There was a hard, wrenching pull at the insides of Rey's stomach. A tug at her intestines and organs so powerfully demanding that it reminded her of the monthly pains she received for simply being a woman. Whatever this kind of pull came from, it obviously was no instinct, not some sense of intuition. This was a loud, real, hard ball of emotions pounding against her muscles. They called on her. They were alive and fighting against her body to come forth to where she was being beckoned.
It was all too surreal that she thought she might actually felt fingers latch on to her sleeve and tug her forward.
Rey had never felt this much pain from the connection before. Though she may want to complain, she rather feel it than what happened last night, because only a moment later and the pull lifted.
This feeling stirred her unconscious body to roll around the cold, filthy floor until she woke up, finding herself startled in her sleep. She jumped off the ground, realizing she was there to begin with before she sat up and felt rust in her bones and a pounding in her head.
Whispers began to gnaw at both of her ears, picking at the back of her neck like a thin, cold gust of wind. They urged her on to answer the call. Seems like the pull wasn't completely gone.
She felt transparent in a way she was exposed but yet, she felt a sense of yearning for something she couldn't have, at least, not physically.
Before Rey would slow herself into answering the call, she pushed herself off the ground, wobbly limbs testing their strength as she barely managed to stand on two feet. She placed her palm over her mouth, wiping a bit of gooey vomit on the right corner of her mouth from when she puked in the trash bin.
Yeah, that still happened. . .
Loose strands of hair cascaded over her face from her braid. Bits of hair poked out everywhere from her hairdo, causing her to appear deranged even though her eyes were usually the feature that made her appear so. If she had a mirror she'd probably be slightly disgusted, but not surprised by her appearance. Living on a desert planet by yourself meant enduring less opportunities to work on your appearance for the liking of others. She had come to terms with it. . .until him.
Rey took a step to her bed before she was attacked with even more whispers, but this time they were violent. They came in quick chirps, rasping her name again and again and again.
Rey.
Rey.
Rey.
Her stomach was in knots, preparing itself for a second wave of a game of tug and war that didn't include giving her a chance to grab a hold on the rope.
And when Rey got a hold of it, she was immediately thrown on the ground, finding a sharp pang slammed against her chest.
Rey let out a few coughs, feeling it becoming hard to breathe. The pain inside her chest mangled itself into a ball until she could no longer breathe because the pain could not be wavered. It was something controlled on its own, manifesting itself long enough to spread throughout her body, electrifying her senses into liquid fire.
Her body was a match made to be lit. Rey's nerves were being attacked, her bones set aflame.
There was a hard ache pulsing her back all the way down her spine to her waist and she was burning. All the pain was becoming unbearable for a connection that has brought her safety and warmth and a sense of companionship she was comforted by every time she called out to it. But this, this is different from all the other experiences.
It was calling out to her.
Everything was white hot pain until a few seconds later, the torture finally ended.
Rey was awake, alive, real.
That was real. That wasn't nothing. But what was it?
Rey, once having allowed her soul to simply ease into the the bond once known for its comforting warmth, was careful to answer as she slowly eased her whole body and mind into it.
So, knowing that much. . .
What just happened?
There was a thought that appeared in Rey's mind, but she didn't want to admit it at first. The excruciating pain gave her a clue. But one she wouldn't accept. A possibility she denied before letting it transpire.
Rey simply wished to push it aside, to ignore the pain that vanished. She shut her eyes just for a moment to retract her strength and seek more well-needed rest. She didn't want herself to fall unconscious again just after she spent the night throwing up. The desert girl was weaker than ever, knowing that bit of sleep on the floor did her some good. That moment of pain was hell and it only lasted a few seconds.
Rey looked around, her unmade bed in front of her putting her to shame. She staggered closer, afraid she might do something to trigger the pain to come back. She took another step to reach for the blanket before she was pushed at her backbone, falling on the ground with her knees slamming against the ground.
Rey turned around, wondering just who pushed her, but she received a different answer than what she was expecting.
The desert girl found herself inside a small, black room that was barely lit. From what she could tell, there were different machines and droids around, reminding her of the room she was kept in back on Starkiller Base when she was kidnapped by the First Order.
Rey remembered what it felt like to be tied down against one's will. To be locked defenseless in a cold room, scared out of one's mind. For their memories to be exposed, vulnerable to a masked man who would later become their. . .well, her. . .something.
But, as events turn out, it seemed he was in the same position that she once was in.
