Chapter 37.

The giants surround Rey, the sight of her completely lost behind one of their legs.

Kylo felt her panic pushing through the exhaustion. She extends a palm, trying to muster up enough energy to push them back, however her exhaustion got the better of her. Her feet skid across the floor so much that her knee cracked from the tension, causing her to cry out in pain.

Kylo hid a wince, feeling the pain she felt through their connection, and readjusted himself in his seat.

One of the giants moved to her, yanking her arm up in his huge, slow hand. Another giant stepped forward to them, and stepped on her ankle, instantly breaking it.

Rey screamed, the pressure causing her wound to bleed more.

Everything throbbed, everything hurt.

The giant that held her up by her arm forced her to her knees, holding down one side as the other giant held her down by her other arm.

Struggling to catch her breath, she looked up at Vicar, sweat, blood, and tears rolling down her face and mingling with each other. She glared, her hardest, coldest stare.

Vicar smirked, and nodded towards the giant in the back.

"Do it." he said.

The third giant approached Rey from behind, taking out a small, triangular device. Pushing a button, the device opened, three long, wide shards extending out.

Kylo watched in shock as the giant slapped it against Rey's back, the edges implanting deep within her, the points scraping against her bones.

Rey bucked, screaming out once more.

For a moment, Kylo could only register the pain that shot through them, a breathtaking, intense pain. He could feel how hard it was for her to move, how painful it was just to inhale.

Sweat began to bead across Kylo's forehead as he realized what was happening, just as Vicar stood to speak, grinning.

"And look it here, my fellow knights. Thanks to the wonderful and surprising work of General Armitage Hux, I present to you, the Defiancer!" Vicar gloated. His gaze went back to Rey, who was still glaring as her body shook, struggling to breathe.

"This device captures the energy of a force user, sucks it right out and shows us what we want!" Vicar continued.

As if on cue, Rey's face went red, her blood boiling as her back arched, and her mouth opened wide to gasp for air.

Just then, a white and gold orb floated up from within her, slowly moving forward and pausing midair.

Paz, Makeem, Vicar, and Hux all watched intently.

Kylo, however, grew anxious, his stomach tightening.

He felt that within this orb, was a huge chunk that is Rey herself, that is the light she is.

Anger dug deep into his gut, angry with himself for not being able to stop this, for not being able to see this happening. It took all he had not to kill Hux right then.

"What is that?" Paz asked, her eyes wide on Rey.

"That," Vicar began, pacing as his eyes glued to Rey. "Is the most anxious part of her being. It's what drives her. This device picks up on her highest point of energy, and it analyzes what part spikes the most."

Silence.

"So... it's her..." Makeem stuttered, confused and intrigued.

Vicar nodded as Kylo's gut twisted, having already known the answer.

"It's her greatest fears." Vicar finished.

Everyone stood, walking to the edge of the platform to see what happened next.

Hux made his way to the far end of the line, staying well away from Kylo Ren.

Kylo stayed sitting, his anger becoming uncontrollable, and the pain shooting through him from his connection with Rey was almost unbearable.

There would be no way to escape with his or Rey's life if he struck now.

Silently, he cursed himself, teeth clenching painfully tight.

( X )

She couldn't focus on what hurt more.

Her ankle was broken.

Her spine made it nearly impossible to breathe.

The cut still bled, draining her energy more than her blood, it seemed.

She couldn't pinpoint a body part that wasn't bruised.

For a brief moment, Rey wondered if this is what dying felt like.

( X )

The orb slowly turned, the white and gold colors mixing with one another to create a beautiful shimmer that glistened from the light above.

Rey watched it, along with everyone else.

Fear and anxiety shot through her, covering the excruciating pain that tore through her muscles and flesh.

Her eyes still on the orb, widening at Vicar's comment, she understood now.

Whatever they had created, it was meant to tear her down, from the inside, out.

The room watched as the orb grew, cells seemed to detach from it, floating around one another as they multiplied, copying off the other until they formed the outline of a human being.

Shocked and scared, Rey's eyes widened as tears sprung free.

The cells seemed to form a hologram of this person, fitting together until it was complete... until it was real.

In front of her stood a small child, a girl with sun kissed skin and light brown hair, her face covered in light freckles. The girl turned to Rey, tears streaming down her face.

"You couldn't save me!" the girl cried. "You couldn't save anyone!"

Rey's tears burned her cheeks as she realized this girl, was herself.

Kylo watched, his face blank as his breathing froze.

The girl sobbed, turning her back to Rey as the cells drifted from her, and formed two larger people, their backs turned to Rey.

A woman with the same light brown hair, and a man with shaggy dark hair, dressed in green and beige cloaks.

The back of Rey's mind knew it was them...

She just knew it...

"Please..." Rey said breathlessly, her chest aching to get the word out.

"You couldn't save anyone!" the girl's voice returned in the background.

Rey begged for just a glimpse of them...just a small look...anything...

The cells denied her, refusing the glimpse of her parents that she silently begged and wished for.

Rey couldn't help the sob that escaped from deep within her.

The cells moved again, this time forming into the man that helped her escape the life she once knew. Behind him, stood her friends.