Hux strode in confidently, his Stromtroopers dragging a small woman in with them.
Though it had been years since he had seen her, her expression was the exact same as Kylo remembered, beautiful and angry. Her appearance showed signs of a struggle, her hair had been pulled loose, a few stray strands falling over her face. She had been hit, a cut on her lower lip looked raw and fresh. Her pilot's uniform had been ripped as well; she wore tight white pants, high boots, and a tight white top, but her top had been ripped at the neck, so that it sat unevenly on her shoulders.
She had been gagged, and her hands were tied behind her back, but she held her head high as the troopers pushed her into the room.
"I told you she was not to be harmed, General." Kylo reprimanded angrily.
Hux and his troopers stopped before Kylo, Hux's expression unaffected by Kylo's comment.
"You also told me to deliver her," Hux's bored voice echoed in the small room, "it should come as no surprise that she did not come willingly."
Kylo approached the girl, standing over her as if to inspect her. Her injuries did appear to have been given with restraint, it did not appear that Hux had injured her unnecessarily.
Kylo reached to remove Rey's gag.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, " Hux interjected, "Her bark is as bad as her bite. The girl is practically feral."
Kylo lowered his hands and turned to Hux. He spoke quietly and forcefully, "Leave."
Hux narrowed his eyes slowly, glaring at Kylo, but turned and left.
Kylo turned to the troopers still holding Rey. Despite the expressionless blank façade of his mask, the message was clear: his order had been intended for everyone. The troopers quickly dropped their hold of Rey and left the room.
Rey kept her gaze focused on him, her expression fearless and determined. Her eyes were narrowed, her brows furrowed.
She feigned indifference to the change in the room, appearing unaffected by being left alone with him. Kylo sensed the cracks in her façade – he was an intimidating man, taller than her by almost of foot and significantly wider and stronger than the average man. Their size difference was so great it could have been misinterpreted as a species break.
He stepped towards her again, reaching to gently untie the gag around her mouth. He took a deep breath as he lowered it, seeing her whole face.
He had braced himself for an onslaught of insults and swears, but was instead met with icy and silent contempt.
She glared up at him, unmoving.
"I apologize for Hux's behavior." Kylo said quietly. "He was instructed not to harm you."
She said nothing, and continued to glare.
Kylo tried again, "General Kenobi, it's been a long time."
Her expression remained stony, but she said, "Sure has." Her voice was deep and strong, nothing like the breathy high-pitched squeals he had known as a boy. It took him a moment to adjust to hearing her adult voice, and yet, even in those two words, he could hear the tones and inflections of the girl he had known.
He wondered if she could recognize anything of the boy she had known. His voice was changed by his mask and his face completely obscured. He had always been taller than her, having been older and even amongst the boys his own age he was often the tallest by a foot at least.
He had loved to lord his height over her. He would tease her by holding toys over her head or by throwing her over his shoulder to make her come play with him on morning when she was trying to sleep in. He remembered how she would tip her face completely up, her chin directed straight in the air, so that she could yell at him directly into his face. He was grateful for his mask as he felt a smile creep over his face at the memory.
Even now, she was glaring at him, her chin tipped up as she used to do – but the woman before him was not that child anymore. Her elegant full face had lost all of its youthful cheer. The years had given her a more angled look, her jawline sharp, and her cheekbones high. She had a small scar through her left eyebrow.
"What were you even doing on Corellia?" he asked, still surprised that Hux's landing party had spotted her in an open market, unprotected and alone. He had spent the past three years trying to catch her, searching, hunting and missing her by inches each time, and somehow Hux had found her on a routine inspection.
She blinked, surprised by his question, "I-" she paused and reconsidered, "Let's get this over with. What do you want?"
Kylo took a deep breath. He had a lot to explain and he needed her to understand.
"Perhaps no one in the Resistance ever told you this, but you and I are," He paused, "…betrothed."
She grimaced, clearly she had been told, "We were." She corrected.
He continued, "The eight years during which the galaxy was governed by the Naboo Charter were years of peace and prosperity. Starblood was cured, the Bandorian Hospital was built, the Central Exchange was stabilized, the Urtk Clans jailed and the spice smugglers rooted out."
If at first, Rey was stunned by his choice of subject, she had quickly recovered and boldly interjected, "I don't need a history lesson, I know what happened. The First Order's secret militia on Dantooine put an end to all of that."
"The militia was a lawful defense operation, protected by the Niroute Declaration-,"
Rey scoffed, "The Niroute Declaration never cleared the New Republic Congress,"
"The New Republic Congress didn't have the authority to approve or disapprove of a federation doctrine,"
"The Niroute Declaration was a not a federation doctrine, it was galactic doctrine because the systems -"
Kylo cut her off, "Look, we may disagree about why the war started, but you must agree that since the Naboo Charter was nullified, the galaxy has suffered."
Rey shook her head dismissively, "Of course."
Kylo's heart began to beat quickly in his chest. He stepped towards her again, watching her tilt her face up to look at him. He took a deep breath and said, "I want to reinstate the terms of the Naboo Charter."
