A/N: And I'm back! One day short of a month! That must be a record for me lately. I want to wish you all a fabulous New Year! And to just say enjoy. I'm not going to comment on how I'm on a roll and how the next chapter should be out soon, because that always backfires on me. But I will say that this is what I'm focusing on right now because apparently my brain can't focus on more than 1 story at a time. So barring any chaos at home, I'm hoping to post. Yeah, I'm just hoping to post. ;)
So with that being said. Here is the next installment of or space lovers saga and hopefully this chapter pushes the narrative forward enough for me to see an end in sight soon. As of right now both Rey and Ben say drag it out and add as much smut as you can. :O Anyone with them?
As always thank you!
COMMENTS = LOVE/LIFE
:Chapter Twenty-Nine:
She sat at the window, her hand pressed against the warm transparisteel, staring out into the rouge tinted blackness. From the moment their ship had come out of hyperspace near their destination, she had been battered by the Dark Side of the Force. It took everything to silence the voices of the tortured Jedi, to protect her mind from the locus of the Dark Side. It was everywhere. Like a million voices whispering at once. Scraping across her mind like grains of sand in the desert.
Her dreams hadn't been kind since arriving on Mustafar. She would awaken, dripping in sweat, arms flailing, battling demons from the darkness into the light. Her only repast was that he was there, in the light, waiting for her with strong arms, and hushed words. With soft kisses pressed to her temple, and his solid body wrapped around her shattering one.
"I'm here, darling. You're safe."
His words would barely register as she was pulled back into the darkness of her dreams. Her nightmares. They were always the same. She was left alone, searching in the darkness. The rain obscuring her vision, turning everything into smeared images of simulacra. Bodies, writhing, the hum of lightsabers, hands tearing at her. She tried to fight but she was helpless. Her arms and legs made of lead.
She tried her best to stay awake now. Fighting the relief her body sought in sleep. It was shortly lived anyway. There were never enough hours of peaceful slumber to justify the the night of terrors. And since their arrival, Ben had begun to withdraw from her. Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, until his absence almost became a physical ache in her chest. Awake or asleep, she found no solace.
Her reception had been one of barely leashed hostility, from the Knights of Ren, who were planetside. Their apparent anger at the prospect of her being there was not only a blow for Ben, but was nearly physically sickening for Rey. And when the others returned today, the roiling emotions she felt through the Force magnified tenfold. She was barely protecting herself from the onslaught of the planet, and didn't have enough energy to defend against their animosity. But she knew Ben was fighting his own battle and she kept her war from him.
She had been sequestered in his apartments for three days now. Kept away from the Knights and from Ben during the day. But she could not remained trapped here any longer. She was slowly going mad. He had not ordered her to remain, but he had asked her to stay there, safe. He came to her in the evenings, silent, and brooding. The darkness pulsing off of him. She knew he tried to shed the mask he wore with his men, but it was becoming harder and harder for him. And he was afraid to show her that face. He only wanted to protect her. She knew. But it was too late for that. She had knowingly walked into the rancor's den.
She stood, uncurling herself from the floor. Brushing her hands along her worn pants, she took a deep breath and spun, a smile forming on her lips as she heard the door slide open, thinking Ben had returned early. The body that filled the entrance was thinner, although just as tall. His presence filled the room. His power pushing at her, like a wave, bowling into her. He stepped forward, and it took everything within her not to retreat.
"So this is where he is keeping you caged. His little pet," he spit the last word at her.
His deep voice dripped with disdain from beneath his black hood. His hands rose and Rey steeled herself for an attack. But none came. He merely brushed back his hood, revealing a strikingly handsome face and piercing green eyes. Rey cursed herself for her quick inhale.
"You know who I am, little Jedi?" His full mouth twisted in a malicious smile, as he advanced further into the room.
Rey stood her ground. "Ben has mentioned you," was all she would commit to.
"Ah, you mean Kylo Ren." His eyes narrowed.
Another step closer.
