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Chapter 7: Rival
Sweetness enveloped his tongue, his eyes growing wider. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, like this on Elerin...or any other planet he had been to.
(The title of this chapter was inspired by the song, "Rival," by Ruelle)
Rose — Chandrila
Rose leaned forward to stare out of the ship's window, her eyes widening. So much water… She had never seen so much water in her entire life.
It didn't compare to Canto Bight. Even Elerin, with its extensive grasslands and mild seas, couldn't compete with the vast ocean lying before her now. Like a daydream, the Starsearcher inched closer and closer to Hanna City, the reflection of the city light flickering off the surface of the water, creating a shimmering path that took the breath from Rose's lungs.
Rey's gaze matched hers, her lips parted, their thoughts seeming to be in sync. So this was where Ben was from.
Then, Rose's eyes traveled to where Finn was flying the craft. But unlike them, his attention was focused and locked straight ahead. How could he not notice all of this? He had been amazed by Canto Bight before she told him its corrupt backstory.
But Rose knew why. After she'd caught him and Rey holding hands, his eyes had avoided hers, quickly turning away every time she managed to capture his gaze. He was thinking. About her. About Rey. About them. The thought made her heart skip. She took a deep breath. Now wasn't the time to worry about all of that.
The ship lowered into the spaceport, and Rose's eyes roamed across the skyscrapers towering above them, blueish-grey jewels tall and steadfast in the moonlight. How could Ben have come from such beauty, such light, and yet still fall prey to the Dark Side? How could he have looked at these buildings in his childhood and not seen the need to keep corruption and war from its shores?
Ada tossed Rose a grey uniform, momentarily breaking her thoughts.
"Itchy!" Hale said, pulling at the fabric. "Why do we have to wear this?"
Rose rolled her eyes. "Goofball. You were the one that had to come." She tilted her neck and tugged on her own uniform, attempting to get comfortable before she sighed and gave up.
Smoothly, the ship made contact with the hanger, a group of technicians waving their arms and guiding them in.
Rose's palms began to sweat. It was supposed to be a simple mission. Disguise themselves as part of Poe's guards and sneak away when they could. If they succeeded, they would be back home in a few days, a week tops. And if they didn't...Rose didn't want to imagine the thought.
"Alright. Good luck team," Poe said. "And follow my lead."
Rose straightened her shoulders, turning and watching the way Finn moved, trying to mimic his posture. Finn might have spent the last year away from the First Order, but he was still every bit of the Stormtrooper on missions.
"How do you do that?" she asked, rolling her shoulders back erratically.
Finn furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"
Rey shot Rose a worried look, took a deep breath, and placed the guard helmet on her head. Rose and the rest followed suit before taking their places behind Poe.
Stiffly, they exited the ship, and it took all of Rose's willpower to keep her attention from wandering to the scenery outside of the metal hangar. It was all so blue, so green, so untouched by the war. Still, she'd learned from Canto Bight that not everything was so beautiful underneath—especially when one started peeling its golden layers away to reveal nothing but painted-coated nickel.
She shook her head slightly, trying to keep pace with the others.
As they neared the entrance, Rose noticed a woman standing ahead, her bright purple gown glowing in the unnatural hangar lights. Likewise, her blue hair seemed to sparkle, twisted and pinned to the back of her head. Two attending women stood by her side, and behind her, a personal entourage of decorated guards waited, their posture impeccably straight.
"Commander Dameron! It's so good to see you!" she said, her eyes glistening with tears. "Thank you for answering my call. I've been so terribly desperate. You can ask Beth here." She gestured toward the attending woman standing beside her in a plain grey tunic. "And she will tell you I've been absolutely unconsolable. I've been pacing back and forth every day. I didn't think you'd come! But here you are!"
Poe's head bobbed, his eyes mouth hanging slightly open. After a few moments of silence, he cleared his throat and extended his hand. "Queen Isalara Delethin. You certainly are different from when we talked via hologram."
Instead of taking his hand, Isalara brought it to her lips, holding it to her face. "Oh, Vice Governor Min Relice is such a bore. She was with me during those calls. But she isn't here now! Ha! So I win, right Beth?"
Beth sighed, her head bowed. "Yes, your Majesty."
Rose smiled underneath her mask. Poe had his work cut out for him. And she'd get to witness it all.
"One, two, three...seven...ten guards...and a droid!" Isalara said, her finger pointing to each of them. "All of this security isn't necessary, Commander. You are really quite safe here! And besides, I can't have you scaring the House." She turned toward them, her hands on her hips. "Oh, don't look at me like that! I'm sure you are all quite wonderful people."
