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Chapter Text

The temple floor was cold and hard, as usual. Sometimes Rey wished for soft things, a quiet place to rest her head, for kind words or a comforting hand. 
She knew better by now. 
Nothing in Rey’s world was soft. Including her. 

Her opponent circled her. Around them, other acolytes stood watching. Her master was among them. Rey got up, gritting her teeth and summoning anger in her belly like fire to fuel her. Of course, Jaemmuno would arrive just in time to see her fall. She looked over at her opponent; he stood unfazed, lazily holding out his staff. He’s not even trying. Rey clenched her fists around her staff, letting the gunmetal imprint her skin before leaping forward to attack.

Her staff slammed down on the stone floor inches away from her target, who nimbly moved out of the way. He was quick, but Rey would be quicker. She swung again, this time metal against metal. The impact of the hit vibrated through her like some kind of harmony. She didn’t give him a chance to absorb impact before she struck again, and again and again. He tried to move away, but Rey blocked him, forcing him to meet her blow for blow or get hit himself. She didn’t give him a moment to breathe, to plan, to back away from her righteous fury.

She battered him to the ground with pure brute force. He had no choice but to surrender. 

Rey stood still, blood pumping, her breath fast and heavy, looking down at her fallen foe. She was burning up from the inside. Satisfaction curled around her gut. She turned to look at her master. 

“That is adequate training for today.” Jaemmuno said. “Even though it took you much too long to win.”
Rey imagined landing a two-handed staff strike against her master’s head. She smiled without showing teeth. None of the other acolytes spoke. They never did. Rey bowed and left the training hall. 

Rey stormed her way through the enormous halls of the Sith Citadel on Ziost. Rey felt small. And angry. That hadn’t been enough training for one day. Rey still felt plenty of aggression she had wanted to work out through hitting things and people. Rey was granted many special privileges at the temple, but disobedience to her master was never one of them. Thinking about punishment only made her angrier.
She needed a bath. A steaming hot one. 
The Calarium was a smaller, more intimate space than the massive echoing passageways in the temple. 
In the center of the room lay a shallow square pool of water. Beautiful mosaics depicting great Sith legends decorated the walls. Upon her arrival, the two acolytes inside quickly left. In moments she was alone. Again. 
Rey was used to being alone. 
She was the only Sith in the temple. Possibly the only one in the galaxy. Even her master was not force sensitive. Not for long. Rey thought to herself. Not after I bring him back to life. 

Rey took off her dark robes and slid into the hot water. She sighed and felt her whole body relax just a tiny bit, and her connection to the dark side of the force loosen. She felt her injuries for the first time since her fight. She allowed the waves of pain to wash over her. She vowed to remember them, and summon the memory to fuel her next fight.
The Calarium was the only warm place in the entire temple. It was also Rey’s favorite place. Before she was brought to the temple, Rey had never had enough water for proper hydration much less to bathe within. Natural spring fresh water flowed from the carved statue of a sad woman holding a pitcher. Rey liked looking at her. She was worn smooth from centuries. Sometimes Rey would make up stories about why the woman was so sad. Perhaps she had a broken heart or a lost child. Maybe she was alone, like Rey.

Someone cleared their throat.

“Kira?”

Rey looked up to see an Acolyte girl, young and a messenger class by the red sash around her waist. Rey narrowed her eyes. The girl did not meet them. 

“Y-you have been summoned by the council.” She said her voice barely more than a squeak. Rey’s eyes widened.
“Dismissed” Rey spat out. The girl bowed and fled from the room. 

Summoned by the council…kriff…what did they want? 

Hope flooded her senses. Was it time? Would she finally be getting off of this miserable planet? Rey hoisted herself out of the pool and quickly pulled on clean robes. It was time. Rey could feel it. Even if they weren't summoning her to talk about her "grand destiny." blah blah blah... she would make them let her go.

After all, she had the force and they had nothing.

Chapter Text

Dodging blaster fire was not how Ben liked to start his morning. 

The outdoor docking bay was haphazardly covered in scattered crates, ships and stormtroopers. The last of which were doing everything in their power to cause a mess of chaos and destruction.

“Stars, are you kriffing blind!?!” Ben shouted over the clamor, grasping the expensive robes of his downright idiotic charge, to force the man to the ground beside him. 

The cover they were crouched behind could barely even be considered protection. A few stacked crates filled with who-even-knows-what, were the only things between the two of them and the stormtroopers approaching from the south. Ben could see his ship, almost 20 paces to the northeast. So incredibly close. Ben knew he could make the distance with ease, yet looking at the old man beside him, it felt endlessly out of his reach.

What he needed was a distraction.

Ben palmed the smoke grenade at his belt. He had already used the other two, and this was his last one. He loathed to part with it, but it could give him 10-12 seconds of smoke that might prove to be extremely useful.

“Alright then. When I give the signal, I need you to run to my ship.” Ben said, forcing his voice to be steady. “You see it there, right?” 
The man nodded. 
“When you get inside, wait for me. Don’t move a muscle. Don’t touch anything inside my ship.” 
The man looked terrified. 
“Are you not coming with me?” His voice crackled like an oak tree in a thunderstorm. 

“Someone’s got to be a distraction,” Ben said with a half-smile. “On the count of three.” 

The man prepared himself to run.
“1”
Ben threw the smoke grenade to land west of their current position. 
“2” 
The bomb exploded in a burst of blue smoke.
“3” 
Ben dashed out of their cover into the smoke. That move drew instant blaster fire. The stormtroopers had taken notice. Stars, this was a bad plan. 

“They’re making a run for that light freighter!” - “GO!”- “Get through the smoke- NOW!” 

Ben ran like his life depended upon it, …which it very much did. None of the stormtroopers noticed the frail man hobbling the opposite direction. Ben’s plan was working perfectly. But now he needed to get all of those stormtroopers off of his tail. And fast. Already the bright blue smoke was almost gone.

With fumbling fingers, Ben reached into one of the many pockets on his pants, pulling out a round metal disk. Pressing down the center caused it to activate, a small light pulsing underneath. Putting on an extra bit of speed, Ben closed the distance between himself and the random light freighter he had chosen to be his decoy. He stuck the activator disk onto the exterior control panel. He then sprinted away to a nearby stack of crates, leaping behind them mere heartbeats before the stormtroopers burst into view, the last of his smokescreen blowing away with the wind. 

His activator disk (a little machine of his own design) was working. The light freighter began going through its take-off procedure even though no one was on board. It was the perfect bait and switch. 

Ben watched as the stormtroopers comm’ed the control tower to alert them of the ‘escaping’ ship. 

He stifled a laugh and gave himself one moment to breathe. Then he performed a practiced quick-change, pulling off his baggy pilot pants, revealing nice black slacks underneath. He then took off his jacket and shoved both items in his bag. He pulled a beautiful Cyrene silk blouse over his undershirt, threw on a cloak, and hastily wiped the worst grime off his boots. It all took a total of less than 30 seconds. Gone was the raggedy pilot. Welcome, a young docile noble. With one final touch, his cameo bag shivered and changed in appearance, it no longer looked like rough canvas, it now matched his silk shirt.

Perfect. Dad would be proud.

Ben sauntered out of his hiding place and strolled past the frantic stormtroopers. None of them paid him any heed. He kept his pace leisurely. He was almost to his ship. 50 paces…40 paces…30…

“Sir!” A stormtrooper called after him. Ben kept walking. 20 paces. 

“Halt!” The sound of a stormtrooper right behind him forced Ben to stop. He turned slowly, feigning surprise. 

“How can I be of service trooper,” Ben said in Basic with a perfect Cantonica accent bookend by a warm smile. 

“Are you headed to your ship, sir?” Ben inwardly cringed at the artificial voice coming out of the trooper mask. 

“Yes.” Ben gestured flippantly towards his beloved starlight class light freighter. 

“I will need to see your docking identifications.” The trooper said methodically. Ben nodded, a bored expression sliding onto his face. He made a dramatic show of ruffling through his disguised cameo bag before pulling out a silver engraved metal strip the size of his pinky finger. With a press of a button, a holographic projection popped out of it. 

Jacin Terrand- 29 - Pilot of the Achiever- Docked 3 days ago in holding bay C2…

The stormtrooper read over the information provided on his holocard. Ben hoped she didn’t look too closely. He kept the bored expression pasted on his face.

A sudden explosion from the atmosphere knocked Ben to the ground. The stormtrooper covered Ben’s body with her own, shielding him from the falling debris. 

So they shot down the light freighter. Ben thought to himself, amused. They had covered his tracks for him. 

In moments the stormtrooper was helping him back to his feet. 
“Please excuse the disturbance, sir.” She said perfectly calm. She handed his holocard back to him. “Consider the shipping docks closed. Return to your ship and wait for further instruction. Do not attempt to take off.” 

Ben nodded and placed the holocard back in his bag. “Thank you, Trooper.” 

With calm he didn’t feel, Ben walked the final 10 paces to reach his ship. Walking up the ramp and hearing it shut behind him was the only thing that calmed his beating heart.

He found the old man sitting on the couch, in the low ceiling center room of his ship. The man jumped when he saw Ben.

 “You survived?” He gasped. Ben saw that he was trembling. 

“It’s a habit of mine,” Ben said. He placed a gentle hand on the man’s shoulder. “You’re safe now. I promise.” 

The man relaxed. His fine clothes were wrinkled and dusty and he looked weary with dark half-moons under his eyes. However despite appearances, Ben felt the man was more relieved than he let on. 

“How long till we leave Cantonica?” He asked simply. Ben frowned.

“The port is shut down for now. We have to wait for them to reopen it.” Ben sat down next to the man. “Most likely, they will search the ship before allowing us to leave.” The man stiffened.

“Search the ship…?” He asked panic flashing in his eyes. Ben nodded unconcerned. 

“I’ll hide you. I’ve done it before.” 

Ben had decoy smuggler compartments. Each held a small amount of spice. Enough to be interesting but not enough to get him in serious trouble. The real smuggling compartments were so well hidden that sometimes he had trouble opening them up. 
In total, he could hide nine medium-sized adults in his ship. If they didn’t have to hide, he could carry many more. 

In his line of work, searches of his ship were inevitable. But it was rare for them to even find his decoy compartments much less the real ones. And even if they managed to find the decoy compartments, they would usually just take the spice and let him off with a warning, a small fine or a short jail stay. Once they found spice they never bothered to look closer. 
His real crime had yet to be discovered. Smuggling people to freedom, and getting resistance fighters from point A to point B undetected.

His current ward, the older man sitting next to him, was a defected First Order officer. The information he would provide could help save lives in the war effort. 

Ben helped his ward into one of his hidden compartments, promising to get him out once the coast was clear. He reassured the man using the same voice he remembered his mother using on him when he was a small child with nightmares. It seemed to work, at least. 

He got himself a cup of caf. It was only a matter of time before they boarded his ship to search it. If luck was on his side, his ruse would lead them into being careless and quick and he would be free to leave with his ward. 

Sitting back in his pilot chair Ben Organa observed the port, waiting for the telltale signs of incoming inspections. 

There was nothing left to do now but sit tight.

Chapter Text

Seven imposing women sat around a curved crescent moon table, staring down at Rey. She could sense their disapproval, unease, and something else Rey couldn’t quite put her finger on. Rey stood straight, lifting her chin slightly and keeping her own face impassive to match theirs. She hoped she wasn’t trembling. It was unusual to see all seven of them together.

The silence between Rey and the Sombre Council grew. Rey wondered how long they would keep her waiting in this stiff position. Jaemmuno, seated in the center, frowned at her.

“At ease, Kira.” She said. Rey bowed and relaxed her standing position.

“You have grown strong with the force.” Anix started,

“-And strong within yourself.” Garua completed. The other members hummed in agreement. Rey felt the force strong within her, fed by her nervous energy. She did not trust their praise.

“All your life has been for one purpose,” Celenia said with a smile.

“It’s time for your greatest honor, Kira,” Jaemmuno said.

Rey felt her pulse quicken. She was finally going to leave the temple. See the galaxy. She would never feel alone again after reviving the Sith Lord.

“I’m ready, Master.” Rey interrupted. There were hot coals in her gut begging to burn. Jaemmuno gave her a slow closed mouth smile.

“Ever the eager apprentice….” She drawled.

“There is one last thing you will do before we send you,” Anix said. Rey frowned as she felt the energy in the room shift. A few of the women shared secretive smiles. Rey knew where this was going.

“You said I was ready,” Rey said with desperation creeping into her voice. “Trust me; I am truly Master. I-“

“Think of it as one final blessing from the temple, and us before you go.” Celenia said with a tone that left no room for further argument. Rey stiffened and bowed.

“Dismissed.”

Rey left without a word.

…

Stepping into the Cauchemar was like putting on a blindfold. Even the echoing sounds of the temple were blocked out. Rey held her staff in front of her and ignited it. Six inches of glowing red light burst from both ends. The crackling energy lit a small area around her. The darkness here had weight, and her blade was barely a comfort.
Despite the lack of light, she could still sense her surroundings—a massive cavernous room, circular with a carved pattern on the floor coiling inwards on itself.

A labyrinth. Commonly walked for mediation- in other parts of the Sith temple.
This one was different. It was alive with living force, and it spoke with whoever walked it.

Calling the dark side to fill her with strength, Rey took one last breath before stepping onto the path. She knew, once begun, there would be no return—only an end.

In what felt like a straight line, she began walking, barely even a gentle curve to betray its slow spiral inwards. Without warning, her dark surroundings shifted into blindingly bright light. She was still in the temple, she knew this, but everything around her (aside from the path itself) had changed. Shading her eyes from the sudden scorching sun, Rey looked around herself.

Jakku. A desert planet besotted with the remains of a fallen empire. Her home-planet. The sun was hot on her skin, blisteringly so, but she felt cold inside. The room was ready to play, and Rey wasn’t going to let it win.

She forged her way ahead. It didn’t take long to find where the room was leading her. She crested a dune, and there below her was her old shelter—a busted ATAT walker half-buried in the sand. This part of her past was the last place she wanted to be. The path resolutely went forward, disappearing into the walker despite her internal wishes. Rey gritted her teeth and followed the path ducking into her old home.

It was cooler in there, protected from the sun. She traced her old belongings while she walked, the crummy furniture she had built from scavenged metals. Her old doll, some wilting weeds she had found and stuck into a jar…a wall with thousands of careful marks and a nine-year-old girl scratching a new one. Rey stopped abruptly, looking at the scrawny starving child in front of her. She knew the room was pulling from her memories. She knew it wasn’t real. Despite that, seeing her younger self full of useless wasted hope…Rey grimaced and shut off her lightsaber.

The girl looked up at the sound. “Why did you leave?” The girl asked Rey with wide eyes.
“It was time for us to go.” Rey answered.
“What about mom and dad?” The girl took a step towards Rey.
“Mom and dad are dead.” Rey said quietly. The girl didn’t react. She kept staring at Rey as if Rey had never spoken in the first place. Rey wanted to crouch down and hug her younger self. Perhaps she could offer some semblance of comfort in the wasteland of Jakku. But it wasn’t her younger self. It was the room being an absolute prick pretending to be her younger self.

Instead, Rey moved past the girl and continued following the path. Within moments, the room blocked her way again.

“Your clothes look scary.” This time it was an eleven-year-old version of herself, planted firmly in the exit of the walker. Rey looked down at herself. She was wearing a standard black tunic, pants, and boots, just like everyone else in the temple.

“They’re just clothes,” Rey said simply. “Sure, Rey.” The girl said, squinting her eyes, the corners of her lips turning up into a crooked smile. Rey frowned.
“My name is Kira.” Rey said sharply to the form of her younger self. The girl stopped smiling, and slowly she didn’t look like a younger Rey anymore.
The girl shifted and became Jaemmuno. They were no longer in Jakku. Instead, coarse sand had morphed into smooth gray stone. It was Rey’s small alcove room in the temple. She shivered.

“I gave you this name to free you from your past.” Jaemmuno said. Rey nodded.
“Why then, do you continue to reject my gift?” Jaemmuno was angry in a sudden explosive way. Like flash flooding in Jakku, dangerous unstoppable raw power that would wipe out anything in its way. Rey shrunk in on herself.
“How can you imagine yourself ready when you cling so desperately to your past? How dare you continue to defy me!”
Rey fell to the ground at the feet of her master. She curled tightly into a ball, quivering, waiting for Jaemmuno to strike her. She was thirteen again.
“Pathetic.”

The room changed around her, and Rey struggled to control her breathing. Slowly with great effort, she uncoiled herself and stood. The path stretched forward, and Rey could sense she was reaching the end of the walk. She kept her eyes to the ground, refusing to see what the room had created for her.

“Rey?”
A gentle voice she had never heard before caused her to look up. She was inside a small ship, similar in size to the one Jaemmuno had used to take her away from Jakku. However, this ship felt different. The light was a soft yellow, and the space was clean despite being well worn.
She took a step forward, her eyes hungrily looking around the space.
She could smell something delicious in the food synthesizer nearby. To her left were two doors she assumed were sleeping rooms and a hallway. Past the comfortable common area was the cockpit. Rey knew she had never been inside this kind of ship before. She had never even scrapped a ship like this before- Yet it felt intimately familiar.

She took another step forward. A man materialized next to the food synthesizer. He was tall with broad shoulders, and dark hair pulled into a low ponytail. He wore a dark blue shirt with the sleeves pushed up and a wide neckline. A thin scar traced its way across the right side of his face. She blinked slowly.

“What kind of ship is this?” She asked fear and something else curling in her belly. He was looking at her with strange intensity and a small crooked grin.

“She’s a Starlight Class Light Freighter.” He spoke with a certain kind of pride and ownership, of which Rey was unfamiliar.

“But you knew that already.” He winked, and Rey was startled. The gentle hum of spaceflight was soothing in a way she had never experienced before. She knew this place.

“Dinner’s ready.” The man said. He had pulled two bowls out of the synthesizer and added a few things he had taken from the storage unit above him. It smelled divine.

“What are you waiting for, sweetheart?” He held one of the bowls out to her. She took a step forward, and the scene dissolved.

Rey was in the darkness again, illuminated only by her pulsing lightsaber. She was also in pain. There was a sharp sense of profound loss striking her between her upper ribs. The room had never shown her anything…happy…before. She longed to return to that place even if it was only a creation of the Cauchemar. Even if it wasn’t real, it felt real.

The room was taunting her, tempting her. She looked down at the ground. The path to the labyrinth glowed before her. She was back at the start; she could try walking it again.

After a long moment, Rey turned away from the path. She summoned the force to herself and lifted the entrance allowing it to slam shut behind her.

The pain in her heart grew.

They were waiting for her outside. All seven of the Sombre Council dressed in long sweeping black robes. Rey knew it to have been several hours since she entered the Cauchmeer. She wished she had forced them to wait longer. Rey wanted to hurt them back for everything they had put her through. Instead, she bowed.

“Be ready to leave at first light.” Jaemmuno said stiffly. Rey nodded.

“Dismissed.”

Rey fled.

That night she crept into the alcove room of the sleeping acolyte boy who had humiliated her in their fight earlier. Using the Force she opened his door without a single creak to alert her presence, her soft-soled boots allowing her silent entry.
Staff in hand she held it directly over where she felt his heart beat. She listened for his breath, in and out. Rey waited for him to breathe fully in, before igniting her blade through his heart. His eyes flew open, his shocked expression illuminated by the red light of her saber. She pressed in until his body went limp and eyes glassy.

Not a single drop of blood spilled. The only damage left behind would be the burn mark on the cot beneath him. He was not her first, he would not be her last.
Rey locked the door as she left. By the time they discovered what she had done, she would be off-world.
His fault for making her look bad. His fault. His fault.

Chapter Text

When the troopers came, the sun had long past completed its cycle, and dusk had settled comfortably onto the planet Cantonica. Standing at the entrance to his ship, Ben could see the city’s lights just beyond this port. They flickered but shone brightly. Ben smiled.

A man in dark navy gray stood firmly in front of a group of five stormtroopers. His hands were crossed behind his back. He was waiting.
Ben lowered his gaze to this man.

“Jacin Terrand at your service, sir.” He said with a grin. “Might I welcome you to my ship?” Ben gestured to the open walkway. The man nodded.

“I am Captain Pavone, pleased to accept your invitation. We are conducting a routine examination- it will not take very long.” Captain Pavone gestured roughly, and the stormtroopers marched into The Amidala, which was disguised currently as The Achiever.

The Captain followed his troopers inside.

The invitation was a formality. Ben had no power to keep these people off his ship, and they knew it. They began their search while Captain Pavone stood next to Ben.

“What brings you to Corinth?” The Captain asked, his eyes never leaving his soldiers.

“I was visiting some old friends of mine,” Ben replied with an even smile.

“Whereabouts in the city were they?” His voice was casual, but Ben felt himself on high alert. Questions weren’t unusual. Often during searches, the more relaxed Captains would make conversation from sheer boredom. However, Captain Pavone did not seem the type to make idle chitchat. Ben knew that it was best to stick as close to the truth as possible in any interrogation. Save your lies for when they matter.

“The Kashe district.” He said. Pavone broke his stare to look directly at Ben, who realized too late that he had made a mistake.

“The Kashe district.” Captain Pavone repeated his eyes narrowed with intensity. Ben swallowed.

“Yes”

“Not the sort of place your kind likes to hang around.”

“Not often.”

The men stood in uncomfortable silence. The Kashe District was more or less the slums of Cantonica, and respectable men did not visit without less than respectable intentions. Ben had assumed his reckless rich boy persona would cover for his being in Kashe, but to this ‘upstanding’ Captain, it was painting him as surefire trouble.

“It seems you’ve caught me, sir,” Ben said with a wink. The Captain offered a quick quirk of his lips, the barest semblance of a smile. Yet his eyes remained cold.

“I’ve seen boys like you before. Too much money and not enough discipline.” The Captain said. Ben shrugged.

“Perhaps I’ll enlist,” Ben suggested with a crooked grin. Captain Pavone scoffed.
The five stormtroopers lined up in front of them in perfect unison.

“Report.” Captain Pavone ordered. Ben recognized the voice which responded. It was the woman who had questioned him on the docks before.

“Nothing found, sir.” She said without hesitation. Ben allowed himself a small breath.

“Check again.”
“Yessir”

The stormtroopers scattered throughout the ship. Something had changed in the air around them, and no longer were they polite and gentle. Ben watched as they tore apart his ship, causing as much havoc as possible without permanent damage.

He watched them get uncomfortably close to where he had hidden the defected First Order Officer. One of the stormtroopers, the woman who had reported earlier, was knocking her knuckles against the metal shelving unit tracing a path from one side to the other. Ben could barely breathe as he imaged the man inside, hearing her gentle probes. Stay quiet in there or so help me I’ll-

The woman stopped and then repeated the knocking sound. The sound was ever so slightly different from the others along that unit. Ben forced himself to look forward, not to move as he watched her figure out the locking mechanism hiding his secret compartment. She was running her fingertips over the edges feeling for any slight change. This stormtrooper was an expert.

Distantly Ben could hear something breaking in a different room, but he couldn’t even bother to care while this woman was so close to discovery.
Maybe he could create a distraction? Fight them off? Take them captive and fly away?

He knew none of those would work. In moments the stormtrooper would successfully bypass his decoy and get straight into the holding room. The man would be found, and they would arrest Ben. If they investigated him, which they most certainly would, they might discover his real identity as Ben Organa-Solo and use him as leverage against his parents.
Ben couldn’t allow that to happen. He took a steadying breath and began clearing his mind. His senses opened up, and he could feel the pressure of a force-block on his mind acutely—one of his creations.

Tentatively he reached for it, the pressure increasing on his mind. He could sense the Force just beyond it pressing on his shield like an ocean waiting to break free from a single crack. Uncle Luke’s voice came to him in warning about opening his mind back up to the Force. He knew what Luke would say to him if he knew what Ben was about to do.

Ben dropped the force-block that shielded his mind, just enough, just for a moment, and he felt power surge back into him.

“You don’t need to investigate further, Captain,” Ben said, pulling the Captain’s attention to himself.

“I don’t need to investigate further.” The Captain repeated compelled by Ben.

“You’ve seen everything you need to see and can now leave,” Ben added, straining against the effort of controlling his gift with the Force.

“We can now leave. Nothing to see here.” The Captain repeated his tone sharp and unnatural. He waved his hand, and the stormtroopers moved to line up in front of him. Once arrived, he motioned, and they began to exit the ship.

“You will give me permission to leave this port unharmed,” Ben commanded once all the stormtroopers had left.

“Jacin Terrand, you have permission to take off.” He gave Ben a nod before exiting the ship to rejoin his troopers. Ben closed the hatch behind them and watched them through the viewport. Only once he was sure they were gone and not returning did he breathe a sigh of relief.

That relief was short-lived. The Force flowed freely through him, and he could sense a darkening. Distantly, he could hear a familiar cruel voice laughing.

So you’ve returned, little one. Ready to claim your heritage?

Images slammed into Ben’s mind knocking him off his feet. Something was burning, someone was screaming, and in his hand, a red lightsaber sputtered and pulsed.

He felt around in his mind for his shield, his only protection, and found it lacking against the roaring ocean waves of the Force. Distantly he remembered Luke reminding him how much more difficult it was to build than destroy. Panic was bubbling up in his chest, fear and anger, and other ugly emotions. He pushed them down hard. He focused his breathing and grasped onto his connection to the Force. Step by step, he built his shield back up. Bit by bit, piece by piece until at last he lay gasping on his ship floor covered in a cold sweat but finally with a quiet aching mind.

He pulled himself off the floor and crumbled into his pilot chair. Ben could barely think, but he knew they had to leave. He had to get into hyperspace, and then he could check on the man in the hold, and then he could sleep.

Oh, did he badly want to sleep.

He set the coordinate for a safe harbor on the Planet Lianna before allowing the autopilot to take over. Then he checked on the passenger.

“My name is Lin Corrik” The man Ben had just rescued introduced himself.
“Thank you for getting me off that planet.” He bowed his head in thanks, and Ben could do nothing more than nod.

“Make yourself at home, Corrik.” Ben said. “I’ll be in my chambers if you need anything.”

Ben knew he was acting unsociable and that his mother would be disappointed. But for the moment, he could not think of anything but the pounding ache in his head.

He locked himself in his chamber and crashed on his bed.

And when Ben dreamt, he dreamt of a cold forgotten temple, and an endless walking path.

Chapter Text

Rey woke earlier than the sun. She had not slept peacefully.
Her life was about to change, but her routine had not at least for one more morning. She dressed in layers, black tunic, black leggings, and a cloak. Her few belongings fit easily into a standard pack bag slung over her shoulder. She carried her staff.

When she turned to give one final look to her temple room, she found she felt nothing for it and left without a word.

While the temple slept, she met her masters outside on the landing strip. She could feel the thrumming sound of the Allanar n3 light freighter engine as she approached. Seeing it brought a small smile to her lips. This would be the ship that took her away from this horrid cold planet.
This would be a ship she would find her destiny on.

Her masters stood in a curved semicircle facing Rey and the ship. Rey looked around for the pilot. She wondered if they had brought in an offworlder to take her to Exagol. Or perhaps they would let her fly it? Jaemmuno’s voice cut through the air with a sharpness that caused Rey’s spine to go rigid.

