Coruscant is different than anything that Rey could have ever expected. The city nightlife is full of life and lights as opposed to Jakku's dark and barren nature. She walks through the crowds on the streets and back inside her hotel with a bag in hand. The hotel is well furnished and extravagant. It's almost like a dream palace to her.

Rey goes to the elevator and signals it to her floor. She leans against the wall and lets out a deep breath. It's been a week since she's seen Kylo Ren, and she feels this strange feeling of longing. She feels so alone when she's away from him.

The elevator dings as the golden doors slide open. Rey steps inside and presses the button to her floor. The elevator shoots up and slows to a stop. The doors open. Rey steps out into a large, elegantly furnished hallway. She goes to her room and swipes the keycard to unlock her door. She steps inside the room and collapses onto a couch.

Rey looks to the bag next to her. It's the first time she's ever exchanged money for something in her life. She supposes she could try it on. Rey removes her uniform and takes a long, pleated black dress out of the bag. She steps into the dress and fastens the gold collar around her neck. She does a quick twirl, feeling the ends of her dress rise around her. Rey grabs the pair of dress sandals that she bought to match her dress and walks to the mirror on her wall. The sight of wearing fine clothes over slave rags is enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Rey backs away from the mirror and turns away from her reflection. She sucks in a deep breath of air. A knock on her door pulls her back to reality. She goes to the door to see a Stormtrooper behind the door. Her eyes look to the serial number, FN-2187.

"Oh hey…" Rey says. "It's been awhile."

"I'm here to escort you, mam," his tone is professional rather than friendly. "Your presence has been requested by Commander Ren."

"Mam? " Rey is confused.

"You are an officer," he says. "I must address you by your rank or with an honorific title."

"Oh… "

A feeling of disappointment comes over her. She doesn't know him enough to consider him a friend, but now everything between them seems soformal.

Rey crosses through the doorway and closes the door behind her. She follows FN-2187 through the hotel. She thinks to strike up a conversation, but decides against it. It's different now. She's no longer a civilian. Rey yearns for friendship and companionship from others, but maybe it's not such a good idea to make friends with every single person she meets.

FN-2187 signals for the elevator. The doors open and both of them step inside. FN-2187 hits the button for the ground floor and the elevator drops downwards. The doors open, and Rey follows him through the lobby. The Stormtrooper guides her outside to a speeder parked at the curb. He rounds the front of it and sits in the driver's seat. Rey climbs into the passenger's seat next to him.

"May I speak freely, mam?"

"Huh?" Rey snaps to attention. "I mean, yeah...sure."

"What do you think of The First Order?" he asks.

"I must have saw something I liked if I decided to stay," Rey answers.

FN-2187 starts the engine to the speeder. He pulls away from the curb and drives out into traffic. A beat of silence passes between them before he speaks again. "Maybe I've been thinking too much lately, but something seems off."

"What do you mean?" Rey asks.

"The whole First Order," he answers.

"Why did you join in the first place?" Rey asks.

"I don't really know," FN-2187 answers.

"You must have had some reason," Rey says.

"That's the thing," he says. "I don't remember."

Rey turns and looks to him. Her brow furrows. She looks into his eyes, trying to find the meaning of his words.

"You know what...forget it," he shakes his head.

You're in too deep now, anyways. He doesn't speak, but those words seem to echo in her mind as if he had spoke them to her.

The speeder lands on a platform. Rey climbs out of the speeder and waits for FN-2187. She's in love with him, isn't she? She hears from FN-2187.If she knew what he truly was, she wouldn't be.

"I am not!" Rey snaps.

FN-2187 turns to her. "I'm sorry, mam?"

"I'm not …" her eyes look toward a large building and a perfect cover for her sudden outburst comes to mind. "I'm not sure why you brought me here. I thought we were returning to the Supremacy."

"It's an opera house," FN-2187 says. "Apparently our commander has a sensitive side."

Rey feels as if a sudden void has swallowed her heart. People will think what they want to think. She does look up to Kylo Ren in a sense, but it's not like she feels the way this Stormtrooper thinks she does. Rey closes her mind off completely. Being privy to every little thought that someone has will drive her insane.

She follows FN-2187 into the opera house. A rush of energy seems to run over her as she crosses through the front doors. Rey feels so light as her head seems to spin. A tingling feeling runs up her skin. She braces herself by placing one hand on FN-2187's shoulder.

"Is there a problem, mam?"

Rey shakes her head and says, "I'm okay. I'm just a little tired."

Rey releases her grip on his shoulder and follows him through the halls. They walk up a flight of stairs and enter the right wing of the building. The Stormtrooper leads her down a hall and stops before an open doorway.

