Lingchi

Escape

Hope knew how vulnerable she was, she knew that she could try something to get away, anything. But... the shock was still very real, the pain and the hurt and there was nothing else she could think about, other than her mind playing over what could've happened. How Kylo ran her through with the saber, his eyes aglow, a grin on his face.

Why did he do it?! Why did he do it?! She thought he cared about her and her family, isn't that why he spared her the first time? Because he cared? If Ben cared so much about her, he would want her happy.

Hope whimpered as she pulled on the restraints again, but they didn't give. They wouldn't give, no matter what she tried. So she just laid her head back in the metal chair and panted heavily trying to get herself back under control. There was time to cry about it later, now was not the time.

After a minute of breathing and trying to ignore what Ben had done, for now... and she shouldn't hold to this anger. It was how the dark side could get to you - she wasn't going there. Hope couldn't go there, she wasn't going to turn out like Kylo Ren...

Hope clenched her hands into fists, inhaling slowly and exhaled shakily. She wasn't going to think about him, what he did. She shouldn't.

But the thought of hearing her mother cry out in pain was ringing in her ears... it was haunting now. She just wanted to cry all over again but that wasn't what her mother would've wanted, it wasn't what her father would've wanted. Hope had to fight, she was going to fight.

"Hope?" It was a very faint whisper, of a familiar voice. She wasn't sure if it was real, or just a voice in her head.

But then the familiar voice grew louder, this time more urgent. So, she jerked her head up and looked to the side, her eyes widened when she realised who it was, "Rey?" It was still a whisper, she could barely see the other girl, but she could sense that her was here.

And relief flooded her system, Rey was alive. She might not be okay, but at least she was alive and breathing.

At least that gave hope something else to think about, the other girl was quick to get to Hope's side and undo her restraints to let her up, "I'm glad you're okay." Hope said once she was able to stand up on her own, Rey just nodded slightly, "Why did he take you?" Rey didn't know about Hope's past, the new secret...

So she didn't answer, all the girl did was shake her head, then following after Rey. Hell, this way weighing down heavily on her heart - as in, it was hard to keep it a secret as she followed after Rey.

The girl obviously didn't know where she was going, neither of them did. All they knew is they had to head away from the direction they came.

After a few minutes of wondering around, they were able to get to the hanger, where Hope stopped and rubbed her forehead, the news weighing heavily on her heart and she knew that she had to tell someone, it was eating her alive.

"He killed my mother." Hell, it was a relief that she said it. Just like, a weight had been lifted, if only slightly, but it was a relief. It hurt to say it, to think about it, and it would be hard to repeat the information, but it might just clear her mind.

Rey paused before turning and looking at Hope, almost immediately knowing who she was talking about. Then a look of sorrow crossed her face, though she didn't know the woman... it just felt so awful to hear it.

"Oh, Hope... I'm so sorry." Rey whispered as she moved over to the other girl and gave her a hug, which Hope was slightly embarrassed about. But welcomed the embrace, despite the fact they had to get out of here as quickly as possible before Kylo Ren noticed they were gone.

Rey was the first to pull away, adjusting the grip on the blaster - "We need to get to the hanger quicker. He'll know that's where we're heading." And if they got there after he figured out they were missing, they'd have to try something else.

All the girl did was nod, crouching slightly and then following after Rey. It wasn't like there was any signs, so they could be heading in the wrong direction... unless Rey had one fantastic sense of direction and good guessing skills.

And what do you know; Rey got them to a heavily guarded hanger. Where they couldn't reach one of the ships.

A band of stormtroopers were heading their way, which made Hope inclined to swallow back her fear before it could bubble out. Yeah, her name was 'Hope' but she didn't always have it, especially in situations like this - where escape seemed impossible.

"What are we-?" Hope turned to see Rey climbing down the side of the hanger wall, smartest idea yet.

Even though she wasn't good at climbing and rather afraid of falling, but she was more afraid of going back to Kylo Ren and seeing the anger in his eyes, probably witness his anger as well.

Hope was quick to follow Rey, closing her eyes and telling herself that it'll be okay.

There was silence, then the sound of a lever being pulled down, something opening, then she was being directed down on it. Hope held onto it, then inched along so they could hopefully get to the other side with ease.

She was tempted to ask Rey how she knew this place well, like if she had been here before (it would be a joke)... but... nah, somethings are best kept unspoken.

"We need to climb another wall-" Rey informed Hope once they were out in the open, "You'll be fine." She also tried to assure, but the woman didn't reply and didn't believe as she followed after Rey, slowly pulling herself up after the other, despite the fact that they had to move faster to leave this area.

Rey was the first to get up, she did not forget Hope and reached down to her to help her up so they could get out of here faster. Her hands were back on her blaster, standing up once more and creeping down the hall with Hope silently following after, since she didn't have a weapon with her; she'd have to let Rey take care of-

"Whoa, whoa, Rey! It's just us!" Finn! Han and Chewie.

"Oh, Finn!" Rey cried out as she threw her arms around him in an embrace, Chewie groaned something out that made Rey pull back to look at Finn with an odd expression, "What did he say?"

"He said it was your idea." And then Rey hugged him again, "We need to get out of here. Hope whispered to Han as he approached the two that were hugging, "Leave now, hug later." He said, then he started to head off the way they came, "It's a good thing my friend has a bag of explosives."

Oh no... Hope had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next.