General Leia Organa had never been happier to see her brother. She was heartbroken when her son defected to The First Order, she was in anguish when her brother left the Resistance out of guilt, and she was in an abyssal pit of despair when her husband was murdered by her son. The complication that she went through almost drove her to the edge, but now she could finally have some semblance of peace.
"I miss you, Luke."
Luke mustered a weak smile, poignant sadness filmed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Leia."
"Don't say that." Leia sighed as she nursed her forehead. "I have already come to terms with my son's treachery. Ben Solo is dead. That is as real as it should be. As much as I hate to accept it, he has killed plenty of my men. Good men, Luke. Men who are fighting for freedom. Men who died for the sake of our cause. I thought he could still be redeemed, but he brutalised his father."
The battle with The First Order was a futile one, something Luke had foreseen ages ago. Of course, his sister was unwilling to surrender. She was headstrong and stubborn like that, but there was nothing wrong with what she believed in. When Darth Sidious governed the Galactic Empire, it was said to be an impossible cause to defy him, and yet Luke did what nobody had thought possible. He overthrew the Dark Side and restored balance to the Force.
Perhaps a new hope would arise for them. He held his sister's hand and stared apologetically at her. What Ben had done was unforgivable and Luke knew how hurt Leia must be to know about such cruelty. Nevertheless, they needed to move forward. "I'm here to speak to you about Rey."
Leia shook her head. "She was lost to us."
"How could that be possible? She was under your care all this time!" Luke gritted his teeth. "Why did you send her to the enemy? The Dark Side is strong in her. If she falls, the Resistance goes down with her!"
"You think I didn't know that?" Pent-up rage was boiling in Leia's veins. "I wasn't the one who gave her the order. She snuck in with the reconnaissance squad to infiltrate The First Order. I suspected Captain Poe has something to do with this, but what has been done has been done. By the time I knew about it, it was already too late. I can only hope she is still alive."
"She is." Luke was very sure about it. If he wasn't, the Force wouldn't compel him to regroup with the Resistance. "And now she is with Snoke. No. Not Snoke."
A mixture of confusion and terror marred Luke's face. The Force had shown him revelation. Snoke was an illusion, something to divert the Resistance's attention to something else. Snoke never existed. Something darker and evil was behind this farce and Luke must investigate. "I'm not quite sure about the details, but we need to rescue Rey. Before it's too late."
-X-o-X-
If Rey wasn't busy stuffing her face with food or training her arse off, she basically had nothing else to do. Her mentor offered her the privilege to indulge in her smut. Boredom drove Rey to do things she didn't think she would do. She actually read the damn book and it was a horrid experience! Who would write such a thing? That's why she decided to keep a copy under her pillow… so that she could criticise it more during her spare time.
Rey didn't enjoy traipsing through the hallways of The First Order's Imperial Star Destroyer. She knew the storm troopers were giving her dirty looks underneath their helmets and there was also a possibility of meeting people she would prefer to avoid, namely Kylo Ren. Just as she was about to slide her way into the cafeteria, she came face to face with the man she wanted to avoid.
"Rey." Kylo Ren had discarded his menacing helmet, exposing his scarred face. "We need to talk."
"I have nothing to say to you." She growled and wanted to walk away, but her path was blocked by Kylo Ren's imposing frame.
"Do not lie to yourself. You wish to ask me something that has been troubling you for a while now." The Knight of The First Order furrowed his brows. "Now I'm here. Let's talk."
"I rather not." Rey was fighting the urge to shed tears. Seeing Kylo Ren's face reminded her of Han Solo. The tragic death of Han Solo still haunt her sleeps and she wasn't going to forgive this wretched man any time soon.
"It is about Han Solo, is it?"
Gnashing her teeth, Rey snapped at Kylo Ren. "Why did you hate your father?"
He didn't answer, not immediately.
"Why did you hate your father?" She repeated, this time with more vigour and rage in her tone. "Give me an honest answer! You have a father who loved you! He gave a damn about you!"
There was no life in his voice, just a cruel monotone when he answered her. "I don't hate him."
"Then why?" Tears were already rolling down her cheeks.
"Why what?" Kylo Ren raised a brow. "Ask it."
The audacity of this man! He was baiting her to ask him something so obvious! Rey bit down her lower lip. If Han Solo was her father, she would rather slit her wrist than to kill him! "W-Why?" She choked in her sobs. There was no way she could ask such a horrible question with a straight face. "Why did you murder your father in cold blood?"
"My parents threw me away. Like garbage."
Threw him away? Ludicrous! The one who was thrown away like garbage was her! "They didn't!"
