𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙄𝙓𝙏𝙀𝙀𝙉
—𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦—

     BEXLEY DIDN'T THINK she would ever be stuck in the situation she currently was in; her broken body slumped against a concrete floor, barely breathing through her constricted lungs. By now, the clones had almost finished their assault on her, and had carelessly tossed their batons to the floor. The blonde woman doesn't make a sound as they exit her cell, leaving her alone again. And for the first time in forever, she was truly thankful for that.

She blinks away some final tears, allowing herself to mold into the hard floor. Bexley could feel every ounce of pain that raged through her body like fire, and she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. But what good would that do? Now that this was over, she was sure that she would have a lasting fear of skin-to-skin contact. People were vicious and cruel. How could they do this with no remorse? She would never make it out alive here.

Her throat hurt from all of the screaming and gut-wrenching sobs, and she knew she would lose her voice soon enough. Bruises and gashes tattered her body, and she had to pry her eyes open. The woman hadn't felt any pain in her life that could compare to this. And if she didn't comply with Kylo's orders, apparently there would be a lot more to come. If this was considered his 'result of mercy', she truly feared what would come the next time she couldn't answer his questions. When the door to the room slammed open, Bexley found herself wincing at the loudness.

But with the movement came the harsh sensation of pain; one that radiates through every ounce of her being and burned her alive. Bexley cries out, more tears falling from her now closed eyes. It hurt to breathe‒ it hurt to live. She was being tortured with every breath she took, and it was easy to tell by her pale complexion. The brightness in her eyes had faded, and left behind a dull shell of the person she used to be. A few short hours had changed her completely. And as Kylo stepped inside of her cell, he could see it clearly.

His inward gasp was inaudible for her to hear, and he was thankful for the fact that he had told the clones to let him enter the room alone. Looking down at her almost lifeless body, he swallowed through his tight throat, and blinked rapidly at what he had done.

Bexley's face was as white as chalk, a deep gash leading down the left side of her face and a bruise that covered both her cheek and jaw on the right side. The blood from her nose had already began to dry, but there was still so much fresh blood on the floor that Kylo had to take a step back so he didn't get his shoes in it. Another gash led across her arm, exposing the muscle and tissue underneath. The commander had saw a lot of gory things in his lifetime, but this was a lot to take in. Especially when he had saw her only a couple hours ago, and she had been as stubborn and talkative as possible. Now, he wasn't sure if she would open her mouth to even attempt to speak.

"I hope you've learned your lesson on silence," Kylo speaks strongly, not letting his weak side get the best of him. She didn't listen to his commands, and she had to pay the price. "Disobeying will get you nowhere. Or in this case, it'll get you somewhere. Although I'm not sure it's a good place."

The tears continued to fall from Bexley's eyes, her salty tears mixing with the blood on her face and turning a light shade of red. She would never speak again. Why would she? Like Kylo said, she wouldn't be leaving here anyway. She had nothing to say to these people, let alone to the man that caused her pain.

"You'll be brought in for questioning again tomorrow morning," he goes on, not caring for her silence. "I expect more from you when you give answers. We will get what we not, even if we have to destroy the entire Resistance to find it. Believe me, Bexley Terris, this is only the beginning."

And with that, he gives her one last emotionless glance, and exits the cell. The door slams shut when he leaves, but this time Bexley doesn't flinch. Instead, she closes her eyes, and lets herself drift into unconsciousness.

But little did she know that, as Kylo Ren got back to his room and locked the door, he put his fist right through the wall.

---

Poe impatiently taps his foot on the linoleum flooring, running his fingers through his hair before clasping his hands together. He leans into the chair he rests on, fighting the urge to jump from his seat and demand for General Organa's attention immediately. But he knew that would get him nowhere; if anything, it would probably damage his chances of even speaking with her.

"I've been waiting for nearly an hour," Poe releases a deep breath, looking up to the guard‒ Spencer‒ at the door. "Do you have any idea when the general will be done with her meeting? Otherwise, I guarantee that I will be taking matters into my own hands."

