Early author's note: There is a POV change halfway through.
From the depths of sleep, Rey groaned as she started to rouse. She was still so tired; her eyelids were not fully cooperating as she willed them to open.
What happened... Where am I? She thought, her mind foggy as she finally forced her eyes open. But all she was met with was darkness.
Feeling the panic twist in her stomach, she took a deep breath in and began to work backwards and take stock, starting at the most simple observation.
She was horizontal. She was covered in a soft material, and she was lying on something bouncy. Her head was cushioned. She couldn't hear the rumble of engines, or smell the foul stink of The Night Buzzard.
So she had been moved.
With a Herculean effort, she propped herself up on her elbows, her gaze moving around the room as she became accustomed to the darkness.
She was tucked into a large single bunk, the blankets pinning her body underneath the covers. The room was fairly sparse, with a desk pushed against one wall, and shelves covered with assorted knick-knacks that she found hard to make sense of.
As her confusion deepened, a memory floated to the forefront of her memory, making her cheeks flush as she saw Kylo's face come into focus.
'I have an office that can be converted into your room.'
So she was sequestered in his chambers now. Perfect. And that wasn't the only thing...
With a sigh, she leant forward and tugged the blankets up. She was wearing fresh sleepwear - but she did not want to think too much about how she had been wearing a dress beforehand. She had to see her ankle, already bracing herself for the layers upon layers of bandaging that she expected to find.
Shooting herself was a risky move, and one that, in hindsight, she really shouldn't have done. She was already chagrined that she was being forced to live in Kylo's quarters with him, but to potentially be a cripple for a few weeks, and physically rely on him… That was another matter.
But to her surprise, she found her ankle… fine.
She frowned as she twisted and moved her foot, her fingertips brushing the skin and inspecting for damage. But there was none.
In fact, she wasn't in pain at all.
With a groan, she collapsed on the bed, her mind whirling as she stared at the ceiling, pursing her lips as her thoughts started to spin.
It must've been Kylo. There was no way a medical bay could sort her ankle so swiftly, and with such precision. He had healed her.
Rey had heard of Force users being able to 'cure' or heal people of their ailments, but she didn't think that the Dark Side could do this...
What did that mean?
An alert at her doorway made her start, her hands pulling up the blanket to cover her sleepwear.
'Come in?' she called.
The door slid open, and she gasped as a very familiar looking droid walked in, turning it's lamp-like eyes to her.
'Mistress Rey! You've woken up? Oh this is good news! Master Solo will be pleased.'
'C-3PO?' she asked, twisting in her bed. There was something off about the droid before her. Instead of a golden sheen and red armour, this droid was silver and black in appearance. But it's mannerisms and the way it walked towards the bed reminded her so much of Leia's droid, that a wave of homesickness threatened to bring tears to Rey's eyes.
'I'm afraid that's not my name, Mistress. But I can forgive the mistake, as it has happened before. No, I'm TC-7. A protocol droid very much like your C-3PO, but significantly better. I'm here to assist you!'
'You sound just like Threepio,' Rey muttered, letting go of the cover as she eyed the droid.
'My programming allows my Master to manipulate my tone in any way he allows it. And from what I can assume, Master Solo found this 'C-3PO' to be agreeable, so here we are,' the droid exclaimed.
'And why are you in my... room?' Rey asked, letting a long sigh out as she smoothed down her blanket.
I guess this is my room now, Rey thought resignedly. At least the bed is comfy.
'I have been instructed to make sure you're situated as you recover from your experience in Wasskah. Horrible business, from what Master Solo has said. So, what do you require? Food, a change of clothes, entertainment?' TC-7 asked.
'Food. Food would be good,' Rey responded, feeling her stomach twist. How long had it been since she ate? Two days? More? She felt as though the events at the brothel had stretched into eternity, and despite her healing, she still felt exhausted.
Stretching the Force out as much as she did had really knocked her for six.
'How long was I asleep for?' Rey asked.
'About 13 hours, Mistress. Allow me to get your food. I'll be right back. Master Solo reminded me to tell you that the sonic fresher is through there, if you wish to shower?' the droid remarked, pointing to a discreet cupboard at the back of the room.
'Thank you. May I ask you one question though, TC-7, before you go?' Rey asked, pulling her legs free of the blanket cocoon.
