They leave for Dxun late the next day, scheduled to arrive shortly before nightfall. Jeyna has already adjusted somewhat to Aleck's near constant presence. He has a calm energy, and a way of fading into the background so she hardly notices him while she's working.
She attempts to make conversation with him during the flight to the jungle moon, since they are alone in the main hold. Ren had immediately stalked into the cockpit for the flight, and the troopers were already on site to set up a base camp.
Aleck seems willing to humor her questions, so she indulges her curiosity. She asks about his training, and his home planet, before getting to what she's truly been wondering about.
"What was the Resistance like?" Jeyna asks.
Aleck considers the question. "Idealistic…Stubborn," he answers. "A scattered mess, what is left of them."
"What was your mission with them? Before your cover was blown?"
"I probably shouldn't say much." His eyes dart towards the cockpit. "But I was intended to get close to their leadership."
Jeyna nods, intrigued but not wanting to push it. Aleck seems to consider her for a moment before he speaks again.
"I'm surprised they haven't approached you yet."
She frowns, taken aback by his statement. "What would they want with me?"
Aleck's careful eyes linger on hers, one hazel, one a pale, damaged gray. "You've worked closely with Commander Ren. You would be a valuable source of intel. Doubtless they're curious about the goal of his latest actions."
"I suppose…but how would they even approach me? The only time I've been away from the Finalizer was on Kashyyyk," Jeyna says uncertainly.
He smiles that slow, small smile she is already becoming familiar with. "The First Order is filled with moles. You would find them in the most surprising of places."
She wonders if this has become an interrogation of sorts. Is he suspicious of her? Does he think she's lying? "Ren's always reading my mind," she points out. "He'd know if someone approached me, and they'd be outed."
"If that is true, it would seem he's developed a very close tie to your mind," Aleck concedes, his eyes resuming their tireless roving of the empty hold. "Perhaps that is why they haven't tried."
Jeyna feels the ship drop out of hyperspace, and begin its descent towards the moon. She doesn't know what to make of her discussion with Aleck, dropping it. She also doesn't know what she would do if the Resistance did come to her now. To help them would mean betraying Ren, which she was sure wouldn't end well. But could it mean freedom from the First Order? Would they let her go, if she gave them something valuable?
She's uncomfortable thinking about it, knowing Ren's spying habits of her mind. She tries to stop, preoccupying her thoughts with theories about the structure they will be investigating instead.
When they set down, the boarding hatch opens and the ramp descends down into mud. It's raining, which is unsurprising. Dxun is usually wracked with week long rainstorms, but Jeyna doesn't mind. They haven't lost most of their supplies in a crash landing and fire this time, and instead have the appropriate rain gear. Dxun is also warm, the air foggy with humidity. She doubts they'll have the problem of cold nights here like they had on Kashyyyk.
She stands on the ramp, surveying the site that has been set up. Aleck has already disembarked to survey the new location, and though she can't see him, she's sure he is nearby.
Camp is ahead of the landing spot, a clustering of temporary buildings and tents. The perimeter is marked by electromagnetic force fields, most likely intended to keep the large predators of the jungle out. She can see the trooper patrols pacing these borders, blasters on hand.
On the far side of camp, her eyes spot the sight of unusual earthen mounds. There is large excavation equipment blocking any further view of the structure from her vantage point.
Ren appears, pausing beside her. "The lead engineer assured me they'll be done digging out the entrance by morning," he states, voice deep beneath the helmet.
Jeyna glances at his tall form curiously. "Why did you change your mind about my coming?"
Ren doesn't answer immediately, letting the noise of rain falling surround them for a moment. "I understood I'd be more distracted leaving you on the Finalizer, than bringing you with me."
Her heart feels lighter at hearing his admission. Almost as if he can feel her lift in mood, he huffs through his mask. "Be good, Jeyna." He stalks down the ramp, leaving her to ponder the meaning of his order.
Nightfall on Dxun
Jeyna's sleeping area consists of a small cot, trunk for supplies, and a lantern. She, Ren, and Aleck have a small structure to themselves, with semi private rooms. The nearby makeshift refresher allows her to get a quick shower, but the water is frigid.
