Rey coughs as she slides down the wall of her room, looking around with wide eyes. Sniffling she wipes away the tears that had fallen and stands, anger welling up in her chest as she looks at the ruined lightsaber. She's defenseless against him at his worse, if the First Order was to return now, she would surely fall to Kylo Ren's saber and she wasn't going to stand by and let that happen.
Grabbing her bag and shoving the ancient Jedi texts into them she also took the ruined saber and turned it over in her hands before carefully pocketing it in the side of her bag. Bounding down the ramp of the Millenium Falcon, Rey looks around in search of Po or another maintenance engineer in their small sector of flight crews. While the Falcon was their only working ship at the moment there were several fighters that were currently being rebuilt and one, Poe's new pride and joy, was close to being finished.
"Poe!" Rey calls, cringing when she hears a yelp before Poe slides out from behind one of the turbines rubbing his forehead with a frown. "Oh! I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you!"
Poe laughs and shakes his head. "What can I do for the savior of the Rebel fleet?" He asks with a soft chuckle, wiping his hands on his flight suit.
"I need a ride to Mimban."
"We have to get any and all adventures approved by General Organa." Finn states, suddenly appearing at her side, earning him an elbow in the ribs.
"I was planning on heading to speak with her next."
"What's on Mimban?" Finn questions as he turns and walks with Rey, Poe following a step behind them.
"Kyber crystals I know it's pretty far, that's why I'm hoping that fighter of yours is close to being finished, Poe. I know the Falcon is on the First Order's radar now and we don't need them knowing what is going on. They trek out of the hangar bay door and across the grassy trail to the main resistance building.
It was carefully disguised, no Rebel logos anywhere around, they weren't giving up by any means, but for now they were hiding until they could be sure to have enough reinforcements to be able to defend their base or evacuate if the First Order deemed it acceptable to try and attack them now. Finding them would prove to be a bit of a task for the First Order considering the Falcon had been completely dismantled, all of its hyperdrive equipment refurbished. They had found another vessel to sanction parts for, setting up the Falcon's signature into a much smaller and harder to find craft that they had then sent to be traded in the far reaches of the Kessler run, the Millenium Falcon given the Hyperspace pseudonym Phoenix which seemed fitting when discussed after landing. It would always be the Millenium Falcon but they would need a clean escape if the time came for it and rechristening the Falcon would be the only way to do it, for now.
Entering the Strategic level of the base Rey looks around, she hadn't really spent much time inside the base itself, preferring the solitude of the Falcon to the hustle of the base, but she knew well enough where the important places were. She hums as they walk and Poe raises an interested eyebrow at her before Finn chuckles.
"Just the people I wanted to see." The voice of the General cuts through the air right as the trio turn the corner. Rey squeaks and Finn can't help but laugh at his friend, clinging to her arm as a scowl sets on her face.
"You were looking for us General?" Poe questions, curiously, looking at the two pseudo children at his side.
"Yes, but it seems you were looking for me as well?" She raises an eyebrow before turning and gesturing towards her office door. "We can talk in here if you'd like."
Rey enters first and takes the closest chair. She is anxious about her request but knows that the General would probably understand better than most. Once everyone was settled, she pulled the broken lightsaber from it's spot in her bag and sets it upon Leia's desk. "I need to fix this. If our only hope rests on me defeating Kylo Ren then I have to be on the same playing field as him. I need to have a way to defend myself. I don't know if I can do it, but I've decided that if we can get permission to travel to Mimban to seek out their crystal cave I have a good chance of possibly repairing this saber or creating a new one."
"Well…" Leia folded her hands and thought for a few moments. "Mimban is closer than Ilum or Ach-To, it would take a day or two to prepare and make sure we have two of the vessels ready for transport."
"Two?" Finn asks, eyebrows raising.
"We have a fundraising and recruiting opportunity on Naboo in a few weeks. That is why I was seeking you three out, specifically. Dameron and Finn, you two are to be part of the transport and security detail, Rey and I are going as public faces."
Rey feels the blood rush from her face and she swallows thickly, mouth suddenly dry. "Why would you want a nobody like me to be a part of this?" She asks quietly, brushing hair from her eyes. "I mean.. I have no social graces, I don't know anyone…" Leia reaches her hand out to touch Rey's gently.
"It will be fine. They just want to see that you're real. There are rumors of you spreading across the galaxy now, as the girl who can face off against Kylo Ren and survive. People want to meet you Rey."