The droid paused at the edge of the room, turning its empty gaze towards Rey.
'Why do you call the Supreme Leader "Master Solo"? Surely that's not… allowed?' Rey frowned.
The droid slowly turned to face her, tilting its head as it watched her.
'I'm afraid I've never been corrected, Mistress Rey? Master Solo has never requested I change his title,' TC-7 replied.
'I see,' Rey muttered, looking down at her hands. With that revelation in her mind, she slowly got to her feet, ignoring the twinge of her muscles as she walked to the fresher.
'I'll fetch your food now, Mistress. You must be starving! I'll wait for you in the lounge out here,' the droid exclaimed.
Ben Solo. Who are you? Rey thought, pulling open the door.
'Mistress Rey, you look much better! Less tired, and your hair is far more manageable now,' TC-7 exclaimed as Rey gingerly made her way into the room.
It was weird. She felt nervous as she made her way to the sunken seating area. She knew that this was to be her home for the foreseeable future, but she had a tough time in really believing it.
She was still half-expecting that this was a dream, and that the screechy voice of TC-7 would actually be Threepio waking her up on a Resistance base.
'Your food is here, Mistress. I wasn't sure what you enjoyed, so I consulted all the records that covered the culinary delights of Jakku, and couldn't find any. I had to improvise,' the droid sounded apologetic as he gestured to the food.
'At this point, I'll be happy with a ration pack. What is this?' Rey leant forward, her stomach rumbling as she caught sight of all the food on offer.
'Chuba stew. Hearty and delicious, or so I'm told. But if you'd rather a ration pack, I'm sure the canteen will have a few spare?' the droid asked.
'That's a joke, Tee-Cee. I'm guessing it didn't land,' Rey asked, scooping the bowl up.
'I'm afraid Master Solo doesn't make a lot of jokes, Mistress. So I'm a bit ill-equipped to deal with them. However, I see you've picked up his nickname for me. I expect he's mentioned how he depends on me a great deal?' Tee-Cee asked.
'Happy coincidence, I think. But I'll be sure to ask him about his dependence when I next see him. Where is he anyway? And where are the Knights? I don't remember leaving Wasskah, I'm afraid,' Rey curled up on the sunken sofa, eagerly spooning the stew into her mouth.
The droid was right, it was delicious.
'On duty I think, Mistress. He's barely rested since he came abroad. And the Knights-' Rey raised an eyebrow as she heard a distinct tone of disgust come from the droid as he answered her.
'- They've gone scavenging for a new ship. From what I can gather, you were picked up by a shuttle just outside Wasskah, and The Night Buzzard was destroyed. They feared a tracker had been planted onboard.'
'Sounds like you don't like the Knights, Tee-Cee,' Rey asked through a mouthful of her food.
'It's against my programming to speak badly of humans, Mistress. But Master Solo has expressed… dismay at their behaviour recently, and my master's opinion is the only one who counts. Apart from yours, of course! Have you finished with that bowl? I would encourage you for another bowl, but Master Solo says you mustn't eat too much straightaway.' The droid turned, his hands reaching out to take her empty bowl.
'You and I hardly know each other, Tee-Cee. I wouldn't think my opinion counts for anything. And I had no idea Master Solo was so concerned about my constitution?' Rey leant back, her hands coming up to comb through her damp hair.
Not for the first time did Rey feel dismay at her limp hair. It was too thin and fine to twist into elaborate styles that she had secretly admired from Leia and Connix. She just had to make do with her atypical three buns.
'Master Solo has expressed concern about you, Mistress. And for that reason, your opinion counts a great deal. If I'm not speaking out of turn, I think he cares for you,' the droid replied, turning his back to sort out the bowls.
Rey felt her cheeks flame as she considered his statement.
'Why do you say that?' Rey asked, her voice quiet.
'That he cares for you? Well, for his other guests, he never put so much thought into their food or keeping them comfortable,' the droid replied. 'I'll leave you now, Mistress. But the control panel over there,' the droid pointed to the other side of the room, where a small silver panel sat embedded in the wall, '- that can easily summon me if you need some assistance. I'll leave some flat bread, in case you get hungry. And there's a fresh pitcher of water near your bed.'
'Thank you Tee-Cee. I mean that,' Rey smiled as she studied the droid. The familiarity of the droid was soothing to her.
