THE HUNT

Eight

I'm hiding in my old room. Kylo hasn't come looking for me. 

Maybe he isn't back yet.

Or maybe he just doesn't care. 

My knees are drawn tight to my chest as I sit in the corner. 

Only a few months ago, I was in the same position. Half-naked, terrified, and nearly dead, I had watched Kylo for hours as he worked on his datapad, a meal he cooked for me himself resting in front of him at the seat I was meant to sit in. 

I called him a monster that day. I truly believed it, too. 

That was the day he tore into my mind, making a place belonging to him. 

The room is empty. Everything I had is either in Kylo's room or has been disposed of. Maybe I was too hasty in moving in with him. I've only known him for about six months. I truly know nothing about his past other than his family. 

Maybe he went back to Massif. 

The thought catches in my mind, and I let out a quiet sob. Then the door slides open, and I lift my gaze to see Bazzra standing in the doorway. 

"Hey." She lifts the corner of her mouth. "What did Ren do now?" 

"Why did he and Massif break up?" I ask hoarsely, throat still not healed. 

"I don't know much about it." She says, kneeling in front of me. "I think they had a difference of opinion or something." She extends a hand. "He told me to find you, Hunter." 

"Why?" I look away. 

"He wanted to make sure that you're not wandering the halls while-" She hesitates. "Never mind why. Come, muchi." She takes my arm, pulling me to my feet. "Let's get you back to your room." I grit my teeth, pulling away.

"What is he doing?" I demand. "Why is he locking me away?" 

"Hunter," Bazzra shakes her head. "He and Ushar are going in with Imrie." 

"What?" I freeze, ice frosting my veins. 

"Come on." She extends her hand again. "He doesn't want you watching." 

"I want to watch." I tell her. She hesitates. 

"I can't go against my Ren, Hunter."

"What if-" I swallow. "What if you never saw me?"

"I can promise that you don't want to watch this." She says. I stand, shaking my head. 

"I need to see it happen, Bazzra." Something in my stomach churns, and I look away. "I'll never forgive myself if I don't go." 

"Why?" She stands as well, her lekku twitching. 

"He was my best friend." I shrug. "For years, he was all I had. Now I've condemned him to spend the rest of his life being tortured by my boyfriend. Don't you think I should be there to see what I've done?" 

She takes a breath, then rolls her eyes. 

"I never saw you."

"Thank you, Bazzra." I press a kiss to her cheek. "I owe you." 

"You owe me so much, muchi." She grins. "Now shoo. He's in cell 3B." 

"I love you!" I call before the door closes, shutting her inside the room I used to call mine. 

I love you. 

If only I could say those words to Kylo. 

If only he could say those words to me.

I turn, activating my mask and pulling my hood on. Almost immediately, a group of stormtroopers turn the corner, their white boots clicking against the black tile rhythmically. I let out a breath, letting them pass before stepping in the direction they came from. 

I enter the prison wing fairly quickly. As I pass the open-barred cells, prisoners jeer at me from both sides, some even attempting to spit on me. 

These ones are scheduled for execution. 

Then I pass the closed cells. The ones you can only get into with a specific code. One for each cell. Three wrong entries, and the facility goes on lockdown. 

I jump as a door hisses open, and Ap'lek steps out, putting his helmet back on. I manage to get a glimpse of the prisoner before the door shuts again, and my chest tightens. 

"Ap'lek, is that-"

"Massif? Yeah. Ren opted to further humiliate her by sticking her in this cesspool." He cracks his neck. "I was just making sure she wasn't dead." He doesn't look down at me as he continues down the hall I just came from. Guilt pulls at me, at the puffed face and bloodied body of the once-beautiful knight. 

But I force myself to push forward towards the security room, hand drifting to the bruise at my neck as I reach the end of the hall. 

The door slides open, and the three officers on duty whirl around in surprise. 

"Out," I order. 

"But-"

"Have the day off. Ren's orders." I rest my hand on the knife hooked on my belt. They watch the movement, standing quickly. 

"Y-yes sir." They scramble to leave, and I take the centre seat, typing in 3B. Immediately,  the feed comes up, and I deactivate my mask. Kylo is standing against the wall, arms crossed. Ushar wipes the flat side of his knife on Imrie's bare shoulder, not inflicting an injury but leaving a streak of blood. When the knight steps back, I see that the left side of Imrie's chest is darkened with blood, which drips onto what's left of his pants. I hold my hand over my mouth, bile rising in my throat. Maybe Bazzra was right. 

No. I have to see this through.

"That's enough, Ushar." Kylo says, waving his hand. "I'll call you if I need you. Imrie and I need to have a little talk."