Rose bit down on her lip, fighting every natural instinct to laugh. There was no way for her to see their facial expressions from behind the masks.
"Of course, your Majesty. Just give me a moment." Poe gestured for them to follow outside of Isalara's hearing range.
"Stay with the ship. If I don't return in three hours tops…" He looked over his shoulder. "Get out of here, okay? Warn D'Acy."
"I don't like this, Poe," Rey said, her tone sharp. "I have a mission here. I'm wasting time if I stay on the ship."
BB8 chirped in agreement. Even Poe's droid was on Rey's side. Rose snickered at the thought.
Poe looked down at him, sighing. "Come on Beebee. Support, please." He turned back to Rey. "I'm just asking for a few hours. A few hours. Give me that."
"I'll tell Chewie to send a message to D'Acy if you don't—"
"It's not a request, Rey. It's an order."
"An order to be a sitting duck!" Rey scoffed, lowering her voice. "Have you forgotten that I'm the most wanted person in the galaxy right now? Have you lost your mind?"
"Is it so much to ask for one time...just one time...where you agree with an order?"
Finn placed a hand on Rey's arm, relaxing her. Rose looked away.
"Okay, Poe. Three hours. Then we're leaving. I have to get to the Eastern District, and it's already early evening."
"Then wait until tomorrow. But stay with the ship." He glanced back to see Isalara staring at their interaction with concern. "This doesn't look good."
With that, Poe left and walked back to Isalara.
And once they were back on the ship with their helmets removed, Rey began tugging on her tunic again.
"What do we do now?" Hale asked, following Rey's example.
"We're not staying here." Rey began stuffing items into her pack. "Poe can shove it up his backside for all I care."
"We can't abandon Poe," Finn said, not moving.
BB8 chirped blissfully, rolling to Finn's side. Like a cat, he rubbed his head against his leg, love in his beady glass eyes. "Get off!" Finn said, slightly kicking him. Rose stifled a laugh.
"Oh yeah? And what's the first thing they'll destroy so Poe can't escape if they really mean to do him harm? Oh, right! This ship."
Chewie let out a cry.
"I know, Chewie!" Rey said, throwing up her arms. "I promised I wouldn't talk about us exploding anymore. I'm sorry. We're not going to die. Everything will be okay." She shrugged on her pack. "But I still need to go. The Force doesn't want me to stay; I'm sure of it."
Finn held onto the strap of her backpack. "You can't go alone. Rey—"
Rose took Rey's hand, startling her. "Poe's got Chewie. We've got you."
"You're going to get in trouble," Rey said, her lips curling into a smile.
Rose squeezed her hand. "It's worth it."
Poe — Chandrila
"You really should try the grappaberries, Commander Dameron," Isalara said, bringing one to her lips. "Native only to Chandrila."
"I'm not very hungry, your Majesty, but thank you for the offer."
What a waste of time. They'd traveled millions of lightyears to eat a dinner he could request on Elerin.
His eyes searched the numerous plates before him, varying foods steaming, their smells making his mouth water. He hadnt eaten anything for a few hours now, but he had a mission to accomplish. And he needed to stay alert. A belly full of food would make it pretty hard to run if they were under attack.
Then, his gaze locked to the cerulean-colored berries on the plate closest to Isalara, the intensity of the color momentarily making him pause.
Grappaberries. If he really wanted them, he could have the Resistance's cook, Sidias, import a crate or two.
After they left the hangar, Isalara had demanded they sit down for dinner together. "A 'proper' Chandrilian meal," she'd said, her chin raised. Poe had thought that was royal speech for "let's eat and talk war." Nope, he was definitely wrong. He wasn't wrong often, but when he was—
He grimaced. He'd been sitting for twenty minutes already listening to Isalara rant about her insufferable husband. And then he had the nerve to change the curtains in our bedroom to puke-colored silk without asking me! Puke-colored silk, Commander!
"A refusal to eat! Ha!" She popped another in her mouth, drained the wine from her glass, and then poured herself some more. "My goal is to poison you, Commander. Can't you tell?"
"Forgive me, but I'd rather talk politics. You mentioned when we spoke via hologram that there's an election tomorrow to determine the next leader and members of the Chandrilian House."
Isalara set down her fork, sighing. "I'm so completely done with getting straight to politics. Every dinner party! No talk of the food! Of the atmosphere! Of the gowns! This election has sucked the fun out of everyone."