“We have agreed that Anix will be the one to accompany you on your journey to Exagol.” She said.
Exagol…just hearing the name of the planet made Rey’s body shiver. Anix extended her hands, palms out curved slightly before pulling them in towards her body. A sign of deference and a symbol for goodbye. The rest of the Sombre Council repeated the gesture.
Anix turned and walked up the extended platform to enter the starship. Rey offered a hasty bow before following.

“This is the path you must tread, Kira,” Jaemmuno said. Rey froze, resisting the urge to face her old master.

“Do not disappoint us.”

Anix was a tall Palliduvan woman, with ghostly skin and auburn hair that she kept beneath a hooded cloak. She glided through the ship as if it were hers, although Rey knew that the ship could not be. After all her years on Ziost, Rey had never seen this vessel before. If it belonged to Anix, wouldn’t Rey know about it?
Every step Rey took inside the empty ship echoed, but she didn’t mind. It was a shell, lifeless and rigid, but Rey did not need it to be anything more than her escape.

Lights flickered, and the sounds of takeoff sequencing began. It seemed it would only be Anix and Rey on board this vessel. Rey wondered if Anix would let her pilot it once or twice. It had been years since Rey had done any flying, but she knew she remembered well. Rey was familiar enough with this sort of ship from her days on Jakku. Maybe she would ask Anix about it sometime in the future. Once they had settled into this life. She turned this thought over in her mind like a forbidden candy, relishing in the sweetness but knowing in truth she was too afraid to ever actually ask.

Rey claimed one of the empty rooms as her own and began her wait for the satisfying rumble of takeoff.
Rey hated waiting. Knowing the trip would last eight standard months was torment.

The first week on board wasn’t too terrible. Anix enforced Rey’s training schedule but allowed her some freedom of movement and privacy. The silence between them never became uncomfortable, even though Anix rarely spoke. It was a lot like living in the temple, aside from the smaller, more confined space. Rey could feel herself almost starting to relax. Just a tiny little bit.
Everything was perfectly excellent until it wasn’t.

Red flashing lights and a ringing alarm warned a sleeping Rey that danger was quickly approaching. Rey scrambled to reach the cockpit fighting against every pitch and roll and disturbance that made her footing unsteady.

Anix was at the controls, stress painted across her smooth face.

“What’s going on, Master Anix?” Rey cried out, trying to be heard over the blaring alarm system. Anix did not respond immediately, but Rey skimmed her eyes over the various blinking lights and designs. She read from the ship what Anix was too busy to say. Someone was trying to gun them down.

“I’ve seen ships like that before…is that a tie fighter?” Rey said in shock. “I thought the empire was destroyed?”
“They aren’t from the Empire,” Anix replied firmly. “At least not the old one.”
Rey had questions, but she knew this wasn’t the time. “Give me the controls,” Rey said, sliding into the co-pilot chair. “I can help.”

Anix frowned, the hood covering her head sliding off, revealing her shiny auburn hair in the flashing red lights.

“Kira, I need you to listen to me very carefully.” Rey watched as Anix executed a beautiful kilobit loop, evading the very determined fighter pilot. “I need you to grab a survival pack and wait in the escape pod.” Rey opened her mouth to argue, but a sudden spin caught her off guard.

“We are going to crash land on the planet, Lianna. It’s one massive city which will be overwhelming to you at first. You must not get distracted.” A bolt of energy passed over the viewports flashing Anix’s face with a vivid green light.

“Find a way onto a ship and capture it as your own. Travel to Exagol alone.” Anix pointed to a green pyramid plugged into the ship’s controls. A Sith Wayfinder. Rey understood and unplugged the device, slipping it into the folds of her robe.

“What about you?” Rey asked, confused.
“I am not going to survive our landing.”

Rey left the cockpit and rushed to her room, throwing her belongings into her sack, grabbing some rations and crash pack from the storage room with an extra clock stuffed in for good measure.

The escape pod had one viewport, and from it, she could see what she assumed was the planet, Lianna. It was a deep dark blue spotted with blinding bright white. They were approaching too quickly; Rey could feel it in the way the ship wobbled and warped. There was an explosion; they were hit and spinning out of control.
The blue came closer and closer, and flames licked the ship’s hull so close that Rey could imagine the heat on her skin. The shuddering grew in intensity, and Rey felt as if she were the one to be pulled to pieces.
And then, too soon, everything was still. The escape pod had detached, and Rey watched as the Allanar n3 burning brighter than a shooting star, nose-dived into the blue blue ocean of Lianna.

Rey was drifting, the pod floating first in the sky and then in the waves. Anix was dead. Anix was dead. Anix was dead and gone, and Rey would never see her again or be able to ask how she learned to fly so well.
Did Rey care?
She didn’t know. She shouldn’t. She shouldn’t care at all. Despite everything, something inside was needling her—something inside hurt.

When the escape pod rolled up onto glimmering quartz sand, Rey used her ignited staff blade to cut herself free. She pulled her bag onto her back and began her walk towards the soaring sky-high polished white towers. A city, Anix had called it.
The hungry waves pulled her pod back into their caress, and with the hole she had cut, it quickly sank from view and was gone.

Chapter Text

Ben frowned as his call to his mother again went unanswered. He knew she was busy running the resistance, but knowing didn't make him feel any better. His head ached, and his whole being was tired. With a sigh, Ben prepared to send a prerecorded message. Allowing himself a moment to breathe, he put on a wide smile and leaned back casually in his chair.

"Hey mom, dropping off the package you requested. Hopefully, your friend will be able to pick it up and get back to you soon."

He needed to keep the message vague enough in case it got intercepted. That was easy for him. He was used to speaking in coded messages to his family.

"I'm ready for the next project as soon as you send it my way-" Ben paused as the fatigue he had been holding back washed over him at the thought of a new mission.

"Actually, mom…" Ben paused to think for a moment. "I had a bit of a close call with the last mission. I think it would be best for me to lay low for a bit. Don't worry, I'll be in touch." Ben offered a reassuring smile before he reached forward and shut off the communicator.

What he needed was a break. This was the 14th mission he had run in the past two months. Leia would understand. At least, Ben hoped she would.

He landed on the planet Lianna, in the sparkling white Sky City. The next few parts were easy. He escorted Lin Corrik to the meet point and saw him safely off with a fellow Resistance fighter. Ben's job was done, and now he could relax a bit.

Near where he had parked The Amidala, there were a few bars. Ben picked a busy one and slipped inside. The interior was white, like the rest of the city. The lights mimicked the setting sun outside and were shades of rose and lavender. It created a relaxing atmosphere, which was just what Ben needed. Music softly drifted across the room to the corner booth Ben had chosen for himself. It was far enough to the side that he hoped no one would bother him. A serving droid brought him a drink, and Ben smiled. He figured he would have a few drinks and perhaps stay the night in Sky City. Tomorrow he would leave. Maybe he'd travel to visit Auntie Maz. He hadn't seen her in a while.

He deserved one restful night at least.

There was a disruption as the doors to the bar burst open, a young woman pushing her way inside carrying a metal staff. She was clearly an off-worlder. Ben had taken care with his appearance to ensure he fit in. It seemed this person had done everything in her power to stand out. Most people native to Lianna wore varying shades of white and gray. Perhaps if they were the bold sort, they would include one contrasting color. Very rarely did these people wear black, even in small amounts. And here, this young woman was completely covered in it. She wore a black tunic, black robes, black leggings, and boots. She looked disheveled, her hair spilling out of the three tight ponytails on the back of her head. There was a cut on her chin that looked to be recent, and by the way, she walked Ben suspected other hidden injuries. What stood out most was the deep scowl carved onto her otherwise beautiful face.

More than anything, she looked like trouble, and Ben wanted nothing to do with whatever was going on with her. Unfortunately for him, they made eye contact. He watched her hazel eyes widen in surprise quickly, followed by confusion. After a moment's hesitation, she was pushing her way through the crowd towards him.
Kriff Ben thought. What does she want with me?
Desperately he looked around for a back or side exit. There was one. Ben thanked his lucky stars and stood up from his corner booth, slipping some coins down to pay for his untouched drink. He sneaked a look back at the woman and instantly regretted it. She looked pissed. It seemed she knew he was trying to avoid her. He moved through the crowd and out the back exit to the port where all the ships were docked.

The sun had slipped down into blue twilight, and lights were starting to come on all around the city. In the distance, he could see the glimmer of starlight on the broad ocean. It was beautiful.

"I've seen better." A voice said behind him. Ben spun around and cursed. It was the black-robed woman from the bar.

"It's not a competition, sweetheart." Ben said with a grimace. She was closer now, no longer across the bar, and he could see a light dusting of freckles on her nose and cheeks. Her expression was no longer angry but stern as she studied his face.

"Do you pilot a Starlight Class Light Freighter?" She asked with a frown. Ben startled in surprise. Had she seen him fly in? Had she been watching him? Did she know about the personnel transfer? What else did she know?

"What's it to you?" He asked, a bit harsh in tone. She blinked and then looked away from his gaze. Was she hiding something?

"I need a ride."

"Ask someone else."

"I have credits."

"Everyone has credits."

She growled in frustration before taking a step forward, holding her free hand up towards his face.

"You will take me on as a passenger." She said firmly, and Ben felt unexpected pressure on his mental defense. Stars, she was trying to use the Force on him?! He took a step back.

"Who are you?" He asked, and she looked just as surprised as he felt. He guessed it was the first time that trick hadn't worked for her. Her eyes were wide, and Ben was suddenly worried she would flee, and he wouldn't get his answers. Creepy stalker or not, Uncle Luke was always looking for untrained force users to help grow them into their abilities.

Ben studied the woman in front of him. She held herself with the confidence and grace that usually comes from years of experience.
Additionally, she had used a mind trick on him. She didn't appear to be untrained. But how? Did Luke already know her?

The silence between them grew like shadows after high noon.

"My name is-"She paused, biting on her lip for a moment before finishing. "Rey."

"I'm Ben." He offered. She nodded. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, when a crash sounded from inside the bar they had just left. Together they moved on instinct to peer through the doorway and see inside.

Ben felt his stomach drop. First Order Troopers.

"Kriff." He heard Rey say. "They've been chasing me all day." Ben turned to look at her and felt like cursing all the stars above. Of course, she would be mixed up with the First Order. He should run. He should leave her behind and run. Her hazel eyes turned to meet his, wide and afraid.
He grabbed her hand and ran.

He thought he had parked nearby, yet running to it now, it seemed a galaxy away. Rey was stumbling. If troopers saw them, they would be dead meat.

They just had to make it to his ship, and then they would be safe. He heard shouting behind them and dared not turn his head. The Amidala was only 50 paces ahead of them, cast in the pale white streetlight. He put on an extra burst of speed, clutching Rey's hand tighter. A blaster bolt exploded the ground next to them. Ben signaled the ship, and the ramp opened for them. He pushed Rey towards it before pulling out his blaster to give cover fire. Then he backed up into the ship while the ramp closed and blaster bolts rained down around him.

She was standing there, ungrounded and uncertain, clutching her dark metal staff. Ben tried to offer her a reassuring smile as he moved past her on his way to the cockpit. After a moment, he could hear the soft patter of her feet following him.

He slid into his chair and rushed through the start-up sequence.

"You helped me," She said quietly, the earlier confidence gone from her voice.

The Amidala lifted roughly off the docking pad and up into the air.

"You might want to hold onto something." Ben said, and he thrust them into hyperspace. The stars elongated, and the ship shuddered something horrible, but everything was alright, and they had escaped.

Ben allowed himself one breath of relief before spinning around in his chair to face Rey.

"Allow me to show you around the ship." He said with a smile.

Leia had taught him this trick. One way to calm someone down was simply to pretend that everything was normal. To go through some sort of routine. Rey nodded, and Ben knew he was doing the right thing.

He showed her the common area, the kitchen and food rations, the tiny med bay, the storage bay, the engine room, and finally, the bedrooms.

"That one is mine." He said, pointing to the room on the right. "And you are welcome to use this one for the duration of your stay." He said, pointing to the one on the left.

She took a step forward into the room, looking around as if in a daze before turning to face him. "I don't actually have any credits."
Ben laughed.
"I figured as much. Don't worry too much about it."
She nodded slowly and slung off the bag on her back placing it carefully onto the sleeping bunk.

"Where are you going, Rey? What planet? I need to chart our course." He said casually, leaning on the doorframe to her room. He suspected it would be somewhere in the mid rim, and judging by her attire, it would probably be a warmer planet. Maybe if he was lucky, it would be Takodana, and he could visit Maz after dropping Rey off.

"I need to go to Exagol." She said. Ben felt the blood in his body freeze.

He blinked slowly, repeating the words she had said in his head.

"Exagol doesn't exist." He heard himself say. She frowned.

"It does, and I have the coordinates."

He studied her expression, waiting for the joke to hit, for her to smile and tell him the real planet she was chasing. She stood there unmoving, her face stern and severe. He felt his stomach drop.

"That's impossible." He said. She opened her mouth to protest, but Ben raised his hand to cut her off.

"You're tired, I'm tired. We can talk about this in the morning." She took a step back, crossing her arms as if to hold herself. Ben regretted his tone of voice immediately.

"I'm sorry." He said, running his hand through his hair. She seemed even more upset at his apology. Who even was this woman? Why had he invited her aboard his ship? Why had he promised her anything at all?

"I'm not a liar." She said. Ben sighed.

"Give me the coordinates, and I promise to look them up. We can decide more in the morning. Compromise with me, okay?"

She paused but nodded. She slid the pack she had been carrying off her back and opened it up. From it, she pulled a strange device that immediately made Ben feel uneasy.

"Is that it?" He asked already knowing the answer. She nodded. Tentatively he reached to take it but she hesitated.

"I'll be careful with it." He promised her. After a moment she held it out to him and he took it gently. The device was heavy, and it thrummed with some sort of internal power. Very strange.

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything." Ben said, and he turned and walked to the cockpit feeling her eyes on him every step of the way/

Plugging in the strange device to get the coordinates was easy, and as he suspected after cross-examining it with his database, there was nothing located there. At least, according to his own archives. He sat back and considered the woman he had met. Rey, a force user. A decently strong one too. Ben reached forward, plugging in a couple of controls to call his Uncle.

Ben didn't have to wait too long for Luke to respond. The man before him, projected by the hologram, smiled. His gray hair and beard moved about, pushed by what Ben assumed was a warm wind. It must be daylight wherever Uncle Luke was, and warm daylight judging by his light robe attire.

"How goes star travel these days, nephew?" Luke said, lighthearted. Ben tried to lighten his own mood but struggled. He knew Luke could sense his emotions and appreciated how Luke waited for Ben to explain instead of correcting him. Luke was no longer his master, and Ben was happy for it. He'd rather have an uncle than a master.

"I need your advice, Uncle." Ben said. "I've found a force user."

Luke's eyes widened, and his grin turned into a joyful laugh. "That is extraordinary news! What is their name?"

"Rey. Do you know her?"

Luke offered a thoughtful expression. "I don't recall the name."

"Yes well," Ben trailed off, trying to find the right words to say. "What do you know about Exagol?"

Luke's face darkened, but he kept his lighthearted composure.

"It's a dark place from legend. Only a myth. Why do you ask?" Luke said.

"She asked me to take her there." Ben said simply. "She claims to have coordinates, but they lead to empty space across the galaxy in the outer-rim."

Luke seemed to pause in careful consideration. His face reminded Ben of when he was younger, and Luke would attempt to puzzle out why Ben was having strange visions. It was not an expression Ben liked to see on Luke.

"In myths, Exagol is a planet used by the Sith to do great and terrible things. It serves as a connector, a thin place, where the Force flows freely with a strong current. It is extremely dangerous if it even exists." Luke said. "There is something else Uncle," Ben said hesitantly. "She tried to use the force on me. It wasn't accidental. She has been trained." Luke frowned.

"This young woman will find another way to complete her journey or at least attempt to do so if you refuse to take her?"

Ben thought about how intense she had been with him.
"Yes."

"Then you must be the one to take her." Luke said with certainty. Ben's eyes widened.

"You want me to travel to a place that doesn't exist, but if it does, it's an awful, terrible place?" Ben asked incredulously. "Because some random woman wants to go?"

"I fear your Force-sensitive friend may belong to the Dark Side. The only way to know for certain and to help her is to spend more time with her. You must earn her trust. Promise to take her, but delay your journey as much as possible without raising suspicion. With time, the Force will guide you to know what to do."

"She's a stranger. I don't know her." Ben said. "I wanted a break from all this. I wanted to rest."

Luke offered a gentle, understanding smile. "I'll send you my coordinates. If you can bring her to me, I can perhaps guide her the rest of the way."

Ben wanted to argue further, but he kept quiet. The coordinates Luke sent flashed up onto his dash.

"Alright Luke. But if she ends up killing me in my sleep, it's all on you." Luke laughed, and Ben felt a little better about the whole situation. With a smile Ben said,

"Goodnight Uncle."

"May the Force be with you, Ben."

The holo shut off, and Ben was left alone with his thoughts. Dad always liked to say that "You can't always choose the cards you're dealt, but you can choose how to play them kid."

These were his cards now. The mysterious woman, a mythical planet, and him. He would play the cards all the way through.

Chapter Text

Rey decided not to kill the boy

He was asleep now in his pilot's chair, surrounded by the gentle beeps and blinking lights of a status stable cockpit. Rey could feel the hum of spaceflight in her bones, nostalgic vibrations traveling up her spine that reminded her of a time long ago.

She held her gunmetal staff in one hand, her thumb resting on the ignition switch. She watched his chest rise and fall, his face smooth and relaxed in sleep. It would be so easy to kill him.
Instead, she leaned the weapon carefully against the wall, and sat in the co-pilot chair, turning her attention from the boy, to his ship.

Droids communicate with beeping tones similar to speech. Ships however are much more complicated in how they choose to speak. Beeps and lights and shudders and sounds. It is an entirely different language. It is Rey’s mother tongue.

She could tell that the ship was a core world design, likely built on Mon Calamari in the outer rim. She could also tell it had been heavily modified for both speed and stealth, and that those modifications had not been done at any standard shipyard. She glanced at the sleeping boy next to her. Likely he had done the modifications himself. That meant he was clever and good with his hands. She filed that information away for later.

She began combing through the data that was not password protected. Some information on local planets, some on hyperlanes, and most interesting, their current charted course. They were traveling to a planet named Nevarro. Rey pulled up what information the ship had saved about it. A volcanic planet, although she wasn’t entirely sure what that meant. There were warnings about possible “First Order” encounters. Rey scrolled past those. What caught her eye was the description of the food, the variety of aliens and something mentioned about relaxing hot spring baths. The city was much smaller than the one she had left on Lianna. Smaller felt safer somehow. Rey knew her first priority was getting to Exagol, but she wanted to explore the galaxy on the way. There was so much out there she had never seen before, and she wanted to see as much as she could before her “grand destiny” began.

She shut down the data she had pulled up and grabbed her staff from where it was leaning against the wall. One last look at the sleeping pilot and she left the cockpit for her room.

It was difficult to calm her mind with the excitement of knowing she would be seeing a new planet soon and difficult to relax in a foreign place with a stranger nearby. She began the process of meditation, focusing on painful moments from her past and reliving them over and over again until she became exhausted from the effort. In that exhaustion, Rey found the peace she needed to slip into unconsciousness.

-oOo-

When she awoke the next morning it was with a grumble in her belly and the smell of something delicious wafting into her room. Rey did not hesitate to slide open the door to the common area. Ben was awake and he turned when he heard her approach.

“Ah, finally you’re up.” He said and offered her a bowl. Rey took it reverently. It was warm in her hands and colorful. She sniffed the thick liquid with small chunks of organic matter before diving in. The cubes burst in her mouth with unfamiliar but incredible flavor.

“It’s good right?” He said. She looked up. He was watching her, waiting for her reaction. Rey swallowed and offered him a tiny nod, her pride keeping her from telling him her true feelings on his cooking. He smiled. While they ate he told her his plans for their day on Nevarro. They would be getting some basic supplies and new clothes for her to wear.

“I don’t need new clothes.” Rey protested. “I have clothes.” Ben scanned her with apprehension.

“No offense but you look like a monk.”

“A what?”

“A- nevermind. Point is, you stand out in a crowd. We’re trying to blend in, not draw attention to ourselves. You need clothes that will fit in no matter what spaceport we stop at.”

“Clothes like yours?” Rey asked. When they first met he looked like a Lianna Planet native. Now, he was dressed in rust orange, and gray green colors. When she had dug through his belongings earlier she had seen a great variety of attire. He didn’t seem to have a standard style.

“Yeah clothes like mine.” He seemed satisfied with this answer but Rey was only more confused.

“Just stick close to me sweetheart and nothing will go wrong.”

-oOo-

They landed just outside of town in the crescent bowl of jagged black mountainside. In the distance, bursts of hot steam appear in regular intervals, scattered across the black sand plains. Rey took a deep breath. The air felt heavy and slightly humid and held a slight metallic tang. Jakku, Ziost, Lianna, and now Nevarro. Her list of visited planets was growing.

Rey followed behind Ben and they entered the town. The buildings were at most two stories in height, and made of grimy concrete. Colorful hangings offered protection from the sun, although today it was cloudy enough to make no difference. The roads were cobbled with smooth misshapen stones. There were piles of black sand on either side of the walking path that seeped towards the center lane.

The whole area was awake and busy with humans, droids, and many species that Rey had never seen before. There were many stalls selling all manner of things, spare parts, live animals, and so many varieties of street food. There was a mingling of languages, smells and interesting sights. Rey could scarcely take it all in. Despite how lively the area was, she did not feel afraid. It felt familiar to the life she had known before the temple.

“Poe!” Ben shouted suddenly. Across the crowd a man walking the opposite direction turned, first with confusion and then shock followed by joy. He began pushing his way towards them. Ben did the same and Rey struggled to follow.

When the two men reached each other they embraced. The shorter man, Poe, aggressively patted Ben on the back. Ben seemed almost shy.

“Buddy! What are you doing all the way out here?” Poe asked with a wide smile. “And who is this?” His tone changed when he looked at Rey. There was a question there, a question that Rey was missing. Ben shrugged but returned the strange man’s smile.

“Just passing through. I’m giving her a ride.” He offered simply.

“Oh for your mom?”

“No, not related to any of that.”

“Ah I see.”

“What about you?”

“It’s complicated. I can tell you all about it, but not here.” Poe looked again at Rey with the same question in his eyes. Ben followed his gaze and abruptly stopped walking.

“We’ve got some shopping to do in town, how about I catch up with you later?”

Poe gave Ben a firm pat on the shoulder. “Dusk, at the cantina. Don’t be late.” Ben nodded and the dark curly-haired man walked off.

“Who was that?” Rey asked once they were away.

“Oh him? Poe Dameron. We grew up together. His parents worked closely with my mom. I haven’t seen him in years though. It’s good to catch up.” Rey could sense there was something there he was keeping from her, but she decided not to press. At least not for now.

They moved through the crowd, turning corners, eventually making it away from the bustling center street. Ben came to a stop in front of a grayish-green metal door, rusting ever so slightly in the corners. There were words painted above the door that Rey was unable to read. He knocked and after a moment it slid open only a slight squeak in protest. He stepped inside and Rey followed, careful to avoid hitting her staff, slung over shoulder, against the doorframe.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dark interior of the room. It was small, but the space was well utilized. Every surface was covered with piles of neatly folded clothes in shades of gray, blue, brown and rust orange. It all looked worthless to Rey, but she watched as Ben walked slowly through the rows looking through the piles with careful consideration.

“See anything you like?” He asked her. Rey shook her head.

“I don’t know what I’m looking for.” She said, lifting a shirt apprehensively.

“Ah...well I can help that.” He took a careful look at her and then began to pick out clothes.

Eventually he had gathered a small collection which he then presented to Rey.
“There is a changing room in the back. You can try these on and pick what you like best. I’ll wait for you out here.”

The pile of fabric felt foreign in her hands, and the idea of choice was overwhelming. Before she could react, there was a disturbance outside the shop. She felt danger reverberating across her skin, raising goosebumps despite the warm air.
“Something’s wrong.” She said. Ben turned to look at the door but could not see what she could sense.

“What is it?” Ben asked. Rey closed her eyes and extended her senses through the concrete walls of the shop. Using her connection to the Force she found the cause of the disturbance.

“Two groups...some sort of confrontation. A block or so east from here.” She said. Ben glanced at the shopkeeper in the corner. An old woman, who was reading something and not paying attention to them. He leaned closer to Rey and lowered his voice.

“There must be a reason you sensed it. Can you see anything more specific?”

Rey took a breath and closed her eyes again. She found the group easily a second time, a blurred mass of life energy. Clarity and focus was not her forte but still she tried to differentiate between the creatures. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face as she tried to maintain concentration.

“It’s your friend!” Her eyes snapped open. “The one we just met, someone pulled a blaster on him-”

Ben’s reaction was immediate.

“Stay here.” He pressed a small pouch, heavy with credits into her open palm. “Wait for me okay?”

“It’s dangerous you can’t-” Rey regretted telling him.

“I have to help him, Rey. I’ll come back for you, I promise.”

And he was gone, the shop door shuddering to a close behind him. Something had rooted Rey to the spot and she found herself unable to move, unable to breathe or think. All of her senses were in fight mode. She needed to calm down. It didn’t matter that he left her behind. She didn’t need him.

He said he would come back.

What if he didn’t come back? What if he couldn’t? Images of his body broken and bleeding flashed across her mind.

It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t matter.

I need him to pilot the ship.

That was a lie. Rey could fly any ship she wanted anywhere she wanted. What was the truth?

I need him.

“How much for all this.” Rey held up the pile of clothes in her arms. The shopkeeper looked up from her book.

“Hmmm…” This was taking too long. Rey fished out one of the credits in the bag he gave her. Shiny and gold in color.

“Is this enough?” She waved it at the shopkeeper whose eyes widened. “Well-” Rey chucked the credit piece at the woman who caught it eagerly. She then raced out of the shop. The streets were alien to her, but she followed what she remembered and the strange pull in her gut, turning corner after corner running down alleyways and pushing past slow pedestrians.

The tug in her gut grew in strength. She was getting closer. One final turn and she could see him. He stood in front of Poe and a small group of five other individuals facing down a larger uniformed squad of ten. The leader of the other group already had a blaster pulled. Ben’s hands were up and although she couldn’t make out the words she could hear his voice trying to calm the situation. He didn’t notice her approach, but the other man did.

She felt him pull the trigger before she saw the bright red flash of a blaster bolt. Instinctively she flung out her arms, dropping the clothes she was holding, reaching desperately for the bolt, grasping for a tender hold on the immaterial. The bolt froze in midair. It took all her strength to keep it contained.

“MOVE” she screamed, and Ben, whose eyes were wide with shock, shifted from the bolt and met her own, only a second passing before he did what she asked, grabbing hold of Poe and pulling them both out of the way. The crew behind them had scattered the moment the blaster fired. With the path clear Rey released the blaster bolt and collapsed to the ground, conscious only long enough to see it burst into sparks and Ben running towards her.

Anix would be so disappointed.

-oOo-

When Rey awoke, it was with a sliver of warm afternoon sunlight stretching across her face. She shaded her eyes before opening them, and scanned her unfamiliar surroundings. A small room, made of the same concrete that was so ubiquitous to this town, covered wall to wall in shelves full of mismatched mechanical parts. Outside the window she could see this world’s sun close to the horizon.

