Chapter 22
Central District Spatioport, Hangar 58, Coruscant, a few days later.
"On your left, then the main alley."
Zorii nodded her thanks to the pilot who had just informed her. She walked among the swarm of mechanics, maintenance droids, astrodroids following their master and the many travelers boarding and leaving the freighters.
That spaceports was one of the five largest on the planet. She had visited two others before she was shown this one when she mentioned the name of the cargo ship she was looking for.
Apparently, its pilot made very frequent trips between the Outer Rim and the Core Worlds, and he had gained a certain popularity for his more or less shady merchandise transports. Coruscant being just a huge city stretching for thousands of miles, the planet had to import most of its resources, leaving the field open for many pilots like the one she was looking for, to conduct lucrative business. She herself had already managed to smuggle many illegal contraband products without fearing a single inspection.
She asked for her way again before finally spotting the famous cargo ship that had transported the Resistance spy. Zorii smiled wickedly.
Since her fight with Poe a few days earlier, her desire for revenge had become so intense that she was almost trembling with impatience. The fool had infuriated her, and Zorii couldn't wait for the moment when she would bring the traitor back to him, and show him that he was wrong. It had become more than personal, she needed to prove it to herself, she wasn't just a smuggler. She was worth more than that. Yet in this moment she would have to put on the clothes and the skills of her past, if she wanted to carry out this task.
Zorii stood in front of the huge doors of the freighter's entrance and hailed a general greeting. No one answered her. There wasn't a living soul around the ship, not even a small mechanic droid could be found repairing any parts. She decided to enter, determined to wait for the owner's return if necessary. She snooped through cables behind the opening switch, then pulled a lever. The doors opened with a light smoke as the airlock decompressed.
Again the ship seemed empty. Zorii pulled out her weapon and put on her helmet, keeping herself on guard in case the slightest enemy surprised her. She was playing a dangerous game, she was aware of that, after all she was trespassing on someone's property, he would have been within his rights to shoot her, but she preferred not to resort to that eventuality, so she moved quietly. She gasped when she saw a scantily clad woman lying on a huge couch.
She rushed towards her. Was that captain a killer? Or worse? But she was quickly relieved to see the woman snoring, she was just asleep. Clearly a party had taken place the night before. There were many other people lying all over the ship. Men, women, creatures from all over the galaxy and even a few species unknown to her. It would be difficult for her to find the captain. Maybe she could wait and come back later, but she didn't want to miss her chance and lose him. Eventually she entered the pilot's quarters and suspected that the potbellied man, surrounded by sleeping Twi-leks, would be the captain of the ship. She leaned over the bed and pointed the barrel of her gun between the man's eyes. He suddenly opened his eyes and froze with a look of surprise.
"Hi," said Zorii calmly.
The women around him shouted and escaped from the room. One of them staggered a little before she managed to get out. The party seemed to have been very boozy. It would serve her well, she now doubted that anyone in this ship would be in any condition to throw her out. The captain hesitantly raised his hands, and Zorii knew she would have no problem doing whatever she wanted with him. He proved to be most cooperative indeed, just after trying to disarm her several times and knocking her out with a metal bar, but Zorii had fought him off each time. She didn't want to hurt him, she had after all come to threaten him for no reason, but if he kept quiet and helped her, she would leave as quickly as she had come.
That's what she told him when he grabbed her by the throat and tried to smash her skull against a wall. She gratified him with a knee kick in his groin and then knocked him to the ground by throwing her foot on his body, which was bent in half in pain.
"We good now? Can we talk?" Asked Zorii angrily.
The man nodded weakly, still clutching his pants where she had viciously reached him. He'd tried to call his men for help several times, but no one had come to his aid, the crew was still suffering from the effects of a massive hangover. When the captain got up she was pleased to see him relax, he did not try to hurt her again, she seemed to have earned his respect. He invited her to follow him, and she was careful not to step on anyone as they made their way to a large living room on the center deck of the freighter.
There he offered her a drink, which she accepted. A gentle breeze of confidence began to blow between them. They were of the same temper, they would not hesitate to kill each other, they had tried, but not anymore. Now it was time for business, and Zorii knew the man wouldn't make a move until he listened to what she had to say.
He emptied his glass in one go, and then he poured another one immediately afterwards. Zorii preferred to sip hers calmly. She also declined the cigarra he handed her and tried not to wrinkle her nose at the strong, heady smell of Carababba tobacco. Finally, he crossed his fingers on the table and spoke to her in a deep and rocky voice:
"What can I do for you?"
