Chapter Five

When Kylo Ren returned to his rooms that night, he found that he couldn't sleep. Nothing—not the soothing silence of his chamber, not recounting troop movements around the galaxy, not a few sips of Trikallian Ale—managed to lull him into a restful slumber. Of course, nothing could. Because nothing could get The Girl off of his mind.

Which was why he found himself in the top room of The High Tower, a blank canvas of a dark room he'd requisitioned for his own training purposes. Yes, he spent most of his time training with Emperor Vader, honing his skills as a Sith Lord and learning the ways of The Force. But there were other times, like now, when he preferred the solitude of a private training session. One without the droning repetitions of his master—Cling to your feeling! Let your anger flow through you! Your hatred should be your only guide!—one where he could, instead, embrace silence. Both in the room, and in his own mind.

Today, he needed silence. He needed somewhere to escape thoughts of Rey of Jakku.

He'd hoped fighting off hordes of holographic armies single-handedly would have done the trick, but as he slaughtered the last of them and the program powered down, leaving his chest sweaty and heaving, he still hadn't managed to escape the thought of her.

Why did The Force want her, of all people? Where had she come from? The glimpse he'd gotten into her mind hadn't told him much—Why? What made her the bold and brave creature unafraid of staring down the two most powerful creatures in the galaxy?

But, perhaps more troublingly, his mind didn't just stop at questions about Rey. They probed about him, too.

What was this connection he felt to her? Why couldn't he shake her from his very being? Why had he reached into her mind? Why had he interfered when Lord Vader was disciplining her?

Those weren't questions he had the answers to. Or rather, the answers were just there, beneath the surface. He just didn't want to reach for them.

TY-4-Zero, the small arm droid operating the controls of the holographic war program Kylo had just finished chirped to life. His settings were meant to keep him silent except in cases of extreme emergencies; Kylo prepared himself for the worst.

"Master Ren, I believe your heart rate is exceeding safe levels. Do you wish to discontinue the program?"

"No," he growled, igniting his lightsaber once more. Its red glow wrought havoc against the dark walls. "Play it again. Turn off the safety protocols. I want it to hurt."

Rey was beyond exhausted. The room she'd been housed in—the rooms, plural, actually—were well-appointed and had even more windows than Kylo Ren's chambers, meaning that there was all the more light and star shine to soak up, so it wasn't like she was tossing and turning in a prison cell. She was comfortable, well-fed from the rolls she'd stuffed into her pockets when neither Darth Vader nor his protege were looking, and in the perfect mood to slip into a dreamless sleep and escape her current reality.

But for some reason, sleep evaded her. Every time she got close, Kylo Ren's pleading eyes flashed before her, forcing her awake and sending every one of her nerve endings into red alert.

After a few hours of this, she decided it wasn't worth it to even try anymore.

She attempted, at first, to see if there were any lowered defenses in this room that hadn't been available in Kylo Ren's room. She checked the floorboards and the wall wiring and the windows for any sign of weakness, to no avail. By the time dawn broke and morning crept over the artificial neon lights of Coruscant, the sky had already begun to cloud over with threatening rain clouds, lowering her mood even further.

Rey was done with waiting. Drawing a black cloak—pulled from the stocked wardrobe at her bedside— over her shoulders, she decided to take matters into her own hands. The only way out of this room was through her front door. And she was going to take it.

With no one guarding her room and the hallways practically barren, she began her snooping. Besides an escape plan, she wasn't quite sure what she was looking for, but she'd know when she found it. Soft steps carried her through the darkened hallways, past stolen galactic art and plundered treasures. Idly, she wondered why they even bothered collecting art. She couldn't imagine Kylo Ren or Emperor Vader feeling anything, much less feeling anything that art could invoke.

As she stared up at a painting of a small woman in a red robe, the canvas slashed straight through the middle as if someone had tried to destroy it in a rage, she tried to imagine what Kylo Ren would see in a piece like this one. It wasn't like Rey had much experience with art, but even she could see that the woman—even with part of her face distorted by the ruined canvas—was beautiful. But she also looked very kind. And very, very sad. She couldn't imagine Kylo would say anything about this painting except, possibly, that it was a reward for conquering the planet inscribed at the bottom of the frame. Naboo.

