Rey jolted awake. From what, she didn't know, but there was a sudden panic within her. Maybe it was the nightmares again. At least nightmares, the kind she could wake up from, were the least of her worries.

Her fingers curled around the sheets on the other side of the cot. The bed had long been cooled. She craved Kylo's body heat. He had left her again. Alone. And afraid.

And cold. So cold. It was a sickening chill she had never felt before. One that rattled her to the core, making her stomach churn and the sour taste of bile rise to her mouth. Will it end, she wondered. Would the wounds heal and the agonizing pain cease?

She inched her way out of bed. It wasn't a place she wanted to be. Not after what...no, she couldn't think of it. Her knees went weak. That face, those cold lifeless eyes, that fiery red hair, like a demon. Hovering over her. Amused by her pain. Make it stop. Make it stop. Ben! Ben! Ben!

She tried to stifle the incoming sobs, her face scrunched and twisted and turning bright red. She wrapped her arms around her in an attempt to hold everything in as she placed her bare feet on the icy floor and staggered her way to the fresher.

Rey caught the sink before she could tumble to the floor. Everything was...off. Like she would never know joy and happiness ever again. And he left her there. The thoughts flew wildly through her mind. He left her the one time she needed him most. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She looked different. She couldn't pinpoint how, but she looked different. She looked tired and beaten and defeated. She was angry, furious. No one loved her. They all abandoned her, given up. Left her to be a piece of discarded meat for hungry wolves. She was worthless to them. Nothing. Just a lonely little scavenger used for nothing more than to pleasure themselves.

She grabbed the sides of her head. She wanted the thoughts to stop ("weak"), the voices to cease ("foolish girl. You should've escaped while you had the chance"), but nothing could quiet them ("you really thought he loved you? Stupid girl"). "STOP! STOP! STOP!" She shrieked, her twisted face turning a deep crimson in her agony. She curled up into a ball on the floor, squeezing her eyes shut. Her insides quaked as the fire within her rose from her core, her skin so hot she thought it would melt from her body. She squeezed tighter and tighter until every cell in her body exploded and the energy erupted from her in a deafening roar.

Then, just like that, everything was quiet. She remained frozen for a moment, then dared peek at her surroundings.

The entire washroom was scorched. Char marks stained the walls, the ceiling, the fresher and the sink. The glass to the fresher was shattered and the glass melted down.

Rey stood and surveyed what she had done. She couldn't have helped it. In a way, she was relieved. It meant the Anjeti serum had worn off. She gazed at her fingers, her hands now ice. What was happening to her? To everything? She had felt so happy for the first time in her life she when she was with Kylo back on Naboo. It was just one whole day and she wanted it back more than anything.

She stepped back into the cell area. She could taste the metallic tang of the frigid metal. Rey wrapped her arms around her, but nothing would cut through that cold, a coldness that wasn't only seeping into her skin from the surrounding ship, but also a chill that came from her very bones. She sank to the floor. She didn't want to return to the cot nor did she want those sheets in an attempt to get warmth. As she steadied herself, she heard a gritty crunch beneath her palm.

She lifted her hand to see the remaining fragments of the shell Kylo had given her, then smashed in his rage, or so Hux said. Why would he smash it and not the shell she had given him? She wasn't sure anymore. He had been so angry with her when he returned that it took the sight of her beaten face to make him forget about what she had done. He probably was even angrier when she placed him in a Force sleep and ran off to Convergence. And, if he didn't smash the shell, how did Hux know about it? She cradled her head as the thoughts collided with each other in a jumbled, tangled mess. She wanted to go back to when things were simpler, but were they ever anything other than complicated?

Rey was so lost in her thoughts she barely noticed when the door slid open. She looked up. Kylo stood in the doorway, panting, his eyes wide and his shoulders stiff.

Rey rose to her feet in a hurry, a smile stretched across her face in hope she could hide her sadness, "Ben, I was worried you le-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Kylo shouted. He took one mechanical step into the room, then another, grunting, fists clenched tight as if he was pulling against invisible ropes around his arms. His face bright red.

Rey shook her head, "Ben, I don't understand..."

Kylo gritted his teeth, "REY, YOU NEED TO GO! RUN!" He slowly advanced on her.

Rey stared at him, puzzled, "But.."