"I'm looking for someone."
The man squinted his eyes in an evil way, looking disappointed with her answer.
"Do you know who I am and what I do? Import. I thought you came here to offer me something interesting."
Zorii smiled and patted her pouch under her cape. The credits clattered in a very distinctive sound. The man returned her smile and leaned over the table to listen intently.
"But maybe I can help ya."
Zorii pulled out two credit chips and slid them towards him on the table.
"You brought someone here to Coruscant. About two weeks ago. From Christophis."
"Possibly."
"You're in the Glitterstim import business, not the immigrant stuff. I think you remember very well."
He looked up and told her to look around.
"I can barely remember what I did last night, so... two weeks ago... But maybe some new credits will help jog my memory."
Zorii got only one out this time, but she kept it between her fingers. There was no way she was going to let him get a glimpse of her fortune.
"A woman. A woman in a great hurry to get away."
He nodded his head.
"I think that sounds familiar, yes."
She gave him the credit and prepared another one.
"What did she do when you arrived? Do you know where she was planning to go, or what she intended to do?"
"I don't. She paid, I brought her here, end of story. I didn't question her."
Zorii slapped her hand against the table and the man jumped.
"That's the truth," he protested. "She shut herself up in a cabin and didn't come out until we landed, I never saw her again, she didn't tell me her name. I didn't ask."
"Did she do anything else?"
"Nope. I didn't see her the whole way I told ya!"
"And did she pay?"
"You bet she did. A lot more than I usually ask for, but she didn't flinch! I even asked her for a little extra to take off right away and she accepted. She was in a kriff of a hurry."
"How much did you ask her?"
The man told her the amount and Zorii almost choked. He'd ripped her off pretty good indeed. But the fact that she agreed to pay such an exorbitant amount delighted her. She had been paid handsomely for her mission, and she didn't feel safe. Which meant that sooner or later she would make a mistake.
"I want to see her cabin."
He took her to the crew quarters and showed her a small room. Briefly equipped, there was only a small bunk, a few cupboards hanging on the wall, a tiny adjoining refresher, a table, and a datapad embedded in it. Of course she didn't expect to find anything the spy would have forgotten. But there were other ways to leave a trail. She gloated as she turned on the datapad and consulted the activity history. It was empty obviously, the traitor wasn't stupid. But Zorii was smarter than her.
With a blade hanging from her belt, she slid the metal notch, and, ignoring the captain's protests, she pulled it out of the table, damaging the surface a little. She turned it over, and began to unscrew the rear shell, pulled some cables, and then plugged her own device into it. She had to try a few times, but she finally managed to access the residual memory of the device. She thanked inwardly for all the lessons Babu had taught her about slicing and hacking, she had rarely used them in her life, but she had always known that one day her skills would come in handy.
Zorii transferred the data to hers and consulted it carefully. She had done extensive research on the holonet. Hotels. And not just any hotels. The establishments were among the most reputable on Coruscant, in the highest and most exclusive districts.
Zorii was gloating. Gotcha.
There were several of them, but it gave her a good lead to start her research. She shouldn't hang around, it was unlikely she'd stay in one of those fancy hotels, where she'd be easier to find. Zorii knew that in her place she would have chosen a more crowded place, where it would be easy to mingle with the people and disappear. She got up and gathered her things, then waved goodbye to the captain before heading out of the ship. He hailed her.
"How would you like to come with me? I always have room on my crew for women of your kind."
"My kind?"
"The kind that can stand up for themselves, the resourceful kind," he winked at her.
She smiled, thanked him, and walked away without looking back. The offer was tempting. But she was no longer a smuggler. Not any more.
/
/
General Dameron's office, Ohma D'un.
Connix was proofreading documents before transferring them to several datapads on a large desk. A bright sun was shining on the room, and Kaydel was surprised to sigh several times at her boring task. She should have accepted Rose's suggestion and joined her partner for a speeder ride around the lakes and meadows. But she was overwhelmed with work and responsibilities. And she wasn't getting much help. The two Generals in charge of the Resistance did not appreciate the paperwork. They saw no use in it. They did not understand that oral transmission for official orders, logistics, or importing supplies was not enough. So she found herself entering, returning and rereading numerous reports, then storing them so that whenever one of them started to forget what had been decided, she could wave them in front of their noses.