So wrapped up in her evaluation of the art, Rey didn't even notice when a Stormtrooper—not her friend Finn, but a stranger—had spotted her.

"You, there!" The voice crackled, drawing her attention to the far end of the hall where he stood, blaster at the ready. Rey cursed her selection of art to gawk at. She'd picked a painting decorating the wall of a dead-end. The Stormtrooper had her cornered. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

Lowering the blaster slightly, the soldier made straight for her. Rey's heartbeat picked up. "Come along. Master Ren will want to see you."

"No, just let me go back to my room. I won't leave again. I swear."

But it was to no avail. The tight, gloved fist of the Stormtrooper caught hold of her upper arm and refused to let go, no matter how hard she struggled. Up and up and up through the castle they traveled, revealing more and more dark hallways, a veritable sea of confusing corners and misdirecting architecture. The closer they got to their destination, the more her will to fight diminished. Even if she did manage to get free, she'd never find her way out of here.

When, finally, they reached a tall doorway at the top of one of the castle's spires, Rey nearly breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever punishment she would get for leaving her room, at least she wouldn't have to dread it any longer.

But the second the door opened, the relief she felt disintegrated. Because there, in the center of the room, swinging his lightsaber at holographic figures and cutting them into nothingness, stood Kylo Ren. Sweaty. Breathing heavily. Shirtless.

And beautiful.

Beautiful in the way of a murderous snake about to strike, of a hungry beast about to pounce and take down its prey, but beautiful nonetheless. Suddenly breathing became incredibly difficult.

"What are you doing here?" He growled, not looking at the stormtrooper, but instead, directly and piercingly at her. She noticed that, while he did wave his hand and end the war program flickering all around him, he did not move to disengage his lightsaber. The red light burned against the dark walls, giving him an otherworldly, ghostly glow.

"Master Ren, we found her lurking around—"

"Get your hands off of her!"

The stormtrooper instinctively gripped her tighter. Rey let out a hiss of pain. "But—"

"I said…" Kylo Ren turned the lightsaber on him. His eyes blazed even brighter than the weapon. A shiver traveled down Rey's spine even as the heat from the device radiated towards her. "Move. Or you will be moved."

"Yes, my lord."

He obeyed. It took nearly everything Rey had to keep from collapsing to the ground from the loss of his support. But she wouldn't give either man the satisfaction.

"Now, go. And don't interrupt again."

The stormtrooper did not need to be told twice. With a salute of deference, he evacuated the room at top speed, leaving Rey and Kylo Ren quite alone indeed. Rey did everything in her power to avoid looking at his bare chest and his blazing eyes, and still, it wasn't enough to completely keep her from surveying his perfect form.

It was easy, however, to hold onto her anger and her humiliation at her situation. She was a captive who'd just been dragged through her prison and basically thrown at the feet of her captor. Even on Jakku, as a nobody, she'd never felt so small, so debased.

She struggled to keep her composure, to seem unaffected on the outside when her insides wanted to wage a war.

"What were you doing out of your rooms?"

"I was just…Do you have a cloak or a tunic or something you could put on?"

One eyebrow quirked. His lips turned into something like a smile. "Why? Am I proving a distraction?"

"No. It's just—"

"If we're going to be married, then you should get used to the sight of me."

There it was. Another reminder of her future with him, just as the bed had been. Mustering her strength, she spun on her heel.

"I'll be going back to my room, then."

"I have not dismissed you." The air around her tightened, almost like when Vader had choked her. It stopped her in her tracks, only loosening when her muscles contracted to return to facing him. Kylo Ren deactivated his lightsaber. He repeated his question. "What are you doing out of your rooms? Why were you lurking?"

"I was just exploring. Learning my way around. I don't like being unfamiliar with my surroundings."

"You should not travel alone, not even out of your chambers. I'll assign a stormtrooper to look after your care."

