She's running. Her lungs are burning, desperate for oxygen, her legs are cramping from exhaustion. Still, she presses on. She knows she can last a little longer, push her own limits. Her lithe body is used to physical strain. Many times, when she was a child, Rey was forced to flee whenever some other junker or gang members wanted to rob her, kill her, or worse.
However, that landscape was forgiving, its flat planes easy to tread on. She'd usually get away easily enough by simply outrunning her predator. Sometimes she'd get caught and then she'd bite, scratch, kick, do anything so that the offender gave up and released her. On some occasions, she'd hide inside a car wreck, breathing heavily and trembling until the searing sun hid behind the horizon. One time she got so frightened that she soiled herself and lay unmoving for hours.
Jakku is familiar and Takodana is unbearable. It's riddled with hills, crowded with pines and fallen logs. It's green. This shade of green is vibrant and it makes her dizzy and sick. The air is humid, clinging to her skin and hair, making it hard to breathe. It's like the lands she read about, daydreamed about. Fantasy was a nice sentiment, a way to escape daily hardships.
Deep within the forest, the wind is swishing between her ears and when Rey finally comes to a halt, complete silence envelops her. The girl slows her laboured breathing down in order to be able to detect anybody coming after her.
Almost immediately she hears a whisper behind her. She turns her body around but find nobody there. Her eyes shift from side to side. Was it an animal? Was it the breeze? A figment of her imagination? There's another rustle and a snap of a twig. She's sure she heard it right this time. They're still after her…
A flash of white appears between the bushes suddenly. Sparks fly near the girl's head when the trooper shoots at her without a second thought. As if on autopilot, her hands go for the pistol that Han has gifted her and points it at the soldier. It doesn't fire.
"Oh, sh-!" she scrambles for the safety switch.
The trooper falls to the ground as the shots pierce his chest. Rey stares in shock but doesn't hesitate when a second soldier shows up. They're both dead in a matter of seconds. It isn't over yet, a voice tells her menacingly and it's right.
A hulking, black figure stops on the hill, near the corpses, observing. It cocks its helmeted head, seemingly not bothered by the grisly scene, and then looks over his shoulder, which allows the young girl to see it in its full glory.
This creature embodies the darkest nightmares, Rey thinks horrified. It reminds her of death and the stories the priests would tell to set children on the right path. Still rooted in place, she blinks the stubborn tears away only to find the phantom gone.
She grips the pistol so tight her forearms ache with strain and scans her surroundings again. She moves towards a path behind some mossy boulders. The girl can sense the dark creature is close, watching her but keeping its distance, glued to her like a shadow.
The young girl ducks beneath a dead trunk, thinking of a way to escape. The forest is like a maze. There are so many twisted paths it's hard for her to wrap her head about it. Perhaps she could circle back and return to the castle? She'll face more of the soldiers if she has to.
But doesn't this pine tree look familiar? Have I passed it already, she questions herself. Every damn plant here looks the same. No, it can't be. Alright, I'll take that turn-
The dark creature jumps in front of her, black her way and startles her. Deep in panic, the girl stumbles backwards and fires a few times. Even though she's sure at least a couple of them should have hit him, he remains unscated.
No, no, no, not like this, Rey thinks fervently, trying to step away, frightened like a small animal caught in snares. "Stay- stay back!" she spits out.
It stops. It's as if time itself has stagnated as well. She, too, cannot move. The creature's presence roots her in place, frozen like a statue, similar to those she's admired so many times in books.
She wants to run, to speed through the woods. She wants to hungrily catch every breath she's allowed. She wants her colourful robes to soak with sweat and cool her skin. But she doesn't do any of those things. The girl stares at the nightmare before her and it stares back.
"You almost killed me," it speaks with awe. "A complete stranger."
"You're with the First Order," she justifies her actions. He's not the only one, the voice inside her head seethes.
"And that defines me completely?"
"I know what they do! They murder, destroy and spread terror!"
"And yet I'm the one forced to defend myself. How peculiar…" it murmurs to itself quietly.
The young girl grits her teeth, tired of this charade. "Either get it over with or move out of my way!"
When it ignores her threat, she loses her patience and rushes at it with her pistol aimed at this its heart. The last thing she sees is its hand reaching towards her before darkness swallows her up.