A burst of laughter closer to a bark than a human exclamation startled her and she let go of the device she was holding in her hands. Connix roared with anger, and Finn and Poe turned to apologize. Lying on the large sofas in the office, they were talking in hushed tones, probably hilarious stories as they kept giggling every five minutes. She was about to scold them and ask them for help when the huge holo-screen on one of the walls of the office started to light up, indicating the receipt of a call. She looked at the name of the speaker who wished to reach them and paled when she saw who it was. Immediately she tried to tidy up the desk and her hair before calling the two men:
"Poe, Finn! The Queen of Naboo."
They got up in the same motion, and placed themselves in front of the screen at full speed. Poe grimaced as he readjusted his jacket, while Finn dusted himself off and stood straight beside him in a military posture.
"What the kriff have I done now?"
"Poe please don't start, try to be polite this time," Connix said.
"It's not my fault if she hates me."
He accepted the communication and put on a big smile.
"Your Majesty, what a pleasure!"
Connix carefully detailed the woman who had just appeared. Dressed in an extravagant outfit, a huge black headdress set with gemstones surrounded a thin and heavily painted face.
"A pleasure indeed, General Dameron. General Finn."
"Greetings your highness," the latter said.
"Is Commander Connix with you?"
Kaydel, who was about to leave the office, retraced her steps and stood beside them.
"My Queen, how good to see you again."
The Queen nodded and smiled broadly before returning to a more solemn expression.
"General, I'm afraid I bring you some very bad news. What we all feared has happened, some of the other Free Systems and I met this morning, it seems that the First Order has elected a new Supreme Leader."
The three of them grimaced. The news was like a sledgehammer to Connix's belly. So the echoes they'd heard from the unknown regions proved to be true, the First Order was back again.
"So who is this new leader?" Poe finally asked after they had digested the news.
"We're not sure yet, but it seems to be General Amret Engell. She hasn't spoken publicly yet, but she will soon state her intentions."
The name sounded vaguely familiar to Connix. Probably a member of the Supreme Council. They'd have to talk to Ben soon.
"Will Naboo be joining them?"
The queen muttered in indignation at Poe's unpleasant commentary, and Connix raised her eyes in disbelief. What an idiot.
"How dare you insult me like that? We have made treaties with you. We're working together to create a new intergalactic alliance with no less than eighty other systems. And you think we would betray you?"
"My Queen. I know you love your people and your planet more than anything. I also know that Naboo is not accustomed to being drawn into conflict. I don't question your loyalty, but I would understand if that loyalty was challenged by this news."
"Know that you have gravely offended me."
"Your Highness, please," Finn exclaimed as he stepped forward. "Please forgive us for this misplaced affront. We have no doubt that Naboo and the other systems are deeply involved in our alliance and our project."
He glanced annoyed at Poe. The latter had folded his arms on his chest and looked at the Queen with a septic look on his face.
"I dare to hope so," she replied.
The Queen paused and continued:
"It won't be long before the First Order declares war on anyone who opposes them again. Already some Legions have been seen leaving the main systems they occupied, they have left the populations and are moving toward the Outer Rim, and the unknown regions. We cannot waste any more time and must meet as soon as possible! What about the first troops of Malastare that you helped?"
Poe and Finn nodded their heads together, but it was Poe who first spoke.
"We have signed a treaty with them, and they have already given us very good feedback on the soldiers who have agreed to surrender. As for the officers who refused to lay down their arms, the Doge will transfer them here shortly. They will be our prisoners in the meantime."
"Very well, then. It seems your plan wasn't so foolish after all. I doubt you'll have such good results everywhere, but we must already salute this achievement. The other systems and I have agreed to include Malastare in our alliance."
Connix cracked a broad smile at the Queen's response. At last the Resistance seemed to be making some real headway. Suddenly the return of the First Order didn't seem so ominous. They weren't alone. They'd never be alone again.
"This is such good news Your Majesty!"
"However, we do have some uncertainties about the Merchant Guilds. We're not sure we want to include them immediately in our discussions."
"They give us their support, we can't..."
"So did we, Dameron. It seems to me we were not stingy when you came begging for help at our doorstep and we provided you with a planet and protection from the First Order."
"Of course, but we had just rid the galaxy of..."
"My Queen," cut off Connix. "What General Dameron is trying to explain, is that we are committed to them, the Merchant Guilds wanted to be part of the initial discussions on the new political alliance we are trying to form."
