A/N: So, I know it took a little while for me to update, and hopefully y'all are excited, so I'll leave my list of notes for the bottom.
Enjoy!
"So, you have been experiencing some...irregularities. Please, tell me what exactly this entails."
Kylo shifted slightly but righted himself when he became aware. "I've had visions. Dreams. That's all I-"
"Visions of what? Dreams of who? You know where I am trying to get, Kylo Ren. It would do you well to take the reins and lead the way."
Kylo cleared his throat and fought hard to keep from shifting again. "Visions of the scavenger, Supreme Leader. Dreams about and including her."
"And how long ago was the first?"
He could feel himself shrinking. "About a standard month ago," he said as quietly as he dared.
This time, Snoke was the one to shift. His frustration was mounting and palpable. Kylo swallowed hard, determined to stand firm, but this was going south faster than he'd thought possible. Not only had he lied about his reasons for wanting to visit Takodana, but he'd lied about his experiences, too. That was a lot more lies than were usually acceptable, which meant little leniency.
"I see," Snoke finally sighed. "Why did you wait so long before you thought it prudent to share this information with me?"
There was a multitude of reasons, really, though Kylo was sure Snoke wasn't asking for the grocery list. Because he didn't really know what it was or if it was something to worry about. Because he was afraid of how Snoke would react. And partially because he wanted to find out more about it before Snoke completely shut it down. He wanted to know what was happening to him and for once be able to handle it himself, not have someone else dictate what would happen for him. He decided to go with the first answer, as he found it placed less blame on both parties and would therefore be more likely to smooth things over.
"I wasn't certain it was something I should worry you with. I didn't want you worrying about something that could've been brought on by something as simple as fever or exhaustion when you have more important matters to occupy your time. I believed that the episodes would pass."
"Clearly they did not." It hadn't worked. Snoke was still beyond enraged. "And when it persisted, you chose not to come to me, but to the owner of a cantina, who is known to favor the ideals of the Resistance! A power we are trying to end!" Snoke slammed his fist on the arm of his throne. "Or have you forgotten our goal?"
Now, Kylo stepped forward, his fear left behind in the wake of his anger and frustration. "I have far from forgotten, Supreme Leader. In fact, I was thinking of it when I went to find out more about this...connection. If I can learn more about it and maybe even learn to control it, then I could possibly use it for our gain."
Did he mean any of this? No, not most of it. The only thing that was true was that he'd far from forgotten their goal, but now instead of inspiring and driving him, it plagued him. But this seemed to be the best thing to say to appease Snoke, and it was.
He sat back in his throne, bringing his hands up to his lips, his fingers steepled. He was silent for several moments, his already gnarled face exaggeratedly so in his concentration. Kylo allowed himself to be hopeful. Finally, Snoke leaned forward slightly, bringing his hands back to rest in his lap. "Maybe the errors made in your judgment are forgivable if they were really made because you were thinking of our benefit as you claim. However, you are not to make decisions on how to further handle this situation without first consulting me. Do you understand?"
Kylo gave a curt nod, though he far from agreed with the parameters that had just been set for him. In fact, they were the exact opposite of what he wanted. But he still managed to force out a small, "Yes, Supreme Leader."
Snoke nodded, shifting once again in his throne. "Good. Now...about the girl. What exactly have you seen of her in these visions?"
Kylo's throat went dry. He licked his lips. Why was he so nervous? He was in the clear now; all he had to do was tell Snoke all he knew. That way, he could save his skin for sure, and not worry about it. But for some reason, this was hard. A lot harder than he thought it should be.
He didn't like that.
"Nothing of importance, really. They were no more than mere glimpses of her."
Not a lie...not freely giving any information. Vague. Good.
"Was she ever training? Learning? Fighting?"
Kylo sucked back a groan. "Not that I could see, Supreme Leader."
Please be done, please be done, please be done.
Snoke was silent and Kylo took the opportunity to end the conversation. He took a few steps backwards, prepared to leave before Snoke could stop him. "I'm sorry I could not be of more assistance-"
"I am not finished."
Kylo clamped his mouth shut, planting his feet once again. He just needed this to be over.
"Did you ever see Skywalker?"
Kylo tensed. His tongue ran along his bottom lip as he shoved down all the negative emotions the name brought up. "No."
Snoke's irritation returned, though Kylo didn't see why it had the right to do so. Snoke knew how he felt about his uncle, how he felt about his whole family. Why would he bring them up? "Are you sure you saw nothing?"
"I told you I did not see him."