"I'll try a grappaberry, your Majesty," Ada suddenly said, reaching for the dish and placing one on her plate.
"You, you are just lovely! Ada! Yes, fit for a queen. Please, call me Isa." She turned to Poe. "Perhaps you should follow your little girlfriend's example—"
"Ada is not my girlfriend—" Poe interjected, gripping the table.
"—and enjoy! I am very happy to talk with you after dinner, and you will get your boring political council meeting tomorrow before the polls open for voting."
Rey would kill him. Ada was seventeen. Seventeen! He'd taken his fair share of pretty women into his bed, but he drew that line at twenty, despite the age of accountability differing on every planet. He needed Ada for Force protection, but Rey hadn't fully understood that. Nope, once again, she'd thought he had a double agenda, like back on the planet Derin when they'd worked together to recruit more Resistance members and he'd asked her to help him with the negotiations. In her usual fashion, she'd challenged his request. It's not that I don't want to help, Poe. But I'm not in a leadership position. And people will get the wrong idea about us. You should take Everett—he's Force sensitive. But he hadn't wanted Everett. He had always wanted Rey. And he would never stop wanting Rey. Her fire, her vivacity, and most importantly, her able control of the Force. She would make a brilliant commander at his side after he secured the title of General.
Poe tugged at his collar, kicking Ada under the table. Stop making me look bad. She couldn't hear his thoughts, of course, but for once, Poe wished he had the Force so he could scream into her head. Wasn't that how that weird telepathy thingy worked anyway?
"Ouch!" Ada cried, quickly covering her mouth.
Isalara raised an eyebrow and cocked her head slightly to the side. "How is it, dear? Too sweet? This year's harvest has been the sweetest on record. Everyone says so."
"It's delicious, your Ma...Isa." She popped another into her mouth. "Thank you."
"Oh, just try one. If I wanted to poison you, I would not have had my servants bring out the dishes on collective plates. I know you are quite nervous, especially considering the Resistance's delicate state in the galaxy, but this is Chandrila. We have had a long history of peace and justice." Reaching over, she put one on his plate, her rings glinting in the dining room lights. "And what is life if we do not enjoy the simple pleasures?
Poe sighed, tentatively stabbing it with his fork and placing it in his mouth. Sweetness enveloped his tongue, his eyes growing wider. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, like this on Elerin...or any other planet he had been to.
"See, Commander?"
"You're right, your Majesty. It's delicious. Thank you." He wiped his mouth with a napkin and began placing food on his plate to mollify Isalara further.
Perhaps he had been wrong about their situation.
But at the exact moment his shoulders began to relax, the door opened.
"Good evening, Governor Isalara. Commander Dameron. Please forgive me for disturbing your dinner."
Vice Governor Min Relice, the woman that had accompanied Isalara week ago on their hologram call, walked in, her face stern and unyielding.
Poe stood up from his chair, meeting her severe green eyes. Unlike Isalara, she was dressed in plain brown pants and a tan, long-sleeved shirt, her auburn hair cropped short. He remembered her vaguely from the hologram a few weeks ago, but he could have never imagined the aura she would give off—the way she held herself so straight as if one wrong move could send her toppling over an edge only she could see.
Isalara rested an elbow on the table, rubbing two of her fingers together. "And now the fun is over." She breathed out. "How lovely to see you, Vice Governor. You were supposed to be meeting with some of our supporters in the House. And as I have stated multiple times, I am Queen Isalara, as I had decreed a year after my initial election two years ago. But yet, you still insist."
"I won't have this argument again with you, Governor." Min Relice closed the door, leaving her two guards to stand outside, the harshness of her face softening into a slight smile directed in Poe's direction.
"Commander Poe Dameron," she said, extending her hand. "I have heard many good things about you. I am Vice Governor Min Relice."
Poe took her hand, giving it a firm shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Vice Governor." He gestured to Ada. "This is Ada Gratia. She's a representative of the new order of Jedi my colleague is building."
She shook Ada's hand, her smile still tight. "A Force-sensitive? A pleasure...for sure. Please accept my condolences in regards to General Organa's death. She was dear to the people of Chandrila...as is her son Supreme Leader Kylo Ren."
Poe shared a look with Ada, swallowing. "You never explained. Is Chandrila supporting the First Order?"