"I don't like these Guilds, they've been changing sides every time there's been an interesting opportunity. They're tradesmen, they're only motivated by profit. We're in a strong position right now, but at the slightest weakness they won't hesitate to turn against us. Moreover, they now control most of the trade routes, they are too powerful."
"So let's make sure of their allegiances as soon as possible, before the First Order submits them or rallies them to their cause."
The Queen of Naboo sighed after this comment, then nodded resignedly.
"I guess we can always meet with them and try to negotiate fairly. I'll speak with the other heads of state."
"Excellent," exclaimed Finn. "We're going to investigate those legions that fled, if it turns out the First Order is really reforming, they're in a weak position at the moment, but I'm afraid this General will get them to act quickly."
"I'm sending you forces from our volunteer militia. We can't let them regain their former strength."
They exchanged a few polite words as the Queen reminded them of the next meeting with the Free Systems to be held on Naboo in a month's time. It would be a matter of signing the official charters and adopting a name for the political alliance they would form. As soon as communication was cut off, Finn and Poe hugged each other with a vigorous pat on the back, a delighted expression on both their faces. They turned to her, but Connix did not share their enthusiasm.
"Poe, you cannot afford to disrespect every leader who helps us!"
"I can't control it, she's unbearable!"
"Just because Zorii left you doesn't mean all women have to suffer the consequences!"
Hmm. Maybe she went a little overboard. But Poe had been irritable with everyone lately, and the more days went by, the more Zorii's silence made him unbearable. Only Finn seemed to be avoiding the treatment. He suddenly placed himself between the two, to separate the argument that was brewing.
"Don't you think we have more urgent matters to attend to?"
"What's your problem, Commander," said Poe, pressing her title in a rude imitation of the Queen.
"I just want you to be careful. One day your actions will cause us real problems."
"She hates me anyway!"
"She does not!"
"Yeah she does! I know you love her, you should take my place here! You two get along so well! I wonder what Rose thinks of all this?"
Connix refrains from insulting him until she draws a long breath to calm herself. It was true that the Queen had never seemed to like Poe, but he made no effort, addressing her with insolence and glibness or addressing her with hypocritical smiles all the time.
"I've already explained to you, the Naboo are a matriarchal society, she naturally trusts a woman more, but that doesn't mean that..."
"That's it! She'd rather see you in charge of the Resistance!"
"She's never stopped helping us from the beginning, we wouldn't be here without her, the least we could do is not jump down her throat all the time!"
Poe grumbled his disagreement and turned his back on her, pretending to be interested in the datapads on the desk.
"And I would appreciate it if you didn't insinuate anything inappropriate like that in the future!"
She gathered up her things that she had left on one of the tables and walked out of the office. Before she was too far away, she could hear Finn scolding his friend.
"She's right, you always behave like a kid with her."
"Wanna talk about you and Rey maybe?"
"Yeah never mind."
/
/
Hotel The Diplomat, Level 5120, Federal District, Coruscant.
Zorii slipped some credits into the hand of one of the hotel butlers before asking him another question. The Diplomat's establishment had the distinction of employing humans, a few alien races, but mostly no droids. She was happy about that. Much easier to bribe than those protocol piles of junk. She had skimmed several of them, but had only had disappointments so far, so she had hoped that this hotel would finally be the right one, but the traitor didn't seem to have been seen.
She consulted her datapad and erased the name of the Diplomat, before checking the addresses of the remaining establishments. Only two were left. The confidence and excitement she had felt after her little investigation in the cargo ship was beginning to fade away. What if it was just a ruse? After all, it wasn't impossible that she'd left her false leads so that she could quietly escape. But Zorii didn't want to believe that, not when she'd pinned all her hopes on this mission. She wanted to return to Ohma D'un with the spy on her arm, before throwing her at Poe's feet. She wanted him to apologize and admit his mistakes. She wanted other things afterwards, but that would have to wait until she returned and they had settled their differences.
For the hundredth time at least in the last few days, she climbed aboard her airspeeder and sneaked between several tourist shuttles so as not to get tangled up behind these slow-moving ships. Two hours later she landed on the platform of the Hotel Alisandre. If she had been impressed by the Diplomat, this one was on a completely different level. She was just hoping they'd let her in. She was lucky, because this time only droids were standing at the reception desk, and none of them made any remark about her outfit, their code prevented them from doing so. Her luck wouldn't last long though, because if they were polite, those models were mostly incorruptible. They respected their client's anonymity, and she wouldn't even try to offer them credit, because after all, what would a droid do with that?
