Rey had no idea food could be so delicious. She sank her teeth into the meat, savoring the spice on her tongue before she swallowed. Another bite, and she reached for the glass of water nearby. "Did you cook this, VU?"

The protocol droid made a slight bow. "Oh, no. I purchased it on my trip to the market. Master Ren added the seasoning."

Rey looked at the man across from her. He had a utensil in his right hand – like a civilized person, he had said to the juice running down her hands – but only poked at the meat. Rey frowned and took a drink of water. "You don't like your own seasoning?"

Ren didn't respond. The utensil clinked against the plate in a quiet rhythm.

Rey stared at him and then raised her hand. The plate in front of Ren lifted from the table slowly. The clinking changed time and then rhythm before it stopped, and Ren looked up, his dark eyes blinking.

He looked tired. His skin looked paler than usual, and dark circles hinted under his eyes. His brows pulled together. "What?"

Rey would have laughed at his confusion if she did not know the reason for his exhaustion. The nightmare she had sensed had kept her awake much of the night, too. "Thought we were supposed to be getting to know each other during these meals. Don't you like your seasoning?"

"Mmm. Not hungry."

Rey nodded and took the final bite of her meat. "Where'd you learn the art of making this delicious? Didn't you say you had droids for that?" Silence greeted her questions. After taking another drink, Rey sighed. "Why'd you want to eat together if you're just going to brood?"

The clinking started again and nearly masked the softly uttered, "My mother."

Memories of Ren sobbing made Rey freeze. Kriff. She watched him carefully, but he did not show signs of flying to either a rage or any other sort of fit. She wiped her hands on a napkin that VU-M3 had provided and whispered, "Your nightmare."

Ren let out a long breath. "Seems I can't hide anything." He set the utensil down and rolled his eyes before gesturing in acquiescence as Rey slowly reached for his plate. "So we must learn to block both our conscious and sleeping minds from each other."

Rey took a bite of Ren's partially eaten meat. "Can you… sense mine?"

"Only if they're particularly distressing." His mouth pressed into a line. "Which I suppose is all of them for us."

Rey took a moment to think, allowing the seasoning to linger in her mouth. "So particularly painful or shocking experiences come across the connection. Maybe we need the same to block it? Or the exact opposite?"

Ren inclined his head and ran a hand over his face. "Possibly." He raised a hand as if asking her wait for something and left the room.

Twenty minutes later found Rey and Ren sitting across from each other again. Ren's dark eyes studied Rey, but she did not flinch away. A slight tinge of pink surrounded the scar bisecting the right side of his face, but Rey's gaze kept returning to Ren's eyes. Excitement drove some of the exhaustion from his expression.

Between them, Ren had his datapad that Rey had once broken into along with an actual physical book. Ren glanced down at the open page, his lips pressing together. "So it says that a Force bond can be used as a training accelerant between a Padawan and a Jedi Master, allowing the Padawan to draw on the experience of the Master."

Rey nodded, twitching the book to angle between them. "Like you said before. But nothing about feeling the other's pain?"

Ren shook his head, flipping the pages a few times. "No. I've looked several times. This is the only text I have that even mentions it."

Rey read the passage he had summarized and traced the illustrations on the page. She did not feel a lie from him, but the fact that he had finally brought out his research for her to look at made a bubble of excitement form in her chest.

"So we know how I learned some things from you, but why don't I know everything? And why does your damned shoulder hurt me?" Rey nodded at the injured shoulder, which Ren had been rubbing absently.

He blinked at her and stopped, his hand slowly falling back to the table. "I don't think you're conscious of what you've picked up from me, so it's likely we won't even realize the extent until you've done some things." He hesitated for moment. "Can I suggest something?"

The hesitation in his voice made her pause. "What?"

"I… Well, I remember we didn't have an idea of this connection until I probed your mind. Perhaps –"

"No."

"It's the only way I can think of that might help us understand. Gain control of the bond."

"Kriff. No." Rey held up a hand as if she could project a shield between them. Her pulse pounded, acutely aware that she really had only been with him in the first place because she was a captive of the Knights of Ren. "You're not going through my mind again. No one is. Think of another way."

Ren nodded once and raised his hands off the table in surrender. The pit in Rey's stomach unclenched. Slightly. She held Ren's gaze and, seeing he did not intend to go through with his suggestion, turned her attention back to the book between them.

She put her thumb on the page and partially closed the book to read the cover. "Could I read through this?" She was a slow reader; she'd need some time to get through the tome.

