Star Orchid
By: MJ
Part two, the gloves- Setting: Rey is at the undisclosed location of the rebel base, and Kylo Ren is on his command ship
Hazy autumn sunlight filtered in through the high, crude window built into the hard packed dirt. Bits of dust danced lazaly through the air and settled on Rey's lips. Everything was so dry here, the scorching sand seemed to creep into every pore. Rey was used to this climate though, growing up on Tatooine had weathered her skin, and traveling in the boiling heat was familiar to her. Unlike Finn, who was used to the cool tapped air produced by clicking machines on sterile command ships. He burst through the door, sweat pouring down his face.
"Are you packed? We take off in an hour" Rey was not in fact, packed or ready to go. But she looked up from her stack of books and replied quickly. "Uh, yeah- I'll be ready in a bit" Finn gave a quick nod and pushed off from the door frame, disappearing from sight. The rebel base picked a new place to set up camp every few months, just to be certain that no one knew their location. It was critical to keep what fighters they had left safe, so that the rebellion could continue to grow.
Rey picked up her stack of books and shoved them into her bag with a few changes of clothes and various other trinkets she had accumulated. She hopped around the small dusty room she had been given, and snached verious things. She lifted a shawl from the floor, and froze. Amid the swirling, sun-speciled dust a pair of shiny black leather gloves sat in a wad. Kylo Ren's gloves. Her mind flashed back to the elevator, where she had taken his hand and tucked his gloves into the side of her waseband and forgotten them. She sank to her knees and slowly reached for them, almost afraid to lift them from their dusty cocoon. The leather was just as she remembered it to be, slick and cool to the touch. As she sat holding them, she was hit by a sudden pang of sadness. He had had the opportunity to join her, and she saw the light in his eyes when she called him by his true name.
"Ben, when we touched hands I saw your future" She'd said to him, so sure that he would turn with her to the light. But he hadn't, instead he'd expected her to follow him to the dark side. Anger boiled in Rey's stomach as she thought of him, but it silenced as she thought of the moment when they touched hands, and when he'd held her in the elevator as if nothing could ever come between them. With the traces of sadness still clinging to her, Rey slowly pulled the cool leather gloves over her hands. She examined her fingers encased in the velvety fabric. They were extremely well made, and Rey wondered if she had ever worn a garment this fine before.
Suddenly the room started to shift around her. Something in the force was reaching out to her, grabbing for her attention. A knifing pain started needling though her brain and sound was filling her ears. It was as if thousands of voices were screaming in her head, the pressure building and building until- silents. Rey opened her eyes and her vision expanded and bloomed around her with the force. She wasn't alone here.
"They suit you" Kylo Ren was standing alone, clad in his typical black cloak. Fluorescent mechanic light highlighted his sharp angled features. When he spoke he gestured with his chin to Rey's hands, sealed in his gloves. "You could have come with me" Rey was still sitting in the sunny dust, her leather gloved hands clenched in anger in her lap. She raised her head and looked into his mocha eyes, her's burning gold with frustration. "When Snoke fell dead I thought you were going to come with me." Her voice was tainted with emotions. "I could say the same for you" Kylo answered her cryptically. "I offered you my hand, an opportunity to rule the galaxy with me. You'd have more power than you could ever imagine."
"I don't want power." She definitely declared. "I want a world where the jedi can rise again. I want to bring peace throughout the galaxy. I want a world where we don't have to fight each other." A flicker of sadness crossed her face and he caught it. "Then stop fighting me," said Kylo, crossing over to her. For a second he considered her face, then dropped to his knees in front of her, folding over his legs. They sat across from each other, separated by a galaxy. "It doesn't have to be this way. We can build our own empire. Our world will be whatever we want it to be." He looked deep into her bright hazel eyes, almost begging her. Rey relaxed, her hands uncurling as the anger seeped out of her. She took a deep breath, and for a second he thought she just might say- "No."
"We'll see" He said in a whisper softer than air. Ever so gently, he reached through space and touched Rey's hand, leather skimming leather. He lifted her hand just high enough and dipped forward, black curls falling along his ivory skin. With a touch so soft it felt like water, he brushed his lips along her knuckles. Her hazel eyes flickered, glittering in the sunlight as a light flush crossed her cheeks. "Ben, there's still time for you. You can turn to the light." He lowered her hand. "So can you." He challenged back.
Both of their faces were set in defiance, but his was tinted with sorrow, passing like a shadow. Rey's eyebrows twitched as she noticed, and she gently reached out and brushed a black curl of hair from his face, tucking it behind his ear. Her hand ghosted down his marble cheek and ever so lightly, her fingertips rested on his lips.
Kylo felt tingles shoot down his spine and the tiniest twitch registered in his face. Rey froze, as if realizing what she was doing and she retracted her hand, turning her face away from him. She felt his frustration through the force. At first she thought it was aimed at herself and started to grow upset, but she reached further into his mind and saw his emotions clearly. He was frustrated at himself, he felt helpless and feared that weakness. Rey turned to him again, wanting to see his mocha eyes and understand him, but he was already gone.
She sat in the sun spotted, swirling dust- and was alone.