Rey wakes up in a cell. It's cramped and freezing cold. She lay with her legs drawn up to her chest. The space makes her feel claustrophobic. She's scared. Despite the growing anger inside of her, Rey still worries about people in Takodana, about Han and Chewie, and everybody else.
On the first day of her captivity, the scavenger is brought to a room in which a metal table and two chairs sitting at it on the opposite ends. She is sat on one of them and heavy cuffs are placed on her wrists, which binds her to the floor like a slaver's chain.
For a very long time, she is forced to sit there alone with disturbing thoughts buzzing in her head. She's eventually taken back to her cell. She doesn't sleep that night.
On the second day, nobody comes for her. The girls waits, tense but patient, and waits, and waits.
On the third day, troopers arrive at her cell. One of them holds a pair of cuffs, which look similar to those that were put on her before. Her excitement wanes like a candle's flame as she overhears the conversation between the troopers and a third person.
"Hey, guys," the newcomer calls out. "You need to go back to the hangar, stat."
"Huh? Why?"
"Captain told me that Ren told him that the girl is not to be moved."
"We were ordered otherwise," one of the troopers protests, exasperation evident in his voice.
"A change of plans, it seems like."
"Well, that's annoying," the second soldier mumbles, checks the lock on the door and walks away with his fellow trooper.
Who is Ren? Is it that monster? In her situation every piece of information is vital. Her cell holds no secrets though. She's checked every crevice and before that, when she was being escorted, she observed her surroundings, studied the halls.
As Rey starts to doze off despite her best efforts at staying alert, a tray is slid across the room. There's a bowl of grey soup, a glass of water and a sort of pink fruit. She doesn't touch it even though stomach is being gripped by a vice. I shouldn't, she tells herself sternly.
However, another day passes, or so she thinks, so her resolve vanishes. The girl's getting weaker and weaker with every hour. She needs her strength. When a trooper comes later to pick her up the tray with empty dishes get pushed to the side and guilt sits heavily in her tummy.
Once again, a soldier brings her to the room with the table, cuffs her and leaves. She's left alone. The chain rattles when the scavenger tugs at it. Since her feet are not bound she's able to push on the legs of the table. It doesn't budge as it's firmly attached to the floor just like her chair. That doesn't stop the girl from kicking the legs of the table in frustration, yanking on the cuff chain like a feral animal.
Rey's outburst is interrupted when someone enters the room. She guesses it's mostly likely a trooper ready to take her back to the cell. And so the game would continue. Her muscles tense up. She is ready. Though… something is off.
That strange sensation of time coming to a halt hits her again. The girl freezes. She holds her breath in futile hope that it's not true, that she won't have to face that creature again.
Ren walks towards the other chair wordlessly. He sits down, leans back and places a tablet on the table with a loud thud. She flinches when he frees her her wrists.
"Hello again," he speaks in distorted voice coming through his mask. The casual way in which he starts the conversation irks her. He's pretending as if they were acquaintances meeting again in a cantina to drink Corelian whiskey, as if he wasn't her captor, as if he didn't hurt her. "I trust you were treated well?"
He's met with silence.
"Do you know why you're here?" he tries a different angle.
"No."
"During our first encounter you mentioned the Order. Described it as nefarious, something to condemn."
"So what?"
"I find your ignorance rather insulting. But it's of no matter," he shrugs nonchalantly. "What interests me right now, however, is the information inside your head. It has come to my attention that you aided a deserter who served under me. He escaped with a prisoner of ours. It is detrimental that we recover both of them. Your input could really help us."
Ren asks her about Finn, Dameron, spies. Her responses consist of 'no's', 'I don't know's' and 'I'm not sure's'. The temptation is so strong though. To tell him about everything that has taken place ever since Finn ran in front of her truck, about the secrets of the Resistance and where they're holed up… It would be liberating. It would be easy. Ren leans in just a bit as if sensing the conflict inside of the young girl and hungry for her every word.
"I don't know anything," she repeats, shuddering.
He sags back in his seat and sighs dejectedly. He's disappointed in her.
"Oh, surely that's not true," he encourages her with a tilt of his head. "You have some values and beliefs, don't you? Everybody does. Even the most insignificant individuals possess their shallow musings. Even the lowest of the low have their masters."
His big gloved hand rests of the tablet in front of him. Unconsciously, her gaze snaps to it. What's in there? Why did he bring it here? Why did he change the subject?
"You'd know something about that, right, Rey? A mere scavenger from Jakku. A nobody."