"No, I mean Ben Solo." She couldn't help but argue.
His laugh was derisive. "But that is not who he is, silly pet. A name means nothing, if that is not who you are in your soul."
His mouth twisted again, as he took another step forward. "Ben Solo is dead. I watched him die on Yavin 4, as his uncles temple burned to the ground."
"And I watched him rise from the ashes in my arms." Rey challenged.
He laughed at her again. "So naive, little Jedi. You think because he's shoved his cock into your tight little cunt, that you know him? That you can save him? You have no idea who he is."
Rey's face flamed at his vulgar speech, but she refused to be cowed by him.
"Only the weak need saving," she countered.
He advanced on her, bringing his sneering face within inches of her own.
"He is my brother. We have done things, that you couldn't even imagine. We have perpetuated horrors that your mind would not even be able to understand ."
"You have no idea what I would comprehend. No idea what horrors I have seen. What atrocities I have commited. You know nothing about me. But know this, Varon Kell Ren, my life on Jakku taught me how to do two things better than anyone else. To wait, and to fix broken things.
"Nothing you can do to me will change how he feels about me. Not even my death will break the bond we share. Just remember, Varon Kell, you drew the line in the sand. Be careful when you step over it. I won't hesitate to defend what is mine."
Varon smile thinly at her. "And neither will I, sand rat," he hissed at her.
Turning he stormed out of the room. Rey stood, frozen to the spot, her breath coming in quick gasps, her heart pounding against her ribs as if to break free. Now she understood why Ben had kept her and Varon Kell apart. Ben thought he was a believer. And they were the most dangerous.
Trying to settle her heart rate, she sank to the floor. Varon Kell was dangerous. But not because he believed in the First Order, or what Snoke had been trying to build. He was dangerous because he was obsessed with his master and refused to believe that there could be anyone more important in masters life than him.
This time the knock on the door startled her. Taking another deep breath, she steeled herself for a second battle.
"Come."
The door slid open and Altair Rhys stepped in. He took in her pale face and trembling fingers, and hurried to her side.
"My lady! Are you alright? Can I help you?" he crouched next to her, taking her trembling hands in his.
He held them gently, closing his eyes, while he kneeled next to her. Rey studied him, startled by his appearance, as she watched him. She felt him manipulating the Force around her. Calm flooded through her, as her hands stopped their trembling and her heart settled back into a natural rhythm. He released her hands and moved his to her face, pressed his thumbs against her temples gently. His pinkie fingers curled beneath the base of her skull, and the others spread within her hair landing on pressure points there.
Again, she felt him manipulate the Force around them, sending a calming sensation through her mind. She felt herself relax, the anxiety she had been feeling from Varon Kell's visit slowly fading.
"Is that better, my lady?" he asked, slowly releasing her head.
Rey rolled her neck, and nodded. "We both know I am not your 'lady'. There is no need to call me that."
"Master Kylo wishes us to treat you with all the courtesy and respect we would his chosen queen. As his companion the most respectful address is 'my lady'."
Rey dipped her head in acknowledgement of his courtesy towards her. At least, she thought, it is not the animosity of Varon Kell.
"I thank you for that. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"
Altair smiled at her. A genuine smile, that reached his eyes.
"He did warn me you were… direct."
Rey chuckled. "You mean he told you I have a bad habit of speaking my mind."
"Blunt, was the actual term he used."
Rey let out a laugh, thinking of Ben warning this huge tattooed man about her.
"Well, then, not to disappoint you… What do you want from me, Altair Rhys?"
Altair shook his head. "I'm actually here to do something for you."
Rey blinked, at a loss for words.
"Master Kylo has asked me to see if you have an aptitude for healing. If you do, he requested me to train you."
Rey's brows drew together. "And you are willing to do this because your master asked you to?"
"My Lady-"
"Please," she interrupted him, "call me, Rey."