She was on a makeshift cot with clean linens that smelled of something floral. On top of the bedside table was a pile of folded clothes she recognized as the ones Ben had picked out for her earlier. They were clean, despite being dropped into the muddy streets. They must have been laundered, how long was I unconscious for?

With a groan, Rey forced herself to sit up, pressing a palm against her aching forehead. After a moment to breathe, she began checking all her body parts for injuries. She was pleased to find nothing broken, only a few scrapes from when she fell and a headache from overusing her connection to the force. The scrapes to her surprise had already been tended to. They were bandaged and clean.

The door, barely an arms length away from her, was cracked open slightly, and she could hear voices in the next room. Voices she recognized instantly as belonging to Ben, and Poe.
“We need you-”

Not caring to eavesdrop, she stood up and pressed the side panel allowing the door to slide open with a hiss and a shudder. The two men were sitting at a small rounded table in some sort of low ceiling kitchenette. Just a few paces farther the space opened up into a cozy living area. She couldn’t deny the strange relief she felt to know Ben was alive.

“What happened?” Rey asked. “Is this your house?” She directed the second question to Poe knowing full well it couldn’t belong to Ben.

“Sleeping beauty awakens!” Poe said. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

They both were staring at her now, and neither of them looked at ease. Rey pulled out one of the chairs and sat down next to Ben.

“I’ll throw something in the synthesizer.” Poe said, pulling items from the metal cupboards overhead. Aside from what noise came from his preparations, the home was silent.

Rey watched Poe prep the synthesizer with quick deft movements. He was likely around the same age as Ben, maybe a year or two older. He tossed cooking items around while he was using them with a careless precision.

“You’re a pilot.” Rey blurted out. It was a guess based on his manner of moving and his association with Ben.

“Best damn pilot in the Resistance.” Poe said with a wide grin, sliding three broad shallow bowls onto the cramped table.

“The resistance?” Rey asked, using a piece of polystarch to scoop up a helping of savory sauce and meat cubes.

“Yeah, y’know. The one against the First Order? The ongoing war?” The food was different from anything she had known previously. Even polystarch bread was transformed when combined with this burst of unfamiliar flavor. The spices used were different from what Ben had. These ones left a pleasant pain in her mouth after each bite.

Rey shrugged. “I don’t know anything about that.”

Poe grinned as if they were sharing a joke. “What, do you live under a rock?”

Rey glared at him. “It doesn’t have anything to do with me. Why should I know?”

“It has to do with everyone in the galaxy.” Poe said. He twirled his utensil to point at her. “You aren’t exempt.”

Rey dropped her utensil, abruptly standing, her hands curling into fists. Before she could lean into intimidating Poe, Ben reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back into her seat. Poe didn’t even react to her sudden movement. Rey turned to glare at Ben instead.

“Let’s settle down.” Ben said, looking at her and Poe. Reluctantly Rey picked her utensil back up to continue eating.

“So.” Rey said. “The gentlemen from earlier, are they connected to your resistance?”

Poe looked at Ben, and then back to her.

“No. Not yet at least.”

“Not yet?”

“We’re trying to recruit them and this planet to our cause. It’s a bit tricky.”

With her last bit of polystarch Rey soaked up what remained of the delicious stew, stuffing it in her mouth. With an empty bowl in front of her, there was no longer a reason to stay.

“Ben has agreed to help.” Poe added. Rey stilled. She turned to face Ben.

“You promised to take me to Ex-” Ben tore a piece of his polystarch and stuffed it in her mouth before she could finish the word.

“I did and I will.” He said firmly. “After this.” Rey swallowed the sudden bite of food.

“How long?” She asked with a frown.

“A few days most, then we’ll be back on the road.” He answered.

“They tried to kill you.” Rey said with a pointed look. “They’ll probably try again.”

“I know.” He offered her a small smile. “It’s actually a common occurrence for me.”

“Can’t we go back to the ship? At least to sleep?” Rey asked.

“I don’t want to leave Poe on his own. Something could happen.” Rey could see real concern in Ben’s eyes. It was stupid.

Poe stood up stacking the three empty bowls and removing them from the table.

“I’ll set up where you’ll be sleeping tonight.” Poe said. “Heck I’ll even give you the grand tour of the place.”

For a “grand tour” it was pretty short. This house had a large center room, two connected bedrooms and the kitchenette, all made from that grimy concrete with low domed ceilings. It was sparsely furnished, but well lived in. The place felt full of movement, even if there wasn’t much actual stuff. Poe seemed delighted to show her around, but the moment Ben stepped away his energy changed.

“Who are you.” He asked, the friendly smile dropped from his lips. The bedroom they were standing in suddenly felt smaller.

“I’m Rey.” She said simply, not allowing his change in attitude to intimate her.

“Rey who?” He seemed frustrated with her answer.

“Just Rey.”

“What are you doing with Ben?”

“He’s giving me a ride.”

“Where to?”

“That’s none of your concern is it.” Rey crossed her arms. She didn’t know why Ben had stopped her from saying the name of the planet earlier, but he had. He didn’t want Poe to know.

“It becomes my concern when you’re traveling with one of my oldest friends, who I might bring up is not the most sociable person. How did you manage to convince him to ‘give you a ride’ ? ”

“I-” She couldn’t tell him the truth. Anix had warned her to be careful, and not to trust. She needed a lie, something plausible but vague enough to stop the questioning. What could she say?

“She’s my girlfriend.” Rey felt Ben’s arm wrap around her before she processed what he said or that he had returned without her or Poe noticing. She turned her head to look up at him. Ben was staring at Poe. Poe looked at Rey.

“Is this true?” He asked Rey. Panic flooded her system.

“He and I are... involved, yes.” The words sounded stupid the moment they left her lips, but it was too late to take them back. Poe’s eyes went wide and Rey knew she had messed up.

“I knew it.” He said triumphantly. Rey blinked in surprise. This reaction felt hazardous, false in nature.

“You...knew already?” She asked, feeling like she could choke on the words.

“Of course. It's the only explanation that would make sense. Ben was keeping secrets from me, the rascal.” Poe had a mischievous, dangerous look in his eyes. He smiled without warmth.

“I want to be the one to tell my mom, alright Poe?” Ben said with a warning in his voice. He was smiling but she could feel the tension radiating from him. Poe winked.

“You can’t keep her a secret forever Ben.” He said with a dry laugh. “Leia would be dying to meet her if she knew.” He added.

“Oh I know.” Ben said, and that sounded like the truth.

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way, you won’t be needing me to set up an extra cot for you right? One bed is fine?” Poe said and gestured to the aforementioned object. At that moment Rey realized they weren't in the clear yet. This was a test. He still suspected her of something...but what could it be? What was this pressure?

“We’ll be fine Poe.” Ben said with a tired smile. “It’s late, how about we talk more in the morning.”

“Of course. Goodnight lovebirds.” Poe said. “Let me know if you need anything.” and he left, closing the door behind him with a solid click. Ben’s arm dropped and he took a step away from Rey.
“What was that?” Rey asked

“I’m sorry.” He said. “You can have the bed.”

“Why did you lie to Poe?” That was much more important to her at this moment. Ben seemed unwilling, or unable to meet her eyes. “Why can’t he know about Exagol?”

“You’re a force user.”

“-Sorry?”

“You tried to use the force on me before, back on Lianna.”

“You noticed.”

“I did.”

Rey bit her lip. She hadn’t been actively trying to hide it, but it unnerved her that he knew. She tried to feign confidence.

“It’s not a secret.” She said flippantly to disguise the fear coiling in her belly.

Ben finally looked at her. “I don’t know how much you know about the universe, but force users are rare and hard to find.” Rey kept quiet, waiting for him to continue.

“People like Poe are always looking to recruit for the war effort. It’s a point that he and I have disagreed on before. You wouldn’t be the first force user I’ve kept from him or others.

“There’s nothing he could say that would convince me to join the war.” Rey said firmly.

“He can be very persuasive at times, but even still he wouldn’t keep it a secret. He’d report it to the High Command.”

“They would try to force me?”

“I don’t know. I’d hope not. Not again.” He ran his fingers through his dark wavy hair before sitting down hard on the bed. His eyes were distant, focused on the past and not her.

“You sound like you're talking from experience.”

For a long moment she thought he wouldn’t answer. He took a deep breath and spoke.

“There once was a group of force-sensitive individuals training under the last Jedi. When war broke out both sides tried to gain control over this group. The conflict split them, some joined The First Order, others joined the Resistance and many more of them died.” He let out a long sigh.

“I don’t think any of them felt like they had a choice.” He said softly. Rey sat down next to him, the bed creaking slightly from their combined weight. She was a little overwhelmed. She didn’t understand the First Order, or the Resistance or any of the histories he was talking about. But she could tell he was upset and that tugged at something inside her.

She wasn’t free the way he thought she was. Rey had a grand destiny to live up to, a purpose she had to fulfil. Her life wasn’t her own. It had never belonged to her. But she knew trying to explain that to him would make him even more unhappy.

“I should have talked about this with you before. I thought we had more time. I didn’t think today would happen the way it did.”

Rey sighed “I had not anticipated so much conflict. I wanted to explore more.” When he looked at her this time the crease was gone from his brow.

“If we are lucky, tomorrow will be peaceful and the negotiations will all go smoothly.” He said.

“If we are lucky.” Rey repeated.

-oOo-

Rey lay awake on the lumpy bed under piles of blankets Poe had left in the room for them. It was a more comfortable sleeping arrangement than her temple room, but less comfortable than her room in The Amidala.
Barely a pace away on the floor under his own massive pile of blankets lay Ben. She listened to him breathe and considered killing him again. Kill him, steal his ship, find Exagol and complete her glorious purpose. She didn’t need him alive for any of that.

At the very least if she killed him, she wouldn’t have to worry about someone else doing it. Every creak of the house, every sound of a passing speeder set her on high alert. This building did not feel secure despite Poe’s insistence. What if she fell asleep and someone attacked? Would she sense them coming?

She stayed awake, carefully listening until exhaustion stole her away into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

The town they had spent the night in grew smaller and smaller in the distance as they sped forward across the rocky and volcanic plains. She, Ben, Poe, and a group of 5 others, some of whom Rey recognized from the incident the day previous, were all riding on a collective four junk speeders. The terrain was dangerous; Rey could sense the bubbling molten rock building pressure under the black crust of the surface. Behind her sat Ben, his dark hair blown back by their speed. He had wanted to drive the speeder, but Rey had refused to accompany them unless she got to pilot her own. She only had a bit of time before Exagol, and she wanted to experience everything she could.

Despite being absolute garbage, the speeder was a delight to control. Rey wove around the hot steam bursts and jumped the machine over the minor crevices that would open and close seemingly at random.

“Careful there sweetheart,” Ben said, raising his voice enough to be heard over the wind. “We need this intact to get back.”

Despite his caution, Rey could sense that Ben was having as much fun as she was. Rey smiled and rolled on the throttle, thrusting them forward. His laugh behind her was all the confirmation she needed.

A trickle of cold traveled its way up her spine, jerking her to attention. She sensed it before she saw it, catching onto the creature’s force signature just in time to see it burst through the thin crust and grab one of the speeders in its powerful jaws. Poe let out a shout, and the woman on the speeder screamed.

“We’ve stumbled onto a nest!” Ben shouted. “Speed and scatter!”

The creature was of considerable size and blocky in shape with six legs, a broad rectangular tail, flat teeth, and scaly skin colored a dark magenta hue. Not a predator. Rey thought. It’s just trying to protect itself.

The two people fell off the speeder onto a chunk of black crust. The bothan man seemed too scared to run and had pulled his blaster, pointing it shakily at the creature who was crushing what was left of the speeder in its powerful jaws. It turned to look at the fallen people lava rolling off of it in big droplets.

“Don’t shoot!” Poe shouted. He turned in a big arc, slowing his speed as he approached them. Rey realized his plan almost immediately. He was going to try and get them onto his speeder, which barely had enough room for him and his current passenger. This plan was going to fail. He was gambling with way too much risk. Rey couldn’t take her eyes off the woman who, despite the danger that had frozen her compatriot, managed to stand and was now trying desperately to pull the bothan man to his feet. She was a survivor, just like Rey. For a moment, as the woman struggled, slipping on black sand and ash, Rey could see herself, alone in the desert, unable to climb a dune fast enough.

Offering a small curse, Rey turned her own speeder in a much tighter arc, her right boot skimming the hot surface of the planet. She waited for Ben to order her to turn away, to escape while they still could, but when she glanced back at him, she saw only firm understanding and a fierce determination in his dark eyes.

The speeder skipped and stuttered over the uneven rugged landscape. Rey pushed it as fast as its little creaky bolts could manage, a much faster approach than Poe had dared. Rey didn’t have time if she wanted to reach the woman before the lava creature did.

With help from the woman, Poe’s passenger had managed to grab hold of the bothan man’s hand and pull him awkwardly onto the back of the speeder. However, the unexpected weight both unbalanced and slowed them. Poe was already turning to make a second pass, but Rey beat him to it. In tune with her movements, Ben leaned to the side, reaching for the woman. The sudden weight on that side nearly pulled the whole speeder off balance, and Rey struggled to correct their course. The speeder bucked and shuddered, becoming dangerously hot to the touch. The creature lunged towards them. With a final scramble, the woman was on, and despite the clear protests of the engine, Rey punched it, blasting them forward, narrowly out of the clutches of the beast.

They weren’t safe yet. The addition of another passenger had added several complications to her piloting, and they still needed to clear the nest site without disturbing another lava creature or getting caught in a molten blast. Rey stretched her force connection through every part of the piece of junk. She felt every rattle, every laceration, every groove as if they were part of her own body. Rey was overcome with a dawning, horrifying realization that she may have pushed this little engine too far.

Behind her, Ben slipped his arms around her waist for a more secure hold to give more room to the woman behind him. He didn’t know it, but he was holding her together. Somehow, Rey found the strength inside herself to hold the speeder together too.

Only when they had caught up with the others, with the nest a distant memory, did Rey slow the speeder to a more manageable pace. It seemed she was trembling, a leftover from the speed they had been traveling. She knew Ben noticed, but he thankfully did not say anything.

Ahead of them, breaking out from the monotonous, endless plains of igneous rock, stood hundreds of plateaus that stretched into the distance. Rey could see a series of ash-colored concrete buildings on the closest one.

Ahead Poe slowed his speeder to a stop in the shadow of the plateau. Rey didn’t know how comfortable she felt parking the speeders at the base of the plateau, especially with the danger of magma bursts, but no one else seemed to mind. They dismounted. The woman she and Ben had rescued turned to Rey and pulled her into a sudden bear hug, of which Rey was much too surprised and exhausted to resist.

“That was incredible!” The woman said with one final squeeze before letting go. Rey finally allowed herself to relax. Nearly in the same instant, the speeder fell to pieces. They all stared at the jumbled mess of steaming junk and then at the two speeders remaining. It would be an impossible trip back.

“I won’t get too mad about you wrecking the speeder since you did save Rose back there,” Poe said with a half-smile.

“I can fix it,” Rey said brashly. “As long as your friend up there has tools and maybe some spare parts.”

She wasn’t actually sure if she could fix it. She mostly wanted to shut him up. She hadn’t intended to break the speeder.

“It’s worth asking at least,” Poe said. “You did some impressive flying out there; where did you learn it?”
It seemed like a safe question. She glanced over to Ben. He was looking at her thoughtfully as well.
“Jakku.” Rey answered. “I used to have my own speeder that I built from scrap.” She could tell from their blank expressions that they hadn’t heard of her planet before. That was fine. It had been a nothing planet back when she first lived there. It didn’t surprise her that nothing of note had happened since she had left. When she glanced back at Poe, his eyes had narrowed, but he asked no further questions.

Installed into the rock side of the plateau were pieces of rebar like the rungs of a ladder without the bits on the side to connect everything. It was tall. Climbing up wouldn’t be difficult, not a test of strength but a test of endurance. She wasn’t concerned and looking around at the seven others, they all seemed fit enough for the task.

Pjarit Village, located at the very top of the plateau, was a settlement of ex-imperials and defectors from the Empire. A very long time ago, it had been an active base for the Empire, but those days had passed, and now it had been converted and built onto to become something entirely different. This story is what Ben told her while they climbed, pausing to catch his breath once in a while. It had even grown beyond its original populace as there were young children and a few different species walking around.

Rey didn’t know much about the Empire. She knew they made the ships she had scavenged back on Jakku, and she knew they controlled most of the galaxy for a short time. Her Masters on Ziost never went into great depth about the whole situation, and Rey had never cared to pry. She wondered what Anix would think about a town of Imperial defectors.

They drew attention walking through the street. Outsiders must be uncommon. The people didn’t seem surprised though, and they likely knew about the visit in advance. To live so far away from civilization and trade, they would need to be a tight-knit community. It had been like that back on Ziost.

At the head of their small group, Poe led them to one of the concrete buildings a short distance from the ladder they climbed. A woman with a heavily scarred face was waiting for him.

“Poe Dameron,” She said, her voice clipped.

“Director Skyco,” He replied with a broad smile.” It’s so good to see you.”

“Cut the crap and get inside.” She said without missing a beat. Rey moved to follow the group inside the building but was stopped by Poe. She glared at him.

“The mechanic lives two doors down. You can’t miss it.” Poe was still smiling, but his eyes were not. “Rose, do you mind helping her with the repairs?”

He was referring to the same woman who Rey had rescued on the speeder. Rey took a moment to study her appearance. The woman was wearing a dark mustard yellow jumpsuit with a toolset wrapped around her waist. Her black hair was pulled up into a practical ponytail with bangs that framed her face. She was shorter than Rey, but not by much. Her demeanor seemed generally cheerful in such a way Rey found uncomfortable.

“It couldn’t wait for after the meeting?” Rose asked with a sigh.
“I’ll fill you in on everything you miss. I need you on the case for this one.” He said, tilting his head towards Rey.

Rey hadn’t cared to join in on the boring political talk, but something about Poe refusing to let her take part rubbed her the wrong way. She glanced past him at Ben, who was watching the encounter with a tight frown on his lips. He met her eyes briefly and offered an almost apologetic shrug.
With a huff of discontent and without waiting for Rose, Rey walked two doors down to the supposed mechanic shop.

She could smell it almost before she saw it—a familiar scent of metal, oil, and grease. Waves of sickening nostalgia washed over her, followed quickly by bubbling panic. She needed to get control of herself. Rey focused inward on her worst memory of Jakku, the day her parents left her. The day her parents died, the day she buried them in hot sand, her small hands gripping tightly the piece of scrap she used to dig that bloody hole.

There was some comfort in pain—a familiarity.

It rolled over her like thunder in the desert after months of drought. Sudden and gone without a trace. The Dark Side of the Force could be gentle sometimes.

The mechanics’ shop was more or less a large square, very neatly filled with loose parts, tools, and scrap. Rey had to duck to enter the low doorway. It was the cleanest mechanic shop that Rey had ever seen. Rose came in behind her, rapping her knuckles on the metal doorframe, alerting the droid in the back of their presence. It stood from the work desk, and Rey realized how incredibly tall it was, at least two heads taller than Rey. And despite the unusual paint job, Rey recognized what kind of droid it was, a KX series security droid. She had salvaged pieces of this kind of droid back on Jakku, however seeing one fully built was an entirely different experience. This was a machine made to kill.

“We don’t usually have visitors, even less so to my shop.” The droid said with an unusually natural-sounding cadence, despite the voice being delivered by a mechanical creature.

“Uh, hi! I’m Rose Tico, and this is…” She trailed off, looking at Rey.
“I’m Rey.”
“Rey. And we’re with Poe Dameron’s crew.”

“Ah. I see.” The droid seemed unimpressed. “I am K-1LA, but I would prefer if you referred to me as Kai-la.”

Rey had never encountered something so strange in her life before. There were droids back at the temple, but they didn’t talk, and back on Jakku, all the droids she encountered were broken or did not use words to speak.

“Kai-la, I like that name,” Rose said brightly. “We were hoping to borrow some tools to repair one of our speeders.”

“We are still on amicable terms, so I see no reason to deny your request,” Kai-la said. “If those conditions change, I will still expect my tools to be returned.”

Rose laughed. “I’ll personally make sure of that,” Rose said, following Kai-la further into the shop. She began to appraise what was available and what could be transported down to the base where the speeders had been parked and discussing with Kai-la the possible options. Rey waited for a pause in the conversation before asking,

“Who painted you?”

On top of a black base coat of paint, there was a beautiful mural of the Black Sand landscape. Layers of pink, red, plum, gray, blue, and black twisted around the droid’s torso and limbs, with stars speckling the painted sky. Kai-la was a walking landscape bursting with desert color.

The droid stopped, turning to look directly at Rey.

“I did.” Kai-la said as if the answer was obvious before she turned back around and continued discussing with Rose what they might need to repair the speeders. Rey could hardly believe it. A droid painting itself?

Less than an hour later, Rey and Rose left the shop, each with a backpack full of needed supplies. The descent to where they had left the speeders was much smoother going down than their climb upwards, mainly because the side of the plateau blocked the sun.

“I’m glad that climb is over,” Rose said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. She smiled at Rey. “Ready to get started?” She asked. Rey didn’t know how someone could manage to be chipper after climbing the side of that plateau twice, but she found herself admiring the strength of the woman in front of her.

“Ready.” Rey said.

The two women settled into a comfortable pattern of work. Rey hadn’t seriously messed with scrap since she left Jakku, but Rose made up the difference, covering any gaps in Rey’s knowledge. Fixing the speeder was not an impossible task, and the entire thing collapsing in one spot meant that they had lost none of the essential parts. While they worked, Rose chattered about her sister, Poe, the local planet, and even a short rant about the First Order.

By the time they finished, the sun had dipped pretty low in the sky. It was satisfying to wipe the grease from her hands on the muddled tan tunic Ben had got for her. Rose pulled two Thermo canisters from her bag and offered one to Rey. To Rey’s great delight, there was stew inside, the same kind Poe had made earlier.

“A hard day’s work deserves a good stew!” Rose said. Rey sounded in agreement, already scarfing down the food.

“Thanks again for saving me.” Rose said quietly. The red sun dipped below the horizon line leaving everything in light shades of blue and black. Rose had gone serious as if now that the sun was gone, she could share her true feelings on the matter. She must have been terrified. Rey didn’t know what to say, but she wanted to say something.

Before she could, it was in the sky where nothing was before. Sudden and unmistakable. Rey had salvaged this kind of ship before. An Imperial Star Destroyer -- for some reason, here on a nothing planet in nowhere space. Rey could feel her stomach sink. She didn’t care what the Empire or First Order did, none of that mattered to her. But she could guess what they were here for…who they were here for…

Rey took off running with Rose close behind.

Rey could feel her muscles burn as she climbed the side of the plateau for the third time that day. Rose was far below her, climbing as fast as she could but unable to keep up with Rey.
Rey knew that Rose was strong; she had seen it plainly while they worked together under the hot sun. That didn’t matter. No human strength could compete with the living Force. Rey used her exhaustion, the sun burns on her body, the pain in her hands, and the agony of her muscles to fuel her connection to the Dark Side and keep her movement upwards going swiftly. She knew she would pay for this extra energy later.

It took too long to arrive at the top of the plateau. Rey peaked her head just enough to see over the side. In front of her, humanoid-shaped creatures covered head to foot in shiny white armor pointed blasters at a huddled group of villagers. Bodies were strewn around them, with obvious signs of combat damage on the nearby buildings. Looking closely at the group of villagers, Rey caught sight of Ben, his hands crossed behind his head, his eyes darting around looking for an escape.

Rey crept up from the ladder and quietly moved closer to the center of the village, careful not to be seen or heard. There were a great number of armored humanoids, and it would be impossible to kill them all before a few let loose shots. Ben could be killed if she acted stupidly.

Before she could act at all, a black shuttle descended, landing only a small distance away from Rey’s hiding place. From within it came more of the armored figures and among them, a man in light gray hooded robes, not unlike her own, overtop what appeared to be the same armor as all the others, only a matte black color that did not reflect any glimmer of light. He carried a long rod made from shiny metal. By the way the others responded to him, it was clear that he was in control. Something was wrong. She could sense how the Force moved around and through people. She could see their intent to kill, their fear, their anger. Both the villagers and armored humans cause the Force to sing with their life signatures. All except two.

Ben, with his strange barrier to the energy of the Force, could still be seen as a silhouette from the way the energy ‘bounced’ off of him. Rey couldn’t precisely explain what was happening with him, she hadn’t had enough time to investigate it, but his situation did not cause chills to wreck through her body the way the gray cloaked man did. She could see him with her eyes, but she could not sense him. There was nothing where he walked, an abyss, a cavity, a gap where life energy should be.

Rey could not imagine living without her connection to the Force. But as he walked past her hiding place, Rey experienced briefly what it would feel like to be severed from it. It was as if the breath had been knocked from her lungs, as if her heart had skipped a beat.

For a moment, she suffocated.

And then he was past her. Relief flooded her system as she no longer felt the agonizing effects of being so close to him. Rey had felt powerless many times in her life, but she had never actually been without her powers once she had discovered them. This was new. This was dangerous. This could get her killed.

Rey could hear the voices of her Masters in her mind ordering her to leave, to take the speeder she and Rose had fixed and go back to town, steal Ben’s ship and get off-planet. Continue her mission. Do what she was supposed to be doing.

Rey ignored those thoughts and began plotting a rescue.

Chapter Text

Ben was not unfamiliar with making a bad bet. Stars, his father was known galaxy-wide for taking chances and picking out the long shot no one would ever believe in.

Following Poe here was turning out much poorer than he had hoped.

The First Order had caught them plain and simple; except for Rey and Rose, all of them were accounted for…or dead.

They had rounded everyone up in the center of the town. Ben was kneeling with his hands held behind his head. The sun was quickly falling below the horizon and the sky streaked red.

The figure, in non-reflective black armor and a gray cape, moved swiftly from his ship towards the kneeling crowd. His appearance was unlike any armor or officer design Ben had ever seen. Who was this person? Why were they here? What would they do to them?

Their approach made Ben uneasy. He hated not knowing his situation, but when the figure came close, Ben momentarily forgot his worries as overwhelming peace settled over him. The Force was like an ocean, sending wave after wave to break past his mental barrier. It was exhausting to maintain this wall without pause or rest. Yet, in the presence of this stranger, the constant push from the Force simply disappeared. The incredible weight of maintaining his disconnection from the Force was gone. He could relax.

Ben wanted to laugh, but given the situation, it seemed unwise.

When the gray cloaked figure spoke, it was through the stormtrooper helmet.

"We have come for the Force-User hiding among you." The man said. "Once we have secured this person, we will leave you. No further trouble will be caused."

Ben's heart sank.

"That could be anyone," Poe said. "Can you be more specific?"

Poe was stalling for time. Ben could tell. They both knew these people were here for him. Poe wouldn't rat him out, and if he thought he could get away with it, he might try to take Ben's place.
The man's attention was now directed towards Poe. For a moment, it was quiet. He moved silently and crouched in front of Poe with hardly any room between them.

"A young woman traveling alone." The man paused before continuing. "She wears her hair in three sections."

