Chapter 5: Dining
Ren:
I watched in confusion as the Captain began to carefully cut into what appeared to be some form of hen and potatoes before delicately delivering a bite to her mouth. She seemed totally unconcerned with my presence or, more specifically, my ability to choke her from across the table.
"It's quite delicious, I assure you." She says, reaching for a cup of wine and nodding once more to my untouched platter. "My chef is the galaxy's best."
I keep my eyes on hers as I remove the dome from the platter and inspect the food. The food looks divine, and I haven't eaten since the early hours of the morning, but suspicion creeps in at the oddity of the situation.
"It's poisoned." I say with a surety in my voice that I don't quite feel.
The Captain laughs a bit before taking another sip from her goblet of wine.
"Well, if it is, it's none of my doing." She assures me.
Cautiously, I pick up the fork and knife from the tray of food.
"However, Enrik's family was killed in a First Order invasion, so you can never be too sure." She adds, perhaps a hint of twisted humor in her words.
An exhale of frustration escapes me as I drop the silverware, momentarily losing my composure.
"You really think it wise to leave me untied?" I threaten with confidence that I know the Captain sees right through.
The woman shrugs, popping another bite of hen into her mouth, before following it with another sip of wine. She takes her time to respond, exhibiting her lack of concern and exercising her power over me in the situation by leaving me waiting.
"How else are you supposed to eat?" Dare asked, as if the answer were obvious, picking up my glass and filling it with wine from the same bottle she had filled her own with.
She seemed genuine, however it was hard to tell with her ever changing character making it difficult to discern if I could trust her from one moment to the next. Slowly, careful to not call forth any action from the droid who still aimed a blaster at me, I reached for the glass, lifting the vintage red wine to my lips. I rarely drank, but the wine was sweet, and seemed to slowly ease my worries in regards to the state of the food.
"I'm not the one you should worry about killing you." She assured me. "You're worth much more to me alive than dead, Ben Solo."
What little composure I had built failed as I struck the knife I had planned on carving my hen with into the table. Dare's piercing blue eyes peeked at me from behind her goblet, revealing nothing, observing everything. With a deep breath, I do my best to calm myself, yanking the knife from the table and returning it to my plate.
"Touchy, are we?" She says, clearly satisfied she's struck a nerve. "I like to know my enemies."
Snoke had warned me that she was hiding things. That she knew more than she was letting on. That I shouldn't antagonize her. Of course, that was when he was confident that she was firmly in our grasp.
"How do you know that name?" I grind out, trying to control the current of emotions running through me which she could no doubt read through the Force.
Once more, she shrugs, swallowing a piece of food.
"Well, Leia Organa's son disappears at the moment Luke Skywalker's academy is burned to bits. A month later Snoke announces Kylo Ren his new apprentice. You put two and two together, you get Ben Solo." She explains, easily. "You First Order types aren't as low profile as you might like to think."
Careful not to be totally thrown off-course, I think back to my original plan. Draw information from her. Get her to talk about herself. Doing my best to bring myself back on track, I try to relax, cutting a bite of the food. She wants me alive, and her crew is clearly loyal to her cause, so I hope that her loyal cook has refrained from poisoning the food.
"So what is a talented Force sensitive such as yourself doing parading around with a bunch of pirates?" I ask, carefully.
She laughs a bit.
"You flatter me."
"I'm serious. You bested me while restricted on Force dampening cuffs. You fought Snoke better than any I've ever seen. You are clearly talented and trained in the ways of the Force." I say, even as her expression narrows. "Perhaps you haven't hidden your skill as well as you think."
The words hang in the air for a moment, and Dare's expression remains the same as she looks at me through narrowed eyes. Finally, her expression softens.
"Perhaps not." She concedes, sighing, she sets her fork and knife down, pulling at her clothes in what must be a nervous gesture. "I grew up in a small village on Naboo. My father was a fisherman and my parents ran a stall in the local market. A First Order operative was hiding out on our island and the Resistance had tracked him to the market. My parents we caught in the crossfire. I was twelve."
While her face remained stony, her eyes had softened just so, and I wagered she wasn't lying. Something in my own heart softened as I thought of how the Resistance had taken her family too, even as I scolded myself against the emotion.
"Luckily, I had taken an odd job as a mechanic, and was working on the previous Captain of the Andromeda's private ship. He offered me a job full time, and I've been here ever since. Most of us pirates are victims of similar circumstances, displaced by the war. That's why I'm looking to end it."
I scoff.
"You really think you can end this war? It's impossible." I say, the words leaving my mouth before I have the chance to check them. This is a moment I can be grateful Snoke is not monitoring my thoughts.
"It's been done before." She argues. "Your parents were war heroes."
"My mother is a warmonger, and surely, as a pirate, you've met Han Solo." I retort, the wine loosening my lips. The Captain stares pointedly at her plate, and I cannot tell if she agrees with me or not. "He's a pirate and a scoundrel. He's a war hero because it was convenient for him."
Dare looks up at me and stares me down as if she is looking for the truth in my words which hang in the air. Let her look. I think. I meant everything I said.
