He left her. He just fucking left her.

Rey threw the bottle back again, downing another shot of the expensive whiskey she'd kept hidden so far back in the closet of her hotel room in hopes no one would ever find it.

What did it matter anymore? Why did she try to smuggle away things she thought were even a little bit of importance? She'd fooled herself into thinking anything actually mattered. It didn't. None of it did. She'd subconsciously let herself think this guy might be different. She'd thought she'd formed a connection with him. All her life she'd done this to herself. She'd meet someone and have a somewhat meaningful encounter with them and the next thing she knew, they'd moved on. One small connection for them would royally fuck her up.

Hadn't she told herself that was exactly what she wouldn't do this time?

She should never have slept with him. Throughout the years she'd met a man here or there she'd thought would be different. But she'd rarely allowed herself to sleep with any of them. Of course this time she'd given into her body, given into that weakness. And look what had become of it!

Slamming the bottle of whiskey back down on the bartop, Rey glared at the bar around her. Plutt was nowhere to be found. He'd slithered home the night before with some random girl and wouldn't be seen again until after sundown.

The bar should have been opened twenty minutes ago. Did Rey care? No. Fuck this bar and this town.

After Kylo had left her, Rey had tried to steel herself. After all, it had been a one night stand and nothing more. Right?

No. It wasn't even about the sex. They'd had sex, fine. But what about all the bullshit she'd been dragged into. She'd even believed the mumbo jumbo about those stupid crystal necklaces. She'd given Kylo one because she was worried about him. She should have been worried about herself!

Demons! She was now in a world where demons existed. The Jakku desert had always had its fair share of weird, unexplainable things. But demons?

Rey grabbed the bottle again, taking another shot. Honestly, it wasn't even very expensive whiskey. It was just expensive to her. After Kylo had stormed off, Rey had grabbed the bottle of Jameson and stormed off to the bar, hoping to return to business as usually.

That hope had been short lived.

Everytime she closed her eyes, she saw heads rolling on the ground. Anytime the wind shifted, she swore she could smell burning flesh.

A shiver ran down Rey's spine, though whether it was from the burning liquid or the dark thoughts clouding her mind, she couldn't be sure.

The door flew open, hitting the wall beside it and bouncing back only to be stopped by the stranger's hand.

"We're not open yet," Rey glowered at the dark figure. She couldn't make out any details of his shadowed face. She hadn't bothered to turn the lights on in the bar, instead she'd made her way around by what little light filtered in through the cracks and holes in the walls or the thin curtains on the few dirt covered windows. All in all, not very much sunlight was able to breach the bar.

"According to your sign, you should have been opened twenty minutes ago," the man jabbed a thumb over his shoulder towards the sign he spoke of, as if Rey didn't already know it was out there, mocking her.

"I don't see the sign running this bar," Rey snapped as she slammed the register drawer closed to emphasis her anger. She'd just finished counting down the money from last night and putting together the deposit- what little there was. She still had to clean the dishes from last night, wipe down the tables, restock the bar, and probably a number of other things she hadn't been able to get to because she'd been too busy fighting demons.

And dealing with a certain very attractive Chosen One.

Rey shook the thought away even as her cheeks flushed and turned her attention back to the man who was just being joined by someone even taller and larger than he.

"We're looking for your boss," the first man said, taking a step inside. He braced his feet slightly apart and rested his hands on his hips, one falling on the butt of a pistol. "He's got something that belongs to me."

The man's companion followed him through, having to bend down low so as not to hit his head on the doorframe. He was a burly man from what Rey could make out, covered from head to toe in thick, wiry brown hair. It covered his head, face, arms, even his hands. He looked like a lumberjack who'd stepped straight out of the woods and suddenly found himself surrounded by the desert without a razor in sight to shave his unruly beard. The deep set eyes which starred back at her seemed to be filled with warmth and wisdom and a great amount of patience.

"He's not here," Rey replied to the first man, finally turning her attention back to him.

No wonder she'd first glanced over him in favor of his friend. He was much less impressive in appearance. In fact, the gun at his hip was about the only part of him that even looked threatening. His graying, almost white hair contrasted with his tan skin. He had a dark brown, lightweight leather jacket over his button up white but dingy shirt. He'd tucked his dark brown pants into a pair of dark brown, almost black, leather boots. All in all, his demeanor seemed more casual arrogance than the typical clientele who frequented her bar.

Seeing her sizing him up, the man shrugged with a grin and a raise of his brow as if to inform her he knew precisely what she was thinking.

"Are you expecting him back anytime soon?" As he spoke, the man took a few steps around, looking the bar up and down with a sneer on his face.

"Plutt comes and goes as he pleases," Rey shrugged, grabbing a towel to begin wiping down the bar top. She watched her own movements as she scrubbed in tight little circles but from the corner of her eye she followed the two strangers. Slowly, her other hand crept underneath the counter, resting on the cold metal of her shotgun. She swallowed the sign of relief even as she cursed herself for the alcohol now invading her system.