"They did." The conviction in Kylo Ren's voice raised doubts in Rey. "Your one weakness is your desire to have a family. I can understand that. You can't stop looking for them. It became your life's only purpose. That's why you saw Han Solo as a father you never had. And now in Luke Skywalker too. But you failed to see what they truly were."
Excuses! That's why Kylo Ren was spouting. Trying to justify kin-slaying with tautology. Rey gritted her teeth. She failed to see why Kylo Ren did what he did.
"My parents gave me away to a mad man. A mad man named Luke Skywalker." Kylo Ren's eyelid twitched when he spoke of his uncle's name. "Did he tell you why I burned his temple to the ground?"
Rey wiped the tears from her eyes and stood her ground. "Yes."
Knowing Luke, who always enjoyed playing the role of a saint, Kylo Ren was sure Rey didn't know the truth behind his betrayal. "No, he didn't. Luke sensed my powers, just as he sensed yours. He knew I will one day surpass him. I saw it with my own eyes. He wielded his lightsaber in my hut just so he can strike me down when I'm at my weakest. I was his nephew. His apprentice. My parents trusted him. And he saw fit to murder me in my sleep."
Lies! Rey couldn't hear it anymore. It couldn't be! Luke Skywalker was a man of righteousness! He would never resort to such a thing, but the anger and hurt in Kylo Ren's voice was too genuine to be fake. "Liar!" She called out. It was the only feasible thing she could say.
"Am I?" Kylo Ren scoffed. "Let the past die, Rey. Kill it if you have to."
"Why should I?" Rey balled her fists. "Why should I listen to someone like you?"
"Do you know that I was supposed to be crowned as… Darth Caedus? Master saw fit that I am worthy of being a Sith Lord. More than anybody else. I refused it, of course. Master has showed me the way. The Jedi. The Sith. They don't belong in the galaxy. Darth Talon was too foolish to accept that title. It's just vanity. She couldn't see the bigger picture. Being a Sith Lord is not a luxury. It is a liability. You get chained down to some philosophy that only bring ruins to yourself."
Rey glowered at Kylo Ren. "So you think you're better? Better than Luke. Better than Naruto?"
At that, Kylo Ren sneered. "I am better than Luke. And one day, I will be better than my master. The apprentice will always surpass the master."
"You're a monster!"
"Yes." Kylo Ren didn't even bat an eye when he admitted it. "I am. But if you think my master is any less, than you're mistaken. My master is more terrifying than you can possibly imagine. Now, you're only scratching the surface. Think about it, Rey. The Knights of the First Order are powerful at their own right. Each one of us can take the likes of Luke Skywalker head on. We don't fear master because he is powerful, Rey. Fear can only get you so far. It can't subjugate people who wouldn't bend their knees no matter what. We obey because our master is power itself. Why do you think people worship gods and kings? Because they are incomprehensible. Untouchable. Perfection. And to be at that level of strength, you need to be the biggest bully in the playground."
Rey snarled. "Are you saying I would submit to him?"
At that, Kylo Ren refused to give a straight answer. "I have seen it. You and me. We will stand together. Just you see."
"What. The. Fuck?" That was the first thing that came to Alema's mind when she took a sharp turn around the corner of the hallway and saw Kylo Ren harassing Rey. No doubt, the swine was trying to lay his slimy hands on her apprentice! She stormed towards them, but Kylo Ren had slithered away like a cowardly snake!
Alema growled at Kylo Ren's retreating form. "What did that little shit say to you?"
Rey looked away. "Nothing."
In a fit of rage, Alema whipped out her lightsaber. "I'm gonna make sure he has nothing more to say to you in the near future."
"No!" She plead to the Twi'lek. "Please. Let's just forget about it."
"Listen to me, Rey." Alema grasped Rey's slender shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "You are my apprentice. Mine! Not Kylo Ren's. If he tries that shit again, you report to me immediately. Are we clear about this?"
Rey nodded, but Alema wasn't satisfied. She cupped her apprentice's chin with her fingers and lowered her voice. "Am I clear?"
"Y-Yes, master."
"Good." Alema smiled. "Now, let's go grab lunch in the cafeteria. We got a long day ahead of us!"
-X-o-X-
If someone within the ranks of The First Order were asked to describe Vestara Khai, they would call her boisterous. A prankster at heart and a woman of immaculate beauty, she was the very epitome of a femme fatale. Raised to be a spymaster, it was said that Vestara was the shadow of the Commander of The First Order. Infiltration, espionage, destabilisation – you named it, she could do it and more.
