Chapter 2: Leverage

A/N: I would appreciate reviews from you guys just to know how I'm doing on this story. I apologize and take full responsibility for any mistakes, bear with me please. Also, the Kylo Ren POVs are short... for a reason.

Evil smile.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars and any of the characters portrayed in this work except those that I myself create.

"Water," I heard a voice that wasn't my own say. "Drink."

I parted my lips and let the cool liquid flow down my throat relishing the feel of it but it didn't last long enough.

Opening my eyes, I was both disappointed and happy to see Kylo Ren standing in front of me with a glass of water in his hand. Happy because he was giving me water but disappointed because it wasn't some random trooper I could overpower in under a minute.

I chocked on the water when my eyes met Kylo's and he took a step back.

"You're awake," he said.

I had never heard words that sounded so devoid of emotion. It was like despite the relief that was supposed to be held in the words, he could still make them sound so... cold.

Not that I cared, after all, we both hated each other so why pretend otherwise?

He brought the cup close to my mouth again telling me to drink and I involuntarily opened my mouth. It was just a little before he pulled his hand away again.

"Stop doing that," I snapped my voice a little better now. It wasn't fun that he was toying with me.

I couldn't see his reaction from the mask and I wondered why he still wore it. I got that it was to intimidate people and that in a sense it made him feel powerful but we were past that.

At least I thought we were.

I'd rather see his face than not see it.

"Do you plan on letting me out?" No answer. "You can't keep me here forever."

"No, I can't."

"And?"

Please say you'll be letting me go. Please let him let me go.

"You'll stay in this base until I let you leave," he said.

My heart sunk at that but there hadn't really much hope for him letting me go. At least I wouldn't lie on the table all day like a lab rat.

My eyes moved to the cup in his hands and as though he noticed, he brought it to my lips and tipped it until all the liquid was gone. I let a sigh and leaned my head back.

"Kylo," I said. I didn't expect an answer and I didn't get one but he paused at the door so I knew I had his attention. "Why are you keeping me here?"

He turned and walked back to me.
"Because I need you to be able to get to the Republic."

What?

"No. It won't work, they don't... they won't come for me," I said.

"You've got potential to be a Jedi," he said. "Granted it's too late to start the training, but you're valuable to them."

He was using me to get to them and if they did come, if they fell into the trap, then that would destroy them just like Kylo wanted and with no Republic to fight against the First Order, chaos would rule.

"I'm not," I said.

"Rey, don't try to convince me otherwise. My mind is made up," he said.

With that, he reached for the restraints that held my arms in place. His hands weren't gloved and a tingle went through me when his fingers brushed my skin. However, if he felt it he didn't show it because he went in fiddling with the restraints. I ignored it as well and tried to look anywhere else but at him but that was easier said than done.

His silky dark hair glistened in the light and I tried not to feel jealous. Why did the bad guy have good hair? Wavy locks framed his angular face so well, you'd think only he could pull off that haircut.

'Stop. What in the world are you thinking? He's the bad guy, you cannot think this way about him,' I chastised myself.

As soon as he undid the last restraint, I felt myself fall forward and it was too late to grab anything. My weak muscles were useless and I landed on top of Kylo who let out a groan. The wound must not have healed entirely then.

He pushed me off him and stood.

"Get up," he said.

I put out my hand to steady my body as I struggled to get up but it was pointless. My muscles were too weak to be of any good to me at this point.

Kylo gave an exasperated sigh (probably accompanied by a similar eye roll) and bent down arms outstretched. It wasn't until he had me in his arms bridal-style that I thought to protest.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"Carrying you. Honestly, is there anyone in the galaxy slower than you?"

"Let go of me," I said even though I knew I couldn't walk on my own.

"No. You're only going to waste my time," he said. "This is faster."

"Dammit," I whispered and focused on the black material of his robes rather than on him.

The last time he had carried me this way I had been unconscious, he'd knocked me out, but now I was very much awake and very much aware of... him.

"What?" he asked.

I realised I was staring and quickly came up with something to say. "Where are you taking me?"

"To my room," he said.

"Your room?" I questioned.

"Gods, you are slow."

I hit his shoulder and scowled. "Why are you taking me to your room, short on living space?"

"Yes, we are actually. All those big guns and things have to sleep somewhere."

Weapons first of course.

We were in the desert, obviously there wasn't much living space especially seeing as this was an underground base.

"The other reason is that I don't trust you," he said.

"No problem there," I said.

A few troopers looked at us oddly but didn't stare long. If Kylo wanted to stroll through the halls of the base with a girl in his arms then gods help anyone who tried to stop him.