"Well. For your sake, I hope that the war can be won. Because I'm not looking for money for your head. I'm looking for allies. So, if you want to go back to your precious Supreme Leader," She says, her words dripping venom. "And not to the mother you believe to be a warmonger, you will convince me why I should strike a deal with the First Order and not with the Resistance."
I sit back in my chair, careful not to talk myself into another trap. Of course it's not money she's after. I remember the deal she made with Hux in his office, although the circumstances had been flipped on their head. Then, she had been on her knees, and, although it was far from begging, it seemed like the trade she had forged was a last resort to get herself out of imprisonment or execution. Now, she was in the place of power, and I was the one in danger. She was the one with the knowledge over the First Order and I was the one who had to decide what information I could and should offer in order to make a deal without showing my hand. The Captain was in control, and I had to be strategic if I wanted to safely return to the First Order.
"What is it that you are looking for in an ally?" I asked, in an attempt to force her to make the first move.
The Captain's face was thoughtful for a moment as she moved some food around on her plate. It was her turn to strategize, and while she did so, I turned to my own food. I cut a bite out of the hen just as she spoke.
"I need an ally who will offer the Kingship safe passage during wartime, immunity from capture. How can the First Order be of service in Republic territories?" She asked, as if she already knew the answer, but she wanted me to explain my own understanding of the First Order's capabilities. After all, an organization is only as capable as it is willing to be.
I popped the bite of hen into my mouth with some hesitation, giving myself time to think. She was right about her chef, the food was better than what even officers of high rank were given on the Finalizer. It was a bit of comfort in an otherwise uncomfortable situation.
"The Republic won't be an issue for much longer." I said. Confident our engineers were building a superweapon that would cement the First Order's place of power in the galaxy.
"And in the meantime?" She countered.
I wondered briefly if she was reading my thoughts. Even without the Force, I was strong willed and had been focusing on protecting them, but it was clear that she had the ability to see them if she wanted. There seemed to be a connection, however slight, between us that I just couldn't place, and it unnerved me. Even aboard the shuttle to Tatooine I had sensed her ability to feel my thoughts and emotions easily. It had been a long time since I had felt so exposed to anyone other than my master.
Jedi didn't believe in the use of the Force in such a way, and most people in general found it immoral to invade the minds of others. But she was a pirate. So I doubted morality was a huge issue for her. And she had said it herself that she was not a Jedi - though I doubted the truth in that statement. She had shown skill in battle and mental fortitude not found in anyone who had not spent years training in the ways of the Force.
"In the meantime, the First Order has vast resources at our command. There is no reason why an agreement protecting the Kingship could not be reached." I offer, staying purposefully vague about the First Order's involvement in Republic territories, even as we were getting closer everyday to causing coups on many planets.
She seemed to consider this carefully, swirling the wine in her glass before finishing it off and setting it to the side, choosing not to refill it.
"The Kingship will need reinforcements as well if we are to help you take control of the outer rim. Crime circles are more complex and powerful than the First Order might think, and some will need...convincing. We will need intelligence resources and manpower if we are to overthrow the powers that have a hold on some of these planets."
I thought for a moment about how much the First Order would be willing to expend on planets in the outer rim should crime bosses become a problem. Snoke had made it a condition of his training that I sit in on meetings, and I knew that there were conflicting opinions among the officers over how much the outer rim was worth in terms of expenditure of resources. The issue was on the back burner for now, but controlling the outer rim would be necessary if we truly wanted to bring order to the galaxy. As well, it would mean the Resistance wouldn't be left with anywhere to hide.
"And...the Kingship, you have relationships with the Crime bosses of the outer rim?" I asked, thinking again to the way she had peaked General Hux's interest with her enticing offer of helping the First Order navigate the crime rings.
She nodded, reaching for a pot of Caf and a small slice of what appeared to be desert in the middle of the table. I went back to eating at the items on my plate, now sampling the perfectly seasoned vegetables, as Dare began to speak.
"I prefer to maintain a healthy relationship with them - well as healthy as a relationship with the Hutts can be." She said. "I find that they can be mutually beneficial."
It was continuously surprising how well connected these pirates were proving to be. It was no wonder Dare had evaded capture for so long despite her infamous reputation. If it was possible, I was beginning to think that Han Solo was even worse of a pirate than I had made him out to be. Or perhaps it was this captain's specialty to make men look bad at what they did - Force knows the First Order certainly thought so now.
"The First Order is able to provide sufficient help should the need to take military action arise." I offered.
"Hmm." She hums, low in her throat, and appears to ponder my answer. "And when the Kingship needs help for our own purposes, will the First Order return the favor?"
It was an excellent question. One I wasn't certain that I had the answer to. The First Order's entire premise was bringing order to the galaxy, even if our ways were underhanded at times. The Captain had every right to be weary that Snoke would use her organization as a pawn and discard - destroy it even, for its criminal associations - when it had served its purpose. But, regardless of how powerful we grew, the First Order needed allies if it was to take down the last bits of resistance in the galaxy. At very least to maintain the pirates' loyalty, it would have to offer its help when the Kingship needed it.