Perhaps one of her favourite tale was her misadventure in Tatooine where she convinced those primitive Tusken Raiders that she was their queen. Long story short, she was so into being worshipped by the savages that she forgot to assassinate a local Hutt. Needless to say, Naruto wasn't thrilled.
"Yo! Master! I'm back. Miss me much?"
Darth Talon sneered at Vestara, who didn't really pay her much attention.
"Of course." Naruto leaned into his leather throne and smiled at his apprentice. "What bad news do you bring today?"
"Oh nothing much. Just information about the Resistance's next assault. And here comes the icing of the cake." Vestara said in a sing-sang voice and she licked her lips. "Luke Skywalker is back."
Darth Talon raised a brow, but Naruto wasn't fazed. "That save us the trouble of finding him."
Vestara grabbed a handful of candy from her master's desk, much to Darth Talon's chagrin. For reasons unknown, Naruto always kept a bowl of candy on his desk. Darth Talon had never seen him ate any of it, which infuriate her to the core, because it meant that he deliberately left sweets on his desk for Vestara, who so happened to have a sweet tooth.
Peeling off the wrapper, Vestara threw the ball of sugar into her mouth gleefully. "Oh ya, they are setting up a temporary outpost in Planet Hoth. Luke Skywalker will be there to supervise their establishment. My guess is that they are hoping to restore the iconic Echo Base."
Naruto did a sturgeon face. "Symbolic. That's good. Let us crush it and shatter their hope."
"What do you have in mind?"
Stroking his chin, Naruto turned to Darth Talon. "I want you to lead the charge against the Resistance."
A predatory smirk played about Darth Talon's lips. "As you wish, my master."
"Now that we have those agenda settled, let's dive down to the real topic." Naruto grinned. "I'm sure you have seen my new apprentice, have you not?"
Vestara shrugged, her finger toying around with the ring of her kunai. "I spotted her when I was heading to your office."
"What do you think about her?"
Vestara smirked lewdly. "She's cute. I wonder what she tastes like though."
Darth Talon didn't bother to hide the disgust on her face. It was no secret that Vestara preferred to lay with women and she wasn't very subtle about it too.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking about appearance, Vestara."
"You want an honest opinion?"
He flicked his wrist. "Fire away."
"She has great conflict in her." Vestara unwrapped another candy. "She doesn't want to be part of us, but I can tell your brainwashing is starting to get into her. In time, she will fall. Only time would tell."
"Good." Naruto snatched the candy away from Vestara's fingers, much to her protest. "I got a new mission for you."
-X-o-X-
For the umpteen time, Alema had smacked Rey's wrist with a short stick. "You are not listening! Your movements are telegraphed because of your eyes! It might work on greenhorns, but it won't work on experienced fighters. I don't even need to rely on the Force to anticipate your attacks. Stop looking at where you are going to hit and let your body do the work!"
Rey blew a dishevelled lock of hair off her face and puffed her cheeks. "It's not my fault that my eyes automatically look at the spot where I want to hit!"
"It's your body! If you can't control it, then who can? Now stop being a child and buck up!" Alema hit Rey's wrist, making her apprentice loosening her grip over her wooden sword. "What did I say about your grip? You're not holding a spear! You're holding a sword! The grip must be delicate! You can't be flexible and unpredictable if you're firm. You must be like water!"
Scratching her scalp, Rey stared in confusion at Alema. "I really don't understand. You want me to loosen my grip over my sword? Wouldn't that be counterproductive? I mean, in battle, I might drop the sword."
Alema did a disapproving tsk-tsk and glared at Rey. "You are the sword. The sword is part of you. It is like your limb. Can you drop your limb?"
The philosophy befuddled Rey, but she tried to absorb it.
"Now, let us resume."
"Well, well, well!" Vestara stood at the doorway of the training facility with a half-bitten donut in her hand. "What do we have here? Alema Rar and her cute apprentice! I really didn't think this day will come."
Rey blinked quizzically, surprised that there was a woman – a human at that too – in their mix. Exotic came to Rey's mind when she studied the enigmatic brunette. The most notable features of this woman was the intriguing tattoo engraved above her left eyebrow and her bubbly persona.
Alema pulled Rey protectively behind her and glared at Vestara. "What are you doing here?"
"Aww? Is this how you greet your fellow knight? You should really pull that stick out of your butt. It's no wonder nobody likes you."
Rey balked at the revelation. No way! A Knight of The First Order? Vestara exuded no air of strength whatsoever and Rey would know. Take her mentor as an example. Anybody who stood close to Alema could feel her creeping into their mind. Kylo Ren and Darth Talon – both powerful Sith Lords, possessed a smothering aura that threatened to nauseate those they deemed inferior. As for Naruto, his power was akin to a tsunami. Fierce, untameable, and threatening to drown everybody within his crosshair.