Their quarters are separate from the larger barracks the storm troopers are staying in, to her relief. She distrusts anyone with the white soldier uniform, whether it is a fair grudge to hold or not.
She had been able to observe the excavation proceeding from a distance before the light failed her, but even now she can hear it. The workers are digging earth from the buried building, trying to make passages usable again. The machinery makes a droning noise as progress carries on into the dark. It is enough noise that she struggles to fall asleep, moving restlessly under the thin blanket instead.
Her bored mind refuses to rest just yet, instead travelling to thoughts she knows she should resist. But part of her can't help but to remember Ren embracing her, his body firm and warm and so large compared to hers.
Her cheeks grow hot as she thinks what it would be like to touch him freely. To explore him, with her hands and her mouth. It's a bold line of thinking, and its foreign to her. She's been with a man once before, but it feels like an empty memory now in contrast to the heat that surges through her as she fantasizes about Ren.
Its tinged with embarrassment. She doesn't understand what it is about him that brings her to this place, where all she can think of is being closer to him. Getting access to more of him. She longs to sink her fingers into his dark hair, to nuzzle her face under his jaw and bite at the freckles of his neck.
Jeyna fists her hands in the blanket in frustration.
She's always prided herself on being a logical, sensible person. She's never been one to get carried away by such base desires. And here she is, getting lost in lust in a very inappropriate way.
She rolls over, trying to get more comfortable. The night is still humid on Dxun, and she feels feverish. She kicks the blanket down to her feet.
She imagines Ren's large, pale hands running over her body. The shiver that races through her has nothing to do with cold. She can practically see his hands on her flesh, can imagine his lips drifting from hers, lower, lower…
Jeyna attempts to stop herself for the second time. The heat is building in her, and she won't allow herself to lose her composure any further. She focuses on the sounds of Dxun, the unearthing of the ancient structure still carrying on, the machines droning, the distant shouts of workers trying to be heard over the din.
She reviews what she already knows about the moon, going over it like a chant in her brain. Until finally, she bores herself enough that sleep can crawl in and claim her.
Morning
Ren seems to be in a terrible mood the next morning, and so she gives him space. Instead she watches as the few technicians in the camp attempt to repair parts of the forcefield. It looks like something large has been battering the equipment that supports the field, and she spots hands being flung into the air in frustration more than once.
"Boma beasts," Aleck observes from nearby. "The predators here are unusually aggressive."
"I've read a study about that, yes," Jeyna agrees.
"I suppose you've read a study about most things," Aleck replies, the gentle teasing apparent in his voice. She can't help but smile at him. He is likeable, and she enjoys having someone to talk to. She can imagine him with the Rebels, his easygoing presence giving them a false sense of security. She wonders how his true identity was revealed, ruining his work.
"I dislike the feeling of not understanding something," she admits.
"The galaxy is large. I fear you'll never run out of things to need to understand," he muses.
She realizes that is the point of her pursuits. As long as there is another question to answer, she will never need to settle. And if she doesn't need to settle, she won't notice the lack of a place to settle. She won't notice that she is alone. She can pursue her questions and their answers for years, occupy her lifetime with the drive for knowledge. Jeyna doesn't bring herself to say this aloud, especially as she sees Ren appear nearby.
His foul mood seems to have not improved. "They've cleared the entrance. Come with me," he orders, sweeping past without pause.
Jeyna jumps up, followed by Aleck, to follow the temperamental commander.
At the Entrance of the Ruins
The excavation equipment has been moved off to the side, the mouth of the earthen tunnel sits open and yawning at them. It's dark inside, and Jeyna gratefully accepts the lantern Aleck hands her.
"How far in have the scouts searched?" Ren interrogates the lead engineer.
"They went as far as the stairs inside, Commander," the man explains, his voice sounding regretful. "They were scared to go farther. They say it is haunted."
Jeyna can see the scouts, their lanterns strapped to helmets on their head. They are huddled together by the heavy machinery, darting terrified glances over at their boss and Ren. They're filthy, likely from working through the night to clear the path.
"Cowards," Ren spits the word, but seems content nonetheless to leave them be. "Leave the comm channel open."