Snoke sighed. "I understand your unwillingness to discuss him, but if you have any information regarding Skywalker, I need to know!"
"I have not seen him Supreme Leader!" Kylo spat. "Not once! Not in years! And I do not wish it any other way! I am giving you these answers honestly, though you know they are painful for me to give, yet you continue to demand more, always more!"
Snoke was caught off guard. Kylo was crossing a line and he was not happy. "That is no way to speak to me."
Kylo didn't care. He was sick of this. Of being told what to do. Of being treated like a child. Like a slave. Like a liability.
"I always try to do as you ask! What more would you like from me?"
"That is enough."
But it wasn't, it wasn't. Why did he refuse to look at this from Kylo's point of view? Why did he refuse to acknowledge that Kylo was just as scared and confused about all of this as he was, maybe even more so?
"What more can you ask of me? What more can I do?"
"I said enough!"
Pain seized Kylo and he froze, the words he wished he could say caught in the back of his throat. Snoke leaned forward in his chair, far enough forward that Kylo could see every grotesque line in the man's face. "You will not ever speak to me in that way again. Do I make myself clear?"
Kylo nodded to the best of his ability.
"As for what more you can do...if it's what I think it is, you can use this connection. You can develop it, master it. You can use it to find the girl. And this time, if you can't bring her back..."
The pain intensified for a brief moment.
"...I want you to kill her."
Kill her.
Why did the very thought make his blood run cold? It should excite him. He should be drawn towards the instruction, not repelled by it. In fact, he shouldn't have even had to be instructed. It should have been his instinct, his desire. So why wasn't it? Why was it something he dreaded?
What was it about this seemingly insignificant, infuriating little desert rat that made him squirm? Sure, she was strong with the Force, stronger than anyone Kylo had encountered, and, sure, her strength and resilience was astonishing for someone her size, all this without even mentioning her cleverness and ability to evade capture. But that should make him even more desperate to kill her and keep his title safe. So why couldn't he kill her?
There weren't any explanations he'd really allow himself to consider.
Why did he have to make everything so difficult for himself? Why couldn't he just perform the tasks he was asked to perform and leave it at that? Why couldn't he have led a simple life? Why had it gone this way?
Why did he feel like even if he knew how, even if he wanted to, he'd never be able to fix it?
He sure wished he knew.
Thoughts raced through Finn's head. Two weeks since he'd recovered enough to leave the medbay, and already he was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of responsibilities he'd had thrown at him. Now, to top everything off, he'd just been informed that Luke would be arriving on base shortly. Of course, this small bit of news had sent everyone occupying the base into an uproar. The Jedi hadn't been seen by anyone in years, and now he was going to be on the base.
Finn would be lying if he said the prospect of seeing this legend was what made him nervous now. He knew it sounded foolish, but he didn't care about seeing the Jedi. He only cared about seeing Rey. He was holding out the hope that she would be accompanying her new master, though he doubted that she would be allowed to take time away from what was probably a rigorous training schedule. He just wanted to see her. Wanted to know for sure that she was alright after everything they'd been through.
But of course she was. Luke would've made sure of that. Right?
"Finn?"
Leia's voice behind him caused him to freeze. He spun to face her, his eyebrows knitting together.
"Yes, General?"
She quirked a brow. He cleared his throat and corrected himself. "Yes, Leia?"
"I didn't want to bother you, but Luke said that he wanted you to be there when he spoke with me. I figure that can only mean one thing."
"Rey."
She offered him a small, fleeting smile. Quick as it was, even half of one was rare anymore, and Finn couldn't help but smile broadly back. Neither of them knew anything about what was to be discussed, but Finn didn't care. As long as he got to see Rey, he would be fine.
Soon, Leia's smile fell, and Finn, noticing this, sighed. "How do you feel about all this?"
She spoke quietly. "I haven't seen my brother in years. And now he just decides to pay a visit? I keep trying to convince myself it's only a visit for Rey's sake, but I just have this feeling I can't shake. And what if he's different? What if he's not my brother anymore? A lot has happened since he left. I'm just nervous, I guess."
Finn nodded. He wished he knew what to do to comfort her. If he were Poe, the answer would be simple. Leia and Poe were like family to each other. But as far as comforting someone went, Finn was pretty clueless. He'd never really been allowed to comfort anyone when he'd been a Stormtrooper, and he'd never really been comforted before, himself. So the best he could give Leia was an awkward pat on the shoulder. "I'll be right there, if you need anything."
To his surprise, Leia chuckled. "When I've got no one else, I'll always have you, won't I?"
"You bet."
"General Organa!"