Poe wouldn't rat Ben out. But he knew Poe wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice Rey for the safety of his own crew. Ben tried to make desperate eye contact with him, but Poe stared down the gray-cloaked man.

"Her name is Rey." Poe said without remorse or hesitation.

"Rey." The man repeated with careful attention.

"I sent her down the cliffside to fix a speeder. There were three total. If one is missing, she escaped. If all of them are there, she's still around somewhere."

There was no way Rey didn't see the massive Imperial Star Destroyer appear above them. Most likely, she jumped on a speeder and escaped immediately. It's possible that she had enough time to reach the town and his ship. Ben would lose everything, but Rey could live.

The man gestured and some troopers left to investigate. The sun was now completely gone from view and the light was swiftly fading. One by one, the town's electric lights turned on with an audible 'pop'.

"Sir. There are three speeders at the base of the cliff."

Ben didn't think anything else could have surprised him. She was still here; why was she still here?

"Search the area."

Poe looked as surprised as Ben felt. The stormtroopers wouldn't leave until they found her. Did they plan to kill her? The Empire had hunted down Jedi and untrained force users to kill them. It would make sense for the First Order to do the same. This man who seemed able to block or bend the Force away from himself must be a great asset for that cause. Jedi Killer. Ben thought bitterly.

Rey's force signature glowed brighter than any Ben had seen before. He doubted she had ever been taught how to suppress her abilities or connection. That beautiful glow might give her away if she is caught.

There had to be something he could do.

Ben studied the cloaked figure. The man had nothing besides the unusual stormtrooper-esc armor and his long metal bo-staff. No blaster or lightsaber to be seen. Perhaps he would be weak to range attacks. They had disarmed Ben's primary blaster but hadn't taken his belt or boots. He still had some tricks up his sleeve.

Before he could drop a smoke bomb or perhaps pull the hidden mini blaster in his boot, a clear voice like a bell ringing sounded from the rooftop across the square behind where he was kneeling. He didn't need to see the speaker. He would recognize her voice from anywhere.

"You're looking for me," Rey said, and then she lept over the crowd.

All the troopers immediately reacted, pointing their blasters up to the voice. It was nice to no longer have a blaster in his face, but Ben sure didn't prefer the alternative.

Metal on metal clashed as she landed a falling blow on the cloaked man, who caught her attack with his own bo-staff. Immediately the stormtroopers lost control of the crowd. People screamed and tried to flee. The stormtroopers couldn't decide whether to focus their attention on Rey or the crowd.

"Don't fire!" The figure commanded while dodging Rey's insistent piercing attacks with the end of her weapon.

Ben was familiar with the dark metal staff that Rey wore slung over her shoulder, but he hadn't seen her use it this way, with both ends ignited with sputtering red plasma blades.
Her staff must contain a kyber crystal.

A corrupted kyber crystal.

Uncle Luke was right about her.

Is that why the First Order wanted her?

He was frozen on his knees with both hands behind his head when Poe yanked him up by his elbow.

"Do you want to get shish kebabed?!" Poe shouted over the clamor while pulling Ben away from the active fight in front of them. The Stormtroopers were trying their best to keep order, but being unable to fire their weapons put them at a considerable disadvantage.

"We have to go, preferably right now."

"I can't leave her!" Ben shouted, moving back towards Rey.

"She doesn't need your help!" Poe said. "She's got a laser spear and magic, come on Ben! The people who need your help are all around you."

She would have no force abilities fighting that close to the void man, but Poe was still right. Ben couldn't help Rey win that fight, but he could help everyone else escape from the troopers. Ben popped a smoke bomb from his belt and tossed it towards their largest grouping. A burst of thick white smoke enveloped the troopers causing even more chaos to erupt.

"Don't die Rey!" He shouted before throwing a second smoke bomb, creating a thick curtain separating most of the stormtroopers and the duelers from the fleeing civilians.

"There are ships at the launchpad. We need to get everyone over there and hunt down stragglers." Poe said. Ben nodded and the two of them separated. This kind of situation was too familiar for both of them. Growing up as little boys in the resistance they experienced many sudden evacuations. Ben let muscle memory do the work for him.

The moment he got away from the immediate area around the cloaked man, the Force came crashing back down onto his mental defense. He was familiar with the weight, and it did not stop his stride nor prevent him from going building to building to find stragglers and convince them to go to the launchpad instead of hiding. Everything about this was familiar. Too kriffing familiar.

A stormtrooper tried to grab him from behind. Ben struggled, throwing his elbow back with a loud CRACK upon impact with the plastoid helmet. The trooper stumbled, giving Ben enough time to pull the hidden pistol from his boot and fire.

There were pros and cons to using a mini-blaster.

Pros

Cons

The bolt hit where he wanted it to on the trooper, causing the already disoriented individual to topple over. Ben had enough experience with this situation to know that the armor troopers wore would most likely handle the tiny bolt he had shot at it. The trooper would be up in a matter of minutes.

That's a problem for someone else. Ben decided.

He could see the mechanic, Rose Tico up ahead trying to coax a small child out from the rubble of a fallen building. Ben went over to her and helped her persuade the boy with soft words and gentle prodding. He put the kid on his back and he and Rose headed to the shipyard. Any other people they passed on the way they convinced to go with them.

Poe was with Director Skyko. The two were coordinating people onto ships and sending those ships out. It was all crowds and chaos. People were helping to lift each other up to cram into the few ships available. Bodies and voices and hands reaching out-

"You can't be planning to leave the planet's atmosphere," Ben said to Poe, crouching down to let the boy off of his back. The boy clung to his fingers, and Ben didn't make him let go.

"We're not stupid Ben," Poe said. "All the ships have different places on the planet to go lay low in. First Order isn't here for us. We just need to be quiet until they move on."

It made sense to Ben.

"We've got a little one here who was separated from his parents," Rose said. "What's the plans for them?"

"Reunification is the first goal, but we're in a bit of a time crunch here. If we can't find a parent, we're pairing them with an adult and putting them on a ship to go out." Poe crouched down to face the kid who was now determinedly hiding behind Ben's legs.

"Do you see your parents anywhere buddy?" Poe asked with a grin. The kid looked frightened.

"That's Vikal's kid." Director Skyko said without missing a beat. "She's over there."

Director Skyko pointed to a frantic couple desperately trying to make their voices heard above all the noise. Poe stood up to face Rose and Ben.

"He seems comfortable with the two of you. So why don't you three meet up with his parents and then load on that starship there." Poe gestured to the nearby ship that seemed pretty close to taking off. Rose immediately stepped forward.

"With your penchant for 'noble sacrifices,' you'd be full of bantha crap if you'd think I'd leave you here alone!" Rose said matter of factly.

"I'm looking at the big picture here Rose. You have to understand-" Ben cut him off before Poe could continue. They didn't have time for an argument.

"I'm getting this kid back to his parents." Ben picked the boy up again. "Keep Poe out of trouble Rose."

"I always do." She replied with an exaggerated sigh.

Poe looked about to argue, but Ben turned away.

The boy's parents saw him almost immediately. Ben's tall frame and the boy on his shoulders made them easy to spot. He handed the boy over to his mother and offered him a final pat on the head.

"Stay safe out there kid."

And then he pushed his way through the crowd, back towards the danger, back towards Rey. His swift pace became a run, and there he was, jumping over rubble, finding his way back as quickly as possible, hoping to the stars that she was alright, that she was safe, that she was still there.

Chapter Text

It bothered Rey how desperate she was to protect the dark-haired pilot from the strange armored humanoids who held blasters to his head. Every instinct she had was screaming for her to flee the scene and save herself from danger. Something tied her to this place. To him.

"We have come for the Force-User hiding among you." The lead armored humanoid said. "Once we have secured this person, we will leave you. No further trouble will be caused."

"That could be anyone," Poe said, his loud voice bouncing around the plaza. "Can you be more specific?"

The man crouched down in front of Poe.

"A young woman traveling alone." The man said. "She wears her hair in three sections."

He was looking for her. Rey realized with a burst of surprise. What would these strange armored figures want with her? How did they even know of her existence?

"Her name is Rey," Poe said. "I sent her down the cliffside to fix a speeder. There were three in total. If one is missing, she escaped. If all of them are there, she's still around."

It irritated Rey how quickly he had given her up.

She thought back to everything she thought she knew about her life at the Citadel and before it on Jakku. The Citadel had been kept secret. Even the planet Ziost was hidden from all outsider view. Once an Acolyte joined the Citadel, they weren't allowed to leave. Only the Masters could come and go as they wanted. Did one of them expose her? It didn't make sense if they were the ones hiding her in the first place.

And Jakku, Jakku was a wasteland, acrid and empty of anything but crashed ships and desperate people. Hardly anyone knew of the planet, and who would care about an orphaned, abandoned scavenger? Why her? What did they want with her?

The man gestured to his people to search the down the cliffside. They would find the speeders and know she was here in a matter of minutes. Rey needed to move and quickly. She scanned her surroundings. She could try to hide, but with this amount of manpower, they would hunt her down without too much difficulty. It was clear that her only option would be to take down the leader. The idea of it made her whole body shiver. Going near him would mean fighting without her connection to the living Force. It would be worse than fighting blind or deafened.

She needed height. She needed to get above this guy so that her first strike would come down hard with the aid of the planet's gravity. She moved without sound, climbing to the top of one of the concrete buildings. The figure was now below her, past the crowd of disarmed civilians. Perfect. Rey allowed herself one more glance at Ben before deepening her connection to The Force.

"You're looking for me," Rey shouted, and using her last moments of Force connection, she gave her jump an extra push over the crowd onto the cloaked man. His gaze traveled up to watch her. There was no uncertainty in his stance when their bo-staffs clashed together. Being so close to the man was unbearable. Again the disconnect from the Force fell over her senses like a blanket snuffing out a fire. She struck hard and fast, pushing him back away from her.

Lightsabers were dangerous weapons, even with the aid of the Force to guide the blade and protect the user from accidental damage. She didn't care. Rey ignited the two ends of her staff, the sputtering red color and thrumming vibrations of the weapon bringing comfort. Screams came from behind her, and the sounds of conflict.

"Don't fire!" The man commanded his people. Rey lunged for him, attempting to pierce his armor with her red blade. He was nimble and stable on his feet and dodged her every attack.

While keeping the man on the defensive, Rey killed any of his people that came close enough. Seeing how effortlessly her blade melted through their white armor shell pleased her. He had ordered them not to attack and made them easy prey for her.
His armor would be similar to his men, Rey assumed. If she could only land a single hit- the fight would be over.

The man did not seem phased by the deaths of his soldiers. Instead, he focused on her, holding off her every attempt at skewering him. Rey swung, intending to cut through his silver bo-staff, but to her surprise, it held up against her plasma blade. He used her momentary shock to push back and put her on the defensive. He was a skilled fighter, and without the Force, Rey felt them to be nearly equal in combat.

This frightened her.

His attacks did not seem like attempts to kill her. Instead, it appeared to Rey that his goal was to get as close as possible for as long as possible. The closer he was, the quicker her energy drained away. She was becoming exhausted. The man could sense it, and he pressed her harder with more and more strikes. Rey focused on keeping her footing. There was black fog creeping into the corners of her vision as fatigue swept over her.

Rey had always had the Force to keep her company. Even before she knew how to use it, she could draw energy and comfort. Rey was adrift, drowning, suffocating, without anything to anchor her. She could see his plan. He wouldn't kill her. He would push her to the point of collapse. He would outlast her and endure what she couldn't bear.

He's done this before. Rey thought bitterly. I'm going to lose this fight.

She took a stumbling step backward and held her weapon far out in front of her as if she could hold him back. He watched her, standing still, only a few paces from the point of her plasma blade.

The sounds of the fleeing crowd had faded, the sun had set behind the plateau, and no other soldier still stood.
They were alone in the rubble of this outpost. If only she could get out of his reach and reconnect to the Force-

He took one step forward, and Rey's vision went black.

-oOo-

Rey awoke in a place both familiar and foreign.

She was cold, lying angled on a hard, smooth surface. The air was still and smelled like bitter nothing, and all was quiet aside from the familiar hum of spaceflight and occasional instrument beeps and chirps. Her wrists and ankles were bound in metal clasps, and she could not lift her arms or legs. She knew he was in the room with her before she opened her eyes. Her connection to the Force had not returned. It was out of reach, so close she could sense it but not link with it. Without it, she knew she wouldn't have the physical strength to free herself from the restraints.

"I know you are awake." The man said. Rey opened her eyes. The room was not terribly large. The lights were dim aside from the intermittent pulses of red or blue from the instrument panel by the door. Given the confined space, he stood as far away from her as possible. Unlike the shiny walls and floors, his matte black plastoid armor did not reflect any of the blinking lights in the room. He had disarmed her, but she did not see her staff in the room or on his person.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"The Finalizer." He answered without hesitation. "A Resurgent-class Star Destroyer."

She hadn't scavenged this exact kind of ship before, but she was intimately familiar with the slightly older Imperial II-class Star Destroyer from her days on Jakku.

"Am I your prisoner?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He didn't have an immediate answer.

"The Supreme Leader is… interested in you." He said eventually.
Rey hated the sound of it.

They sat in silence for a few long minutes.

"Are you going to ask me any questions?" Rey demanded. She could tell her abrasive attitude bothered the man. She supposed he expected her to fall in line with the strict order of his ship. He would be used to fear and obedience. Rey would give him neither.

"The Supreme Leader will have more questions when you meet him." He said.

"So what until then? I'm stuck with you?" Rey spat at him. "I don't even know your name," She complained. "What am I supposed to call you?"

“FN-2187”

"That's a stupid name."

He didn't respond to that comment. Instead, he took a single step closer to her. Rey felt her vision blur as the Force, which had previously been just out of reach, disappeared completely. She understood the message perfectly.

"I am under orders to supervise you every moment before you meet with the Supreme Leader. You will decide how unpleasant this situation will be, Rey."

Finally, he stepped away from her. The Force returned to be just out of reach, but at least she could sense it. So close. Impossibly close.

Rey could hardly think she was in such acute agony. But she needed to think. She needed to figure out his power over her and how to undermine it.

"What I'm feeling-" her voice cracked. "Is this how you feel all the time?"

She couldn't see his face, and his body betrayed little reaction.

"I don't know." He said eventually in a low modulated voice. "I've never felt otherwise."

A muted series of beeps drew Rey's attention to the door, which slid open with a hiss and puff of air. Six troopers stood in formation beyond the threshold, all armed.

"Now Rey, how difficult would you like to make this encounter?" FN-2187 asked her. She understood immediately. The troopers were there to help escort her to a different part of the ship. To move her, they would remove her restraints. She would have a chance to escape.

Rey briefly imagined taking on the troopers without access to the Force. She imaged taking hold of the closest one to use as a shield against the inevitable barrage of stunning bolts, getting close enough to disable the others. The corridor was tight, and the room was small. It would be difficult for them to fire without hitting each other.

It would be difficult, but she was sure she could win that fight, even without using her powers.

But what about him?

Her gaze moved back to FN-2187. He was watching her with careful attention. Then, without a word, he exited the room.

Time paused at attention. He was testing her to see if she had learned her lesson in futile resistance. He was allowing her to try to escape.

It was a trap.

The best thing she could do in this situation would be to play dumb and act like a helpless docile prisoner in hopes that he would lower his guard later.

He didn't seem like the kind of man to ever let down his guard, and Rey…Rey had been a scrawny orphan girl living alone, fighting for herself day and night. Could she forgive herself for not leaping towards freedom, however impossible the odds?

He was still close enough for his powers to prevent her connection to the Force, but maybe he was far enough out of the way that she could fight and run before he could get reinvolved.

With a metallic click, her restraints opened. Rey looked up at the trooper who had freed her and found herself moving on instinct.

Rey jumped to wrap her right arm around the trooper's neck, using the inertia from her swing to spin the trooper all the way around just in time as three stunning bolts impacted his armor. His body went limp, and she dropped it, lunging forward, grasping the blaster of the second trooper, forcing it upwards as it fired. She wrestled with the trooper for control of the blaster, only to be socked in the jaw by a well-timed punch from a different trooper. The other troopers had hands on her and pulled in all directions to force her into submission. She ignored the beating and focused on wiggling the blaster free from its owner. It was so crowded, surely if it fired, it would hit one of them. She pulled the trigger, and one pair of grasping hands disappeared. It was enough. She tugged the blaster free and dropped her weight to the ground to surprise and fire at her attackers. They dropped one after the other. She didn't wait for the final one to fall before she scurried out of the room to the large corridor. To her left, a few paces away, stood FN-2187. She dashed to the right, sprinting down the hall. She heard no clatter of footsteps chasing behind her. Why?

A sudden jolt of agony bursting forth from her wrist caused her to trip up and fall hard. She continued to slide forward against the glossy smooth black flooring.

She got up and attempted to run as she had before. Severe pain blossomed from her left wrist throughout her body. With the considerable restraints from earlier, she hadn't noticed the gleaming seamless silver circlet wrapped around her left wrist. A small light blinked red. Each blink corresponding with a more powerful shock of electricity.

With her disconnect from the Force, the pain was only pain. She could draw no power or strength from it.

Rey fell again and began to crawl, pulling herself forward in the smallest of hard-won increments. Her vision was fading, black spots creeping in from the sides.

Now she could hear footsteps. Deliberate, leisurely boot steps. The pain lessened with his approach but Rey was too far gone.

He grabbed the fistful of fabric between her collar and shoulder and dragged her down the hall.

Rey could not summon the clarity of thought or willpower required to fight back. Everything hurt.

A door opened, and she was dragged over the threshold and dropped. She lay there, unable to move or speak.

Rey fell backward into deep unconsciousness.

Rey awoke from unconsciousness for the second time that day with considerable pain and surface-level annoyance.
Under the bracelet, angry red marks prickled uncomfortably. She tried pulling it off. She tried breaking it. It was such a perfect tight fit she wondered how he had gotten it onto her considering it lacked any semblance of a seam.

Rey inventoried her injuries. Different parts of her face hurt. Her mouth tasted like metal. Her limbs were bone tired. Her knees were bruised. I've handled worse beatings. Even still, Rey was not used to the Force disconnect.

This time she was alone in a much larger room than the previous containment chamber they had put her in. She looked around, taking in her surroundings.

First, Rey investigated the object where she was presently sitting and previously unconscious. It was a single large rectangle covered in smooth black fabric. On Ziost at the Citadel, she had slept on a firm sleep mat in a carved stone alcove. When she pulled back the material, she found it to be similar. However, when she pressed her hand, it was soft and compressed easily, springing back up when she removed the pressure. A smaller cuboid made of the same material as the thick mat rested on the end connected to the wall. Was that for her head?

On Jakku, she had slept in a hammock woven from fabric scraps. On Ziost, a simple mat. This new thing, she couldn't help but admit, was divine.

Rey stood up and continued to survey the room. Aside from the bracelet, she had no restraints.

The sleeper was centered in the room. To the right, a door, and to the left, a massive window took up almost the entire available space. Near the window on the wall across from the sleeper was another door, but this one had a panel of blinking lights.

She walked the perimeter of her room. In the corner closest to the door wall across from the bed, the bracelet discharged some electric shock. Very mild prickles set the gears in her mind into motion. She moved back towards the center of the room, and the shock ceased.

The bracelet could sense her distance from FN-2187. He must be behind that wall, she decided. When she moved too far from him, it would warn her with a little shock.

The floors were the same glossy black as the interrogation room and exterior corridor. The walls were a dark paneled gray. She traced her fingers around each to see if any would open or move. Nearer to the door on the side with the sleeper, the panels had deeper groves. She rapped her knuckles against different parts of the walls comparing the different sounds. The deeper grooved part had a different sound than the others. Something was unusual about it, not that she had any way to figure out why it was different.

The light panels on the ceiling were interlocking white ovals that cast a slight cyan glow. There was no kind of wall switch or anything that indicated Rey could control when lights were on or off. Additionally, no handle or panel on the door for her to attempt to open it.

The window provided an incredible view into wild space, and Rey could see the stars with bright clarity.

She wanted to open the door next to the window. She took a steadying breath. Rey was reasonably confident she wouldn't find FN-2187 on the other side. He wouldn't be there if she were right about the bracelet reacting to proximity. Still.

She pressed the blinking red button. Immediately the door slid open, revealing a much smaller room. Rey was startled by her own appearance staring back at her, reflected in a mirror hung over a waist-high metal bowl. A sunrise of color was blooming over her right eye, and her lip was busted. Looking down, she focused on her investigation, ignoring the damage done to her. When she pulled the metal handle, water poured into the bowl. It was like a mini bath. Rey dipped her hands into the water and smiled despite the pain it caused her mouth. It was instinctive, her joy to touch the water. On the right was a composter, and on the left, another interesting contraction with buttons. Upon pressing them, water came out from the ceiling like warm rain. Rey couldn't help but laugh in delight. This place had so much clean water.

It was a prison, there was no doubt about that, but it was also much nicer than anything she had ever lived inside, aside from Ben's ship.

With nothing else to investigate, Rey started her daily exercise routine. When that was done, she did it again. After that, Rey attempted meditation. She quickly realized that was a mistake. No matter how hard she tried, the Force was out of reach from her.

A sudden metallic scraping sound from the door called her attention. A tray with a substance on it slid inside the room from a slit in the door Rey hadn't noticed prior. Rey first checked the bottom of the door. There was a nearly invisible rectangular line. This must be how they got the tray inside without opening the door fully. Rey prodded at it, but it held firm.

On the tray was a cup of water, a plate with a rectangular pink-gray cube, and a round loaf. Rey's stomach grumbled, and she resisted the urge to shove every morsel of ration into her mouth. She hated hunger. She hated the feeling that would twist up her insides.

There was no way to know if the food would be safe to consume or what it could have inside it. Who could know what they would try to do to her? Rey picked up the tray and threw it against the wall, splattering and scattering its contents. If she caused enough damage, would they come to check on her?

Eventually, the room lights dimmed and became slightly red in hue. After some time, they faded till the room was almost entirely dark. This ship had its own artificial day-night cycle.

She couldn't rest. No matter how comfortable the room is. There was nothing to distract her thoughts from turning inward and cruel.

It didn't matter that she was alone. She still heard the voices of her Masters. Rey had been sent on a mission, and her selfish desires had derailed everything. How would she get to Ziost as a prisoner? How would she escape without her powers?

When Rey finally slept, she was seated on the floor with her back to the window and front facing towards the door.

Meals came twice each day-night cycle. Once before, the lights dimmed, and once after, they returned. The artificial day-night cycle on this ship happened quicker than the one on Ziost but slower than the one on Jakku. Rey experienced four day-night cycles without encountering a single soul, not even FN-2187. Despite not seeing or hearing him, she knew he was close by. With nothing else to focus on but her distance from the Force, she could almost visualize where in the next-door room he would be, based on the wavering of her connection.

Sometimes she would move as far from him as possible, prodding the bracelet to give her more and more electricity. There was no way to be far enough to get any real shock, but still, the prickles were something to keep her mind occupied.

Other times, when she was at her lowest, she would sit with her back to the wall closest to him. They were tied together by the bracelet and by his blockage of her Force abilities. She knew he was there. He knew she was there. At her most delirious, she imagined he was sitting with her, his back to the same wall.

Rey refused every tray they sent to her. She drank only from the refresher sink and grew more angry, anxious, and afraid every day.
She hardly slept, and when she did, it was not for more than a few hours at a time. When she slept, she dreamt of a Starlight Class light freighter.

After the lights brightened on the fifth day, Rey was startled into wakefulness by the unexpected opening of her prison.

FN-2187 stood in the doorway. Rey got up from the spot on the floor where she had last dozed off. His gaze drifted around the room. She wondered what he thought of the thrown trays, disassembled sleeper, and other mild havoc she had created in the room. He looked at her, and Rey wondered what kind of person lay behind the helmet.

"You are to come with me." He said.

"And if I refuse?"

"I'll drag you there unconscious."

They had not treated her wounds the last time. And without eating for the past few days, Rey knew she had weakened. She could not afford to put herself into another fight.

She moved cautiously towards him. He watched her warily. The effect of his powers did not increase with her approach. He could control how far away he pushed the Force. She noted that for later.

"I'll go with you," Rey said.

He seemed caught off guard. Did he expect an attack? Perhaps she still could surprise him. Going with him meant she would see more of the ship and possibly a new opportunity for escape.

FN-2187 took firm hold of her arm and pulled her from the room.

Chapter Text

Ben skidded to a stop behind some rubble, poorly hiding his arrival at the scene. However, the cloaked figure seemed unaware of Ben’s presence; his attention focused solely on the young woman collapsed on the ground.

Rey.

The man picked up her fallen staff and de-ignited it before sliding the strap onto his torso, holding it securely on his back. Then in one fluid motion, he picked Rey up. She hung limp in his arms, unconscious or dead.

Ben scanned her body. There were no signs of apparent injury, bleeding, or large wounds. He saw her chest rise and fall. She was breathing; oh thank the maker, she was alive.

She was alive, unresponsive, in the arms of the cloaked man who was now quickly returning to his ship to presumably leave the planet's surface.

He moved without thinking. As the ramp began to lift to close the ship, Ben slipped silently inside the belly of the beast.

A hollow emptiness echoed in the interior of the shuttle. There was room for 12 soldiers in addition to the pilot, yet none of the stormtroopers had made it back to the ship. Only the pilot, who hadn’t exited into the melee, remained.

The man buckled Rey into the singular passenger seat and assumed position behind her.

There were very few places for Ben to hide. He picked the far corner, where the ship’s wall stuck out just enough to shadow his tall frame. Neither the pilot nor the man appeared to notice.

In moments they entered lightspeed. Ben worked to calm his racing heartbeat by focusing on the gentle hum of spaceflight. He had acted impulsively. He needed a plan before they arrived. Ben assumed they would travel to the Star Destroyer just above the planet. They had no reason to suspect an intruder. That was his only advantage in this scenario.

Ben watched the pilot closely. Peeking out only a tiny amount, just enough to see. Already a plan began to form in his mind.

Out the front window, as the ship arced and stars moved, the massive Imperial Star Destroyer rolled into view. It was a smooth glide past the protective shielding into the docking hanger.

The size of it all, the number of ships and the soldiers…it was terrifying. Sometimes Ben could forget the might of the First Order. He could dismiss them as nothing more than remnants of a fallen Empire. A faded copy. The last dying gasps of a failed enterprise.

Yet with everything before him, he could not deny the strength of their forces and how increasingly new and organized they seemed. How did they have the funds for this?

The First Order would only gain strength.

If he had more time, Ben would take the opportunity to record their numbers, what kinds of ships they were using, and other practical information about the hanger bay. He had no time. They were landing immediately.

With a jolt and shudder, they touched down. The man hardly waited, unbuckling an unconscious Rey, picking her up, and carrying her from the ship in his arms.

The pilot began the shut-down sequencing, unaware of Ben approaching from behind. With one quick movement, Ben wrapped his arm around the pilot’s neck, pulling him out of the chair to the back of the ship, away from the window view.

The man struggled, clawing at Ben’s grip, but his gloved hands did no damage.

A blaster bolt would be too loud and would damage the uniform. Ben held the imperial pilot down until his pulse stopped.

Already it had taken Ben too much time. He needed to move before anyone investigated why this particular pilot was taking so long on closing procedures.