Ren hesitated. Rey could practically see his mind working before the tension in his jaw relaxed. "Yes. I've read through it enough times, so maybe you'll catch something I haven't."

Rey stopped herself from rolling her eyes at the reason, but she pulled the book closer all the same. "So what now?"

Ren folded his arms on the table, leaning on them as he let out a long breath. "I told you that the Force is only limited by imagination. I wonder if both of us imagining a sort of," he broke off, his gaze distant, "door? A door between our connection would close it when we wanted."

Rey envisioned the doors of the Star Destroyer wreckage on Jakku and the little device she would use to open some of them. She could imagine them slamming closed on Ren.

Rey and Ren fell into an uneasy truce. Despite sparring sessions with the wooden staves and meals, Ren essentially left Rey to her own devices. She was not sure if that was because he wanted time alone or some other reason, but whatever that was, Rey did not particularly care. With a few weeks' worth of rest, training, and three meals a day, she felt good. Energetic. And for the first time since that red beam on Starkiller, hopeful.

"All right. Time to reveal your secrets."

She flipped over the datapad and pried off the back covering with her little makeshift weapon. A small crack formed in the duraplastic, but it came away with a little coaxing and only one curse word. The wires and chips that powered the device glinted in the light of her room. Rey frowned down at it, studying each component with a practiced eye. Well, as practiced as she could be. She was used to taking apart speeders and ships and droids, but she had only come across a few datapads on Jakku. Those had been quickly sold for an excellent number of rations.

Rey cursed her past self for not taking the time to learn the workings of a datapad. But then again, a datapad in the middle of a remote desert planet did not particularly do more than basic functions Rey could already do without the help of the device. She supposed there was no better time than now to learn.

The datapad's function was to compute and connect to the HoloNet for information. Not completely unlike a droid. The switchboard looked similar enough with familiar wires running down either side from the power button and charge port to the battery that took up at least half of the datapad's interior. The processor looked smaller than one equipped in a typical droid, but she could easily identify it within the switchboard. The memory card sat above the processor along with another component she did not recognize and guessed this was the piece responsible for connecting to the HoloNet.

She inspected this piece carefully. It was clearly not the newest piece of tech, but it looked functional, and none of the wiring in the datapad looked frayed.

Well, kriff. The limited HoloNet accessibility on the datapad must be due to programming, not the internal mechanics. That was something she knew even less about.

Rey leaned back against the headboard. Her gaze flickered around the room. The HoloNet – a full access, not just the quaint games she currently has access to – would allow her to figure out where she was, what was happening in the galaxy, and decide how exactly screwed she was with Ren and his Knights. As much as she hated to admit it, returning to Jakku had left the table ages ago. Now that she was in relatively good shape – or at least not starving anyway – she needed to decide how to escape and what she would do afterwards.

So. Option one: figure out how to get around the security protocol on the datapad to access the HoloNet. Option two: steal Ren's datapad.

Well, she wasn't exactly pressed for time. Rey turned her attention to the datapad. She snapped the back cover on again and powered the device up.

Rey's shoulder throbbed. She peered around the corner. Flickering blue figures danced around the room, circling the tangible figure of Ren. He held his crackling lightsaber up in a high guard.

Two holographic figures darted forward, and Ren swept his blade in a small arch to block a blue bolt. He spun, sweeping the lightsaber through the second figure, and connected the movement to a pivot that destroyed the first figure.

Rey's shoulder throbbed harder, and a small gasp escaped her lips.

Ren turned. The blue figures flickered out of existence. He studied her for a moment, rubbing his own shoulder absently as his lightsaber sheathed. Dark pieces of hair fell across his face. "Rey."

Rey gave him a short nod. "Ren."

Ren produced a tie from his pocket and pulled his hair back in small ponytail. Rey could feel the tug of the movement on his shoulder. He tossed her a wooden saber and picked up one for himself. They slid into familiar stances, circling one another.

Rey adjusted her grip and struck Ren's staff as it swung down to protect his knee. Ren swept their sabers up and used the momentum to push her backwards. He advanced, the staff spinning once in his hand before he attacked. They exchanged a series of blows, and Rey slowly forced their connecting sabers upwards as she moved around Ren's right side, taking advantage of her smaller size to force him to turn and favor his already throbbing shoulder.

