True Intentions

Rey's handcuffs snapped open and landed with a loud clack on the floor. She shook out her wrists as she held Snoke's piercing gaze. She could feel Kylo kneeling behind her, and she could sense his unease, his anxiety. Not for himself, but for her? Snoke let out a deep and menacing chuckle.

"Come closer, child," he commanded. Rey stood her ground defiantly and lifted her head with a level of stubbornness that Snoke had not seen before. He smirked at her and regarded her thin, fragile-looking frame. She seemed so weak and helpless, but he could sense her power broiling within her. Her emotions were easily shown across her face and her mind. He saw her enormous potential and thought it was a pity really; she would have been a fine student.

When she continued to stand motionless in defiance, a sly smile widened across his face. "So much strength…" Her immense power was brimming to the surface, and he could tell that she wanted to release her rage and hatred towards him; she was barely restraining her own violent impulses.

"Darkness rises, and light to meet it." He laughed mockingly as he regarded Rey with interest. "I warned my young apprentice that as he grew stronger, his equal in the light would rise."

With barely a flick of his fingers, Luke's lightsaber was ripped from Kylo's grasp and flew into Snoke's hand. He held the weapon lightly but admired its power and craftsmanship. So much history and power carried through multiple generations, but it did not matter now.

"Skywalker, I assumed," he chuckled as he placed the weapon on the armrest beside him with a dismissive gesture. "Wrongly." He looked at Rey again, who was glaring fiercely at him.

"Closer, I said." His voice lowered and he swept away Rey's pitiful defenses and slowly pulled her across the throne room to the dais.

Rey tried with all her strength to resist him, willing her body not to move but she was pulled forwards anyway, feeling helpless. She was rendered defenseless, and it reminded her of when she first met Kylo on Takodana, her body paralyzed and unresponsive. She set her jaw defiantly and clenched her fists. She did find that her mouth still worked.

"You underestimate Skywalker," she warned. Her body strained as she tried to counteract his pull. "And Ben Solo." Rey's thoughts immediately went to Kylo behind her. She sensed that deep down, he was worried for her in a way, just as she was for him. She focused on Snoke again, as she added with finality, "And me. It will be your downfall." Snoke raised his eyebrows in mock concern.

"Oh, have you seen something? A weakness in my apprentice? Is that why you came?" He laughed in mockery and Rey's throat tightened. He regarded Rey as one might as if she were just a toy. Amusing, but useless in every other way. Snoke's menacing chuckle filled and echoed throughout the red throne room.

Snoke shook his head in jest and chuckled, "Young fool, it was I who bridged your minds." Rey felt as if she had been punched in the gut and all the air fled from her lungs as her face filled with horror. Kylo also looked up for the first time since entering and looked at his master in hurt and confusion. Both of their stomachs dropped as Snoke continued to taunt them. "I stoked Ren's conflicted soul. I knew he was not strong enough to hide it from you."

Rey inhaled shakily and she could feel that Kylo was as unsettled as she was, if not more so. She recoiled at the notion that this, creature, this monster had created the first real connection she had felt with someone in her entire life. And her confidence began to crumble at this new revelation.

"And you," he said regarding Rey, "were not wise enough to resist the bait." His disfigured face split into a cruel smirk as he watched Rey's emotions flash across her face. First shock, then horror, then anger, then fear, and yes, hatred. He paid his young apprentice no mind even though Kylo's thoughts and emotions were projected chaotically and desperately, as the Force roiled and churned around him.

Snoke slowly drew Rey closer and lifted a large, shriveled hand to hold up against her face. Rey flinched and tried to recoil from his touch. Despite her fear, she kept her composure and met Snoke's withering stare head-on.

"And now," he growled as Rey's breaths came faster from her desperate efforts to resist him.

"You will give me Skywalker, and then," His cobalt blue eyes flashed with triumph and menace, "I will kill you with the cruelest stroke." Rey continued to struggle as she tried to wrench herself free of his grasp, all the while glaring daggers at him.

"No," she stated defiantly. She would not let herself be manipulated by this monster before her.

"Yes," Snoke growled and he thrust his hand out. Rey felt her body being yanked skyward above the ground and she gasped from the sudden movement. Snoke suspended her above the black panels of the floor and Rey winced in pain as she felt him invade her mind. She struggled in vain and her cries of distress only seemed to amuse Snoke further.

"Now," he said as his eyes closed, "Give, me, everything." Rey strained desperately as she fought to keep him at bay. It made Kylo's mind probes seem pitiful and weak, Snoke's were much sharper and painful. Rey cried out as she felt a piercing pain in her temples.

Kylo lifted his eyes to see Rey suspended in the air, crying out in pain and anguish. He felt his chest tighten at the sight of her so helpless. He glanced at his master as if he wanted him to stop, but Snoke paid him no heed as he tortured Rey. Kylo's heart wrenched as he heard Rey cry out again.

"No, no!" Rey whimpered and Kylo had to avert his eyes from her. He couldn't watch this, but nor could he stop it. Her pain and panic were so devastating and overwhelming it bled into his own emotions. He was still shaken by the revelation that Snoke had forged their connection. But he knelt there motionless, even as he heard Rey begin to scream.