He got dressed. The uniform was ill-fitting. Ben knew it wouldn’t pass close inspection, but hopefully, it would get him out of the hangar bay alive. He rolled the pilot’s body into one under-floor storage compartment and set a lock code. Once the body is discovered, the whole imperial starship would become alerted to the presence of an intruder. This would buy time. Time he desperately needed.

In the uniform pocket, he found his Imperial Identification Card. VY- 3297. Ben memorized the information on his new identity with the ease of years of practice slipping into other people’s shoes.

Ben exited the ship. Immediately the maintenance workers who had been waiting for him to leave passed him to do their work on the vessel. Someone with a datapad stopped in front of him.

“VY-3297, I will need your report on the incident before Eighteen Hundred this cycle.”

“Affirmative,” Ben replied.

“I expect detail, do you understand? No more than a page, mind you.”

Ben nodded. The officer surveyed him, and Ben wondered if she could see through his pilot’s mask. Did she recognize him as a different person than VY-3297?

She dismissed him with a wave, and relief swept over him.

The ship was massive. Searching every inch would take weeks. Ben needed a shortcut. He needed a way to figure out where they would keep her. One of the detention cell blocks would be likely, but he needed a map to navigate successfully.

Ben moved with swift purpose. He deferred to the officers he passed to keep up the appearance of a standard shuttle pilot. As expected, he blended easily into a sea of conformity. No one questioned him. No one stopped him.

The information he needed would not be accessible to a pilot. He needed a new disguise or an appropriate code cylinder to trick a computer into revealing Rey’s whereabouts.

The perfect target came walking in his direction, focused entirely on their datapad. A Lieutenant, he could tell from his left sleeve insignia. The hallway was empty, aside from the two of them. Ben altered his path slightly, and the two collided with an impact that sent the man’s datapad and glasses flying. Ben palmed the code cylinder from the front of the man’s uniform, immediately stepped back, and began apologizing profusely. With a slight adjustment of position, he crushed the man’s eyewear underfoot.

“Identify yourself immediately!” The Lieutenant demanded, his eyes squinting with the effort to see.
“My apologies, Sir! I didn’t see you, Sir!” Ben said as he moved to pick up the man’s datapad.

“Here you are, Sir.” Ben said as he placed the datapad into the Lieutenant’s hands. “I must be off now.”

“Wait! Identify yourself!” The Lieutenant demanded. Ben was already at a light jog. “Come back!” The man shouted, but Ben was gone. He doubted the man would chase him, especially without his eyewear. A report would likely be filed, cameras would be wound back, and he would be identified and punished in hours to days. A regular trooper would be unable to escape punishment, but Ben did not intend to stick around long enough for those consequences to catch up. He would escape or be captured by then; Ben was sure of that.

At the sound of approaching individuals, Ben slowed to a normal walking pace. The code cylinder would open the way for him to go many places, but he still needed a map. The figures approaching also appeared to be pilots. Maybe they could help.

“Hello,” Ben said with what he hoped was a charming grin. “I have to deliver a report to communications, and I seem hopelessly lost.”
The pair looked at each other and then back at Ben.

“You must be new.” The one on the left said.

“A transfer, actually.” Ben lied. “Everything is off from where I expect it to be.”

“You’re pretty close.” The one on the right chimed in. “Do you have your datapad? I can show you on the map.”

“I loaned it to a buddy, I know I shouldn’t have, but he broke his and really needed one-” Ben said with an apologetic smile. The right-side pilot tsked him but opened up the map on her datapad to show him.

“We’re here currently, and this is communications.” She said, pointing at her datapad screen. Ben focused intently on the map, committing it to memory.

“Were you just out on a mission?” The left pilot asked him quietly. Ben glanced up at the other woman. Her gaze was intense. The conversation was straying into dangerous territory.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” He asked her with a raised brow.

“The one to Nevarro, right?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “With FN-2187?”

She said with reverence and fear. The Jedi Killer. Ben realized. Now he had a name for the figure. A regular trooper name for someone with so much power?

Ben nodded. The pilot on the right placed a hand on the left pilot’s shoulder.

“Did any of the other troopers make it back?” She asked, her eyes wide. Ben knew the truth. Only the pilot he killed had made it back. As for the land troopers, he could only assume most, if not all, were dead. The ones stranded wouldn’t make it long, regardless. No search parties would be sent out for them.

They were waiting for an answer.

“I’m sorry.” He said. “I was the only one.”

She took a step back, and her eyes dropped from his face. He should have lied.

“Why you?” She demanded. “Why did you make it?”

“Hey there.” Her friend counseled. “It’s not his fault.”

He could lie. He didn’t. Ben told them the truth as best he could without revealing his identity.
“I was ordered to stay on the shuttle and prepare for take-off at any moment,” Ben said. “Please excuse me. I have to go make my report.”

They watched him go, and Ben could tell they had more questions. Part of him wanted to stay and offer any closure he could. A different part hated them for complicity. Dad would counsel him to try and understand where they come from. Ben knew that most of the individuals involved in the First Order, at least on the lower levels of the organization, had been taken and indoctrinated as children. It didn’t matter. He had no time for empathy. Instead, he kept moving forward.

The door to communications looked like any of the many others he passed. Luckily it was unguarded. He inserted the stolen code cylinder into the door control panel. With a twist, it clicked, and the door slid open. No one inside the room looked up when he stepped inside. They all remained engaged with the instrument panels before them. It was quiet, with only the sound of spaceflight and beeping. Ben found an empty workstation and sat down, plugging in the code cylinder to gain access to the system. If anyone looked too closely at him, they might realize he didn’t have the proper credentials to be there. The longer Ben stayed, the more danger he was in and the higher his likelihood of getting caught. He needed to be fast.

Navigating the internal data server took more work than he had hoped. He had used similar systems before through the New Republic, but gaining access to Imperial tech was rare. There was a certain level of galactic standardization that he clung to in order to try and make sense of the systems he was looking at. Ben started with finding the server area for data on the location of holding cells on the ship. There were three central locations, each with 10-15 cells. Referencing the ship map, he found the distance between the three locations severe. He needed to know which one specifically before he wasted time checking all three. Ben pulled up the entry and exit logs for ships docking inside the star destroyer. He acquired the exact arrival time for the shuttle he and Rey had traveled on. From there, he cross-referenced the entry and exit logs for the holding cell blocks. The holding cell on the third level was the only cell block accessed after the shuttle’s landing. She had to be there.

Ben memorized the route from his current position to the third-level holding cell. It was a familiar process. He remembered being young, around 8 or 9 cycles old, sitting with his tutor, learning the dates of important historical events. He remembered the tall ceiling, beautiful apartment with expansive window views of Hanna City on the planet Chandrila, seated at a table much too tall for him. His mom had come home from work early and joined in on his lesson. Leia had taken the time to teach him her trick for memorizing large amounts of information. Ben had just been happy that she was there with him. Her “little trick” had worked then, and it worked now. With the knowledge safely stored in his mind, Ben erased his trail as best he could and unplugged the code cylinder. No one moved when he stood up from the workstation and left.

Ben walked as fast as he could get away with, jogging whenever he was alone in the halls. He began formulating the rest of the plan in his mind. If the code cylinder he had stolen was high-ranking enough, he could access the holding cell block and free Rey. From there, the two of them would stow away on a departing vessel before her disappearance is discovered and the ship goes into lockdown. His heart ran like a jumpy podracer. She was close. They would escape. Everything would be okay. Ben entered the turbo lift and paced around while it moved upwards at a swift pace. He traced the route down to the landing pad in his mind repeatedly. The moment the turbo lift door opened, it would be a race against time.
The lift slowed to a stop. The door opened, and to Ben’s surprise, his path was blocked. Standing in front of him was a woman he recognized.

Voe.

He’d recognize her anywhere.

Voe was a human with medium brown skin and white hair braided in three sections pulled back into a smooth bun. Her eyes were a pale green, much different than the vivid color he remembered. He hadn’t seen her since he left Luke’s Temple. She looked exhausted and furious. She raised her hand, and Ben slammed backward against the wall of the lift, knocking all the breath from his lungs. He crumpled to the ground.

“Ben Organa,” Voe said coldly. “I sensed you the moment you arrived.”

Ben struggled to stand, but before he could, she commanded the Force to drag him forward out of the lift.

“Running away again?” She spat at him. “I’m not surprised at all.” Her gloved hand clenched into a fist, and he was immobilized.

Ben hadn’t considered the possibility of encountering one of his old Temple friends while aboard the Star Destroyer. He’d imagined what he would do in this scenario many times before. What he would say. How to even begin an apology. In the moment, he could only stare. Voe had survived. Voe was alive. She lived. He couldn’t help but feel glad to see her. Would the others be here as well?

“You’re here for the girl, right? She’s already been moved. You’re too late again.”

“Voe.” He managed to say. “Long time no see.”

Anger flashed in her eyes like the sudden glint of a weapon. “I will make you regret ever stepping foot on this ship.” She said.

Still held aloft by her usage of the Force, Ben was dragged behind her as she walked to the entrance to the holding cell he had been trying to reach so desperately. He had unwittingly gone straight to his own capture.

“I have questions for you, of course. We’ll be more comfortable if I don’t need to worry about you running away while I ask them.” Voe tossed the words behind her without even looking back at him. She plugged in her own code cylinder, and with a twist, the sliding door to the holding cells opened. Ben couldn’t see inside the individual rooms, so he had no way of verifying what Voe had said about Rey was true. Had they actually moved her? Or was she still here?

They stopped, and Voe again used her code cylinder to access one of the cells. A small metal room with only a single interrogation chair

She bound him in place with a wave of her hand. Ben didn’t believe she would kill him. Not immediately, at least. Aside from that, he had no other assurances. Now that he was held by the interrogation chair, he was released from her Force hold. Ben flexed his fingers and tried to calm his speeding heartbeat. Voe prowled around him.

“There is something quite strange with you, Ben.” She said, her voice a murmur. “The Force is not moving through you.”

This was not Ben’s first interrogation. It was not even his first from a Force user. Voe was talented, but Ben knew her. At least he used to know her. He could not rely on the Force to protect his mind, but the situation wasn’t hopeless.

“I thought you would put up some amount of a fight. You haven’t contested me at all.” She paused as if to study him.

His cautious mother had drilled this particular skill into him. How to keep specific knowledge hidden from view. Defending his mind was the same as learning any other physical skill. Like learning how to kick, jump or fight, the Force was a powerful aid but not required.

I’m wearing a mask, Ben repeated silently, smoothing his features.

The trick would be to distract the interrogator with what they think they want and bury the rest. Show them what they already know and suspect, confirm their bias, and let slip the truly valuable intel.

“Is it true? That Luke locked your powers away?”

“It was my choice,” Ben said. Voe sneered at him.

“You always were a fool and a coward.” Voe stepped closer, reaching out her hand. Ben felt her push into his mind. “Afraid of your power. Afraid of your potential.” Ben closed his eyes.

“Why did you come here?” She questioned. Ben offered his memory of FN-2187 carrying Rey to the First Order shuttle. With her attention fixed, Ben quietly closed access to other parts of the memory.

“Why did you follow her? What is so important?”

An afternoon stop in the shadow of the plateau, a badly damaged speeder.
Ben blurred the faces of everyone aside from Rey, who he focused the memory on.

“I can fix it,” Rey said brashly. “As long as your friend up there has tools and maybe some spare parts.”

“That can’t be why you’re risking your life,” Voe muttered. “Tell me the truth.”

Ben knew she would press further. He was ready. Ben cut the memory apart and sewed it back together differently. He erased any trace of Rey’s ability with the Force.

He stood in a narrow alleyway facing down a group of ten men with blasters pointed. He was doing his best to talk down the situation but despite his best efforts-

“MOVE!” Rey screamed, and Ben reacted instinctively, moving out of the way of a red blaster bolt. She had warned him just in time.

“I see. You think she saved your life,” Voe said dismissively. “That was much duller than I hoped.”

She waved her hand, and the memory dissolved. Ben gasped for breath. Sweat dripped off his brow. It was only a moment’s respite before she dove in deeper.

“Why have you cut yourself off from the Force?” Voe demanded. A flood of memories responded. Ben did his best to regain control.

He was six outside his parent’s bedroom door. They spoke in hushed tones, yet Ben could still hear them. They were arguing. He had lost control over his powers. An overwhelming rush of hatred, anger, and violence. He had destroyed his room. He didn’t understand. But he knew it caused his parents to fight.

He was ten next to his Uncle facing his parents as they waved goodbye. They were sending him away. He didn’t want to go.

He was thirteen, in the med tent, watching the droid stitch up Oena. It was his fault. He lost control. She was so still, her pulse hardly there, a quiet fluttering.

He was fifteen, sleep deprived, and lost. Every new ability in the Force he gained only increased the dark thoughts in his mind, the dark voice that called for him…

He was nineteen. Awoken from a restless sleep by Uncle Luke standing over him. The concern on his face was palpable. Finally, Uncle was ready to listen when Ben explained the darkness in his life. The power that chased him compelled him and seized control of his dreams. The power that had been with him since his first moments of life. An endless fight that left him exhausted and miserable. A fight that only got worse as his connection with the Force grew.

“It was Snoke,” Voe said without surprise. “How did you manage so long with him in your head?” Ben saw no point in hiding this part of the memory, but he pretended to put up a fight. She broke through with ease.

A few days later, his Uncle had a plan. Cut off the source by disconnecting Ben from the Force. It would mean that Ben would no longer be able to access his powers, but if it worked, he would be free from Snoke’s influence. Ben agreed, and they began training his ability to bring up walls around himself.

Voe jerked backward, and Ben gasped in pain.

She looked horrified, but there was something behind her expression. Grief? Betrayal? She’d figured something out, but Ben couldn’t identify it. He took advantage of the respite to calm and repair the walls in his mind.

“Why’d you do it?” Ben struggled to ask. “What happened the night the Temple was destroyed?”

“None of us had a choice.” She said, slamming back into his mind, this time with no clear goal.

“War was inevitable. All we did was choose the winning side. The powerful side. I mean, look at the difference between us! I can take whatever I want from you, and you’re helpless to stop me. You would be incredibly powerful had you accepted Snoke’s training. Instead, you’re nothing.” She tore through his mind carelessly, ripping threads of memory. He had to put forward smaller memories, things he could bear to lose to her destructive rampage.

“At least I’m free.” He managed to reply despite the overwhelming agony he felt in his mind. Ben didn’t think it was possible for her to look more angry, but her scowl deepened, and her eyes narrowed even further. She slowed down her turbulent search, a hesitation long enough for Ben to seize control and pull forward a memory he wanted her to see. A moment he wanted her to remember.

The Temple was on fire, and Ben’s head was splitting open with the effort of holding back The Force. He hadn’t mastered that ability, and at this moment, with everything crumbling around him, he could hardly hold himself together. Overhead the Temple, far above the planet, a battle raged between the First Order and the New Republic. Both sides seek control over the Force Sensitive individuals in training under the legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. The battle in the sky echoed on the ground below as Luke’s padawans had split among the same divide. He could hear them, lightsabers and shouts, flame and destruction as they fought against each other. If only he could talk to them, he could convince them to stop fighting each other, if only his head would stop pounding, if his nausea would pass, if the sounds weren’t so piercing. Ben collapsed to the ground, both hands over his eyes. He didn’t hear her approach but sensed her presence through the silver of Force pushing through his walls. Her blade came down towards him, and he pooled all his strength to roll aside.

“Get up,” Voe demanded of him. With great effort, he stood.

“I don’t want to fight you, Voe.” Ben said, holding his hands up defensively.

“Come with us or die, Ben,” Voe said before lunging towards him, her blade a blur of light and color. He narrowly dodged her attack, only to be overcome by another wave of nausea. She swung again, and he caught her weapon hand with his, holding it back from landing a strike. She struggled against him, but he held firm. Her blade hummed above them, a bright, vibrant spring green color.

Voe pulled out of his mind before he could finish the memory.

“I should have killed you that night.” Voe said finally. She did not wait for a reply and left the interrogation room in a whirlwind, slamming the sliding door shut behind her. Ben closed his eyes and focused on breathing. His mind was a painful mess, but it was intact, and he had kept the important secrets safe. Now he had time to prepare. Ben worked to order his mind, bring forward harmless thoughts and hide the important ones. Rey’s powers, the position of the Resistance Bases, the location of Luke, and his own plans to travel to Exagol all needed to be hidden or disguised as something else.

His interrogation couldn’t be over. Someone else would come. Maybe even Voe would return. He had to be ready, or his existence would betray everyone he held dear.

Chapter Text

They walked at a quick pace, FN-2187’s hand holding her upper right arm tightly. Rey struggled to keep up. Her muscles were all sore, and her hip had bruised in a particularly painful way. He was half dragging, half carrying her down the hall. Even still, she kept her eyes and ears sharp, paying careful attention to the path they took. They encountered no troopers while they walked, and Rey wondered how detailed her captors had planned her transport. Surely it was not happenstance, but why wouldn’t they want her to see the troopers? Or she thought, do they not want the troopers to see me? Rey knew she must look as brutalized as she felt. Wouldn’t that be a good thing to increase morale? To see the enemies of the First Order captured and subdued?

They came to a stop in front of a lift. FN-2187 scanned the armor around his wrist, and the door responded, opening with a swift slide. He pulled her inside, and the door shut. They began moving upwards at a rapid pace. The inside of the elevator was bright with white oval lights and black paneling that was so popular in Imperial design. It was incredible that anyone could find their way around a ship with such repetition in configuration.

She looked at her captor. His gaze remained focused on the door, but she sensed a nervousness about him. He seemed unsettled. The lift slowed, and Rey readied herself for whatever lay behind the door. Before it opened, he turned to her, squeezing her arm with emphasis.

“Don’t fight back.” He said so quietly Rey almost didn’t hear him. She opened her mouth to reply, but the door slid aside, revealing an enormous red throne room, the sight distracting her from any witty remark she would have made.

He pushed her inside, and together they walked down the glossy black path toward the elevated yet simple dark gray throne, him a step behind her. Lined in two rows on either side of the throne stood eight figures in bright red full-body armor, each holding a weapon of a different type. Centered on the throne sat a hideous figure dressed in gold. His scared face smiled at her approach, and Rey felt a chill down her spine.

“Well done, Trooper.” The scarred figure said. His voice was guttural and rough yet compelling. Rey couldn’t help but offer her full attention. FN-2187 gave her a final push, and Rey walked a few more steps before realizing she was walking alone. A brief glance behind her showed FN-2187 kneeling with his head bowed. She turned back to the man in gold robes. He must be the Supreme Leader, Rey realized.

“Young Rey, Welcome.” He said. They watched each other. The intensity of his gaze woke the fear coiled in her belly. She was powerless, and he was powerful. It was undeniable, irregardless of how unbearable she found it.

“So much strength. Your former Masters did well despite their…limitations.” He spoke with a casual air, a sinister friendliness. How did he know about her Masters? What else did he know about her?

“Come closer, Rey.” He demanded. She held her ground. “Don’t fight back.” FN-2187 had warned her. Now she would see what would happen. He seemed amused by her mild resistance.

“Closer, I said.” He repeated, his voice lower. Immediately Rey felt herself be lifted and pulled forward. She tried to struggle, but her body was immobilized. He could use the Force. Despite his proximity to FN-2187, he still had access to the Force. Did he have some resistance to it? Was he strong enough to overcome the blockage? Rey flipped through all her interactions with FN-2187 looking for a clue to solve the puzzle before her.

He was the “Supreme Leader.” As FN-2187 had referred to him. FN-2187 is choosing not to impact the abilities of this man. Rey decided. He has power over FN-2187.

Rey was pulled within inches of the man in the gold robe. His breath was rancid, and Rey scowled.

“Incredibly fearless you are, young one.” He murmured. “I’ve always been so curious about you. You don’t mind if I take a peek, do you?” Like a rancor in a potter shop, he was in her mind. Rey had never met anyone with her ability to enter minds before. She didn’t know what it felt like. She had no shields, no protection over her memories. He flipped through them with careless ease. Her mind split open and fractured. It was agonizing. Her whole life displayed for him to peruse at leisure while she could do nothing but writhe painfully, uncontrollably in the confines of his control.

Is this what it felt like for others when she dove into their minds?

Moments from her past flooded her consciousness. It all happened so much faster than she could process. She caught glimpses of what he was looking at, her history on the desert planet Jakku, taken away by the Sombre Council and trained as a Sith on Ziost. Her loneliness, her anger, and her grand destiny were all his to view.

The pain lasted centuries or perhaps only moments. Rey couldn’t tell.

She opened her eyes to find herself sprawled on the floor. She must have fallen when he released his use of the Force on her. She hadn’t felt the fall, but as she struggled to pull her mind back together, an inventory of pain made itself known. The older wounds from her fight with FN-2187, the weakening of her body from her isolation, new bruises on her knees and elbow where she impacted the floor, and now the unconscionable feeling that her mind had been shredded.

She couldn’t get up. I have to get up. She couldn’t.

The Supreme Leader laughed. “Everything will be as it always should be, Rey.”

She had to fight. She had to stand. It wasn’t over.

“I have seen your past, and I have seen our future.” His gravel voice drawled out. “You seek acceptance, purpose, and training.”

Rey steadied both hands on the glossy black floor and maneuvered her feet under her. She wobbled but pushed herself to stand. Each movement was a protest against the injuries that cried out for her attention.

“There is no need to travel to Exagol to find yourself a Master of the Force. I have found you, young one. I will teach you how to wield the power of the Darkside. As one of my apprentices, you will have the community you always dreamed of.”

Rey straightened her back and stood weakly before the scarred man.

“Good.” He purred. “Join me, and you will never be alone again.”

As Rey struggled to hold her body up, she considered the offer. There is always a bigger fish. She thought mournfully. On Jakku, the strong control the weak. She only escaped because someone even stronger came and took her. The same thing was happening again. This Supreme Leader was considerably more powerful than her Masters on Ziost. Anything offered by her grand destiny could be found right in front of her. Even if she could escape, what would be the point?

Freedom.

The thought startled her. She wanted to continue her journey. But why? She questioned herself. Ben and his ship. She had spent two or three days at most aboard that ship with that man. So why did it consume her hopes and dreams?

For the first time in her life, she had been free. Ben had taken care of her despite being a complete stranger with no benefit to his life. He had done it out of the goodness of his heart and expected nothing in return. How refreshing it was to exist without use.

I am lucky to have had those few days.

Above all else, Rey was a survivor.

“I’ll join you, Supreme Leader.” She said firmly, then bowed as low as she could manage without tipping over.

The scarred figure clasped his hands together with a sound that made her jump.
“Rise, my young apprentice! You have been baptized in pain and born anew. From now forward, you shall be named, Ki’ra.”

It was a cold punch to the gut to hear that name again. Rey had been unprepared for him to pluck that particular memory from her mind. The message was loud and clear. The taste of freedom she had enjoyed as Rey had ended. The devoted pupil Ki’ra had now returned. Rey would not be safe in her mind if The Supreme Leader could poke around as he pleased. If she wanted to survive, she would have to commit to the role he wanted her to fill.

Rey closed her eyes and allowed herself one moment to grieve. She saw her younger self just like in the Cauchemar. The scrappy girl who cried at night waiting for a day that would never arrive. That girl died on Jakku. Only Ki’ra remained.

Ki'ra opened her eyes.

“Release her, FN-2187.” He commanded. Immediately Ki-ra felt her connection to the Force restored. Energy flowed back into her like a rainstorm in the desert. And just like rain on dry earth, there was a flood inside of her. Her pain became a conduit to the Darkside of the Force. Strength was hers again. The relief that swept over her was powerful and demanding. A momentary temptation fluttered across her mind, the desire to use her power and fight back. If she killed FN-2187 quickly enough…She pushed the foolish thought away into fear’s waiting arms. She couldn’t bear losing her connection again. Ki-ra sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly. Her core of energy, bright glowing coals ready to burn, had returned.

“I am yours to command.” She said and smiled without showing teeth.

“Good.” The scarred figure murmured with a wicked expression. He waved his hands dismissively.

“Go now.” He said. “Take her to be mended.”

Ki-ra relied on energy drawn from the Force to keep herself functioning. Her body hummed with pain and power. She had never felt so strong and weak at the same time.

FN-2187 did not speak to her at all. Although he did not move his head from looking forward, she could sense his gaze. What could he be thinking? It was strange being so close to him without feeling the void effect he carried. When focused not on her physical senses, she could see him, his energy, or lack thereof. A vacant abyss where lifeforce should be. How unfamiliar he seemed.

He moved faster than Rey could keep up comfortably. And now that her connection was restored, he did not bother to offer any kind of physical support. She did her best to follow, ignoring the unusual mix of injury sparking her attention.

When they reached their destination, FN-2187 again used his wrist to unlock and open a sliding door panel.

“Memorise where we are, Ki-ra.” He said, his voice startling her to attention. “Your circlet will open this door as well.”

He paused momentarily, and Ki-ra glanced down at the silver bracelet wrapped tightly around her wrist. The skin around it had turned more colors than a nebula. She hadn’t forgotten the pain it had caused.

“Am I still to be kept at your side?”

“For now.”

Ki-ra frowned, but despite her displeasure and reluctance to keep near FN-2187, she was not surprised. Had the Sombre Council had the ability, Ki-ra was sure they would have done the same to her. She had tried running away from them several times. There was no other civilization on Ziost. Nowhere to go, no food to eat or water to drink. They caught her, or hunger made her return every time. Perhaps the distance she could be from FN-2187 would be increased or even disabled. Surely he had more important things to do, rather than overseeing her every move.

The room they entered had the same slick dark black paneling Ki-ra had grown familiar with. An assortment of medical devices and machines filled the room. The air was filled with a sharp unfamiliar scent, and every surface gleamed with cleanliness. A woman stood, carefully sharpening a small bladed knife. She looked up when they entered, her gaze steady and unyielding. She didn’t seem surprised at the state Ki-ra was in, rather immediately directed her to sit down. Her hair was a rich dark black color braided down past her lower back, wrapped in silver cord. She wore a layered white tunic belted at the waist made of the same synth fabric all First Order uniforms seemed to use. However, the particular style was unlike any Ki-ra had yet seen. Her lips were painted a dark unassuming blue, and her eyes were lined in the same color, a cold contrast to her warm ochre skin. Most surprisingly, Ki-ra could immediately tell this woman was also Force-Sensitive. The Supreme Leader had said there would be others. How many could there be?

Maybe I actually won’t be alone anymore.

“Snoke really did a number on her.” The woman said, her mouth a thin line of disapproval. Fn-2187 shifted his weight but did not reply. The woman pricked her with a small syringe and then opened some packets similar to the ones on Jakku that carried rations. The cloth she removed from the sealed bag was cold to the touch and stung when she applied it to Ki-ra’s injuries.

“Soo, start stitching up her cuts.” The woman said to IT-S00.2, the small medical droid hovering nearby. It immediately floated close to Ki-ra, a round black metal body with a collection of metal arms like beetle legs. She felt tiny pricks where the droid worked sewing closed her open wounds. Meanwhile, the woman had her hands out, palm facing Ki-ra. She couldn’t explain the sensation, but she felt things inside her quietly knit themselves back together. The severe pain plaguing her slowly ebbed away, and a woozy dizzy feeling swept over her. She could hardly keep herself sitting up.