"Of course, Commander."
Ren dismisses him with a wave of his hand before approaching the opening of the site. Jeyna follows, feeling Aleck trail behind her. But her excitement at the impending find is suddenly dampened when she feels it.
The closer she gets to the ruins, the worse she feels. There is energy in the air, and the only thing she can compare it to is the crackling of tension that surrounds Ren when his anger is surging. The static tingles her nerve endings, like sparks dancing over her skin. She feels the roots of her hair tense, as goosebumps cover her flesh. Her body is on alert to an extreme degree.
Ren's stopped ahead of her, just inside the opening to the tunnel. His mask turns towards her. "You feel it?"
"Yes," she gasps, before collecting herself to sound calmer. "What is it?"
"The dark side," he says.
Her eyes widen in alarmed understanding. Her theory must have been correct. Dxun is where Revan turned to the dark side. She imagines him here, standing in her place. Feeling the surge of it wash over him. What would it feel like to a force sensitive person like Revan, like Ren? If Jeyna could feel it so strongly, surely it must be as irresistible as gravity to someone like them.
"Keep close to her, Aleck," Ren orders before striding forward.
"Of course, Commander." Aleck replies, ushering Jeyna to follow the sweeping black cloak of their leader.
She does, her footsteps muffled by the dirty floor of the tunnel. As they get farther in, she sees the shape of walls form, then a clearly distinguished ceiling. The floor becomes less dirty, dark stone appearing underfoot through the dust.
They are in a hallway, broad and endless. She doesn't think she's imagining Ren's pace is picking up. He is practically racing forward. Is he that drawn to the dark side of the force? Can't he feel how wrong it is, how oppressive the space feels as they go further?
Jeyna's dragging in ragged breaths as she follows him, switching on her lantern when she sees Aleck turn his on. Ren pauses at the sight of glowing red eyes ahead of them. The eyes blink, and are gone.
A moment later, Ren reaches the place where the eyes had been, it is an intersection. Jeyna and Aleck join him a moment later. To their left and right, tunnels lead off into the dark. Jeyna can make out the walls of dirt, it looks like they've collapsed years or even centuries ago. There is no sign of the creature with the red eyes.
Ahead of them, massive stone steps lead downwards. Jeyna gulps as Ren starts down them, following him obediently. She tries to reassure herself. Whatever things have infested the ruins, Ren will be capable of handling them.
But the energy is pulling at her, she can feel it even more now. It's tugging at her senses, insistent. It feels…ravenous.
Jeyna tells herself it is her imagination, a lie that fails to comfort.
She has to descend the stairs carefully, each stone step dropping down a great distance to the next. Their lights bounce off the walls, and she can make out what looks like sconces far up, near the sloping ceiling. Was this place once kept lit? What purpose did it serve? A center of worship, perhaps? A temple built for the dark side?
Jeyna realizes, with a feeling of unease settling into the pit of her stomach, that she might know what they are walking into.
They reach the bottom, and emerge into a large hall. There is a massive statue standing, on guard, and Ren approaches it. It towers above them, its face impossible to see with the meager light their lanterns cast.
But Jeyna can make out the spikes that jolt upwards from its torso, surrounding it in a violent looking halo. The statue's torso is covered in armor, robes sweeping the floor where its feet are fixed. The wall behind it has writing carved on it, each stroke dug deep into the stone.
She approaches, hoisting her lantern as high as she can to make out the markings. They are in an ancient alphabet, but it is similar enough to modern day characters of Iziz and Onderon.
"Freedon Nadd," she says, confirming her suspicions. "We're in the tomb of Freedon Nadd."
Aleck is silent, so much so that Jeyna glances in alarm before realizing he is right beside her. Ren is still staring at the statue, but he acknowledges her.
"I didn't know the former King of Onderon was laid to rest on Dxun," Ren states.
"I didn't either," Jeyna admits. "But it makes sense. The Jedi were known to have intervened in the politics of Iziz. They most likely moved his tomb here, to keep it from influencing the royal court." She doesn't add that Nadd was a known dark force user, assuming Ren understands her implication. The Jedi would have preferred any opposing influences to be far from the planet of Onderon.
