My mom draws a smiley face in the sand in front of us, like my dad used to do every year on this day.

"Happy eighteenth, darling." Mom is sitting beside me on the ground and we lean over to embrace one another.

Every time I hug her, time stops and I get the same feeling: this is home.

I feel mom take a sharp breath inwards before she speaks. "I got you a present."

I snap away from her, my eyes huge. "You didn't! No, mom, we can't afford it." I shake my head frantically. I try to do a mental inventory of our metal shack; I didn't see any mysterious packages. How many portions do we have left?

She's smiling, but she holds it a little too long. Her eyes don't look the same as when we're bantering back and forth, making each other laugh after a long day. "It's a surprise, but I want you to listen first. Promise me you'll listen."

Why is she acting weird? "Did the healer say you're getting better?" I try to be optimistic, for both our health. Maybe it's silly to be so hopeful.

Part of me knows the answer before she says it. "Darling," she says sadly, tilting her head.

"Sorry. I'll listen."

She takes a deep breath in. Her words come out slowly. "I've found a way out. For you."

I furrow my brows. "I don't under—"

"Audrey, listen." Her speech quickens. "When your father died, that was the same year I saved his life. He'd been… doing his thing, and -"

"I thought we weren't going to call it that anymore."

She bristles. "I prefer to be respectful. Your father ended up owing a lot to a group of Stormtroopers –"

"So he was gambling with members of the First Order? When I was thirteen?" I hear my voice getting louder. "You told me he quit when I was nine. You told me he was out looking for work all those nights –"

"Well, he wasn't." Mom's voice rises to meet my own. Her expression is stern. "I'm sorry, Audrey – but what would you tell a child?"

I fold my arms across my chest and gaze at the sinking sun, squinting.

"Anyway, naturally your father wasn't able to pay them what he owed, and the Stormtroopers… well, he needed my help. That's when the idea struck me. I've – Audrey, look at me."

I turn my face reluctantly towards hers. I'm still bristling over her use of the word 'naturally.'

Once she's satisfied with my level of eye contact, she continues. "The Stormtroopers were going to kill your father. I begged them to spare his life, and the only way they would do so was if I offered them you in his place."

I leap up. "Bullshit! So they're coming to kill me, is that what you – Mom!" I feel like I'm hallucinating. There's no way this is happening. This doesn't make sense.

She stands up and grabs my upper arms. "No. You're going to live. With them."

I freeze. "But this is my home." It almost comes out like a question. "How could you lie to me for five years?"

"I was afraid if I told you at the time, you would've run away." She loosens her grip and her hands slide down my arms listlessly. For the first time I can remember, I see defeat in her eyes.

My mother. The strongest person I know.

"So you're just – sending me away." I try to keep my voice hard so I don't cry; I'm so dehydrated, my vision only blurs a little. "But – why now?"

"It was important that you had… reached maturity first. The only way they would take a person alive was if that person was a woman." She hesitates. "Of marrying age."

The sun has almost disappeared in the horizon. A cold gust of wind whips sand into my mouth, but I can't taste anything. "You're saying you promised your daughter to one of the First Order men."

"Audrey, please try to think rationally," she pleads, and she sounds so helpless it's jarring. "Learn from my mistakes. I married the only man I've ever loved, but he couldn't protect or provide for his family. I thought I was doing the right thing. And I was happy, Audrey, I –" her voice breaks. "He's coming tonight. This General, he can protect you, he has power and resources –"

"It's the First Order! How could you?" I can't help it; I start crying. Around anyone else, I might be able to hold back my tears, but my mom's been there for me my entire life. And now she's giving me away. "I'd rather starve with the person I love, than marry some strange man from the Dark Side just to have something to eat."

"Audrey, I'm older than you, and I'm smarter than you. And I'm telling you, love isn't enough."

"It should be. It has to be. Mom, please, I can support us both –"

She glances at the sky. In the twilight, a dark ship appears. "Not now. You were barely managing before, and now that I'm… Darling, we can't afford the medicine on top of everything else."

"So I'm to leave you here to die? If this General or whatever has any money, I can talk him into buying your medicine – yes, I can – and I'll fly back to you. I won't marry him."

"Oh, Audrey, think of the future! What about when we run out of medicine? What will you do when I'm gone? Do you want to spend the rest of your life working all day only to earn enough food to keep going until the next day? I don't want you to live like a slave anymore. And I don't want your children to live like slaves –"

"Mom! I'm not even thinking about kids yet. I'm thinking about –"

"Adventure?" Her eyes are wild. She looks like she's trying to hide her desperation.

I freeze with my mouth open. That was the last thing I expected her to say.

"If you stay here, you'll never have the time or the resources to explore the galaxy. I know you, Audrey, you're my little girl, and I know you're destined for more than what Jakku can offer. This planet is a prison. This General is the key to your freedom."

The noise from the ship is getting louder. Stunned, I let her wrap her arms around me.

Her voice softens, but only slightly. "Once you see him, you'll change your mind."

But I don't want freedom. I don't want adventure. I think back to when my parents were together, when I was a child and my father was alive and my mother was happy.

I wrap my arms around my mother, searching for the feeling of home. I just want my family back.

General Hux is severely ginger.

And he's got an obnoxious curl to his lip.

You know what? He looks like an asshole.

I hear a ghost of my mother's voice. "This is my lovely daughter, Miss Audrey. Darling, hold out your hand."

I don't.

Now that it's dark outside, the only source of light is coming from his giant I'm-compensating-for-something ship that's got probably a dozen Stormtroopers filing out of it. He's standing right in front of the light, too, so it looks like his hair's on fire.

Is this what Hades looks like?