Rey felt her temples throb in agony as Snoke's mental probe ripped apart her defenses leaving her thrashing in anguish. Rey tried to resist in vain, but Snoke had already torn her mental shields down and her body shook as her head was forced backward, her hair and robes flying about her. Unable to hold it in any longer, Rey let out a long, gut-wrenching scream and her cries echoed across the throne room.

Snoke laughed as he released Rey from his hold. She fell to the ground and let out a yelp of pain as her body landed with a crashing thud, her head still throbbing. Her eyes were closed and her face wore a tight grimace of anguish as she lay on the cold ground still writhing from the after-effects of Snoke's invasion.

"Well, well" Snoke chuckled. "I did not expect Skywalker to be so wise! We will give him and the Jedi Order the death he desires." Rey twisted her head towards Snoke as she glared at him angrily, panting hard. Kylo, too, had looked up at his master, partially to keep himself from staring at Rey.

"After the rebels are gone," Snoke said, as if he were taunting her, "we will go to his planet, and obliterate the entire island."

Rey stood furiously and thrust out her hand, calling Luke's lightsaber to her. Snoke almost wanted to laugh at such a trivial demonstration of the Force. The saber flew towards her hand but then suddenly passed her. She twisted around in confusion but then the hilt swung back towards her around Kylo, who simply moved his head slightly to avoid being hit. Rey cried out as the saber struck her in the back of her head, knocking her to the ground. Luke's lightsaber came to a slow halt before resting back on Snoke's armrest.

"Such spunk," Snoke remarked. "Look here now." He dragged Rey across the room to a circular viewpoint which cleared away to show the Resistance transports as they exploded one by one. Rey's eyes widened in horror, and sweat beaded on her forehead as panic began to rise in her as she beheld the sight in front of her.

"The entire Resistance," Snoke taunted, "on those transports." He laughed before saying, "Soon, they will all be gone." His voice lowered as it took on a more menacing tone. "For you, all is lost." Rey whirled around and Snoke reveled in the hatred he saw in her eyes.

Rey thrust out her hand again, but this time Kylo's saber flew off his belt and into her hands instead of Luke's. She grasped the black hilt and ignited it and raised the crackling, fiery blade. Snoke's Praetorian guards immediately drew their weapons, their crimson armor flashing as they moved, but Snoke waved them off dismissively.

"Oh! Still that fiery spit of hope." He said, admiring the girl's stubbornness but amused by her futile acts of defiance. "You have the spirit of a true Jedi!"

Rey let out a ferocious yell and ran towards him furiously, raising the red saber to strike at him. Snoke simply waved his fingers and Rey went flying backward. Rey struggled hopelessly and cried out as she was thrown to the ground. Kylo's lightsaber fell from her grasp and the blade retreated into its sheath. It slid across the floor in front of Kylo and spun in a circle before coming to rest at his feet, perpendicular to his body. Kylo stared at it for a moment before his dark eyes flicked back up to his master.

Snoke's voice rasped softly as it lowered ominously. "And because of that, you must die." Rey yelled and strained against his hold as he brought her to her knees and spun her around to face Kylo.

"Now," Snoke said. "My worthy apprentice, son of darkness, heir apparent to Lord Vader." He knew Kylo craved to hear such praise and validation and was pleased to find that the young man's thoughts had suddenly calmed and were focused and refined.

He looked at him approvingly and said, "Where there was conflict, I now sense resolve. Where there was weakness, strength." Kylo's eyes flicked down to meet Rey's as her angry expression slowly melted away into something else as she looked at him. Snoke continued and said, "Complete your training, and fulfill your destiny!"

Kylo hesitated slightly before picking up his lightsaber and standing. He looked down at Rey, his face emotionless.

"I know what I have to do." His voice was low and steady, his gaze unwavering. Rey looked up at him and her eyes became pleading. Her chest rose and fell as she panted heavily.

"Ben," she pleaded desperately as she looked into his eyes. They carried so much depth but she didn't understand the look he was giving her.

Snoke laughed loudly behind her. "You think you can turn him? Pathetic child," he mocked. "I cannot be betrayed, I cannot be beaten. I see his mind. I see his every intent!" Snoke closed his eyes as he felt that this was better demonstrated and dramatized through the Force. "Yes, I see him turning the lightsaber to strike true!"

Kylo lifted his lightsaber to point towards Rey's chest, but unbeknownst to Snoke, his free hand also twisted ever so slightly, the movement barely perceptible. The Skywalker lightsaber rotated slowly and silently on the armrest.

Snoke continued and growled, "And now, foolish child. He ignites it. And kills his true enemy!"

Kylo's hand stilled as he met Rey's pleading gaze, and then with a sudden flick of his fingers, the lightsaber ignited.

Snoke suddenly went rigid as he gasped. Rey was released from his hold almost instantly as she fell to the ground. She looked back towards Snoke in confusion. Snoke slowly looked down at himself to see the Skywalker lightsaber impaling his body in shock.

With another flick of Kylo's fingers, the blue blade carved his master in half. The saber came flying across the room, right into Rey's grasp. She pulled herself up to a standing position as she faced Kylo in shock, barely registering the thud of Snoke's torso falling to the ground. She gazed at him with gratitude, shock, and elation. He stared back at her with the same intensity as he ignited his own saber, the red light reflecting onto his face. They held each other's gaze for a moment longer, before taking a deep breath in sync, before turning back to back to face the red Praetorian guards together.