So she'd have to trick them.
The experience was quite disappointing, Zorii had to admit that she wasn't very convincing in the role of a grieving and worried woman looking for her sister, but it was worth a try. The droid asked her, still in its metallic and unbearably polite voice, to leave the premises if she didn't want to take a room or dine out.
Dinner here would not be a bad idea, it would still be possible for her to try to question a few customers. So she had herself taken to a huge room with a roof decorated with a painting representing a magnificent nebula. The droid who accompanied her explained to her that it was an exact replica of the one above their heads a few parsecs from Coruscant. The artist had probably consumed some spices while painting it because it had been thousands of years since the sky of the planet had been visible. But she kept her art criticism to herself.
Zorii sat down around a large table and began to look at the menu that was displayed on the table. She didn't know the name of any of the dishes served here, and even the hunger in her stomach didn't make her want to risk a strange culinary experience. Maybe dinner here wasn't such a good idea after all. She gazed at the rest of the room, studying the other guests who were there, when her gaze fell on a familiar silhouette.
No.
That was not possible. It couldn't be her. She took out her datapad to consult the holo that was taken the day the spy arrived. She thanked Connix for her adjustments in the Resistance recruiting process that kept her face in her memory. Not that she could have forgotten her after letting it slip out from under her nose, but it had been helpful to her investigation. She knew this face by heart, yet she felt the need to contemplate it again. There was no doubt possible. It was her.
She instinctively put her hand on the spot on her belt where her comlink usually was, but she remembered with a hint of disappointment that she had thrown it into the club after her argument with Poe. Never mind, she would warn him once she caught her. In a few minutes, then. There was no way she was going to slip through her fingers, not this time. She got up discreetly and took a long walk to stay out of her sight. She walked around the back and without a sound, she sat down next to her. It was fortunate that the restaurant was crowded that night, where she would surely have noticed her earlier, but fortunately for Zorii, she seemed focused on her meal and a huge datapad, avidly reading an article. Just before she noticed her, Zorii pulled out her gun and placed it on her thigh, near an artery. The woman froze, then slowly turned around and turned pale as she recognized the woman who was threatening her.
"There. Now if you move, I'll shoot. The impact won't kill you, but it'll stop you from running away, you can be sure about that. And it will hurt. A lot."
The spy nods her head and without a sound, grabs her cutlery and starts eating again.
"To think that it was only luck that made it possible for me to find you. Luck! Can you imagine?"
It must have been hard for the spy to imagine because she didn't flinch.
"You can't trust luck in my business," Zorii continued. "Skill, cunning yes, but luck? I knew that someone like you wouldn't stay in a place like this for long, it would be stupid. And you're anything but stupid. I knew you'd go into hiding on the lower levels, where no one would find you. But then again, what were the chances that I'd just walk by and ask the right questions? What were the chances, really? I think we can take a couple of minutes and calculate them. I've never believed in fate, but maybe this time I'll change my mind."
She put her fork down, and Zorii could feel her leg muscles tightening under the barrel of her weapon.
"Well, now you got a couple of options. Either you can surrender peacefully, and follow me to my ship where we can talk more quietly. Or you can run away and I'll come after you. I must confess that I don't know what I'd prefer, it's been a long time since I've had a good adrenaline rush, but on the other hand I'm a little tired and I'd like to go home quickly."
Zorii hesitated, then pulled the weapon from her leg and put it on the table. The two women detailed themselves intensely.
"So?"
Finally the spy broke eye contact and nodded resignedly. Zorii giggled with delight.
"Good. Then start running."
The woman opened her eyes wide to see Zorii had understood her intentions. Of course she wouldn't let herself be caught without a fight. Good, she thought. Zorii grabbed her helmet that she'd put on the seat when she sat down and placed it on her head.
"May the best one win."
She folded down the visor. The spy knocked the table over. Plates and glasses broke in a clear, crystalline sound, causing panic screams among the customers, then she jumped up and ran among the tables. Zorii followed in her footsteps, her weapon prepared, her mind exulting with happiness and excitement. She hadn't felt alive like this in a long time.
/
/
Ohma D'un.
On a lush green plain, two figures were engaged in grueling physical exercises. Stretching, contorting their bodies in repetitive movements, they vibrated in perfect harmony.
"Let's change position?" Asked the smallest one.
