Vezalay
Star Wars
Episode IX
A small band of resistance fighters escaped Crait aboard the Millennium Falcon. With their leadership decimated by the First Order and their supplies running dangerously low, General Leia Organa has attempted to seek help from systems at the far reaches of the Galaxy. So far, very little help has rallied to their side.
The Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren maintains a tentative hold on his new post within the First Order. The ruthless General Hux patiently awaits a moment of weakness to overtake his former rival and claim the title for himself.
As a general rule, Rey never second guessed herself. There was never time, her life had always been: keep moving or die. Ever since she walked away from Kylo Ren's extended hand though, she found herself breaking that rule. Never more so, than when she glimpsed him through the Force bond kneeling on Crait as she closed the door of the Millennium Falcon.
His eyes, and the remorse swimming there...she knew he felt it too. Mistakes were made, and they were great indeed.
Even now, as she scrubbed the compressor clean of the ancient x-wing she was perched on, she could feel his emotions. Their bond was secure and stable, she could sense his remorse and anger from lightyears away. Sometimes his emotions were so strong it interfered with her own interactions with others. She wondered how much of her own melancholy contributed to his discomfort.
Occasionally, she saw him, just glimpses mostly, like from the Falcon.
Once, they had spoken.
"Rey," Kylo Ren said - she desperately wanted to call him Ben in her head and normally she did, but she tried to control that urge. The name held so many emotions for her, hope and longing mostly, that she didn't want to acknowledge.
"Kylo," she answered, she was sitting alone in her bunk wrapping a bandage around her wounded shoulder.
He seemed to be alone as well because he spoke freely, he didn't breathe threats as Rey expected him to, he didn't try to extract the location of resistance ships as she feared.
He just asked quietly, "Is that from the Preatorian Guard?" He nodded toward her wound.
She looked up from her shoulder then.
"Yeah," she tried to make her voice sound casual, like it was no big deal, she fought her way out of dictator's throne rooms everyday, right?
"Thank you." His voice was deep, filled with emotion. Those words though, she hadn't expected that.
She didn't know where to look then, so she fiddled with the bandage a bit more.
"You still hate me?" He asked when she didn't respond.
She looked at him again, the fire crept into her eyes and her frustration poured out into the Force, there was no hiding it from him.
He turned away, she guessed he had decided to patiently wait until the bridge between their minds weakened once more, dissolving the vision and leaving them in a state of semi-privacy at least.
A few moments later he was gone.
Rey felt a hot tear of anger and frustration slip onto her cheek at the memory, it fell onto the compressor in her hands. She sighed, perfect.
Author's Note:
Thank you so much to all the people who have left reviews. Your support keeps me encouraged as I continue to write this. Thank you again!