"Here we are, mam," he looks down at her through his helmet. "But...before you go, I really do wish you the best in your future endeavors. You seem like a nice girl. Just...don't get too caught up in all this. Please."

He walks passed her without another word. Rey turns on her heel and watches him walk away from her. Why does this feel like goodbye? She hardly knew him, but she feels like they could have been friends had she got to know him. Rey ignores the void inside her that seems to be tearing away at her. She leans against the wall and breathes.

Rey walks through the open doorway into a large private box. There are five seats, but only four are empty. Kylo Ren is sitting front row, center. Rey moves through the box and sits to the right of him. A dark energy seems to come over her. Her entire body becomes cold.

"You asked to see me, sir?" Rey says.

"Yes," he says.

Rey sets both hands on the arm rests of her chair. Her stomach feels as if it's tied up in knots. Her heart pounds against her chest like a beating war drum. This whole building makes her feel so uncomfortable.

"Snoke wishes to see you as soon as we return to the Supremacy," he says. "He's impressed with how well you did on our mission."

Loud whispers fill her ears. She wraps her arms around herself and leans forward. Her entire body is trembling. Rey fixates her eyes forward at the large reflective ball of light a few meters ahead of her. Something evil happened here.

"Are you alright?"

Rey looks to her left to see Kylo looking to her with concerned eyes. She breathes deeply and says, "I'm fine. I'm just a little cold."

All of this seems to be happening so fast - being free of Jakku, her involvement in The First Order, and now she's supposed to meet their leader. Maybe there was something to Finn's words.

"I sense conflict within you, Rey," Kylo says. "What is bothering you?"

She forces her eyes forward, trying to find an explanation for it all. The whispers are so loud in her mind. Rey shuts her eyes and breathes. She opens her eyes and tilts her gaze back to Kylo. None of this makes any sense to her.

"I don't understand any of this," she says. "I'm just some slave girl you found on Jakku. I'm not sure why the Supreme Leader would have any interest in me."

There's a beat of silence between them. Rey turns her gaze forward and stares at the lightshow before her. She can feel her skin crawl as darkness seems to wrap her in a thick blanket of energy.

"My grandfather and his mother were both slaves."

The words hit her as if she were struck by lightning. Rey turns back to Kylo Ren. Her lips part to say something, but her words seem caught in her throat. She looks into his dark eyes, searching for something that she can't explain.

"My grandfather was fortunate enough to win his freedom in a race that was already rigged against him," his eyes avert from hers and stare forward. "The Jedi tried to teach him all of their lies, but he saw through all of it. My uncle tried to sell me those same lies before he tried to murder me."

"Is your grandfather still alive?" Rey asks.

"No," Kylo answers. "He's been dead for a long time."

"I'm sorry…" Rey whispers.

His eyes look upon her. "I do care about you, Rey. You do know that I would never let anything happen to you, don't you?"

The void in her heart seems to fill with this warm sensation at the sound of his words. Her breath to catches in her throat. She wants to tell him something, but she's not sure what it is she wants to tell him. His eyes look her over for a moment before flickering back up to meet her gaze.

"You look pretty," he compliments.

Her cheeks seem to burn at his compliment. Maybe FN-2187 is right. Rey feels a mixture of passion and fear as it all seems to hit her at once. She is in love with him.

"Thank you," she whispers as her hands smooth out the skirt of her dress subconsciously.

"I know what it's like to be alone, Rey," he says. "You're not alone."

"Neither are you…" she whispers.

Rey shifts her gaze forward. Her entire body is trembling. The whispers in her mind grow louder. She can feel a presence. It's not Kylo Ren nor is it Snoke. The presence is entirely invisible to her, but someone is here. Her entire body shivers.

"You seem tired," he looks to her. "You need rest."

Rey rises from her seat. She looks to him for one last moment before her eyes fall to the floor. "Thank you for all that you've done for me."

She pauses for a moment. Then, she turns away from him and rushes out of the private box. Rey leans against the wall and releases a heavy, staggered breath. She brings both hands to her head as she tries to fight whatever she just felt. It's all just too much...

A tall man approaches her. His clothes are of such a high quality that she's never seen before. He looks to her for a moment before asking, "Are you Rey?"

"Yes," she answers.

"My mistress would like to see you," he replies.

"Who? "

"The mistress I serve," he says. "Lady Mhyra."

"Mhyra… "

The name is familiar to her. Mom…

Rey's entire body feels numb as if she were frozen in ice. She's not sure if she wants to meet her mother, but maybe if she had answers, maybe it would make it all easier.

"Follow me," he instructs.

Rey doesn't bother to ask questions or even argue. She follows the mysterious man through the halls of the opera house. The man leads her out of the opera house to a silver ship parked on the platform. Rey feels apprehensive. She plants her feet into the ground and stops.

"I don't know if this is a good idea," she says.