He bowed his head. "Lady Rey, Master Kylo saved me. I was sold to the crime syndicate that ran my planet, by my parents. They would used my powers for their own gain, and then sold me to Luke Skywalker and his nephew. It was Master Kylo who helped me understand I was free. They took me to the Jedi Temple on Yavin 4. And then Master Kylo rescued me again. He took me from the destruction and gave me a place beside him. A place where I didn't have to fear what tomorrow would bring.
"He gave me a home. I would do anything he asked of me. And I have. This… this is one of the more pleasurable things he has requested of me and my gifts."
Rey gave him a small smile. "You may not feel that way after our first lesson"
Altair smiled back. "We shall see, Lady Rey. But I think you and I are going to get on just fine."
"We shall see, Altair Rhys." Her smile widened. "Where do we begin?"
Altair stood, offering her his hand. Standing, they were nearly the same height, although Altair was quite possibly twice as wide as Rey. Red tattoos trailed over his bulked muscles and square frame. If she did not know better, Rey would have thought he was the muscle of the group. But from his gentle touch, she knew that would never be the case.
"We are going to the catacombs. They are deep beneath the castle. Do you know of their history?" he gestured for Rey to walk with him to the lift.
Rey's brows drew together as she made her way to the lift. "Beneath the castle? How is that possible? I thought the lava rivers would have made building anything underground impossible."
Altair smiled at her observance. So, she was not just a pretty face, he thought to himself. There was a sharp mind behind those bright eyes.
Turning to face the door as it closed Altair stood shoulder to shoulder with the girl. "There are natural lava tubes that have created hollow caverns beneath the castle. They have been used for many things," his voice trailed off.
"You mean like the Jedi that escaped Order 66, that Darth Vader hunted down and brought here to torture?"
She didn't look at him, but could sense his surprise at her revelation. Turning her head, she studied him.
"You didn't think Ben would tell me? Would warn me about what I was going to face?"
Altair took a moment to absorb this information. His face remained blank but Rey could see the confusion in his eyes.
"You thought I was his prisoner. That he forced me here." She smiled shaking her head.
"We were under that impression," he agreed.
"Did Ben actually tell you that? That he was bringing me here as his prisoner?"
Altair was silent for a moment, thinking back to that meeting. "No. He told us that he was going to bring you to Mustafar. I just assumed that it would be against your will."
"You do not think your master can be that convincing?" Her brows rose and the corner of her mouth tugged upward.
"Kylo Ren is many things, Lady Rey, but he is not what one would call... charming," Altair admitted.
She laughed out right. The sound echoing off the durasteel walls of the lift. Altair, blinked, not having heard a sound so joyous in his life.
"No, no one would make the mistake of calling Kylo Ren charming. But, Ben Solo? He can be quite charming when he wants to be."
"The Ben Solo I remember was sullen and shy. He wasn't charming at all. He was a lonely man, who had a hard time opening up to anyone," he related honestly.
Rey hummed softly, and nodded. Yes, she could see that. Especially after his parents finally sent him away. But that was not all he was. And while she knew that, she wasn't ready to share it with anyone else.
"I believe we know very different Ben Solo's," was all she would say.
"Knew, Lady Rey. Ben Solo is dead. Kylo Ren has taken his place. He is stronger now for it." There was no animosity in Altair's voice.
"I beg to differ with you Altair Rhys. Ben Solo is very much alive. As is Kylo Ren. And while none of his Knights want to admit it, both of them live within the same man. They are both part of him. And he cannot be rid of either. They are like two Loth wolves battling for dominance. One filled with anger, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego. The other filled with peace, love, hope, kindness, and truth."
Altair contemplated her as the lift stopped and settled. "And which wolf will win, my Lady?"
Rey stepped through the door, turning back to look at the man trying to make sense of her revelation.
"The one he feeds." Came her reply, as she turned and moved into the darkness of the throne room.