"GET OUT OF HERE! GO!" Kylo screamed at her, his face twisted either in frustration or anger, or both. She stared, still not understanding what was going on. Her palms were sweaty and cold and her heart felt like it was going to burst through her chest. The sour, crude taste of bile spread in her mouth. She couldn't breathe and her muscles were frozen at the sight of him. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong.

Rey snapped out of her shock. He was getting closer, his form looming over her. She needed to run, but where? What would she do? Her options were limited. The first thing she needed to do was get out of the cell. She pushed off her legs with all her strength and darted for the door. Kylo lunged at her, his powerful arms swiping the air, trying to wrap around her body, but they were clumsy and Kylo stumbled forward, just missing Rey as she dodged passed him, stumbling right into the doorway.

Rey regained her bearings and turned to her pursuer. Her lover. Her heart sank as she saw the dark eyes, the twisted grimace as he turned to her, fists clenched as he pulled against the restraints holding him in place. Her palms were slick with sweat and her knees were on the verge of buckling and collapsing out from under her. She needed to run. Now.

Without checking to see who or what may be waiting for her in the corridor, she shot down the hall. She didn't know where she would go. Hide, maybe. There were many places she could hide on the Star Destroyer. Her heart pounded in her chest, in her ears, making her head throb with a growing pain as she dashed down the corridor. She didn't dare look back, but she knew Kylo was there, moving quickly despite whatever was happening.

She turned the corner, too quickly. She glanced back at the dark, towering figure of Kylo Ren. She held his gaze, his pleading eyes. She held them for too long. She didn't see the floating black sphere, its appendages silver and pointed, until a needle sticking out from the newer model IT-O interrogator droid pierced her skin and a clear burning liquid rushed into her body and her mind immediately went fuzzy and the last thing she saw was the glowing red eye of the droid's optics grow brighter, and then she began to see things that weren't there at all.

He hoped she got away. At least he could still do that: hope. He tried to will his legs, his arms, his body to do what he wanted, but he kept moving, slowly, his gait rigid as he fought against Snoke's control.

Step after painful step, he fought as he unwillingly strode down the hall. Her footfalls had long stopped echoing, but the tightness in Kylo's chest never released. He knew Snoke too well, but not well enough, it seemed. He would find her. He would have some elaborate trap set for her. But, how did he not guess that Snoke would set a trap for him? He clenched his fists as he thought about what had happened. As much as he wanted to give Hux the most painful death imaginable for what he did to Rey, he also wanted to kill Snoke. Snoke was powerful, but he couldn't hold Kylo like this forever, could he?

He moved forward, closer and closer to the corner. He hoped the corridor beyond was empty, with no trace of Rey. He would even welcome the sight of a stormtrooper or even Hux or Snoke. At least then, he would know Rey had made it out of the cell block.

Instead, as he rounded he corner, there she stood, her back turned to him and her body rigid. "Rey! What are you doing you need to..."

He trailed off. Rey began to turn around to him, her eyes glassy, revealing the black IT-O interrogator droid, its syringe empty.

Kylo stared wide-eyed at Rey, her skin grey and clammy and her stare distant, walked two steps towards him, her knees immediately buckled, and she collapsed into Kylo's arms. Kylo felt Snoke's control eased as he caught her, wrapping his arms around her body, and gently lowered her to the ground, cradling her head in his hand. She was so weak. Too weak.

Her eyes twitched in her skull, darting back and forth, trembling. Kylo caressed her face, "Rey," he whispered, his tone panicked. But it was as if she didn't hear him. She whimpered as her gaze shot to one end of the corridor, then the other, back and forth. A whimper, slowly growing louder and louder passed her lips. Kylo grabbed her face, hoping she would look at him, but she never made eye contact. Kylo tried to shush her, caressing her cheeks, but nothing worked and she only got worse. She began trembling so hard, Kylo had to tighten his grip on her to keep her in his arms, her whimpering becoming louder and louder.

Then, the screams started.

His heart began thundering as she began to thrash in his arms, desperate to loosen his grasp. He locked his gaze on her, bewildered. What was happening? Then he heard the whirring of the IT-O droid, still hovering above and remembered the empty syringe. No, he shook his head wildly. No. Why was this happening?

Tears began to well in his eyes as he stared down at her, and she finally stared right back at him, but her eyes were wide and bloodshot. She gritted her teeth and she tried desperately to pull away from him. As she feared him.