How does he know all of that, she thinks, filled with panic and bitterness. Why is he doing this?
He notices her deep discomfort and the tears in her eyes. Suddenly, he stands up and causes her to wince. The scavenger's body gets eclipsed by his shadow and the awful mask comes so close she could almost feel the coolness of its metal accents. It's as if he's a snake seducing her, whispering filthy things into her ear, ready to coil himself around her and suffocating her.
"You know I can take whatever I want."
"No need to persuade me, then," the girl finds courage to finally speak up. "Get to it."
He sighs softly. "That's true. But despite what you may think, I'm not happy to be here. I've been honest with you so far. I could've told you that your friends were all butchered. I didn't. So, how about you do the same for me?"
Ren's silky voice doesn't match his appearance and she averts her eyes. Just as before he's quick to catch that. "What's wrong?" he cocks his head. "Are you upset?"
"I- yes," she admits.
"Is it my mask? Would you be more at ease if I took it off?"
She shrugs, uncertain. Despite her lackluster response, he takes the initiative. His thumbs press themselves onto the underside of his chin, which causes the mouth piece to click open with a quiet hiss. Seconds later the helmet is laying on the table and the face of the monster that stalked her is revealed.
What is shown to her surprises her deeply. It's a young man's face framed by jetblack curls. There's nothing extraordinary about it. In fact, had they not met in these unfortunate circumstances, she might've taken him for just another off-wordler. It's comforting to know that behind the dark aura and robes there is a human being present.
Although… there is something else. A small, pale boy with an intense gaze from the past or a dream, perhaps.
"Tell me about the time you've spent in a castle belonging to an individual under the name of Maz Kanata," Ren says in a voice unfamiliar to her.
Rey talks about Takodana. His facial features contort into a sullen mask at the mention of Han solo but it's replaced by something inscrutable in an instant. She's mentioning details of minor importance and he knows she's stalling. He enquires about the pilot, Poe Dameron, and the girl doesn't have much to say. He's gone now, drowned by the sinking sands.
"And FN-2187? Were you aware that he's a fugitive?"
"Yes- no. He posed as a member of the Resistance," she confesses unhappily.
Ren's full lips quirk in a mocking smile. "Why are you so apprehensive, Rey?" there's an odd curiosity in his voice. "Have you grown to care for him? Is that it?"
Anger beings to bubble inside of her. It's like a fire spreading, burning everything in its way, fueling her anxieties. She's tired. She doesn't want to answer any more of his stupid questions. She wants to go home. And most importantly, she wants to find out what it is that he's hiding in the tablet.
"You seem to know a great deal about me," the girl's heart is hammering inside of her chest, but she presses on. "What about you? Who do you serve?"
A clash of emotions flicker on his handsome face. He's hesitating, she thinks with satisfaction, and his gaze is wavering. "All you need to know is that the Order has your best interest at heart. Thank you for today, Rey."
On the last day, while she's being escorted to the interrogation room once again, something strange occurs. There are two troopers at her side. It's always different men. She can tell by their voices and how they treat her. Some behave indifferently towards her, some are aggressive and unpleasant. This pair doesn't pay much attention to the scavenger. Halfway through their trip, the troopers stumble upon their co-worker. They begin to converse with one another casually. Rey is left aloe, standing to the side, awkwardly observing them. She's memorized the way from her cell to the interrogation room already. There are a few of diverging paths, but she doesn't know where they lead. Some of the personnel are walking about in a hurry with their eyes glued to tablets in the hands so if she slipped away, then maybe…
Sudden ringing in the girl's ears stop her in her tracks. Something is singing to her, pulling her body towards a special place not just to her but to Ren as well. Her feet lead her away from the chatting troopers to a hallway. She looks around in order to find a hiding spot. She ducks into a nearby room. It's a small storage unit so nothing of use is there. The only way to escape that doesn't involve running into troopers is through a vent on the ceiling.
Grunting with strain, she jumps up to climb inside of it. As the echo of the lid dropping to the floor resonates throughout the room, her body slithers through the opening and into safety.
I can do this, the girl tries to convince herself. I've got this. I can do this.
It's a tight fit but nothing she hasn't encountered before. Countless times did she have to squeeze into tiny crevices in search of any spare parts. She has this in her blood.
