Rey tilted her glass and watched as the blue Bantha milk stained the side of the goblet. Sat in a plush armchair in the corner of the dressing room, she felt decidedly out of place.
The area where Rey was sitting was large, with tall ceilings and deep alcoves, but so cluttered with wardrobes, soft furnishings, and assorted lamps that it gave the impression of a much smaller and more intimate space. To her eyes, all she could see was unnecessary clutter – each surface covered with bottles, makeup and lotions.
The stale funk of layered perfume caught in her throat and made her eyes water.
It was also heaving with women, and she didn't know if she was meant to say anything. She could hear their back and forth gossip, but she had nothing to contribute.
'Aren't you thirsty?'
Rey looked up, her hand tightening on the glass.
A green-skinned creature hovered over Rey, her purple eyes flickering between the full glass and Rey's face.
A Mirialan. A real Mirialan in the flesh.
Rey forced a smile across her face.
'Not really. But thank you,' she said, placing her untouched drink down on a side table.
'You came in with Master Ren, didn't you?' the Mirialan asked.
'That's right,' Rey answered, her face flushing.
'So… Does that make you Rey?' the Mirialan asked.
Around the room, Rey heard the laughter and talk dry up as the women turned to watch their interaction. In every face she could see curiosity; their eyes bored into her.
'Who wants to know?' Rey retorted. She winced internally as she heard the hostility ring through her tone.
Pull it together, she scolded herself. That clearly wasn't how you were meant to act.
By just sitting in the room, it had become very apparent to Rey that through her unorthodox upbringing, she had never really interacted with women. All her dealings on Jakku were with men, and she had never had the time to build many friendships whilst scavenging. It was only with Leia and Rose that Rey had felt any sort of closeness. So, when she was confronted with beautiful creatures of different cultures and species, she could feel herself turn inward and hostile.
It wasn't pleasant.
'Don't hassle the girl, S'Nealn.' A heavily bejewelled hand grabbed onto the Mirialan's shoulder. The speaker was a tall beauty, her ebony skin decorated with swirls of gold body paint that matched her short dress. She smiled at Rey.
'We all know who you are, young Rey of Jakku. S'Nealn here just has no manners. I'm Pannrah, by the way,' the glittered woman squeezed the Mirialan's shoulder. 'And you lot can stop being nosy now,' Pannrah glanced over her shoulder at the curious crowd of onlookers. Rey smiled weakly as the babble of voices filled the room once more.
'And… how do you know who I am?' Rey asked quietly.
Even I can't properly tell you that.
Pannrah smirked before releasing the Mirialan. Rey leant back as the glittered woman perched on the arm of her chair, her inquisitive eyes staring down at the scavenger. She was uncomfortable at the level of scrutiny this woman was giving her.
'Do you know how long Master Ren and his Knights have been visiting us, Rey?' Pannrah asked, her eyes hungrily scanning Rey's face as she waited for the scavenger to answer.
Rey could sense the intensity in her gaze, and felt a blush rise in her cheeks.
She shrugged. Truthfully, Rey didn't enjoy thinking of Kylo spending his time in a place like this, but she wasn't one to judge.
'A good few years. I'm sure you've noticed that underneath their bravado, they're just men. And men have desires,' Pannrah continued.
'Especially that Trudgen,' a jeering voice rang from the back of the room.
'But, Master Ren has always been… different,' Pannrah added, her tone thoughtful.
'Did he…Has he ever…?' Rey faltered. She was sure that even the very tops of her ears were scarlet with embarrassment.
'No. That's what made him different. He's usually just a 'chaperone' for the Knights if they get too rowdy,' Pannrah smiled kindly, answering Rey's stammers. 'But a few months back, something changed.'
Rey frowned. She wasn't sure if she was enjoying where this conversation was going.
'What happened?' The scavenger folded her arms across her chest.
'Don't you mean, who happened?'
Rey turned to the side. Jaara, the Twi'lek from earlier, had walked into the room and sauntered over to join them, her mouth twisted in an amused smile.