Vestara just didn't have any presence. No, scratch that. If Vestara wasn't vociferous with her introduction, Rey probably wouldn't sense her. It was as if she was a shadow, intangible and undetectable. A nothingness.
"That is her most frightening skills." Alema answered Rey's conundrum. "This is Vestara Khai, Lord Naruto's Prime Assassin. Her mastery over the art of stealth is peerless. She can literally erase her presence from the Force, something that none of us can do."
Vestara folded her arms, an impish grin curled at her lips. "Don't worry, little Rey. I don't bite. You want a lollipop?"
"Leave." Alema narrowed her eyes. If there was anybody amongst the knights who had an innate talent for besting mind-games, it would be Vestara. The last thing Alema needed was for Vestara to sink her talons in her innocent and naïve apprentice. "You are interrupting my training."
"But that's precisely why I am here. To interrupt your training." Vestara giggled when she saw Alema's brow twitched. She always enjoyed irking the rigid and uptight Twi'lek. "Master wants to see you."
"Yeah right."
Vestara arched a brow, all traces of amusement and joy vanished from her face. "Do you think I will joke about something like that?"
Nobody had the audacity to lie about something like that, especially not when they had witnessed Naruto's wrath before. Conceding, Alema sighed and turned to her apprentice. "Return to your quarters and practice your meditation."
Rey was surprised by how fast Vestara's mood changed. She went from happy and smiling to grumpy and solemn in split seconds. And now she went back to being jolly. "That won't be necessary. Our master just want to have a quick word with you. It won't take long. Ten minutes tops, I promise. I will watch over little Rey while you're gone."
Vestara gave Alema a cheerful thumb-up, but that didn't bode well with the Twi'lek. She didn't trust the happy-go-lucky Vestara. Hell, she didn't even trust any of her fellow knights. That being said, orders were order. Reluctantly, Alema nodded and strode past Vestara, but not before she gave her colleague a warning. "If you so much as touch Rey, I'll skin you alive and mount your worthless head in my room."
"Okay! Tata now!" Vestara beamed at the fuming Alema and even gave her a mock two-finger salute. When Alema had left the chamber, Vestara turned her attention slowly to Rey, who shrunk inwardly. "I don't think we have introduced ourselves. I'm Vestara Khai! I like sweets and cotton candy. I love musical theatre! My job is to kill those my boss wants dead. My wish is to join a musical! What about you?"
Saying Vestara came on too strong with Rey was an understatement. She was practically shoving her face right at Rey, throwing comfort zones out of the window. Shifting uncomfortably, Rey's sight remain downcast. "I'm Rey."
Vestara blinked, her expression turned sour. "That's it? I did tell you my likes and hobbies. You should, at the very least, have the decency to tell me yours!"
"Umm…"
"I'm just fucking with you!" Vestara let out a loud guffaw and patted Rey rather painfully on her shoulder. "So, any boyfriend?"
The sudden and very personal question caught the rather conservative Rey off-guard. She almost choke in her spit and stuttered in her response. "I-I… I don't -"
"Do you like our lord?"
A bright pink tint flashed across Rey's cheeks, something she failed to hide. Vestara caught on, ecstatic about her discovery. "Oh! You do like our master! No worries! Your secret is safe with me!"
"I-I don't like him! Or anybody else!" Rey was angry. How dare this woman tried to accuse her of having any romantic feelings for a monster like Naruto? A proverbial light-bulb lit up in Rey's mind and she decided to execute a counterattack. "What about you? Do you like Lord Naruto?"
"Not everybody is into Lord Naruto's dick! I for one appreciate the woman's body more than any men here. And that's saying something! You see, I'm constantly being surrounded by a lot of girls in this shit hole. And that includes the boys." This took a nasty 180 for Rey. She thought she had gotten Vestara in a pinch, but she was merely dancing in the palm of her hand!
Vestara threw her hand around Rey's shoulders and pulled her closed to her chest. "Tell me, my little Rey. Have you ever considered playing for the other team?"
"N-No!" Rey pushed Vestara vehemently away. "I-I'm not into…"
"Ah! Don't get your panties in a bunch!" Vestara waved her hand dismissively. "You're not my type."
Whistling a jaunty tune, Vestara plopped down on the floor with her legs-cross, tapping the spot before her at Rey, gesturing the girl to join her. "Come on. Don't be afraid. I am not intimidating, right?"