Min Relice took a seat next to Isalara and indicated for them to return to their chairs. "Kylo Ren is native to Chandrila. One of our own. Which, as you can imagine, is why the government has been split for the past year on who to support since his rise to Supreme Leader. It was Governor Isalara's decision to contact you, though I did urge her against it."
"We are so terribly sorry for not reaching out to the Resistance sooner," Isalara said. "After the destruction of the Hosnian System, my people were hesitant to support the Resistance again, despite our reverence for General Organa. And with Kylo Ren's ascension to Supreme Leader, it has been absolutely chaos in the House, let me tell you."
Isalara laughed, swirling the wine in her glass. "We've called you at such an unfun time I am afraid. I thought perhaps a proper Chandrilian dinner before unpleasantries would be needed, but it seems Minny had other plans."
"It's alright. Your hospitality has been generous, Queen Isalara," Poe said.
"Ha! See?" Isalara turned to Min Relice, pointing a finger in her direction. "Commander Dameron knows my proper title!"
"Commander Dameron also does not understand our customs," Min Relice replied, her eyes flashing to Poe's for a moment. "You angered a lot of people with that ruling, Isalara. We are a democracy, not a monarchy."
"The people will be angered no matter what I do. The House has been divided for over a year."
Min Relice stared blankly at Isalara, her eyes far away. "And now we must work on fixing that."
"So what's the plan?" Poe inquired. "We need Chandrila's support. We need soldiers. We need ships. We need credits."
Min Relice rested a hand on her chin. "And what do you offer us, Commander?"
"Oh, Minny! Enough of that! They are our guests!" Isalara exclaimed while Min Relice shot her a glance laced in anger.
Disregarding Min Relice, Isalara turned to Poe. "Commander, I can give you that...if I am reelected and if the majority in the House agrees to support the Resistance again. I would be so happy if you attended the House meeting tomorrow afternoon and spoke on behalf of the Resistance. But…"
"What is it?" Poe questioned, his palms sweating.
"I have another...odd...request."
"Anything. The Resistance is at your service."
Isalara shared a worried glance with Min Relice. "The woman, the scavenger that killed Supreme Leader Snoke...she is with the Resistance, right?"
Poe swallowed. "What about her?"
"I want her to speak at the House meeting as well."
"I...don't think that's possible. Forgive me for asking, but why?"
"She knows Kylo Ren more intimately than anyone else. There are...rumors, even, isn't that so lovely!" She covered her mouth, lowering her voice. "That they killed Snoke together."
Poe tensed. He knew not to listen to the rumors, but they often scared him the closer they came to the truth.
"Kylo Ren's policies, as they stand," Min Relice said quickly, folding her hands together. "Have been fair and balanced. He has proven himself to be an almost benevolent ruler. He chose not to invade Chandrila when he had the chance...nor Naboo or Coruscant. In fact, the leaders on both planets were given the option of contacting the First Order when they were ready."
Poe chuckled sarcastically. "The First Order destroyed the Hosnian System. A key part of our order. And with all due respect, Vice Governor, they don't have the power to invade. We kicked their asses. Took out a dreadnought and cut the Supremacy in half."
"And at what cost to the Resistance?" Min Relice said with narrowed eyes. "The galaxy knows you've been hiding out for a year. And so far, Kylo Ren's reign has been peaceful...by all accounts. Which does not bode well for you, Commander."
Poe shook his head. "I'm not understanding. If Kylo Ren is seen so positively, why even consider the Resistance now?"
"You should ask Isalara. It was her idea to contact you. The Resistance failed the Republic. The First Order has proven to be more competent than your ragtag group of rebels."
"Democracy, Minny! You are always going on and on about how I'm not democratic enough! That's why I support the Resistance, as we all did a year ago when the Republic was intact. I need Rey to speak out against Kylo Ren and the First Order. If she does, we will surely be reelected, and the House thus convinced to support the Resistance. Her opinion would hold weight—far greater weight than anyone else's."
Poe crossed his arms. "And what if her account doesn't fit the bill?"
"Then she will have to improvise!"
"You want her to lie?" Poe mentally scoffed. Rey would never do that.
Suddenly, Isalara grabbed his hand. "Please, Poe. I need her. One speech. That's all I ask."
Poe looked over at Ada, sighing. "Okay, alright. I'll ask her. She came with me, actually. She's on the Starsearcher now...I'll talk to her."
"What a surprise! I assumed that she would feel it were too dangerous to come to Chandrila." Isalara clasped her hands together in excitement, her face brightening. "Did you know I would ask for her?"