'I don't understand...' Rey started. She paused as Jaara raised her hand, cutting her off.
'One day, Master Ren stormed in here, and he was in foul mood. I've never seen anything like it. Getting into fights left, right, and centre. Snapping at the Knights, nearly killing a customer who knocked into him. It took everything Meione had to calm him down.' Jaara laughed. 'I heard them talking in her office. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but he's never acted that way before. Not in here anyway. And what I learnt is that Master's Ren's frustrations boiled down to, and I'm quoting here, 'a particularly frustrating scavenger'.'
Rey inhaled sharply, her fists clenching underneath her arms.
She knew what it was like, that frustration.
Kylo had been on her mind for months now, always irritating yet fascinating her in equal measures. And since their connection had started to manifest, she could sense that he felt the same way.
'However, Meione had a problem to solve. Having Master Ren storm in here with no outlet for his temper wasn't going to be good for business. So, she came to us here to ask our thoughts,' Jaara said. 'And we came up with a solution. Something that was hidden from his Knights. Something that was just for him.'
'What was it?' Rey asked. She had a thousand questions running around her mind, but didn't dare mess up the flow of the story.
'Every week, after hours, Master Ren would visit us. And just talk. Sometimes he was angry, sometimes he was curious. But most of the time, he was annoyed,' Pannrah answered.
'What would he talk about?' Rey whispered.
Jaara raised an eyebrow at the scavenger.
'You know the answer Rey. You. He'd talk about you. It was always you.'
Rey didn't know how to react.
It was always you.
She had never been anyone's always. Back on Jakku, she was nothing. An unimportant scavenger. Even her parents hadn't cared enough to give her a family name. Even within her makeshift family of Poe, Finn, and Leia, she was still just Rey of Jakku. As though the desert and her loneliness defined her.
But now she was the always of Kylo Ren.
No.
The always of Ben Solo.
'So, as you can see, we were all very curious about meeting you, Rey,' Jaara's voice cut through Rey's scattered thoughts.
'Why me?' Rey whispered, looking down at her clenched hands. Her knuckles were heavily scarred, and she could see her nails had been bitten down the quick. These weren't the hands of someone important, someone who had lived an easy or happy life. They were full of strife, and sacrifice.
What made her important to Ben Solo?
'That's not a question we can answer, Rey. But I do know that you fascinate and beguile him in equal measures,' Jaara said.
'Beguile?' Rey looked up. She wasn't familiar with that term.
'Enchant, Rey. I mean - and not to be too forward - but looking at you, I can see why,' Pannrah cut in, her eyes sweeping over Rey's face.
Rey felt her cheeks get warm.
Enchant him.
'But why did Meione help him? Make him talk to you? I don't think that being 'bad for business', was her main reason, was it?' Rey asked.
'Meione has always been interested in Kylo Ren. Or, mainly Ben Solo. She was good friends with his parents,' Jaara shrugged.
'Really?' Rey was surprised.
She thought back to the genuine smile that Ben had given Meione back in the larger room, and felt her own lips curve into a grin. Seeing him smile was such a rare treat.
'Really. Which is why you two must leave,' Jaara said quietly. To Rey's surprise, the Twi'lek, dropped down to kneel next to the chair, and placed her hand on Rey's knee. Instantly the scavenger felt the emotions that poured off the woman switch up a gear.
Beforehand, Jaara was relaxed and almost wistful as she told her story, but now the Twi'lek radiated tension. It made Rey anxious in turn.
'Have you spoken to Meione?' Rey asked. She turned her gaze on Pannrah, and was surprised when she saw the bejewelled woman's face was grave as she met Rey's eyes.
'No, but I'm assuming she's said the same thing to you too,' Jaara sighed.
'What's going on? Is this about me being here with Kylo?' Rey asked, the doubt creeping in her voice.