Kylo raised a hand to her head, not wanting to see it. Not wanting to know what the hallucinogen the IT-O droid had injected into her body, but couldn't stop himself from peering into her mind. He hesitated. No, he thought to himself. He drew back his hand. Now was the time to turn back. He should escape. The ship could still be ready to go. But, it was as if a hand held him there, pressing down with its owner's full weight. A chilling shudder penetrated his bones as that deep, rasping, disembodied drone of Snoke growled in Kylo's ear. "Let this be a lesson to you, boy! I will show you the full power of the Dark Side, you weak fool." Snoke cackled, the cacophony of ruined vocal cords assaulted Kylo's ears, "Soon, the heir to Palpatine shall rise. Just think, Kylo Ren, it will be by your hand that finally pushes her over the edge and into her dark destiny." Snoke paused. Kylo could feel his hand being forced again towards Rey's head, "Go on, Kylo Ren...witness how she sees you." Kylo tried to clench his fist to stifle the swelling anger coursing through him, but instead, his shaking hand touched her temples and he was immediately pulled in.

There was blackness. And red, like fire. Everything roared in his ears. He gazed up. Into the face of the demon who cradled his body. His face. It was as if his mask had been melted down and plastered to his face, his skin her black. His eyes blood red, slanted, animal-like and full of malice. His teeth razor sharp and gnashing at his prey. Kylo's heart thundered in horror as he watched Rey's hallucination as if it had been his own. The creature roared, his mouth dripping with fresh blood as he bent over his victim, going in for the kill.

Everything went black again. Kylo's ears rang, so deafening he clenched his eyes right to relieve the pain. He clawed at the side of his face, roaring in agony. He wanted nothing more than to make it stop.

But it wouldn't stop.

She still screamed. It made his blood run cold, that awful, painful shriek. The fear in her eyes, all for how she saw him.

Hot tears seared Kylo's cheeks. What had he done? It was a question he asked himself too often. And now, on that cold floor, in that frigid ship, he was about to lose everything. He had tried and tried and tried clawing himself from the depths, only to be pulled back in. And Rey was falling with him.

The weight crushed his body once again. His muscles tightened, burning as Snoke commanded his body to rise from the floor and heave Rey over his shoulder. Rey thrashed in his grip, but his arms encircled her, holding her tight as he carried her down the corridor.

Towards an interrogation cell.

Each step shot more and more pain through Kylo. His heart tightened with every scream. It was an eternity to the interrogation cell. Each passing moment, Kylo tried and tried to find a way out of his predicament. He desperately thought about what could work, each idea being struck down quickly, and there were very few ideas that came into his mind in the first place. None would work.

Except, perhaps, one.

And there was a good chance he wouldn't even get pass the idea being more than a thought, but he had, for Rey's sake, to hope it did. He had to try.

The door to the cell slid open and Kylo unwillingly staggered inside, heaving Rey to the awaiting chair. Surrounding the chair were various instruments used for torture. Oftentimes used to ensure stormtroopers stayed in line, the instruments inflicted various levels of pain whilst the subject was ingected with an hallucinogen and shown various propaganda. It would instill a belief that they were doing the right thing by fighting with the First Order and that if the First Order failed, the galaxy would fall into ruin and chaos, that so many would live in poverty, starve, and die of disease while the rich lived lavish lives, ignoring what didn't directly affect them. What it didn't show them was that the First Order only brought order to the galaxy by oppression, violent methods, threats, torture, and, in many cases, slavery. It also instilled a fear that if they were to even attempt to undermine the First Order, that the consequences would be unimaginable.

Kylo lifted Rey to the chair and began strapping her in, when he caught her stare. His hands kept fumbling with the restraints. He hoped she understood that this was not him, but Snoke, but he could tell in her eyes that she was afraid of him. "Why are you doing this?" She said quietly.

Kylo tried to stop, but overriding Snoke's control was fruitless and unyielding. "Rey, look at me. This isn't me. Sno-"

"I thought you loved me." Kylo paused and stared at her with surprise, words suddenly becoming foreign. All signs of the hallucinogen she had been injected with moments ago had vanished, a weaker formula than was used for the actual conditioning that didn't last much longer in non-Force users and had to be given in larger doses to me effective on Force sensitives, but it could still alter the mind.

Tears pooled in Rey's eyes, but stared dead on at him, defiantly, as she did when he interrogated her on Starkiller Base. Her jaw was set tight and eyebrows furrowed as she stared hard at him. His heart sunk. Beads of sweat slicked his brow. He stared back, all hope he felt left him, but he still prayed he had his chance.

