A Galaxy is Not Enough
Chapter 9: The Discovery
Rey did not return to her training room. Instead, she wandered the hallways of the Galactus aimlessly, her frustration burning as she reflected on Hux's behavior.
He had been kind to her, and his gifts were thoughtful, she couldn't deny that. He'd genuinely done nothing to harm her physically or make her feel as if she ought to fear him. But still, her life on Jakku had taught her that people did not give gifts freely, and at some point, her husband would want something in return.
Though she doubted it was sex. Kaydel and Rose were wrong about that. Hux didn't seem entirely interested in something so primitive. In fact, he almost seemed to be utterly disinterested in physical intimacy. At least as far as she could tell.
Well, they had held hands, and he appeared to enjoy that. But then again, he was so difficult to read. He seemed to be alright with the hand-holding, she supposed. And she hadn't done anything else with him besides that and dancing. Leia had told her that men often liked to make the first move though they didn't have to. Not that she wanted to make a move, of course. And holding hands wasn't making a move as far as she was concerned. Finn had held her hand on numerous occasions and only as a friend.
That's all it was, a supportive gesture. Yes, holding hands didn't mean anything or give any indication of growing affection, aside from potential friendship, right?
It was odd, she thought, that Hux didn't try anything or possibly he conscientiously didn't initiate for fear that she would use the Force in retaliation. In the beginning, she believed that he would be the forceful sort, due to his imposing presence and smug face. She hadn't expected him to be gentle or subdued. Much like her in a way, he would lash out when he was fearful, but otherwise, he was—soft-spoken, quiet even.
Yes, she'd certainly misjudged him on that account.
Perhaps she'd attributed the greasy pomade in his hair to the depth of his personality, a superficial judgment to be sure.
However, she hadn't expected to like how his hand felt in her own. She thought she wouldn't want to touch him at all, but his closed-off nature only increased her curiosity. That curiosity had stoked in her an even stronger desire to touch him.
Besides, he wasn't bad to look at. True, he wasn't Ben or Poe or even Finn, who she all found handsome, but he was—in his own way— quite good looking. She had admired those lips before and then been surprised by how incredibly soft they felt. The kiss during the wedding ceremony had been—well—it had stirred something inside her. And the thought of it now made her ache. It was nice, much nicer than she'd thought it would be.
She was lost in her thoughts as she meandered, one hand trailing against the lighted wall paneling of the First Order ship. Passing stormtroopers who did not seem to pay her any mind, Rey turned down one corridor. She found herself looking out over the command deck of the Galactus.
The view out into space was both lovely and painful at the same time. It reminded her that she was so far away from her friends. From Finn and Poe, from Kaydel and Rose, from Leia and BB-8. Looking out at the vast infinity of stars, she felt that hollowness deep inside.
So lonely.
She missed her friends. And if she was honest, she missed Ben. Tumultuous as their relationship had been, he was a part of her. Especially without the Force Bond. Now she felt an aching emptiness where it had been, like an open wound, it never really stopped hurting.
An officer on the command deck eyed her suspiciously as she stepped further onto the bridge and surveyed the busy First Order officers scurrying back and forth at their stations. She didn't see anyone she recognized, not even Mitaka, and that made her feel even more lonely.
There was no one here with whom she could confide.
Several officers stopped their work when they noticed her looking down on them from above. They studied her with a nervous reverence, and she felt herself blush under their scrutiny. Slowly they returned to work, and Rey felt invisible again.
Hux stared after the lift for a moment, equal parts annoyed and worried. Why were Force-users always so volatile? One moment Rey was taking his hand, and the next, she was yelling at him for Stars knows what. He didn't understand her at all.
Not that he didn't want to understand, he did. But he was tired and frustrated and painfully aware that Rey had seen a side of him last night that no one else ever had. Something which made him particularly wary about the direction of their relationship. He was fine with her staying in his living quarters and being a background part of his life. But he would absolutely not suffer such a melodramatic emotional outburst again.
He paced back and forth; hands clasped tightly behind his back. Then he stopped and ran a palm over his stiff hair.
No, he wouldn't wait here for her to return, he would go about his day and see to his work, and she could busy herself. It wasn't his job to look after her anyway. Perhaps they could be like roommates. Roommates who didn't see each other or speak to each other. Or interact at all.
Yes, that might work. Possibly. Maybe. He wasn't sure. But there were other options he could consider.
He could always have another room prepared for himself, one he could sleep in. Though why he should be the one to leave the lavish living quarters and not her, he didn't know. He had earned this room, this life, and he wasn't about to let some Jedi scavenger scum take it away from him.
She's not some scavenger scum, she's your wife.
He could put her in her own room and keep his apartments and not even have to see her. That might be a solution to this messy problem. He shook his head. No, he didn't like that idea. Maybe because he thought he ought to have her where he could watch her, just in case she decided to do something stupid for the Resistance. Or perhaps it bothered him that it felt like something he would've expected his father to do.