Ren kept up with her – a testament to the work they had both put in over the weeks and his knowledge of her fighting style. He slowly forced her backwards even as their blows kept at his shoulder height. Rey cast out with her senses to figure out how close the wall stood behind her. She mentally prepared to use it to her advantage when a jolt of phantom pain raced through her arm. Ren's saber clattered to the floor.

Instinctively, Ren's hand shot up, halting Rey's saber with the Force before it hit his arm. Rey stumbled forward. "What was that? I didn't hit you."

"Spasm." Ren flexed his hand with a wince.

Rey could see it trembling, could feel it in her own body. She imagined a heavy durasteel door slamming shut in her mind, and the pain ebbed away. "That hasn't happened in a while."

Ren shook his head and pulled his saber back to him with a flick of his left hand. "You forced me on my right. It was smart."

Rey grinned. "Go again?"

Ren hesitated and then shook his head, leaning his wooden saber against the wall. "You can practice with the holos, if you like."

Rey leaned her saber next to his and shrugged. "A victory against you is enough for today."

Ren's features lit up as he let out a rare laugh. "A victory? You stopped after I prevented you from hitting me. If anything, you surrendered."

"You dropped your weapon!"

"I can fight with more than a wooden staff, Rey."

Rey rolled her eyes. "A draw, then."

Ren inclined his head, the smile still pulling at his lips. "A draw. Let's get lunch."

She fell into step next to Ren as they crossed the entrance room. He seemed not quite happy, but in lighter spirits than she had ever seen him. They sat at the table. VU-M3 bustled in with glasses of water.

Rey tucked a foot under her thigh and took a drink. "Who taught you to fight? I don't peg you for someone who had to learn like I did."

Ren raised an eyebrow but shook his head once. "No, I didn't learn like you needed to." VU-M3 returned with plates of food for each of them, and Rey thought he would not continue before he said, "My parents wanted to make sure I could defend myself. I trained with lightsabers when I was a teenager."

"Can only Force users wield a lightsaber?"

"It's a crude weapon in the hands of someone without sensitivity, but they can. Lightsabers can do more than slice through something, though, and that requires Force abilities."

Rey felt her face light up in memory of a holo she had seen as a child. "Like deflect blaster fire?"

Ren nodded, his lips slipping into his earlier smile again. "And it's easier to control the blade with the help of the Force."

"Do your Knights of Ren use lightsabers, then?"

"No, I am the only Force sensitive member." Ren shifted, and Rey felt a ping of unease through their connection. "There aren't many of us in the galaxy in general, especially without a Jedi Order tracking down and training those with the abilities."

Rey did not press him further, but she wondered how many friends he had lost, if those stories she had heard about Skywalker's temple were actually true – and not legend as she had once thought. She was halfway through her meal when Ren asked, "Was it hard? Growing up as a scavenger?"

Rey took another bite and shrugged. "It was all I knew, really. I had to learn quickly or die, fight or die, and I had to be at least decent at it. Otherwise, I would end up in a very unfavorable position to pay my way, to put it politely."

Ren nodded in understanding and likewise did not press her further. She took a few more bites. "I did learn enough in engineering and base value to mystify some of the other idiot scavengers. There was this one Uthuthma that I traded with once. He gave me a radiation negator in exchange for a coolant coil that I had shined."

Ren laughed so loudly that VU-M3's head appeared around the corner in surprise for a moment. "No way."

Rey grinned and leaned back. "I got four whole ration portions for that. He got a fourth of one."

Ren chuckled and shook his head, and Rey berated herself for how much she enjoyed seeing the joy on his face. Stupid. He stood in her way of freedom.

Ren's mirth subsided as he said, "I'm returning to the main base tomorrow. I shouldn't be gone more than the day."

Rey blinked in surprise. "And you're just going to let me have run of the place?"

"VU-M3 will be here, of course. There's really nowhere for you to go, and no one lives near enough to bother you."

Rey frowned at his choice of words, but she was glad she would not have to travel back to that horrible place. "Why do you need to go back?"

"I'm the head of the organization. I need to be there for the induction of new members."

Rey took a deep drink of the water, already planning what she could do with Ren gone.

"Haven't you read my reports?" Karis asked in her cold, clipped voice.

Ren resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. He really wished he had not smashed his helmet. "Yes, but I would like a summary."

"That's a waste of time if you're already caught up." The Nightsister walked in step with Ren. "We really only need you here for the induction, and then you can run along back to your, ah, training exercise."

