I blink and my vision clears. The pain in my head slowly eases and I look up. I'm in Master Snoke's office. His desk is in front of me and I'm on my knees. I turn slowly, my head aching when I move it. Hux is beside me, his hands covering his face. He's crying.

"Hux?"

I look up and see Grand Master with his hand outstretched. What's he doing? I put my hand on Hux's shoulder and concentrate on his thoughts. Grand Master is shaming him, tormenting him.

"Stop it," I say softly. I want to yell it but I don't have enough energy. Let him go! Grand Master's hold wavers slightly and Hux takes a few quick breaths.

He's being punished, Master says to my mind, for his unclean thoughts.

They're his thoughts, I reply. He has a right to his own thoughts.

Not under my rule.

Suddenly Hux's memories surface, all the moments of his attachment to me. They're taken away, one by one; the first time he met me, when he learned about my powers and it made him angry. That's when his attachment started. I fascinated him and he wanted to be like me. I see myself, smiling at him. Then Hux shoving me, just to have a reason to touch me. The memories slip away faster now. The times he held me down on the ground to threaten me, spilled my food at meal times, startled me in my sleep, played tricks on me. Then more private moments, like the sleepless nights he gave in to his intimate thoughts about me. They're all taken, but not before I see them first. Snoke leaves only memories of jealousy, anger, rivalry and hate towards me.

I snatch one last memory from being stolen, us laying together talking about Hux's plans to make the largest Death Star ever. Snoke tries to take that memory too, but Hux collapses to the ground, unconscious, his mind no longer accessible. Snoke turns his attention to me and I know he's going to take all I just saw away, too. I have no strength to stop him. When it's all gone I fall forward to the ground beside Hux and everything turns dark.

* * *

"I hope this headache goes away by tomorrow," I say to Phasma, who's visiting me in my room. I'm not exactly sure why she's visiting me and it's a bit awkward. She's never visited me before. And she looks sad, which I'm not used to seeing either. "Is there something you're not telling me? Am I dying?"

"No," she says, smiling a little.

I sit up slowly, the movement making my head throb. "I still don't understand what I'm sick with."

"You're not sick, exactly."

"Easy for you to say," I groan. "So are you and Hux ready for the Elimination Games?"

"He's been sick, too."

"Oh."

Good. I'm glad he's sick. He's the first person who will try to kill me in the Games, and he's smart, so I have to watch out for him. Although I do have Force powers and I could choke hold him until he runs out of air...

"Phasma?"

"Yeah?"

"Before the Elimination Games announcement in Markin Hall, did I Force choke Hux?"

"Yes."

"Why did I do that? I don't remember."

Phasma hesitates. "You were trying out your powers. Snoke told you could use your powers again and Hux made you mad about something."

That doesn't seem like me, but I can't remember. "But Grand Master never gave me permission to use my powers, just to read minds."

I try to remember what happened that day, or the day before that, but it only makes my head hurt more. The only clear memories I have are of being in classes, and an anxious feeling of wanting the day to be over so I could go do something else, something I was really looking forward to doing, but now I don't know what it was.

"Stop," Phasma says.

"Stop what?"

"Stop trying to remember. They're all gone, all those memories from this summer, you won't find them."

"What do you mean?"

"Snoke erased your memory, of most of the stuff that happened over the summer."

"He did? Why?"

"Because he believed it was affecting your training."

I sigh and lay back down. "Then he had a good reason." I look at Phasma. "Do you know what memories he erased?"

Phasma doesn't say anything and I sigh. "Did he say how long I'll be sick for?"

"You're not sick," Phasma says. "Just get up."

"But I feel it in my chest and stomach. I'm nauseous and sick."

"That's just heartache and emotional trauma. You just don't know why it's there."

Now I'm worried. "Did my mom die?"

"No." Phasma gets up from the edge of my bed. "I'm going to check on Hux. Believe it or not he's doing way worse than you."

"Good. I'm glad he's suffering for once."

"Don't say that."

"Why not? He hates me and enjoys making my life miserable."

"Just try and be friends in the Elimination Games."

"Are you serious?"

"Let's keep all three of us alive, okay?"

"If I don't kill him first, then he'll kill me."

"No, he won't."

I look away, frustrated by her stupid comments. I don't want to talk to her anymore. But she's right about the memory thing. My headache is worse when I try to remember things. But now that I know the memories were taken for a reason, I can just leave them alone. Grand Master knows what's best.

Phasma leaves through my open door and I get up to go close it. A clanking sound catches my attention and I look down. A smooth rock rolls to a stop on the floor. It fell out of my pocket. I pick it up to get a closer look. There are some markings on it. A pain grips my chest and I recognize it right away, attachment.

I set the rock down. Does it have some sort of spell over it? How did it get into my pocket?

My head hurts again. It must be one of the things I was supposed to forget. But I won't get rid of the rock just yet. I pick it up and put it in my pocket again. If Hux is feeling worse than I am, then I may have a chance at winning in the Games. I'm going to win, but it won't be easy. Grand Master said I'll be the leader someday, and I think that the day is coming soon. I don't care if Hux lives or dies, and no one will miss me if I die. I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I go to my dresser and take out a change of clothes. Tomorrow night, the Games start. But first I have to do some planning and practicing.