The other nodded, then executed.
"Here we go, position four."
"No, try again."
"Excuse me?"
"What you're doing here doesn't even remotely look like position four."
"You can't read well Rey, I assure you it's the right one."
She raised her hand angrily and threw a huge lump of dirt in his face. Ben fell backwards and laughed as she climbed on top of him to help him get the dirt off his face. She took the opportunity to kiss him every time she brushed his cheeks to remove the dirt. Ben grabbed her by the waist, holding her tight.
"Hey!" cried one of the guards watching them.
They reluctantly parted, while Ben cursed the woman for generations.
"The General has authorized you to read and do ... whatever you are doing," she said with a vague hand gesture towards their elongated forms and open books. "But don't abuse it."
Rey grunted, then helped Ben up to sit down. She brought the books up on their legs, and they resumed studying an ancient Jedi martial art, mixing meditation with complex muscle stretching.
She's bitching because we made her get up early.
I wouldn't mind a little more sleep either, Ben replied, before yawning.
The books are formal, it's an exercise you have to do at dawn.
Ben raised his eyebrows with a septic look on his face.
You just made that up.
Maybe I did.
No one is waking up as early as you Rey.
It did not bother you much before. You never seemed to sleep.
She stroked his dark circles with her fingertips. They seemed a little less dark than usual. He closed his eyes to her touch and smiled.
I've been sleeping surprisingly well for the past few days.
Rey made a small throat sound that could have been described as a purr. She too had been having long, quiet nights lately. Cuddled in his arms, protected by his massive body, Ben's presence seemed to keep her nightmares away. Perfectly rested, Rey had woken up this morning in a great mood and had had the idea of exercising a little at dawn. Ben had first followed her reluctantly, grumbling all the way, before Rey turned the tedious exercise into a fun challenge.
Let's see who can do them all in a row! She had mischievously suggested it to him.
It was almost impossible — without regular training — to do all the poses in one go, without catching your breath or resting. Ben had taken the bait and bet her that he didn't need those old books, remembering perfectly well his years of training, having done and re-done the exercises many times under Luke's watchful eye. The experience had been most impressive as he had only remembered three of the twelve positions. Rey had been teasing him as he tried to remember his Padawan training from memory.
She stood up and stretched her legs as the old drawings indicated, before raising her arms high to the sky. Ben imitated her, but came up behind her and helped her stretch her back even more. Rey tried to stay perfectly focused as he placed his big hands on her hips, but she didn't resist for long and started to blush. She tilted her head back, resting it on his shoulder. A cough from the guard made them split up once more. Rey gave her the darkest look she had in her, but the woman did not seem impressed.
Oh, I'm going to hit her!
Well, well! What the Jedi Code would say about that?
I just wish we weren't being watched all the time, that's all!
Me too Rey. Me too.
They sat back down in the grass and turned to meditation. The physical stretching had left them relatively relaxed, making it easier to achieve that state of calm the exercise required, although Rey was having some difficulty calming the restless beating of her heart. They had started training every day now, usually in the morning and then in the early evening, as soon as the city and its surroundings began to gradually empty themselves of their usual activities. Poe had finally agreed that the prisoner could go out more than once a day, although always under close supervision. Rey had expected the other General to protest, but the latter had been deliberately ignoring her since their altercation.
Rey didn't know if Finn was jealous, if he disapproved of her relationship with Ben to the point of resenting her, or if he blamed her for his leg wound, which was almost completely healed. Either way, she missed her friend terribly. She had tried several times to apologize and bury the hatchet, but whatever had happened between them since they had known each other, Rey seemed to have crossed a line, and she didn't know how to make it up to him.
Thinking back about her friend reminded her of her power, that kriffin' cursed power that was the source of all her misfortunes. After her accident with Finn, she had resolved never to lose control again. Under Ben's watchful eye, she had begun to train actively. She didn't want to wait until it escaped from her without her being able to stop it, so she forced herself to provoke it. And it was strangely easier than she had thought.
She glanced at the guards to make sure they couldn't see her, then she concentrated and watched her fingers. She called out to the Force, and searched deep inside for anger. That was the easiest part, she had never stopped being angry. It was just a matter of controlling it. With satisfaction she could see the blue lightning flashes crackle softly around her fingers, without hurting her. She stopped before burning the patch of grass where she and Ben had sat. She looked at him, and he gave her a long thought of admiration and congratulations. She was still a long way from being in complete control of this power, but she was trying not to fear it any longer, at least. As usual her eyes took on a foul yellow tint, and she contemplated herself in Ben's mind, tense, until they returned to their usual hazelnut color. This was the aspect that intrigued her most, she kept asking him his theory about why her eyes were getting colored. And as usual, Ben assured her that it wasn't surprising, and that it wasn't a sign that she was turning to the dark side.