"Is your daughter submissive?" he asks. As if I'm not standing right in front of him.

"Of course," my mother says.

At the same time I say, "Bullshit."

She stares at me. So I stare back. "Tell General Hux that he and his abominable snowmen can fuck off."

"Audrey!"

General Hux turns on her. "I think you lied to me."

"My daughter's just stressed about this whole situation. She's normally very sweet, very hardworking –"

Hux doesn't looked too pleased.

Sensing a weakness, I interrupt. "My mother just wants me to marry you for your money and power. But to be quite honest, I won't even wait till we're married to steal your money. Don't I sound like a good bride?"

His lip curls even more until this weird sound comes out of him. Is he laughing? He tilts his head back to talk to his Stormtroopers. "And here I thought there'd be nothing refreshing on this desert planet." He looks at me. "Tell me, honest one, why do you need my money?"

"Actually, I don't need anything from you. And I'd like you to leave."

"Out of the question. I was promised a bride, and I'm not leaving without one."

Two Stormtroopers grab my arms and haul me toward the ship. "Wait!" I try to fight back, but their grip is too strong. They pick me up until I feel like my arms are going to dislocate from my shoulders. I look over my shoulder. "Mom! My mom is part of the deal. Remember? It's been five years, you probably forgot –" I'm lying, but I'll do anything to avoid leaving on that ship. I keep kicking, even though the Stormtroopers are already on the ramp.

Hux looks at my mother. His face is unreadable. What is he thinking?

My mom opens her mouth –

A dark laugh comes from inside the ship. And then the night goes quiet.

An incredibly tall, black, hooded figure stalks out of the ship. The Stormtroopers freeze. Or has time just stopped?

Instinctively, I know it's male. But is it a man? His entire body is shrouded; his face looks like it's entombed in black metal. "General Hux." His deep voice sounds modulated. As he steps closer, I can make out a few dents near the mouth area of his mask. Not that the mask has a mouth.

He walks by me, as if I don't exist.

There is a dark window where his eyes should be, and above that are several lines of silver metal, giving his mask the appearance of a very heavy brow. I try to peer inside the window, but all I see is darkness.

Hux turns around to face him. The man stops when he's in front of Hux. His voice doesn't break the silence, so much as seduce it into submission. "Your charms seem to be failing you."

"Kylo Ren. Please. I'm conducting business."

"Is that what you call this? You're a hopeless romantic." His voice is dripping with so much sarcasm it's a wonder his mask doesn't rust. He turns his face towards me.

My eyes widen. Is he looking at me? Another cold gust of wind blows by and I shiver.

"Audrey." His fists are clenched.

I hear him say my name and I feel the blood drain from my face. It is both flattering and frightening to know this creature now knows my name. "What?" My voice comes out higher than usual. I pray to the Force I don't look as scared as a sound.

"You may leave this ship." He glances at the Stormtroopers. "Release the girl."

I'm already tearing away from the Stormtroopers' grip even before they let me go. I run back to my mom. I have no idea why he's being so nice, but I'm not about to look a gift ship in the glove compartment.

My mom looks stunned.

"You managed to resist General Hux's… allure. Forgive him. But every rookie needs a wingman. You have two options. Come aboard the ship, alone. Or –"

He glances away, and then the Stormtroopers are on me again.

I hear my mom whimper. I look over – there are three of those fuckers grabbing her arms. "Hey!" I yell at them, then wince as another three of them grab me, cutting off the circulation in my arms.

Kylo Ren looks in my direction again. "We'll kill you both."

All the Stormtroopers unsheathe their guns.

"Please, don't kill my daughter!"

I squeeze my eyes shut for just a second. If I look at my mom right now, I'll break. I stare at Kylo Ren, pretending I can see his eyes. They're probably as cold and hard as his mask, anyway. "You're a monster."

"How ungrateful. Audrey, I'm giving you a choice."

"I'd rather die than marry any one of you." I turn my head as best I can to glare at the Stormtroopers holding down my mom. "Get your hands off my mother!"

Kylo Ren is still, but his fists are still clenched. "Hux, I gather you're the type to believe a husband should make his wife's decisions for her. What do you think?"

The wind picks up, blowing more strands of Hux's hair out of place. "Kill every piece of garbage on this planet, for all I care."

The barrel of a gun presses against my temple, hard. I hear my mom burst out crying. I can't look; if I see my mother with a gun against her head, I will lose my sanity.

I try desperately to yank free, even if I have to lose my limbs in the process. "I'll marry you," I scream, my voice going hoarse.

Hux looks at me, as if he needs to appraise the genuineness of my panic. "Well, if you insist." He signals to the Stormtroopers. I hear my mom hit the ground; I nearly get whiplash as the Stormtroopers haul me aboard the ship. As Hux boards the ship, he locks eyes with me. An oily smile cracks his face. "So you are submissive."

I'm going to spit in his face, I swear to –

The door begins to close.

My mom is on the ground, her cheeks glistening with tears in the dying light from the ship. "Mom! I love you…" My voice cracks. When will I see her again? I can't catch my breath –

Kylo Ren stands in front of me. Once the door is nearly sealed shut and I can no longer see my mother, the Stormtroopers put me down and he puts his hands on my shoulders.

I hate him. The only thing I can control right now is where I look, and I refuse to look at him.

"I understand this is hard for you. Are you wondering when you'll see your dear mother again?"

I'll never speak again. His ship smells like sweat and metal. But he doesn't smell like anything.

The door seals shut. And just like that, this black hole of a man has swallowed me.

His grip on my shoulders tightens. His voice is somewhere between a growl and a whisper. "The answer is never."