Altair was stricken by her words, but had no time to contemplate them. His instincts took over as he watched her head straight into the throne room where Kylo Ren sat, in conversation with the Knights and holovid of General Hux. Running from the lift, Altair gently grabbed her wrist to stop her. Rey whirled to him, her lips parted and fear in her eyes. Her entire body tensed for battle. He realized what his hand on her wrist signaled to her, and quickly removed it, as if he had been scalded.
Altair was use to people fearing him. He knew he was frightening to look at. The red tattoos that patterned his golden skin. His squat but powerful body. Even his face with his deep set eyes black eyes, his flat nose, and tattoos that nearly covered every inch of it. It had never bother him before. It had been meant to instill fear. That had been his purpose. And he had never wished for anything different.
Until now. He had no desire to hurt this woman. With her open face and dancing eyes. He actually found that he liked her. And he certainly had no desire to incur his master's wrath by hurting the woman he held in such high regard.
"No, my Lady, not in there. You do not want to venture into the arena now. Master Kylo is… not himself at the moment," he tried to explain.
Rey looked behind her, into the darkness of the throne room. She could hear the deep murmur of Ben's voice, but most of all she could feel the dark swirl of anger and resentment his Force signature was emanating. She had felt it before, in the throne room when he faced down Snoke. She had been frightened then, for her life and his. This time it felt slightly different. As if he had purposely pulled the darkness around him. Feeding off it it. It frightened her again. This time her fear was for him alone.
Her first instinct was to go to him. To soothe him with her light. But she knew that Altair was right. She could not go in there now. She would only make things worse. With a nod, she moved away from the entrance to throne room.
"Come. The stairs to the catacombs are through here."
He gestured to a dark hallway and waited for her to move with him. Rey stepped beside him, and walked with him into the hallway. Standing before an arched stone doorway, she glanced nervously at Altair.
"I shall go first. It is easier for my eyes to adjust to the dark than yours. When we reach the catacombs there will be better light."
Rey remained silent, but slowly followed Altair into the blackness. She found herself shuffling her feet on the wide stone steps, searching for the step down. She made it down a number of steps before she stumbled. Reaching out her hand to steady herself, she came in contact with Altair's bare shoulder. He stopped and stiffened suddenly.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, pulling her hand away.
"Are you alright, my Lady?" his deep voice was gruff.
"I stumbled. My eyes haven't adjusted to the darkness." Embarrassment tinged her voice.
He was silent for a long moment, unmoving from where they had stopped. And then he spoke suddenly. "Please, put your hand back on my arm. I will guide you down the stairs. I did not realize you could not see yet."
She could tell he held his breath as she reached out and placed her small hand back on his large tricep. There was a slight pause before they continued on. Blind to everything, Rey found her other senses heightened some. Her fingers found minute ridges on his skin denoting where his tattoos ran under her hand. She could hear his breathing had quickened, although their pace hadn't changed. The deeper they moved into the heart of the castle base, the more she could smell sulfur and other noxious fumes.
And the pressure. The deeper then went into the depths of the castle, the more the pressure built up in her head. It was as if she was sinking beneath water, the weight slowly pushing in on her. And with the pressure came the voices. The screams and cries. The whimpers and mewling. Scraping across her nerve endings, causing her to shudder. But she knew there were no voices. No, physical throats left to make the sounds she heard. It was what was left of the tortured Jedi. Their finally signature in the Force, echoing for eternity in this place of torment. Shaking her head, she tried to find a way to block it all out.
And then up ahead, the turning staircase brightened. A red tinged glow grew brighter as they made their way to the end of the stairs. Stepping finally into the catacombs from the stone stairway, she blinked to adjust her eyes again. The light was dim but enough to move freely without help.
She dropped her hand from Altair's arm and saw him visibly relax. Was it just her he was afraid of, she wondered, or all women? Tossing the question aside, she glanced around the small cave they were in. It was extremely warm. She would have sworn she was standing under the hot sun of Jakku if she didn't know better. The heat causing beads of sweat to break out on her skin. She lifted her hand to her temple. Her fingers brushing softly to help relieve the pain she found herself in.