Ren turns slowly, taking in the rest of the hall. Jeyna follows suit, and they both seem to see the problem at the same time. Their only path forward, a massive doorway marked by two large, black carved pillars, is filled with earth. Hunks of rock and boulder, what appears to be part of the ceiling, are collapsed in amongst the earth.
Ren's voice sounds angry and impatient through the mask. "That will need to be blasted out, and the way through reinforced. They would know that, if they'd had the spine to come this far."
Jeyna feels a strange urge to defend the men. She can't blame them for being scared, if they feel what she feels in this place. But she doesn't speak, afraid of testing Ren when he's furious.
Later
The men have been put back to work, forced down into the ruins by the option of doing as they were told, or death. They unsurprisingly all chose to follow orders, the flaring up of Ren's lightsaber an unnecessary encouragement.
Jeyna has avoided Ren for the later part of the day, as he's sequestered himself into the ship's communication room before retreating to his quarters. She wonders what he was doing in there. Was he talking to the Supreme Leader? Informing him of the tomb and its long-deceased occupant?
Aleck has offered to teach her Pazaak, and she attempts to learn the rules. Occasionally the rumble of sonic charges going off underground shakes the rickety table they play at.
"I don't think I'm very good at this," Jeyna sighs, after losing another round.
"You display everything on your face," Aleck chides. "You need to be better at hiding your thoughts."
"I wouldn't know where to start." She tosses her cards down in frustration. The rules are simple enough, why can't she get the hang of the game?
"You think intensely on the task at hand. It is admirable, but for something like this, you must be sly," he explains. "Let your true intentions lie in your heart. You do not have to cling to them in your mind for them to exist. Calm yourself, enjoy the game. Let your thoughts run to mundane things."
Jeyna frowns. "That sounds too easy."
"For someone like you, passionate as you are, it will probably be a challenge," he retorts. He smiles that small grin of his. "I mean that as a compliment, of course."
"Of course," she repeated, smiling in return. "But you'll understand if I give up on the game, for the time being."
He nods, collecting the cards back into a neat deck. A rumble of thunder echoes overhead, and Jeyna glances up. The clouds are building quickly, dark and swirling against a sickly green sky. She realizes they will quickly be rained on.
"I think I'm calling it a night," she sighs, heading towards their temporary dormitory. Aleck follows, and they barely make it into the door before the downpour starts. It is deafeningly loud, pelting off everything in its path.
Jeyna shuts herself in her small compartment, hearing the rain on the thin roof above her. She relaxes on the cot, attempting to let herself doze.
Like a bad habit forming, her mind runs to Kylo Ren. Why had he been in such a terrible mood?
His anger unsteadies her. It is such a harsh opposite to the other side of him she's seen. The part of him that had comforted her after she was nearly killed, tucking her into his bed to sleep. It's an unhealthy dichotomy, but one she finds oddly addictive.
Jeyna lets her mind carry itself away, thinking of him. The familiar warmth rushes back into her skin as the thoughts turn dirty, arousal making itself known between her thighs. She longs to touch herself, to relieve some of the energy that's been building. It's not something she does often, and that makes her uncertain as her hand drifts lower over her own abdomen.
She shouldn't be doing this, she thinks. What if Ren is listening to her thoughts? The thrill that shoots through her is stopped, cold, by his voice inside her mind.
Come to me.
Her eyes snap open at the order, realizing she's been caught. She should have expected, knowing full well he paid careful attention to her thoughts. She had been carried away, not thinking rationally. Panicking, Jeyna doesn't move from her cot.
Now.
She isn't imagining the anger in his voice, somehow she feels it as well as hears it when he speaks directly to her mind. She jerks the blanket back, hesitantly rising from the bed. She looks down at herself, the thin white undershirt and panties. It occurs to her to dress, but defiantly she remembers the way his eyes had fixated on her when she had been in a similar state of undress before. She leaves her small space as she is, and steps quietly through the narrow corridor to his room.
Jeyna opens the door, heart pounding with anxiety. She steps into his territory hesitantly, searching the dark. She doesn't see him, but she feels him as he catches her around the waist with one arm. He pulls her back, until she collides with his body.