That's what Rey was afraid of. People like Naruto and Kylo Ren gave her a reason to be afraid. Naruto led the almighty First Order. Kylo Ren was a scumbag. That's established. Rey could associate fear with the likes of these people. For Vestara, Rey couldn't, and it frightened her, because she knew very well that this mysterious woman didn't climb the ladder to be where she was if she hadn't gotten her hands dirty and yet she couldn't bring herself to fear her.
Rey decided to sit down and keep to herself. It was the only thing she could do now.
"By the way, did you hear? Luke Skywalker is back!"
At that, Rey's eyes widened like saucer.
"Master is so happy about it. All these years of killing small fries were worth it." Vestara said it as if talking about the weather. "Skywalker plays a big role in this war, you know? With him out of the picture, The First Order's victory is certain. I received intel that he is making camp in Planet Hoth. Not far from here, actually. In fact, our ships are heading there as we speak! It won't be long before we blow them up good."
"W-What?"
Hook, line, and sinker! "It is estimated in a few hours, we will reach that godforsaken ice planet! And then our master will deploy the knights to hunt Luke Skywalker down. There is even a bet too! Whoever puts Skywalker's head on a spike gets a super cool prize from master! I bet Kylo Ren is getting anxious about killing that old wizard. Ya wanna join?"
This couldn't be! W-Wait! Wait a minute! Rey calmed her nerves. There was no reason why Vestara would disclose such valuable information to her with no apparent reasons. The only plausible conclusion Rey could come up with was that this whole tale was a trap, designed to ensnare her. She won't fall for that!
"You must be think, 'Oh, why is this crazy lady suddenly telling me all this'. Am I correct?" Vestara giggled. "You want to leave this place, yeah?"
Rey averted her gaze and kept her knees tucked close to her chest. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, come on. Don't lie to me. I know you didn't swear fealty to master. Not yet, at the very least. You wouldn't be flustered if you did." It was then Rey realised something terribly off. Vestara reminded her so much of Naruto. Both of them were tremendously insightful. Both of them smiled a lot. Most of all, both of them had a knack of rattling her. "You can't be loyal to someone you aren't loyal to, no?"
"You want me to regroup with the Resistance? Is that it? Is this some sort of test?"
Vestara shrugged. "Call it what you want. I'm not wrong about what I said though. The Knights of The First Order are loyalists. It is this loyalty that bind us together. You don't have it. How could you be one of us if you aren't loyal to our master? Let's not be delusional here, yeah? You are a prisoner. That's all there is to it. The truth ain't gonna go anywhere. Be true to yourself. Don't let others tell you what you are. If you let them win, they become stronger. Anything you let win, the internal argument grows. Don't be what you don't want to become."
"I won't be fooled by your tricks." Rey growled. "You're just like the rest of them. Trying to make me trip. Trying to make me leave The First Order. And then punish me for failing your stupid tests! I'm not gonna have it, you hear me? I refuse to play your stupid game!"
"Have it your way. This is your one and only chance. If you really wish to leave, there is an escape pod at the south of the hanger bay." Vestara smirked. "If you memorise the trooper's shift patterns, it's real easy to sneak your way there. You can even steal a TIE fighter if you want. Nobody is gonna stop you, if you know what you're doing."
"And you're gonna be there, waiting for me." Rey deadpanned. "And then sell me off to Naruto and claim your prize! What do you take me for? A fool? A trophy that you can manipulate whenever you want and then throw me to the bin when you have no use of me? I am not stupid like that."
"No, you're not, but you also know I'm not lying to you too." Vestara wrestled herself to a standing position and stretched her arms. "I don't care if you choose not to believe in what I said. At the end of the day, you are just a little lost lamb. This is a lion's den and it is no place for a lamb like you to be in. Follow where your heart wants you to go. If I don't hear news about your departure tomorrow morning, then I will assume you are ready to be a Sith soon. See you around."
With a lax wave, Vestara strolled out of the training facility with a devious smile on her face, leaving a conflicted Rey to her own device.
There was only one thing left for Vestara to do.
Wait for Rey to take the bait.
Author Note: Do I consider Naruto a psychopath? Yes. I do. He is very manipulative and do not display much empathy about things such as genocide. Perhaps the loss of his loved ones has made him broken beyond repair. Oh, by the way, I notice there are a minority of readers who strangely do not write reviews via below, but choose to send a PM instead. Personally, I think that is disrespectful, but that's just my opinion. I will immediately delete the PM without even reading it. As for the rest of my beloved readers who have show me their support, just know that I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I will engage with you in discussion if need be. :D
Pairing:
1.) NarutoXRey (So, a kind reviewer suggested Naruto to be Rey's father figure instead. Much intrigued.)
2.) NarutoXAlema
3.) NarutoXDarth Talon
4.) NarutoXHarem
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