What do you dream about?" Poe asks her absentmindedly, as he lies on the grass, staring at the stars. It's a quiet night on base, so Poe and Iberis have slipped away to escape from the stress for a little while. They're lying on a grassy hill, less than a mile away from the Resistance base. She has her legs crossed, her arms laying flat, and her palms facing the sky. She breathes deeply, before turning her head, raising her eyebrows. That's an odd thing to ask, she thinks.
"Well, a lot of things, I suppose. Usually, it's about a peaceful world. Also about my home planet, I think of it a lot. There's also a type of cake that this little bakery would make, they were across from my house, and we would always get it at the end of every second week, for a treat. I would love one of those now, honestly." She admits as she rubs her stomach, remembering the sweet purple pastry, which had purple flowers decorating it. She and Kylo often shared a cake when one of their parents gave them credits to get a treat.
Poe snorts and rolls on to his back, letting his legs stretch out and relax. "I could use a cake too. We should get some to celebrate when this thing ends," he sighs, his eyes cringing. She knows that "this thing" refers to the end of the war, but she honestly doesn't know if either of them will live to see that.
Images of her time with Poe fills her mind. However, her calm thoughts are interrupted by constant beeping. What on earth is beeping?
The beeping gets louder and louder and more aggravating. Then, an agonizing pain erupts in the abdomen. Her eyes shoot open, her pleasant images of her friend are gone, and she lets out a cry before trying to sit up, only to realize she's, once again, in restraints. The piercing white light is nearly blinding, and her throat feels sore and dry. Her eyelids hurt to open, and she could taste dried blood and gunk in her mouth.
Her head is aching, but she does know she's in a new area and no longer in the cell. A doctor, clad in white, is scowling at her while scribbling in his clipboard. Though her vision is limited, she can see several physicians and nurses glaring at her, as well as First Order droids wandering the sterile-looking room. It's a large room, littered with gurneys and white curtains.
"Where am I?" she whispers, her voice cracks from the lack of water.
"Oh, where do you think?" The doctor replies sarcastically. He finishes writing. "You're in the medical bay. I just spent hours trying to patch you up. I've wasted so many valuable resources on you. If it were up to me, or General Hux, I would have just let you die, but Kylo Ren still needs you. You should thank him, scum." He spits out, as he snaps his clipboard down on her leg, right on the blaster wound, making her yelp. However, the action makes her realize her legs have no restraints. She lifts the unwounded leg, and with all the strength she could muster, she manages to kick the doctor directly in the groin.
The man squeals before crashing to his knees, whimpering. A stormtrooper comes over. With the butt of his gun, he smashes it in her face, and the world quickly goes back yet again.
When she wakes up, the pain is much worse. Her entire body feels like it is on fire. Her limbs are heavy and aching; her head feels like it will explode. She tastes only blood and medicine. Her sore eyes open, only to find herself, once again, back in her cell, and in restraints.
This time, she has company. Kylo Ren is leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. Had his helmet been off, she would have seen that he is rolling his eyes. He is so tall that he engulfs the entire wall.
"Stop attacking people." He says bluntly.
"They're rude," she grumbles back and closes her eyes again, trying to block out the bright, fluorescent light that's overhead. There's an IV in her arm, most likely to keep her from being a machine is pumping her full of liquid, and she wonders if maybe they are just trying to poison her.
"Don't be a child, Iberis. The situation you're in is critical." He states as he walks silently across the room until he's stopped in front of the restraining chair. She lets her less swollen eye open a bit so that she can see his tall frame. How pathetic she must look to him.
"You're the one who brought me into this critical situation. How is my face?" Iberis asks him. She leans her head back into the chair, trying her best to smirk, but her swollen lips make it look like a grimace.
Kylo Ren tilts his head before answering. "Pardon?"
"My face, it was beaten. How is it?" Iberis repeats.
He cannot believe that she is handling her situation so lightly. She could be dead by tomorrow, and she's asking about her face. Typical. He remembers how ridiculous and immature she was as a child; she certainly has not matured with age.
He doesn't answer her right away, but he does observe. Purple bruises litter her skin. There are gauze and bandages on her jaw, with red stains, and her eyelids are swollen and red, and her lips are cut open. The rest of her body is littered with bruises and cut. Most of her clothes ripped away, so she only has one pant leg and a tattered shirt remaining. She resembles nothing of the girl he brought onboard from the village, nor the one he knew from his childhood.
"Your face is as adequate," he replies half-heartedly, crossing his arms over his broad chest again to make himself seem as tall as possible.
"Let me see you." She whispers, her swollen eyes trained on his helmet. She has not stopped staring at him the entire time.
He shakes his head. "No. Why would I do that?" he asks her bitterly. He does not move; instead, they're in a standoff.
"What do you possibly have to lose…? What could I do? I just want to see you again. I haven't seen your face in over fifteen years. I just want to see you, just once." She admits, her voice barely above a whisper. Honestly, she just wants to see what face her friend now has.
He sighs, but in the end, he does agree; he has nothing to lose. He reaches up, slipping his fingers under the rim, and hauls the heavy helmet of his head. His dark hair falls in place, his eyes open, and Iberis is left staring at the face of her friend from so long ago. He has the same eyes, but he looks so angry, so cold. She can see him so clearly, though.
She tilts her head and sighs. "Hi, Ben." She breathes. Her hand inadvertently reaches for him, but the restraints stop the gesture.
He bites his lip and pushes himself away, trembling slightly. "Don't. Call. Me. That." He rasps out angrily and slowly, clearly trying to intimidate her.
"What do you want with me? Why didn't you just let me die?" she asks him as he continues staring at her with his own eyes. Seeing the face of the girl he knew is even worse without his mask to hide it. With his natural eyes, he can see the horrible signs of abuse left by the stormtrooper even more clearly.
"Poe Dameron has escaped. I know his droid has the map to Luke Skywalker. But with Dameron gone, you're the only link I have to the Resistance." He informs her, his expression unchanging as he watches for the emotion to show on her face.
And it does.
Her breath gets stuck in her throat, and she stares at him with fright and hurt. "Poe is gone?" she whispers.
"He left without a second thought to you, Iberis. Not once did he consider you. You meant nothing to him." Ren continues, pushing her further. He once again goes closer and puts his hands on her arms, so she has to look at him as he pushes her down into the chair. She closes her eyes, and tears spring to her eyes before rolling down her cheeks.
"Stop it, Ben." she chokes out, refusing to look at him.
"Where is he, Iberis? Why didn't he bother to even think about you? I saw his mind; he only cared about escape. Do you think any of the Resistance will ever come back for you? They won't ever come searching for you. You were nothing more than a pawn they used, someone, they could sacrifice when they needed to!" he shouts at her. His face is only centimeters away from hers, and she's crying loudly now.
"You don't understand, that's what I signed up for; I knew this could happen!" she roars back and begins writhing under his grip.
His eyes raise at her rebellious words. She isn't angry at Poe for leaving; she is hoping he gets back to the base. Ben lets go of her, stepping back, staring at the crying pilot.
"One thing hasn't changed during these years, Iberis. You're still that same naïve little girl that I knew," He growls, before grabbing his helmet and placing it back on his head. His voice immediately drops, and he begins questioning her yet again. "Where is Luke Skywalker?"
She barely seems conscious before muttering an answer. "You know I have no answer. Toss me out with the trash, Ben. I have nothing left for you to take." She sighs before her eyes shut, and she goes limp in the chair.
Kylo Ren swallows before turning to the door. She is right; she has nothing left that can be useful for him. But, he won't give her up yet. She might still be of use for something.
