Star Wars IX- Balance Of The Force

Chapter 11- The Embrace of Pain

Kylo was restrained horizontally upon a rack, his legs and arms bound. How ironic that he was somewhere he'd put so many in the past. He reflected on the fact that his current situation was fate, that for everything he'd ever done in service of the dark side, this was fair payment. His back was a fiery rage where Icesho Ren had slashed up the length of his spine. The wound had been tended to with stitches by medical droids, but he was a prisoner about to be tortured, so there had been no anaesthetic. His jaw and cheek ached, and his eye was swollen from Covex Ren hitting him; he could barely open it, and his mouth still tasted of blood. He only wore undergarments, and the table was cold against his skin. His skin felt damp from a cold, feverish sweat, and even the parts of his body not directly in contact with the table felt cold due to the blood he'd lost, he assumed. Hux stood with his back to him, quietly discussing what would happen next with the chrome-suited stormtrooper. She wasn't a stormtrooper. Whatever she was, she wasn't a stormtrooper. He strained to hear their conversation but couldn't hear anything; he tried to reach out to the Force. He closed his eyes, willing it to come to him, but all he could feel was a sludgy mud-like feeling in his mind; his body felt numb. He was cut off. What had that been? It had been a few hours, and he was still utterly disconnected. He could see multiple vials on the table next to Hux. Whatever it was that he and Rey had been injected with, there was more of it. That meant several things:- One- The effects were technically temporary and would wear off eventually, which was good. Two- Hux had an ample supply, meaning he could keep himself and Rey in this state at his mercy for some time. That was bad. Without the Force, Kylo and Rey were normal; good fighters, yes, but no better than anyone else.

Hux was finally done with his conversation with the woman; he turned and walked towards Kylo. He looked Kylo up and down, his expression gloating, a sense of pleasure tinting the corners of his mouth.

"You've no idea how long I've waited for this moment."

Kylo could guess it was from the moment he'd been introduced as Snoke's apprentice and confidant trusted to Snoke's plans and schemes- above Hux. Kylo looked at him with his eyes only; his head was strapped down, and he couldn't move it freely.

"Where's R...the girl?"

Hux waved a hand, dismissing Ren's need to know where she was. Every time that scavenger had been involved with Ren, his judgement had wavered, and now he knew why. Kylo was in league with her and with the resistance. 

"She's in a holding cell until she regains consciousness. Her time will come. I have questions for her".

Kylo's hands clenched into balls on the table, and his body tensed as he attempted fruitlessly to free himself from the restraints. Teeth clenched, a growl escaped his mouth as he fought against the bindings, but it was futile, and as he gave up his attempt, his body banged against the table. He tried and failed to reach out to the Force again. Hux smiled cruelly down at him.

"I wouldn't worry about the girl right now, Ren." He raised his left hand, and the chrome-dressed woman approached the table. "Chromia here is very skilled; she'll truly make this hurt, and with your ...abilities ... blocked, it will last until I say otherwise".

"You got what you wanted, Hux. The First Order is at your command. You are the Supreme Leader now. I can't give you anything; I don't know anything".

"Who said I wanted anything?"

Kylo had not expected that. His mouth thinned to a line; his breath shuddered from his chest. Then, as much as he could, keeping what element of pride he could muster, he raised his chin slightly (with the straps on his head, it wasn't much) and stared calmly back at Hux in a statement of acceptance of whatever was to come. Hux gave an amused smirk, and one corner of his mouth twitched slightly. The woman stepped forward.