From the first moment, she had arrived at Meione's Palace with the new Supreme Leader, she knew that for some reason, everyone was trying to get them out of brothel. And she wasn't sure why. Was it because they were jealous? Or that they didn't know how to deal with a woman joining in? Or were they trying to relieve her embarrassment, woman-to-woman?
'Partially. But this isn't about you as such, but about the Knights.'
'The Knights?' Rey asked. Now she was beyond confused.
Rey knew that with a simple manipulation of the Force, she could take whatever information she wanted out of Jaara's mind, but she chose not to. She knew that was a slippery and seductive path to darkness, and if she ever wanted to get Ben Solo back fully, she couldn't allow herself to be swayed.
'Rey…' Jaara sounded tortured. 'You don't trust me, I can see that. But there's plans in motion that cannot be stopped. And I don't want you to be swept up in this.'
Rey could feel the unease curl in her stomach. She didn't know the courtesan, or have any reason to trust or even think that she wasn't being lied too, but she couldn't help but sense the sincerity in her voice.
Just as Rey started to doubt herself further, there was a commotion from the front of the room that drew her attention away from Jaara. From out of the gloom, S'Nealn had appeared and loudly clapped her hands, making the chatter of the girls in the room falter.
The scavenger raised her eyebrows as she saw the Mirialan had changed from her more revealing outfit into a grand silken gown that swept the floor. It was a touch of elegance that Rey hadn't been expecting in a brothel.
'Ladies. You know what time it is? Get ready.'
Instantly, Rey felt the temperature drop in the room. Her eyes moved between Pannrah and Jaara as their expressions changed into something akin to fear.
'He hasn't requested it today, surely?' Pannrah turned to address S'Nealn. Rey frowned as she heard a tremor in the bejewelled woman's voice.
'I've just heard from Meione. He's getting quite insistent,' S'Nealn said.
'What's going on? Who?' Rey asked. Although none of the women in the room were Force-sensitive, she could sense the tension brewing in the room. Something was happening that scared these women.
'Vicrul.' Jaara spat out his name; it stained the air like a curse word.
Immediately, the room burst back into action.
A cacophony of voices made Rey flinch as she saw various courtesans rip open wardrobes and pull out silken gowns. There was a current of something boiling in the air, making tensions crawl and movements become jerky. It made the hair of Rey's arm stand up, and she felt her pulse begin to race.
Rey frowned as she watched the women quickly pull off their clothing and step into the floor-length gowns that closely resembled S'Nealn's dress.
'What has he done?' Rey stood, her guard immediately up. She hadn't thought much about the blonde Knight since their arrival on the planet, but she felt like an idiot now.
How could she be so blind?
Of course he was going to pull a stunt, and draw the attention away from her. He couldn't bear not being centre of attention.
'It's not what he's done. It's what he's about to do. And of all the nights!' Jaara exclaimed in frustration, throwing her hands in the air. 'Rey, you and I haven't finished this conversation. Remember that.'
Rey watched as Twi'lek moved away from their group and into the depths of the room. Rey bit her lip as she saw Pannrah follow suit.
'Will somebody tell me what's going on?' Rey begged, turning to S'Nealn.
The Mirialan was surveying the room, her arms folded across her chest as she took in the chaos.
'How much do you know about Vicrul, young Rey from Jakku?' S'Nealn asked, her eyes never leaving the chaos in the room.
'Only that he's sadistic and big-headed,' Rey shot back.
'Did you know he's also vain? Or at least, obsessed with physical beauty?' S'Nealn asked.
'No. But that makes sense,' Rey said, rolling her eyes. Of course, Vicrul didn't have any depth to him. He was all surface level.
'Careful, S'Nealn. Rey doesn't need to know this,' Pannrah said, approaching the group once more. In the same thread as the rest of the girls, she had swapped her revealing outfit for a floor-length gown.
'Yes, I do! I want to help. What does Vicrul do? Does he hurt you?' Rey countered, anger rising in her stomach.
'Not physically no,' Pannrah answered carefully, turning her gaze around from Rey and towards the Mirialan.