Rey's breath hitched, recognizing Ren's figure tied against his will by metal binders he hadn't yet broken out of. A small round droid with thin sliver needles like rods emitted from the vein along his neck. Another larger machine with a thicker metal rod that was against his lower left side had pulled itself back. Rey caught a glimpse where sparks had shot out of the end of the rod, as well as the droid's needles.
Rey wondered why he wasn't doing anything to stop them. She was curious as to why he was there in the first place when he was suppose to be leader of this whole place. Didn't they follow under his command?
He must not be able to use the Force, Rey realized. But the connection. . .
The Force drove her here. It lead her to this very scene. To this madness. The pain she's been experiencing. . .it was a cry for help.
Rey stepped closer to Ren, a hurt and scared Kylo Ren, in fact. She may not be able to see it on his face through this new mask of steel he wore to cover any sign of weakness, but she was sure as hell she could feel it like she could feel her own beating heart in her chest.
He took a few slow, heavy breaths through his nose and out his mouth. He was trembling. The electric currents having done their worse for minutes ongoing. How the cold of the room worked against the burning inside him, causing sweat to run down the sides of his face and forehead.
Rey scanned the rest of him, noticing he was shirtless again. She didn't find any other injuries, at least ones visible to the human eye. What have they done to you? She bared to lift her eyes to his face, but he didn't seem to notice she was there at his side.
Or at least not acknowledging—
"I hope you'll talk this time so I don't have to do that again," the stingy redhead said, turning Rey's attention to him. She bit the inside of her cheek, grateful that their connection didn't include outsiders. At least, as long as they don't touch. He shouldn't be able to see her.
If she stayed, she could listen in and figure out what was going on to make him torture his leader.
Ren's hair covered his face as he lifted his hooded eyes to look at the general. "No."
"After all the years we stood together," Hux started to say. He sounded aggravated, almost as if he was actually offended by his superior's decision to keep silent about something in particularly of value to the redhead. "After all that time we had each other's backs was for nothing."
"We were. . .never friends," Ren denied, his voice still weary, but dark.
"We were comrades."
Ren kept his head down in despair, unable to say anything after that.
"You've lost, Kylo Ren."
"We can't go," he refused, "not without my orders."
"Hmm." The redhead chuckled darkly. "We are already on our way."
Rey felt fire inside her grow, her gut taking over. "Stop!" she shouted, even though the general couldn't hear her.
The desert girl staggered forward, not knowing what she would do without physically being there in that room. But she knew what she had to do to get her there exactly.
So, Rey turned back to Ren, lifting a hand to touch his left arm, but he inched himself away from her hand.
And all it took was one word to stop her.
"Don't," he hissed at her underneath his breath, though she was sure the redhead heard him. He refused to meet her gaze, not wanting to attract any attention to her standing beside him.
"What?" She gawked at him. She was staying to help him. Rey lifted her brows, confused, but mainly concerned for his well-being. She dropped her hand at her side. "Why?"
"It's too late to stop us," the general stated, thinking Ren was addressing him.
Rey glanced at the redhead before she gazed back down at Ren, wishing he'd look into her eyes so she could see how he was really doing. "I can help," she told him, wondering why he was refusing.
"No," he replied, confusing her for his act of bravery as stubbornness.
"Oh, yes," the general spoke up again. "And to think, all this time it was about a girl."
Ren balled his hands into fists, his muscles tightening as he struggled against the cuffs. "You'll. . .never find her," he hissed, grinding his teeth in rage. "She is too strong for you. Smarter than you, you imbecile, to let you find her. More powerful than you to let you kill her."
The general shook his head, almost as if in grievance. "Seems she has truly bewitched you."
With nothing else to say, the general walked over to the machine, powering it on while he turned a few nobs to the right. Larger gold sparks came out, causing Rey to flinch on sight. "It's about time you deliver us information to make up for the use you've been to them and then maybe, just maybe, I'll give you a quick death that a traitor like you doesn't deserve."
"Ben," she mumbled his name, worried for his sake right before the rod touched his side. But no, it's not Ben, remember.
But whether this was Ben or Kylo Ren, it honestly didn't matter as he screamed in agony, what was worse was him wiggling around, trying to resist it.
"No!"
Rey looked over to the general as he started circling around Ren while donning a crazed grin across his face like he took pleasure in this. He was a madman. She glared at him, shooting beams at him. If only she was there, she thought, and she could be. . .
Rey turned back to Ren, reaching for his hand but she hesitated when the electricity from the machine rapidly spread throughout his body and began electrocuting him. His head shot up, his hair flapping around his head. Rey stepped back, unable to process what was happening, unable to stop it.
