Please have mercy

Pain

His hand was holding her jaw firmly, his grasp almost painful. She could not back away any further, already leaning over the armrest, her back threatening to give out under the weight of her body and the supreme leader pressing her down. What could he want from her that he could not get from another? He had a whole ship at his mercy, planets bowing down at his feet fearing the First Order.

She did not wish to fight him or play guessing games. Had this gentle demonstration only been a ruse to trick her into confessing? She felt uncomfortable at the thought of him manipulating her emotions, he was capable of gentleness, he could've simply asked her what he needed instead of backing her into a corner and being brutal.

"What do I know, my lord?" She was trying to make him say it without angering him any further, already having made a mistake without even being aware. The question made her sound guilty as if she was playing dumb or trying to trick him.

"Don't be coy, you're smarter than this."

She appreciated the compliment, taking it out of the context of his sentence, grasping on every bit of comfort she could obtain, not stopping for a single instant to wonder what she had done that could've made him draw such a conclusion on her part.

She thought about what he could want from her. She was not a spy, she had not overheard any precarious conversations from Coruscant, neither was she aware of any plans of assassination or treason against him. She did not know much about ships, there was little she could do to help him with the Finalizer. She had never fought anyone, surely it wasn't about combat skills or lightsabers. He was strong with the force, she could not protect him from anything he wasn't able to deal with himself.

Having spent all her life in a temple, there was little else she could do except help him pray, but she doubted that's what he wanted, he did not seem like the praying type.

"I will help you," she promised sincerely, "I am not lying. Please inform me."

"Have you not understood yet? Have you never questioned why I requested a priestess from your temple ?" He said the words with such disdain she felt disgusted about what she was and where she had come from. He seemed to hate them so much.

Of course, she had questioned it. She thought it had been a question of preference, to assure himself of the quality of the bride, someone behaved, calm, innocent, and pure. She refrained from answering with something based solely on her opinion, not wanting to insult him by making him appear shallow.

"Why me?" she asked instead. There were so many other women in Coruscant, some coming from wealthy families or having a background that would make them more appealing as a queen. Better even, better than her by a lot.

"The priestesses have something I desire. You've seen the training, you have access to the books. You know how to hear the voices of the Jedi that came before."

She was stunned. Paralyzed.

Out of everything she had not expected this to happen. She knew he had had some kind of Jedi training, he moved like one, but he had left . She knew of the island; she knew of his master. Everyone knew, even if the story varied by who told it.

If his master had not taught him, then there must've been a reason. Why must he rely on her? She must have been his last resort.

"I am no Jedi," she started, "I could not show you, as I am not able to do it."

"No need for a demonstration. Simply tell me what you know and we will talk of this no more."

She debated it in her head, her conflict of interest stabbing her in the back at the most unfortunate times. What would he do with it? Why was he so desperate to gain that knowledge? Why hasn't it been explained to him before?