Her mind flashed to Finn. Perhaps it would be advantageous to start building friendships and alliances inside of this palace. If she was going to be here for a while—at least until she could devise some means of escape—then she'd need as many creatures of the palace on her side as possible. But her pride wouldn't let her back down, not from him.

"I survived almost my entire life in a desert. I do not need anyone's protection."

"Yes, but you weren't an empress then."

"I'm not an empress now."

"No, but you will be. I'm glad you've come, actually. We can begin your training." With long-legged strides, he crossed the room, putting plenty of space between them. Just the way she liked it. "Walk over here."

"Why?"

He returned his lightsaber to its holster at his hip, drawing her eye to the line of muscles just above his belt. Her jaw instinctively tightened. The small action must not have escaped his notice, because his lips tilted upwards again. A tease. "I'm not going to bite. Just walk across the room."

For a moment, she considered disobeying him. But then, she remembered the way he manipulated the air around her just a minute ago, forcing her to turn and face him. She'd heard rumors of his undeniable power and how he used it against those who displeased him. She didn't want to think about him reaching out to choke her instead of merely shifting her position in the room. Drinking in a deep breath, she did as he asked, carefully making her way across the empty space between them.

She only made it a few steps before he held up a hand for her to halt.

"What's…What's that sound? That jingling?"

Her throat tightened. "Nothing."

"Lady Rey—"

"Don't call me that."

"Rey. Empty out your pockets."

Slowly, trying to act as casually as she possibly could manage, she placed her hands into her pockets, a defensive move. Instinctively, she took a step away from him. Which, of course, only invited him closer. "…No."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, but the gesture wasn't menacing. Just curious. "Why not?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Empty your pockets or I'll do it for you."

A knot formed in the pit of her stomach as her mind designed imagery of him trying. His hands sliding down her hips and invading her space, his breath warm against her neck, his skin tickling her own…

Without ceremony, she turned out the fabric, dumping the contents of her pocket onto the floor. Shiny gemstones mounted on slender metallic stands, small pieces of table-top art she'd collected during her survey of the halls near her chambers, clattered in a heap to the polished floor beneath her feet.

Kylo Ren's expression was unreadable. For the first time, she wished he still had the mask on. Bending down, he collected the handful of jewels and cradled them in his palms, the vibrant colors catching what little light the room had and reflecting the colors against the pale skin of his cheeks.

"What are these doing in your pockets?"

She waited for a believable lie to come to her. One never showed up. No use in lying now, anyway. She extended her hand for the treasures. "I thought they might be valuable. I'll need credits when I go back to Jakku."

"You aren't going back to Jakku."

"Oh, yes, I am."

Kylo Ren turned from her then, pocketing the gems. Even without the full force of his eyes upon her, she felt his anger in the air. "You are offered the life of an Empress, leader of the entire Galaxy, and you wish to go back to your desert?"

"At least in the desert, there are no Kylo Rens lurking about."

"If I weren't here, then? You'd wish to stay?"

There was something broken about his voice that she didn't want to examine. She sniffed and folded her arms, pretending to take a deep interest in an imperfect spot on the stone floor.

"No. My family left me on Jakku. They're going to come back for me. I know it."

"Is that true? Do you know that?" he asked, turning on her. When she didn't answer, when she couldn't answer, he reached out a gloved hand towards her, just as he had done the first time they met. Her mind flashed back to those few moments of terrifying intimacy as he sorted through the contents of her mind. Controlling her heartbeat was a useless exercise now. With every one of its frantic palpitations, he closed the gap between them, a maniacal glint in his dark eyes.

"Stop," she whispered, closing her eyes against him.

"Let me have a look inside of your mind. Let me see the truth."

"You already know the truth. I just told you."

"Oh, no, Rey. You just told me a lie. Do you even know it's a lie?"

She had nowhere to run. He'd backed her into the wall. The cool stone seeped through the thin layers of clothing she'd wrapped herself in, while his heat radiated through her front. The clash of sensations met in the middle, threatening to tear her apart. He removed his glove and dropped it to the floor.