One of his hands roughly pulls her hair from her neck, grabbing the strands and forcing her head to tilt to the side. His breath lands on the exposed skin as his face nuzzles against her neck, his nose tracing a slow line down to the crook of her shoulder.
"Why are you doing this to me?" he asks, his voice accusatory and frustrated. The sound of it sends a shock of pleasure through her already aroused core, and she bites her lip, unable to answer him. He growls, the sound is animalistic. She gasps as he bites her neck, hard, before his tongue and lips cover the spot.
"I told you to be good," he says, unsteady. His hand flattens on her lower stomach, pushing her back against him harder.
Jeyna's mind is spinning with lust and confusion. His anger throws her off balance, even as she realizes he must desire her too. "Kylo…?" she dares to whisper his first name, but it comes out like a question.
"You fill my head with these thoughts." His hand trails up, higher and higher. He wraps it around her throat, and she is strangely thrilled by the sensation. It covers her neck completely, but he doesn't squeeze hard enough to choke her. It makes her feel helpless, vulnerable, and her body responds with excitement. She is wet, she can feel it as her core throbs with need again.
A choked noise, like a repressed moan, tears from Ren's chest, and suddenly she can feel the foreign presence in her mind. It's not nearly as intrusive as when he'd read her memories, but she is still aware of it lingering there. In her aroused state, she finds herself welcoming it. Let him feel what she feels, the way he's created an intense need in her body she's never felt before. Let him understand, she thinks, and maybe he won't be angry with her.
He moves her suddenly, turning her and practically flinging her onto his bed. She crawls back a bit as he joins her, and Jeyna finally sees him. She can barely make out his face, but his eyes are feral, glinting in the low light.
She reaches for him, wanting to touch him, to pull him onto her. He doesn't like that.
Ren grabs her wrists, and roughly slams them into the blanket above her head. "Don't move your hands," he orders. Her mouth falls open slightly at the command, but she nods. She breathes, shaking, as he lets his eyes run down her body, slowly, before they trail back up to her face.
He plants one knee between her thighs, as he reaches up to trace his fingers over her face, his eyes burning into hers. She licks her lips nervously, and his eyes flick to them. He pauses, then runs his thumb over her moist lower lip. She kisses it, then dares to take it into her mouth. She runs her tongue over his skin, tasting him, before sucking gently.
His lower lip falls, his eyes are black and raging. She wants more, she wants to taste all of him. Her own mind turns into nothing but hunger even as she can feel his presence still lingering at the outskirts of her thoughts.
Ren descends on her, his mouth catching hers. His kisses are demanding, messy, and she is just as wild. She kisses back fervently, parting her lips for him and letting his tongue clash with hers. She moans at the feeling of his mouth claiming her, her hips bucking up on their own against his knee.
He pulls back, letting his lips run over hers more gently before he deepens the kiss again. Jeyna almost moves her hands, wanting to hold onto him, to grab his hair or stroke his face. She wants to touch him, badly, but her desire to obey him is even stronger. She tangles her hands together into the sheets, trying to anchor them in place.
There is a sound, like sizzling electricity surging louder and louder through the air. It takes Jeyna a moment to realize it is coming from outside her and Ren, that something could even exist apart from them. He realizes it at the same time, tearing from her mouth and sitting back, looking dazed.
There is the noise of something exploding, and then shouting from outside fills the air. It sounds like chaos is breaking loose in the camp. Jeyna frowns, still panting to catch her breath, and hears Ren swear. She looks at him questioningly.
"Zakkeg," he says by way of explanation, standing suddenly. He hesitates, his eyes roving over her body slowly before landing on her own. He tears his gaze away with a growl. She watches him shove his boots on, and his hand extends. The lightsaber flies into his grip from where it had rested on the trunk by the door. He storms from the room without looking at her again.
Jeyna stares after him, heart pounding. The thrill of knowing he desires her too is dampened by her intuition, which flares up as soon as the arousal dies down enough to hear it. It whispers her a warning: This is dangerous. Kylo Ren's desire is dangerous.