"Then why ? It's because I'm using a Sith power?"
"Well, technically... it's not exactly a Sith power. Some Jedi were able to use it. But the Sith method is the quickest and easiest."
"But why can I do it?"
"Palpatine was a prodigy in his use of the Force. It is natural his... abilities were passed on to you..."
He apologized with a look as he spoke of the terrible secret of her origins. Rey tried to smile at him to show that she didn't care, but all she could do was make a grimace. Ben leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Once, twice, he planted dozens of kisses until she laughed at his attitude. No one could distract her as well as he could. She was going to kiss him before she remembered that they were being watched and she angrily plucked up blades of grass to give herself composure.
"I wonder if..." Ben began.
"What?"
"If I hadn't pushed you so hard on Pasaana, would you have... I can't help but think it's my fault."
"Ben. I was angry for a long time, it would have come out sooner or later."
"You're very good at keeping it under control, you know."
She shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't stop thinking about the terror in her friend's eyes when she almost broke his leg because of that anger.
"Rey," Ben insisted, bringing her back to the present. "You can be proud of your progress. I am, for sure. You're learning to control this power without relinquishing yourself to the darkness that comes with it."
Must he always be so eloquent? The words he uttered in his warm, deep voice never failed to make her tremble. If they had been alone at that moment...
"Stay calm," he said, before winking at her.
They practiced for a long time. But Ben's words stayed with her.
"Why can't you do it?"
He looked at her with surprise.
"Well, you said... it's a power that some Sith possess... So I wondered... You weren't really a Sith, were you?"
She rarely spoke of his past, afraid to rekindle painful memories of his years under Snoke's tutelage and torture. But he never hid anything from her, and Rey was filled with boundless curiosity. While she was the holder of what was undoubtedly the last of the Jedi's teachings, Ben, meanwhile, knew some of the secrets buried on the dark side. Learned not only from Snoke, but also from books and archives he had gleaned from all over the Galaxy. Rey had been very excited about the treasures of knowledge he had amassed over the years and through his travels. She envied him for all the places he had discovered.
She didn't give him time to answer as she continued:
"You never had those yellow eyes, you didn't have a name with Dark something, just Kylo Ren. Why Ren anyway? And then... What?"
Ben had laughed at the way her speech went.
"I'm asking myself questions. Do you mind?"
"Oh Rey, the day you will lose your curiosity is not about to come," he replied affectionately. "But to answer you, after joining Snoke, I challenged Ren's leader, took that name and the command of the Knights. And no, I was not a Sith. I was using the dark side, but Snoke wasn't one, he never trained me as one. The Emperor had long since rejected the Rule of Two and did not want a new Sith apprentice. Perhaps because of my grandfather's betrayal," he wondered after a long pause, "or was it long before that. I do not know."
"Do you think he... he would have tried to make me a Sith if he had the chance?"
"He might have. Probably yes. I doubt he didn't have a backup plan for every outcome that would present itself. He was a shrewd strategist."
Rey shivered before she added something that had long troubled her and she wanted Ben to reassure her.
"Was ? Are you sure, Ben? He's been back from the dead before... how can we be sure we killed him this time? Who could have gotten his saber and tried to use it against us?"
"I'm absolutely certain that he's gone this time. But it's not impossible that he left traces of his presence, or followers behind him... We will have to be careful, and keep our guard up."
"Ben?"
"Yes?"
"There's something I'd like to do."
"Anything you want."
He approached his face and closed his eyes, thinking she was going to kiss him. Rey would not have said no, but later. Her body was asking for something else right now.
"I want to practice. With sabers. Now."
She lifted pieces of her tunic and revealed to him what was hidden inside. Clinging to her belt, were hanging the two lightsabers. She expected him to protest, but to her surprise, and joy, Ben smiled and stood up before reaching out his hand. She held on to it without hesitation, and with the same movement they turned to their guards, and told them to go back into the city to wait for them. They began to run through the undergrowth, carefully avoiding the clearing where Rey had gone into rage a few days earlier. As soon as they were out of sight of the watchers, they lit their respective sabers and began to turn around, eager to see who would strike first.