The woman worked tirelessly with a combination of medical technology and her strange ability to manipulate the body using The Force. Fn-2187 stood watching the entire time it took to ‘mend’ her. There was so much to be done. Ki-ra had not fully understood the extent of her injuries.

“You should let me put her in a Bacta tank for a few days at least.” The woman hissed in clear annoyance.

“You know we don’t have time for that, Hyliix.” Fn-2187 replied.

“Her body should be almost entirely repaired; given a few days of proper rest and nutrition, she’ll be in the best shape of her life. Her mind, however, is a different story entirely.” Hyliix set down her instruments and turned to look at Fn-2187. “I’ve done what I can for now, but her mind is in a fragile state. He really tore through it. I’ve never seen such disregard before.”

Some sort of understanding passed between the two of them, Ki-ra could see it but couldn’t decode it.

“Make time for her to visit me once per day cycle for the next week at least,” Hyliix said firmly. Fn-2187 hesitated but nodded in agreement.

“I’ve done what I can. Go take her to rest before tomorrow’s activities.” Hyliix said dismissively. Ki-ra tried to stand, and the room spun around her dangerously. Hyliix looked at her with displeasure.

“You’ll need a hover-gurney to get her back, I assume.” Hyliix said, getting up and grabbing one from the other room. In the minute she was gone, FN-2187 leaned closer to Ki-ra and said quietly,

“Let me help you onto it.” His voice was low, and it was phrased like an order, but Ki-ra understood he meant it as a question, a request. Ki-ra knew she was too disoriented to do it on her own. Of course, they would have to help her. Being manhandled outside her will was nothing new. Why would he bother asking? Her captor, her jailer, her warden, why ask? They hadn’t asked if she wanted anything they had put her through. Why now?

Hyliix returned with the repulsorlift stretcher, and Ki-ra gave FN-2187 the slightest nod of consent. He carefully picked her up, supporting her back and under her legs, and placed her gently onto the hover-gurney. The movement seemed effortless for him.

“Don’t forget,” Hyliix told him as he pushed the hover-gurney from the medbay.
“I won’t.” He answered.

He pushed the hover-gurney through the twisted long ship halls, and just as before, they did not encounter a single soul.

They had reached his destination. Rey recognized the path they took and the door they stood in front of. She recoiled from the room they had held her prisoner in. The idea of approaching made her sick. He could see it in her, the unconcealed revulsion.

“You control the door now.” He said, turning the hover-gurney so her left side was closest to the door panel.
“Use your circlet.” He directed her. She didn’t want to, but she lifted her arm to place the bracelet near the sensor. The door slid open. He turned and began to push the hover-gurney into the room, but Ki-ra caught the door frame holding them in place. She had no strength to keep them there, but FN-2187 paused. Her breath was coming quickly, and she struggled to get air.

“Your circlet will work on both sides of the door, Ki-ra.” Fn-2187 said with disconcerting gentleness. “It belongs to you.”

It could be a trick. Her mind offered. They couldn’t intend to give her free rein of the ship. He just wanted to put her in there without a fight. She looked ahead. The room was cleaned and restored to its original state before her destructive days inside its walls.
She didn’t have a choice. Even if he was lying, she could not fight back with any hope for success. Slowly, Ki-ra released the door frame, and Fn-2187 was able to push her the rest of the way into the room. The door slid shut behind them.

“Would you like to test it?” He asked her, and to her surprise, she understood he meant the door. Ki-ra raised her arm to the interior control panel, and with a swoosh, it immediately opened. Relief engulfed her. She allowed the door to close, and he pushed the hover-gurney to the sleeper centered in the room.

“May I assist you again.” He said solemnly. Whatever Hyliix had put in her made it hard to stay conscious, not to mention how the room spun every time she moved her head. She could probably manage to drag herself from the hover-gurney to the sleeper, but instead, she accepted his help. He pulled back the black silken sheets and adjusted the cuboid headrests. He lifted and placed her down with smooth efficiency. The sleeper mat compressed under her weight, and she sunk into comfort. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to fall asleep.

It was still on the day cycle of the ship, but FN-2187 did something at the control panel to adjust the room to a darkened state. The last thing she heard before drifting off to sleep was the door sliding open and shut.

At the very least, Ben was safe, and she had survived. She could live with that. She hoped he could as well.

Chapter Text

Ki’ra hadn’t known what to expect after agreeing to apprentice under Supreme Leader Snoke. Her body was fragile, and injured. Her skin patterned more colors than a nebula. The pain came in waves, ebbing with the Force as she attuned herself. Having that connection restored to her was worth anything- perhaps everything. Certainly, to Ki’ra it was worth any payment asked of her.

She awoke before the lights in the room brightened from their dimmed state to the ‘daylight’ setting of the Imperial ship. With her connection restored, she could sense many things past her field of view, outside her room. If she focused hard enough she could sense the people who walked the halls. She could sense him exactly where she had known him to be all this time. FN-2187 in the room sharing a wall with her own. She could sense him without the struggle she faced before. Simply a null space in the shape of a man. He frightened her still, but not in the same way as before.

Minutes after the lights raised to daylight there was a singular knock on her door. A jolt went through her. She knew the knock was him without needing to open the door to confirm. She ignored him, despite her urge to answer without hesitation. She was, after all, a rebel at heart.

Ki’ra instead took her time rinsing in the refresher, enjoying the seemingly infinite supply of warm water raining down on her. There was a new addition to her little water room, a small bar of soap that smelled of something floral. She scrubbed her body, encountering sharp pains from the multitude of bruises. It felt good to get clean, and if she closed her eyes she could imagine herself in a rainstorm on a planet far far from here.

Still, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t ignore the tug at her senses, the knowing that he was still waiting by her door.

She finished up and got dressed in fresh clothes. All black with no ornamentation. Simple garments, made exactly in her size. This room had everything she could need. It unnerved her. Who was putting things in her room? Cleaning up her destruction? Fixing the things she had broken? Who brought the food? The clothes? The soap?

FN-2187 stood stiffly, his broad frame blocking the entire doorway. She could not see his face past his mask, and his powers were unable to break through the void he carried, to get to him. She wondered who he was past all the artifice. She wondered if he found it unsettling, how she had switched from complete resistance to seeming obedience. Only a fool would mistake it for true submission.

Ki’ra knew for a fact that there were other souls aboard this enormous vessel. However, she and FN-2187 did not encounter any others while they walked. Their first stop was the Medbay, in which Ki’ra spent time floating in what Hyliix referred to as a ‘bacta tank’. It was a strange experience, but she could feel the improvement in her body. It was somehow able to heal her faster than her body should be capable. Despite the improvement, she knew how badly damaged she was, and how far there still was to go. She could see it on Hyliix’s face when she got out, disapproval and concern.

“Can I stay in longer?” Ki’ra asked.

“There is no time.” FN-2187 answered.

Ki’ra estimated it was about the midpoint of the day. While they walked to the next destination, Ki’ra chewed on a yellow “High Energy Bar” that Hyliix had given her. It was dense with little distinct flavor. Not particularly great, especially after experiencing the food on-

She shut that thought down immediately. She could not think about him. She could not.

Ki’ra finished the bar in silence. Again the halls they traversed were empty.

The sliding door opened with a quick scan of FN-2187’s armored-covered wrist.

The place he brought her to was possibly the most luxurious thing Ki’ra had ever seen. Granted, nearly everything Ki’ra encountered on this Star Destroyer was wealth beyond her wildest scavenging dreams. Yet, this series of connected rooms was more than plain utilitarian. It was quite unlike the rest of the ship she had seen so far.

“Your bracelet will open this as well,” FN-2187 informed her. The center circle of the large room was sunken with seating wrapped around a table. The back wall had a massive window view into space. A rectangular table with more formal seating was next to the window. Archways to the left and right implied even more space. Ki’ra wanted nothing more than to explore this new area. She looked everywhere, her eager eyes hungry to see.

“Don’t worry, we won’t be disturbed in here.” Fn-2187 said. It hadn’t occurred to Ki’ra to worry about that sort of thing in the first place.

“There is a lot to do. Where would you prefer to work? Here?” He gestured towards the half-moon couch in the sunken part of the room.

“Or at the dining table? I can also acquire a different space if this isn’t to your liking.” He added after a pause. Ki’ra turned her attention to him.

“Where are we?” She asked

“This is a common area for the Supreme Leader’s aprentices.”

“Will I be meeting any of them?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?”

He walked over to the table in front of the window.

“Join me,” FN-2187 told her. It was a command without any force behind it. Ki'ra understood that if she wished to disobey or argue, he would hear her out. Perhaps, he might even agree to her demands. She did not understand him or the way he talked. Ki’ra walked over to him, climbing the three steps that led to the higher part of the room. Closer to the window now, she looked out into deep space.

“Wait here.” He said and left through the right-hand archway. He returned carrying what appeared to be a flat rectangular piece of black glass, alongside a thin rod not much longer than a handspan thinner than a finger, with a tapered tip. He set both in front of her on the table. Gingerly, Ki’ra lifted the rod and found it carried a surprising weight.

“The Supreme Leader has instructed me to inform you of subjects your previous education may have neglected.” FN-2187 picked up the rectangular device.

“This datapad belongs to you now.” He held it out to her. Ki’ra reached for it. Moments before her fingers made contact, the device lit up. It was no longer a sheet of opaque black but white as bone, with black characters in neat rows.

“It responds to your cuff.” Ki’ra looked at the silver metal still bound tight around her wrist.

“I have already set the device to display text on the history of the First Order and the Empire before it. You may begin your reading there, and I can answer questions you have about it.”

Ki’ra felt her face flush red.

“Are you a lore holder in addition to being my prison guard?”

“Scholar.” He corrected. “And no I am not.” “A proper scholar should be instructing me then.” Ki’ra insisted.

“It is not possible.” FN-2187 said and for the first time, Ki’ra noticed he sounded worn out.

“Why then?” She questioned. “Why am I so isolated? I haven’t seen any of the people working on this ship, none of the other apprentices, no one aside from you. Where is everyone?”

It was a long moment before FN-2187 responded.

“You are…rough around the edges Ki-ra.” Hearing him say her false name sent an uncertain thrill down her spine.

“The Supreme Leader needs to smooth those down before he presents you to his empire. You must have a certain appearance. Powerful, knowledgeable, you need these things alongside your ranking.”

“Ranking?”

“All the Supreme Leader’s apprentices are ranked. Duels with the other apprentices determine the ranking. You currently have no rank or status. You will have to fight them all, from the bottom of the ranking upwards, one after the other until you fail.”

Ki’ra had no experience fighting other Force-Senstive individuals. She wasn’t confident she could win. Especially considering the state of her body and mind. Fighting anyone would be bad for her in this position.

“That’s not so bad.” Ki-ra lied. “When does this series of duels take place?”

“One day cycle after acceptance.”

“Am I about to be jumped?” She said attempting humor to hide the cold fear that had settled in her gut.

“No.” He said bluntly. “You have a standard week.”

“What makes me so special?” Ki’ra asked.

“The Supreme Leader’s apprentices don’t usually enter so…injured.”

The moment sat between them, quiet and uncomfortable with nothing but the hum of spaceflight to interrupt. He had hurt her when they fought, dragged her here against her will. Granted not as badly as she had hurt herself, and nothing close to what Snoke had done to her. Could she hold it against him?

Yes. Ki’ra decided immediately. She hadn’t asked to be kidnapped.

“If you want power, influence, or respect during your time here- your first impression is a matter of importance.” He pointed to the datapad. “Allow me to give you a fighting chance.”

Kriffing hells.

“I-” Ki’ra started feeling her face heat up again. “I can’t read.”

He didn’t react immediately, which was good because if he had laughed or said or done anything disparaging, Ki’ra knew she would have lept over the table to attack him, all the farce of this situation be damned. After a long moment, he simply picked up the datapad from her hands and started tapping on the surface.

“Forgive me,” He said simply.

Once again, FN-2187 had taken Ki’ra by surprise.

When he handed her the datapad back it was on a new screen.

“We’ll start from the beginning.”

-oOo-

Ki’ra’s days consisted of trips to the Medbay, followed by long hours of intensive study.

FN-2187 taught her the beginnings of how to read and write Galactic Basic Standard. He explained the history of The First Order, the meaning behind the name, how it started, and the future intentions of the organization.

“I still don’t understand.” Ki’ra interrupted him. “The nature of the galaxy is disorder.”

“Disorder causes death, chaos, and ruin. That is why we must fight it. It is an endless struggle.”

Ki’ra didn’t like his answer. To be fair, she didn’t much care about the history of her new overlords. Knowing any of this wouldn’t change her circumstances. To FN-2187’s credit, he had the appearance of infinite patience. Whenever she zoned out or got lost looking out into space he would gently pull her attention back to the source material. In addition to history, he explained the structure of The First Order, the rankings, the protocols, and the expectations placed on her as an apprentice.

“How is this going to help me with the rankings?” Ki’ra questioned. “I think my time would be better-spent training.”

“You could spend every second of every day you have training and you would still fail.” FN-2187 said without pity.

This rubbed Ki’ra the wrong way.

“That’s not-”

“It is.” He cut her off. “You don’t stand a chance against the other apprentices. You’ll be ranked last.”

“Surely not last?” Ki’ra exclaimed. He looked up from the tablet to her, his face unreadable under the mask.

“It’s not a mark against you, Ki’ra.” He told her. As an apprentice, even the lowest apprentice, you’ll rank higher than nearly every other person on this vessel. You’ll rank higher than nearly every other person in the larger First Order apparatus. The important thing now is to prepare you to hold such a high position. If they sense weakness, in your stature, your abilities, your education or intellect- they won’t respect you.”

“Who cares if I have their respect?”

“You’re part of something greater than yourself now. You’ll need their cooperation to work effectively.”

Ki’ra couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She felt the weight of all these new constraints clamp down on her, not unlike the silver circlet bound around her wrist. Frustration and annoyance welled up inside of her.

“I can’t focus like this!” The words burst out from her with more energy than she had intended, and judging by the posture of FN-2187 she had caught him by surprise as well.

An awkward moment sat between them.

“What do you need?” He asked her, with genuine surprise coming through from his modulated voice.

“I’m not a scholar- “ Ki’ra struggled to articulate the problem. “I’ve never- never been still for so long.” It was the truth but felt silly when she said it out loud.

“Ah.”

He led her through the left archway to a series of connected rooms that she could only assume were built for sparring. The floor was shiny black with a center pattern of white padded squares, the walls a dark gray with hexagonal patterned lights. Scattered about the room, hung on the walls, or placed on stands were weapons of different natures. There were many items in the room that Ki’ra did not recognize the purpose of. Unease filled her. Did FN-2187 expect her to fight him? The idea did not appeal to her, especially if he was going to cut her connection to the Force again. To her relief, that was not his intention.

“I can show you an exercise that may help with your pain, or I can leave you to your own devices.”

This immediately piqued her interest.

“Show me.” She asked and he obliged.

They used nothing aside from the padded floor. FN-2187 led Ki’ra through a series of slow-standing movements and postures. She mimicked his forms as best as she could. He only spoke to correct her, either her form or her breathing.

“The goal here,” He began with his voice modulated by the mask. “Is harmony between the body and the mind.”

The movements were not particularly difficult, but she lacked grace and muscle memory. Still, FN-2187 was patient and slow. At least she was moving, even if it wasn’t her usual exercise. Her body felt pretty weak. Even something as simple as standing required strength from her.

“The Supreme Leader has done damage to you, both physical and mental.” FN-2187 said while continuing to move. “There is someone here, who can help heal the mental wounds you face but you won’t be able to meet them for some time. This is all I can do to help fix the damage to your connection.”

It was bizarre, standing so comfortably in the presence of the man who caused some of the many injuries affecting her current state. A man who by all intents and purposes, seemed to care deeply about those injuries being fixed. She needed to snap out of it. Even if they were on the same side now, serving the same master, they could not be allies. She could not trust someone who could dismantle her so easily. She could not trust her master’s guard dog. If she ever did attempt to usurp her master- FN-2187 would be the first one standing in her way.

Sooner than her pride would have liked, Ki’ra asked for a break. Overall she did feel better. From that point on, when she got bored or started to drift off during their lessons, they would switch to physical exercise.

“Can I use this?” She asked him, pointing to a simple white wood staff hanging on the wall.

“Of course.” He answered. She pulled the staff off the wall with care, feeling the wood bend in her hands- testing the flexibility. It felt familiar and foreign, smooth and supple.

Very aware of his gaze through the mask tracing her every movement she began her usual warmup exercises with the staff.

“When will I get my bladestaff back?” She asked without ceasing her movement.

“When you are ranked.”

Simple enough.

-oOo-

During the night cycle, alone in her room, she spent time looking out the massive viewport on the wall opposite the door. Space was so vast and beautiful. Ki’ra had loads of time looking up at the stars, but very rarely had she been with the stars. She would stare into space until she became exhausted. Moments after reaching her sleepermat, she would pass out. Otherwise, she would explore the ship. Ki’ra was quick to discover the limits of where she was allowed to go. Her circlet provided access to more than her room. However, aside from the halls directly connecting her room to the medbay, common area, and training center, she was stuck.

One night, Ki’ra tried a different method to try and trick a blast door into opening. FN-2187 appeared behind her, unnoticed.

“Your access will expand once you have a ranking.” His voice caused a jolt of fear to flash through her.

She rarely explored after that encounter. She needed the nights to give her space away from him.

Everything was going as well as could be hoped for about five day-night cycles. On the afternoon of the 5th day cycle FN-2187 suddenly and abruptly left Ki’ra alone.

It wasn’t entirely unusual for him to leave for a few minutes. He would always return and he never went far enough to be out of range for Ki’ra to sense him. However, she could tell immediately that something was different this time. While he was gone, Ki’ra paced the common room. Her thoughts buzzed and rolled like thunder. Could it be Snoke again? Was this ship under attack? Had Ben come for her?

When FN-2187 finally returned, the sound of the door sliding open startled Ki’ra out of her thoughts and back into the moment. She waited for him to explain.

“We’ve been summoned.”

Ki’ra’s stomach dropped. Part of her had naively hoped never to see Snoke again. It was happening too soon. She wasn’t ready.

“When?” She asked.

“Now.” He answered.

The trip to the throne room was shorter than she expected. She didn’t need his help to walk this time. They were both quiet during the ride up in the lift. When the doors opened she felt it, her connection to the Force dissipating.

“Forgive me.” She heard FN-2187 say under his breath. She didn’t have time to feel betrayed.

Ahead lay the red throne room, with Snoke lounging on his pedestal, watching as they approached, FN-2187 one step behind Ki’ra. The fear coiled in her belly tightened with each step.

“Hello, my new starling. You’ve healed well I see,” Snoke said with a grin. He sliced his way into her mind, the forcefulness of it nearly causing her to lose her footing. He flipped casually through the memories in her mind of the last few days.

“You’ve only considered killing me once…that’s very good Ki’ra.” Pain carved its way down from the back of her neck to her ribcage, bright and blinding. She dropped to her knees.

“Yes, yes.” He murmured. “All your treatments seem to be doing exceedingly well.”

The hours she had spent together with FN-2187, and Hyliix fluttered past her mind’s eye. Those are mine! She wanted to scream. Get out! She struggled to draw breath.

“You’ve gone above and beyond, FN-2187.”

The last of her new memories passed in a blur. She watched Snoke in her mind's eye. Coals in her gut begging to burn.

“No need to wait it seems my dear apprentice. You will be ranked tomorrow.”

And with that he released her. She focused on regaining her breath. Taking her time, shakily, she stood up. FN-2187 was directly behind her. When did he move closer?

“Go now young one. Get what rest you can.” Snoke said with a cruel smile. She opened her mouth to argue, but FN-2187 swiftly stepped ahead of her and bowed low before Snoke. She hesitated but copied his motions.

“As is your will, Supreme Leader,” FN-2187 said with his modulated voice. He then grabbed her elbow and halfway dragged her from the throne room.

The moment the doors of the lift closed, her connection to the Force was restored.

“I could strangle you.” She said refusing to look at him. Her skull felt like it was splitting open at every seam, and that pain began darting down her spine. She swayed and almost on instinct he gripped hold of her forearm.

“We are going straight to the medbay.” He told her.

“Before or after I kill you?” Ki’ra replied, her eyes closing while she pressed her fingers to her temple.

“Before.” He answered, and the lift doors opened. She didn’t need help to walk but he helped her regardless. The brightness of the halls hurt her eyes. Ki’ra squinted the whole way to the medbay. FN-2187 must have comm’d ahead because Hyliix was waiting in the hall outside for them.

Ki’ra was already familiar with floating in the bacta tank, feeling weightless in the strange liquid identical in temperature to herself. She didn’t protest going in. She would do anything to stop the pain.

“How long will I be in this time?” She asked Hyliix behind the curtain while she changed into black shorts and a top.

“As long as you can stand it. It would be best if you could sleep in there.” Hyliix said.

“Sleep?”

“Otherwise we’ll have to pull you out early so you can rest before your big day,” Hyliix explained. “If you can’t sleep signal to one of us.”

With the breathing mask affixed to her face, Ki’ra dropped into the tank. Hyliix watched her for a bit, before nodding, gesturing to FN-2187, and then leaving the room. FN-2187 pulled up a chair and sat to continue the watch.

Why is he staying? Did he believe her capable of fleeing?

Ki’ra closed her eyes and tried to calm her mind.

She hated the feeling of nothingness that FN-2187 could so easily drape over her. How quickly and instantaneously she became powerless under his influence

She had no idea what to expect the following day cycle. Her ranking- her position in this situation would be determined by how well she could fight. Ki’ra had fought for every single thing she ever gained in her life. This would be no different. She had no choice.

-o0o-

When she awoke, FN-2187 was unmoved from his position. He stood immediately upon noticing her stir into consciousness. He got Hyliix, who helped her out of the tank. In the back behind the curtain, Ki’ra got dressed in clothes Hyliix offered. Black loose pants and a black sleeveless top.

“I want you to know,” Hyliix began. “In the First Order, rank is shown through many things but the most obvious is uniform color. At the very bottom is white, followed by shades of gray to black, the highest color.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Rey asked.

“Even if you rank last in the Order of Knights, you still wear black.”

Ki’ra imagined that Hyliix was doing her best to comfort her. She likely suspected Ki’ra would do badly in the trials ahead. On Ziost, black hadn’t been a special color. Everyone down to the novices would wear it. On Jakuu no one could afford the synthetic dye- or if they could it would fade quickly under the sun.

FN-2187’s armor was a very dark gray, but not a true black. It didn’t make sense for her to rank higher than him, especially since his powers easily overwhelm her own.

“You wear white.” Ki’ra pointed out, looking at the white tunic over the dark pants Hyliix wore. “And black?”

“It’s a punishment,” Hyliix answered as if that explained everything.

“I don’t understand.”

“You will eventually.”

Flanked on both sides, FN-2187 and Hyliix escorted Ki’ra to the sparring center.

-o0o-

Chapter Text

A dark place, cold with still filtered air. Buried at the heart of a starship, a downward facing spotlight created a circle of bright and blinding white light in the center of the room. Ki’ra threw outwards her senses, and found edges of the arena. The darkness prevented her eyes from seeing walls but she knew where they were nonetheless. Aside from the people she could see ahead of her, no others were in hiding.

Six masked, armored and armed individuals stood waiting for her, with one ahead of the others standing under the spotlight. Past them, the transparent holographic image of the Supreme Leader leered over them, projected many times larger than his true size.

“Step into the light, little star.” Snoke’s gravel voice rang out.

Ki’ra studied the opponent waiting for her. She understood that the moment she stepped into the ring of light, their fight would begin. How could it be a fair fight if one was armored and the other not?
It didn’t matter. Nothing would change. Clearly this is the setup they intended. Rey was not afraid of an unfair fight.

FN-2187 held out her saber staff. She took it. For a moment she imagined igniting the blade and stabbing into his armored chest. She could probably succeed at killing him. Catch him off his guard and end his life. Her eyes met his, a rare glimpse through his mask. Could he see her thoughts? He did not move away.

Ki’ra found comfort in holding her staff. She squeezed, allowing the gunmetal to imprint on her skin, using the tiny pain to summon energy from the darkside. She entered the ring of light. Around them a force field activated. There would be no running, or outside interference.

Ki’ra was on her own.

“Ki’ra you face Quruk”

Ki’ra studied her opponent. Under all the layers she could tell it was a woman standing before her. Quruk stood taller than Ki’ra. Her mask had pieces of flat rectangular metal on each side with slits cut right at eye level and wrapped to meet in the center of the mask. Under the armor she wore a long black coat. Under that, tightly woven stiff fabric. The plate armor across her left shoulder had loops to hold what Ki’ra recognized as plasma bolt shells. Her boots were flat without much heel, softly molded to the wearer’s form. Across her back slung a blaster rifle.

Quruk offered a slight bow which Ki’ra did not bother to copy. Ki’ra ignited one end of her saber staff. An old adage her master had taught her replayed in her mind, “When you have the shorter weapon, you must get in close.” Quruk did not seem fazed, and did not bother to fetch her rifle.

Ki’ra dashed forward, determined to make it across the distance between them before the other woman could draw her weapon. Quruk stood still until Ki’ra reached halfway across. Before Ki’ra got close, Quruk flung out both of her hands in a pushing movement. The force slammed into Ki’ra sending her flying backwards until she hit up against the invisible wall that surrounded their fight ring. Ki’ra gasped attempting to suck air back into her lungs. Slowly without any urgency, Quruk pulled her blaster rifle from her back.

She’s going to shoot me.

Fear clawed its way up her throat and Ki’ra struggled to move. Getting hit even once by a blaster bolt would guarantee her defeat. At best she could hope to be stunned, at worst with no armor to protect herself, a bolt like that would kill her. Either way she would lose. And lose quickly at that. Unacceptable.

Ki’ra stilled, and centered her attention on the exact spot Quruk pointed her weapon. She couldn’t move until after Quruk pulled the trigger. Anything before that moment, and Quruk could adjust her aim.

Ki’ra’s breathing centered, her world narrowed in focus. Quruk breathed out, her finger pressing down on the trigger. Blue flash and Ki’ra rolled to the left. The stun blast missed her by a handspan. She used the momentum to get back onto her feet, and continue moving after that. She had mere seconds, she would use them.

Quruk dropped her rifle, the strap catching it before it could fall to the ground. Again she used both hands to stop Ki’ra with the force, a single heartbeat before Ki'ra's saber could pierce into Quruk’s chestplate. This time, she threw Ki'ra upwards. Ki'ra slammed against the top of the forcefield dome and then she fell, landing hard, rolling and using the Force to cushion herself as much as possible. Despite the pain radiating from all over her body, Ki’ra did not let up.

Quruk had no time to even attempt shooting her again.

“Stunning you would hurt less.” Quruk’s modulated voice took Ki’ra by surprise. Once again Quruk’s manipulation of the force cut off her approach. Her bladestaff was ripped from her grasp and thrown. Her speed and momentum brought to a complete halt. Ki’ra could not get close enough to land a blow on Quruk, but as long as she kept the other woman busy, she would not be stunned. She could continue the fight.