She's crawling and crawling and crawling. It feels as if hours have passed but the distance hasn't shortened at all. Searing pain is piercing through her arms and shoulders. The skin on her wrists is red and rubbed raw underneath the cuffs.
Still, the girl pushes on. The strange sensation has been with her this whole time, calling out, beckoning. She tries to ignore it and focus on the task at hand. After some time, another opening appears in her way. She peers down but not much can be seen. The source of light in the chamber is sparse. There is no indication of any person present. It's so quiet she can hear blood thumping in her ears.
She should go down there. It's not like she has much choice. Besides, the longer the scavenger stays in one place, the bigger chance they'll catch her. She needs to keep moving.
The lid falls to the ground and Rey drops on her forearms, then rolls to her feet. Frozen in a crouching position, she scans her surroundings. In an instant the young girl is hit with a wave of cold. It's as if any remnants of happiness left in her suddenly vanish. Unwanted memories flash before her eyes, reminding her of pain, hunger and death that she managed to bury deep in her mind.
Fighting against the paralyzing feeling, Rey stands up shakily with her gaze set upon the centre of the chamber. There stands a hexagonal pyre filled with white ashes. Further on, there is a padded chair and, finally, a stand designed to show off a mask. A destroyed maks, warped beyond recognition.
Rey shivers. I've found my answer, she notes bitterly. As soon as her fingertips make contact with the surface of the mask, a collage of images cloud her vision. A temple enveloped in orange embers, a city in the clouds, a young woman wearing a baby blue gown in tears, twin suns setting behind a sandy horizon. Slowly, flashes of a small girl reaching out towards the sky begin to overlap the previous visions.
"Your purpose is ahead of you," Maz Kanata's words ring in her head. "Those whom you've been holding on for are not coming back. Though there is someone who is waiting for you."
Rey's pulled back from the vision violently. Sirens are blaring in the background and soon enough a group of stormtroopers barge into the room, shouting and dragging her away from the mask. Shell-shocked, the young scavenger doesn't notice Ren has arrived until he speaks up. The helmet is back on his head, which startles her.
"You've disappointed me, Rey. I thought we had an agreement," he sounds almost remorseful. When she doesn't reply, a small sigh leaves his mask's vocabulator. "I suppose it cannot wait."
He turns to the troopers at standby and orders two of them to inform the security officers of the situation immediately. The rest is to go to check the area for any more compromised constructions and report every one of them. They all shout "yes, sir!" in unison like puppets.
"Come," Ren takes her arm forcefully. "It's time."
The two of them are walking through corridors and passages. It's one big maze. She feels so naive for even considering the possibility of an escape. She failed but that doesn't mean she can't come out victorious in the end.
"That thing… showed me things," Rey blurts out, self-conscious, as if she spied on something private, intimate.
"I know," comes his simple response.
"Why? Why is this happening to me?" the girl presses for answers. "Did you know-"
"I've had some suspicions, yes."
"Is that why you're keeping me here? To convert me to your cult? Why didn't you tell me anything?"
"I had to make sure."
Rey purses her lips to stop herself from cursing. He's been playing with her! Treating her like an experiment! Ren pushes her forward and she stumbles into a small box. He steps inside afterwards, causing the mechanical door to slide shut. The box surges upwards. She notices Ren's stiff posture and clenched fists. She can feel fear radiating from him.
"Now you're scared!" the girl taunts him cruelly. "How does that feel?"
She wants to see him cower in terror, his face contorted in pain and discomfort. She wants him to feel the same way she did when he flaunted the information about herself.
Suddenly, he pulls his helmet off of his head. His huge body corners hers. Gasping in surprise, she puts her cuffed hands in front of her reflexively. Ren's bare face is so close to hers that she can feel his heavy breathing on her skin. She doesn't know how long she'll be able to stand his intense gaze.
"I don't understand why the Force is calling out to you either," he snaps at her. "I'm trying to help you so why don't you stop resisting and do as I say?"
A second passes before Ren blinks and shuffles away from her. His face disappears beneath the helmet once again and the atmosphere changes in an instant. That crackling static fades away but the prickling at her spine persists. Her fingertips are numb but she blames the cuffs for that.
"Who is Skywalker?" she whispers, not knowing if he even heard her.
"My master is kind enough to grant you an audience," Ren's mechanical, emotionless tone makes her heart skip a beat. "Speak only when prompted, obey all of his orders and don't even think of running. He'll know your thoughts."