"I'm sorry, Dameron. We all know why you're so on edge, but there isn't a single thing we can do to bring her back. Why don't you take the next few days off?" The pilot suggests, not moving from his spot in front of the door. "I honestly have no idea when any of them will be out, so go get some rest, yeah? You've been out yesterday and today with no sleep."

"I've already told you, Spencer, I refuse to rest until Bexley is back, and I intend to keep my promises of her safety. If anything happens to her . . . " he places his face in his hands, shaking his head. "I don't know what I'll do with myself."

The young pilot slumps where he stands, stepping forward to sit beside Poe before placing his hand on his back. "Poe, I know that you were close with her. We all were . . . but maybe it's best that we let this go. She's gone. You saw the crash, you know how it went down."

"She survived it, I know she did," the raven-haired man insists, his ragged eyes finding those of Spencer. "It doesn't matter what anyone says, I saw it. I saw her ship, and she was gone."

"When someone burns alive, the body normally doesn't‒"

"But there should've been bones. Until I see proof that Bexley is . . . I won't believe it. A First Order ship was overhead just as I arrived, and I know they have a part in this. They have the love of my life, and you think I'm just going to give up and let them hurt her? Over my dead body."

"What did you just say?" Spencer's eyes widen, his lips parting in surprise. "Poe, do me a favor and repeat what you just said."

"Over my dead body," Poe furrows his eyebrows. "I hate to ask, but have you gone mad? Did you not hear what I said the first time?"

"You're in love with Bexley, and you just admitted it out loud," the pilot breathes. "Maybe by accident, but I never though you would."

"Yeah, well, if I can't contact the general, I'll never get to say it to Bexley's face. You don't think it's weird, do you? I may have only known her for a month, but . . . she makes me feel whole again. Like she's the missing pieces in my puzzle, and everything about me changes when she's around. It's like I'm seeing the sun for the first time."

"Since she brings out the poetic side of you, I believe you should spout that to General Organa in order to convince her to let you leave," Spencer chuckles. "It shouldn't be much longer, Poe. This meeting has been going on for at least two hours, so I seriously doubt you'll be waiting for too much longer."

"Every second I'm away from her it feels like an eternity. I need to leave now. And I'll need someone to go with me‒ just in case things get bad. I know the First Order has her, and this could definitely get out of hand if I make a wrong move."

"So you're not here to ask permission? You're here to ask for extra pilots in case things get messy?" The pilot raises an eyebrow, releasing a breath. "I'm not so sure that'll go well, Poe. You know that Leia has ordered you for some bed rest. You can't stay a top pilot if you don't get sleep and disobey orders."

"Leia knows why I haven't slept just as much as anyone else," Poe points out. "And she, of all people, should understand that I want to protect the people dear to me. She matters too much to be forgotten."

"I agree with you, and so do Heath and Dawn. But do you honestly think that a breakout mission will work at the First Order's headquarters? It's bad enough that we don't know if Bex is still alive, let alone what would happen if you're caught."

"If no one wants to take the risk, I'm willing to go alone," he informs Spencer. "It doesn't make a difference to me because I'm going regardless of anyone else's approval or denial to go. I'm not scared of dying, especially if it was narrowed down to me or Bexley. I'd chose her life over mine in a heartbeat."

Spencer hesitates for a short moment, prepared to try and get Poe to stop with his delusional dreams. But he couldn't argue‒ deep down inside he wanted to go too. He couldn't, though; General Organa would forbid it, and he couldn't bring himself to ignore her words. Besides, Bexley had probably perished by now, and it was no use to get into deep trouble over a corpse.

Upon the times that Spencer goes to talk again, the door to the meeting room is opened, revealing the general.

"Oh, good. You're back up again," Leia speaks, a smile gracing her features as she takes in Poe's state. "I have a mission for you, Poe."

_______