Calling it a stalemate would be too generous, eventually Ki’ra would be too beaten to continue. Ki'ra could keep Quruk at bay, but it was clear that Quruk’s abilities with the Force overwhelmed Ki’ra’s own.
What Ki’ra needed was a way to overcome Quruk’s force manipulation. It would be simpler to ask for a pocket sized moon or a sun to wear as a jewel.

Ki’ra reached out with the force and felt for her fallen staff. The threads of connection tightened and she pulled, the staff flying towards her before halting in midair. Ki’ra looked to Quruk who also had her hand outstretched. One hand to keep Ki’ra in place, and the other to pull away her staff. A midair tug-of-war.

Every single time Ki’ra had attempted to approach Quruk, the other woman had used two hands to hold her back. With Quruk’s attention split, could Ki’ra push through?
Taking a step forward felt the same as struggling through sinking sand dunes, but that one step was victory enough. Ki’ra continued to push forward, fighting against Quruk’s phantom hold over her. Each step was confirmation, the impossible was impossible no longer.

They were close now. Ki’ra pushing with all her strength less than a finger's length from Kurk’s outstretched hand. Both of them shook from the effort. Ki’ra reached out her free arm towards Quruk’s blaster rifle. Immediately, if almost on instinct, Quruk released her hold on Ki’ra’s staff and focused fully on Ki’ra, sending her flying backwards, slamming her into the back wall. The force of the impact knocked stars into her vision, and darkened the corners of what she could see.

It didn’t matter though, Ki’ra thought as she clung to consciousness. The moment Quruk released control over the staff, Ki’ra had pierced her through the center.
Quruk fell to her knees, the now extinguished bladestaff rolling away from her.

Faintly Ki'ra heard the sound of Snoke laughing, and felt someone grabbing hold of her shoulder.
The barrier must be down. It was over.

-oOo-

Under Hyliix’s careful watch and care, Ki’ra recovered quickly.

“So, a draw- what does that mean exactly?” Ki’ra asked Hyliix while IT-S00 finished scanning her.

“Without medical intervention you would have died, same as Quruk. So neither of you won, therefore it’s considered a draw. As to how The Supreme Leader will handle ranking you, I don’t know.”

The droid finished scanning Ki’ra and Hyliix scrolled through the results on her datapad. Still seated on the examination table, Ki’ra swung her feet. She felt quite incredible. Maybe it was the meds they had her on, or maybe it was her sense of accomplishment and success.

Ki’ra hadn’t won the duel, but she had prevented Quruk from winning, and that felt very nearly the same.

“Everything looks on track healing wise, Ki’ra.” Hyliix said. “I’m comfortable releasing you from my care unless you want a bit more time.”

Ki’ra hopped down from the examination table. “I’m ready.”

“Good. Get changed. FN-2187 is waiting for you outside.”

Her new uniform was unsurprisingly all black. Similar in style to the other apprentices but clearly a unique design. A high neck durroweave sleeveless tunic with a hood and a light fabric overcoat that crossed at the waist. A thick belt held everything in place. Her pants were loose sturdy material, tucked into thick leather boots that came up under her knee. For her arms there were carbon-cotton sleeves and form fitting leather gloves. She wasn’t armored as heavily as some of the other Knights, but that didn’t bother her. She’d rather be lightweight and quick on her feet.

The most important item would be the mask. Satin black with chrome edging around the eyes.

“That’s you now.” Hyliix said, surprising Ki’ra from behind. “That mask becomes your identity. You will never be in public without it after today.

Ki’ra slipped the metal helmet over her face and onto her head, clasping in the front and back. With a click it snapped into place.
Like the clothes, it fit her with immaculate precision.

Hyliix took a step back, looking at Ki’ra in full. Ki’ra slung her saberstaff over her shoulder.

“The vision is complete.” Hyliix said with an unreadable expression. “You have become a Knight of the Supreme Leader.”

Ki’ra was in perfect comfort. Each piece of this costume was made with her specifically in mind. With the weight of it all and the complete coverage of her body, Ki’ra expected to feel suffocated. Instead, she felt safe, hidden, protected.

Ki’ra left the medbay, and as promised, FN-2187 was there waiting for her.
Ki’ra hadn’t seen him during her recovery. He of course looked unchanged. She wondered what he was thinking, if he would ask her about the fight. She wondered if he had enjoyed seeing her fight.
He studied her, a moment passing between them. She was a Knight now. He offered her a slight inclination of his head, an acknowledgement of her new ranking. Ki’ra ignored the invisible weight of the silver circlet around her wrist.

The halls they traveled were full of busy people. Her suspicions were as such confirmed. The First Order had been hiding her before. Now as they walked down the halls, people would stop and bow as they passed. Ki’ra could sense their feelings, their fear. She had returned to being something worthy of fear.

She could live with this new life. Scavenger, Apprentice, Knight. Better to be at the top than the bottom.

Chapter Text

This was the farthest into the outer rim Rose Tico had ever gone before.

Fixing broken ships at the base was not nearly as unpredictable, dangerous or thrilling as fixing broken things while on the move in a strange planet without access to all her regular tools and supplies. Even in the current moment fleeing from the First Order, Rose felt alive and electric with purpose.

Her first priority of getting Poe Dameron and the others out safely was for the most part accomplished. The borrowed transit ship had fared exceedingly well under Rose’s careful eye and attention. They had flown through the night, only landing when dawn cast a pink glow over the desert landscape and their radar showed no sign of being followed.

Rose climbed out from the inner maintenance hold only to find Jani and Bez waiting for her.

“I can take the first watch.” Rose offered. “I have more work to do on this vessel before we take off again.”

Jani shook her head. “We slept while you and Poe were handling the escape. You’re the one who needs to rest.”

She was right, but Rose felt much too awake to try and rest. Besides, she needed to talk to Poe.

“I’ll rest in a bit.” Rose said as she squeezed past them ignoring their protests. She wiped the grease from her hands with a rag while she walked to the cockpit.

The door was shut. Rose rapped her knuckles against the metal frame. No response. Rose knocked again. Again no answer. She considered waiting for Poe. No, she thought. We don’t have much time. She needed to be brave. Ignoring the nervous butterflies that had appeared in her belly she plugged in the code to open the door. It slid open with a swoosh.

“What color did you say-” General Organa stopped mid-sentence.

Kriff

Poe sat in the pilot’s chair, his arm extended holding a flickering blue holo of General Organa. Rose felt her whole body freeze. She had not expected to interrupt such an important call.

Both of them were looking at Rose. She felt her face flush with heated embarrassment. Instinctively she reached for the Hasian ore medallion she wore on a string around her neck allowing the cool metal to center herself.

“Something to report, Tico?” Poe asked with a raised eyebrow. She didn’t really have anything to report. Nothing that Poe didn’t already know. She glanced briefly at the General.

“I- uh just came to let you know the ship is in good shape. We have enough fuel reserve to make it back to Garq Outpost and reconnect with the rest of our team.”

“Anything else?” Poe could tell she was holding back. Rose was unsure if she should speak her mind in front of the General. She had never spoken with General Organa before. It felt too big for someone as small as her.

“T-thats everything.” Rose stammered. “I’ll leave you both to it!” She added before reaching over to close the door.

“Take care Rose Tico.” General Leia said as the door slid shut. Rose could feel her heartbeat and the heat on her cheeks had spread to her face and neck. What a complete disaster. She regretted trying to be bold.

There was nothing left to tinker or fix but Rose needed her hands to be busy so she climbed back into the maintenance hold, pushing and prodding around for any small fault she could work on. The process soothed her rapid heartbeat.

After some time she heard two solid knocks on the metal trapdoor above her head. She stood from her crouched position, pushing it open in one smooth motion. Poe was waiting for her.

“Now tell me the real reason you needed to talk.”

Her previous self would never have dared to imagine speaking so casually with the Resistance Heros she idolized. Yet something inside her had changed since her first mission.

“I wanted to ask about Rey. Have we heard anything? Is she and Ben okay?” The words came out in a stumbling rush.

“The Star Destroyer has left the system, for good and for bad.” Poe answered

Rose felt this to be good news, but the look on his face seemed to suggest otherwise.

“Wait-” Rose said suddenly. “No word from Ben? He had a comm right?”

Poe offered a wordless nod. Rose put two and two together.

“Do you think they were captured?” Or worse… Rose refused to follow that train of thought.

“I want to be on the rescue mission.” Rose said immediately.

“Slow your roll Tico. We don’t know enough to do anything.” Poe said. “Besides, the General will pick the best people for the job, which might not be us.”

Rose could easily tell that Poe was saying words he didn’t mean. He wanted to chase down any information about what happened to Ben. He would leap at the opportunity for a rescue. He was trying to talk himself out of it as much as her.

Rose hoisted herself out of the maintenance access port and faced Poe.

“She saved my life, Dameron.” Rose said firmly. “I owe her.”

Poe frowned. “She has no love for the Resistance and she’s caught up with the First Order. She’s a dangerous unknown element.”

Rose couldn’t argue with that.

“And yet, she came back for me. She risked her life, that has to count for something.” Poe pulled his fingers through his hair. “If I hear anything I’ll let you know. I won’t promise anything else.”

“Dameron-” Rose started but he cut her off.

“Don’t push your luck.”

-oOo-

It wasn’t long before they took flight again, this time with Jani at the helm while Poe got some much needed rest. They were circling back to Garq Outpost.

Upon arriving at the unchanged concrete town, the first thing Poe pointed out was that The Achiever, Ben’s ship, was still at port. The slight dusting of black ash made it obvious the ship hadn’t moved in days.

That night while the rest of them ate around Poe’s kitchen table, he left without much explanation. Rose followed him without hesitation. The group conversation carried on without them. Outside it was dark; the only light came from flickering street lamps and the blanket of stars above.

Rose kept out of sight, following close enough to keep him in view but far enough to avoid notice. She had a feeling she knew where he was going and every turn they took seemed confirmation of that instinct.

Of course. Rose thought. The Achiever.

Poe tapped a code into the side panel and the ship ramp entrance immediately opened. She watched him board and the ramp closed behind him.

Rose crept closer to the ship. With focus she inputted the combination she had just seen. The ramp opened and Rose slipped inside.

The lights inside were warm in tone. A simple, well worn but well cared for interior greeted her. To her left, the main lounge area and kitchen. To her right the path to the cockpit lay open, and there with his hand on the pilot’s chair, stood Poe Dameron.

Suddenly she was second guessing her choices. Why had she followed him? He clearly cared a great deal for Ben Organa, while Rose had never met the man prior to this trip. She wasn’t a close enough friend to comfort Poe or even understand what he was going through.

It would be better to leave him alone. She could wait outside for him, make sure he got back to the group safe. Rose turned to leave the way she came as quietly as she could manage.

“Tico.” He called out. Kriff. She was caught.

“Uh hi Dameron, I was just- um” Rose stumbled over her words unsure what to say.

“I figured I’d look through the flight logs. You can help.” He said it with a matter-of-fact tone. If Rose didn’t know him better, she’d think he was fine. At the very least he didn’t seem upset at her for following him.

Rose was not a talented slicer by any means, but she did know her way around a ship’s computer. She got to work immediately, focusing her attention on the ship and ignoring how stiffly Dameron stood, or the obvious tension in his jaw. She flipped a few switches to activate the cockpit, and it awoke with light and sound and a strange humming sound.

The ship was a Starlight Class Light Freighter, pretty standard with familiar build. However without even leaving the cockpit she could already see many modifications to the vessel. His choices were…interesting to say the least. A bit more reckless than she was comfortable with, but nothing that gave her too much concern. Her eyes swept over the entirety of the interior, landing on a strange glowing black and red pyramid device, engraved with lines and circles. It was connected to the ship’s navigational computer.

“Have you seen anything like it before?” Poe asked her, noticing her pause. She shook her head. Something about it put her on edge.

“I can access his most recent star chart course.” Rose told Poe.

“Where was he heading?” Poe asked. Rose examined the map. “Woah.” She said softly.

“What is it?” Poe asked, looking over Rose’s shoulder. She hesitated before answering. “He was going way way into the unknown regions of wild space, out past Coruscant. There’s nothing out there, at least nothing charted on this particular map.” She zoomed out and pointed. “We’re here currently, on Nevarro in the Ash Worlds sector of the Outer Rim.” Poe nodded. “His destination cuts clear across the map. It’d be a long trip too- once he crosses out of the Mid Rim territories he wouldn’t be able to travel via lightspeed.”

Poe leaned back, folding his arms across his chest.

“What reason could he have for going so far?” Rose questioned.

“Can you find out anything else?” Poe asked.

“He’s got some hefty security blocking any further access into his logs.” Rose said. “I’m gonna need some time if we don’t want to risk damaging or losing any data.”

She could tell Poe wasn’t happy. He wanted information he could justify acting on.

“We have orders to leave early tomorrow, Tico. Before dawn.” Poe said, staring off into the near distance. “Can you check over the ship and ensure it’s ready to fly? When we’re back at base you can look into it further.”

Rose didn’t allow surprise to show on her face. Leaving already? They hadn’t succeeded in their mission.

“Sure.” She offered him a smile. “Get some rest Dameron.”

“I’ll tell the others.” He told her. “Goodnight Tico.”

He left and Rose was alone with the ship. She stretched. There was a lot to do before the morning. Checking for tracker bugs, the fuel levels, ensuring nothing major was broken, etc, etc. She was happy to do it. However Rose couldn’t help but worry what would be waiting for her back at base. This mission did not succeed. Would they let her out on a mission again?

Maybe this was the end of the road for her ‘Resistance Hero Antics’. Maybe this taste of adventure was enough for her. She could make her peace with it and go back to life on the ground.

Still something pulled at her. Some unspoken ambition. There was more work to be done.

-oOo-

The planet D’Qar was lush and green. Located in the Illenium system it was the chosen site of the primary Resistance Base. This was Rose’s home, ever since she and her sister had left Hays Minor. Seeing it filled Rose with relief. They were lucky to face no troubles on their return trip. All members of the original crew would be returning safe and alive. That was a win in its own right.

They landed. There was no time for rest just yet. Poe was pulled away to meet with the General and give a proper mission report. Rose needed to check in The Achiever and get to work picking apart the ship’s logs. The perk of being back at base was that she could access a variety of niche equipment, too heavy or specific to justify bringing on the mission. She grabbed some nutrition bars, her self-coded data spikes, datapad and a few other bits and bobs before settling down to work. Ben Organa was a careful man, and she would have to coax the information out slowly.

Less than an hour into working on The Achiever, a security question in binary beeped out at her.

“Favorite planet.”

Rose guessed it was asking for Ben’s favorite planet. Or perhaps it was asking for the favorite planet of someone Ben knew, or perhaps the ship had a favorite planet-

Rose pulled out her comm and called Poe. He didn’t answer on the first or second attempt, but on her third try she heard his voice reply.

“Tico.”

She didn’t bother to say hello.

“Ben’s ship needs me to tell it his favorite planet. Got a clue?” She asked him.

“Trick question. I don’t think he has one.” He answered after a moment. “He’s practically married to that ship for a reason.”

“How am I supposed to answer it then?” Rose said frustration creeping into her voice. She could probably brute force her way past the security measure, but it would take more time and risk corruption or damage to the precious information she was trying to retrieve.

“Try ‘none’.” Poe suggested. Rose imputed the four characters and waited. For a moment she feared the worst, the ship shutting down internally or initiating some form of self-destruction. Nothing happened. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“It worked.” She said with a smile.

“Good.” And the comm clicked off as Poe disconnected from the call. Rose shook her head ruefully but returned to work, carefully combing her way through the ship's computer, decoding the information it contained and preparing it to be packaged in an easily readable format that she could pass along to leadership later. Every couple of hours it would ask her a security question, and each time she would call Poe. He didn’t get a single question wrong.

Poe must know Ben really well. Rose thought to herself.

“You’re calling me so much I might as well come help in person.” Poe told her after another successful answer.

“I mean, you’d be bored for most of it.” Rose answered. “But you could if you wanted to, things might go faster that way.”

“I’ll take my chances.” He replied before cutting comms again.

From then on, Poe helped Rose in The Achiever. He brought reports and worked in the background, pausing to help whenever Ben’s security system acted up. They made a good team.

Rose was learning a whole lot about Ben and his ship. She discovered the ship was truly named The Amidala. The name ‘Achiever’ was a decoy. There was actually a whole list of decoy names this ship used, changing with most ports it docked in. Rose liked knowing its true name.

In the evenings she hung out with the other mechanics, or spent time alone in the room she had shared with her sister Paige.

Paige, a talented pilot and gunner, was missing and presumed dead. Rose missed her dearly. She wouldn't accept that Paige was gone for good. There was no proof anyhow. No body. Rose had no option but to wait and keep holding onto hope that her sister would return. In the meantime the more she did to help the Resistance, the better her odds. And maybe, just maybe- earning a higher rank might let her find out more about what exactly happened on Paige's last mission.

Ten days after returning to D’Qar Rose had pretty much scraped every bit of useful information out of The Amidala. Rose turned her attention from slicing the ship's computer, to cleaning and tuning the ship. Despite no longer needing his help with security questions, Poe still kept her company on board the ship, claiming quite dramatically that it was “The only quiet place on the whole planet-!”

Rose knew that wasn’t true but she appreciated the company. Poe was called away for a meeting and Rose waved him off. As she worked, the peaceful atmosphere, the sounds of hanger bay and other mechanics caused her to doze off. Rose slept until she was awoken by the sudden beeping of her commlink. Groggily she answered the call.

“Tico, you busy?” Poe’s voice rang out.

“What-” Rose started but Poe interrupted her.

“Meet me in the Holoroom.” He said and ended the call. Rose rolled her eyes.

The Hangar Bays were buried under a layer of dirt and grass to both act as camouflage and to help regulate the temperature inside without the use of aircon. The rest of the base would be found underground. Rose descended the stone stairs, feeling the air cool with each step. Rose made her way to the Holoroom with ease. Poe was there already, plugging in the door access code.

“Good you’re here.” He said, and the door slid open. “Take a look at this.”

Poe activated the holotable and inserted a data chip. An image projects out from the table, showing a massive crowd and a stage full of First Order officers.

“This is from the planet Wobani.” Poe said. “Previously it was one of the Empire remnants that had stayed independent from both New Republic and First Order control. What we see here is a ceremony celebrating Wobani unifying into the larger First Order apparatus.”

Rose did not like the sound of that.

“Why are you telling me this?” Rose asked. Poe pointed to a group of masked figures standing off to the side of the stage. Snoke’s knights. Rose suppressed a shudder. She didn’t know much about the knights, but they frightened her in a way that regular soldiers could not.

“They’ve got a new one.” Poe said.

“How do you know?”

“There’s only six of them. Well, seven now I suppose. They’re not hard to keep track of. Here I have some better pictures.”

Poe changed the feed away from footage of the ceremony, to high res snapshots. The new knight to the lineup dressed similar in style to the other apprentices, but unique enough to be easily distinguished. The figure wore all black, with no skin showing. Even the hands were gloved. Most unsettling was the mask, matte black with silver edge lines wrapped around the eyes. Rose hated it on sight.

“Judging by the height and build we know it’s not Ben.” Poe said. “But everything else lines up with Rey. Look at the staff, it’s the same as hers.”

Rose shook her head.

“Rey wouldn’t join them. There’s no way. She risked her life to save me, and exposed herself to save Ben. The only thing those images prove is that someone stole her staff.” Rose argued.

Poe leaned back against the wall. Rose pulled her eyes away from the images to look at him, really look at him. The dark circles under his eyes and creased worry in his brow told her enough.

“Maybe you’re right.” He said simply. “I promised to tell you if I heard something about Rey. Now you have to promise you won't share this information with anyone else.”

“I promise.” She answered. He must really trust me. “Have you heard anything about Ben?” It wasn’t her business to ask. She was just a mechanic with no personal ties to the man. But she could see that Poe needed to talk about it.

Poe hesitated, but answered.

“I haven’t heard anything.” He said finally. Rose understood the implication.

“He’s a smart guy, I’m sure he’s going to be okay.” Rose said. Poe gave her a half smile that quickly faded.

“There's intel about where the Knights are heading next.” He began slowly. “The General asked me to put together a crew-”

“I’m in.” Rose interrupted. “When do we leave?”

Poe shook his head with a small smile growing on his face. “I’ll tell you as soon as I know.”

-o0o-

Chapter Text

Nothing about Ben’s situation made sense.

A droid had released him from the restraints Voe had used to bind him to the interrogation chair, freeing him to explore his new prison. By his standards, it was one of the nicer jail cells he’d been confined within. It was clean, and lit with no immediate threats to his safety or health.

The main feature was of course, the interrogation chair. A large bulky metal thing that took up too much space. The other notable features were a narrow cot, placed in a small alcove in the wall, and a tiny refresher room. His only complaint would be that everything was pretty cramped, especially the sleeper cot due to his height.

Voe didn’t visit him once after the first interrogation. Neither did any other living thing. He was trapped in this tiny cell with nothing to do and no way out. Why was she keeping him here? Did Snoke know that Ben was captured and on his ship? Surely they would use him against his mother Leia Organa, and likely undermine her efforts to convince the New Republic to take the First Order threat seriously. He was an ace, a lucky break that would surely either turn the tide of the war towards total darkness, or completely break his mother’s heart.

The only reasonable explanation he could draw is that somehow, for some inexplicable reason, Voe was hiding him.

Pacing around his cell he had nothing better to do than ruminate on his situation, and on Rey.

They’d had her for several day-night cycles by this point. He wondered if she was alive, why they wanted her, why he had chased her into the beating heart of the enemy.

Ben did his best to build a routine for himself, marked by the day-night cycle of the ship and the meals brought by the droid. He exercised, and he practiced his mental defenses in case Voe or anyone else did eventually show up. The respite he enjoyed currently, could not last forever. Despite his best efforts, he felt himself slipping, losing hope. Skipping exercises, spending more time in his bunk. Sleeping hours of time away, and losing track of the days.

What if no one ever came for him? What if he lived the rest of his life in this tiny room?

Ben considered reconnecting with The Force. If he allowed that power to flow back into himself, surely he could break free. Break free, find Rey and escape. It was a good fantasy that he would not indulge. It appeared that Snoke did not know that Ben was captured and imprisoned on his ship. If Ben connected to the Force, it would be the same as lighting up a beacon, drawing Snoke’s attention directly to where he lay trapped.

No, he had to wait for some opportunity to strike, without taking a risk that may expose him sooner than fate deemed necessary.

This is what Ben decided. Despite his resolve he felt his mind unraveling. The mental fortitude he held dear became tougher and tougher to hold onto. Everything in his control was slipping from his grasp. It was easy to let go. Easier to let go than hold on. Despair was a quiet thing that crept inside and grew long thick roots strangling his heart and lungs.

Twenty day-night cycles had passed since his arrival, or maybe more. Ben had weakened significantly. In his dreams a tsunami rose towards him. The entire ocean in one massive wave. He couldn’t hold it back any longer.

Ben Organa reconnected with The Force.

Blinding light, a sort of painful fullness, a stretching sensation as power surged into him. He felt connected. A galaxy full of beaming lights, a web pulled taut.

Some rocky green islands, like jagged teeth reaching out from a watery planet, salty air, his uncle turning, their eyes meeting.

Roots sprawling along a raw stone ceiling, thick wires running a humming power to holo projectors, the cool still air and earthy smell, his mother bathed in teal light, frozen mid sentence.

Glossy black metal walls and floor, filtered air and dimmed lights, truncated triangle window with a thousand stars blinking back and Rey, Rey glowing with the power of a O-type supergiant, her force signature singing, uniquely bright and beautiful. The shock registering on her face, her hands clapping over her mouth. The quiet, “Ben!” She exclaimed, Rey could see him. More than see, Ben knew in that moment that she could sense his exact location in the galaxy, the way he could sense hers. She was alive. She was doing okay.

Ben basked in his connection to the universe, like warm afternoon sunshine filtering through the leaves of a mighty oak. He felt better, energized and rejuvenated.

In the back of his mind something prodded him. There was something important. Something he wasn’t thinking about.

Cold seeped into his awareness, dousing the joy and connection he felt with the Force. The gaze of a giant fell upon him.

Snoke.

A distant roaring, red haze over his vision, he could feel the immensity of Snoke’s anger. It was suffocating, all consuming. There was no focus to his attention, no ready manipulation, just pure unrelenting rage.

Ben needed a shield, he needed his wall, he needed to disconnect before Snoke shredded his mind in careless indiscriminate destruction. Ben had never been so physically near to Snoke before. He had certainly never caught Snoke by surprise.

Then Snoke abruptly left his mind. At first Ben felt relief but that was quickly followed by dread. Snoke left his mind to enter someone else's. He was exposed.

Ben awoke, his clothes soaked with sweat and his heartbeat erratic. Immediately he rolled out of the sleeper pod and moved towards the door. He had his connection back. He needed to get out and get moving before they pinned him down.

With focused attention he moved his awareness to the interior mechanisms of the door lock. It had been a long time since he practiced unlocking a door with The Force, but regardless Ben was still a talented slicer. He knew how the pieces inside fit together and moved. If he had his dataspike it would be quicker but he could manage without. Ben devoted all of his focus to getting the door to open as fast as possible. Any wrong move might trip the alarms. Sweat dripped off his brow, his head began to ache from the pressure of his intense focus. A click and a hiss and the door slid open. His joy at success was short-lived, as standing directly in front of the door was one of Snoke’s Knights.

He stepped back instinctively into a fighting stance. The Knight strode into his cell, and although the appearance did not match anyone he recognized, their Force Signature was singing to him.

Rey? The Knight slammed him up against the back wall of the cell.

“Can you make your light stop?” The Knight demanded, her modulated voice quiet but full of urgency.

There was no doubt in his mind now. It was Rey. She was one of Snoke’s Knights? Was she here to ensure his capture? “I can.” He murmured. “It just takes effort, and weakens me.”

“Do it.” She demanded. “Do it now.”

For a moment he hesitated. His connection acted like a beacon, yes, but without it he would be truly helpless. Did he trust Rey? He couldn’t see her eyes through the black metal mask she now wore, but he could sense her in a clear way. She wasn’t blocking her mind from him, he felt if he focused hard enough he could easily grasp the surface level of her thoughts, and that she might let him do it.

Ben Organa would take this gamble. He put the walls back up, brick by brick, pushing back a flood, blocking away her light.

In one smooth motion she pulled a pair of binders from her waist belt and cuffed his wrists together. He didn’t have time to protest, before she dragged him from the room.

“Act normal. Dejected or something.” She ordered under her breath before whisking them into the stardestroyer’s populous hallways. They walked at an alarming speed, her hand firmly gripping him above his elbow. The officers and stormtroopers they passed moved out of their way, offering salutes or half bows, all of which Rey ignored. Ben’s heart hammered in his chest.

She navigated the maze of identical passageways and turbolifts with seeming ease. Often she used a thin band on her wrist to open doors or activate the turbolifts. The further they walked the fewer people there were around. Eventually they were alone in the dark gray round rectangular tunnel room that held several escape pods. They stopped in front of the nearest one, Rey pausing a moment pressing her hand to her head and closing her eyes. Instinctively he reached for her, awkwardly stopped by the binder cuffs. She looked up, noticing his movement, waved her wrist over his, and the cuffs fell off into her waiting palm. Ben massaged his wrists. She clipped them back onto her belt.