Rey sensed his pain. It slammed her chest as if she were the one who was hurt. She could also feel his rage and fear. Fear?
Rey raised a hand, using the Force to push her mind through his suffering and searched for what she wanted to know.
She'll die if I speak, she heard. I'll die, though. That I know. . .Grandfather, uncle, someone—watch over her for me.
"No!" she yelled, overwhelmed by all of his emotions channeling inside of her.
Wait, what did he mean his grandfather and uncle? Skywalker?
Rey continued to watch his body violently shake from the intense electricity. She felt lightheaded just baring witness to the tremors that ran through his body. Her knees wobbled and she was bound to collapse. "Stop it! Stop!" she begged, feeling tears streaming down her cheeks.
And as if he heard her, the redhead walked over to the machine to stop the electrocution. "I will annihilate every last one of them," he didn't hesitate to say. He lifted his head, watching Ren lean against the leather padding like it was his life he was clinging to. "Too bad you won't be alive long enough to watch me finish what you couldn't." Then he motioned a hand in the air. The electricity started back up again.
Ren thrashed side to side, still somehow keeping a hold onto his strength. He struggled to get out as he felt himself lit on fire by electricity once again. Rey cried out even more, wishing she could stop it. Wishing she was there. She would kill the general for betraying him, for hurting him. She would destroy the machines, destroy all of it. Her cries turned into sobs and she dropped her face in her hands while she fell down, unable to bear the sounds of Ren in pain no more and not be able to do anything to stop it.
Then, it was all gone.
It was silent.
There was no more screaming.
Rey lifted her head, curious as to why, but saw it was only because the connection cut off. Rey gasped for air, finding the strength in her to stop crying. She ran her fingers over her eyes, stopping the tears and tapping into her anger.
The desert girl welcomed the red hot rage, the wildfire that went loose every time she fought. She was ready to ignite the flame always burning inside her.
Rey balled her shaky hands into fists, cursing at everyone who tried to stop her from every being the most powerful version of herself she could be in the past. Rey knew she could take any weapon and walk inside that place to get him back. She had done it before. Though, this time, she didn't have a lightsaber.
She could rescue him . .or at least imagine herself rescuing him.
He made his choice. He put himself in the position to be there and not with her. But he was being tortured because of her. By not giving her up.
Would Kylo Ren do that?
No, she immediately thought he would have gotten himself out of there. He wouldn't have allowed himself to be in that position. If it were the power, the control, or her. . .But Ren wasn't strong to do so. All he thought about was her. Over his own life.
He chose to sacrifice it.
That was Ben.
Ben.
But he. . .
Kylo Ren loved her enough, but to an extent—which Rey knew. But if Ben loved her, would his love be strong enough? Enough to bring him back?
It had to explain it.
But maybe it didn't matter. Whether he turned or not clearly didn't matter. Not if he was all alone, being slowly tortured to death.
Now she knew what she had to do.
I can save him. . .if I had help. . .
**
With that fierce determination of hers, Rey ran down the long, echoey halls that contained the bedrooms and such to get to the main building. The place where the control center and most certainly General Organa.
Rey slowed down her pace as she brushed past several familiar rebels on her way. She didn't want to seem crazy for one thing. After what she saw Kylo Ren's once comrade do to him, she needed all the strength she had to explain it to General Organa and convince her to save him.
Yes, to rescue the Lord of Darkness himself.
Though, a gut feeling warned her that Rey didn't have to worry too much about convincing his Force sensitive mother that her son was in trouble.
"Rey?"
Rey turned around on cue, seeing a friendly face raising a brow in concern. He wore that same orange suit she saw him the first time she met him.
It's that pilot! Finn's friend. Poe, if I remember correctly.
"Why are you running?"
"It's a bit of a long story," she explained. "I just have to speak to General Organa."
"Good luck," he told her, lifting a hand to motion the door. "She's busy trying to connect to the other Resistance fleets."
"Oh," she said, unsure how to feel about this, "thanks."
Rey turned back around and continued making a beeline to the huge, open room with a bunch of tech that made her slightly uncomfortable compared to what she was used to in the Falcon.
"Hello, Rey," she heard General Organa greet her from the middle of the room. She raised a brow, curious as to why Rey looked out of breath and started reading her facial expression for herself. "What are you—"
"It's Ben," she cut right to it. "He's in trouble."
Leia didn't have to say or do much. "No." She just picked up on the way Rey felt, the cause of it. "Oh, no." The general inhaled, feeling the many emotions that overwhelmed the girl. Feeling him through the Force for herself.
Eventually, the general told her, "I sense it, too."