Beating Heart ♔ Rey

two

Chapter Two

Fortunately, no one spotted Hester leaving telecommunications. Calmly as though everything in the world were right, Hester strode toward the main hanger, where she would wait for Kylo Ren to return.

Hester leaned against a wall, her legs crossed and arms folded. With her hood drawn up as well, she was a figure that screamed she didn't want to be approached. Officers and Stormtroopers both gave her a wide berth.

The hood was not drawn to just make her look distant, but to hide the anxious expression on Hester's face. She bit her lip as she waited for Kylo Ren to return. She'd barely had any time to give the villagers warning. Were they okay? Had some of them escaped? Was the map still safely out of the hands of the First Order?

Hester's stomach twisted horribly, and she felt like she was going to be sick. If only she'd had ten minutes more, the villagers would have had more time to flee... the First Order had practically been on top of them when she made the call.

The sick feeling strengthened when Hester spotted the fleet returning. Success, or failure? They hadn't been down there for too long... Either there was nothing there, or the villagers had been quick work.

Hester strode into the hanger and cast her hood down as the several ships landed. The doors opened, and Stormtroopers began to file out. Hester's heart sank. Their armour was dirty and carried signs of being in battle.

Those poor villagers... Her heart shattered. I wasn't quick enough. 

If she hadn't been surrounded by her enemies, she would've bowed her head and mourned for the innocent lives just lost.

Two Stormtroopers from one of the aircraft came out, dragging a young man with them, whose hands were bound. Hope filled Hester. If they had a prisoner, then they mustn't have found what they were looking for... the map to Luke Skywalker must still be safe. There wouldn't be another reason for Kylo Ren to bring a prisoner on board.

Hester watched the young man with interest. His eyes were wide as he took in the hanger, with its dark walls, numerous aircraft and many persons running around. His eyes then lingered on her - his mouth dropped slightly but he soon shut it again as the Stormtroopers marched him away to a detention block.

Kylo Ren stalked off his ship soon after the young man was dragged away. Hester turned her attention to him and winced. Even with his mask on, she could tell he was angry. His footfalls were heavy and his fists were clenched. Still, she approached him as though he were utterly calm.

"Who is that?" she asked, jerking jer head in the direction the young man had been taken.

"A Resistance pilot," Kylo Ren growled. His voice sounded odd coming from behind the mask - Hester just couldn't get used to it, when his young boyish voice still sounded through her ears. That was the voice she missed, the voice of Ben Solo, not Kylo Ren. "He's going to tell us where the map is."

Hester raised her eyebrows. "So you didn't find it?"

She already knew the answer, but she enjoyed provoking him.

"No," he muttered. "But he will know. I will prise the information from him myself if I must."

Hester fought to keep her expression neutral.

"You just do what you have to do, of course," she said, and stepped aside for him to pass. No doubt he was following the young man, determined to get information from him.

As soon as he left, Hester hurried away, drawing her hood up once again in case her panicked state should show on her face.

If Kylo Ren got into the young pilot's head... the map to Skywalker would undoubtedly be found, and the entire First Order would descend upon him. Not even Luke Skywalker could fend of that number of enemies.