DYAD

THREE

"You know, I've had quite the day." The black figure says, his faceless mask giving away nothing- but I know it's him. "First, seeing you again." He runs a knuckle down my cheek. I move my head away, glaring at him. "Then Dameron," I bare my teeth at him. "And then you tried to cut me in half."

"Give me my saber back and I-" He holds up a hand as if to say that he's not finished. After a moment, he continues.

"Then, Dameron escaped, aided by one of my own soldiers." I blink.

Poe escaped?

Without me?

I pull against my restraints again, wincing at the soreness of my bruised wrists.

"You're lying." I snap. He angles his expressionless helmet to the side for a moment before answering.

"No."

"I'm not playing these games with you, Ben Solo." I pull again. "Let me go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Amica Mea." I scoff at the annoying nickname he gave me in our childhood.

"Take it off." I snap. "Your helmet." He shakes his head, drawing back.

"Don't ask me to do stupid things, Luella." I clench my jaw, rolling my hands into fists.

"Then don't do stupid things!" I shout. A dark chuckle leaves the mask. "Why do you wear that thing anyway? Did someone mess up your face?"

"Would it bother you if someone did?" I feel my face heat at his nonchalant tone.

"Yeah." I snap. "Because I want to do it." He hooks a finger under my chin.

"You've missed me." The rumbling voice sends chills down my spine.

"Have you missed me?" I avoid the question, raising my chin to look at the mask.

"I haven't thought of you since that night at the temple." His words pierce my chest. "The night you were supposed to die." The door slides open and a man enters.

"Kylo Ren." Ben doesn't turn around to greet the red-haired man.

"General Hux." His tone is pregnant with annoyance. "I was hoping that you'd be busy for longer." A pause. "Have you found the droid?" Poe's droid, I assume. The one who has the map to Master Skywalker.

"No, but we have recovered the crash site of the stolen TIE-Fighter." Ben finally turns slowly towards the man.

"And?"

"Only one of the ejection seats was deployed, the rear, the pilot's was not." My stomach drops. Poe. "From reports, we have reason to believe that the survivor was our deserter." Ben huffs through his mask.

"I want him found. The droid too, and anyone who helps it."

"Fine." General Hux turns around to leave, hesitating. Then he turns to me, looking me up and down. "What's this?" Ben steps in front of me, the act almost possessive. Again, the days of our childhood flash through my mind.

"A problem I found on Jakku. Nothing important, I'm dealing with it." His voice is still calm and collected.

I want to punch him in the throat.

A problem.

"You know the Supreme Leader doesn't like you keeping pets, Ren."

"I'm aware, General." Ben turns away from the General. "Now leave me be. I expect results, Hux." The man glares suspiciously, nods, then leaves.

"What happened to you?" I ask. Ben looks in my direction, stupid mask glinting in the pale light.

Poe's dead.

It's my fault.

No, it's Ben's fault.

"What?" He tilts his head.

"You- you're-" I shake my head, tears rising. "You're not Ben. Not my Ben."

"Ben is dead, Luella." He says, as if it's common knowledge. As if I'm stupid. A sob builds in my throat.

"Take off your mask." I whisper, tears rising.

He lifts his hands to the sides of his helmet, surprising me.

A click and a hiss is all I hear. He hesitates, hands pressed against either side of the ugly mask as he contemplates whether or not to remove it.

Then, I see his pale skin flash in the artificial lighting as he lifts it from his head.

I stare at him for a moment, finding it hard to swallow.

He grew up.

Of course he did. It's been years.

There's a different way he clenches his jaw. Maybe he broke it?

His dark hair is the same. A bit longer, but the same.

His face is littered with the same spots that have always been there.

But his eyes.

They were once soft and kind, even holding laughter at times.

Now, his face is expressionless, eyes hard and cold.

"Ben is dead." He repeats. "I killed him."

My heart stutters, and my mouth forces itself downwards.

"This is all your fault." I mutter, looking away from him as tears rise, both from rage and grief. "He's dead and it's your fault!" Through the blur of tears, I see his face, devoid of any sympathy or emotion.

"Luella-"

"No!" I shout. "Poe is dead and it's your fault!"

He lifts his chin, and fury coils inside my chest.

"Of course it's my fault. I was going to kill him anyway." His voice is monotonous, almost as if he were a droid.

"Like you're going to kill me?" I whisper. He doesn't answer, and terror grips me, just like the night he destroyed the temple.

He steps back, sensing my fear filling the room, drowning me, shoving its way down my throat.

"I'm not going to kill you Luella." He assures me. "You have the potential to be useful."