Her jaw fell slowly open, her eyes widening in shock, and then narrowing in suspicion and scorn. After a long pause, she began to shake her head at him, her expression of shock having faded into one of disgust and loathing – just as he had feared.
"You disgusting monster," She spat, her voice deeper and shaking.
He lowered his gaze to the floor, frustrated at her rejection. He had suspected that the idea would repulse her, but had hoped to have the opportunity to get her to consider the idea.
She continued to shake her head at him, "You selfish, greedy, power-hungry, bastard! Is there nothing you wouldn't do for power? You'd marry yourself to a stranger, to an enemy just to gain yourself power!"
He reeled from her words, and looked back to her face. "Power?!" He yelled. "Power? This has nothing to do with power – I don't give a damn about that."
She rolled her eyes and scoffed again.
He stepped towards her, his hands raised and open, "I want peace." He emphasized the word "peace", speaking it with reverence.
The anger fell from her face. She said nothing as his words echoed in the room.
"I just want peace back in our galaxy." He spoke softly.
She considered him, and remained silent for a long moment, then said sarcastically, "So end the war."
She raised one eyebrow and glared at him as if she had challenged him to dare.
"Conceding to the Resistance would doom the galaxy to decades of anarchy and disorder akin to that of the Old Republic. Your organization doesn't have the power to keep the Inner Rim planets in order, and the factures would result in mess of local wars and lawlessness."
She glared at him, opening her mouth to rebut his statement, but he continued, "At the same time," his kept the tone of his voice conciliatory, "The First Order will never win over the Outer Rim planets, meaning so-called Freedom Fighters will forever plague the militia's defenses. We will never be able to rule effectively as long as our forces have to divide their attentions."
She closed her mouth, her lips tightening into a straight line. His analysis of the situation matched exactly what she had been saying to her Admirals for years, and the conclusion of the facts was clear: this war will never end.
Which brought them back to his proposal: the Naboo Charter.
Her stomach fell as she realized what he was saying: this war will never end, unless we instate the Naboo Charter. She gasped briefly for air.
The Charter had been written to unite the Populist and Centrist movements. War had plagued the galaxy for over a generation but for a short time the two parties had agreed to end the fighting under the charter's terms: the galaxy would fall under a governing monarchy, an authoritative entity of centralized power that would be balanced by a galactic senate in which the voice of the people would be powerfully represented. The Charter clearly stated the nature of the monarchy: it was agreed that both ideologies must be represented. As the leaders of their respective parties, it was demanded that the Skywalker's and the Kenobi's agree to an arranged marriage between their children.
The families agreed, and for eight years, the galaxy lived in peace, waiting for their would-be monarchs to grow to be of age. Rey recalled that after the war resumed, her mother would to refer to those years the Days of Harmony.
Rey raised her gaze back to Kylo, who had been waiting quietly for her to work through his argument.
"Take off your mask," She demanded suddenly.
He was taken aback by her statement, "Are you really so shallow? What I am suggesting will bring peace to the entire galaxy and you're worried about my looks?" He had no pride in his looks –no one besides himself had seen his face in years, but he was certain he was plain or even ugly by most standards - but even if he had had a face to be proud of, he knew he could never have matched her in looks.
"I am not going to discuss the possibility of marriage with your mask." She raised her eyebrow again in sarcastic demand.
He regretted his defensive comment. He wore his mask in order to keep people at bay, to create distance between himself and others, and to prevent anyone from trying to get close to him. Of course it would prove a barrier between himself and Rey as he asked the poor girl to spend her life shackled to him in the name of politics.
He reached up and unclasped the mask, pulling it slowly off his head.
She reacted to his face, drawing in a quick breath and staring at him intently. He couldn't read her reaction, but felt confident she would not react to him with attraction or appreciation. He wondered if she recognized him.
He realized she was still handcuffed. Her point about his mask made him appreciate that he had been approaching this conversation poorly. If his plan was going to work, she needed to understand exactly what she was getting into, and agree to it without coercion. It had to be a mutual understanding between two equals.
He stepped towards her to undo her cuffs, but she instinctively stepped away. He hesitated awkwardly, wishing for the first time in his life that he were smaller and less intimidating. She must feel like a wamp rat facing off with a gundark.
He tried again, moving slowly and gently towards her, and this time she remained still, watching him intently, suspicious but curious about his intention.
He approached her, facing her and looking down into her face as he reached behind her to undo the cuffs. He didn't want to hide anything from her. He wanted her to know the face she was considering marrying, to know what it would feel like to have him close.
She seemed to understand, and allowed him to reach around her waist, to gently undo the cuffs that held her hands behind her back. He gripped one of her tiny wrists in his large hand. She looked up to his face, studying him as he stood inches from her. She did not lean away, or pull back as he worked on the second latch of the cuffs. Her expression was contemplative and considering.
They both heard the click of the second latch and felt the cuffs come free. For a short moment, neither of them moved, but after a pause, Kylo backed away, a sense of regret filling him as the space between them widened.
He sighed quickly. He reminded himself that his proposition was a political one: they needed to be able to wed without revulsion. Attraction was not necessary, and in fact would likely ruin the scheme.
