Kylo feels the same jolt of electricity, and likes it.
"There," she clears her throat, stepping away from him.
He watches her intently with his liquid chocolate eyes. His eyes on her makes her blush, and she feels uncomfortable under his gaze. She preferred it much more when he was glaring at her.
"Some guards will bring you lunch. You get an hour, and then we start training," she announces, trying to flush the blush out of her cheeks. "I'm done with him, you can put him in his cell."
She turns on her heel briskly before he can say anything. She doesn't want to hear his voice, because she's afraid of the way he's suddenly made her feel. The look in his eyes was a deep admiration, and a sort of awe. Rey didn't understand why he suddenly became so compassionate toward her. His justice would come swift, however. Her lunch hour couldn't go by faster. All she wanted to do was kick his ass, just a few times.
Rey joins her friends in the mess hall. They had claimed their table, always saving a spot for her. She grabs a tray and joins them, sliding in next to Cassian. Finn and Poe sit on the other side.
"Rey, I had this brilliant idea while you were gone," Mal pipes in. "I'm sure with the right pieces of technology hidden in this compound I could build a device that mimics the one set to trigger Kylo's tracker. We could set it off and then everyone would see it as an accident."
"That would be murder," Cassian signs, a frown on his face.
"I'm with Cassian," Poe agrees. "He said it would be murder."
"Poe, you can sign?" Rey asks, trying to change the subject.
Poe shrugs. "I found a Sign Language book in Cassian's apartment and I read it one day when I was bored."
"I think for the first time I agree with the Blood Runner," Finn turns the conversation back to killing Kylo.
Mal sneers, making a face at Finn. "I'm so glad to have your support, Stormtrooper."
"We aren't going to kill Kylo," Rey snaps suddenly, causing the table's attention to turn to her. "In fact I'm glad he's alive. You know why? Because it was my idea to keep him alive in the first place."
Everyone is staring at her, silent.
"We need Kylo Ren alive. More importantly, I need Kylo Ren alive. He has more valuable insights than just the information on the First Order. He's going to train me, starting now. I'd tell you why but none of you seem to have the audacity to care. I don't deny the fact that he is a bad man who has done plenty of bad things. But we're at war. And if we want to win this, we're going to need all the help we can get."
Rey stands suddenly, feeling the anger swell inside her. "I know what I'm doing. Kylo is not our worst enemy. We need to be ready for that."
The food on her plate is tragically uneaten, and she can feel her stomach grumble. It's takes her concentration away for a moment.
"Sorry," Mal mutters, more insulted than anything.
Rey sits back down and they start eating again, in silence.
"He's hurt a lot of us," Poe comments quietly between bites. "That's why everyone wants him dead."
"I know," Rey sighs, rubbing her forehead. "But he's told me things… things that I fear are true. And maybe you can just forget for one second that he's done those terrible things, because he's willing to help us. He's willing to help me."
"But why would you need his help?" Mal comments, not looking over at Rey.
Rey stares at her for a moment. "You have access to the Republic records. See if you can find anything on someone named Kyra."
Finn chokes on his food. This stops everyone from eating again, and Rey feels like this might become a common occurrence whenever new information is brought to the table.
"Kyra? He told you about Kyra?" Finn chokes.
"He mentioned her… why?" Rey asks, confused by his reaction.
"She's probably the most feared Dark Lord in the galaxy. Of course everyone thought she was a myth, but when you work sanitation you hear all the gossip. No one talks about her because if you do, you get cursed. She was once Snoke's apprentice, but then she became too powerful, even for him, so he exiled her on some abandoned planet. Apparently Snoke sends her prisoners of the First Order as treats. Officers and Commanders would just disappear and that's where we think they were sent."
Rey looks at him quizzically.
"If she's the 'most feared Dark Lord in the galaxy' why has no one heard of her?" Mal countered, twirling her fork in between her fingers.
"Well because of the curse of course!" Finn exclaims, laughing. "But that's all just gossip. She's not real."
"Kylo seems to believe she is," Rey snaps, feeling gullible.
"Yeah and Kylo would do anything to survive," Finn rebuttals.
"This is interesting to me," Mal assures, "if she does exist. I'll find out."
Rey swallows a chunk of brown mush. She tries to shut the image of the hooded apprentice out of her mind. Maybe it was just a dream, not a memory.
But at the same moment the cold chills shiver through her body, and she has a sick feeling she's wrong.