"Let me go," she demanded.

"Let me in," came his retort, his fingertips pressing into her temple.

With all of the mental strength she didn't know she had, she fought him off. She didn't want him to see her family, didn't want him to see the depths of her, where she'd hidden the truth about them. Her pulse pounded in her ears. The darkness of the room roared around her. The air around her seemed engaged in some kind of war far beyond her control.

"No."

"I want to know the truth."

"You already know the truth. I just told you—"

"Rey—"

"Stop!"

Her vision went red as blood. And for a split second, everything went quiet and still. Her hand reached out. And, without touching him, threw him across the room. The man landed in a heap on the floor, small and pathetic and weak. She gulped for air, blinking at her hand. What had she done?

"How did you do that?" Kylo Ren barked.

"I…I…I don't know. I just…" Horror painted itself into her every feature. She'd never…How could she… She'd just used The Force. Somehow, she instinctively knew that's what had happened. And she didn't want to face it. Or him, for that matter. She made for the door. "I have to go."

"Don't—"

But it was too late. She'd already left, sprinting through the hallways towards her chambers in a brazen escape. And to her surprise, he did not follow her.

She returned to her rooms. Her feet carried her there without her conscious effort, following the now-slightly familiar hallways until she collapsed back into her bed in an exhausted ball. Her mind, instead of racing to puzzle out what had just happened to her, repeated the facts of the moment quite simply. You used The Force. Kylo Ren knows you can use The Force. You could turn out just like him if you're not careful. You have to get out of here. You have to escape.

Biding her time and making enough allies to make good her flight from this place no longer seemed acceptable. She needed to go before she became any more like the monsters keeping her here than she already had.

As a plan formulated in her mind, she began packing the possessions they'd allowed her in this room—clothes, a few knick-knacks that might have been worth something, a few refresher bars to clean herself on the go—and only stopped when the door's alert bell rang and a familiar voice reached her ears.

"Lady Rey?" Finn called. Rey's tensed shoulders relaxed.

"Yes. Come in."

The introduction of Finn, who carried a silver tray in his arms, into the front room of her chamber—a reception and lounge suite done up in the same black and red materials as the rest of the castle—evolved her plan. Finn had been good to her, as close to a friend as she'd found in this place. Perhaps he was the key she needed. He placed the tray on a nearby table and removed the cloche top, revealing a hot, buttery smelling stew and a basket of rolls. Rey's stomach growled without her permission.

"Master Ren has sent me with dinner. I'm to be your new personal guard. And I'm also to tell you he realizes that you don't need a personal guard, but hopes you accept one anyway."

There was a softness to that declaration, a softness she couldn't imagine Kylo Ren ever expressing. Perhaps Finn embellished the truth.

"Thank you, Finn. Thank you."

She dove into the stew with one hand, spooning mouthfuls of meat and vegetables down her throat, while shoving roll after roll from the basket into her now-empty pockets. She'd need her strength if she was going to make it out of this place alive. Finn hesitated in the doorway.

"You know, they'll let you have all the food you want. You don't have to hide it away. They aren't going to starve the future Empress."

"I'm not going to be an empress, Finn. I'm going to escape. I'm going back to Jakku."

Finn flinched. With his helmet on, she couldn't see his expression, but she knew from his body language that she'd spooked him. "You can't go back to Jakku. Why would anyone want to go back to Jakku?"

"I have my reasons."

"My Lady, I—"

"If you aren't going to help, then I have to ask you to leave."

The declaration was a gamble. One she lost. The bitter taste of defeat filled her mouth. Finn, her only ally in this place, wasn't going to help free her.

"I can't—"

"Just go. I'll figure this out myself."

After a brief hesitation in the doorway, Finn abandoned her, leaving her chambers with a hiss of the electronic doors. Rey counted backward from one hundred, trying to clear her mind. Without thinking, she reached for the last bread roll in the basket.

Only, when she looked down, she wasn't holding it at all. It floated in the air just above the tray, waiting for her to reach out and take it. She'd done that. And it gave her an idea.

