Paralyzed
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A/N-thank you to everyone who kindly reviewed the last chapter.
Chapter Twenty-Two-Kijimi
Kijimi was a frigid mountainous planet located in the Bryx sector of the galaxy's Mid Rim. It was the homeworld of Zorii Bliss, leader of the smuggling gang known as the Spice Runners of Kijimi, who Poe Dameron once had a close affiliation with before joining the Resistance. This surprising bit of information was supplied by Dameron himself when Rey contacted the Resistance base informing them she wanted to meet up in a secret location to drop off a prisoner. It was Poe who had suggested Kijimi when he found out that prisoner was Hux.
A terrestrial planet, Kijimi had mountainous terrain. The planet had a frigid climate, with thick drifts of snow covering its Mountains. The atmosphere of Kijimi was breathable to a number of inhabitants, including humans, Boosodians, and Anzellans. Kijimi had no central government and was basically an anarchy with some stability. Everyone's self-interests kept the planet from collapsing.
Following the fall of the Galactic Empire, lawlessness ran rampant in parts of the galaxy. The New Republic was too weak to pacify deeply criminalized worlds, and its failure led to widespread apathy. The Empire's collapse also led to a shake up in the spice trade based on Kessel. Competition for the spice trade increased. The pirates of Kjiimi struck a deal with the mine owners that allowed for an exclusive route in an expanded Kessel Run. During the era of the New Republic, the First Order had a brutal occupation on the planet. Martial law was imposed and all major hypersapce routes were blockaded. First Order teams patrolled the city, searching for children to kidnap and turn into stormtroopers.
Poe's 'friend'-the scoundrel Zorii Bliss- led the Spice Runners of Kijimi's smuggling gang. Residing in the Thieves' Quarter, Bliss and the Spice Runners stayed neutral in the ongoing war. It was the Thieves Quarter that Rey was heading to now with a semi-conscious Hux. Ben had given her one of the modified Tie Fighters to secretly transport the former First Order General turned Spy off the Steadfast. The simple explanation for her sudden absence from the Supreme Leader's side was that she was reconnoitring with the other knights after being tipped off that the scavenger had been spotted on Kijimi. It gave her the perfect cover story if, somehow, she was spotted there by those serving in the First Order's interests.
Reluctantly Ben had agreed it was best she go alone to deliver Hux into the hands of the Resistance. They didn't want to arouse anymore suspicions than they already had. The Knights hackles had already been raised, and the gossip that the Supreme Leader's new bodyguard was more than just a new recruit to the Knights of Ren, but was actually his mistress as well, had spread across the ship faster than they had anticipated. Ben guessed it was Vicrul who had deliberately started that rumour as petty payback for his humiliating dressing down by his leader in front of the other knights.
Rey's fur trimmed black cloak swirled around her as she guided a docile Hux down a narrow ally. He had been injected by one of the First Order's medical droids with some kind of drug that kept him just partially awake so that he wouldn't put up too much of a resistance. Rey tried to hide her growing anxiety as she pushed Hux in front of her toward one of the darkened buildings. She was certain this was the location that Poe had given her. Where the hell was he?
Suddenly out of the shadows stepped a female dressed in a figure hugging burgundy catsuit. She had gold shields wrapped her upper arms which matched the unique gold coloured helmet she wore, complete with dark visor covering her eyes. Rey tensed, pushing Hux slightly to one side as she prepared to defend herself against any sudden attack. "You must be Zorii Bliss." Rey was the first to break the tense silence. "Poe told me about you."
"I bet." Zorii responded sarcastically. "I have to say you were not what I expected."
"Neither are you." Rey said ungraciously as she wondered what the other woman meant by that comment.
"Take off your helmet so I can see your face." Zorii demanded.
"Why don't you take off yours?" Rey countered harshly.
Zorri laughed quietly in amusement. "Poe said you would say something like that. Come with me." She melted into the shadows again, forcing Rey to quickly grab a swaying Hux and drag him along with her as she followed the other woman into one of the darkened buildings.
Ben zoned out as Allegiant General Enric Pryde droned on about their latest operations on Pasaana. Ben had fed Pryde false information himself that the Resistance's presence had been detected on the desert planet. Scouting Pasaana in the Expansion Region's Omkabond sector, located in the Middian system, kept his officer's attention away from dwelling too much on what might be occurring right under their noses.
Ben sat in his leather chair, his fingers templed together as he brooded. He was concerned about Rey. She had been out of contact for hours now. He didn't like being separated from her. He was missing her terribly. Her absence left him with an intense ache in his heart that would come and go, always returning in quieter moments. He had been reluctant for her to undertake the dangerous mission to Kijimi alone. He was insistent on going with her, until she forcefully reminded him that it would be more perilous if he came along for the ride. His presence would attract unwanted attention, there would be questions. Ben knew she was also thinking of her friends in the Resistance who wouldn't welcome seeing him at her side. His last encounter with Poe and the others had been fraught with tension, Rey didn't want a repeat of that.
"Supreme Leader?" Pryde said questioningly as he tried to regain Ben's attention.
Ben snapped out of his introspection and focused his gaze on the older man's thin face. "Do what you think best, Allegiant General." He snapped irritably.
"As you wish, Supreme Leader." Pryde pursed his lips in a sign of disapproval. It was clear to him that Ren hadn't listened to a word he had just said. The other council members exchanged knowing looks.
"May I ask a question, Supreme Leader?" General Domaric Quinn asked tentatively.
"What is it?" Ben drummed his gloved fingers on the table, already impatient to wrap the meeting up.
