All of the Stars

Part 42: Suffering

"Rey..." Kylo's voice was low, calm as he addressed the girl standing in front of you now. Her fingernails digging so sharply into your skin that you started to feel trails of blood leaking from the wounds.

Rey didn't acknowledge Kylo's word. Instead, she stood fixated on you. Her unnatural eyes gleamed as they bore into your own, and although fear was making you tremble under her grip, you couldn't bring yourself to look away.

"Rey, let her go." Kylo tried again, his voice sounding less calm.

It was silent in the hallway. Even breaths seemed muted, Kylo's words sliced through the atmosphere like a saber cutting through soldiers on the battlefield. And yet, Rey made no move to answer Kylo's demand.

Your eyes were starting to blur. It was impossible to tell if tears were springing to your eyes or the pain from your punctures were causing them.

Although you only had sight on Kylo from the corner of your eye, you noticed him moving closer.

"Rey, I don't know what is going on, but you need to stop. Now." He demanded, his shoulders nearing to be in line with yours.

Rey still didn't move, but you noticed her hand begin to shake. The pain in your jaw was starting to increase as she slowly held it in a tighter vice-like grip.

"Please..." You finally whisper, managing to let the word out through your clamped shut lips.

For a second, Rey's hand stops shaking. She seems to flicker, as if just an image, before returning to her prior state. Her eyes glowed with more intensity.

It was as if the air had been sucked from the room in those few seconds, maybe the ship's airlock had broken. But any image of the potential imminent death was whisked away with the arrival of a guttural scream.

Rey snapped around, dropping her hand in an instant. From your position, you could easily see the figure that had appeared as if out of nowhere in the hall.

Ara stood, her hospital gown ripped and covered in blood that seemed to be spreading from her abdomen.

"You can't kill me!" She shrieked, her voice filling the room and magnifying. Unconcealed rage made her body tremble.

The blood on her gown seemed to be spreading, darkening as it blossomed.

Rey continued to stand still, although you couldn't see her face, her shoulders were relaxed, as if she was merely curious about the dangerous being in front of her.

"Why?" Rey asked.

Compared to the angered howls from Ara, Rey seemed to sound insane.

Ara's face contorted, anger causing deep rivets on her face.

"I am power. I am everything!" She bellowed, her eyes burning bright. She took another breath and froze.

The blood covering her body was causing her gown to stick to her skin.

Ara pulled in another breath but seemed unable to take it in fully.

"Hm." Rey let her hand fall, shrugging.

Ara's face paled.

Behind you, you heard Hux let out a whimper as if he was a wounded animal. Turning a fraction, you and Kylo in unison hold out your hands and use the Force to clamp his mouth shut.

In slow motion, Ara started to tip forward, falling to her knees. But just before her chest hit the ground, Rey lifted her hand.

Ara stayed frozen, her nose inches from the metal. The started to rise again, Rey took deliberate steps towards her, stopping with her toes just before her face.

"That wouldn't be fun, would it." Rey sighed. Using her foot, she kicked Ara in the face until she was floating in the air, the right way up.

Blood was starting to stream from her nose, dripping off the side of her face and onto the metal floor as she hung like a doll in the air.

Hux was starting to tremble, his mouth still held shut.

Rey smiled, ignoring you and Kylo, ignoring Hux. She reached forwards and brought Ara up, so her feet floated just off the ground.

Ara's head hung limply, covered with her matted hair, the blood from her nose now starting to mix with the blood on her abdomen.

"It's not over yet." Rey lowered her hand until it hovered above the source of the blood on her stomach. The blood that had begun to dry, turning a dark, rust colour and stiffen the material of Ara's gown started to change. In reverse, the dark blood started to lighten and stick to her body once again.

Without realising, your grip on Hux started to loosen as you watched the blood seep from Ara's body and disappear under her clothing, until her clothing was back as it was, no trace of the deep crimson that had soaked it seconds ago.

"That's better." Rey sighed and released her grip on Ara. Ara's eyes sprung open before she hit the ground and she landed softly, her hands outstretched.

"Thanks for that hon," Ara said, her voice stark in contrast to her angered rage minutes before.

"It was no trouble," Rey replied, turning back around to meet her gaze, a small smirk on her lips.

"Well then," Ara replied. For a few seconds, a tense silence ensued in which Ara and Rey both smiled at each other.

With no warning, Ara suddenly brought up her fist and sunk it into Rey's face, continuing to smile. In the next second, both girls had disappeared with nothing left but a drop of blood from Rey's nose.

"They can Force teleport..." Kylo's eyebrows were knitted together as he stared at the spot where they had disappeared. "They could be anywhere."

"What is wrong with Rey?" You question, allowing yourself to breathe again, bringing your hand up to your jaw where the blood was now flowing freely.

"I don't know. It's only a matter of time before they remember us again. We need to get the others out." Kylo shook his head, his eyes wide.

You nod and turn, coming face to face with Hux, whose eyes were darting around the room rapidly as he struggled to speak.

"Kylo." You motion for him to let Hux speak again, wiping at the blood on your throat with your sleeve.

Kylo rolls his eyes and releases his hold on Hux, proceeding into the room.

"Will she be okay?" Hux blurts, panting slightly.

"I..." you begin, realising you have no idea. Looking at Hux, his eyes wide and pleading, you find yourself having no other way to respond.

"I'm sure she will be, Hux, Kylo will get her back." You reach out and reassuringly squeeze his hand and enter the room.

Kylo stands at the door, his eyebrow raised.

Not the time. You answer the question he hadn't asked, trying to shake off the awkward encounter with Hux.

"What's going on?" Poe asks, causing you to turn and face the room, the centre of which is now a gathering of your friends, the same look of fear plastered on each face.