His pacing continued, slowing for a fraction of a second. His father. He was starting to sound like him. That brought on a scowl, and he sucked in a breath.
No, he would not be so easily frightened off. He'd told the Emperor that he would woo Rey of Jakku, and he fully intended to. Whether she liked it or not. Well, perhaps, if she didn't like it, then this marriage wouldn't last long.
One thing was certain, he needed to maintain his position, and he could only do that by staying in the Emperor's favor. He would win Rey over. He had to.
Rey turned away from the bridge and wandered down another long hallway and into a lift and soon found herself on a flight deck, with hundreds of stormtroopers and TIE fighters and another open viewport into space.
She sighed and turned around again, heading back the way she'd come. This craft was so large she might get lost.
As she rounded a corner, however, she had an idea. She might be able to find a service data console and check for holovid recordings. Surely, maintenance logs or security footage was held within the First Order Archive System, and she might be able to uncover precisely what had happened to Ben.
It was a long shot, but at the moment she couldn't think of anything better to do with her free time. And she most certainly did not want to use the training room right now. it was only more evidence of her husband's intention to buy her cooperation.
She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing the Force to flow through her, trying to grasp onto it and let it guide her. Her eyes snapped open, and she headed left, down a different corridor and the opposite direction of her training room.
After three or four more turns, she ended up in a deserted hallway with six large doors, all requiring sequence codes for entry.
She cursed.
Hux reached for the bottle of Corellian whisky he kept in the desk drawer of his office near the bridge and poured himself a large glass full. It had been a long while since he'd sat in his office and drank and sulked.
There was a pile of budgets and orders he needed to review, in addition to the even longer list of other arduous tasks he ought to start. Instead, he flicked on his hologram display. He began examining the latest designs of the new TIE fighter turbo canons and suggestions for modification.
Perhaps it was a bit indulgent of him to check on new tech, but this was always something he liked to do when he was stressed or frustrated. There was nothing quite like losing himself in the intricacies of weapons design.
Rey looked around the hallway once more, determining if there was any other way, she might be able to enter one of the locked rooms. If only BB-8 was with her, the small, resourceful droid was always a great help, not only with mechanical problems but also with personal ones.
She huffed. She had experience hacking into ISDs back on Jakku. Back then, she had fewer resources and had to deal with broken or damaged mainframes. It might take her some time, but she had plenty of that. If anything, she was just going to take a look today. Besides, if it took too long, she could always come back another day and try again, perhaps with the proper tools.
It took her some time to pry open the side of the keypad panel. She may not have had a droid with her, but she could potentially reroute the security system based on what she knew of the First Order design. If she had enough time, she might get one or more of the doors open.
Hux reclined in his seat and sighed. He'd written up a briefing for his commanders and dealt with the broader budget issues. After which, he finished the specs for the TIE fighter canons, and issued a bounty for several Resistance members that had yet to turn themselves over to the First Order.
He reached down and refilled his glass of whisky. The Correllian drink burned down his throat as he sipped it slowly, wondering what Rey was doing at the moment. If she was enjoying the training room, he built for her.
Last time he'd visited her while she was training, she was lying on the floor just breathing but covered in sweat. She looked lovely like a deadly cat stretched out in the sun. It made his breathing hitch just thinking about it even now. Part of him wanted to stretch out over her, and another part of him felt a strange longing to taste the salt of her sweat.
But he didn't. Of course, he didn't. Because, well. It would be highly inappropriate for him to do something like that. Wouldn't it?
Aside from the undeniable fact that she would most definitely not welcome his advancements. There was the fact that she was beautiful and strong, and a Jedi, and he was Grand Marshall and an enemy of the Resistance. There was no chance in the galaxy that she would be willing to—he swallowed. His heart pounded, and his ears burned.
But then again, he was her husband. Wasn't he?
After all, she had told his mother the other day that he could have her if he wanted. And he did want. Though when he'd asked her if she meant it—well— he stopped and shook his head.
Why should he sit and worry about what she might want or not want? He could simply ask her, couldn't he? He could be direct, it would be just like when he interrogated prisoners, he could get to the bottom of this. He would find out if she meant it.
Another quick swig of whisky and he closed his eyes. He could see her there, in his memory, her chest rising and falling with each measured breath as she lay on the floor of the training room. In his mind, she seemed so tangible, so real. If he wanted, he could reach out and touch her. His stomach coiled strangely, pleasantly almost. An odd sensation and one he wasn't used to.
Perhaps he should visit her, maybe he could fix whatever was bothering her? It was only right after all. He was her husband, and he was determined to stay just that.