They both whirled to face the voice and saw a young man running toward them, his eyes wide. "Luke Skywalker, ma'am. He's - he's arrived. He requested your presence" -he gestured to the both of them- "as well as Poe Dameron's, immediately."
"Thank you," Leia said, all the blood running from her face.
She turned to Finn as the man scampered off. "I'll go find Poe and meet you in the main hangar. Luke will be there and we can talk wherever he chooses."
She turned to go, but Finn caught her shoulder. "Leia, you should be the one to greet him. Not me. I'll go find Poe."
She stared at him, her eyes pleading, and he almost gave in and let her go.
"It's for the best," he insisted.
Leia sighed. "I suppose you're right. I'm being ridiculous; Luke's my brother. I'll be fine."
She turned towards the main hangar and Finn stopped her one last time. "Leia?"
"Yes?"
"Good luck."
She offered him another small smile and walked off. Finn grinned and rushed off to find Poe.
I'm coming, Rey.
As she approached the landing bay, Leia's stomach churned. What if this was a complete disaster? What if she saw him and had nothing to say? What if he was coming with more bad news? What if he wasn't the same?
She stopped herself. That wasn't fair. She wasn't the same either. A lot of things had certainly happened since they'd last seen each other. Things had changed. But they were still family. And they would still have each other's backs.
Still, as she rounded the corner into the large hangar, negative thoughts continued to swirl mercilessly through her head. Then she looked up and there he was.
Everything else around her seemed to fade away, Her brother was the only thing she could see. He looked so different, so much older than she remembered. His face was much wearier. Their gazes met, and by the look on his face, she could tell his thoughts were much the same. Regardless, his eyes brightened.
"Leia."
"Luke." It was a sigh of relief. A breath of fresh air.
She rushed toward him, stopping abruptly just a few inches away. Their eyes searched each other's faces for a few moments before they embraced, Leia allowing herself to be vulnerable for the briefest of seconds. It had been so long since she'd been hugged by someone she loved. The last time she could think of was…
"I've missed you so much." Luke's voice forced her out of her musings.
"Where did you go? Why did you go?"
Luke wrapped his arms tighter around her. "I'm so sorry, Leia. After what happened...I had to go."
"Luke-'
She was interrupted by Finn's shouts as he flew into the hangar. Luke all but jumped away from Leia, and she swayed for a moment before regaining her balance.
"Rey! Rey, I'm here! I'm here-"
"But she is not," Luke interjected as Finn approached.
Poe, who had been following close behind, had been wearing a grin that was now fading fast. Finn looked almost hurt by this development. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that she isn't here. I couldn't bring her."
"Why, is something wrong?" Finn's eyes were wild with fear. "Please tell me she's okay."
Luke held up a hand, effectively quieting the whole group. "All things we will discuss as soon as Maz arrives. I wanted the two of you to be present," he gestured behind Leia towards Finn and Poe, "because she seemed to ask about you an awful lot. I figured you two must mean something to her."
Poe and Finn shared a look, but Leia continued staring at her brother. Her heart was racing. "Why isn't Rey with you, Luke? Did - did Ben-?"
"No! No, he - he didn't-" Luke deflated and seemed to grow another ten years older right before her eyes. "I didn't bring her because I wasn't sure if it was safe for us to be in such a place together. I didn't want to put anyone in danger."
"Is Rey dangerous?" Poe had pushed in front of Finn, his eyes wide.
Luke quickly shook his head. "No, no. No, I don't think so. It's...I-" He paused, seeming to try and collect himself. "This would all be much easier to explain if we waited until Maz got here so I could start from the beginning."
The two boys behind her started to protest but Leia waved them off. She nodded, as much as she wanted to know what was wrong. Patience got you far. "Okay, then."
They fell into an awkward, tense silence, and they waited.
When Maz finally arrived, Luke let out a long breath. Relief coursed through him as she exited her shuttle, and he walked to meet her. She shuffled up to him, looking him up and down before grinning in that crooked way of hers. "Luke Skywalker. It certainly has been a long time."
"Too long."
She nodded, pointing a finger up at him. "And through no fault of my own, might I add."
As they walked back to the group, he sighed. "Maz, I need your help."
Another crooked grin. "Do you ever call me for anything else? I assumed so."
"I'm just glad you came."
"Why wouldn't I?"
He didn't answer. Upon reaching the group, he asked Leia where she preferred they speak, and she turned to lead the way. As they walked, he could practically see the gears turning in the small orange woman's head. Did she already know what he wanted to ask about? If so, that was a pretty good sign that this was what he thought it was. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it sooner.