The droid nodded back, making it's way over to the door.
'Oh, Master Solo has requested that you remain in these quarters for the time being. Just until he returns.' The droid paused, looking over its shoulder towards Rey.
A brief sting ran through Rey's body as she looked towards the door. Truthfully, she hadn't thought about leaving. She was too drained to do much beyond resting and recovering, but now...
Now that she couldn't leave, that's all she wanted to do.
'And how long will that be?' Rey asked through gritted teeth.
'A few hours, I expect. Master Solo did send his apologies, as he knew you wouldn't like that. But he said 'Tell her, it's for her own good',' the droid replied. 'So I'll be locking the door behind me. I'm sorry Mistress.'
Rey took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she felt the irritation flood through her system.
'That's fine, Tee-Cee. Honestly. But please could you relay a message back to Master Solo for me?' she asked.
'Of course, Mistress,' the droid replied.
'Tell him I'm going to rest and recover just this once. But this won't happen again. I'm not a pet that he can keep chained up,' Rey spat.
The droid blinked, and with amusement in it's voice it nodded.
'I don't think he believes that at all, Mistress.'
Kylo shifted in his seat, letting out a small sigh as his eyes and mind drifted from the conversation.
Usually, battle meetings and strategic mind games thrilled him. He loved working out intricate puzzles, and plotting war that he knew he would ultimately win.
Today, he was distracted.
His mind lay on the girl that was resting in rooms far away.
Was she doing well? Was she hungry, bored, in pain?
His communication with TC-7 had been cut short by Hux entering his anteroom, the weasley face of his General morphing into a triumphant sneer as he reminded Kylo of the meeting that he was late for.
And now, as he looked back up and at the people that stood around his chair, he realised that he hadn't really cared about missing it.
'Supreme Leader, a decision must be made!'
Kylo turned his head to stare at Hux.
'Run me through the plans once more,' Kylo said.
Hux rolled his eyes at this. 'Were you even listening to anything we've been saying, boy?' he snapped.
'You forget who you're speaking to, General. Or shall I remind you, as I did on The Supremacy?' Kylo said softly, turning his full attention on the belligerent officer. He smirked as Hux's face paled, his hand coming up to briefly touch his throat.
Kylo didn't admit it to anyone, but he had been incredibly relieved to feel the Force when Meione's blocker had finally left his system. On Wasskah, he had assumed that the blocker was temporary, but as the hours wore on after they had returned back to The Silencer, and he had still felt nothing, he had begun to get worried. If he didn't have the Force, who was he?
All he was missing now was his connection with Rey.
And that worry niggled and tore at his brain like nothing else.
'I believe young Armitage isn't being deliberately obtuse, Supreme Leader, but just venting his frustration,' a smooth, simpering voice made Kylo turn his head, his gaze falling on the familiar form of Allegiant General Pryde. 'You see, the Resistance scum are still holed up on Crait, and so far, their numbers are small and their weapons are useless. However, our intelligence suggests they're gaining more supporters everyday. So, why aren't we leading a charge against them?'
'Aren't our fighters already targeting the X-wings when they fly out for supply runs?' Kylo asked.
'A good point, Supreme Leader, however -'
'But that's madness! You don't just target a few rats with individual traps when you know where the nest is. It doesn't make sense to wait longer!' Hux cut in.
Kylo paused, turning his gaze away from his troops and to the hanger below.
Why was he waiting? Even though he found Hux to be frustrating, and wrong on most counts... he had to admit he was speaking sense.
There was no reason for delaying any longer. The heart of the Resistance was there, hiding in those salt cliffs, just waiting to be extinguished.
The wise and powerful Leia Organa.
The thought of his mother made his heart clench. There was so much conflict in his mind when her name was brought up. He willed himself to embrace the feelings of loathing that he had spent so long cultivating, but he simply couldn't get past the terrifying, deep love he held for her.
She kept him scared - and weak. He couldn't be Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader when Ben Solo clung onto his coattails.
Not anymore. He had a galaxy to run.
'You're right. How long until our fleet is ready for an attack?' Kylo answered, wincing as he heard the hollowness in his own voice.
'Unfortunately, we're looking at about a week. We took quite a lot of damage when The Supremacy went down,' Pryde remarked.
Kylo nodded. 'Keep me informed with all the incomings and outgoings from Crait. I don't want there to be a lengthy battle if we can avoid it.'