Altair glanced over his shoulder at her. "Come. We must go deeper."
With a quick shake to try and clear her head, Rey nodded, following him through twisting lava tubes that had formed the ancient Sith Temple long before the metal structure had been built a top it. Finally, they entered a cave, and Altair stopped. It was larger than the rest and a stream of lava ran through it center. Spanning the stream, was an obsidian altar carved with ancient writing. Rey tried to focus, on her surroundings, but the pressure and voices were immense.
She tried to reach into the Force and protect herself from the onslaught, but found her senses were too battered to even try. She could barely control what was happening to her. Reaching out, she pulled tightly on the bond, gasping at the weight her mind was trying to slough off.
She knew Altair was speaking, his back to her, as he gestured to the gritty black soil beneath them, but she could not hear him. The voices of the tortured Jedi and the whispers of the Dark Side of the Force were drowning out all else. She couldn't even feel Ben at the other end of their bond. Closing her eyes, she staggered, falling to her knees. In dear she let out a keening cry, bringing her hands to cover her ears. Trying to block out the noise that wasn't really there..
Altair spun, seeing Rey gasping for breath, as she staggered to rise from the hot ground. Reaching for her falling body, he found she was suddenly no longer before him. He stepped back, falling to his knees, as he witnessed Kylo Ren, stalking into the cavern like a giant wraith and scooping up the girl in to his black embrace.
"What are you doing you fool?" his seething anger flooded the room, causing Altair to back away.. "You cannot bring her here! It took us years to be able to withstand the Dark Side of the Force down here!"
Holding her close to his body, Ben reached into the Force and began to wrap her in his flickering ember of light. He needed to protect her from the darkness but he wasn't sure it was enough.
"I did not realize, Master Kylo! Her Force signature is so strong, I did not think about how it would affect her." Altair tried to explain.
"You could have killed her!" he growled. "I'll deal with you later."
Altair swallowed the lump in his throat at the threat, but only watched as his master disappeared from his view. Stalking out of the cavern, Ben nearly ran with Rey's inert form from the cavern up the stairs and onto the lift to his rooms. Once there he stripped her of her clothes and then laid her down on his bed before stripping himself of his own clothing.
Lying down next to her, he pulled her to him, making sure they were completely touching, skin to skin. Gently, he pushed into her mind, bringing his tiny ember of light into hers. Taking hold of her light that flickered desperately, he began to twine them together. Wrapping them around each other until her light became a steady glow and his grew brighter.
As he felt her heartbeat return to a steady rhythm, and her breathing slow, her body relaxed against his. He still held her snuggly within his embrace, but he allow his own body to relax against hers. Pressing his lips to the top of her head, he curled himself around her. He felt her arms move and encircle his body, pulling him closer to her.
"Are you alright?" he whispered into her hairline, as she shifted slightly.
"I am now," she offered hoarsely.
"I'm going to kill him," he growled.
"It wasn't his fault. He was taking me down there to teach me. I should have told him the moment it all got too much to bear. I thought I could handle it myself. I didn't realize how strong the Dark Side locus is, and how the souls of the tortured Jedi make it stronger."
"He is no fool. He should have known better."
"Ben, please. It's over. I'm alright. You're here," she whispered into the bare skin of his chest.
"You scared the kriff out of me," he said gruffly, his heart finally falling back into a steady rhythm.
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright, darling. You're safe."
Tightening her arms around him, she turned her cheek to rest on his solid chest. "So are you."
.
The beep from the door woke Ben from a deep sleep. He jumped at the sudden noise and stilled as he felt Rey move restlessly next to him. Untangling himself from her, he pulled on his discarded pants, and ran a hand through his hair as he stalked through the rooms, to the door, annoyed at being interrupted.
As it slid open, Altair Rhys was revealed before him. Ben stared him down for a long while before moving to allow him entrance to the room.
"Master-" Altair began but Ben cut him off.
"Don't!. You'd be dead right now if it weren't for her."