They soon arrived at Leia's private quarters, which, while larger than most other cabins, was very small. Still, they all managed to file in and get seated comfortably before Luke stood and voiced his concerns.
"As you are all aware, Rey is not with me. However, this meeting is entirely for her benefit."
They all watched him intently, the anxious energy in the room building with every second that ticked by.
"Recently, Rey informed me of something she had been experiencing, and when she described it...it brought up some concerns. I thought I should get a second opinion on the matter before I jumped to any conclusions, however, and that's why I'm here now."
Again, he paused, and again, no one said anything. Maz had a strange look on her face that Luke recognized from the hall, and the other three were still as nervous as ever.
"She told me that she'd been having these thoughts and feelings. That she'd been having visions. She told me about some strange dreams, as well."
At this, Maz shifted, but still, she said nothing.
"And she told me that the person she'd been thinking about, the person she'd been having visions of," he turned to Leia, "was Kylo Ren."
Her eyes widened briefly in response, but then, just like that, her face was a mask, unburdened by emotion or thoughts.
"What?" Poe mouthed, at about the same time that Finn shouted, "Why him?"
Several more things were shouted by the two, but Leia seemed unaware of the conversation, and Maz seemed to be unenthused by it. When the boys had finished spouting their indignance, Luke turned to Maz. "She insists that the person she speaks with in her dreams is not the same man, but I simply believe that too good to be true. In my opinion, there's really only one thing it can be."
Maz nodded in answer. "They've been bonded by the Force."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Luke could've sworn Poe's jaw hit the floor. Finn's eyebrows shot into his hairline. Sensing an oncoming riot, Luke held a hand up to deter them. "All in due time, gentlemen. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Maz...that's a large conclusion to draw from this. Are we sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is what's happening?"
Maz nodded. "The boy came to me with the same problems not long ago. It can't be a coincidence; this is what they were meant for."
"Is there a way to stop this? To change it? To take it away from her?"
Poe had to place a hand on Finn's shoulder to contain him. He was furious. The fact that his nephew could evoke such a response made Luke feel as hopeless about the situation as he ever had. Maz, however, simply waved him off.
"I'm sure if you searched long enough, there would be some way to stop it, and if worst came to worst, I'm sure the death of one of them would do the trick just fine. But," she turned to look Finn straight in the eye, "if this is what the Force wills, who are we to interfere?"
"All due respect, ma'am," Poe interrupted, stepping forward, "but I think it's just fine to interfere if it's to keep Rey safe from some sort of...of-" his hand waved as he scrounged for a way to politely get his point across.
"Monster?"
Leia's voice was barely above a whisper, and it was clear that what she'd said had hurt her. The room fell into a silence, thick and tense and palpable. Luke wanted nothing more than to comfort his sister, but he couldn't help admitting that she was right. He'd borne witness to the things his nephew had done, and though there were probably things that could have been done to prevent the situation, the decisions his nephew had made were made all on his own. There was probably no hope for him now.
Maz seemed to feel differently.
"Have you ever considered that this is his chance for redemption?" she whispered.
Finn seemed to almost trip over himself in his rage as he stepped toward Maz. "Have you considered that this is the Order's chance to slaughter the only real hope we have left? Our one real and equal opponent for that man? Their chance to kill Rey? Or, they could even have the gall to take it a step further and manipulate and turn her against all of us, just like they do with everyone else they manage to catch in their grip."
"Finn's right," Leia mumbled, burying her face in her hands.
Maz shook her head and sighed, lifting herself from her seat and making her way towards Leia. "As much as I love that boy," she said, "no, he's not."
She took Leia's face in her hands and lifted it so she could look her in the eyes. "Leia, my dear, you need to have more faith. More faith in your son. More faith in Rey. More faith in the Force. It knows what it's doing."
Luke was heartbroken to see tears forming in his sister's eyes. "I certainly hope so."
A/N: Alrighty, so we got some new perspectives! Hopefully, you guys liked those. If you did, there will definitely be more.
My writing schedule has been thrown incredibly out of whack because school started and it's like my life has been thrown into overdrive. I will try my hardest to get these updates out reasonably, but please know that if they aren't coming incredibly fast, it's not because anything's wrong, I'm just incredibly busy.
And, third note, just because I'm paranoid. Will you guys want me to continue this after The Last Jedi premiers? It's already severely canon-divergent, and will only continue to be that way down the road. I certainly wouldn't mind continuing and eventually (hopefully) finishing this fic. Just kind of wanted you guys' opinion.
As always, thank you for reading!