Poe shrugged. "I had a feeling. She's an...interesting woman."
"Please, by all means, Commander. We would be happy to speak with her now," Min Relice said, gesturing toward the door with an open palm.
"Sure," Poe said. "If you'll just excuse us."
He had practically done it! Now if he could convince Rey, he would have Chandrila's support by tomorrow afternoon and be on his way back to Elerin. Kaydel didn't stand a chance.
But then he paused. He had to convince Rey. Disagreeable, argumentative, Rey. The smile fell from his face, and he prayed to whatever deity was listening that she had followed his orders and stayed put for once.
Two of Isalara's guards escorted Poe, Ada, and their small entourage back to the hangar. Breathe, Dameron. Rey knew what was at stake. She wouldn't have abandoned him.
"Don't be nervous, Poe," Ada said at his side, gentle as ever. "Rey will be there."
With that reassurance, he straightened. He just had to persuade Rey to condemn Ren. That's all. She would do it for the Resistance—he was sure of it. She wanted them to succeed. She knew how much this mission meant to not only him, but to all of them.
When they made it back to the hangar, Poe practically ran to the Starsearcher, his smile growing larger with each moment that passed.
"Guys! We've done it! We just—"
He stopped at the sight of only Chewie and BB8 in the Command Room. "Chewie? Bee-Bee Ate? Where's Rey?"
Chewie—and the porg on his shoulder—only stared blankly at him in silence. And BB8, like the traitor he had been lately, followed suit.
"Rey! Rose! Finn! Hale!" Poe called, checking every room and hallway with frantic determination.
He circled back to the Command Room and ran into Ada. "You're fast," she said, hunched over and out of breath. "Where is everyone?"
Poe turned back to the Chewie, his smile falling. "Chewie! Come on, man. Where are they? What happened?"
Chewie let out a few nervous sounds, his head down.
"What do you mean she went to investigate the lead?!" Poe gripped the back of the seat until his knuckles turned white. "I told her to stay put!"
Author's Notes
The plot continues. How well do you think this mission on Chandrila will go?
Small note: if you were wondering why I use "Command Room" instead of "cockpit," it's because I'm an immature 20-something who usually can't keep a straight face when reading or writing this term. I know, I'm horrible.
Also, again, if you have not seen it yet, I added an "In Medias Res" last week to begin this story (Chapter 1). It features Reylo and will occur in a later chapter. And to all my Reylos: I am sorry it is taking so long to get into the content you want. I promise that this build up is 100% needed for what I have planned.
Moreover, as you can see, I am splitting my chapters into smaller pieces. How do you feel about this? Would you prefer to have more substantial chapters at the expense of having an update about once every three weeks? Let me know in the reviews or in a private message! Any and all opinions are okay. Your opinions matter to me, whether I personally agree with them or not.
Thank you to my main beta editor, SilverStarwolfe, and my second beta editor, Way-of-the-pathfinder. You guys don't know how lovely you both are. I can't stop singing your praises! I also beta edit for them occasionally. Check out their works if you haven't already done so!
Responses to Guest Reviews
Two guests posted reviews, and since I can't PM them to respond, I thought I would do that here.
1. "Seems like Poe correctly identified Rey as a Mary Sue in this chapter. He's a smart one, that one."
Thank you for your comment! Though, I have never been entirely sure why Rey is called a "Mary Sue." I can see how she's a little too perfect at a lot of things, hence one of the reasons for her practically having a meltdown at the beginning of this story. But I think that TLJ explained why she is so good with the Force. She is the mirror of Kylo/Ben, and according to Luke, they are the strongest Force users that he has ever seen. Kylo's moves, despite his training, are almost as raw as Rey's. I think this suggests an innate ability to feel the Force—something that has never existed before (if we take Luke's word). She's just a natural. Take singing, for instance. I have been practicing all of my life, but yet, I do not have even half the control as one girl I knew who practiced for only three months at 9 years old. Anyone can learn to sing, sure, because a lot of it is muscle memory. However, there are just some of us that are born with that ability to learn quickly. Naturals at it, in other words, I suppose. I would be really interested in doing a full-fledged meta and expanding on these ideas with evidence from the books and movies when I have time.
2. "I'm really enjoying it so far. Each new chapter is better than the last and I can't wait to see what happens next."
Thank you so much for this comment! It means so much to me to hear you are enjoying it! As a writer, that is my greatest accomplishment. I hope I can live up to your expectations!
Send me your thoughts, questions, and general comments. I will always respond.
— Bee