She rubbed her wrists, which had been left red and raw by the cuffs, "Thank you." She stated quietly.
He waited for her to speak again. He had explained what it was he was suggesting, justified his reasoning, provided her his analysis. It was now in her hands to consider and respond, so he waited.
Rey wrinkled her nose slightly. It was an expression of thought, and not disgust, as he had feared at first. She was thinking it all through.
She met his gaze, looking up at him reflectively, "If any of the systems think either of us have been coerced, that we have fractures between us, or that we have been disloyal – it would ruin everything."
He nodded, "Yes. It would need to be a true union, in the vain of the old monarchies."
She nodded too, her gaze suddenly far away, and her thoughts pained. "I have a partner… he is not going to like this."
"Dameron will learn to live without you." Kylo's stomach turned slightly. Kylo's grudge against Poe was far-reaching and nearly as old as himself. He hated to admit that there was a very petty piece of him that delighted at the idea of stealing away something Poe cared about, as Poe had done to him nearly a hundred times before.
She sighed, sadness washing over her face for a moment. He waited patiently for her to think it through.
She recovered slowly, her determination growing, she looked back to Kylo, her face full again with resolve. "What would be required of me?"
Kylo shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't ever thought past convincing her of the merits of the arrangement, the details had never mattered. He had no idea what should be required of her.
"I'm not sure. We will need to appear to all the galaxy as a united pair – any rumors to the contrary could reignite the war. More to the point, there are many who will not be happy with this union - it will strip some of the power they have had during the war."
Rey nodded and he continued cautiously, "Therefore we will need be a united pair. We will need to trust each other fully."
Rey grimaced briefly, but recovered. She asked quietly and thoughtfully, "How can we do that? We have been enemies as long as I can remember."
Her words stung, but he could hear the sincerity of her tone. He said quietly, "You may not remember, but there was a time when we were not enemies. We trusted each other then."
She nodded grimly. He suspected she remembered it more than she let on. He could feel the memory of her tugging on his hair, giggling gleefully in his ear as he carried her on his back. He could remember presenting her with a small white flower, which she had carried in her pocket for months, until the evacuation from Naboo when the Populist guards had pulled it from her screaming clutches as they pushed her through decontamination. He could remember seeing her trembling form standing alone in the wash station, staring into her tiny hand out-held where the flower had been. He remembered trying to wave goodbye as he was pulled away in the opposite direction by Centrist guards. It was the last time he had seen her before he was sent to Corescant, to live in Centrist territory. It was the last time he had seen her until today.
"What happens next?" She asked, breaking him from his reverie.
"If you agree, we will announce our intentions to the leaders of the Resistance and the Fist Order, and then to the local planetary governors. The Charter is quite precise about how the preliminary steps are to be executed, and the governmental procedures have been outlined fairly exhaustively." He paused and said, "I want to be clear, if you do not agree, I will provide you a ship with enough fuel to get you wherever you want to go. You are not a prisoner aboard this ship, and are free to simply leave."
She nodded. "Hux would not be happy about that." She said sarcastically.
Despite himself, Kylo chuckled, "Hux will not be happy if you choose to stay."
"Who's to say anyone even wants this? We could say we are going to reinstate the Naboo Charter and the galaxy could go right on fighting its war." Rey asked.
"You are the noble and beloved war hero of the Populists, and they will follow you wherever you lead them. The galaxy is tired of war and if you show them a way out, they will love you even more for it."
"Can you promise the same from the Centrists?"
"Yes." Kylo said confidently, "The respect of the Centrists goes to those with the most strength and power, which has been me for almost a decade now. And they, too, are tired of war."
Rey walked to the viewport, gazing out over the stars and considering the magnitude of her decision. Kylo hesitated, unsure if she wanted company in her contemplation.
She turned from the viewport to look at him, "And then we are supposed to govern over all of this?"
He walked over to her to join her at the viewport. If they were going to be a team, they had best start now. "Yes, we will be balanced by the Galactic Senate, but yes."
"Where will we live?"
Again, she surprised him by her question – in the years he had been pursuing her to propose this idea, he had never considered their living arrangements for if she agreed. He wondered if he always expected her to reject him.
"I don't know. Can't we figure that out later?" He asked.
"Yes." She said quietly, turning back to the viewport.
He realized his answer had made her sad; she was looking for answers. She was trying to picture her future, a future that had shifted drastically in the past hour of conversation.
"Where would you like to live?" He asked.
He could see her thinking it over, scrunching her nose in thought.
"Naboo seems appropriate." She answered, finally.
"Yes." He agreed.
She turned to look up at him, "I'm ready."
He nodded, "You need to be sure, Rey." Her gaze snapped up to meet his as he said her name.
"I'm sure, Ben." She said. It broke his heart to hear her say his name, the name he despised, the name he had rejected… the name he had taught her when she was young.
Thanks for reading! This has been floating around my head for a long time and I just had to get it out. Feedback is appreciated and encouraged. I am totally in love with this fandom, and with all you cool cats in the Reylo trashcompactor with me.