"Its about Hux." Quinn continued, oblivious to the growing tension swarming around the Supreme Leader at his mention of the former First Order General.
"What about him?" Ben demanded, his eyes narrowing.
"I mean I know you informed us that the Knights discovered he was the spy and executed him, but I was wondering if they were too hasty in their presumption that he was the actual informant. I personally cannot believe so myself. He should have been interrogated first…."
There was a collective groan around the table, while Pryde huffed out an annoyed breath. Quinn never did learn to hold his tongue. Soon the unfortunate individual was slammed against the opposite wall of the conference room as Ben impatiently swept him aside using the Force. He groaned as he slid down the wall and onto the floor.
"Never question my or my Knights authority again, General Quinn." Ben sneered as he glared at each individual in the room. "Anyone else have anything to say?" The other council members quickly shook their heads, cowering slightly under his fierce glare. Pryde was the only one who didn't quail. Ben studied the Allegiant General thoughtfully. In Rey's absence he had been doing his own investigations, drawing up a list of possible candidates in his mind who might be the double agent operating under Sidious' control on the ship and reporting back to the Sith Lord. Pryde had not been one of those candidates, but Ben was slowly beginning to suspect that the newly promoted Allegiant General had the capability of being duplicitous. He decided then and there to keep a closer watch on Pryde.
"Rose!" Rey cried in delight as soon as she spotted her friend. She whipped off her forbidding helmet and quickly embraced the other girl, squeezing her tight. "Its so good to see you."
"You, too." Rose squeezed her right back.
"I'm so glad you're here." Rey said as she finally let the pretty young mechanic go.
"Look at you." Rose's eyebrows rose almost to her hairline as she inspected Rey's darksider outfit. "Now I understand why you needed that remodelled helmet." She laughed. "You look quite intimidating wearing it."
Rey laughed as she hugged Rose again. Rose was soon replaced with Poe, and then to Rey's surprise Finn stepped into the light. The two of them stared at each for a long minute. The last time they had seen each other had been fraught with tension. Rey hadn't been able to exchange a proper goodbye with Finn before she left with Ben. It had hurt to leave Ajan Kloss with such resentment simmering between them. She missed her best friend. It seemed Finn was thinking the same thing. He grinned sheepishly in silent apology as he held out his arms towards Rey. She smiled back at him in relief as she walked right into them, hugging him as tight as she had hugged Rose.
"What a blissful reunion!" Zorii's sardonic observation broke up the party and sobered them all up again. "Unless you've all forgotten this planet is crawling with First Order agents. Can we hurry this up, please?" She tagged on at the end sarcastically.
"Alright, Zorri, jeez." Poe intervened quickly. He rubbed his hands together. "She's right, though. We should get moving." He glanced over at Hux, who was propped against the far wall of the building. Hux's eyes were only half open. He appeared dazed and confused. "What the hell did you drug him with?" He asked Rey in amusement.
"Some kind of mind-numbing sedative. It will wear off soon." Rey answered, frowning slightly.
"I still can't believe he's the spy." Finn muttered.
Rose glared at Hux as she remembered her last encounter with the former First Order General. After their capture on the Supremecy, Hux had stood in front of her and Finn gloating. Hux had recognised Rose's medallion as being from the Otomok system and took the opportunity to taunt her, mocking her home system as vermin. Refusing to be cowed, Rose bit his hand hard enough to draw blood, humiliating the general in front of his troops and leading him to call for their execution. Rose pulled out an electro shock prod similar to the one she had once used on Finn.
"Rose, what are you doing?" Finn asked dubiously when he noticed the hand-held device in her hand.
"Welcoming the spy into the fold." Rose muttered as she used the device on Armitage Hux to shock him awake. The electrical charge surged through him, jolting Armitage into a brief state of consciousness. His eyes opened wide in horror when he saw Rose's angry face hovering inches away from his. He recognised her at once. Ever since she had bitten him, she haunted his dreams nightly. "You!" He cried hoarsely.
Rose smirked again as she deliberately stunned him again, causing him to lapse back into unconsciousness.
"Are you done?" Poe asked, smirking.
"For now." Rose murmured sweetly as she hid the electro shock prod in one of the inner pockets of her thick jacket. "It will be my pleasure to take charge of this prisoner." She said.
"He's all yours until we get back to base." Poe promised her. He turned to face Rey. "How are you holding up?" He asked in concern. "Leia hasn't really told us much about what's really going on."
"I've been better." Rey said wearily. "How is Leia?" She felt her heart constrict as she thought about her last emotional goodbye with Organa.
Poe's eyes met Finn's and Rose's briefly before returning to Rey. "She's holding on, Rey." He swallowed thickly as he ducked his head to hide the moisture brimming in his eyes. "I just hate seeing her like that. You know, she's always been so strong."
Rey nodded in understanding and her own eyes glazed over with tears. Even though she was expecting it, the news still hit her hard. She was forced to compose herself when Zorii pointed out once again that they really needed to draw the meeting to a close.
Finn was the first to hug Rey. He pulled her into his strong arms and embraced her fiercely. "I wish you were coming back with us." He mumbled.
"I'll miss you." Rey hugged him back just as hard.
"Me, too." Finn took a deep shuddering breath as he finally released her. He stepped back and let Rose take his place. She was soon followed by Poe.
"Take care of yourself." Poe said when he let go. "You should go first."
Rey knew that if she dwelled even for a fraction of a second on leaving her friends, her face would be wet with tears. Her gaze encompassed them one last time, before she placed her helmet over her head, and slipped back out into the snowy night.
A/N-thanks for reading. Please review if you have the time.