He'd let her go. Stupidly, foolishly, selfishly, even, he'd let her go. It was shock that did it. And, if he was being honest with himself, which he was almost never inclined to do, it was fear, too. He'd never seen such raw, chaotic power before. When he'd peered into her mind upon their first meeting, he'd seen force sensitivity. Even without looking into her, he felt the light around her. It warmed every room she entered, spilling upon him like errant sunlight through a not-quite-closed curtain.

For the first time since their meeting, he thought he finally understood why The Force had brought them together. She needed a teacher. Someone to help her harness that unbridled power and channel it. He could be that teacher.

That conflict rose up in him again as he considered the possibility. The conflict between the Light and the Dark. The Light told him that she was the key, the key to ending it all. Vader's reign. The rest of his family's exile. The darkness over the entire Galaxy. The Darkness told him that the Galaxy needed its order, that his family deserved to be dead for what they'd done, not just in exile, and that Vader was the exact savior the Galaxy needed, not someone it needed saving from.

By the time the alert bell on the training room's door rang out again, he'd dressed in his robes once again and changed the room's program, hoping that this time the sight of star charts and Imperial expansion plans would prove a better distraction than fighting had.

He waved the door open. But instead of the Imperial Officer or Stormtrooper he'd been expecting, in walked Rey.

"Master Ren?"

He forced his gaze onto the star charts, not wanting her to see what her presence did to him. "Out without an escort again?"

"Yes. I…I'm sorry for what I did today. Whatever it was that I did. You and Emperor Vader have been very kind to me. You've given me a new life. I was wrong to judge you."

"…Yes?"

"I was hoping we might continue our lessons. I should like to learn. I should like to be a good Empress, if you'll still have me."

He searched the air around them for any sign, any hint of deception. But he couldn't find any. The air around them was clear as Tikkanian crystal. Kylo Ren knew it was wrong, traitorous, even, to feel hope at this turn of events. But still, his heart wouldn't listen to reason. It wondered if she'd liked the dinner he sent up and if she'd somehow discovered he was tolerable and better than a life alone in the desert, if she liked Finn, the guard he'd assigned and if his gentle message about her capabilities had softened her heart at all. Controlling his face as best as he could to hide his delight at her return, he closed the holographic star charts and turned to begin their lesson.

"Come, then. Let's begin. Walk across the room."

"Actually," Rey began, shifting her weight. "Can we begin with something different?"

"Such as?"

"You're going to be my husband. Couldn't I get to know you?"

Kylo Ren swallowed, feeling more like Ben Solo in that moment than he had in years. Utterly defenseless as she gazed up at him with those sad, sweet eyes of hers from under dark lashes. "What do you want to know?"

"Come closer."

"You don't give the orders around here," he replied, weakly.

"I want to look into your eyes. I can't see you if you're over there."

"Why do you want to do that?"

"Because maybe I want to learn to like the man I marry. And the eyes are the viewports to the soul."

A smile threatened his lips. Her bleeding warmth and sunshine threatened to shatter his darkness. He attempted to steel himself with every step he took closer to her. They were always playing this game, weren't they? Proximity and Power were dangerous weapons to be fighting with, but he knew he couldn't back down now.

"You'll find that my eyes aren't anything special," he said, dismissively.

She was close now, close enough to touch him. But still, that wasn't close enough for her. Lithe steps brought her close enough that he could hear her heartbeat, see the colored flecks in her eyes, feel the warmth of her breath on his lips. He licked his own, unconsciously. Their eyes met. Hers softened. And slowly, painfully slowly, she raised her hand towards his face. "Oh, yes. They are."

But instead of landing on his cheek, her hand moved past his body. He barely had time to comprehend what was happening. Barely had time to understand he'd been used.

Because with one closing of her fist, Rey of Jakku used The Force to ripping open a hole in the wall behind him.

And without another word, she shoved past his shocked personage, sprinted for the newly created escape, and dove through it.

An escape attempt! How daring! I hope Rey makes it out. Let me know what you think of the chapter in a review and thank you so much for reading! It means so much to me!