"You've touched someone," Grand Master Snoke says. I stop mid bite of my bread and look up. Phasma gives me a funny look and Hux stares down at his plate. We're at the dining hall for breakfast and Master Snoke has come up to our table, something he's never done before. 

My ears burn with embarrassment and I swallow hard. I felt different when I woke up this morning, like I was looking forward to the day. I should have known Master Snoke would feel the change in me. But I don't want him to know that I held Rey in my arms. She'll probably get sent away or something and I'll get another punishment. I look at Hux who is still avoiding eye contact with both me and Grand Master.

"It was Hux," I say. Phasma gives me curious glance but I ignore her. "In the forest, the night before, he followed me and... attacked me."

Grand Master studies me. I hold my breath. If he reads my mind now then he'll know I'm not telling him the whole truth.

"And did that make you angry?" he asks me.

"Yes," I say automatically. But then I realize that it didn't really.

"Did you fight back?"

Phasma looks between me and Hux.

"No, Your Supreme Leadership," I say.

"I'd like to see you both in my study, after breakfast."

"Yes, Your Supreme Leadership," Hux and I both say.

Grand Master walks away and once he's at the door we all let out a sigh.

"Wow," Phasma says, biting into her bread. "I didn't know about you two."

"Shut up!" Hux says to her. He gets up from the table and leaves.

I can feel Phasma's eyes on me as I eat but I don't look at her. We're going to get another test this morning, I just know it. And it's probably going to be something I won't like.

* * *

"What?" Hux says, not in the usual composed way he uses around Grand Master.

Master's eyebrows raise slightly at Hux's outburst. "Is there a problem with my request?"

Hux swallows and shakes his head. "No, Your Supreme Leadership."

"Then go ahead, Ren," he says to me. I turn to Hux who has an angry look on his face. He's probably going to beat me up for this later. I take a deep breath, then reach my hand up and touch his forehead.

"No, Ren," Grand Master says and I quickly pull my hand away. "You can read his mind without touching him, just hold out your hand and concentrate."

I nod and step back, then hold out my hand towards Hux. He still looks mad but I see something else in his blue eyes, something that looks a bit like fear. Is he worried I'll see something he doesn't want me to?

I close my eyes and try to focus. I haven't used my mind-reading powers a lot and I'm not exactly sure how it works, it just sort of does, but no one's trained me on it. Uncle Luke doesn't think it's proper to use of Force sensitivity for reading other's minds, unless it's absolutely necessary. Mom and I communicate that way, but I don't do it with others.

I start with Hux's surface thoughts, which are more like a layer of emotion that I have to break through before seeing his real thoughts. There's mostly anger and... yes, the worry that I thought I saw in his expression, it's there. Or maybe it's embarrassment. I try to reach further, but Hux resists.

I open my eyes. "He's resisting," I say quietly.

"As he should," Grand Master says. "Try harder."

I nod and try again. Hux's anger has subsided a bit, replace with confidence in his ability to resist me. I catch a thought, he thinks his mind is stronger than my Force ability to see into it, that I'll fail this test. I search further, he's scared that I'll see something...

"If he is hiding something he doesn't want you to see," Grand Master says, "then it will be the most prominent thing on his mind."

I focus harder. He doesn't want me to see how he feels about me. It's not hate, as I'd always thought, but something else.

I pull my hand away. Hux looks past me over my shoulder, his brows furrowed in anger. But I know that it's embarrassment, not anger, an emotion I didn't think he was even capable of.

"Well then?" Grand Master says. "What did you see?"

"Pardon?" I turn to Grand Master, forgetting for a moment that he's even there.

"You must tell your victim what you see, so they know you were successfully reading their thoughts," Grand Master says. "Then they will fear you more, when they are aware that you have the power to see what they are hiding. It will break down their confidence."

I look at Hux. "Uh... I saw anger," I say. "Hux is mad that I'm allowed to read his mind."

"What else?"

I hesitate. Hux looks at me, his lips pressed together as he waits in silence, with nothing to say for once. He shakes his head slightly as though telling me not to tell Master what I saw.

"I... I couldn't read him," I lie. "He was resisting too much."

Grand Master sighs, leaning back in his chair. "Now, as for today's test..." 

Hux looks away from me to Master. His cheeks are flushed and for once he doesn't seem eager to hear what the day's test will be. 

"You will practice mind reading," Grand Master continues, looking at me. "Then return again tonight to try and read my mind. I want to see how much strength you have to do it, even though I know you will not be able to accomplish reading me, I can still feel your attempts at getting in, whether it's weak or proves a challenge to me."

"Yes, Your Supreme Leadership," I say. I take a deep breath, my pulse racing. This is the first time I've gotten permission to use my Force sensitivity since classes started this summer.

"What about me?" Hux says, then quickly adds, "Your Supreme Leadership." He bows slightly. "What's my test?"

"To do the same thing."

Hux frowns, looking confused.

Grand Master continues. "Go and find out the secrets of others and bring the information to me," he says. "You do not have to be Force sensitive and able to read someone's mind to do that. You only need patience and observance."

"Yes, Your Supreme Leadership." Hux bows again to Supreme Leader then gives me a glare before walking out. My stomach drops. He's determined to find out something about me, I just know it, because I found out something private about him, that he doesn't actually hate me the way I thought. I only hope that Rey doesn't want to hang out with me today.