"Rey," he wanted nothing more than to touch her, as he would under his own will, not as Snoke forced him. "Rey, if this doesn't work, just know I do love you and I'll do everything in my power to make it all stop, even if I die. I'd die for you, Rey. Please understand that."

Rey stared at him, her defiance unyielding. Tears welled in her eyes. Her jaw locked tight. "Why did you bring me back to this place," she growled.

Though he still did as Snoke willed him, his heart seemed to stop beating and his lungs ceased to inhale. Why did he bring her back here? He panicked. That's why. She needed to receive medical care. If he had walked onto the Resistance base, he would have not only put his life in danger, but hers as well. Kylo could only stare at her as he began preparing her for the conditioning.

He was fumbling with some controls, twisting the knobs and pressing buttons when he realized Snoke's power over him was waning. This was his chance. He pretended he didn't notice, still turned the last knob and pressing the final button as if the power hadn't ceased.

Then, like lightning, his hand shot to his belt and a red, crackling blade ignited.

Kylo slashed at the various instruments with vicious strikes, the machinery crackling and popping as fiery claw-like slashes decimated the machinery into a pile of twisted metal.

An inferno of rage exploded within Kylo with every strike. The sharp twang of scorched sting his nose, so strong it left a nauseating bitter metallic taste on his tongue. The machine had completely been destroyed, but he didn't stop.

He was about to hurl his saber through the air once more, when his arm seized. The blade stopped mid-swing. He shook, trying to move, but couldn't.

Then, to his horror, his arm began to move and the blade slowly swung towards Rey.

"I think we should give her a matching scar, Kylo Ren. Scar that pretty little face like she did yours." Snoke's droning voice boomed in his ear.

Rey flinched as the blade came closer, her eyes darting between the saber and Kylo. There was fear in her eyes instead of defiance. Kylo clenched his teeth, hoping Rey could finally realize what was happening.

His saber stopped inches from Rey's cheek, the red glowing bright on her skin. She winced, her eyes locked on the blade. Kylo tried to pull the blade away, but Snoke's grip on him was stronger than it had been before. "You will learn, boy. One way or another, you will learn not to defy me. I could do so much worse to her. I would take pleasure in watching her with a torture droid for hours and force you to watch as she slowly dies a painful death. But I won't kill her. Not yet. There is still more that I want, and it is she who will help me." That droning cackle stung Kylo's ears. His heart dropped to his stomach. Sweat trickled down his temple as his face fell.

Rey stared back at him, this time there was a hint of understanding under her fear. She pressed her lips together and flicked as smile his way. 'I can hear him in your head,' her voice rang in his head and he felt a sense of relief, 'whatever happens, we'll get through this. He's doing what he can to turn me to the Dark Side. He's done too much to me already. If I fall, just-'

Rey's voice suddenly faded from Kylo's mind.

Kylo didn't notice the IT-O Interrogation droid until the second syringe had been emptied into Rey's arm.

Rey crumpled, her face twisting into fear once again. It was all hopeless.

Kylo jumped at the crash behind him. He whirled around to see a group of stormtroopers escorting another machine into the room via anti-gravity.

This time, it was a machine used for torturing prisoners for information. It was a large machine with two appendages resembling blasters, which emit continuous streams of energy, enough to inflict excruciating pain, but not enough to maim or kill. Kylo began to tremble, both with fear and also at his resistance to Snoke's power over him. The saber was still held close to Rey, whose screams began to echo once again as she thrashed against her restraints, desperate to get away from Kylo.

The stormtroopers carted the machine pass Kylo and set up, completely ignoring their commander. No, former commander. He was finished with the First Order. He would do anything now to watch Snoke fall.

If he got out of this alive.

The stormtroopers finished setting up the machine quickly, the left Kylo alone with Rey in the room.

For far too long, Kylo and Rey stared at each other, the fear never leaving either of their eyes. Kylo still held his lightsaber to the side of her cheekbone, anticipating the horrors that were to come.

The machine whirred to life without warning. Then it began to growl as energy began to pulse through its insides. Kylo tried to find a way to stop it, but there was no button or switch visible. And he was stuck in Snoke's grasp.

Then his arm flinched.

And Rey screamed.

Kylo had shut his eyes tight. He couldn't bear to see what was about to happen. Or what had just happened. He slowly squinted his eyes open and he immediately wished he had kept them shut. His heart sank to the pit of his stomach as he gazed at Rey in horror.