Rey had never been one to delve into the temptation of alcohol. She'd seen the effects it had on those around her. Occasionally she'd pour herself a single shot and sip on it throughout the night as she enjoyed an old movie or listened to music. The single glass was all it took to give her a slight buzz, just enough that her insides felt warm and fuzzy.

How many shots had she had exactly? That bottle sitting atop the bar had definitely had much more in it when she'd left the room this afternoon. And how long ago had that been? Shots of alcohol should be taken across a period of time. She knew that just by watching the drunkards at Plutt's.

"You okay, kid?"

Rey blinked and forced herself to refocus on her surroundings. She'd been scrubbing the same spot of the bar for too long. The men must have noticed.

Panic rose up like a dark wave inside her, cutting off her voice. Looking at the men, she noted how much closer they were standing to her than they had been just moments before.

"You need to leave." her voice sounded too small even to her own ears. "Come back later."

"Listen," the first man waved his hands in front of him as if to clear away something between them. "I'm not looking for any trouble. I just want to get back what your boss stole from me. I mean," the man chuckled and placed a hand on his hip- the one without the gun strapped to it, Rey noted. "You've met the guy. You know he's a sleaze ball."

"Get out of my bar," Rey replied without a hint of any shared humor between her and this stranger, no matter how light hearted he was playing his actions off as.

The burly man behind him shuffled on his feet and made a low grunt. Rey's eyes snapped to him, taking in the guns strapped on his belt and the many bullets wrapped across his chest. How had she missed those details before?

In what she hoped was a smooth movement, Rey yanked the shotgun from under the bar and aimed it at the larger of the two men. She only had two shots but her vision was compromised. Already she was beginning to see the odd outline of a double version of the men. She kept blinking to force it away.

"Hey kid!" the other man gruffed. "What the hell you got against Chewie?"

Was that his name? What an unfortunate name for such an intimidating man. It was the sort of name you gave to a fluffy, sweet dog- a loyal family pet. Not the name of the lumberjack standing before her.

Ignoring his question, Rey blinked once more. "I said get out of my bar. We're not open yet."

The two men glanced at one another as if having an entire conversation with only one look. The first man shrugged and threw his hands up in the air. Rey had been right: casual arrogance. He wasn't actually scared of her or the shotgun in her hands.

Only once the two of them had left did Rey lower the shotgun, placing it on top of the bar to keep within sight. After looking the front door, Rey eyed the bottle still sitting where she'd left it before the strangers had sauntered in. As tempting as it was to take another shot, her still racing heart knew a slightly more drunk version of herself in that situation could have been in serious trouble. Besides, she had to get the bar open. She couldn't risk losing her job, even if some of her customers so happened to be demons.

The situation was a shit show. Not at all the reunion Kylo had been planning on having. No, he'd prefer to skip this little reunion all together.

"You'd better have a good explanation for your prolonged absence," Hux sneered at him as they walked through the trailer park, heading towards what looked like the only livable structure within miles. In fact, compared to the trailers surrounding it, this trailer looked brand new. "And for that horrible display in Niima."

Kylo didn't bother with a retort. Hux constantly tried to rile him up but after years of listening to the constant jabs, they were much easier to ignore now.

Of course he could come up with a reasonable explanation. He'd had the entire car ride from Niima to all the way out here, the absolute middle of fucking nowhere, to think up a vague but somewhat truthful explanation. If he even had a chance to speak.

Snoke had sent him on a mission. Missions were bound to have complications. Even when it came to their very much complicated situation. The fight would be trickier to explain away. Kylo would need to factor in for Hux's conniving nature too. There was no telling what lies he had fed to the Supreme Leader in Kylo's absence. Kylo wouldn't put it past Hux to have claimed seeing him siding with the Jedi Alliance.

Ha!

The thought was laughable. Kylo hated the Jedi Alliance almost as much as he hated Hux and the First Order. At least the First Order stood for equality. Any sort of movement was bound to have a few bad eggs. If Kylo could just continue weeding them out, the First Order could be something truly spectacular.

Hux was at the top of his list. Most of the demons were. Snoke had employed them because of their drive. But look at Kylo! He'd proven his commitment and eagerness for their goal of equality without snacking on human meat for lunch. But it would appear Snoke was bound and determined to include the deplorable demons in on his plans to destroy the Jedi Alliance.

Fuck. He would probably have to think up an explanation for Poe. Perhaps no one had seen them together. It had been after the fight and before Hux showed up. Though, to be fair, Kylo never tried to be nice to the Alliance member; he'd just acted like he didn't know the organization.

Kylo and Hux both entered the spacious trailer. It was baron except for the single large chair sitting at the end, next to it was a small table where Snoke had placed a gun. Kylo had always thought the trailer odd. It had been striped of the living room furniture and kitchen appliances. Without glancing into the single bedroom, Kylo assumed it had been gutted as well. Red curtains draped down to cover the windows on each wall. A few members of the First Order stood guard, as if anyone could make it through the biker camp and attempt to kill the leader himself. Snoke rarely stayed at the camp. Kylo assumed the leader had some fancy house somewhere out in the desert, off the map to hide from prying eyes.

