THE HUNT

Twenty One

Three days have passed. Ren has me confined to my quarters, except for the two surgeries I've had to have other than the first, which was done without anesthesia. By order of Kylo Ren, I presume.

The cruel, monstrous version of the Supreme Leader has returned.

I'm glad.

At least, I think that's what this is. The mask is off, and the slight humour he used to hold in his gaze is replaced with a hardened anger.

At least he's not lying anymore. He's come in every day, sitting quietly at the table, watching me. I mentioned how creepy it was the first time, but he didn't even blink. He's late today. I'm not upset.

At least, I don't think I am. It's been hard for me to move. I know I'm on pain medication, but a very low dose. My mind has been fuzzy since I arrived, and I suspect that every thought I've had has gone straight to him.

So I've passed the time by thinking the most horrible things I can. I've imagined his death in almost every way possible, several times.

I force myself to sit up, feeling every bit of pain as the raw, injured pieces of my abdomen move against themselves. I block out any thought I can from my mind, reaching underneath my mattress, wrapping my fingers around the commlink.

"Hey, are you there?" I wait a horrifically long moment before I hear static, and an unfamiliar voice filters through.

    "Who is this?"

    "Who are you?" My heart drops. "Where's Imrie?" There's a minute of silence before the voice returns.

    "Who is this?" He asks again.

    "My name is Hunter. Hunter Horne." I hesitate. "I'm a prisoner of the First Order." Another period of silence. "Now it's your turn. Who are you?"

    "Captain Poe Dameron." He says. "How do you have this channel?"

    "I-" I stop myself. "It was given to me by the Zilla."

    Poe Dameron.

    "The Zilla is dead. I was there when he was shot."

    "He survived. He's aligned the Resistance." I promise. "Where's Imrie?"

    "Look, Hunter. I've heard of you. Imrie's told me a lot." My heart warms, and I grit my teeth at a new wave of pain echoes through my abdomen. "But I don't believe that you're on our side still. Or that the Zilla is. You've been gone for too long."

    "So I'm disposable?" I demand. "You'd leave me here to suffer?"

    "Hunter, our numbers are limited." He says.

    "I've dedicated my life to this cause, and you're throwing it away?" I sit up further, the edges of my vision darkening. "I've given everything I have and more, Captain." I spit. "I was tortured for months, and I've been forced to-" I shake my head. "He was right." I realize.

    "Who was right?" His voice filters choppily into the room. "Hunter?" He says my name twice more before I switch off the communicator, staring at the wall.

    He was right. My stomach churns at the idea. I jump as the door slides open, and my body constricts. I shove the comm underneath my pillow.

    "You wanna destroy that before he does?" The grey-skinned Twi'lek Knight of Ren steps into the room, removing the front of her mask. "When he finds out, he's gonna raise hell." She clicks her tongue, taking me in as I glare at her, hand pressed to my abdomen.

    "What do you want, Bazzra?" I ask, remembering her name.

    "To find out why Ren's been treating us like chod." She rolls her neck. "You finally betray him?" I turn away, and she laughs.

    "The Resistance doesn't want you back, do they?" She throws herself onto the end of my bed, kicking her boots up. "Welcome to the club." I blink, and she shrugs. "The Knights of Ren are outcasts and the forgotten. That's why you belong with us."

    "I don't-"

    "You're worthless. Just like me. Just like Ren." She reaches forward, pressing a calloused hand to my wound. She meets my gaze, and I cry out, the pain almost blinding. "Oh shush, Muchi." She presses harder, and the pain lessens. "I'm helping you out."

    "Why?" I gasp, the pain vanishing. "How-"

    "Something Ren taught me." She says. "The old Ren." She corrects herself. "We use the shadow for many dark things, but we can also use it for other purposes." She sits back, and I pull my loose black shirt up. The bandage is still there, so I rip it off, seeing only a pale, puffy scar. I snap my head up towards her, heart thundering in my chest.

    "How did you do that?" I hiss, almost a whisper. She shrugs.

    "I gave you some of my life force." She must have seen my alarmed expression, because she laughs. "I can regain it with rest."

    "Thank you, Bazzra." I look away. "I'm sorry, but I can't join you."

    "You've made several promises with Ren to join and serve him." She tilts her head. "Are you really so pathetic that you'd break each one?"

    "I can't bring myself to betray the Resistance." I mutter.

    "They betrayed you." She says. "Don't you want revenge?" I hesitate.

    "I-"

    "Bazzra." Ren stands in the doorway. I hadn't noticed that he was there. "Get out." His voice is cold, dangerous. I flinch as she jumps off the bed, shooting a playful salute his way.

    "Yes sir!" She skips around him, almost like a child. He keeps his gaze on me as the doors close.

    "Don't make me ask for it." He says sternly. I swallow thickly, drawing the commlink from where it was hidden. "I thought I could trust you with it." He reaches his hand out, and it rips from between my fingers, shooting into his. "I wanted to give you a way to keep in touch with Imrie while you're here."

    He knew.

    "Of course I knew." He grits. "I am not stupid." He crushes the communicator in his hand. He looks me up and down, gaze catching on my still-exposed stomach. He turns away, and I shove my shirt down. He moves to leave, but I jump up.

    "Ren!" He pauses, not turning to face me. "I'm sorry." I step towards him. "I-" He holds up a hand, and the doors slide open.

    "It's over, Hunter."