[ stronger? than snoke? the very idea seems laughable. and yet it does make her wonder. she holds some value to him as an apprentice, an enforcer. maybe it is that she has some power he — no.

he is the supreme leader. that he delegates his tasks does not mean he cannot complete them. this is leadership and how it works. she forces that away, writing it off as ben's efforts to confuse her. ]

You think so highly of yourself.

[ she can see him now. her eyes are clear. he's ragged, at the end of his leash. he has broken the connection, but it has taken everything he has to force her out, and she can weather the pain of it unflinchingly. this does not measure anywhere near the worst pain she has faced. had snoke looked in her mind and seen these things, she would be in pain. this is ... annoyance. inconvenience. ]

You think you can walk in here and turn me? [ she draws closer. the physical will do for this. she grabs his chin in one hand, turning it to face her. he's barely conscious. pathetic. ] You think your life is worth that, to me?