Besides, he didn't want to be like his father. And if there was one thing his father wouldn't do; it was to actually have a constructive conversation with his wife. Communicate. Yes. That's what he needed to do.
Hux rose from his plush office chair and downed the rest of his drink. He shut off the datapad and straightened the cuffs of his uniform, then ran a gloved hand over his hair.
Absently, he checked his appearance in the reflection of the viewport before he went in search of his wife.
Rey let out an excited squeal when one of the doors slid open. She hadn't expected the rerouting to work. It seemed the First Order really needed to update their safety protocols because itt was almost too easy.
She closed the panel quickly as she rose, and cautiously entered the room. It was mostly bare, dimly lit, but for several podiums about the room that each held an item. Walking over to the nearest podium, she cocked her head and studied the strange object that sat atop it. It was flat and circular and appeared to be some smooth organic material such as rock or mineral with intricate carvings of a language she didn't recognize. But she assumed it must've been hundreds if not thousands of years old.
The next podium held a cylindrical object that looked like an old lightsaber, one put together with pieces of scrap metal. It was brown and rusted, but still in its own way quite beautiful. There was another lightsaber on the next podium and another on the next. All different, built from a variety of strange materials. But she knew they were lightsabers; she could feel the burning Kyber crystals inside.
Suddenly, she came to a stop, heart pounding as she looked across the room.
The two podiums in the back of the room were next to each other, Rey could see them both in the dim light. But she still stepped closer to see the items more clearly. She had to be sure it wasn't a trick of the light.
On one of the podiums, rested a lightsaber she knew well.
One that had belonged to Kylo Ren.
Hux frowned to himself as he looked over the training room. She wasn't there. But where else could she be? Back in their quarters he supposed. He had been working for several hours. It's possible she finished training and went back to their residence.
He eyed the training mat for a moment, the image of her laying there, burned into his mind. His throat tightened and he swallowed before he turning on his heel and heading back to his apartments.
Rey swallowed the lump that formed in her throat at the sight of the weapon. It was Ben's. She knows it too well. The red wire that runs along outside the barrel casing. Blinking back tears, she reached out and touched it.
The lights in the room flickered and pulsed for a moment as she caressed the saber. She sucked in a breath and pulled away from it. The Force gave her no answer here. No visions of the future or past. No stories of old.
Nothing but silence.
With shaking hands, she wiped away the tears in her eyes and pressed her forehead to the lightsaber hilt. Eyes closed tight; she tried to feel something through the Force.
Still nothing. No sign of Ben, no whisper of his spirit.
She shook her head and straightened herself, letting out a long-held breath.
"Please, Ben," she whispered, "be with me."
Inside their large apartments Hux immediately felt Rey's absence. He wasn't sure how, but the unsettling quiet of his quarters made him feel strangely alone. He'd never in his life felt quite so lonely.
Can he have already gotten used to her constant presence even after only a few short days? Doubtful, however much, he still felt disappointed that she wasn't there.
Where else could she be? Not training and not here. He chose to assume that she just needed some time by herself, and that's why she hadn't returned to their rooms. Besides, how much trouble could she get up to aboard his ship?
He nearly poured himself another drink but thought better of it. If he did – well – perhaps his mother would be right about him. He needed to relax; he always felt so much pressure. His shoulders ached, and his head throbbed, and he sat down on the settee for a moment and closed his eyes.
Surely Rey would return soon, and then he could talk with her about everything.
Ben didn't respond, and neither did the Force. Rey sniffed, wiping another tear away as she looked at the saber, so odd to not see it dwarfed by Ben's large hands. She smiled for a moment at the thought. In the throne room, when she had pulled it off Ben's belt and into her hand, and she could feel his astonishment through the Force as she charged Snoke.
For a moment, she thought it would end that way, her and Ben fighting together. They would die together. But things had gone another way.
Although it took all her strength, she tore her eyes away from the lightsaber and studied the podium beside it.
Atop it sat a strange object, she couldn't identify. A triangular design, almost like a pyramid, and built with a resin frame. It glowed slowly, a pulsing of eerie green light inside it as Rey reached out and lifted it off the lectern.
The base was solid, and she looked over the cbyotaro waxen glass etched with star chart patterns. It was oddly beautiful, but something inside Rey twisted as she looked at it. Almost as if she had seen this somewhere before.
She lifted it up to eye level and focused on it. Closing her eyes again, she breathed in and out slowly, allowing the Force to funnel through her. The glowing inside grew brighter, pulsing faster, and the pyramid suddenly felt extremely hot in her hand.
Unable to hold it any longer, she nearly dropped the artifact back on its pedestal. It continued to glow a sickly green, and something inside Rey called back to it. A wave of nausea washed over her, and the room started to darken, lights flickering.
"You shouldn't be in here," a voice said quietly from the doorway.
It was the last thing Rey heard before the room closed in around her, and she collapsed.
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