"That's so cool!" Finn squacks from her side and Rey turned her head to look at him curiously. "Naboo has a gorgeous lake country. We can go swimming and just take a break from all of this." He gestured around. "I mean, no offence General but this would be a great opportunity to just take a breather, plus if Naboo is anything like they say, we're in for a real treat."
"I have something for the both of you, Rey and Finn." Reaching into her desk drawer Leia pulls out two laminated badges one with Rey's face and another with Finn's. "We've decided that since you both have been such assets to our cause you should have official positions, although the titles don't really mean much right now because we haven't gotten any recruits who need to be trained on hand to hand combat which I've been informed the two of you are quite adept at."
Rey starred at her badge, frowning in confusion. "Gener… Leia… this says Rey Linares?" Finn frowned looking at his badge and chuckling setting his badge next to hers, they share the same last name.
"These are primarily for travel causes, to make things look official, no one will be looking for people traveling by official means, at least that's what we're counting on. One of our allies has grandchildren your ages but their identities have been kept secret for obvious reasons. You will be attending as their public faces. You're cousins who live in a remote area of Kessler." Rey nods absently, not really focused any more as she examines her badge.
"We'll be heading into Kessler in the morning if all goes well. Rey, I would like for you to accompany me so we can get something suitable. Finn and Poe will come along as our escorts and from there you and Poe can go to Mimban." Rey smiles and nods, but Finn protests.
"General, I would like to join them on their trail to Mimban." Finn had always been curious about the ways of the Jedi, but had never had such an opportunity to learn until now.
"I'm afraid Rey needs a pilot who knows the way to Mimban and then to Naboo, and I will need a guard with me on our trip to Naboo." Finn looks put out but nods and Rey pats his hand.
"Let's go see if we can figure out how to play that game that is set up on the Falcon." Rey gives Finn a smile and he nods, having been curious about the game ever since he had fallen against it and turned it on during his first trip on the Millenium Falcon.
She is frustrated, deep in her core and he can feel it, he can understand the feeling but he is curious as to why she is as frustrated as him and why the bond suddenly put him in such a position to feel her emotions so deeply. The bond thrums and he finds himself sitting next to her. Her brows are pressed low in concentration and her hand is stretched out as if she's reaching for something. He watches her face for several moments, noticing that she doesn't seem to have any ill effects from when he had lost his temper.
"What are you doing?" He asks and she jumps like she's been shocked. He can feel the warble of concern from far off and she shakes her head, giving a short reply to whomever her companion is.
"I think the Dejarik table shocked me." She states with a laugh pulling her hands away from it. She turns her head to look at the wall, at him.
"How is it that we've played this three times and I still don't understand it?" She asks her companion, turning her attention back to the board just out of his line of sight.
"Beginners luck Finn, really?" She reaches out and smacks the unseen person pleasure thrumming through her when the action is complete.
"Let me see." Ren reaches for her hand and she can feel the bare sensation of his hand on hers and she allows him to pull the world to focus enough so that he can see what she sees but no one can see him. He knows they're testing the limit of this bond they have and if he pulls too much he could be in a very poor situation.
She takes a sharp breath in when he moves closer resting his chin over her shoulder to examine her pieces. "Start with the smaller ones. They're faster and can dodge attacks easier. If you get two to gang up on one you can take them out easily. Let him come to you." Ren whispers.
Rey frowns, curious as to why he was suddenly helping her but wondering in part if it wasn't an attempt to apologize for his earlier actions. Heeding his words she resets the board, and grins at her friend. "Again?" She laughs at some unheard comment and shakes her hair out of her eyes ready to begin.
Her companion makes the first move and Ren shows her, carefully how to position her pieces so that she can lure him into a trap. After three moves she is able to, "Finally!" She screeches, take out three of his pieces in one go. Her jump up jarrs Ren's jaw when her shoulder collides with it but she makes no notice, grin settled across her face. Returning to her seat she looks at him for a brief moment before settling back. He returns to his spot, aware how close they are but still wanting that tiny spark of pleasure to flutter along their bond.
He doesn't know how long the bond leaves him there for, only that she's able to almost beat her companion. She gives a little smile, the barest lift of the corners of her mouth and he's moving to brush his nose along her jaw and under her ear. Her sharp intake of breath, surprise running through the bond, brings him back to himself and he sits up and suddenly he is alone again as the bond slams shut around him forcefully.
He sits back against the wall that his bed is against and hums. She's still open to his presence. He mulls this over as he gets up, dressing in preparation to go reek terror upon some of his more unruly subordinates.
