A/N: This chapter contains references to dubious consent and references to rape. If these are triggers for you then I'd suggest not reading.

The rest of you monsters carry on.

"Where is she?"

There was a brief moment of static. "Who? Senator Niobe?" Vand Breiner's voice hissed over the comm. "She's in her room, Ren," he stated simply, a little puzzled he would ask. "Conducting a small holo-conference as we speak."

Something wasn't right. He knew it was her; it had to be. Unless Chell Niobe had the ability to be in two places at once, she had to be willfully deceiving the First Order in some way. Either that or he really was losing it. Whatever the situation, if she wasn't already obediently residing in her room then she'd be smart enough to hightail it back there immediately. To him, there was only one appropriate way to find out.

Thus commenced the race back to 500 Republica.

Niobe got a head start on him, yet again, but surely this would end exactly as it did on Hosnian Prime. There wasn't any time to summon a private shuttle. Despite pouring through the streets like a flood, it took Ren longer than he would have liked to find a vehicle. Eventually he found a civilian speeder bike (subconsciously pleased it was black) and jacked it without fear of consequence. Ren needed confirmation for what he already suspected was true. Once he did, Senator Niobe would pay for her treachery.

With alarming speed he took off, pushing the limits on what that piece of junk could do. Kylo Ren didn't pride himself as a pilot, but his legacy destined him to be pretty good at it. Finally he unceremoniously ditched the stolen speeder in front of 500 Republica and continued his pursuit on foot; bystanders quickly dispersing as he went. The tempo of this pulse-pounding chase was interrupted by one, anti-climactic elevator ride. With a friendly ding, it resumed the moment he reached the 210th floor. Hastily he force-opened the locked door, stormed inside, and…

There she was.

It dawned on him that he must have expected to find her scrambling to destroy the evidence of her damning excursion. Instead, he was startled to see her just calmly standing there in the middle of the room; curious at his sudden appearance. Was he imagining things after all?

No.

There was a tense silence as he approached. As if she had just very recently disengaged from strenuous cardio, her cheeks were tinged pink. It was subtle, but she struggled to keep her breathing steady. He could sense her heart still pounding. This was the first time he saw her with her hair down and it was ever so slightly disheveled; as if it was the last thing she smoothed over before he barged in.

"Senator, you seem out of breath. Was your holo-conference... exhilarating?"

Much to the senator's discomfort he began to stalk ominously around her, drinking in every detail. Tonight she forsook her typical light grey robes for black. Though the style was quintessentially First Order, it closely resembled her original look (with a few exceptions). Apart from the charcoal color, the most noticeable addition was a wide leather belt, not dissimilar to an officer's, that fit snug around the small of her waist.

Niobe didn't hurry a response. This might not have been the scenario he was expecting, but without a doubt he knew the truth. It was written all over her face. "Can I help you?" Niobe asked carefully. "Sir?"

Coming back around to her front, Ren continued to study her. The senator had a good poker face, he would give her that much. But, she was becoming more nervous with each passing moment. And she was right to.

"I'm looking for a Zabrak woman," he responded smoothly. While not overt, there was something suggestively sinister in his tone. Niobe's jaw tensed. "Can you help me find her?"

The senator gave a terse shrug and offered, "I'd suggest consulting a matchmaker, not a politician."

A small hmph escaped from his helmet. He continued, "She was about your height." His eyes trailed down to her waist. "Similar build…"

Niobe opened her mouth to protest, to lie and say she had no idea what he was talking about. But, she closed it when she quickly realized the futility. In that moment they both knew that the other knew for certain that the ruse was over. Stubborn and strong willed as she was, she was no fool. With great difficulty she conceded and quietly said, "It isn't what you think."

Senator Niobe seemed to anticipate what was about to happen, but made no attempt to escape it. Once again his hand shot out and gripped at her throat, but this time he was not as gentle. "More of your politician lies," he chided in disappointment, easily forcing her against a wall. "I could kill you for this," he stated distantly, as if genuinely entertaining the option. "I should."

Fury pooled within her as she reached for the large hand wrapped firm around her neck. Her mind raced. She wanted to fight him, to kill him, to eliminate this threat. But, in that moment there was nothing she could do…

"Do what you like," she spat, her eyes brazenly boring into the mask above her. "I'll wait for you in hell."

…Except threaten his mortal soul?

