Chapter Two
In the subsequent hours, Lys faded in and out of consciousness. Blood dripped from her mouth and nose. Her breath rattled painfully in her chest. The door opened and Lys prepared herself for another round. The sound of metal on metal rang out in the small room. Lys snapped her head up. The room swam. She closed her eyes. Opening them again, the red haired officer was back.
"I hope you've learned your lesson."
Once again, Lys said nothing.
"You know my question," he said, drawing closer, but not too close. He circled the room. When no reply came, the troopers approached again.
Kylo Ren stood on the bridge of the Finalizer, awaiting General Hux's report on the Resistance members. An officer hesitantly stepped up next to him.
"Sir, we still have been unable to acquire the desired information from the prisoners."
"As expected of Hux." Ren snapped, turning and striding from the bridge, black robes swirling behind him. All personnel scurried out of his way, even the droids seemed to move a bit quicker when they whirred around him. Kylo Ren fed off their fear, the Dark Side of the Force pulling in the negative emotion like a black hole.
Down on the detention level, Ren stopped at holding cell 782. The troopers outside the door saluted. Ren ignored them, entering the room. The woman hung limp in her restraints, either sleeping or unconscious. Ren stepped up to her and reached out with the Force. Still nothing but the faintest flicker.
He growled.
At the sound, the woman jerked awake and he got a good look at her face. Dried and fresh blood formed tracks down her face, her mouth and chin were covered in it. Large bruises discolored her cheeks, jaw, and throat. One eye was almost swollen shut. The other one simply glared, shockingly blue.
Kylo Ren shut his eyes in concentration and groped for her mind. He felt around the flicker of light, but could not find any thoughts or emotions. Opening his eyes, he stripped off a glove and reached for her face, intending to establish a stronger connection with her mind. As his hand neared her cheek, she snapped her teeth at him, catching his thumb.
Ren yelped, jumping back, cradling his injured hand. The troopers burst through the door, guns at the ready.
"Is everything okay, sir?"
With a flick of his fingers, they were launched from the room, the door slamming behind them. A clatter of armor on metal came from the hall as the troopers slammed into the opposite wall.
Ren examined his bleeding thumb. Red rose in his vision. Storming towards her, Ren gripped his lightsaber. He did not ignite it, but struck her across the face with the hilt.
Her head snapped to the side, fresh blood dripping from a gouge on her cheek. He glowered down at her, breath coming in quick puffs. The woman blinked dazedly, her good eye unfocused.
Kylo Ren reached out for her face again. This time she did not resist. Her skin was tacky with sweat and blood.
Closing his eyes again, Ren located her Force presence. The flicker was stronger now and he could sense a vague impression of her mind. He pressed on towards it, making no effort to be gentle. Ren was almost there, and then… he wasn't.
Gathering himself, he tried again. Her mind was so close, Ren could almost hear her thoughts. Then they were gone again.
"What are you doing?" He snarled, eyes snapping open. She just looked at him. Fury mounting, Ren tried again. He stared directly into her eye as he pushed with everything he had. Ren stumbled into the prisoner as his mind slipped through hers and out the other side, offering no resistance.
Righting himself, Ren grabbed her by the throat. "Tell me how you're doing this!"
She wheezed, mouth opening and closing. He released her, and whipping around, stalked out of the room, lightsaber already blazing red.
As soon as the masked man let go of her, Lys collapsed against her restraints, coughing. Her face stung and her chest burned with the effort. Her head felt like a bantha had stomped on it. Catching her breath, the sounds of destruction echoing in the hall outside her cell caught her attention.
Her captor could be none other than Kylo Ren, infamous across the galaxy for his cruelness. The Jedi Killer. Lys found a twisted pleasure in his anger. It meant he hadn't found the information he wanted. Leaning her pounding head back against the cool metal, she closed her eyes and slipped into unconsciousness.
"Hey, wake up. Hey." A voice hissed close to Lys' ear. Lys groaned as the pain returned. She cracked her good eye open.
A white helmet swam into focus.
"Wanna get out of here?"
"What?" Lys was wide awake now. The trooper started unlocking her restraints.
"I'm busting you out."
"What? Why? Are you with the Resistance?"
The stormtrooper snorted, "That's what your friend asked."
The wrist cuffs came off, soon followed by the ankle cuffs. Lys made short work of the chest and thigh straps.
"Poe? Is he alright? Where is he?"
"Here, put these on." The trooper held out a pair of cuffs. She hurried to obey, not engaging the lock.
"He's is fine. I got him out already and he's waiting for us."
Fear drained out of Lys.
"No, don't look so happy. I told your guard I was taking you to Kylo Ren."
The slight grin immediately fell from her face.
"Let's go," the trooper ordered, suddenly gruff. He dug his blaster into her back and the door slid open.
As they left the detention level, they passed more and more people. Lys' eyes darted, trying to see everything at once.
"Here." The trooper yanked her into a very small storage closet. Several droids sat, powered down and covered in dust. The only other occupant was Poe Dameron.
"Lys." His cuffed hands were at her cheeks in a moment, gently running over her injuries.
"I'm alright. What about you?"
"Never better." He lied. His face was just as damaged has her own and his beloved jacket was covered in blood.
"Hate to interrupt, but this can wait until later."
Poe nodded at him, letting go of Lys' face.
The stormtrooper cautiously peeked out of the door.
"Coast's clear, move."
Poe and Lys followed him out of the closet. He took up position behind them, gun to Poe's back and a grip on Lys' arm.
The hangar was just as impressive as the first time Lys had seen it. And just as busy. As they crossed the threshold, she heard the trooper mutter, "Stay calm, stay calm."
"I am calm," Poe hissed back.
"I was talking to myself."
"Quiet." Lys whispered.
The trooper steered them towards a row of TIE fighters. A stormtrooper unit marched towards them. Lys held her breath until every row had passed, dreading the moment they were noticed. Nothing happened.
"Okay, now," their trooper shoved them towards the closest ship, breaking out into a jog.
"Halt!"
"Run!" shouted Poe. Lys sprinted after them, ribs searing. She slipped her hands from the cuffs and chucked them to the side.
"Prisoners are escaping!"
Stormtroopers began to fire. A stack of supplies burst into flames a foot from Lys, another shot blasted past her head, singeing her shoulder. She didn't pause. Poe followed their trooper up the ship's ramp, tossing his own cuffs away.
"Lys, hurry!"
One yard from the ramp. She was almost there. Blaster fire rained down around her, her heart pounding. A foot from the ramp. They were going to do this. The ship's engines roared to life. They were really going to escape. First Order soldiers closed in around the TIE fighter. Lys' blood roared in her ears. Her boot touched down on the ramp.
"Close the ramp!" She had made it—
Intense pain shot through her leg. She stumbled, falling. Off the ramp. It finished closing.
The TIE fighter didn't move. More stormtroopers poured into the hangar. The ramp cracked open.
"No! Go, go go!" Lys screamed, gesturing frantically. The ramp closed again, the TIE fighter's engines revved as it lifted up. Then Lys spotted something that made her pounding heart skip a beat. A tether attached the TIE to it's docking bay. Poe jerked the ship against it, the twin ion engines roaring. It's gun fired down on the hangar floor. Stormtroopers scattered, several ships exploded. The TIE fighter strained against the tether again. It finally snapped and the ship shot out of the hangar. They were gone. Poe had escaped.
Lys' arms gave out and she lay sprawled on the floor as First Order soldiers surrounded her.