'Yes, Supreme Leader,' Hux said gleefully, his fingertips flying over his communicator.
'What's the next order of business?' Kylo asked, leaning back in his chair.
'We need to discuss taking over the Perlemian Trade Route, Supreme Leader. A dull endeavour, but a crucial one. Let me bring up the statistics,' Pryde muttered.
'Thrilling,' Kylo muttered. He shifted, one hand drumming on the arm of his chair. This meeting had already gone on for too long. Was this what being Supreme Leader was all about? Bureaucracy meetings, and trade routes? The industry of the galaxy didn't interest him in the slightest.
And then suddenly, everything changed.
Kylo froze as he felt her. She was back.
His mind went from dull monotony to glorious Rey. He inhaled sharply as he felt their bond soothe through his mind, its wild emotions winding its way through his soul, tending to every ragged wound.
He knew he had missed her, but until that moment he hadn't realised how much he ached for her.
He felt the familiar prickle at the back of his head, signalling their connection had opened. They could see each other once more.
His eyes cast around the room, finally landing on Rey as she stared back, her expression hungry.
'You're back'.
Her voice whispered through his mind, sending goosebumps down his arms.
Time stood still as they stared at each other, simply basking in the connection that flowed between them. Kylo knew that he was being too open with her, too vulnerable. But he didn't feel her hold back as her relief and desperation surged along their bond, meeting him in equal measure.
She had missed him.
With difficulty, he ripped his gaze away from her, turning his attention back on the room.
To them, nothing had changed. Hux was still tapping at his communicator, nodding absent-mindedly as Pryde spoke of that cursed trade route takeover. But none of that mattered now.
'Get out,' Kylo said, tension radiating through his body as he stood up.
Pryde paused, frowning as he looked up at the Supreme Leader. 'My lord..?'
'This is important, Supreme Leader. It cannot wait,' Hux argued.
'Leave me… NOW!' Kylo shouted.
She was still there, on the periphery of his sight. The need to speak to her, feel her, watch her was unlike anything he had ever felt. But he could feel her longing through his mind, fuelling him on.
The room emptied swiftly, Hux lingering in the doorway to cast a long look over the room, but with one shove of the Force, Kylo slammed the door shut, leaving him and Rey alone.
'I've missed this.'
Kylo's muscles seized up as he heard Rey's confession. He turned around, his eyes scanning over her form as she stood near one of the large windows. His mouth twitched as he took in her attire. She had draped a large blanket around her shoulders, but he could see her legs and feet were bare as she walked around the room.
'Missed what?' he asked, his voice echoing around the empty room.
'The connection. It's odd, I didn't properly realise what was missing until it came back. Is that confusing?' she questioned.
'No, I understand.'
He had so many questions to ask, but in this moment, he was just happy to watch her. He was almost glad that she hadn't met his gaze again. He felt too raw when their eyes locked, as though she could see right into the depths of his soul.
'Where are you? I can't see your surroundings -?'
He took a step back as she turned to face him, returning her smile hesitantly.
'- I just see you,' she said softly, pulling the blanket tighter around her body.
'I'm in a meeting room. Not too far away. Have you been sleeping?' he said. He slowly started walking towards her, his smile widening as he took in her mussed hair.
'Yes. And eating too. Tee-Cee has been very accommodating. When… When are you returning?'
Her hesitant question, and the longing that followed along their bond stunned him. She wanted to see him? After everything he had put her through on Wasskah?
'Soon. I swear,' he promised. 'I suppose we should talk about the choice you made on Wasskah?' He surprised himself with his forwardness, but was pleased when she saw a flush redden her cheeks.
He moved closer as she turned her face away, her hands clutching the blanket closer to her body.
'If you'd like. But I'd rather do it in person,' Rey confessed, not meeting his gaze as the blush lingered on her skin.
'Of course. Actually, there's a few things I need to talk to you about anyway,' he said, his mind stealing back to his discussion with Vicrul on The Night Buzzard.
'Oh?' Rey's interest was piqued now, and he felt her gaze return to his face.
'Yes... It's time we talked about the trials,' Kylo answered, his voice heavy as he saw something akin to fear cross the scavenger's expression.
Author's note: As usual, a huge thank you to my editor for going through this beast of a chapter.
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