Kylo Ren groaned internally and his grip on her tightened. Nothing would please him more than to reach under her skirt, force his way inside her, and not stop until he's extracted every last one of her secrets. He bit his lip and momentarily lost himself in the thought. The lust he had for her was maddening, but he was on the verge losing control. This girl was turning him into something he didn't recognize and the amount of power it had over him was jarring. For someone who should, hypothetically, have absolute mastery over his body and mind, this was unacceptable.

For a long moment he almost didn't, but Kylo Ren finally released his hold on her neck; his fingertips reaching to stay against her flesh even as he pulled away.

"Indulge me, then," he said finally. Though he appeared stoic, he desperately worked to cool himself down and stabilize his thoughts back to normalcy. "What were you doing in District G17?"

Niobe touched her neck, subconsciously making sure it was still there. "I needed a doctor. More specifically I needed a surgeon," she started, unsure of how the story would be received. "Not for me. Weeks ago my associates captured a small, Consortium slaver operation on Gan Moradir. The surgeon I assigned was too inexperienced and… Removing a property implant is a very difficult procedure, you see." She felt a harsh pang of failure. "People are dead because of my poor judgement and I had to make it right. I knew Dr. Wu by reputation. He's a gifted surgeon and has successfully performed this procedure many times before. The moment I heard he was on Coruscant I tried to reach out to him, but he wouldn't speak with me.

"He's not with the Resistance," she quickly assured. "But, he doesn't like the First Order either. As long as I was in this building I knew he would never consider my request." She paused, knowing she may regret what she was about to say. "Several of my contacts here on Coruscant are not fond of the First Order. I've been out there five times now, maintaining the relationships while trying to convince them against their bias…"

"You have been sneaking around," Ren observed, agitation thick in his deep, synthesized voice.

"And now I've made you very upset," she echoed his warning from the observation portal.

The knight didn't answer verbally. Instead, his hand rose once more until his fingers hovered an inch from her cheek. Knowing what was about to happen, Niobe recoiled.

"But, I've told you the truth," she protested. "You know I have."

"Quiet," he ordered as he braced himself. Technically, she was right. Yet he sensed a deliberate omission. If there were pertinent details she wouldn't divulge willingly then he would have to take them by force. Within moments he entered her mind and began aggressively sifting through her memories. Niobe winced and twitched, the pain brutal, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of crying out.

For the most part her story checked out. Though her methods of sneaking around were impressively elaborate. She used pre-recorded conferences and broadcast them to throw Breiner off her scent. In truth, if it weren't for Kylo Ren's presence, she probably never would have been caught. But, what Niobe conveniently neglected to mention was the small arsenal of weapons she smuggled back into 500 Republica.

Even though Ren found what he was looking for, curiosity compelled him to keep rifling for a moment longer. He caught a glimpse of one memory when she must have been a child; she was chasing a smaller girl with yellow hair through a vibrant, green orchard. The last memory he stopped at was of her plummeting towards the ground from one of said trees.

Breaking the connection he pulled away, leaving her just as confused and shaken as he did the first time. Niobe wasn't crying, per say, but her eyes had started to tear up. Part of him wanted to reach out and help steady her, but he ignored the impulse. Besides, she had a relatively good grip on herself.

"The weapons, senator. And your disguise. Bring them to me."

Niobe was not happy about it, but she did as she was told. Procuring a large bag hidden underneath the couch, she indignantly dragged it out before him. Then, sticking her hand into an unassuming vase, she pulled out her horned helmet and outfit from before. With great pain she tossed that into the pile as well.

"Are those real Zabrak horns?" he found himself asking.

"People give me weird gifts," she replied stiffly. Though this gift was more morbid than weird. After a beat she protested, "Look, you're making a big mistake. I've been very successful at protecting myself by doing two things; I arm myself and I keep moving. Here I've been stripped of both and I-"

"You're paranoid," he said flatly, sensing her anxiety.

Niobe flared with anger, but stifled it with a bitter chuckle. "People are always telling me I'm paranoid. And you know what? I'm always right."

Kylo Ren considered this, he even believed her in some capacity. But, the security at 500 Republica was much more sophisticated than what she was used to. Besides, it had already been agreed upon beforehand; Senator Niobe was still too unpredictable to be armed.

