Kylo returned to the prisoner the next day. He felt calmer now, it irked him that he had fled the day before, like he was a bashful padawan. He just had to keep calm and focus on the task at hand - Skywalker.

When he entered he froze on the spot - the interrogation rack was empty. He pulled out his holo and called the head jailer. The Stormtrooper saluted him. "Lord Ren, how may I serve you?"

"The scavenger from interrogation room 5 - where is she?"

The man typed something on his pad. "According to my logs she is in interrogation room 5. I have no entries of her being transferred."

"The prisoner has escaped! I want the ship scoured! And check the records for any unauthorized access!"

"Yes, my lord."

How in the galaxy has she been able to get out of here? Kriff! He had been negligent - underestimating her Force powers. But he didn't think that she could have escaped from the Finalizer, after the Resistance pilot, they had stepped up the security - Hux had told him so.

Suddenly he felt a tug in his mind, almost as if he could see something from the corner of his eye but when he turned his head he didn't see anything. It felt almost like what he had sensed from the Stormtrooper on Jakku.

He went to the interrogation rack, touched it and tried to concentrate on the woman who had been there only hours ago. Again something was tugging at his mind, he opened his eyes and saw a blurry figure running past him. Surprised he drew his lightsaber and jerked his head around - he was alone in the room.

He had little doubt that it was the scavenger. But how was this possible? Usually he could sense others, but see them without them being there? He clipped his lightsaber back on his belt. Either way he had to find her.

-o-

Hours later he was sitting cross-legged in his room, meditating on the Force. But he couldn't sense her anymore. He exhaled and opened his eyes. Damn it! There was a ship-wide alarm and yet they hadn't found her. There was little doubt in Kylo's mind that she had gotten away. He had no idea how she had pulled it off, but her skills were undeniable.

He heard the buzzer and could sense Hux's Force signature. He got up and opened the door, Hux was there wearing his cap and had his greatcoat thrown over his shoulders.

He stepped in and started to peel off the gloves from his hands. "Well, the search is ongoing, but I think we both know that she's gone." He arched an eyebrow. "Good thing that we secured the droid, isn't it?"

Kylo glared at him. "I didn't think that the droid was important - no need to rub salt in my wounds."

Hux sighed. "From time to time you should listen to me."

"I listen to you! All the damn time! I just- she is untrained in the Force. She is a formidable opponent… and if she gets to Skywalker…"

"A single man or a single woman can't win a war. But I guess it's about symbolism," admitted Hux.

Kylo crossed his arms. "Anything is possible with the Force. Skywalker has toppled an Empire before and he could do it again. I hate the old man with burning passion - I want to squeeze the life out of him so that the last thing he sees is my face," he hissed.

Hux scanned the room, obviously looking for a place to sit. The lack of possibilities left him no choice other than sit down on the single cushion on the floor. "What is it with you and Skywalker?"

"I was his student," said Kylo quietly. "Before Snoke started to train me. "

"You were a Jedi?"

Kylo winced at these words. "No, of course not. I- my parents wanted me to become a Jedi. That's why they sent me to him. But he felt the darkness in me and tried to kill me. Damn hypocrite. Going all day long about the Light Side, but he was a vain, overly dramatic and annoying old coot. The only thing he ever achieved was making Vader weak." Kylo went to the half-melted mask and looked at it. "It was Vader who defeated Palpatine, not Skywalker."

"And he really tried to kill you?"

Kylo grimaced. "I woke up and he was standing over me, his lightsaber ignited. I would say that's a pretty clear message."

"How did you get away?"

Kylo smirked. "There was a reason why he was afraid of me. I let the roof crumble over his head, burying him." His smile faded. "The Knights of Ren came to get me. All the other students were killed that night."

Hux frowned. "Is it regret that I hear?"

Kylo turned on his heel. "It wasn't my idea to slaughter small children and teenagers just to make a point." He wiped over his face. "I know- I know. These things happen. It doesn't mean that I have to condone it."

Hux didn't say anything, Kylo turned again towards the mask.

"Perhaps Vader didn't like it either," he said in a quiet voice. "Perhaps I don't have to like it." He remembered the blood dripping from the Knight's weapons, the sick feeling in his stomach as he heard screaming and shrieking from one of the huts until it stopped.

Silence stretched out.

"What will you tell the Supreme Leader about the scavenger?" asked Hux slowly.

"The truth, what else is there?"

Hux got up and stepped next to Kylo. "He won't be pleased."

"Of course not." He could feel a shiver of fear run down his spine.

It took Kylo about four days to heal from Snoke's displeasure. While laying in the medbay with bandaged arms he attempted to meditate. One day he felt again the familiar tugging in his mind and, to his surprise, he saw a blurry figure standing in front of him.

He could even hear some kind of mumbling, or rather a whisper.

He narrowed his eyes. "Is that you scavenger?"

"...ey."

"What? I can't hear you."

"My name is Rey," the figure said in a very soft voice.

"I can see you, can you see me?" he blurted out.

"Yes, but barely." As she was speaking the blur started to move, stepping closer to him. "How can you see me?"

Before he could answer the figure was gone. He sat up in his bed and started at the spot where she had been standing. Perhaps he should have told Snoke that he could feel, even see her. But the way Snoke had screamed and yelled at him, hurling insults while forcing him to cut himself with this lightsaber… he didn't need to know. At least not yet.