Rey bit her lip as she watched Pannrah and S'Nealn exchange a knowing look; an unasked question and unsaid answer in that one exchange.
'Tell me,' Rey pleaded.
'Rey, where do you think most of our girls come from?' Pannrah asked, her tone guarded.
'I don't know. I've never thought about it,' Rey said. She felt flabbergasted. Why had the topic of conversation changed so abruptly?
She didn't really care about the origins of these women, but more about what Vicrul was planning to do. The uncertainty in her stomach meant something, she knew it. She had to stop him.
'Well, some come here out of their own volition. But most come from the slavers pits, or markets. Most are girls who have no other place to go.
'What does that matter?' Rey said.
'Normally it doesn't. In a place like this, people don't tend to ask questions. And if Vicrul was a regular customer, or even normal man, it wouldn't be an issue. He'd just pick and choose his favourite girls, and ignore the rest,' Pannrah said.
'But he's not a regular. Or normal. He can't bear to be around 'flaws'. Or whatever he considers ugliness,' S'Nealn continued.
To Rey's horror, she saw a tear slip out of the corner of S'Nealn's eye. Her stomach dropped as she watched grief tear across the Mirialan's face as the woman looked up to the ceiling, gently patting the tear away so it wouldn't ruin her makeup.
'I don't understand. You're all so… beautiful. Surely there's nothing Vicrul could say that is ugly about you,' Rey frowned.
'You're too kind to say that, Rey. And you're right. Our faces may be untouched, but that's not it. See for yourself.'
Pannrah spun around, and Rey was confronted by the courtesan's naked back.
The dress was attached to her body by a jewelled collar, but from her neck down to her tailbone, Pannrah's gown simply didn't exist, and left an expanse of skin on show.
And it was a back that was marked with dozens and dozens of dark scars. There were thick lines from numerous whippings, and the shiny taut webs that Rey knew were born from fire.
'What does Vicrul do, Pannrah?' Rey asked.
She wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer. She felt her mouth go dry, and she had to swallow past a thick lump in her throat.
'It's obvious, isn't it? Public humiliation,' S'Nealn answered, her voice steady.
Rey felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. Her stomach lurched, and tears blurred her vision. This was far darker and eviller than Rey had imagined possible. The blonde Knight had really gone too far.
'What do you mean?' Rey whispered.
'The simplified version? He lines all us girls up with our backs to the audience, and shows off our 'flaws'. It's his favourite game,' Jaara's voice made Rey flinch; the Twi'lek's had joined their group again, and her tone was so heavy with disgust.
'Why?' Rey asked, unable to fathom it.
'Either he gets off on it, or he just enjoys the show,' Pannrah shrugs.
'Why does Meione allow it? Why doesn't Ben stop him?' Rey exclaimed.
Her body was shuddering with anguish now. She didn't know these girls, but she had felt the same disgust towards the blonde Knight when he had attacked her the evening before. He had to be stopped.
'You haven't seen him like this, Rey. It's fanatical. I don't think even Darth Vader himself could stop Vicrul when he's showing off,' Jaara sighed.
'It's better if he just gets his kicks for a few minutes. It's over fast. He gets bored easily. And like I said, he can't abide 'ugliness'. There's only so much weakness he can tolerate,' Pannrah answered, a wry smile playing on her lips.
'You're not weak though,' Rey said.
'We know that Rey. But what are you going to do?' S'Nealn smiled sadly. Rey knew she wasn't really asking, but she bit her lip as she considered her question.
It was true - what could she do? He was a Knight, trained for years to be an elite warrior in both hand-held combat and the Force. She was just a girl from Jakku. One who had grown up in hards-
An idea bloomed in her mind. An idea so crazy, that it almost might work.
'I have an idea.'
Author's Note: Thank you for all the help 'Across the Stars' – the best editor a girl could have.
In the next few chapters, we're going to have some POV changes midway through the chapters.
Also, over 100 follows is amazing. So, thank you.
Keep up with the reviews.
Next chapter is called 'The Judgement of Scars'