“Are you okay?” He asked quietly. She nodded, but he could tell she was a bit unsteady on her feet. Was Snoke in her mind?

“You-” She started, struggling with her words. “You mean alot to the Supreme Leader, huh.”

It was a statement more than a question.

“What’s so special about you?” She mused. Ben opened his mouth to give some quippy reply about how being born to special people didn't make someone special, but the door to the escape pod opened with a series of beeps and blinking lights interrupting his train of thought.

Inside there was room for eight people to strap in. Ben safely assumed there would be some rations and supplies, at least for a week. For the two of them, that would last more than long enough to escape.

“Get in and get buckled. I have to set it from here.” Rey told him.

“Can I help at all?” He asked her. He could almost hear the briefest smile through her modulated voice.

“It’ll be faster if I do it.” She answered. He nodded and entered the escape pod. He could see the stars blinking through the large reinforced window. It was beautiful. Ben buckled in, securing the straps. He looked back up at Rey.

“Almost done?” He asked her.

She pulled out her communicator, ignoring him. “This is Ki’ra, reporting that prisoner Ben Organa has escaped custody and is fleeing the ship via escape pod SB-010.” Then her eyes met his again. “We’re even now, Ben.” Even through all the layers of modulation from the mask he could hear the firm resolve in her voice. He realized too late what she meant.

Ben began to undo his restraints but it was too late. Rey pressed the outside control panel and the door shut. The pod dropped and he grabbed hold of the seat handle to steady himself but his eyes were on her. He felt frenzied, desperate. Why had she stayed? 

He fell further and further away, his thoughts spiraling at the same speed of the pod. His mind split in focus. Half analyzing the past ten minutes where she helped him escape, and half looking forward. Where was the pod heading? Where would he crash land? How would he avoid recapture?

A part of him expected them to target and destroy his pod. It would be easy. Was that why she comm’d about his escape? If they didn’t destroy his pod, he was sure they would follow it.

Why had she stayed?

Ben turned his attention to the pod window. If the pod would stop spinning, he might stand a chance to identify the constellations and figure out what sector of the galaxy he was in. As it were, he could see occasional glimpses of the planet he was careening towards. A sphere painted with swirling blue and white.

He was exhausted and weak, but hope was a powerful drug. He had a chance to escape the First Order and return to the Resistance. Only living would give him a chance to figure out why Rey had stayed behind. He had to live to find that out. And it didn’t matter that Rey thought this made them even. In his books, he owed her more than ever.

Ben pressed his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. He focused on his breath, and allowed everything else to pass over him. 

Chapter Text

We're even now. Rey thought to herself as she watched Ben's escape pod drop from view.

The image of his face, his hopeful expression dropping into confusion and panic, burned into her mind's eye.

Without turning, and with her hand still resting on the controls, she sensed FN-2187 standing at the far end of the hallway. She felt unusually calm, despite the stupidly precarious position she had put herself into.

She waited to see if FN-2187 would do anything. Activate her cuff, take out her connection… he had numerous methods of disabling her.

Methods he could have employed any moment before she launched Ben’s escape pod. Before she betrayed the First Order.

Ki’ra slowly slid her hand off the controls, turning to face FN-2187. He didn’t move. His gaze through the dark mask was steady and unyielding. The moment stretched between them. He didn't move. She held her ground. They watched each other.

Capture the boy. The Supreme Leader’s last command echoed in her mind. Bring him to me.

Ki’ra had been the nearest Knight he could summon to respond. She had been the nearest simply because she had already been on her way to find Ben. The moment Ben had connected with the Force, Ki’ra had felt him. Before she knew what she was doing, before any reason could take hold of her, she had been dressed and moving, chasing after his force signature.

“You stayed.” FN-2187’s low voice broke Ki’ra from her thoughts.

Would FN-2187 accuse her of treason? He had witnessed her free a prisoner, and yet he had done nothing to stop her. Why hadn’t he stopped her?

“I am loyal to the Supreme Leader.” It was a clear and obvious lie and yet FN-2187 did not question her again.

“Of course, Dame Ki’ra.” He replied smoothly, crossing a hand over his chest and offering her a very slight bow.

Return to me.

The voice of the Supreme leader reverberated through her mind, his slimy gravel voice compelling her in an irresistible fashion. He didn’t stay in her mind long enough for her to reply. She could feel the unmasked rage within the command. It did not matter what FN-2187 did or did not see. The minute she was in The Supreme Leader’s presence, he would reach into her mind and find the truth. Was she valuable enough to keep? Or would he kill her the moment she entered his grand chamber? He would hurt her, there was no escaping that part of her fate.

Why had she gambled her life to save Ben? Why hadn’t she left with him?

The obvious answer would have been the tracking capabilities of her silver cufflet and the agony straying too far would cause. She had stayed to selflessly protect Ben. That was not the truth however. Ki'ra had stayed for a reason she was certain Ben would never understand.

Snoke offered her very nearly everything she had dreamed of as a young girl on Jakku. She would have training, a place of her own, she would never fear hunger or loneliness again. She would be powerful, she would be part of something greater than herself. She felt sick admitting it, even in the privacy of her own mind.

Even if she could escape, Ki’ra knew she wouldn’t.
Rey was a nobody. Ki’ra could become someone who mattered.

“The Supreme Leader called for me.” She told FN-2187 flatly.

“I’ll accompany you.” He replied. And so he did. One step behind her, all the way to the Supreme Leader’s chamber.

As they got closer and closer Ki'ra felt her false calm slip away, replaced by rising emotions that tumbled and swelled. An ocean roared in her ears. Her heartbeat in her throat. There was no other way she could have acted. Now there was nothing left but consequence.

Would Snoke kill her? Was she expendable?

Her previous owners had wanted her to believe she was expendable. On Jakku Unkar Plutt would threaten her, and send his thugs after her but she knew he needed her. She was a good scavenger. There was a line he wouldn’t cross. He couldn’t cross. He couldn’t lose her or disable her or he'd risk a serious blow to his bottom line. Same with the Sombre Council on Ziost. They would do horrible things to her, isolate her, beat her, threaten her life. Anything they could to keep her in line and under control. But Ki’ra knew better. They needed her for their cause. They would never kill her. There was a line they would not cross.

Ki’ra was willing to bet that Snoke would be the same way. He had gone to great lengths to find, hunt down, capture and turn her to his side. He would not throw her away so easily.

She glanced at FN-2187 out of the corner of her eye. Was she relieved he was there following her?

He caught her gaze. For a moment the way the light hit his mask, she could see a glimpse of his right eye. His gaze was fixated on her.

The doors to the lift opened, and Ki’ra pulled her eyes away from him, in order to step out into the red throne room, FN-2187 close behind. Sitting upright on his throne was the Supreme Leader, his hands curled tightly inward into fists. Kneeling in front of his throne was a Knight that Ki’ra had not met directly yet, but she still recognized with ease. Vicrul, Master of the Knights.

There was no blood on the floor, or visible damage to the Knight cloaked in all black. But Ki'ra could sense the agony the other woman was feeling.The Supreme Leader had hurt her, but why?

Draped over the stairs leading up to the throne was a dead body. No life energy, no movement. Deep red spilled out from the man’s eyes, nose, ears and mouth. His uniform, dark gray in color, signified that he once was a General of the First Order.

Ki’ra kneeled next to Vicrul, her technique perfected by hours of study under FN-2187. A cloak of null draped over her connection to the Force, dampening it but not removing it entirely. Ki'ra felt a flicker of appreciation for that tiny thread of connection.

“You failed me, Ki’ra.” The Supreme Leader said, his voice deceptively slow and calm. Ki’ra stiffened just before electric pain shot through her body. She seized involuntarily, her muscles tensing painfully tight. He released her and she nearly dropped prone, quickly putting her right hand out to catch herself, and remain kneeling.

It was a small taste of pain. A reminder.

“Forgive me, Supreme Leader.” Ki’ra said, casting her eyes low. A weight, similar to a heavy boot pressing into mud, Ki’ra felt the Supreme Leader enter into her mind. He proceeded with more care than he did the first time he flipped through her memories however the discomfort she felt remained immense. She could do nothing to prevent his entry, nothing to stop his leisurely stroll through her most recent memories, each step providing a spike of sharp pain in her mind.

“How interesting-” The Supreme Leader droned out, his deep and heavy voice reverberating around the throne room. “I was right about you-” He took a slow breath, a smile pulling at his heavily scarred face. “Reckless… impulsive… fiercely loyal. You pay your debts don’t you, Ki’ra.”

Rey said nothing. She braved a look at The Supreme Leader. There was a gleam in his eye. An expression she couldn’t quite place.

“Ah yes, Ki’ra. I see everything. Your treasonous acts laid bare before me.”

More pain splitting Ki’ra from the centerline of her forehead down to her core. Were the two halves of her pulling themselves apart? She couldn’t breathe, her lungs rebelling against her. Would he pull her to pieces at this very moment? Tear her apart and let her bleed out?

“The man before you dared hide the capture of Ben Organa from me. His ambitious desires clouded his judgment. Look at him and witness his folly.”

Ki’ra did as she was bid, struggling to lift her head to look at the dead man laid before them.

“Permission to speak.” Vicrul’s voice broke through the cacophony of thoughts in Ki’ra’s mind. The pain stopped. Ki’ra breathed deeply.

“The upcoming ritual on Kijimi requires the full strength of all your Knights. She is your weakest. There is no time for her to recuperate in the Medbay.”

“Prudent as always, Vicrul.”

Ki’ra felt The Supreme Leader leave her mind.

“I see your deepest desires Ki’ra. Everything you wish for can be yours. You simply need to repay my kind and forgiving nature.”

Ki’ra lowered her eyes, stilling her face.

“As you command, Supreme Leader.”

She felt distant from her body. Her words came from far away. The formality of her language- she had learned that on Ziost, refined it with FN-2187, but it wasn't truly hers.

Or was it?

She had settled the score. Saved Ben’s life, the way he had saved hers. She owed him nothing else. The pit in her gut deepened.

“Now,” Snokes voice rang out. “How shall I punish you dear Ki'ra.”

Ki'ra stiffened, but remained unmoved.

“Your privileges to freely move are revoked unless escorted. Additonally-” He smiled crudely. "You will be rank six."

Above Quruk? Why?

The Supreme Leader leaned back into his throne, relaxed and pleased with himself. He waved his hand dismissively.

“Go now.” He said. “Make preparations.”

Ki’ra rose in unison with Vicrul. They passed FN-2187 who then followed them out of the room into the lift. The moment they crossed the threshold, FN-2187 removed his barrier to the Force.

“We disembark on the planet Kijimi in six standard hours.” Vicrul said suddenly. “You will go to the Medbay immediately, and then directly to your chambers to rest until departure. You will not speak of what you have done or what was said.”

There was an intensity in Vicrul’s voice that unnerved Ki’ra. An unspoken and unnamed threat in her final sentence.

Vicrul turned to FN-2187. “With me, soldier.” She commanded. He bowed formally to both of them and then followed Vicrul. Ki’ra did as she was bid, and went directly to the Medbay, too exhausted and too in pain for any further rebellion. Hyliix gave her some meds for her pain, and a few batca patches where she had started to bruise. Ki’ra tried to protest what seemed excessive, a bruise will go away on its own fairly quickly- but Hyliix insisted.

“The Supreme Leader,” she explained, “prefers there to be no signs of injury or weakness.”

Ki’ra frowned. “But he did this?” She protested, anger coloring her voice. Hyliix nodded.

“Knights must always appear flawless, unassailable, perfect.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Ki’ra said flatly.

“Very few in the First Order have witnessed your talents, and yet they all offer you respect.”

“That’s because I’m a Knight.” Ki’ra countered.

“Exactly.” Hyliix continued. “Your appearance demands respect, and projects strength. You wouldn’t be a Knight if you were not a formidable fighter strong with the Force. They assume things about you without needing verification. Imagine they saw you limping.”

“Why does that matter?”

Hyliix paused to consider the question. “Consider this. On occasion the Supreme Leader sends his Knights to assist with First Order diplomacy-”

“Like when he sent us to Wobani? We didn’t do anything really.”

The trip to Wobani had been short, a few days. The planet was cold and gray, covered in constant clouds that created a gloomy, chilly atmosphere. It was her first time really seeing or spending time with the other Knights. They stood in the room while negotiations took place and acted like personal bodyguards to the First Order diplomats, escorting them around Wobani’s central operations hub. There was never any attacks or danger and at the end of it all they stood on a stage in front of a crowd of people and again did nothing.

“Yes, exactly. So why send you?”

Ki’ra didn’t have an answer.

“The galaxy fears the Knights. Your presence alone is enough to sway negotiations in The First Order’s favor. Now Wobani is part of the First Order, and we have access to their massive manufacturing capabilities.”

Ki’ra mulled over this thought. It left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Vicrul said we are going to Kijimi, is it for the same reason?” Ki’ra asked.

“No. Kijimi is different.”

“Will you be going this time?”

“I will.”

“Does that mean it’ll be dangerous?”

Hyliix paused before answering. “It might be.” She said, “But that shouldn’t worry you. The Knights take care of their own.”

-oOo-

Ranked second lowest among the Knights, Ki’ra boarded third to last, followed by Quruk and then FN-2187 onto The Night Buzzard, an Oubliette-class transport saved exclusively for the Knight’s personal use. No other First Order personnel boarded the ship. Quruk took the helm and immediately began take-off procedures. Hyliix went to the onboard medbay. Vicrul and Ushara disappeared into separate rooms, while the rest of the Knights settled into the circular inset lounge area. Ki’ra hesitated to follow them, but settled down across from Ap’lek and Cardo next to Trudgen. FN-2187 remained standing, his dark gray suit blending into the wall, making his presence nearly unnoticeable to the eye. In truth, for Ki’ra and she assumed for the Knights as well, where he stood lay a gap in the Force. A hollow in the shape of a man. Something impossible to ignore.

Even still the Knights did ignore him. Ki’ra did her best to follow their lead, but her eyes would inevitably stray to him from time to time. Despite his presence as a persistent reminder of the leash Snoke kept them all on, Ki’ra felt more comfortable with him than any of the other Knights.

The moment they settled in, the other Knights began removing their helmets much to Kira's surprise.

Cardo caught her eye.
“You're allowed to take it off when it's just us, newbie.” Her tone came across as teasing but her steel colored eyes were cold.

“Right, of course.” Ki’ra knew that. It was one of the things FN-2187 had gone over with her. However this was the first time the other Knights had removed their masks in front of her.

Ki’ra reached her gloved hands back to feel for the hidden release button. With a press, her helmet hissed as it depressurized allowing her to slip it off and set it by her side.

Without the masks her fellow Knights looked so much younger than she had imagined. Not much older than herself. She couldn’t help but study the strangers in front of her. Cardo was clearly human, her hair was cut short and the color of sand, her skin a somewhat lighter shade. Her armored costume was bulky and with her overcoat pushed to each side, Ki’ra could see the array of weaponry, tools and other assorted items kept on her person. A heavy kit for such a short person.

Ap’lek’s helmet included a long fabric hood, that when removed now revealed seven or so tendrils protruding from the back of his head, two of which rested on his shoulders. His eyes were large and completely black contrasting sharply with his blue-green skin. Ki’ra had never seen anyone like him before.

Sitting nearest to Ki’ra was Trudgen. His armor had always been the most interesting to her, on account of the variety of scavenged things incorporated into it. His mask specifically was made partially from the helmet of a Death Trooper. Ki’ra had scavenged some of their armor herself back on Jakku in the wreckage of The Inflictor. Earned herself twenty-five entire portions from that find alone. The man behind the mask could pass for human if it wasn’t for his pale indigo skin and solid red eyes.

“Have you ever visited Kijimi before?” Ap’lek broke the silence, directing the question towards Ki’ra, who startled back into the present.

“I haven’t” She answered truthfully. “What is it like?”

“Cold. Miserably so.” Cardo chimed in, slouching backwards into her seat.

“It’s not so bad.” Ap’lek replied cheerfully. “The air is nice, fresh and crisp. Better than the recycled stuff we have on the ship.”

“Of course you think that.” Cardo whined, turning her attention back towards Ki’ra. “There are extra thermals for us that help regulate temperature. You should put some on under your clothes before we land. Unless you’re a freak that likes that cold-”

“-Not a freak, just built better.” Ap’lek said, lacing his fingers behind his head.

“I hate the cold.” Ki’ra confessed. “I'd rather be too warm than too cold.”

She thought back to lonely nights on Jakku, when all the day’s heat had seeped out of the sand leaving a terrible chill. Or worse on Ziost- a planet that never warmed, where the sun never pushed past the clouds to touch her skin.

Despite the light tone of her voice, Ki'ra felt wary. They were talking to her, and quite casually too. A complete switch from their earlier Wobani mission. What changed?

“Come on Ki’ra,” Cardo said. “I’ll show you where we stow the extra gear.”

Ki’ra followed Cardo a bit away from the seating area, to a narrow side room that Cardo opened with the wave of her wrist. Inside were wall to floor metal shelves absolutely stuffed full with different kinds of supplies and gear. Immediately enraptured by the variety of items, Ki’ra couldn’t help but start cataloging it all in her mind. Comlinks, long range transceivers Electrobinoculars, Binders, Comm Jammer, A99 Aquata Breathers, CamoNetting, Climbing gear, Condenser Units, Syntherope, Field Rations, Nutribars, Fire Paste, Crashsuits, Slicewire-

Cardo slammed into Ki’ra, pushing her against the back shelving wall, a humming vibro-knife cold against Ki’ra neck.

“You’re new here so I’ll make this quick. You are at the bottom of the ranking for a reason. You’re going to stay there. We have roles and we stay in them. And when Quruk challenges you to a duel, you'll be put back in your place.”

Anger flashed in Ki’ra gut. Her awareness of her surroundings split in two, and the living Force took precedence over her physical sensations. Cardo's body pressed into Ki'ra's, the hard metal shelves against her back, but what held her in place was more than an arm and a knife. The energy of the woman in front of her shone with bright power. Strings of connection held Ki’ra taut.

“Get off me.” Ki’ra said through gritted teeth. She pushed at Cardo’s hold over her, to no effect.

“I could leave a pretty little mark here, just as a reminder yeah?”

“You'd regret it.” Ki'ra hissed. She grasped at the Force in an attempt to wrestle control of the vibro-knife away from Cardo. She could get hold of the knife but could not move it. Cardo’s grip tightened.

“Oh I'm sure.” Cardo said entirely unconvincingly. “Hylixx would fix it…perhaps if I cut deep enough-”

Cardo pressed the blade into the soft skin where Ki'ra's jaw met her neck, just over the top of her tunic, overpowering Kira's attempt to push the vibroknife away. A small sharp pain, nearly unnoticed, bloomed into Ki'ras's attention. She gasped in shock.

“Vicrul won't appreciate you wasting Hyliix’s supplies or time.”
Quruk's voice cut through, jolting them both back into the world.

Cardo released Ki'ra, both physically and through the Force. She seemed unfazed and entirely unapologetic while Ki'ra was certain her own feelings were painted plainly on her face. Ki’ra could feel her flushed cheeks and heavy heartbeat, her body was ready to fight.

“I didn't do any harm.” Cardo said, turning her attention back to the shelves. “In fact I'm being very helpful.”

“Sure.” Quruk said without emotion.

“What are you even doing out here anyway?” Cardo asked, crossing her arms.

“Trudgen’s covering. I came for a nutri-bar.”

Cardo grabbed a bar and tossed it to Quruk.

“Happy?” Cardo quipped.

“Very.” Quruk replied flatly, leaving the storeroom her gaze never once landing on Ki'ra.
Ki'ra's eyes followed Quruk, lingering on the empty door frame. Quruk didn’t have a strong Force presence. Ki’ra knew that both she and Cardo were stronger.

Even so, her abilities are better trained than mine. Ki’ra thought mutely.

“Focus up Ki'ra” Cardo said without so much as a glance backwards.

She began pulling different items from the shelves, thermals, a slim Electro-warming vest, a few ration packs, a magnesium fire starter and sparker, handing it all to Ki'ra who accepted the items mutely. Ki’ra couldn’t help but think about Quruk. Something about her unmodulated voice was familiar…she reminded her of the mechanic on Navarro. Rose?

This woman was taller and older than Rose but carried a distinct resemblance. Was Ki’ra imagining things? Making connections where there were none? Quruk, like Rose, was human, with soot dark hair pulled back out of her face and matching dark eyes. There was a grave seriousness around her.

“Last thing.” Cardo peeled the backing off a bacta-patch and moved to place it on Ki'ra who instinctively dodged her hands.

“Hey hold still. You're gonna waste a bacta-patch.”

Like shifting sand dunes. Ki'ra thought to herself. She reached out her hand to grab the patch but Cardo pulled away.

“Don't be silly. Let me help” Cardo smiled with teeth but her eyes remained cold.

Ki'ra frowned. She reached out with The Force intending to take the patch. Yet Cardo's connection shone with bright light, surrounding the patch. Ki’ra could not pull it free. A hot flush crept up her neck onto her cheeks.

“You just won't get it, will you.” Cardo said flatly.

Cardo closed both her hands into fists. Ki'ra froze in place, unable to move once again. With a crushing slowness, Cardo placed the patch on the cut just under the immobile Ki'ra's chin. The immediate cooling and soothing effect blocked out the tiny stinging sensation of the cut.

“I think that'll do.” Cardo said with a satisfied smirk giving one final pat on the armload of items she had handed to Ki'ra. All Ki'ra could do was glare as Cardo walked out of her line of sight. She could sense her, close to her back. The hairs on her neck lifted.

“The sooner you learn, the happier you'll be.” Cardo said

Ki'ra's powers with The Force had always set her apart from the rest. In this moment she knew she was the strongest she had ever been with the Force, yet easily so easily the shorter woman commanded her.

It was unacceptable.

Ki'ra strained against Cardo's hold.

“Stupid and stubborn. Fine, stay here and learn something.”

Cardo left, the door sliding shut behind her. Ki'ra remained, stuck in place. The light flickered off leaving Ki’ra in the dark.

How long would Cardo leave her like this? Ki’ra closed her eyes and focused inwards. Even still her own body refused to obey her command. She needed a different approach. Her sight and hearing would be useless in the dark supply closet, so she stretched out with the aid of The Force, seeing the supply closet in full, pushing further out into the ship. Tracing the outlines of every shape and form, and the light of the other Knights onboard.

This was not a skill she had practiced, and her view was severely limited. But it would be enough. She would make it enough. She could see Cardo sitting with the others again, laughing.

What else is in the room with them?

Blurry and hard to identify the shapes and forms the Force moved around and within. Ki’ra took it slowly, sweeping her awareness around the interior of the Night Buzzard. Finally she sensed something she could use.

A steaming cup of hot caf, freshly brewed securely placed within the seating console’s cup holder.

Ki’ra narrowed all her concentration to that cup and Cardo’s presence. To manipulate something using the Force, without personally seeing it, was incredibly difficult. She had to both sense it with the Force, and move it simultaneously, splitting her concentration.

The cup jittered. Sweat dripped off her brow.

Only one shot. Ki’ra told herself. Make it count.

The world around her ceased to exist. Nothing but the cup remained. With a sudden jerk, the cup flew upwards and Ki’ra tossed its contents onto Cardo.

Cardo screamed in some mixture of surprise and pain. Her hold dropped and Ki’ra was free. Ki’ra released the items she was holding, and burst out of the closet, summoning her staff with the Force, feeling it hit into her palm. She lept upwards and swung down on Cardo’s skull.

Less than a second before contact, Ki’ra was frozen again. She could tell it wasn’t Cardo this time holding her still above the ground.

“Enough!” Vicrul’s voice reverberated around the space. Color flooded back into Ki’ra vision, sight smell all of it. Her focus lost, the cup prone on the ground.

FN-2187 unmoved by the door. Watching her.

Gently she was released. Ki’ra cushioned her own short drop with the Force and faced Vicrul.

Vicrul’s features were no longer secreted away under her grid pattern mask. Her moon-colored hair and pale green eyes contrasted starkly against her dark skin. The strength of her presence beamed outwards, cowing Ki’ra and all the others. Her expression contorted, furious and unyielding.

“Fights outside of the Ranking duels are forbidden!”

Cardo, Trudgen and Ap’lek all lowered their heads in deference. Caf dripped off Cardo onto the floor. Ki’ra straightened her back. She had been humiliated enough today.

“All you have here is each other. You have nothing else! You have no one else!”

Ki’ra did not expect or understand Vicrul’s anger. Why shouldn’t they fight every chance they get? It was clear, rule of the strong over the weak. Why wait to press an advantage? Why hold back against an enemy?

“If you want to duel- you will make a formal request! Otherwise you spar- with care! I might add. Safely!”

None of them dared speak, dared risking Vicrul’s direct attention.

“Am I understood?” She asked. Ki’ra wanted to protest. To argue that Cardo had started it, and that she would only like to finish it, but FN-2187 caught her eye. Still watching her, he offered a simple shake of his head. Ki’ra bit her tongue.

“Understood, Vicrul.” Cardo muttered bitterly. Vicrul turned her attention to Ki’ra.

“Am I understood Ki’ra.” Vicrul punctured each word as she said it, daring her to argue.

“I understand.” Ki’ra said through gritted teeth.

“Good.” Vicrul said. “I don’t want to see any of you until we land. Cardo go to the medbay. Everyone else- Disperse.”

The others obeyed immediately. Ki’ra looked around. She didn’t know much of the layout for this ship. Or where she should scurry off to.

“Not you.” Vicrul said. Ki’ra felt her stomach drop.

“Walk with me.”

Ki’ra slung her staff over her shoulder, picked up her helmet and followed Vicrul.

There wasn’t far to walk. Vicrul waved her wrist opening access to the lower midship cannon turret. A cramped space only made for one, but Ki’ra did not protest.

“Sit.”

Ki’ra obeyed. Vicrul remained standing in the small space in front of the exit door. What could she want from me?

“I understand you are having a difficult time adjusting to the group.”

Ki’ra blinked in surprise.

“Most of the Knights have been together for many years. We have become-” She paused as if looking for the right words.

“- tightly knit.”

“I see.” Ki’ra said not understanding at all.

“You’ll feel the same in time.” Vicrul said, her voice unexpectedly gentle. “This is your home now. After this mission, everything will become easier.”

Ki’ra nodded, feeling very small. In that moment she felt a tiny inexplicable pressure in the back of her mind. The moment she realized, it withdrew completely.

“Eyes on me Ki'ra.” Vicrul asked. Ki'ra obeyed. Vicrul's eyes were a difficult shade of green to pin down. Like a dyed tunic faded in the sun or the racing stripe on a ship lost under thick dust. A sense of calm draped over her. She could feel her pulse slow.

“I want you to come to me if any of the others harass you again. Understood?”

“I understand.” Ki’ra said, knowing she would rather die than snitch to Vicrul.

“Good.” Vicrul smiled and Ki'ra couldn't help but also smile. She felt very light, distant from herself. It had been more than a day cycle since she last rested. Maybe she could sleep before they landed on Kijimi.

“Stay with me Ki'ra.”

Obediently Ki'ra returned Vicrul's intense gaze.

“Now,” Vicrul began, her voice low. “Tell me everything you know about Ben Organa.”