The man turns back to her. "If you want to know the truth, you must come with me."

"The truth? "

"The truth you've been seeking all your life," he replies.

Rey hesitates for a moment longer. It's unwise to go with this man, but she needs to know. The truth is the only thing that will set her free. Rey looks up to the man and gives him a small nod. He motions for her to follow him and Rey obligues him without further question. She steps up the ramp to the fancy ship and follows the man to the front seat. She sits down in the leather seat next to the driver's seat. The man sits next to her and powers up the ship.

Common sense dictates that this is the worst idea she's ever had, but she can't seem to talk herself out of it. All her life she's felt this burning anger towards her parents. Maybe her mom has cleaned up and regrets it all. This must be her way of apologizing. That would make it all easier, wouldn't it?

The ship flies through the sky. Rey looks out the window to see all of the many lights of Coruscant. These must be the lights she remembers from her childhood. This city must be where she was born. Her heart races. She's both afraid and excited all at once. The ship lands on a platform. Rey feels as if every nerve in her body has caught fire. She's second guessing herself. Maybe the truth will hurt her. Maybe she's better off not knowing the truth at all.

"Right this way, Rey," the man says.

Rey follows him out of the ship. She can see her future ahead of her, but can also feel the shadows of her past haunting her. Each step she takes feels so heavy. She reaches two double doors. The man types in an access code and the double doors slide open. Rey steps inside. The home is decorated in blacks and reds. Every detail is immaculate. Where did her mother get so much money from? If she found wealth, why didn't she come back to Jakku and buy her back from Plutt?

The man leads her to a balcony area. She sees the back of a woman dressed in a long black gown. Grey hair is done up in an immaculate hairstyle. The woman turns to face her. Her face is wrinkled with age, but her green eyes are still strikingly beautiful. The woman steps towards her.

"Oh Rey… " Jeweled hands touch both her cheeks. "I've looked everywhere for you."

"I've seen you in my dreams," Rey's voice is thin as tears run down her face. "Who are you? "

The woman draws her hands away from Rey's face. Rey looks into her green eyes. They look so much like her own eyes. Her heart seems to race.Who is this woman?

"I'm your grandmother," she says. " Rey, I am so sorry for what my careless daughter did to you. She was addicted. She met this man. He got her hooked on death sticks. She loved the high too much. I couldn't help her. Your grandfather couldn't help her. I'm sorry… "

"My grandfather…? "

"Yes," she says. "My dear Sheev."

"Who? "

"That was your grandfather's name," her grandmother replies. "Sheev Palpatine. "

Rey's heart stops. She knows that name. Everyone knows it. Palpatine. Her breath comes out in a startled gasp.

"I've been watching from afar," the woman explains. "The Solos, the Skywalkers, the Resistance, The First Order. There is nothing I do not know. When my spies told me there was a girl named Rey with Lord Vader's grandson, I knew that it was the Rey I've been looking for."

"You mean Kylo Ren?" Rey asks.

"Kylo Ren, Ben Solo - whatever name he's going by these days. Both of your grandfathers were close, Sheev and Vader," her grandmother replies.

"And, you were Palpatine's wife?" Rey asks.

"Not exactly," she says. "I was but his mistress. No one could know about me, you see. It would have put your mom and I in so much danger. I was Sheev's deepest secret."

Rey feels as if she's lost. She looks to her grandmother. "I should tell Kylo Ren…"

"No, you shouldn't," her grandmother's voice hardens. "Not yet. There is another that thinks that he can build upon and steal your grandfather's legacy. Snoke. If he discovers who you truly are, he will stop at nothing to remove you from his path."

"What do I do? " tears are streaming down her face.

"You must be patient," her grandmother says. "Time has a way of changing our situations. You above all should know this."

Her grandmother takes Rey's hand in hers. Rey feels so hollow inside. This was not what she was expecting. Maybe she had hoped for something else. This is too much . Her head feels so heavy. All her life she thought she was a nobody. She never was. She is the Emperor's last surviving heir. That is the single farthest thing from being a nobody.

"You may sleep here tonight," her grandmother says. "Let me lead you to your room."

Rey does not think to question or resist her grandmother. She follows the woman obediently back into her home. They move through the home and down a hallway till they reach a small bedroom. Her grandmother turns the lights on and gestures her inside.

"Now that we are reunited, I look forward to our future together," she says. "Sleep well, my child."

Rey steps inside the room. The door shuts behind her, leaving her alone to her own thoughts. Rey unfastens the collar to her black dress and lets it fall to the floor in a pool of black silk. She climbs into the bed and draws the covers over herself. Rey shuts her eyes, feeling sleep come over her. The last thing she hears is a soft whisper.

"You are the Empire. Fulfill your destiny."