Snoke fancied himself a God amongst mortals. Even in a dump like the Jakku desert, Snoke aimed to mark himself as king. Which would explain the oversized throne like chair he sat upon.

"You have been gone for some time," Snoke said without looking up from the tablet he held in one hand as he scrolled through whatever material he was browsing.

"I left under your orders," Kylo replied in an even tone. Until he knew exactly know much Snoke knew, he wasn't going to show his hand. Next to him, Kylo could practically feel the eye roll Hux gave.

"Your orders were to search the desert for the sword," at this, Snoke's eyes flickered to the hilt strapped to Kylo's waist, "and then immediately return to me." At last, he leveled his eyes with Kylo's guarded stare. "Imagine my surprise when I was informed not only did you not do as ordered, but in fact, after at last locating the weapon, you harbored a fugitive and killed those in your own organization."

The smug grin spreading across Hux's face was audible in the stifling trailer. He'd always been jealous of Snoke's favor towards Kylo.

"In fact," Snoke set the tablet aside on a small table next to his chair. "You decided to declare yourself the heir and threaten the Order."

At his side, Kylo clenched and unclenched his fists, an action which did not go unnoticed by the leader.

For as long as Kylo could remember, their had always been the First Order and Snoke. They trained him from a young age, teaching him their ways and the histories of this world. They showed him the darker side of existence, all the creatures humans had one day decided to no longer believe in. He had been told one day, he would be the key to their freedom. Humans had locked them away, banished them to an unforgiving land to live out eternity. What right had the mortals to lock them away like animals?

Kylo had never understood his importance until he'd grasped the sword in his hand and felt raw power surge through him. He'd thought for years he was simply a human the First Order had taken in and decided he might one day be helpful to their cause. Now he understood.

Fate was a bitch.

"It was a moment of weakness," Kylo said. "Forgive me."

Snoke regarded him with a question in his eyes he didn't speak. Perhaps he was wondering whether or not he could trust Kylo to fulfill his role. Perhaps he was deciding if he should just kill Kylo right there on the spot.

"Since your birth, the First Order has known what you are," Snoke braced his hands on either arm of the oversized chair. "It has been foretold you would either be our liberation or our downfall."

Kylo breathed in deeply, closing his eyes for just a moment. Parts of this speech he had heard before. Parts of it he wasn't sure he was prepared for.

"You know what shall happen to this world should the First Order fall," Snoke paused for emphasis. "I sent you searching for the sword believing once you found it and discovered your true role in this story, you would at last stand tall and firm." Snoke shook his head in disappointment. "Unfortunately, you have proven to still be at war with yourself."

Kylo took another deep breath, struggling to contain his anger; lashing out at the leader would only result in punishment from the guards on either side.

"I see the conflict in you," Snoke continued. "You're unbalanced. You know our mission to be true yet you doubt the morality of our methods. You want the freedom of your brothers and sisters in arms but lack the strength to fulfill your destiny."

"That's not true," Kylo spat out the words, unable to contain them.

"You have proven you cannot be trusted," Snoke spoke as if Kylo hadn't said anything. "Now, you must prove yourself or face the consequences of your actions." Snoke looked at him expectantly, as if waiting for Kylo to offer up some sort of payment.

"I have given everything to the First Order," Kylo ground through his teeth. "What else do you want?"

Snoke's thin lips lifted into a sneer of satisfaction and Kylo realized his mistake; he had walked right into Snoke's trap. Next to him, Hux's pleasure rolled off him in waves.

"Kill the girl and prove your loyalty. Kill the girl and your disobedience and your rebellious episode will be forgiven."

The words took a moment to register.

Kill the girl.

"The girl?" Kylo swallowed, trying to soothe his parched throat.

"The bar wench. The little distraction you allowed to cloud your mind with ideas," Snoke slowly stood, his longer dark coat falling past his shins.

"She means nothing," Kylo said, swallowing once more.

Rey had been marked.

Of course she had. Hux may not have seen her at the motel but she'd been at the fight. How could Kylo have been so foolish? He'd sent that demon fleeing in a fit of anger and hadn't thought about the consequences his actions would bring down on her.

Snoke smirked. "Then her death will mean nothing."

AN: Whoa ho. So it's been a minute. Or two. Sorry for going MIA. I had zero motivation to write anything. Plus things have been kinda crazy in my personal life. I hope a few of you guys stuck around to keep reading this little fic. I've really missed writing it! Your comments are always encouraging. And anytime someone has messaged me about hoping I would update, it gave me a little push closer to getting back into this story. Thank you all for your support and kind words! Also I apologize if the flow is a bit off now. I think I'll go back at some point and update previous chapters to better fit with the flow of where the story is going to go. Buuuut maybe not. We'll see.