Ren silently much preferred Rey's presence than Karis's. She launched into a succinct report of what had occurred on base during his absence, highlighting the ship repairs done as well as personnel movements. As she spoke, Ren focused the Force around her, probing for her emotions and intentions that he could not from her written reports. "And what of your activities?"

"I have reported to Leader Snoke twice and overseen the repairs of our fleet." Ren could not feel any malice from the Nightsister, no concealed thoughts. "The First Order's scouts have found a potential location for a cell of the Resistance. I will be meeting with General Hux next week for a strategy of how we can be of use. I imagine you would like to attend."

Rey looked over her shoulder and then slipped through the door. She waved her hand over the panel on the wall and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light. Ren's room had not changed in the few weeks since she had sensed his nightmare: the relative chaos of his belongings covered the room and the sheets lay in a disorganized mess. Holding her breath, Rey picked her way through the discarded clothes and slowly opened the drawer next to the bed.

Yes.

Ren's datapad sat glinting against the light. Her heart hammering, she picked it up and ran her hand over the edge. The screen lit up, asking for Ren's bioinformation. Rey pressed her hand to the screen as she had the night she found his ship notes. The screen flashed red and asked for Ren's information again.

Kriff. So Ren had actually locked up his information this time.

Rey sat on the bed, chewing her lower lip as she tapped the device. She just needed to steal, to siphon, to emulate, whatever the correct word was to get the access to the HoloNet that Ren's datapad had. Or so she assumed it had. She checked that the door was closed again and paused, reaching out with the Force to ensure Ren had not returned. She then clipped off the back covering of the datapad, flinching at the loud noise, and compared the wiring with the mental image of the datapad back in her room. Three wires connected to a different motherboard than hers. That couldn't be it, could it? Just three wires? She ran a finger over the wires, trying to decide if this connection would override the lock on her access to the HoloNet.

The hair on the back her neck stood up. Rey snapped the back covering onto Ren's datapad, dropped it back into the drawer, and slipped out of the room, running back to her own as VU-M3 turned the corner.

"Ah, Miss Rey. I was just coming to collect you for dinner. It's just us tonight. Or rather you, since I don't exactly eat." The droid made an odd huffing sound that might have been an attempt at a laugh.

Rey leaned against the doorframe, hoping the droid did not have sensors for heartrate. "Oh, great. Yes. I'll be there in a moment. Thanks."

VU-M3 leaned forward in a slight bow and shuffled back toward the kitchen.

Rey turned back to her room and snatched up her datapad, clipping the back off again. She gently disconnected the three wires, slid them to the other motherboard, and snap. She jerked her hand back, shaking it as a burning pain raced up her arm.

She kept shaking her hand in the air and swore loudly. The wire that had given her a nice red sheen on her finger had fried, destroying a piece of the motherboard. One look at the screen told her the datapad would not turn on.

Well, kriff.

The hairs on the back of Ren's neck rose.

He pulled his gaze away from the line of five new members, each sporting light grey cloaks. The Force pulsed around him in warning, and Ren swept from the room, ignoring the call of Karis. His feet followed the path that the Force pulled him to, and he found himself in front of the grey shuttle he had flown in earlier.

"And what, may I ask, are you doing?" Ren glared down at the brunette hair as the figure froze. "Surely," he grabbed a wrist and jerked it away from the ship, "you didn't think that you could sabotage my ship?"

The man matched Ren's glare, but the flash of fear through the Force betrayed him.

"You stink of fear and hate, Nesan." Ren twisted the man's wrist, feeling his own hate rise in his chest. This was the man he had only been able to demote without raising questions. This was cause of Rey's nightmares, her increased heartrate upon being touched. "I can sense it, you remember."

Nesan growled. "You sent me to a godforsaken outpost in the middle of nowhere because of that girl! And what did Karis get? Nothing! She was just as to blame."

The snap of the wrist and resulting yell of pain really should not have sounded so good to Ren. But the Dark Side of the Force fed on it, feasted on his hate of the man. "So you decided to," he shoved the man to the floor and turned, glancing at the Lambda -class shuttle. "cut the fuel lines. Original."

The yell had attracted a few other Knights of Ren. Nesan still had friends among the ranks, ones that he would need to root out, and soon. He placed a boot on the man's back, leaning down close. "You don't deserve even the lightest of cloaks, Nesan. Be grateful I'm sparing your life."

AN: Yeah, I know nothing about actual wiring or engineering, just work with me here. Or if you have experience and would like to give any tips, please feel free to reach out. Thank you so much for reading, and happy new year!