A/N: Hello, first time caller, long time listener… I've been writing FanFiction for many years, but this is my first time dipping my toe into the Star Wars waters. I hope it's warm.
While I've never written Star Wars, I've been in the fandom for many years as I was a fan of the Extended Universe books, in addition to loving the movies and the Knights of the Old Republic games. Here's hoping I don't screw this up royally because I would hate to do that. If I do, just blame Reylo… they've got my brain tied up in knots. Also, I am a tad bit rusty.
WARNING: THIS IS UNBETA'D. MY MISTAKES ARE THE ONLY THING I OWN. THE REST BELONGS TO LUCASFILM/DISNEY, ALONG WITH MY STAR WARS LOVING HEART.
Symbiosis [sim-bee-oh-sis] NOUN: The living together in intimate association or close union of two dissimilar organism; interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.
Rey was miserable, and she wasn't supposed to feel this way.
Since fleeing Crait aboard the Millennium Falcon, Rey had been constantly surrounded by people. So much of her life she had been secluded from others and now they were everywhere she went inside of the tiny, crowded freighter. Friends and new acquaintances were talking to her constantly as they trekked through the star-filled universe in search of asylum, telling her that they owed her a debt for her role in their rescue. Among them she was a part of a make-shift family, all striving towards a common goal.
She'd never been so needed and appreciated and, yet, she had never felt more alone. Her nerves were jagged with unrest and she was beginning to feel that she might suffocate if she didn't find some time by herself to just breathe.
Eventually they'd found refuge on a long-forgotten planet called Dantooine, another one of those grassy places that she'd never dared to imagine back when all that surrounded her was sand. This place contained sparkling lakes of cool waters and a temperate climate that stood in such drastic contrast to her long-time home of Jakku that she found it difficult to believe it was real.
One breath of the aromatic air and she'd taken off running, impatient to find some solace. Trying to flee from the stifling feeling of the nomadic throng who only made her feel more isolated, Rey had headed off in a random direction and only stopped when her lungs felt that they'd give out from the effort.
She'd come to the edge of a cliff, one that overlooked a vast plain of swaying green grasses, and fell to her knees in exhaustion. Once she'd taken a moment to recharge she leaned back to rest, sitting down in the dirt, her hands on either side of her gripping the earth beneath her, trying to find an anchor for her swirling thoughts.
Reaching out through the Force she focused on the energy buzzing around her, the life she could feel blanketing this planet helping her fractious spirit feel slightly more even and centered. She allowed herself to fill up with the harmony that the nature enveloping her projected, reaching deep into the core of the planet in search of the stability she had been craving.
Then a presence slammed into her consciousness, bringing with it the equilibrium she had been so desperately seeking. And she cried out in shear relief before she could stop herself.
She had missed him.
Kylo Ren was now the Supreme Leader of the First Order, yet inside he felt hollower than he'd ever thought possible.
Since letting the remainder of the Resistance slip through his fingers on Crait he'd been distracted at best and disinterested at worst. The only thing that his hard-won power had brought him was apathy.
General Hux would begrudgingly come to him for instructions, or with information on where they thought the Resistance had fled, and the only emotion Ren could muster was a modicum of amusement at just how much Hux hated answering to him. Ren couldn't feel anger or hatred or fear for those he'd once tracked with conviction.
He couldn't feel anything.
He couldn't focus on hunting down their prey with the same fervor that he had before. It didn't matter anymore that they'd escaped alive now that he'd seen her hope for him leave her eyes.
He'd lost something much more important than a war.
After sending Hux on his way with a half-hearted approval to pursue a lead they'd uncovered, Ren retreated to his own quarters to escape the questioning stare of those who witnessed his indifference. Those he commanded had noticed his temper had been more subdued of late and it was only a matter of time before Hux took advantage of his weakness. Once Hux discovered his recent detached demeaner meant that his Force abilities were no longer as formidable as they had been with his darker passions to fuel them, it was only a matter of time before the ambitious man led a coup.
And Supreme Leader Kylo Ren couldn't bring himself to care about that either.
At least he didn't have to pretend in his own space. He didn't even have to put on the mediocre façade that he'd surrounded himself with lately; he could just revel in the fact that he felt nothing. The cold metal around him was as stark and unyielding as his soul felt.
The turmoil that had ruled so much of his life was now gone, stolen by one disheartened glance and a slammed door.
Removing his armor and gloves, he sat on the floor at the foot of his bed with the intent to meditate. His hands flat against the cool floor, he attempted to reach out through the Force to find meaning for his current dispassionate state. Just as he begged the Force for guidance he felt a presence grasp ahold of his wandering plea and a forgotten warmth filled his chest.
He had missed her.
They sat beside each other in their solitude, eyes forward, neither saying a word aloud. His presence had restored her peace, hers had returned his deeply passionate nature. Both felt profound contentment because the other was near.
Neither wanted to jeopardize the balance they'd found by breaking the spell with words.
A/N: This is a multi-chapter story and I have already written a good portion of it. I'm hoping to get it posted over the next several days. Please let me know what you think!