He opened his mouth to speak, but Ben's stare made him think better of it.
"Were you trying to kill her? Did you purposely bring her down there to hurt her?"
Altair opened his mouth again, but Ben beat him to it.
"Don't dare lie to me. I will destroy your mind to find the truth."
"I swear on my life, that I have never done, nor will ever do, anything to purposely hurt Lady Rey."
"Why did you bring her down there, Altair?"
"It is where I do my best healing. I only thought to enhance any natural ability she might have."
"But you are a Dark Side Force user, Altair Rhys. Rey is not. She channels the Light Side."
"I did not think about the consequences of my actions and for that I must be punished." He bowed his head to Ben.
"There will be no punishment." Her soft voice came from the doorway behind Altair.
Both men looked up to see Rey swathed in nothing but a black bed sheet clutched to her modest chest. Her hair tumbled down around her shoulders in disarray. Both blinked at her, each for different reasons.
"Altair had no ulterior motive when he took me to the catacombs. He told me exactly what I would be walking into. Neither of us thought I would react to them the way I did. If he is at fault, then so am I. I deserve any punishment that Altair is given."
Ben looked from Rey to Altair and back to Rey. He had seen into the man's mind and knew he had no designs to hurt Rey by bringing her to the catacombs. He had no plans to punish his knight, although he was still seething that his actions had inadvertently hurt her. But her defense of him, made him only more loyal to her than he had already become. He could see the devotion written on Altair's flat face.
"No one is going to be disciplined. You both are too rash for your own good."
"I apologize to you, Master Kylo. And to you, Lady Rey." Altair remained on his knees.
"Get up, you fool," Ben growled, though it was tinted with affection.
Altair rose to his feet. "I hope you will still trust me enough to train with me, Lady-"
"Altair, if you call me Lady Rey one more time, I will punish you myself! Please, my name is Rey. That is all," she cut him off.
Ben had no idea that Altair's normally tan skin could turn that shade of white. He had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to prevent the laugh from escaping.
"My apologies, Rey."
"That is much better." She smiled at him. "And yes, I will still train with you, Altair Rhys."
The man bowed his head to Rey. "Thank you."
"Perhaps you could start now." Ben announced. "I have to finish my meeting that was interrupted earlier and Rey will be here alone."
He kept his eyes on Altair. He knew that Rey didn't want him to leave her. That there was something else pressing on her mind, other than the catacomb incident. But his hold on the First Order was hanging on by a thread. He had no choice but to return to negotiations with Hux. He had to see this finished.
"Very good, Master Kylo. I would be happy to work with Rey." Altair agreed.
"Good," Ben said as he stalked into the bed room to dress.
He could feel her eyes on his back. Feel her Force signature lessen slightly. He couldn't think about it just then. He would return to her later and give her the time with him she wanted. Just then, he had to make sure that he secured the galaxy so she had a place were she wasn't hunted by Hux or the First Order for the rest of her life. Dressed, he rushed past her and Altair, standing in the outer room, not giving himself the time to say goodbye to her properly, lest his determination to leave crumble.
As he boarded the lift, he finally turned and looked at her. Her face was solemn, and her eyes sad, but she said nothing as the doors slid closed. He knew he should have said goodbye. The he should have kissed her and assured her that he would be returning later, and he cursed himself for having to draw away from her in order to become what he needed. She did not deserve it.
.
As the doors of the lift slid shut, Altair watched as Rey's face morphed from solemn to hurt. How it became shuttered and her eyes lost their smile. How she wrapped her hands around her chest and dropped her head.
"Excuse me Altair. I need to get dressed." Her soft voice was thrown over her shoulder as she shuffled into the bedroom.
She returned a few moments later fully dressed and her hair pulled back into her 3 signature buns. Her arms were still crossed over her chest, but she now wore a look of determination on her face. Striding across the room to him, she stopped before him.
Lifting her chin, she looked him in the eyes. "Where do we begin?"