She gazed back stunned, a thick angry gash, much like his scar, ran from her jaw, up her cheek, and continued above her eyebrow. Her eyes watered and her face was nearly as bright red as the gash. She cried out in agony as the cut cauterized, just like Kylo's had, and the flesh around it began to burn.

He didn't have time to hope that she knew this wasn't him when the streams of golden energy began to shoot out of the two blasters in a continuous stream.

The screams were unbearable, but Kylo wasn't able to move to clench his hands to his ears, much less save her. His muscles tightened further and further and Snoke laid his deathly grip on him harder and harder. Rey writhed and thrashed in her restraints and Kylo could do nothing but look on. Even his eyes wouldn't blink.

His hand was suddenly forced up, palm outstretched to Rey. He was confused at first. Did he actually do this? He tried again to move, but he was pinned to the spot.

Kylo continued to fight against his invisible restraints, until Snoke's gravelly voice droned in his ear. "See what you've done, Kylo Ren?" Snoke taunted. Kylo couldn't take his eyes off of Rey as she thrashed against the restraints, the stream of energy still shooting into her. "You're not done yet."

Kylo's mind suddenly filled with thoughts that weren't his own. Horrible images of death and destruction. The horrors he himself had shown her not long ago, when he found her on Ach-To through their bond. A burst of energy erupted from him. It was as if a channel broke open and what flooded his mind also flooded Rey's.

Rey thrashed from side to side as each thought slammed into her. She heaved, both at the physical pain and the barrage of mental pain.

Then an image filled Kylo's mind that made his knees buckle and he would've fallen if he hadn't been held there by Snoke.

He saw himself, fully cloaked and wearing his mask. He was standing, silently, over Rey as she slept in what looked like a primitive dwelling fit for desert scavenger, a orange doll made out of scraps to look like an X-Wing Pilot clutched to her breast. She startled awake, her eyes glazed and wide. She let out a scream, but it was immediately stifled with gurgling sounds as the nightmare of himself Force choked Rey. Then there was the uncontrollable fire of his lightsaber. The nightmare Kylo held Rey close to his mask, breathing heavily.

Then the fiery red blade plunged into Rey.

Just like that, everything went black. Kylo collapsed to his knees, his head spinning, every nerve in his body alive with anxiety.

The machine stopped. Kylo gazed up to see Rey slumped against her restraints, half conscious. Her eyes fluttered open and shut wearily, unfocused.

Kylo didn't turn when the door slid open behind him, but knew Hux and Snoke loomed over him. He could see the smirk on Hux's, the humor and pleasure he got in watching Kylo suffer.

Snoke bent over, his hot, rancid breath blasted against Kylo's ear, "next time you get out of line, I will force you to watch as she dies the slowest, most painful death imaginable. Then, just for my pleasure, I'll restart her heart so you can watch a second time. I do hope you have learned your lesson, Kylo Ren." Snoke stood to his full height and left Kylo and Rey alone in the room.

Kylo immediately rose and went to Rey. He lived her limp head so he could see her face. Her skin was pale and clammy and too cold. He caresses her face, he eyes filling with tears as he tried to find the right words.

"Please forgive me," he choked, "I wanted to get you out of here. I was foolish. I should've waited." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and buried his face into her neck and he sobbed.

He stood there like that for a long while until the tears dried and most of the red left his face. He unlocked the restraints holding Rey and she dropped into his arms. He hooked one arm behind her knees and one around her back and carried her back to her cell.

Once there, he laid her on her cot, but didn't lay next to her. Instead, he knelt by her bedside as she slept, making a silent promise never to leave her side again unless fate demanded it. He removed his gloves and held her hand. Her hand was like ice and didn't seem to warm in his grasp.

He pressed his lips to her cheek. He hoped his mother received his message. He hoped that soon, the Resistance would be here to take Rey away, with or without him.

A/N: So, the last nearly two months have been busy and crazy and yeah, it took me forever to write this. While writing, it actually went a different direction than I had previously planned, but it pretty much ended the same. I originally had it planned for Snoke to force Kylo to use the Force to create severe physical pain, but I decided to have a torture machine create the pain and for Snoke to force Kylo to push images into her mind.

I am hoping a new trailer comes out soon so I can have more inspiration. I keep getting new ideas, but most would fit better well before this chapter. Maybe they'll be something I could use in a post-TLJ fanfic lol