"Step aside, senator," he ordered before igniting his lightsaber. In a few flourishes everything in the pile was sliced into worthlessness. Niobe made a mournful whimper at the loss of her rare, genius disguise and some perfectly good blasters. Holstering the now deactivated saber he turned his attention back to her.

"It seems I've distracted you from your mission," she observed delicately, still reeling from the blow to her independence. Mostly she was wondering what form her next punishment would take.

"Yes." Though, the senator was blissfully ignorant of the extent. He came closer, mulling over how frequently his focus was dominated by unwelcome thoughts of her. "Know that I've been merciful to you."

"This won't happen again," she assured. Though she was uncertain as to why the distance between them was suddenly closed.

"That's right," he replied absently, unaware he said anything at all. His thoughts had gradually started to race again as he reached for her…

Until an infernal ringing knocked him back to his senses. The comm center at her desk was going off; someone was calling for her.

Niobe allowed it to ring a couple of times. She blinked up at the man in black as if a slow realization dawned on her. By the third ring she spoke up.

"I have to get that," she said hesitantly.

Ren gave a single nod towards the desk and Niobe took that as a sign she was relieved of their conversation.

With that he left.

The following week was more agonizing than the last. Kylo Ren was no stranger to misery, but he had never known dissatisfaction on such a profound level. It seems their latest interaction served to only provoke his restless imagination. He tried to place himself above it, meditate it away, but it was a fruitless effort. Constantly he thought of the "what-ifs" of their meeting. What if he had lost control? What if he sliced that damn desk in half and had his way with her? The fantasies were so vivid he was starting to think that they were actually visions of what could have been. Every day he jerked off to the thought of her, but it was never enough.

It never would be.

He couldn't stay away any longer. Sick with desire he found himself back at 500 Republica, crossing over the threshold of her apartment. It was late, but she was still pouring over datapads at her desk.

Startled by his sudden appearance she stood. "You're here," she exclaimed. With a puzzled look she asked, "What have I done this time?" Her question was in good humor, though she genuinely started to question whether or not she stepped out of line since their last meeting. "Have I wronged the First Order in some way?"

"No."

"Oh," she stated, unsure of whether or not she should be relieved.

Despite the fact that he was the one who came here, Ren was suspiciously quiet. She eyed him, concern in her brow. "Then I don't know why you're here."

There was a long pause. What Kylo Ren said next was more surrender than admission.

"To see you."

In that moment he reached for the edge of his helmet. With a soft hiss it was removed and held down at his side. For the first time he saw her without a dark lens. For the first time she saw him. Confusion racked her brain as she could only render a dumb, wide-eyed expression. Overwhelmed Niobe took a few steps back and faced the large, sweeping window behind her. The generous vista of Coruscant lit up at night was marvelous. But, he wasn't here for the view.

With a hard swallow he walked towards her. She tensed at his approach, but didn't turn to look at him even as he stopped close beside her. With his free hand he guided Niobe's shoulder around until her back was to the glass, facing him. That same hand reached towards her face and his thumb gently traced down the edge of her jaw, long fingers resting at her neck. With a soft shudder she leaned into the touch.

"Senator," he breathed and swept down towards her. Never could he have imagined how intoxicating her natural scent would be. How he longed to be close to her, inside of her. Their lips touched, just grazing before she abruptly turned away. The look in her eyes was suddenly hard and distant. A cold realization washed over him; she wasn't going to kiss him.

Ren softly bit his bottom lip, savoring where they had barely touched. Rejection twisted in his gut like a blade. He found he couldn't bring himself away just yet; he still hovered close, crowding her against the glass. Carefully he studied her face. "Do you find me so distasteful?" he asked at length, hurt edged at his voice.

"You should go," Niobe said firmly. Though she held her ground, there was a tangible fear that he would not do as she asked.

The insidious notion crossed his mind. Desperately he wanted to fulfil his every wicked thought and fantasy, to use her as he pleased. Yet when he imagined these moments she was always so eager for him, so pliant. Now that he was actually faced with the complex, free-thinking person before him… apparently this wasn't the case. Part of him didn't want to care. Foresight granted him a vision of what would happen if he forced himself on her; it was ugly. She would have fought him and she would have lost.

This wasn't how he imagined it would go.

Feeling sick, Ren finally pulled his hand away from her neck and took a step back. They took one last look at each other before he reaffixed his helmet and made his exit.

A/N: *shakes fist* ooh, so close