"We will remain loyal to our allies so long as our allies are loyal to us." I finally settle on an answer.
The corner of Dare's mouth quirks up and she takes a sip of her Caf, which appears to be black.
"A very diplomatic answer." She says in return. "Perhaps you're better at this than I thought."
It was true I likely hadn't given the best impression, but either she held me in low regard or she held everyone in low regard. I couldn't tell. At times she seemed confident, almost cocky. Other times, she seemed cool and calculated, and I struggled to get a hold on how she would act next. I suppose that made her a worthy opponent.
Finishing up the food on my plate, I chanced a careful look at the imperial droid that still aimed a blaster at my side. It hadn't spoken this entire time, and I briefly wondered how serious the Captain had been in her threat to mute the droid.
"What are you looking at." The droid piped up, as if on cue. "Permission to fire, Captain?"
The Captain sighed, not even looking up from the desert she was cutting into.
"Not yet K-9." She said, before altering her statement. "Permission granted should he show signs of fleeing or aggression."
I looked over to the droid, then back to her, before my eyes settled on the cuff on my wrist. A dull pain had taken over my wrist and the lower part of my arm from where a needle seemed to be placed into my skin - its way of blocking the Force perhaps? It was a thin band of metal and some ivory material that encircled my wrist, locking just beneath my palm. I had never been subject to such a powerful Force blocker before - I had been forced by Snoke to take pills and wear cuffs that dampened my sensitivity to the Force, but never entirely blocked it like this.
"What is this thing anyways?" I asked, feeling bolder now that I had conversed with the Captain over the meal.
She finished a sip of her Caf, glancing at the cuff on my wrist.
"It belonged to the previous Captain of the Andromeda, Captain Farse." Dare began. There was some sadness in her eyes that could not place, but the rest of her expression was unreadable. "He was a collector of Force sensitive objects. Plundered it from a Jedi temple, he told me once."
I thought back to what she had said on the Finalizer. When she had explained her rise to power. The name "Farse" was familiar/
"I thought Captain Farse was the previous Lord of Pirate Lords, that you defeated?" I asked.
"He was, but the other Captain Farse was his brother. The Captain of the Adromeda until his brother led our crew into a trap. K-9 and I are the only original surviving crew members." She explained, her voice measured but not too revealing of her feelings.
Dare turned her gaze down in what appeared to be an attempt to hide the emotion on her face. The memory had obviously affected her, as it would anyone. I knew what it was like to lose your family because of betrayal, and I found myself having to suppress my sympathy.
"Your previous captain was Force sensitive as well?" I asked out of curiosity.
The young woman shook her head.
"He believed in the existence of the Force, but he wasn't of the Jedi faith." She said, killing the theory that he could have been her teacher. "He knew the value of Force sensitive objects in a galaxy often controlled by Force sensitives, and, so, he collected them."
Like he collected you.I thought, before remembering myself.
Dare's eyes snapped up to mine, her lips pressed into a hard line. There was the sound of the creaking of metal, and I realized she bent her fork in half clenching her fist against the table. It was clear that I had struck a nerve. And that the Captain was not quite as composed as she made herself out to be.
Gathering herself, I watched as she breathed in sharply, and set the piece of cutlery to the side, picking up a spare fork I'm sure the cook provided her with for this reason.
Stowing that piece of information away for later, I began putting together what little information I had about the Captain. There were still huge gaps missing, but the picture of her was getting clearer. In the future I would have to be more strategic in the way I pulled information from her, as I could tell she had likely shared everything she was outright willing to for now.
We finished the dinner in silence, before Dare stood, pulling her blaster out and motioning for me to stand.
"Up." She said, simply, gesturing for me to move.
I stood and the droid at my side stood with me, nudging me to turn around and move forward with his blaster. The droid guided me to a metal bench set into the wall, and motioned for me to sit down.
"Not taking me to the brig?" I asked, confused for a moment before I saw the thick rope the Captain had at her belt. Not that I was complaining, but keeping me in her quarters seemed odd - though I supposed the space was used equally as an office and area for commanding the crew.
"While I'm sure the twins are quite capable of keeping you in line, I am the only Force sensitive on the ship, and, therefore am uniquely equipped to handle you." She said as she began binding my hands together with deft fingers, securing me to the metal bench. "K-9 will keep an eye on you to alert me while I'm sleeping. It's not as glamorous as the officer's quarters the First Order provided me with, but you'll live."
After she finished, she stepped away and took to taking care of business at her desk in the center of the room. The K-9 unit sat not far from me and put itself in charging mode. Part of me thought of annoying them, but I had the feeling Dare was too resolved for even that to send me to the brig and to continue my ill-conceived plan of escape. Instead, I chose to sink into meditation to protect my thoughts and ease the worry that had built in my gut.
Everything would work out. It had to.
***Author's Note***
Well, this chapter ended up having to be long, but hopefully it makes up for it coming in a week late. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.
Sincerely,
Captain Dare's Metal Arm