Star Wars: I Am a Slave ✓

Chapter 76 - Occlusions

"Come," responded Rey to the comm request at her main hatch, as she opened it with the Force. Captain Mitaka stood in the hatchway. "Come in," Rey encouraged. She stood in her distressed Padawan uniform of steel grey, waiting for her visitor.

"Lady Ren, the Supreme Leader has requested your presence in the audience chamber," informed Mitaka.

Rey grabbed her lightsaber and headed toward the man. "Might I suggest you change into more suitable attire?" he pleasantly requested.

Rey looked back at the recessed alcove, where the Knight of Ren uniform lay. She asked, "Do you mind waiting outside?"

Mitaka nodded, "As you wish, Lady Ren."

Rey stripped quickly, layering the heavy uniform and armor on. She tried moving her arms under the chest piece, and then realized that half of Kylo's problems was this stupid uniform. I bet whoever designed this thing was only thinking about intimidation and not actual saber battles. Rey ripped the chest piece off. She looked at the helmet in her hands. I don't need this. I don't have to hide behind a mask. Besides, it will occlude my vision. Secretly she admitted to just one more bit of rebellion to throw at Snoke. She tossed the helmet across the room into the broken console, letting it rest inside the chasm Kylo had created. She hoped she had broken the helmet, but she doubt she did.

When she reopened the hatch, Mitaka came quickly to attention. He was a wide-eyed boy, with a nervous tic. However, he seemed competent. He apparently had enough sense to evacuate Starkiller Base before it blew, earning him a promotion to captain.

Rey had heard plenty since she had arrived on ship. No one here knew how to shield their thoughts. Some were jealous of his promotion; others were grateful the eye of Snoke had not fallen on themselves. Overall, the underlying current of everyone on board was just to survive another day. Rey picked up from Mitaka himself that he just did not want to anger either Snoke or Rey. Rey did her best not to giggle at that thought. She had no plans for torturing these men, as long as they performed their jobs to the best of their ability.

Rey headed off down the corridor, leaving Mitaka to trail in her wake. The captain eventually caught up to her, but he wisely stayed a few steps behind her. Rey pulled herself up right before the hatch to the audience chamber. In actuality, this chamber was a tertiary hangar that had been converted into a holographic chamber. Rey took a deep breath, which Mitaka mimicked, before stepping into the room.

Snoke was waiting, sitting atop his gigantic throne many feet up. Rey thought, He must be so insecure if he must place himself that high up to make me feel small.

Snoke spoke first, "Thank you, Captain Mitaka. Your presence is no longer needed. Leave us."

Mitaka turned on his heel quickly. Rey could feel the relief he emanated as he hurried out of the room.

"I see you found your uniform. You're missing the chestplate. And where's your helmet?" asked Snoke.

"The chestplate gets in the way of real fighting," argued Rey.

"It is to protect you," chided Snoke. "Don't be foolish."

"I can protect myself better with my saber if I can move it freely. The armor interferes with pure movement," debated Rey stubbornly. I guess I did get that stubborn streak from granddad, she realized. "I refuse to wear it. It would only hinder, and it may even lead to my defeat."

"I may agree to your forgoing the armor, but not the helmet," indicated Snoke, trying to gain authority over this wild child. She was not at all like the petulant boy her brother was. It would take him time to make her docile enough to possess.

"No."

"Yes."

"No. It occludes my vision and reduces my hearing," argued Rey. "Besides, I don't have to hide behind a mask. I can be intimidating without one."

"Perhaps, but the mask also hides your gender," indicated Snoke.

"I would rather people see me for what I am. Because I'm a woman, they will most likely underestimate me," indicated Rey.

"That may be true if you go up against an unknown, but your next opponent will either by your uncle or your brother. They will not underestimate your powers," mentioned Snoke. "The mask does offer some protection."

"No. A mask will not prevent either of them from identifying my Force-signature," mentioned Rey.

"Perhaps, but when I sever your Padawan bond with your uncle, it will not be so easy. I insist that you wear the mask," indicated Snoke as he reached out toward Rey with her hand and twisted inside her, taking that which was not his to take, snapping the bond she had developed with Luke. Rey fell to the ground, in pain and disorientation. "Good, he will no longer be able to find you. He may even think I killed you."

Rey looked up from her kneeling position on the ground. "So glad you decided to finally kneel before me. That is how you will start in the future, or I will send you to your knees painfully. You will learn to bow to me, Rey. All good slaves know how to bow to their masters."

Rey snapped at the word "slave." She took a deep breath and worked her way through it, just like Master Luke had taught her when the flashbacks of her early life on Jakku would assault her. She knew she was in a worse house now, but there was always hope that someone would help her escape. There had to be a way.

Snoke continued, "Your mission today once you leave here is to go through the entire crew and identify any who are the least bit Force-sensitive. And then bring them to me. We will rebuild the Knights of Ren, starting today."

Rey glanced up at her master, her subconscious raging against this slavery, yet answering, "Yes, my master."

"One day, Rey, you will call me master without any hesitation. I look forward to that day. I hope it is soon, for your sake," mentioned Snoke. "You are dismissed."

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Once Rey had exited the chamber, it seemed as if a gigantic burden had been lifted from her. She breathed a sigh of relief. She marched down the passageway, sending crew members against the walls as they tried to avoid this mysterious Lady Ren. When she had reached the dubious safety of her quarters, she collapsed on the edge of her bunk and held her head in her hands, wondering what she should do next.

A blue image appeared to her, and then he sat next to her on the bunk. He took her in his arms and held his granddaughter. "We can still win, Rey. Don't give up hope. I'm here."

"Granddad," mumbled Rey as she cried into his shoulder.