In a single movement they rushed towards each other. The two blue blades collided in a crackle of dazzling sparks. This time Rey knew that she was in a perfect state of mind. If their last joust had caused her to lose control, she now knew she wouldn't hurt him. They leapt through the trees, using their surroundings to distract the other. The bond made it difficult to use the element of surprise, but they soon began to use it wisely, projecting false intentions to deceive the other's vigilance. Ben evaded his will to dive down her left flank, while instead jumping over her to reach her from behind. Rey did the same and sent the image of her foot into his stomach when she used her blade to throw him off balance.
"It's cheating," Ben shouted at her.
She burst out laughing. Had she first worried about fighting with him, afraid of awakening old memories of their tumultuous confrontations, she had quickly reassured herself and enjoyed the experience. The early morning light pierced with difficulty through the thick foliage of the marshes. Their swords lit up their faces with a blinding blue glow every time they clashed.
There were a few moments of uncertainty when her power escaped and a flash of lightning came towards Ben, but he raised his saber and stopped them without flinching.
It's all right, Rey. You control it.
His voice in her mind acted as a balm against her fears, and the lightning vanished. With a quick movement they resumed their joust. The land on which they fought added many difficulties, the soil was spongy, and the many trees forced them to be agile. But it also allowed them to be creative. Rey levitated several handfuls of sticky algae from a small pond and sent them to Ben. He stopped them with his saber, but the soaked plants exploded on impact in a sheaf of dirt and muddy water. He stepped back to avoid them, and his foot slipped between gnarled roots. By the time he got out of the way, Rey took the opportunity to discreetly climb up a tree with a nimble leap, and hid among its foliage. She immediately extinguished her saber, so that the blue glow would not betray her.
So she stood perfectly still, perfectly silent, as she watched him from her makeshift perch. Ben didn't look for her very long. She saw him close his eyes and soon his presence in the Force was everywhere. She struggled to push away the bond, to close herself off from the Force as much as possible, so that he wouldn't detect her, but it was stronger than them. No matter what happened, they would always find each other. They were a dyad.
Rey got ready, then gracefully jumped off her branch and landed on Ben's back. Despite her light weight, he was somewhat unsettled, and he grabbed onto a trunk so he wouldn't fall off and drag Rey down with him. Grasping his waist with her legs, she brought her saber to his throat and bent down towards him. He seemed to surrender, and they turned off their weapon with the same gesture.
"I won," she whispered against his ear.
You think so?
He swung her from his back and grabbed her before she lay on the ground. Holding her firmly, Ben pressed her against the trunk he'd stood on moments earlier. He didn't give her time to protest, for his lips had already fallen on hers. Stifling a moan, Rey responded with eagerness. At last they gave themselves up to the warmth of their embrace, and Rey quickly felt herself losing control, as she did every time Ben kissed her. She could barely move, she was completely at his mercy, and she loved that. He let go of her lips to attack her neck when they heard rustling on the leaves.
Footsteps.
A very angry person obviously because an agitated aura was disturbing the Force. When the person reached their level, Rey and Ben recognized Poe. The frustration of being interrupted again made them growl in rage.
I'm going to kill him...
I'll help you, sighed Rey.
They broke up reluctantly, but Ben refused to let her go completely. She was somewhat embarrassed to see Poe arrive with Connix at his heels. The latter blushed and looked away when she saw them. Rey was still leaning against that tree and Ben's body, which had kept his head tucked into her neck, muttering insults in a low voice against Poe.
"Are you kriffing kidding me?!"
This time Ben let go of her and they walked right up to the really mad General.
"I told you not to make any trouble, and what do you do? A saber fight, no less? I trusted you Rey!"
"Poe, we were just practicing."
"You used your..." he made a nervous gesture towards their saber, "your power on the guards! With everything that's going on right now, are you out of your mind? We've got enough problems with the Egh..."
He stopped in the middle of his sentence, looking like he'd said too much. Rey was immediately intrigued, but already Connix was picking up where he left off:
"Poe, we don't have time for this."
"Don't think it will remain without consequences," he threatened them. "Come on, follow me."
"Where," Ben asked him.
"Crisis meeting. I need everyone."
Ben seemed confused and Rey could only nod.
"Yes, you too Ben," added Connix. "Especially you, actually."
"Why?"
"Something's happened."
"The First Order has a new Supreme Leader."