Darkness Rises

Chapter 8 Promise

Rey

Rey opened her eyes and immediately regretted doing so. Her head was splitting. There was a piercing ringing in her ears and her entire body was aching.  She tried to think, to calm her mind but she was filled with too much adrenaline and panic. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was shoving Ben into the escape pod after that it was just  flashes, memories and dreams. Snoke blazing through her mind like white hot flames. Ben standing before her, his saber pointed directly at her heart. It was all dancing behind her eyelids, forcing her to remember. Ever so slowly the ringing faded, and she cautiously opened her eyes again. She was in a cell, not unlike the one Kylo Ren had placed her in when he interrogated her. The cold metal made she shudder. Thankfully this time she wasn't strapped into a chair. Whoever had her this time was not as worried about her hurting them. She looked down at her side. She remembered stepping in front of Hux as he shot at Ben. The only evidence that she had been hurt was a hole in her shirt and blood stains. The scar in her side was proof she had been patched up. Why they had bothered she didn't know. She prayed this didn't mean they wanted her alive for something worse. It wouldn't matter now, she knew that the end game was most certainly death. Her mind wandered to Ben. How he had saved her and she him. She  wasn't even sure why but as soon as she saw Hux with the blaster she hadn't hesitated. Now Ben Solo had a chance. She wondered if he was alive. She tried to focus was find his signature. Her mind was too hazy and all she could feel was the immense headache.

The door to the room hissed opened and three soldiers walked in followed by General Hux.

"Ah the scavenger is awake. Good." Hux's smile was tight, his eyes filled with a wicked gleam.

"I won't tell you anything so don't bother asking" Rey spat at her captor. She knew this man couldn't do anything to her that Kylo hadn't already tried, and Hux had no connection to the force.

"Oh, I need no information from you, but seeing as you shoved that bastard Kylo Ren into the escape pod, you will suffer the torture meant for him, and in time you will come to understand that the First Order is sole ruling power in the galaxy, you will even help our cause."

"Do what you wish, I've faced worse, but I will never help you" Rey was unimpressed with the general's threats.

"As you wish Jedi scum, but we will see" Hux motioned for the soldiers to move forward and they did.

By the time the soldiers were done Rey had several broken ribs and she could tell her shoulder was dislocated. Her lip was split, and she could feel the blood trickle down her face. She lay back against the hard floor allowing the cool metal to soothe her. She knew that this was just the beginning of what she was sure would be a fairly awful time. She closed her eyes and tried to picture Ben's face, remember him calling her his girl in the midst's of Snoke's poisonous words. She wasn't his girl it was simply a slip of the tongue, but a part of her secretly wanted to be. She wanted to feel his arms around her again. As absurd as it was there was something about him that called to her. It wasn't the light, but something else, something forbidden. But he had along way to come before he would before even be open to someone being so close. In the Throne Room he seemed to be fighting with himself. Rey had felt part of his mind scream at him that she was lying. The torture Snoke had put him though had obviously destroyed his ability to trust.  She wasn't even sure why she wanted to be close to him, it was more of a need than a want. Part of her felt like she needed him to breath, to live. It was a silly notion. She had survived years alone on Jakku and suddenly this man was something she craved with the entirety of her soul. He was a monster, at least that is what she had previously believed. Now she wasn't sure. He had saved her, destroyed his master for her life. Rey was certain a monster wouldn't do that. If anything, a true monster would have tried to end her himself. As she lay picturing Ben he suddenly shimmered into view. He gasped, his eyes filled with sadness. She wasn't sure if he was there or not, but it didn't matter.

"If this is a dream it's a pretty good one" she whispered. She turned her head to him and half smiled. He didn't respond, just stared at her, his eyes raked over her bruised and broken body. She could feel his anger, he was horrified, and filled with guilt "Oh stop it, this isn't your fault." Rey tried to reassure him, but she could tell he wasn't having any of it.

"Maker, what did they do to you? I swear Hux is going to die, if I have to cut him into pieces I will. I will kill him" Ben threatened, Rey only smiled. Kylo Ren, always so angry, his anger brought a smile to her face. He clearly cared for her in some way.

"Ben stop it, just talk to me, distract me please, where are you?" she hoped he was with his mother, helping the resistance.

"Solitary confinement on Dantooine, my mother's leaders believe I had something to do with your capture" Ben said flatly. Rey snickered

"Do you blame them? I mean you did try to destroy the resistance on several occasions they are just being cautious"

"I was doing what I believed to be right, just as they are doing the same now, but if I have to speak to the idiot pilot again I might choke him"

"Ha that must be Poe, please don't hurt my friends, you need them to trust you remember?" Rey coughed, her insides were practically exploding with pain, she winced and spat out the blood that had pooled in her mouth. "Ugh this must be a lovely sight" She turned her head away. She was embarrassed. Him seeing her so weak made her feel ridiculous.

Bens face was twisted into an aching scowl. "Rey, I need to get out of here, I need to help you, this is ridiculous." He slammed his fists into the ground. Rey sat up trying to hide her pain, and scooted closer to Ben, she placed her hand over his clenched fist.

"Ben, I know you will find me, but you can't just storm the ship, you're going to need help, please try, try to earn their trust" He relaxed his hand slightly, but she could still feel his anxiety.

"I promise, I will come for you, I will save you" He looked at her and she knew he meant it. And then, he was gone, and Rey was alone. She felt tears pool in her eyes, Ben was returning, and Kylo Ren was slowly disappearing. No one had ever made her a promise before, but this one seemed so solid. She smiled perhaps he was destroying the monster.

The sound of the door opening made her turn and Hux walked in followed by a medic droid.

"Still alive, hmm what a pity" He turned to the droid. "get her cleaned up, she has a lot more before we're through" Rey scowled at the man but said nothing, he was the last person she would give any satisfaction to.