I bit back a remark about his slow speed and soon I heard the soft sound of the doors sliding open and Kylo stepped into the room and deposited me carelessly on the bed. I rolled my eyes at his back as he left the room. The door slid shut and I surveyed the room.

It was large, larger than the regular rooms with the king-sized bed taking up most of the space to the far right. There was a closet, walk in I assumed opposite the bed. The door next to the bed led to a bathroom and to the left was a writing desk. Somehow in my mind I couldn't imagine Kylo Ren sitting down to write anything.

Though I shouldn't, I relaxed into the mattress and shifted so that the duvet was no longer under me but covering me. His room was nice by any standards and smelled like him but I turned my thoughts from that when I saw the third reason he'd brought me here.

The room was impossible to break out of and I doubted it had been built that way for me.

When I woke up, it was dark outside, I assumed it was because the clock said seven. I sat up in bed and inhaled the faint smell of cigarettes and cologne. Did Kylo smoke? That would be unexpected to say the least.

I blinked and looked around me taking in the books that were stacked neatly on the shelf and the stark white sheets which I was lying on. Everything was neat an organised.

My limbs still felt sore and they ached but that was because I hadn't gotten anything to eat yet. God, I was so hungry, what I wouldn't do for some food right now.

The door slid open and Kylo walked in with something in his hands, he gave me a tray that held a plate which had vegetables, beef stew and mash on it, along with a glass of water. It wasn't what I was used to but I began eating the food without question.

I looked up a moment later and saw Kylo take off his helmet and toss it on the bed. He sat down on the desk chair and pinched the bridge of his nose; he was tired. I stopped myself from asking why.

I was merely a pawn to him and he didn't care about me. Just because he'd brought me food didn't mean he'd changed. So as soon as I finished, I put the plate on the floor and lay back hoping to fall asleep soon.

Kylo had had a long day. Too long. He had been strategising with General Hux and the man was only barely tolerable. The Supreme Leader's orders were clear but he and the general couldn't agree on which methods to use and Kylo wanted to slap the hell out of him for being so stupid.

He had little time here before Snoak demanded (for a second time) he return to complete his training. Ideally, he should be gone but he was being labelled as 'slowly recuperating' for now.

However, General Hux had been the least of his worries, he'd needed to send a message to the Republic about Rey and for that he'd need the stormtroopers as backup. For that he'd need Phasma's approval and that wouldn't come easy, the woman was a rock.

General Phasma stood in the control room overseeing the working of the troopers with a critical eye.

Kylo strode into the room not really in the mood for things not to go his way and stood beside the general in silence for a moment.

"You're only ever here when you're commanding a mission," she said. "Or when you want something."

Kylo was silent.

"Which is it this time?" she asked.

Kylo watched the troopers (a select few of them) as they moved around the room mingling with the other experts punching buttons and relaying commands.

"I have a plan to bring the Republic to its knees," he said.

"And?"

"I need the stormtroopers," he said simply.

"May I inquire the details of this plan, particularly those concerning my stormtroopers?"

"No."

General Phasma took it all in and Kylo knew that behind her mask she was trying to figure out exactly what he had in mind but they both couldn't see each others faces. That had its advantages.

"I'll think about it," she said.

"Think about my insightful ideas on your training technique while you're at that," he said before leaving the room.

He knew Phasma would not refuse him, not after the things he had done for her in the past.

Involuntarily, his gaze moved to the sleeping Rey, her face had lost its fierceness and was now replaced by an angel-like expression. It was peaceful and serene and he got the sense that this wasn't a side of her many people saw.

Her chest rose and fell steadily and the light of the room accentuated her skin. Sighing, he looked away. He had more important things to do than staring at his prisoner while she slept.

He would also need somewhere to sleep and with what he knew Rey could do, leaving the room to her was out of the option. Besides, he knew it would make her uncomfortable if they slept in the same room and he almost loved the way she sneered at him when she thought he wasn't looking.

It was so evil, for someone like her, and it made him think how powerful she could grow to be if she just allowed him to teach her even a little. Thy would be unstoppable and could bring the entire galaxy to a stand still. But Kylo could only marvel at such power because he was not yet as strong as Darth Vader.

Ever since he'd killed his father, the pull to the light side had been less but he could still feel it. He vowed to do whatever he had to do to rid himself of it. At the height of his 'career' he couldn't afford the light side. He needed the dark side, he craved its power.

'You're afraid you'll never be as good as him,' Rey had said and all he'd heard was that he'd never be as good as his grandfather.

That he would never wield the same power Vader did and that alone was enough to make him want to crush her. To trap her light and extinguish it until there was nothing left but darkness. He would lure her to the dark side and dominate her every choice. And if that failed, she would still be his leverage.